Sarah Ward's Blog, page 7

Nordic Noir Round-Up

Christmas has been an excellent time to catch up on my Nordic Noir reading. We seem to have had a record year for submissions to the Petrona Award for Scandinavian crime fiction and, as well as old favourites, I’ve been trying to catch up new writers to see what they have to offer.

[image error]At 467 pages, The Anthill Murders is Hans Olav Lahlum’s longest book yet. Lahlum’s books are distinguished by his classic-crime style plots and the unusual relationship between criminal investigator Kolborn Kristiansen and Patricia, his intelligent, paralysed assistant. The subject matter is unusual for Lahlum. There is a serial killer at large attacking women on the streets on Norway, thereby giving the narrative a wider canvas than Lahlum’s previous books. Nevertheless, I found the plotting to be very tight and, also, without giving too much away, with a nod to Agatha Christie’s ABC Murders. This is probably Lahlum’s best book yet and is translated by Kari Dickson.

[image error]The White City by Karolina Ramqvist is the English language debut by a writer whose sparse and moving prose provided a much needed bite of reality over the Christmas period. It’s the story of a woman whose partner, involved in a series of shady dealings, has disappeared. Left with her baby, Dream, in a house that authorities are intending to take from her, Karin tries to track down her husband’s associates to claim his share of any remaining assets. It’s a very short but powerful read and an interesting insight into the partners of those involved in organised crime. I thought the book beautiful written and I hope more from Ramqvist is published here in the future. White City is translated by Saskia Vogel.

[image error]Hakan Nesser is one of my favourite writers and he never disappoints. The Darkest Day is the first novel in a new five-part series Inspector Barbarotti. In a small Swedish town, a family are gathering to celebrate two generations of birthdays. When two members of  the family go missing in apparently unconnected events, Barbarotti has to dig deep into family tensions to solve the crimes. The Darkest Day is an unusual book. It’s written in Nesser’s characteristic intelligent style but the resolutely Swedish setting and unusual plot lines are a departure. Although it took me a while to get into the story, it’s a clever and disturbing book. The translation is by Sarah Death.

[image error]Snare is the much anticipated English language debut by Icelandic writer Lilja Sigurdardottir. Sonia is a single mother blackmailed into smuggling drugs through Keflavik airport by associates threatening to harm her son if she doesn’t comply with their instructions. A customs  officer, Bragi, beings to notice the smart young woman travelling regularly through the airport. Snare is a taut thriller with strong characterisation and some frank sex scenes. It’s good to read a book with a realistic lesbian character. The translation is by Quentin Bates.

[image error]I’ve had Quicksand by Malin Persson Giolito on my shelf for a while and I’m sorry I took so long to get around to reading it as it’s a compelling book. Maja Norberg is on trial for her part in a classroom killing which saw her boyfriend, best friend, teacher and other friends killed is a shooting massacre. We see the events leading up to both the killing and the trial through her eyes only, including her take on how her legal team handle her defence. Giolito effectively pulls the reader into the story with a single narrator and there are no easy answers as to motives behind the killings. An excellent translation by Rachel Willson-Broyles serves to highlight the occasional childishness of Maja’s justifications for her actions.

Have you read any good Scandinavian crime fiction over the festive period? I’d love to hear some of your recommendations.

Review: Resort by Andrew Daley

[image error]Resort by Andrew Daley arrived in my post from Canada and was a book I was looking forward to reading in this cold Derbyshire winter. I’m trying to widen my reading at the moment to include authors whose books are new to me, given the amount of Nordic noir I’m getting through for the Petrona Award. Resort is a classic style thriller following the trail of Jill Charles and Danny Drake,  two actor friends and lovers.  In Acapulco, broke and experienced in the art of scamming other resort residents, they hatch a plan to latch onto a English couple, a decision which leads them to Veracruz in Mexico and Kings Reach correctional institution on Vancouver Island.

It’s a great premise for a novel. Jill and Danny remind me of the Lammies in Dickens’ Our Mutual Friend, scheming and extracting money from the wealthy by ingratiating themselves to their circle. Their use of affluent resorts, as reflected in the book’s title, is a modern parallel to Dickens’ world, playgrounds for the idle rich willing to splash around cash to prove their affluence and status.

