First published 2026
Roxie Laybourne became the world's first forensic ornithologist when a 1960 Eastern Airlines crash at Boston Logan killed sixty-two people after striking a flock of birds. The FAA sent the bird remains to the Smithsonian, where Laybourne worked with thick glasses, a Carolina drawl, and an obsession with birds. While male colleagues traveled the world on expeditions, she stayed in the museum's backrooms, using only her microscope and feather fragments to help the FBI prosecute murderers, kidnappers, and poachers. She also worked with NASA and the Air Force to prevent future aviation disasters. Chris Sweeney draws on court documents, archives, and exclusive interviews to trace how this divorced and widowed woman overcame barriers in science and culture. The book reveals how Laybourne created an entirely new field of investigation and changed how we understand the forensic value of feathers.
Genres: biography, non-fiction, true-crime, investigative-journalism, history-of-science, american-history
Vibes: compelling, empowering, inspiring, meticulously-researched, thought-provoking
Tropes: barrier-breaking, field-pioneer, overcoming-adversity, underdog-protagonist
Setting: Boston Logan, Smithsonian, FBI, NASA, Air Force
Period: 1960, 20th-century
320 pages · Paperback · Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster