Thirty Days Of Darkness by Jenny Lund Madsen

 

Thirty Days of Darkness by Jenny Lund Madsen.

Translated by Megan E. Turney.

Published 25th May 2023 by Orenda Books.

From the cover of the book:

Copenhagen author Hannah is the darling of the literary community and her novels have achieved massive critical acclaim. But nobody actually reads them, and frustrated by writer’s block, Hannah has the feeling that she’s doing something wrong.

When she expresses her contempt for genre fiction, Hannah is publicly challenged to write a crime novel in thirty days. Scared that she will lose face, she accepts, and her editor sends her to Húsafjöður – a quiet, tight-knit village in Iceland, filled with colourful local characters – for inspiration.

But two days after her arrival, the body of a fisherman’s young son is pulled from the water … and what begins as a search for plot material quickly turns into a messy and dangerous investigation that threatens to uncover secrets that put everything at risk … including Hannah…

Atmospheric, dramatic and full of nerve-jangling twists and turns, Thirty Days of Darkness is a darkly funny, unsettling debut Nordic Noir thriller that marks the start of a breath-taking new series.

***********

Danish author Hannah Krause-Bendix writes novellas about the human condition, but they have failed to sell in large numbers, despite regularly featuring in the high-brow literary prize lists. Hannah is starting to wonder if writing books no one actually reads is worth the emotional toll that is feeding her descent into alcoholism, no matter how worthy she believes them to be. Struggling with writer's block, her first attempt at a love story is going nowhere, so she decides to head for the literary festival her agent Bastian has been begging her to attend.

Hannah quickly realises that this is not an environment likely to improve her mood. Everything about it emphasises the gulf between her carefully considered, heartfelt prose, and the popular publications she holds in contempt. Her irritation is incited into fury when she is confronted by her literary nemesis, best-selling crime writer Jørn Jensen, who epitomises everything she hates about genre fiction. Inadvertently, Hannah's outrage results in her being openly challenged to write a crime novel of her own in only thirty days, and she is forced to take up the gauntlet or admit to public humiliation.

Bastian sends Hannah off to remote Iceland settlement Húsafjöður to get to work, hoping that the small town vibes and quirky characters will inspire her, but her writer's block persists and rattling-off a crime novel is much harder going than she thought. Two days after her arrival, the body of a young man is pulled from the water, and she is driven from her jaded mood by morbid curiosity. She begins to ask questions about the death, which, while giving her a rich seam of plot ideas for her book, puts everyone in danger. Hannah's growing conviction that this was no accident threatens to expose long buried secrets that some in Húsafjöður would rather stay hidden...

Thirty Days of Darkness is the first part of a brand new crime series starring author, turned unlikely criminal investigator, Hannah Krause-Bendix. Hannah is a spiky character. She begins this story in a self-pitying black hole that keeps everyone at arm's length, except her long-suffering agent Bastian. When her caustic attitude gets her into a spot of bother, the scene is set for Jenny Lund Madsen to weave a layered journey of self-discovery for Hannah, bringing together a highly enjoyable mix of dark comedy and the delicious Nordic noir elements that I love.

The theme of darkness runs cleverly through the threads of this tale, from pitch black moods and the sinister influence of those hiding secrets, to a menacing atmosphere heightened by dwindling daylight hours. In turn, the concept of isolation echoes across the story, reflected in the setting of a remote small town in Iceland, the weather that closes in, and in the history of many of the characters - whether it be a self-imposed distance, or as the result of a community that marginalises those that do not fit its rigid expectations. I particularly enjoyed how Madsen uses language barriers to play on the theme of isolation too. 

This is a sharply plotted crime tale, full of mystery, that pulls off the difficult task of blending grit and pitch black humour to perfection. Madsen contrives tense thrills, bloody spills, compelling passionate interludes, and spot-on moments of slapstick comedy - and you can cut the claustrophobic, small-town vibes with a knife. It kept me guessing, made me chuckle at Hannah's blundering about, and has a powerful punch when the shocking reveals start to drop. And that is not all, because Madsen also casts an insightful eye on so many aspects of the world of books, touching on assumptions about the worthiness of different genres, and the writing process, which is very thought provoking.

I consumed this book, and take my hat off once more to Megan E. Turney for her first-class translation work. The little twists, turns, and thawing of frosty relationships have me looking forward with high anticipation to the next book in the series! 

Thirty Days of Darkness is available to buy now in hardcover, ebook and audio formats. You can buy direct from Orenda Books HERE.

Thank you to Orenda Books for sending me a proof of this book in return for an honest review, and to Random Things Tours for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.

About the author:

Jenny Lund Madsen is one of Denmark’s most acclaimed scriptwriters (including the international hits Rita and Follow the Money) and is known as an advocate for better representation for sexual and ethnic minorities in Danish TV and film. She recently made her debut as a playwright with the critically acclaimed Audition (Aarhus Teater) and her debut literary thriller, Thirty Days of Darkness, first in an addictive new series, won the Harald Mogensen Prize for Best Danish Crime Novel of the year and was shortlisted for the coveted Glass Key Award. She lives in Denmark with her young family.