It’s clear from the outset that everything goes disastrously wrong. Sections of the narrative are told from inside prison as Danny tells the story of meeting Jill, and the development of their relationship. Of the two, it’s Danny who is the more sympathetic although an air of dissipation hangs over both of them. They are, however, very sympathetically portrayed and their life of crime is told with an air of humour. They have none of the meanness of the Lammies.

Resort turned out to be a fun and charming read. Despite knowing early on that their scheming ends in trouble, it’s worth carrying on because Daley has plenty of surprises for the reader and a very enjoyable ending.

 

 

Review: The Book of Forgotten Authors by Christopher Fowler

[image error]Every so often a book comes along which is a joy to read and this set of essays by Christopher Fowler is one such offering. Of course, the term ‘forgotten’ is subjective. A writer who is unheard of by one reader is possibly a favourite of another. Fowler begins by asking the question: why are good authors forgotten? He makes a convincing case for possible scenarios. Authors, such as Richard Condon, who become famous for one title who then fade in obscurity or others such as John Creasey, whose output is so prolific that perhaps quantity is at the expense of quality. There are some lovely anecdotes here as Fowler describes trying to track down what became of the writers he discusses.

Of course, there are some authors in the book who I still read. Arthur Upfield, Dennis Wheatley, although his books have dated, and Barbara Pym who is one of my favourite writers. Others such as Baroness Orczy I have tried and given up on. It was fascinating, though, to rediscover authors I did read as a teenager and who are most definitely out of fashion. Eleanor Hibbert, for example who wrote as Victoria Holt and Jean Plaidy (and other pseudonyms) was a favourite of mine  as was Virginia Andrew whose Flowers in the Attic had an appeal which is hard to decipher.

A mark of a  good book is when I get my pencil out and make notes in the margin. I’ve now a list of authors who I fancy reading including Winifred Watson and Caryl Brahms whose books I can see I already have on my shelves. The Book of Forgotten Authors would make a wonderful Christmas present for any bibliophile you know and is definitely one of my favourite books of the year.

Review: Dig Two Graves by Keith Nixon

[image error]Apologies for the sparsity of recent reviews. I’ve being reading loads of excellent crime novels but I’m also editing book four in the DC Childs series (title to be revealed) which is taking up much of my time. It’s exciting and I’ve nearly reached the end of the edits which means I can finally catch up on some reviews.

One of the main reasons I read crime fiction is for the sense of place which, when it’s done well, is seamlessly integrated with a crime plot. Keith Nixon sets his books on the south coast of England, an area he’s very familiar with, and he cleverly captures the mood of edgy seaside towns with their undercurrent of menace. In Dig Two Graves  a Margate funfair is the location of detective Solomon Gray’s son disappearance ten years earlier. His loss means that any case involving a child has particular resonance for the cop, even more so when teenage Nick Buckingham falls from an apartment block with Gray’s phone number in his mobile.

Nixon pulls no punches as to the faded grandeur of Margate and the criminality of some of its residents. However, he cleverly offsets it with another murder which takes place inside a church which adds an interesting strand to a sophisticated plot. The impact of missing or dead children is a familiar them in crime fiction (I’ve written about it myself) and it can be hard to  bring something new to the genre. However, when combined with a solid plot and realistic characterisation as it is here, it can work well. Written in Nixon’s distinctive gritty style, Dig Two Graves should bring him new readers in what promises to be an excellent new series.

Review: After the Fire by Henning Mankell

[image error]Henning Mankell was, I think, the first Swedish author I read and I enjoyed his standalone books as much as his Wallander series. Mankell died in 2015 and his final book, After the Fire, has recently been published. It features Fredrik Welin who appears in the 2010 novel, Italian Shoes which I haven’t read and I was a bit daunted at starting what might be a difficult book to read without the backstory of the protagonist. As it turns out, After the Fire, works perfectly well as a standalone and was a substantial and interesting read.

Welin lives alone on an island in a Swedish archipelago and wakes up one night to find his house on fire. Although he manages to save himself, he is left with only the clothes he stands in and some money in his bank account. The police suspect that the fire was started deliberately and that Welin might himself be responsible for the destruction of his property. When his daughter, Louise, returns from France to see the remains of the house, old wounds and tensions resurface as Welin struggles to rebuild his life.

