I love The Twitchers series so much and I'm delighted to have read an advanced copy of Clutch (thanks to Walker Books via Netgalley). This is one of my favourite series to recommend to children in the bookshop - kids who are birdwatching detectives, does it get much cooler than that?! The series continues to excite - this is a high stakes mystery as the Twitchers try to track down an egg thief seemingly hidden in plain sight. It's a race against the clock as they try to protect a pair of spoonbills and their eggs. I love everything about these books - the characters (I wanted to scoop Twitch up when he starts to think that his birdwatching hobby is seen as "odd" and "obsessive" by other people), the plot, those gorgeous striking covers and all of the BIRDS! I can't wait to get Clutch into my bookstore and to continue sharing these stories.

The third book in this brilliant series sees Twitch and his friends investigating the theft of precious bird eggs. Determined to get to the bottom of things, they end up becoming suspects and things take a turn for the worst. Can the group rally together to discover the real culprit before it’s too late?
I love this series so I was incredibly excited to be able to read Clutch early. Once again, it’s packed with adventure and will keep you guessing until the end. Perfect for those who love birds or who love a good adventure. I know this will be a huge hit when it’s released.

Any of you that have been following me for a while will already know that I a huge fan of M.G. Leonard’s books, so I was super excited to catch up with Corvus Featherstone and his gang in the third instalment of her Twitcher books (thank you @NetGalley and @WalkerBooksUK for the eARC!).

🪶The blurb…
There’s an egg thief on the prowl in Briddvale! When a peregrine falcon’s nest is raided and the eggs stolen, Twitch knows that this will be the work of a highly dangerous and cunning individual. He and his detective gang, The Twitchers, set out to catch the culprit but instead find themselves ensnared in a deadly trap! Can The Twitchers find out who the real egg thief is before it’s too late?

Although you could read Clutch as a standalone book, I would highly recommend reading Twitch and Spark before doing so (you’ll be familiar with the characters and events from the first two books are referred to in this third instalment).

I have nothing but high praise for Leonard’s latest book - the writing is engaging and the plot is pacy, filled with twists and turns that keep you guessing until the very end. If you’re looking for a book jam-packed with crime, mystery, adventure, sting operations, friendship and nature, then look no further. I love the ornithological facts that are woven throughout the story - interesting things about the world around them that young readers might not necessarily know.

This is definitely a title I will be recommending to the young people in my class!

Oh, and I officially have a new favourite word… oology (you’ll know if you read the book 😉)

Just as good as the 1st. Another fabulous birdwatching book in the series.
There's another mystery to solve and who better than Twitch and his gang. There are twists and turns and new characters to be introduced to.
There's a great message about declining wildlife populations and Twitch nails it with a speech.
I love these books, hope there's another one.

I cannot say how much I adore this book series and the characters in it! Whilst book one focussed on Twitch and book two focussed more on Jack, this felt more evenly weighted between the pair which I loved! The mystery of the stolen eggs was engaging, intriguing and sit-on-the-edge-of-your-seat gripping but I also found the story of Twitch's eco-anxiety compelling and thought this was delicately dealt with. I am already exciting for the fourth book!

I very much enjoyed the first two books in the series so I was excited to read this one. (You don’t have to have read the previous books though to enjoy this one).
I did find it took a little while for me to get into it, but then I raced through to the end.
Twitch and his gang return, and this time they need to save the eggs in Aves Wood from an unknown egg-collector. Jack is keen to solve the mystery and figure out who is stealing the eggs. I did guess quite early on, but it was still a satisfying conclusion.
Young nature-lovers and mystery-lovers will enjoy this new book in the series.

CLUTCH is yet another brilliant mystery around a nature based crime - this time stealing eggs, thus further endangering bird populations.

I really like how these books highlight the range of ways birds can be targeted, the sort of stories that don't make the news but can be devastating to local and global populations. Plus it's a series all about the wonder of birds and makes you want to pick up some binoculars and go bird watching.

Twitch and Jack both narrate this book. Having each had their own book (TWITCH and SPARK respectively), it was really nice to see them both get to shine in this one.

