Where the Devil Can't Go

Kiszka and Kershaw #1

by Anya Lipska

The naked body of a girl washes up on London’s Thames foreshore – the only clue to her identity a heart-shaped tattoo. Who is she? And why did she die?

Janusz Kiszka, unofficial 'fixer' to East London’s Polish community, and a man with his own distinctive moral code, has been hired to track down a missing waitress. Meanwhile, DC Natalie Kershaw, a rookie detective who’s not afraid of breaking a few rules, investigates the suspicious deaths of two Polish girls.

They hail from very different worlds, but Kiszka and Kershaw are set on collision course…

When Kershaw accuses Kiszka of murder, he escapes to Poland, determined to find the real killer. There he discovers a terrible secret from the country’s troubled communist past revealing why the girls were murdered.

But is he too late to save the life of a third?

Genres: Crime, Mystery, Fiction, British Literature, Thriller, Audiobook, Poland

Kindle Edition

First published November 21, 2011

About the author

Anya Lipska a.k.a. A.K. Turner

Her debut as Anya Lipska - 'Where the Devil Can't Go' - led to her being selected for Val McDermid's prestigious New Blood Panel at the Theakstons Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate 2013. She went on to write a much-loved trilogy following the investigations of Polish fixer Kiszka and Met detective Kershaw.

Her latest crime thriller is Body Language, featuring Cassie Raven, a Goth girl mortuary technician who talks to the dead. Raven was first introduced in two short stories read by Ellie Kendrick on BBC Radio 4. The series is published by Zaffre in the UK and by publishers in Germany, France, Ukraine, and Russia.

In her day job as a producer of factual TV documentaries, Anya has worked on a wide range of topics from a missing Leonardo da Vinci masterpiece, to the sex lives of Neanderthals, and a history of Italian gardens with Monty Don.

Reviews

[Liz Barnsley · Rating 4 out of 5]

With her first novel, Anya Lipska has created that lovely thing - a crime novel with enough originality to make it a great read for fans of the genre. Janusz Kiszka is a Polish ex pat who has been living in London for many years. A "fixer" he is asked to track down a missing Polish girl. Meanwhile, the body of a young girl is washed up along the Thames and new officer DC Natalie Kershaw is investigating. I loved the background to this novel - giving an insight into a different culture within the UK, and some history about their roots, this is as much a political novel as anything else and I found it fascinating reading. The characters are terrific - well fleshed out and compelling, I was especially fond of Janusz - once hoping to enter the scientific community until fate intervened to give him an entirely different existence - he is a man of many sides, not all of them good. Natalie is very likeable, the interactions between the two are terrific and I hope that their relationship can be further developed in future stories. The mystery component of the book is well done, enough twists and turns to make you keep page turning, but the characterisation was the part I was most fond of. I love a book where you can really get behind the protagonists and live the story right along with them and this had that in spades. The resolution was satisfying and I will certainly be reading more from this author.

[Otherwyrld · Rating 4 out of 5]

A middle-aged Polish "fixer" and unofficial Private Detective, and a young ambitious female Detective Sergeant find themselves working the same case from different angles in modern-day London...

Considering this a first novel, this book is an astonishing achievement both in terms of plot and characterisation, and it feels like this is the work of a much more mature author. Both the two main characters feel utterly real, well rounded and totally believable. The story progresses from their points of view in alternating chapters until they meet in a tense chapter about a third of the way through. They then more or less go their own ways until the climatic end of the book.

The author drops us straight into the unfamiliar world of Polish immigrants in London without any use of dumbing down options such as translations or pronunciation lists. This is a good thing, as we are forced to work it out for ourselves, but the clever way in which the author structures her sentences almost always means that we understand what she is saying anyway. Equally, her depiction of the life of a British cop feels totally real without resorting to any over worn cliches.

The plot just rattles along and never feels forced. There's very little wastage or over-padding here, and you never feel that you have read a 400+ page book. The plot does start to go off the rails a little bit towards the end, as the political element comes more into play, and the epilogue was a little underdeveloped given the importance of what happens in it, but these are relatively minor quibbles.

I came very close to giving this 5 stars, and that's not something I do very often these days. This is an author to watch and I would very much like to see the characters she has created here appear again.

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

The action is non-stop and has incidents and heart-stopping moments in both London and in Poland.
This multi-layered thriller has its soul within the Polish community in the UK; conveying through echoes of Poland's recent history the reality of why Poles leave their homeland, the struggles they find in London and their hopes for the future. The novel also has a political dimension which is cleverly woven into the plot.
An engaging story that works on these various levels; it is never the novel you thought you were reading as it comes to grips with different points of view. It has the capacity to make you worry, become breathless and shock the reader with the pace of action, involved storytelling and elements of political intrigue.
The novel is overlaid with crime in a number of guises; from senseless murder to less obvious acts through ambition, betrayal, corruption, greed in criminal classes and basic human frailties demonstrated in church and government office.

The book introduces two central characters. A Polish fixer, Janusz Kiszka and a DC Natalie Kershaw just at the start of her CID career. their paths cross at various times during the story and in each revelation of their own work a final showdown is inevitable. He is searching for a missing Polish girl; she is investigating a suspicious death after a young woman is dragged from the Thames. She looks to him for advice and inside knowledge; he could be a suspect but clearly isn't fully truthful holding something back. Her frustration at his lack of co-operation is made worse by her boss wanting to close the case as a suicide when she feels darker forces are at work. She shares more with Kiszka to break the case but can and should she trust him.

I love the menace for Kiszka when he feels he is being followed; the sense of place is crucial in a number of scenes, never more so for him along the waterfront in Gdansk. A place full of familiar streets and mixed memories now tinged with threat, a sense of foreboding and acute danger.