I suspected that After the Fire wasn’t particularly a crime novel and, although there’s a criminal act at the heart of the book, it’s as much a novel about loss, family and fragile friendships. Welin is of an age where his friends and acquaintances are infirm or dying and he’s wondering if he has the energy to start afresh. His relationship with his daughter is a difficult read. I found Louise to be incredibly unlikable as a character and nearly stopped reading the book as she’s just so destructive and her motivations are hard to fathom. Better portrayed is Welin’s relationship with the journalist Lisa Modin and his friendship with his former postman Jansson. During the course of the story, Welin has to cope with the gap between what he wants and what others are willing to give him.

Ultimately After the Fire  is a satisfying read and left me with a sense of a life picking up. The relationships portrayed are bleak in parts and verged on the depressing which is unusual for Mankell’s writing. There’s certainly a sense of an older man coming to terms with loss and grief and I’d be interested to read of others’ responses to the story.

Review: Barbara Copperthwaite – Her Last Secret

[image error]I’m an admirer of Barbara Copperthwaite’s books. She effectively combines a strong sense of place with intriguing plots and her latest book, Her Last Secret, continues this tradition.  Chief Inspector Paul Ogundele is called to a house on Christmas Day after reports of gunfire and is shocked by a discovery. The narrative then tells the story of events leading up this and the secrets which threaten to overwhelm the family.

Copperthwaite effectively builds up a portrait of an outwardly ordinary family, parents Ben and Dominique and their daughters, Ruby and Mouse. The author explores one of my favourite themes: families and the secrets that they carry around with them. Mouse is the most intriguing of the characters. Bookish and introverted, the family appear at times unaware of her presence. Gradually the true nature of the individual characters are revealed and most, while unsympathetic, are entirely believable.

The dual timeline, the first beginning on the 17th December, interspersed with what the police discover on Christmas Day works extremely well and I found myself turning the pages to discover what caused the carnage. As much a character study as psychological thriller, this is the author’s best book yet and will appeal to fans of Ruth Rendell who miss her unique take on the weirdness within families.

Review: PD James – Sleep No More

[image error]Last year we were treated to The Mistletoe Murders by PD James, a collection of of four short stories that had previously appeared in various publications. It was a joy to read over Christmas and a reminder of James’s talent. This year, Sleep No More gives us six new stories which will delight fans of the author and again draws us into a world where nothing is as it appears.

The most festive of the stories, ‘The Murder of Santa Claus’ narrates the story of a murder seen through the eyes of a small boy. Like with the first story, ‘The Yo-Yo Murder’ James reminds us that childhood is a curious mix of innocence and kept secrets and that children are adept at making decisions to protect adults.

Like her contemporary, James excels at depicting the disfunctionality within families and the continuing tensions of married life. ‘The Victim’ and ‘A Very Desirable Residence’ are prime examples of this and the author cleverly misdirects the reader throughout.

My favourite of the collection is ‘The Girl Who Loved Graveyards.’ Again with a child protagonist, the story is unusual, poignant and slightly downbeat and I think it’s one of the best I’ve read from the author.

I’m sure fans of PD James will already have this book on their list. It made me return to one of her novels, An Unsuitable Job For a Woman, as I wanted to remain in the unique world she created. James was a remarkable author who influenced a generation of crime writers and I’m sure will continue to do so.

Review: Jeff Dawson – No Ordinary Killing

[image error]I have a kindle that I use at night when I can’t sleep. It creates a different reading experience than that of a physical copy but I’ve greatly enjoyed some of my nocturnal books. The great thing about kindle is that it encourages me to try out new authors and crime sub-genres I’m less familiar with. No Ordinary Killing by Jeff Dawson is set in 1899 South Africa, during the Boer War. Conflict, of course, is a perfect time, when scores are being settled on a wider scale, for crimes of a different nature to be perpetrated. Dawson has produced a strong thriller with something to say about how we wage our battles.

