Deadly Autumn Harvest by Tony Mott

 

Deadly Autumn Harvest by Tony Mott.

Translated by Marina Sofia.

Published 1st August 2023 by Corylus Books.

From the cover of the book:

A series of bizarre murders rocks the beautiful Carpathian town of Braşov. At first there’s nothing obvious to link what appear to be random killings.

With the police still smarting from the scandal of having failed to act in a previous case of a serial kidnapper and killer, they bring in forensic pathologist Gigi Alexa to figure out if several murderers are at work – or if they have another serial killer on their hands.

Ambitious, tough, and not one to suffer fools gladly, Gigi fights to be taken seriously in a society that maintains old-fashioned attitudes to the roles of women.

She and the police team struggle to establish a pattern, especially when resources are diverted to investigating a possible terrorist plot. With the clock ticking, Gigi stumbles across what looks to be a far-fetched theory – just as she realises that she could be on the murderer’s to-kill list.

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It is autumn in Braşov, and the tourist season is coming to close, but life in this picturesque Carpathian town is about to be anything but quiet. Braşov has become the location for a bizarre series of murders, and although they seem unconnected, the police force is nervous about being caught wanting in the wake of a previous embarrassing, serial killer related episode. The police decide to bring in forensic pathologist Gigi Alexa to consult on the case, hoping that her brilliant mind can help them discover if the strange murders are linked. 

Feisty and resourceful, Gigi sets her mind to the task, wading though the usual nonsense that comes with the old-fashioned attitudes to women that frustrate her. Working together, Gigi and the police struggle to detect a pattern to the crimes, and their work is made even harder when an explosion in Bucharest diverts their resources to a potential terrorist incident. As the bodies pile up, Gigi begins to see that there may be a tenuous link to the murders after all, and that she might be on the killer's list too...

Deadly Autumn Harvest is a cracking, twisty thriller set in the beautiful Carpathian town of Braşov. It features forensic pathologist Gigi Alexa, from Tony Mott's Romanian crime series, now being published for the first time in English in an excellent translation from Marina Sofia.

It did take me a little while to get into the rhythm of the novel, as there is quite a lot of backstory around Gigi's work and relationship history that you have to pick up, as a result of this book not being the first one in the series. However, the combination of an intriguing murder mystery and Gigi's compelling characterisation soon grabs you by the scruff of the neck, and pulls you into a story that oozes tension on the rain-soaked streets of Braşov. 

Mott's tautly plotted story is delicious, as it keeps you on the edge of your seat as the seemingly unrelated threads begin to weave together, and she does not shy away from throwing in a few nicely conceived red herrings along the way. The story flips between Gigi's often chaotic lifestyle, her inspirational flashes, and realistic teamwork with the police around her; segueing into glimpses into the mind of the disturbed individual going about his gruesome mission. There are also occasional points of view from the victims who become his prey, which adds a curiously emotional edge to the proceedings. Slowly, a shocking picture takes shape, and the atmosphere of menace ramps up notch by notch as Gigi begins to see her own involvement in the tableau the serial killer is trying to create.

I adored Gigi in all her fierce, colourful, quick-minded and sharp-tongued glory. She does not suffer fools gladly, and longs to be left to her own devices most of the time, and yet she is consumed by the push and pull of mixed up emotions that come with her troubled childhood and the legacy of her rocky romantic relationships. She makes for the perfect protagonist in a noir crime story, and Mott builds a really interesting team around her that promises great things in a continuing series - including Morty the cat. 

It is always a pleasure to read translated fiction with flow, and I tip my hat to Marina Sofia for her stellar work here. I cannot wait for more Gigi Alexa books to be published in English.

Deadly Autumn Harvest is available to buy now in paperback and ebook formats.

Thank you to Corylus Books for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review, and to Ewa Sherman for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.

About the author:

Tony Mott was born and bred in Braşov, which often forms the backdrop for her novels. She has
worked internationally as a coach and HR professional, but her real passion remains writing. In
2022 she received the Romanian Mystery and Thriller Award. Deadly Autumn Harvest is the first
novel in the Gigi Alexa series to be translated into English.

About the translator:

Marina Sofia is a translator, reviewer, writer and blogger, as well as a third culture kid who grew
up trilingual in Romanian, German and English. Her previous translations for Corylus Books are
Sword by Bogdan Teodorescu and Resilience by Bogdan Hrib. She has spent most of her
winters in Braşov skiing, so is delighted to translate a book set in her favourite Romanian town.