This is a remarkable debut novel in this genre. It is fresh and familiar at the same time.
Fresh in its angle, weaving a tale through the diasporic times of Polish immigration; timely with the latest influx who perhaps struggle in different ways and challenge an older generation established here who perhaps culture aside feel they are British in many ways and England is their adoptive home.
Familiar in terms of the powerful writing style that reminds me of Frederick Forsyth at his best. Qualities of writing, based on historical events and the consequences for people today caught up in the fallout from those times. In the fictional outcomes imagined by such authors a danger remains where once it seemed obvious but now benign. Ira Levin and Robert Harris also had this gift in some of their work. To them add the name of Anya Lipska as someone who can bring goosebumps to one's reading pleasure.

[Raven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastyczny! That would be my resounding verdict on this gripping debut by Anya Lipska, set both in the Polish community of East London with a interesting sojourn back to Poland itself. This is one read that definitely rises above the simple classification of police procedural in Lipska’s capable hands, and proves itself to be a multi-layered and culturally interesting reading experience as well.

I think what I liked most about the book was the unveiling of a culture and way of life that I had very little knowledge of. Unafraid to confront the less savoury aspects of Polish society, but illustrating the parallel affection and respect for Polish culture, Lipska lays bare the traditions and mindset of an immigrant community where its inherent traditions are strongly adhered to, but not at the expense of adapting to life in its adopted city. The book is peppered with references to the intrinsic qualities of Polish culture, politics and history and what I loved is that although its evident how much Lipska knows about Polish life she didn’t fall into the writer’s trap of crowbarring in too much factual detail, or give an air of ‘showing off’ how much she knows, and personally I felt the balance between fact and fiction was perfectly weighted. From the smattering of original Polish words, to food, to religion and so on, and a greater exploration of Poland’s tempestuous political history, I found this insight into Polish life significantly enhanced my enjoyment of the book, when juxtaposed with the central murder mystery itself.

Janusz Kiska is a powerfully constructed character, reflecting perfectly the duality of the immigrant experience being tied to the needs and demands of his community, but also acutely aware of the concessions that need to be made residing in a foreign city. When tasked with investigating the disappearance of a young Polish waitress, Janusz proves himself to be a man of great honour with a terrier-like determination to track her down. In the course of his unofficial investigation, Janusz finds that painful memories of his pre-London life are reawakened, and an ill-fated trip back to Poland immerses him in a political conspiracy amongst the highest echelons of power. Janusz is an extremely empathetic character despite his gruffness, and a man that you would absolutely want on your side in times of trouble. I liked the way that Lipska used the character of the jocular and verbose Oskar as a foil to the natural solemnity of Janusz’s demeanour. Oskar is hilarious, foul-mouthed and a total liability, lifting the whole mood of the book whenever he and Janusz cross paths and I enjoyed their robust verbal sparring which proved an indicator of the depth of the friendship. Likewise, Janusz also comes to the attention of an eager young detective, Natalie Kershaw, investigating the death of a young girl. Kershaw again is a well-realised character, with a perfect balance of intuition and naivety, desperate to prove her credentials as a police officer, but at times subject to impulsive and dangerous actions that annoy her superiors. At first she has an inherent distrust of the charming Janusz, with the development of their relationship over the course of the book being nicely handled, and more importantly has an air of credibility, reflecting the differing constraints of their roles as civilian/police. I liked the way that Kershaw is subject to the demands of proving herself as a female detective in an extremely male-dominated workplace, and the occasional exposure of chinks in her armour exposing her tendency to doubt herself in matters of the personal.

So absolutely no qualms from me about recommending this as a good read with a perfectly weighted balance between fact and fiction, raising the stakes of this debut police procedural. You will not be disappointed…

[John Gaynard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anya Lipska’s Where the Devil Can't Gobegins on a building site in London, where an incompetent young Polish builder and decorator gets strong-armed by the hero, Janusz Kiszka, for late payment of a sum of money he owes. The first few chapters develop the backdrop of East London and the fast money, back of a lorry, gambits to be enjoyed in the erection of sub-standard buildings for the Olympic Games.

Janusz’s troubled character slowly comes into focus. A devout but doubting Catholic, a large man whose face carries every trace of worry and wear it has picked up since his twenties, unsuccessful in love, he is fairly well off due to the increase in the value of his apartment. He makes his day to day money from intimidation and other small time activities he would never have envisaged when he was a young science student in Poland.

A mistake Janusz made in Poland, at the time of Solidarity, cut him off from a potential, respectable career as a scientist. Now, he has become a sort of go-to man in the Polish working class community in London, partnering often with a loveable but obnoxious loudmouth named Oskar. Janusz navigates uneasily between the working-class Polish community and his priest, who takes him to meetings and events in respectable institutions, such as the Catholic Church and the Polish Embassy, that still smack of the old, aristocratic Poland.

Janusz is asked to find a missing Polish girl in London. At the same time, the second major character of the novel, Detective Constable Natalie Kershaw, begins to investigate the case of a dead body found in the Thames. Then a second dead body appears, and Natalie discovers that they are both Polish. In alternate chapters, the reader follows Janusz on a physical journey from London to Gdansk (and its area) and then back again, on his quest for Weronika, while Natalie seeks out evidence to find out how the two young women died. At one point they cross each others pasts and if, at that moment, Janusz had dropped his guard and shared information Natalie’s case would have been been quickly solved. But Janusz’s distrust of the police, based to some extent on his experience in Poland, and the mistake he made, prevents him from talking.

On his physical journey to discover the truth, Janusz also engages in a historical journey (which illustrates why the novel is titled, « Where the Devil Can’t Go »), that gives the reader an interesting resume of the the Solidarity movement, the struggle to throw off Communism, the way in which informers were used by the Polish secret police to rat on their fellow citizens, and how all that is still influencing the behaviours of a few present-day Polish politicians.