The crimes seem to be linked to the fishing competition that's just started. I really liked how another nature-based hobby was brought into the series, using it to highlight how hobbies that can seem very naff to those not into them require so much skill. It was also a great vehicle to bring suspects into the town and put a time limit of how long the twitchers had to uncover the truth.

I think my favourite part was when the evidence started pointing the wrong way - it really helped up the stakes for getting the villain. The police were convinced they knew who it was, so weren't going to help, and if they hadn't been proved wrong, there would have been really personal consequences too.

I am hoping for another book - these are so much fun and highlight the amazing world out there (plus the danger it is in - Twitch has a great speech about the threats to the natural world.)

There is an Egg Thief in Aves Wood! Twitch, Jack and friends are shocked when they overhear that someone has been pilfering birds eggs from their nests. Taking birds eggs is a crime and the Twitchers set their mind to capturing the oologist. However, there is a canal fishing competition which has various newcomers to the area and so the Twitchers have their work cut out finding out who it is. No one is free from suspicion and that includes the Twitchers themselves.
One of the things that I love about this series is that MG Leonard introduces children to wildlife legislation and facts about different birds. I can see there being many future wildlife enthusiasts and environmentalists because of this themes raised in this series.

I loved this next instalment of the Twitchers series, joining Twitch, Jack and their fellow Twitchers for their third adventure. It’s Spring and excitement is in the air as a National Fishing Competition comes to Bridvale, bringing with it a whole host of interesting characters. This is a story about friendship, teamwork and mostly importantly birds. This adventure remains loyal to the themes throughout the series of the importance of the natural world and concern about the damage being caused to it. Stories like this take me back to my childhood. A thoroughly enjoyable read and I can’t wait for the fourth!

A great half term read, another addition to this series with lots of twists and adventures for the Twitchers. Will definitely be recommending this to my students.
@MGLnrd #Clutch #NetGalley

People say that good things come in threes and this is definitely the case with the Twitch series. The story opens with an action-packed chapter which will work brilliantly as a model writing piece for teaching students how to write action scenes. The strong bond between the characters helps to draw readers in by making readers feel like they are one of the character's friends, joining in with their adventures.

The nature theme also easily makes it a popular read for children.

Another great instalment in The Twitchers series. Twitch discovers someone has stolen eggs from the Peregrine falcon nest and, along with Jack and others in the group, starts an investigation to find out who the egg snatcher is.
An exciting addition to the series as the group try to narrow down a range of suspects and catch them in the act.
I really love this series, the friendship and the strong respect for the natural world. I've really enjoyed learning about different birds.
I hope the Twitchers have many more adventures.

MGLeonard strikes again. Every single time I pick up an MGLeonard book I just KNOW that I am going to read straight through and be hooked from first page till the last. I don’t know how she does it but she really is top of the game in mystery writing. As always the characters are varied and superbly written. The setting is described so effectively you feel like it is a real place you have visited and have pictures in your mind.
Stunning.

Twitch, Spark and now Clutch….a trilogy of brilliant books featuring Twitch, a bird-obsessed boy who also happens to get embroiled in local mysteries. Along with friend Jack, and the entire Twitcher gang, Twitch is a one of a kind kid, with kindness and a deep love for nature and its gifts.

The gang are back as Spring holidays arrive but there is already a mystery to solve. Someone has stolen the peregrine falcon eggs from the nest. Knowing how illegal but immoral this is, the gang set off to find clues and learn what they can about potential suspects. With a fishing competition taking place in Aves Woods, there are new people to investigate, follow and spy on. There are also new nesting pairs of birds to protect.

Filled with adventure, action and sting operations, this is such an exciting story. It all takes a turn for the worst when Twitch’s bird obsession leads the police to count him as the key suspect. The Twitchers really need to catch the true thief in order to save Twitch.

Friendship and protection of nature is at the heart of these stories. I found, since reading Twitch, that I have a new found respect for birds and love the morning bird-song as I take an early morning puppy walk. Twitch has remained true to his passion in each story and actually gathers more and more Twitchers with each story, as they are drawn to saving nature with him.

A remarkable story! I really hope there will be more from this series!