Newcomer befriends Kojima by posing as a novice butterfly collector. Fish and Wildlife Agent Ed Newcomer, who finds himself on the trail of the flamboyant kingpin of butterfly smugglers, Yoshi Kojima. The hero of Winged Obsession is novice U.S.

I love both, but for very different reasons. If I had to compare each book to a favorite crime drama, The Orchid Thief is like David Simon’s ode to Baltimore, The Wire, while Winged Obsession takes it’s cue from USA Network’s eye candy, White Collar. The difference between the two books, however, is that Winged Obsession seems to revel in the drama and entertainment of this story, really playing up the fun of the cat-and-mouse chase toward the criminal in the moments when The Orchid Thief would have stepped back towards a more subtle conclusion. Like The Orchid Thief, Winged Obsession explores a subculture of well-respected activity - in this case, bug collecting - to try and understand what would make a participant make the leap from collector to criminal. Long Review: I don’t think there’s any way to read Winged Obsession and not constantly compare it to The Orchid Thief, Susan Orlean’s 1998 look into the world of the illegal orchid trade. Those who do it must do it.” - Jeanette Winterson “ collecting is as obsession, a disease, an addiction, a fascination, an absurdity, a fate. Fish and Wildlife Agent tries to take down the Indiana Jones/Hannibal Lecter of the illegal bug smuggling world.Īnalogy Review: The Orchid Thief : The Wire :: Winged Obsession : White Collar An acclaimed mystery writer and respected journalist specializing in wildlife issues, author Jessica Speart tells an extraordinary but true tale of greed, obsession, and sexual temptation, masterfully chronicling the downfall of the 'Indiana Jones of insects' through the determined efforts of a rookie Fish and Wildlife agent who put his life on the line to stop him.Title: Winged Obsession: The Pursuit of the World’s Most Notorious Butterfly SmugglerĪcquired: From the publisher for review consideration In the tradition of The Orchid Thief by Susan Orlean comes Winged Obsession -a gripping, real-life thriller that exposes the seedy underbelly of illegal butterfly trading. An acclaimed mystery writer and respected journalist specializing in wildlife issues, author Jessica Speart tells an extraordinary but true tale of greed, obsession, and sexual temptation, masterfully chronicling the downfall of the 'Indiana Jones of insects' through the determined efforts of a rookie Fish and Wildlife agent who put his life on the.

Winged Obsession by Jessica Speart