Janusz is also very aware of the difference between the Polish generations, the old generation that is glad (for the most part) to have said goodbye to Communism, but that is still suffering from the wounds totalitarianism inflicted on the Polish psyche, and the younger generation, which works hard in England but whose main hedonic pursuits seem to be ego-centric, superficial and dismissive of anything older people wish to tell them about the past. On his physical and historical trip, at every step of which he is unknowingly spied upon and led where others want him to go, Janusz, who has worked in London for more than twenty years, comes to the realization that he no longer speaks the language of the place where he was born. He has become one of those Poles who has been away too long. He will never go back home.

Janusz and Natalie both discover towards the end of the novel that all the initial assumptions they had made about their respective investigations were wrong. Natalie finds out why the two young Polishwomen died. In the process of discovering what has become of Weronika, Janusz unearths a sordid tale of collusion with communism and that, in his quest to find the young girl, he had been less of a hunter than the prey.

The novel is well plotted, with many surprising twists, and it's very well written. The book ends in a very satisfying display of fireworks, in which Janusz and Natalie finally come face to face with the bad guys. But that’s all I’ll say about that. I don’t want to spoil the novel for everyone of you whom I encourage to read it.

I bought the book because of its Polish theme and I was not disappointed. Anya Lipska’s description of the surprise Janusz felt when he goes back to his home town of Gdansk, which no longer resembles the colourless, joyless town he left behind, reminded me of the gap between the miserable cities of Warsaw or Toruń I first saw in 1990 and the illuminated, sophisticated and trendy places they had turned into only 10 years later, after they’d had a few years to reconnect with their sophisticated, pre-Communist past.

Although most of the comments about the book I have seen so far tend to concentrate on Janusz Kiszka, I was just as delighted to read the chapters featuring Detective Constable Natalie Kershaw, a young Londoner, who is determined to show her wise, big-hearted Sergeant, « Streaky » Bacon that she is a good detective, while resisting the barrack-room humour of her male colleagues, as she tries to resist falling in love with a fellow cop. I hope that Anya Lipska will be able to develop both Janusz and Natalie in future novels. I will certainly be among the first to buy them.

[Chile Chile · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mrs. Lipska has done her "homework" well. I am impressed by her knowledge of the history and culture of my homeland. I appreciate a mystery too, it was interesting and unpredictable.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has been in my to-be-read pile for quite some time now. I was drawn in after reading about the cross-cultural nature of the book. Where I work we have had Polish workers pretty much as soon as they joined the European Union. And I have made some good friends over the years. I feel at this point it is safe to safe that they have become just as much of the British landscape as the waves of immigrants that have come in the years before them. After all, I can't think of a town anywhere near me that does not have a small Polish supermarket. I only bring this up as a point that the themes Lipska has taken up in this one seem to be very much missing from contemporary British fiction. In fact as far as I could see hers is the only series that seems to tackle the notion of Polish ex-pats living in England. I was curious to see if this blend of cultures would bare any resemblance to what I had experienced with two different cultures very much come smashing into each other.

Lipska's book gives us two very distinctive heroes to get to grips with. Each one is here to represent the different cultures. Kiszka is our entry into the world of Poles living in London. He has had a hard life and as it would seem he still does. A Fixer come private detective for those who now call England their home. He forever seems to be getting dragged into some scrap or another. For the most part against his better judgment. I've known guys who have had similar mentalities to Kiszka over the years. They want to do the right thing but you can also tell they are here for the better opportunities. If things had been better at home they more than likely would never have come over here. What I can tell you is much like Lipska's hero they are fiercely loyal and have a wicked sense of humor. And you learn fast not to cross them, for the most part, they aren't afraid to use their fists if the need arises.

To represent my home nation we have DC Kershaw someone else struggling to fit into the world she has come to call home. As the only woman in her department, she knows she will have to fight for everything she needs. All the more so as her colleagues seem to be very much the old school of British cops. But much like her Polish counterpart, she is fully prepared to do what she must to get to the bottom of this dark and twisted tale. I like Kershaw she seems to be a little more human than our standard British cop hero. Maybe she hasn't been doing the job long enough to become jaded by all the death and carnage that is yet to come. She really does care about these victims and the truth that is to be found in finding out their stories. Kershaw is also someone who still believes justice can and will be served within the system. She has the hope that I imagine most readers going into such a book have. We believe our leads will get to the truth and justice can be done.

This was a book that starts off with a bang and doesn't really slow down as we race around two countries and a whole mess of bottled-up history. As a crime novel, I believe Lipska has done an amazing job on her first outing. There was enough mystery here to keep me turning pages to find out just what happened to the poor girl. You get locked in with our heroes into trying to pull apart this most complex of cases. And I feel that she gave me enough bits of Polish history to fill in any blanks in more than likely the English reader's knowledge of what has come before. We also get a healthy amount of twists to keep the whole thing interesting. You can tell that she has planned out this whole thing very carefully, there is no reliance on having to just throw things out of nowhere just to keep the whole thing ticking over.

For all the brilliance to be found here as a crime novel the moment I think that shined for me where were we get to see our heroes for who they are beyond the cases. The moments where Kershaw shows her vulnerability or tries to balance her life and make it all work. Or for Kiszka when he shows his heart and just how much he cares. But it's also those really funny moments with his best friend. When things go wrong or they act like little children even in their advancing ages. It is all this that gives the tale its beating heart. Something for us as readers to get hooked in by. Where the Devil Can't Go is a book that sticks it to your heart. You are left caring about characters you at first felt unsure about and a world that is deep and rich enough to support what is to come next.

She has managed to tackle this blending of culture into one book with such amazing grace. Whilst I have never been involved in such a crime I can see those little miss communications between the two that echoed where I worked. These moments were two worlds just don't quite fit together. And you could see that in that split second it could go either way. It's a brilliant thing to see on the page. I'm sure I will be picking the next volume up in no time soon.

[Rachel (not currently receiving notifications) Hall · Rating 3 out of 5]

At the time of reviewing this Anya Lipska has a fully fledged series under her belt with the third Kiszka and Kershaw novel out in print, yet I had not realised that this book, her first, was originally a self–published effort. Focusing on the trials and tribulations of Janusz Kiszka, unofficial 'fixer' for the Polish community in East London, and the young and ambitious Detective Constable Natalie Kershaw whose paths just have a way of crossing. In essence, effectively a police procedural with a touch of noir and a little added extra in the form of Kiszka!

