After a cheap handgun sets Jack on the trail of a heroin importer, he winds up in the lair of one of the largest Yakuza crime families, caught in a deadly clash of criminal cultures.

This intriguing, suspense-packed novel is the fourth in the Jack Taggart Mystery series, continuing the story of Loose Ends, Above Ground, and Angel in the Full Moon. This time, the implacable Mountie Jack Taggart goes undercover to follow the trail of a cheap “Saturday-night special” handgun found at the scene of a murder.

He traces the gun from the manufacturer to the person it was stolen from, and through several criminals, until the trail leads him to a suspected heroin importer. Posing as an Irish gangster to penetrate the criminal organization, Taggart discovers that the real crime boss is a mysterious figure out of Asia.

Alone and without backup in the lair of one of the largest Yakuza organized crime families in Japan, Taggart finds himself caught in a deadly clash of criminal cultures.

Don Easton spent his career in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police as an undercover operative who worked in foreign countries. He lives in Victoria, British Columbia.

Don Easton's premise for writing this novel came from personal experience. He was a former RCMP undercover operative who had been sent to El Paso where his investigation then took him into Juarez. Some of the events in this novel are shocking, made even more so when told by someone who has been there. Birds of a Feather is Easton's sixth Jack Taggart Mystery, following Loose Ends, Above Ground, Angel in the Full Moon, Samurai Code, and Dead Ends.

Don Easton's profile page

• Commended, Dewey Divas and the Dudes

Undercover Mountie Jack Taggart is back with a story that takes him from the seedy underground in Vancouver to the sumptuous criminal haunts of Tokyo. This one is Easton's best so far.

Globe and Mail

Taggart … is a lively character to hang out with for a few hours.

London Free Press

A pretty revealing story about the way drug dealers seem to operate almost at will in so many countries.

Saskatoon Star-Phoenix

Easton will quickly suck you into the story with his crisp, clean prose, fast-moving plots, and a gift for dialogue that breathes life into his characters.

Boulevard Magazine

A multifarious story layered with swift action, sudden violence and compassion told in a style that keeps you turning the pages. Easton is a hard-nosed writer at the top of his game.

Hamilton Spectator