BIRDS OF PREY

Birds of a feather flock together in this collection celebrating predators, both airborne and earthbound.

Not all of the 11 stories in this volume feature literal birds: In addition to seagulls, owls, buzzards, and goshawks, there’s a Ford Falcon and, of course, Dashiell Hammett’s fabled falcon. But a common thread of predation links these tales. From daring Derrick Moldvar, who plots to steal peregrine falcon eggs in editor Box’s “Precious Cargo,” to Robyn and Jay, ex-con nursing home workers who plan to steal from a resident in Hank Phillippi Ryan’s “Jailbirds,” the tales shine a spotlight on people who don’t hesitate to take advantage of those more vulnerable. Some of the victims are truly innocent, like condor rescuer Haley McCray in Heather Graham’s “Predator or Prey?”; others, like those in Tess Gerritsen’s atmospheric “The Coffin Bearer,” are little better than their tormentors. In many of the stories, as befits their avian theme, nature is a force to be reckoned with, not so much a predator as an underlying threat. A gratifying number of the tales allow those who prey on innocents to get what they deserve. But sometimes there’s no real villain; it’s just a predatory system that’s at fault, as in Ace Atkins’ “Kudzu.” Throughout, however, the battle lines are clear: There are predators and there are prey, and these stories make it easy to root for the victims.

Coben and Box have an eagle eye for what makes a good story.