A fantastic start to the novel brought to life the growing Polish migrant community in and around Stratford, many engaged in the construction of the London Olympics development. Having been resident in the UK for over two decades, Janusz Kiszka seems to have found himself with the role of unofficial 'fixer' for many of his fellow countrymen in the area. He is fluent in the English language and with a connection to the local priest he seems to have been shoehorned into the role. When Kiszka first arrived it was Father Pietruzki who kept an eye out for him and the elderly man knows Janusz has a good heart, even if he might not occasionally cross the line. From his arrival as a builder in the 1980's Kiskza has managed to purchase his own home in trendy Highbury and established a burgeoning 'friendship' with married stripper Kasia. His memories of the years under communism still haunt him and he cannot envisage returning to his homeland. When the priest asks him to track down a young Polish waitress who has gone missing he agrees to take a look into the matter and he is nothing if not doggedly determined.

Meanwhile the ambitious but naive DC Natalie Kershaw is trying to carve out a name for herself in her male dominated office. She is sent to investigate the death of a young girl washed up on the banks of the Thames and the only clue as to her identity is a tattoo bearing two Polish names. When the toxicology reports indicate the presence of drugs she refuses to give up and every bit as stubborn as Kiszka. Pretty soon Kershaw jumps to several conclusions rather too quickly and mistakenly points the finger at Kiszka. Natalie's naivety is cleverly portrayed and it never grates and it soon becomes evident that the fastest way to uncover the truth will involve cooperation between the pair and a begrudging acceptance of this is achieved as things proceed. This mutually beneficial sharing of information seems to indicate the direction of the following books in the series and will certainly make for a few fireworks.

Kiszka is a wonderfully well drawn character, he has so much depth and personality and I engaged much more with the sections which focused on him as opposed to those which featured Kershaw. Lipska brings Kiszka alive and in close friend Oskar she has created a real contrast who plays off Janusz well. Oskar is highly amusing and lightens the proceedings on plenty of occasions. In contrast although I warmed to DC Natalie Kershaw closer to the end of the novel she seemed a little more 'plastic' and one-dimensional. I found it hard to connect with her character and it was the presence of DI 'Streaky' Bacon who I wanted to hear more from. It felt that slightly more work has been done on the portrayal of Kiszka and that perhaps Kershaw was more of an afterthought. I would hope in future that her character is brought to life a little more and padded out.

The joy of this novel is Lipska's brilliant portrayal of the Polish community in and around East London with the frequent references to food, customs and practices. I enjoyed this cross-cultural slice of the action and so when the subject matter at the heart of the book turned out to be connected to the history of the Polish nation my interest waned. I wanted to hear about how the cultural differences have influenced and impacted on the England of today. If I had known the case would be so heavily connected to the martial law era I doubt I would have chosen to read. My interest is in seeing how society changes as a community becomes more diverse and the future of Europe is of much greater interest to me than understanding the mistakes of the past. With Kiszka taking a trip back home he is forced to recall all the memories of the old era that have left him with mixed emotions and I felt the lines of investigation blurred somewhat with his memories of the period under communism.

A debut with more than enough promise to ensure I give the second book in the series a read but overall this was a slight disappointment for me, largely attributable to the highly politicised subject matter. The premise for the follow-up seems more purely crime based and with a little more depth to the character of Kershaw, this could be a real winner. Perhaps the blistering start raised my expectations somewhat, but nothing can detract from the prowess of Anya Lipska's writing and her wry sense of humour. In theory this sounded ideal for me and my overall rating would have been a four star if the subject matter had not been so heavily politicised. I look forward to the second of the series as there was much to admire and I know have a working knowledge of Polish profanities!

[J.S. Colley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Next to a great piece of literary fiction, there’s nothing like a good thriller and Where the Devil Can’t Go is certainly that. Taut and unpredictable, it’s a great read. From what I understand, it’s the first in a series featuring the two main protagonists: Detective Constable Natalie Kerksaw and “Janusz Kiszka, unofficial fixer to East London’s Polish community.”

Janusz is asked by his parish priest to find a missing girl, who—like so many others Poles—came to London’s East Side to find work. But it isn’t as simple as that. Janusz soon finds himself in the middle of something much larger than coaxing a runaway back to the protective arms of her London caretaker.

We meet DC Kerksaw when she is called to investigate a “floater” found in the Thames River with an amateurish tattoo on her lower back and, soon after, another death, this time with evidence pointing directly at Janusz.

I pride myself on the fact I can usually figure out the ending of a book or movie fairly quickly. But, whenever I thought I had this plot summed up, the author fooled me. That’s a good thing.

Lipska is a master at characterization. The story is told through the viewpoints of Kerksaw and Janusz and, with each alternating chapter, I could feel the shift in mood and tone—the “emotional resonance” (if I can borrow a phrase from another reviewer) generated by the two individual characters. The support characters are given the same attention to detail, and you can almost reach out and touch them. Good stuff.

As I’ve said many times before, the best kind of fiction is one that teaches the reader some truths while weaving the fantasy. Lipska manages to teach us a little about Polish history and gives us a glimpse of life in modern-day Poland and also the Polish community in London. I live in an area housing the largest population of Poles in the United States, and also having a few Polish in-laws, so I can relate to much of it—including the many references to the cuisine. (Janusz, for all his rough edges, is a bit of a culinary.)

Lipska also manages to teach us a few Polish words and the proper pronunciation of the often difficult-to-pronounce surnames without it being the least bit tedious. And, without getting too preachy, she reveals how many Poles felt living under Komunistow rule, yet she also speaks of the difficulties realized in the shift from socialism to capitalism.