Ingo Finch is a captain in the Royal Army Medical Corps who is called to a body discovered in Cape Town who turns out to be one of his colleagues. Convinced that the explanation for the murderer is too pat, he sets out to discover the background to the killing but is soon called into battle. Meanwhile, Mbutu Kefaleze is on the run across the Karoo with a group of villagers pursued by soldiers. They meet a mute woman and her young daughter who tell of the slaughter of their settlement by ‘devil soldiers’, men who faces were covered by strange masks.

The two storylines are equally strong and each with their own mystery and I was drawn into both scenarios. Finch meets Annie Jones, an Australian nurse and a female point of is particularly needed, I think, in a setting which is dominated by men. Annie’s back story is interesting and a foreshadow of many of the nurses of the Great War who left families to gain freedom and employment in the medical corps.

Dawson’s writing style is an intriguing mix of John Buchan style adventuring and well researched period detail. He creates a South Africa full of superstition, mistrust and political intrigue. Images of slaughter and bloodshed are never far away which contrasts with the clear class tensions in the British Empire and superior attitudes towards the indigenous population.  I enjoyed the book and it kept me turning the pages (or rather swiping the kindle screen) until the end. A very strong debut.

 

 

 

Review: The Last Time We Spoke by Fiona Sussman

[image error]I’ve followed the Ngaio Marsh Award for New Zealand crime fiction from its inception and it’s been heartening to see the competition go from strength to strength. The Last Time We Spoke by Fiona Sussman is one of the shortlisted entries and rightly deserves its place there. The award’s creator, Craig Sisterton thought I’d enjoy this book and he was right. I’m very much concerned about the portrayal of the impact of a crime on a community and this novel focuses on the psychological legacy of a devastating act on two individuals – Carla Reid, one of the victims and Ben Toroa, the perpetrator.

Carla is the victim of a terrible act of violence which results in the death of her son and her husband seriously injured in an attack in their home. The decisions she is forced to make after the investigation is completed and the media have moved on to other stories are heart wrenching. Salvation comes in the unlikely form of people around her. An Asian neighbour struggling to make New Zealand her home and a doctor who lost his family in the Balkan conflict provide glimpses of the possibility of a future for Carla.

Ben is realistically although less sympathetically portrayed. His life was already on a collision course and it as a matter of time before tragedy occurs.Maori culture and history is woven into Ben’s story and the lack of hope and expectations contrasts with the lost future of Carla’s much loved and longed for child. The detention centre is brutal but its close confines offer Ben a structure in which to redeem his own future.

The Last Time We Spoke is beautifully written and takes you into the heart of two survivors stories. It’s an incredibly moving book and deserves a much wider audience. I wish it all the best in the Ngaio Marsh competition.

Review: Kitty Peck and the Daughter of Sorrow by Kate Griffin

[image error]During the excitement of publication week for A Patient Fury, I was still able to read lots of crime novels – the new Le Carre, Nicola Upson’s Nine Lessons and a couple of classic crime books. Thanks to everyone who took part in the competitions. All the winners have been notified (names can be found at the bottom of the posts) and their books sent. I’m now catching up with posts on some of the excellent books which I’ve not yet got around to reviewing, the first of which is Kitty Peck and the Daughter of Sorrow by Kate Griffin.

I’m a big fan of the Kitty Peck books, reviewing the first on Crimepieces. I caught up with the second, Kitty Peck and the Child of Ill Fortune before reading her latest outing but I’m relieved that each book can be read as a standalone which I always greatly value in a series. Kitty Peck has inherited Paradise, her grandmother’s Docklands entertainment empire, and is determined to keep the business intact despite rivals circling. The absence of Lady Ginger, however, and the disappearance of her brother means that Kitty is vulnerable and forced to seek new allies.

Kitty Pack and the Daughter of Sorrow is darker than Griffin’s previous book as Kitty gets sucked into the Paradise underworld and, in particular, the grips of opium. This is a more vulnerable Kitty and yet the spark remains despite the trials of finding out who her enemies are. Griffin balances the darkness with glorious descriptions of Victorian London and its ill smells during a heatwave. There are some lovely new characters, particular Sam Collins, who was a delight to discover and, as usual, Griffin’s language is wonderful and suited to the rich and bawdy setting.

I suspect Kitty Pack and the Daughter of Sorrow will garner Kitty Peck new followers and encourage readers to pick up earlier books. This is a series going from strength to strength.