“Half a million Poles managed to carve a living here, but born and bred Londoner Steve could never find work. It was too easy to get by on benefit in this country, he reflected, not for the first time.”
“…is awash with oil and gas profits—and all that cash needs a home…perhaps you’ll come round to it when you see Poland’s GDP go through the roof in five years’ time.”

Is there any one perfect political/economic structure? This is my question, not Lipska’s.

The political stuff aside, or because of it, Where the Devil Can’t Go is a great thriller with non-stop action, lots of OMG! moments, and memorable characters—ones I’m eager to visit again.

Let me go on to say that if you are an American reader, the use of British slang might trip you up at times, but there weren’t that many instances, and the terms really weren’t hard to figure out. I thought of it as a bonus—it gave me a chance to learn some new lingo in case I ever visit the UK. One thing I learned is “nick” can mean: police station, prison, or to arrest. Go figure.

Another thing, and I don’t know if this is because I received a review copy, but, at times, a blank space between paragraphs could have been used to reflect a change in viewpoint when both Kershaw and Janusz were in the same scenes together. Again, a very minor point, as I was quickly able to realize whose head I was in, but a blank space would have made it more readily apparent.

Now, I’m going to add something that might be considered a spoiler. I don’t really think so, but stop reading now if you haven’t read the book yet. I’ll end this part of the review by saying I highly recommend it.

While I found the ending satisfying and believable, if the final consequences would have occurred a year later, instead of four weeks, I think I would have found it more realistic. I really don’t know why, other than I think it would have taken time to orchestrate. It is a very subjective observation and a minor “nit” (as the British would say) to an overall great book, and one that didn’t spoil my pleasure in reading it.

You can also find this review on Booksquawk.com

[Book Addict Shaun · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of my favourite bloggers have highly recommended Anya Lipska's books and so I couldn't resist picking up Where the Devil Can't Go when I saw it staring at me on the shelf at my local library. I was excited but a little apprehensive; I am a crime fiction reader that likes things quite simple as opposed to a story which is more political. But, if anything, that element of the story was quite gripping, and has left me wanting to learn more about Poland and its history.

I enjoyed the scene-setting introduction, and our introduction to 'fixer' for the Polish community Janusz Kiszka. Anya Lipska doesn't shy away from building a believable and realistic picture of immigrant life, and in terms of authenticity it reminded me of Barbara Nadel's novels set in the East End which focus on the Muslim community. Janusz is an intriguing character and it was fascinating to see the world through his eyes, as an immigrant who has lived in London for some years, he is often able to reflect on things from both sides of the coin as opposed to that cliched portrayal of immigration that we have sometimes read about in the past.

Janusz finds himself being asked to look into the disappearance of a young waitress, and rather that it just being a straightforward disappearance he soon finds himself having to return to his homeland which is difficult for him in itself given his history. There he must uncover a conspiracy; at the same time confronting some painful memories from the Soviet past, revealing a decades-old betrayal. The historical element here is brilliantly done, and beautifully researched. I can't say all that much about it, and there are more analytical reviews out there, but it is a particularly poignant story in places and it does give the book that edge over its counterparts.

Ambitious young detective Natalie Kershaw is another character we meet in the story and she is tasked with looking into a murder and her investigations lead her to Janusz. Not trusting the police he does of course appear to be a somewhat mysterious character to Kershaw and so for the most part they carry out their own investigations separate from the other before ultimately being driven together. It would be a wasted task for potential readers to try and work out how things will play out as you read but instead, take some comfort in the fact that for the most part our two characters are just as clueless. With scope for plenty of twists and turns in this story, Anya takes full advantage of that delivering a tale that keeps you guessing the whole way through. I am fond of female detectives in crime fiction and Kershaw was a breath of fresh air to read about, not without issues of her own she is portrayed as a believable character.

Not wanting to list everyone that we meet I will say that one character in particular that stood out and who I can discuss without spoilers was Oskar who when together with Janusz on the page brings some much needed humour to the story with their unique and fascinating partnership. The closing chapters in particular left me excited to see how the story will develop further in Death Can't Take a Joke. There is an eclectic mix of characters in the book, all of whom have something to add. For a debut novel Where the Devil Can't Go is quite remarkable, and I spent the second half of the book hoping that the ending delivered would be as good as everything that came before. It was, and then some. I turned the last page and then spent some time reflecting on the story I had just read, knowing it would remain in my memory for quite a while. Not a book to miss if you haven't already picked it up.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

No idea whatsoever how or why, but WHERE THE DEVIL CAN'T GO by Anya Lipska wafted into my somewhat dodgy attention span recently, and I started reading it immediately. As in read the sample, bought the ebook and read it as soon as it downloaded.

Sometimes the universe is very kind and benevolent place, because this is an excellent debut book. Set within the Polish community in England, I think I've since heard somewhere that this is the first novel of this sort out of that environment.

The story is set deep within that Polish community, many of whom are in England for work, escaping economic deprivation and sometimes official persecution in their homeland. The timeline is before the London Olympics, with much of the community working on building the Olympic venues.

Janusz Kiska doesn't work as a builder, rather he's an unofficial "fixer" for the community, a solid, taciturn man with a past and strong connections back to his homeland. One of the very early Polish arrivals in England, he sees things as a migrant, and as a long-term resident. Believable, fascinating, approachable although slightly stand-offish and touchingly sentimental, Kiska is a strong man with a strong sense of right and wrong. Thoughtful, calculating, clever and not above rule bending if required, his connections extend from recent arrivals, through to the religious hierarchy of the community and many of the leaders and power-brokers in both Polish and English society.

Natalie Kershaw is a young detective trying to forge her way in the male dominated police force. Her struggles in the force make her another outsider, especially as she's not against breaking a few rules herself. Starting a relationship with a workmate is probably the biggest rule she could have broken. Despite her doubts, she is supported by her boss, and whilst her colleagues might be a bit tricky, a large percentage of the problems she experiences could be put down to her own attitude. She's touchy, prickly and as believable as Kiska.

These two characters form less alliance, more a ceasefire when their cases of missing or dead young women connect up. Kiska working within the community and Poland with knowledge of the people, their superstitions and the language on his side. Kershaw with scientific and, eventually, the support of police resources behind her.

There's a lot working in this book. The characters are strong, and whilst we have a pairing of male and female, the romantic complications are in other directions. The plot elements are cleverly unpredictable, relying on the evils of money, drugs and sex as well as politics, influence and corruption. The book also takes the reader into a community that's not as well known, at least in these parts. Along the way there's some light cast about a background and the consequences of migration and marginalisation which was elegantly done.

Like it when a debut book puts an author on my "to be bought immediately" list. WHERE THE DEVIL CAN'T GO was finished in a couple of greedy reading sessions, DEATH CAN'T TAKE A JOKE pre-ordered immediately. It's going going straight to the top of the pile come March 2014.

http://www.austcrimefiction.org/revie...

[Fictionophile · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally published on my blog: "Fictionophile"

There is a Polish proverb: Gdzie diabel nie moze, tam babe posle (Where the devil can’t go, he’ll send a woman)

Set in London, this debut crime thriller is the first in a series featuring rookie DC Natalie Kershaw, and Janusz Kiszka, a builder and unofficial ‘fixer’ and ‘go-to man’ in East London’s Polish community.

The novel is part police procedural and part history lesson about the Polish diaspora which estimates that between 300,000 and 800,000 Poles moved to the UK since May 2004. These Poles have vivid memories of communist rule and Lech Wałęsa’s part in Poland’s transformation from a communist to a post-communist state.

The novel opens with the discovery of a young girl’s body found in the Thames. Naked, her only identifying mark is a crude tattoo on her buttock. DC Kershaw is tasked with the case. The autopsy will show that she had ingested a new designer drug called PMA before her death. Investigation into the history of PMA proves that this dangerous counterfeit version of ecstasy has killed before. In Gdansk, Poland.

Meanwhile in a parallel storyline we meet Janusz Kiszka, a large man physically with a big heart and a unique moral code. He has an estranged son who lives with his mother back in Poland. Despite his large and gruff exterior, he is a man wracked with guilt. He is approached by a priest friend to investigate the disappearance of a young Polish waitress. His investigation involves him in a criminal conspiracy with its roots in Poland’s Solidarity era. The dark and disturbing atmosphere is lightened with some much needed levity in the descriptions of Kiszka’s relationship with his friend Oskar.

Kershaw and Kiszka paths cross when she suspects him of murder. His name is found on a piece of paper found in the mouth of a second murdered girl. Later she uses him as a source of information to further her investigations. Their relationship is one of wariness laced with begrudging admiration.

The main characters are very likeable and the background stories are meaningful and necessary to fully understand the events that take place in the present. However, I personally would have enjoyed the novel more were it not so didactic in nature. A little more about DC Kershaw’s investigation and a little less corrupt Polish gangsters and politicians.

[Rob Kitchin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Where the Devil Can’t Go is a competently written thriller with a political subtext. The strength of the book is the sense of place and community relations in London, the characterisation of Janusz and Kershaw, and interweaving of the two main plots as they twist round each other and intersect. The writing is generally engaging, though the plot was a little uneven, with the first half of the book stronger than the second. The first half was very good and demonstrated Lipska’s undoubted talent as a writer. However, the time in Poland was a little rushed and underdeveloped, and the rise to the climax somewhat contrived. It’s difficult to discuss the ending without giving spoilers, but in the age of photocopiers, scanners, the internet, smart phones and so on the set-up played weakly and undermined credibility. Overall, an enjoyable read that will appeal to police procedural fans looking for something slightly different to normal fare.

[Seumas Gallacher · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a superb first novel from an exciting new author. The slant on the Polish community in London adds even more character to an already well plotted story line. Janusz the main character is appealing in so many levels, his scruffiness and means of getting things done on behalf of his clients as an informal private investigator, are splendid reading. The formal police detective, a female, is smart and at first a bit bemused by Janusz, but the intertwine of the paths that each take to get to the denouement is storytelling at it's best. Anya Lipska has a great future with her writing if it maintains this excellence.

[Icy-Cobwebs-In-Space · Rating 5 out of 5]

Consider this recommended! Long ago, I discovered a passion for British crime fiction; next, for Scandinavian crime fiction; now, for the Polish version! Anya Lipska is excellent! The plot is riveting, the characters empathetic, and the tension-taut balancing between the female DC and the male Polish "honourable" tough guy is superb!

[Lynn Fairclough · Rating 5 out of 5]

Insight into different cultures within the UK, likeable main characters, would have read more if there were any.

[Carina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a surprisingly good book, it takes some 'typical' elements of crime books and somehow manages to twist them about so they don't feel as usual as they necessarily could be. According to Goodreads this is the authors debut novel and it is a fantastic start - I'll be adding at least the second book to my To Reads shelf.

So first things first, yes this is part of a series. As I didn't add this book on Goodreads until I'd finished reading it, this came to a surprise to me as the author doesn't hint at it in any way, shape or form. Which, if you know me, is *awesome*! Seriously, I got to the last page, saw it said there was another Kershaw and Kiszka novel coming in 2014 and was duly impressed. There are no cliffhangers here, nothing to make you want to read more apart from the well written story and the pretty well developed characters. Bravo to the author for not making this an obvious first book - by doing that you've made me want to read more.

As far as crime novels go, often (unless in the hands of one of *the* masters of crime writing) the plots can be somewhat obvious. This was occasionaly the case here, but on the whole I was kept guessing - I'd think one thing and the plot would go another way. Some things were telegraphed, but again it was generally only just right before the 'reveal' that that happened so not much of a flaw.

For me, I think the characters could be the weakest part of this. Kiszka is well formed and I got a great sense of his character, he was likable but not in a particularly likable way. He had morales but he was skewed, he had his vices and that made him human. His backstory was sad without being weepy, and you felt like he was made because of his experiences as opposed to having them for story given purposes. It was Kershaw and the rest of the police that I felt let the characterisation down.

Kershaw, Streaky, Browning and the rest often felt like caricatures of police. Not 100% PC, fond of drinking, sexist, brash, full of themselves... I didn't really buy into any of them although Kershaw does improve as the book proceeds. Streaky gets.. some redemption near the end as well but it isn't enough to overwrite the 'stock' nature of his role. That said, they feel like people that exist outside of the story, as opposed to being created by the author to move things along or act as filler.

As far as the political elements of this go, I have not got the slightest interest in politics, so I took what I was told by the book as 'true' as, even if it isn't, it certainly comes across as being highly possible (which is important I think for a crime book). Same goes for the Polish culture and language that are portrayed here, no idea if it is correct but it *seems* as if it could be true.

I'll certainly be looking out for more books by this author.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

'He was engulfed by an extraordinary sensation, as if his body were physically unravelling from the back of his throat down to the pit of his stomach, while his mind floated up and watched the scene from above, a disinterested observer.'

Janusz Kiszka has lived in London for over twenty years, and is a 'fixer', a man who can investigate matters for you, he is 'one of the best-connected people in London's Polonia', and several people amongst the Polish community in the East End of London have asked him to help them out. A waitress has gone missing, and Janusz's priest asks him to help find her. His romantic life is far from straightforward, enamoured as he is by Kasia, an educated married woman working as a stripper; Janusz cares deeply about her and wishes her life were better. When Janusz starts looking into the waitress's disappearance, he discovers a lot more than he bargained for. As he tries to uncover the truth, he returns to Poland, which further reawakens painful old memories for him. The impending presidential election back in Poland is an undercurrent to the main story.

Meanwhile, young, keen female Detective Constable Natalie Kershaw is trying to discover the identity of the body that has been recovered from the Thames, with a heart-shaped tattoo the only identifying feature on the girl's body. Then another young woman is found dead in a hotel room.

The narrative alternates in focus from Janusz to DC Kershaw and back as the storyline develops. I found Janusz believable and likeable. He is a strong but kind man, 'a private detective, not some murdering thug.' There is a sadness and regret about his past. His faith is long-held, and despite questioning some aspects of it, he has never forgotton how Father Piotr Pietruzki helped him when he was young man, and to him 'the Church felt like the last remaining pillar of the old Poland, a place where respect and honour were valued above all else.' Through Janusz we have a view of how England seems to have changed over the last twenty years or so, from an immigrant's perspective. His friend Oskar is an entertaining and mischievous character.

I also liked DC Kershaw, and admired her dogged determination to find the truth in the underbelly of London's Polish, and tough it out despite the way some of her colleagues spoke to her. 'Giving - and taking - good banter was about bonding, fitting in, being part of a unit. If you couldn't take friendly abuse from fellow cops you were finished, game over.' Her boss, DS 'Streaky' Bacon, is very much of the outdated old school method of policing, but Kershaw realises that 'you needed a thick skin to be in the job' and 'she'd rather keep her mouth shut and get on with it.' Additionally he isn't all bad, she thinks: 'Streaky might be a dinosaur in a bad suit, but occasionally he showed signs of being a good cop.' Eventually Janusz and Natalie meet, initially because to her he is a suspect. Her first impressions of him give us a further insight into his complex character. It becomes evident that the knowledge held by Janusz and the facts DC Kershaw has at her disposal could be combined and that if they were to begin to share what they know with each other, they might just get to the heart of these killings.

This is a compelling thriller with an intricate plotline that kept me hooked throughout, with twists, genuine tension, some nerve-wracking action scenes and other surprises. It is a murder mystery story that also involves political intrigue, making for an intelligent and involving read that kept me turning the pages, with several strands to the story that are all cleverly weaved together by the author. The depiction of the contrasting areas of London, the gritty, seedy world we don't all see, rings true. I learned about the beauty of Poland, and about recent history there, and there is a scattering of Polish language throughout which adds to the authenticity. This book is well-written and researched, and well thought out for a debut. If you are looking for an involving, fresh murder mystery story, do give this one a read. I hope it will be picked up by a UK publisher. I would love to read another mystery featuring these characters. 4.5/5

[David Hebblethwaite · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anya Lipska’s debut novel is set amongst the Polish diaspora of East London, where fixer-for-hire Janusz Kiszka is engaged to find a missing young woman. Meanwhile, the body another woman is found washed up out of the Thames – and DC Natalie Kershaw’s investigations soon lead her to Janusz, who will find himself travelling back to Poland in a bid to unravel what is going on.

Where the Devil Can’t Go is a fine crime story, but it’s also strong thematically. The main theme could be described as pragmatism in the face of reality: Janusz was once on track to become a physicist, but gave up his studies to join the protests against the Communist regime; now, he has a wife and son back in Poland, but circumstances brought him to London, where he does what he can to make a living. Janusz has a deep-rooted sense of dignity and propriety, but will not hesitate to use violence to get a job done; a similar sense of doing what one feels must be done in the situation goes right to the heart of the mystery. And it’s not just the Polish characters who have to make such choices: Natalie Kershaw also has to decide how far she wants to fit into the man’s world of the Metropolitan Police.

The novel’s main weakness, I think, is a technical one: the tendency to switch between character viewpoints without a scene break. This is annoying but tolerable when the characters are in different places; but, when Janusz and Kershaw are together, the dramatic irony of how they view each other loses some of its impact from how the shifts are handled. But, otherwise, Where the Devil Can’t Go is a solid piece of work which is well worth reading.

Although the novel is being published in Germany by Random House next year, it hasn’t been picked up by a UK publisher; so the English-language version is a self-published ebook. I’d love to see Lipska’s book get a full UK publication, though, as it really does deserve one.

[Nigel · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a 1st book this is a pretty good crime thriller. Set in London and Poland the first part of the story is written in two different voices in alternating chapters. One is a new Detective Constable - Natalie Kershaw - and the other is Janusz Kiszka a Pole who has lived in London for quite a while now.

If I have any real complaint with this story it is with Natalie's character. Some of the police scenes and dialogue feel very stereotypical and at times rather wooden. However this is more than made up for by the complex and interesting character of Janusz. Part time detective himself for the Polish community he has his own distinct views of the pace of the "law". Equally an ex student activist with some interesting friends and back story, he is potentially a real gem. It didn't take me long to be completely caught up in the story which I really enjoyed. I'm aiming to read the next one when it comes out.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. She is my new Scandi favourite writer I now have a firmer grasp of the Polish persona. The history of the Solidarity movement. How the Nazis effected the grass roots citizens of Poland. I found myself running to the Internet looking up little towns in Poland. I have two new heros in Janusz and Kershaw. I learnt a little bit of Polish. I was also informed about the influence of the Catholic Church during the war and still today.Loved the sly humour. Do yourself a favor read this book and give her a cookie. Can hardly wait for her next book. It is that good.

[Ken Fredette · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good author in Anya Lipska. I was taken in by all the various characters in this tail of Poland and the U.K. with all the talk of contractors at first to start off. It was the start of the relationship between a Catholic Priest and our hero noir detective that created the basic murder. It was subject to a young woman inspector from the CID. Who ends up saving our hero. Read it and enjoy.

[Haje · Rating 4 out of 5]

Where the Devil can't Go was a great little read; a whirlwind of crime fiction creativity, elegantly told and snappily written, although I do think it could benefit from a little bit of editorial tightening in places.

Overall a nice read, would happily recommend it!

[Rich · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great thriller set in London's Polish community. 'Fixer' Janusz Kiszka and ambitious young detective Natalie Kershaw are likeable protagonists.

[Kerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great thriller set around the Polish community. I thoroughly enjoyed it & found the writing style very likeable. I'll definitely be reading more by this author.

[Alan Mills · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took me a little while to get into this, but by the end, I thought it was great.

A body is found floating in the river. A sex worker is found dead in a hotel room, from a drug overdose. Neither have any identification, and it appears both women killed themselves--intentionally or accidentally. A newly promoted young female detective is assigned both cases...since neither appear to involve a crime, it seems like a safe, boring assignment by a sexist boss, who doesn't think women should be detectives anyway.

But of course, nothing is as it seems. Through lucky breaks, she finds clues in both cases, linking the two women together, however tenuously, and allowing them both to be identified. One of the links between them involves a Polish connection, in one case, leading to the other star of the book, an older semi-washed up private detective who has been hired to find a friend of one of the dead women.

Unsure whether the private detective is a suspect or an ally, our young woman cop dives into the cases, which quickly lead to the Polish underworld, drug dealing, and nationalist political intrigue. Ultimately, and predictably, the cases turn out to be related, and the two main characters get together. All of this set up is at times predictable and at times failed to hold my interest.

But then about 1/2 way through the book, the narrative comes alive, twists and turns are thrown at both detectives and the reader, and I suddenly found that I couldn't put the book down.

Some of the overly long set up may be caused by the fact that this is clearly the first in a series, and the author wanted to take some time to introduce us to the characters. However, this is generally a mistake. In great detective series, characters develop as part of the narrative, not through long passages where little happens. In the end, I liked it well enough that I am going to jump right into the second volume in the series, featuring the same pair of police and private detectives.

[Basia Korzeniowska · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have wanted to read this book for a long time, ever since I discovered that its "hero" was a Pole. I generally enjoy detective fiction and this was no disappointment. Anya Lipska - not her real name, but good enough for her purposes here, makes her protagonist look and sound very authentic -well educated, hard drinking, cigar smoking, no stranger to a building site - so far, very like my husband when I met him - but daredevil, strong and not opposed to violence when necessary. In these latter characterisitics he somewhat veers from the family role model.
But, back to the book. Kiszka ( actually means intestine) is put on a case by his confessor. He gets tied up in it both emotionally and at times physically, whilst sparring with the English female detective Kershaw. She wants to impress her boss, and thinks Kiszka is her man. Well, he is, but not in that way. In fact she thinks he is her main suspect. But then she realizes he knows more than she does. So she befriends him. Sort of. In the end all is sorted. She impresses her boss but because she has done everything her own way and not by the book, she loses her job. For a while. I am looking forward to book two, and I know they work together again. So presumably she gets her job back.
The book is quite a page turner, but what made it interesting in particular was Lipska's use of the Polish language. She intersperses a lot of it very realistically. and very cleverly because most of the time the Polish words have a close English equivalent. If they don't she subtly explains or translates. There were inevitably I suppose a few typos or mistakes - but very few. it makes me laugh however to think that when I was at home I was not allowed to intermingle the two languages. Either fully Polish or fully English. No Ponglish admitted. It was called making macaronisms and was severely frowned upon. Yet his book delights in these macaronics. I do too.

[Filip Olšovský · Rating 5 out of 5]

This just worked on all of the levels. The mysterious part is thrilling, the historical context adds another layer and the characters are interesting enough to care about their destiny. And the best part is the excellent combination of Polish and English cultures which makes this more than just another crime story about one dead girl.

[Tadeusz Woroniecki · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I didn't see that coming." Found myself saying that a few times, which is no bad thing in a crime novel. Quite like the style of writing although the random throwing in of Polish words won't mean much to non-Polish-speakers, and is quite irritating to Polish speakers when so many of the accents are omitted due to printing restrictions.

[Debra Beckwith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping, twists and turns and utterly enthralling

Great characters from totally different backgrounds and ages. As the plot unfolds you see similarities in the main characters, who lead us a dance through London and Poland.
Humorous in parts with edge of seat tension thrown in
You’ll read it in one sitting.