July 2024 Reading Round-Up

July was a busy month, and I am amazed I managed to post so many reviews! 

You can find my reviews of these eighteen beauties by clicking on the pictures below...

Dead Ground by Graham Hurley

Second Chance Summer by Phillipa Ashley

The Final Act ov Juliette Willoughby by Ellery Lloyd

Dark Frontier by Matthew Harffy

Probably Nothing by Lauren Bravo

Daughters of Tuscany by Siobhan Daiko

A Talent for Murder by Peter Swanson

New Beginnings at the Cosy Cat Café by Julie Haworth

Shrouded by Sólveig Pálsdóttir

Breaking the Dark by Lisa Jewell

The Betrayal of Thomas True by A.J. West

How to Solve Murders Like a Lady by Hannah Dolby

The Eustace Diamonds by Anthony Trollope

The Helsinki Affair by Anna Pitoniak

The Wreckage of Us by Dan Malakin

In Bloom by Eva Verde

The Trouble with Mrs Montgomery Hurst by Katie Lumsden

The Long Water by Stef Penney

More great books coming up in August!

If you have enjoyed my photos, please head to my IG account at @brownflopsy for more!

The Long Water by Stef Penney

 

The Long Water by Stef Penney.

Published 4th July 2024 by Quercus.

From the cover of the book:

Nordland. A region in the Norwegian Arctic; a remote valley that stretches from the sea up to the mountains and glaciers.

It is May in what was once a prosperous mining community. The snows are nearly gone and it's a time of spring and school-leavers' celebrations - until Daniel, a popular teenage boy, goes missing. Conflicting stories circulate among his friends, of parties and wild behaviour.

As the search for Daniel widens, the police open a disused mine in the mountains. They find human remains, but this body has been there for decades, its identity a mystery.

Everyone in this tight knit, isolated community is touched by these events: misanthropic Svea, whose long life in the area stretches back to the heyday of the mines, and beyond. She has cut all ties with her family, except for her granddaughter, Elin, an outsider like her grandmother. Elin and her friend Benny, both impacted by Daniel while he was alive, become entangled in the hunt for answers, while Svea has deep, dark secrets of her own.

***********

It is May in Norland, a remote valley in the narrow part of northern Norway, above the Arctic Circle and dominated by mountains, glaciers, and far-reaching fjords. Once a prosperous mining region, this is a area of tight-knit communities with long memories, but springtime is for the young, especially the high school students marking their final school term with the high-jinks of the traditional russ celebrations.

When popular student Daniel goes missing, the community is sent reeling. A police search finds no trace of him in the rugged terrain, and rumours abound of risky stunts, drinking games and drug taking among the group of school leavers who call themselves the Hellraisers. No one knows quite what to believe, and they are only confused more when the search uncovers a grisly discovery when decades-old human remains in one of the long-sealed mines...

The novel unfurls in delicious Nordic noir, slow-burn style, bleeding seamlessly between the present and the past to reveal the impact of secrets, lies and mysterious disappearances on the community. Formidable Svea, estranged from almost everyone in her family, and her forthright grand-daughter Elin are the focus of the story. Penney uses them to anchor burgeoning storylines with a scattered multi-generational cast, that delve back in time to the war-time and mining histories of Norland, and weave into the police investigation in the present.

This is a plot that positively oozes secrets, dysfunctional relationships, and the tension of interactions between grandparents, parents, and grandchildren shaped by the family baggage they carry, all of which have bearing on the mysteries that lie at the heart of the community. And each generation gives us a glimpse of a different part of the puzzles that need to be solved about sins of the past, unresolved trauma, unexplained disappearances, estrangements, troubled friendships, and broken marriages - all excellent Nordic noir fayre.

Grouchy loner Svea (who springs from the page) and old timer Odd Emil (grand-father of the missing boy) have an unconventional relationships that is absolute gold and key to unravelling the grittier sections of the story mired in themes of difficult families, abuses, regrets, and vengeance. Penney sensitively contrasts and compares these elements with bang-up-to-date themes of teenage angst, belonging, gender identity, and sexuality through the quite lovely friendship between Elin and her friend Benny - whose vulnerability really stirs the emotions. And in-between there are lashings of richly embroidered threads about the characters caught between parents and children, valiantly dealing with all that entails in a community coming apart at the seams. I was intrigued by the way the connection between outsiders and neurodivergence is explored too.

This is my first book by Stef Penney, and I must admit that I really was not sure it was for me when I started reading it, despite my love of Nordic fiction. She has quite a distinctive literary writing style, and the diverse storylines do take a while to come together, but I became utterly hooked. There is actually something quite addictive about a writer who gradually wins you over and works their way under your skin, and I am delighted to have found a new author that fascinates me - I can see Stef Penney's back-catalogue and I becoming rather good friends. 

The Long Water is available to buy now in hardback, paperback, ebook and audio formats.

Thank you to Quercus for ending me a proof of this book in return for an honest review.

About the author:

Stef Penney is a screenwriter and the author of three novels: The Tenderness of Wolves (2006), The Invisible Ones (2011), and Under a Pole Star (2016). She has also written extensively for radio, including adaptations of Moby Dick, The Worst Journey in the World, and, mostly recently, a third instalment of Peter O’Donnell’s Modesty Blaise series.

The Tenderness of Wolves won Costa Book of the Year, Theakston’s Crime Novel of the Year, and was translated into thirty languages. It has just been re-issued in a 10th anniversary edition.

The Trouble With Mrs Montgomery Hurst by Katie Lumsden

 

The Trouble With Mrs Montgomery Hurst by Katie Lumsden.

Published 18th July 2024 by Michael Joseph.

From the cover of the book:

A single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife . . .

But why would he choose her?

Summer 1841. It is marriage season in the county of Wickenshire, and Miss Amelia Ashpoint isn’t sure she can face yet another ball. But now that she has reached the grand age of three-and-twenty, time is (apparently) running out. Her father is anxious to secure her a husband and has set his sights on Mr Montgomery Hurst of Radcliffe Park.

Only, Mr Hurst has just announced his engagement to somebody else.

To the great consternation of Wickenshire, a community that thrives on gossip, the county’s most eligible bachelor is about to marry not only an unknown stranger – but a widow with three children, odd manners and no ancestry to speak of. Society is appalled and intrigued.

Meanwhile, Amelia Ashpoint has no interest in marriage at all. But in this town, it is clear that nobody’s business is their own. And while society has high expectations for Amelia, her heart is drawing her in a very different direction...

***********

1841. Welcome to Wickenshire and its society families, who love to concern themselves with the private business of their close neighbours, especially when it comes to marriage and money. The current hot topic is the marriage of Mr Hurst, who everyone expected to be asking for the hand of Miss Amelia Ashpoint - including her father.

Instead Mr Hurst does something very unexpected by marrying an impoverished widow with three young children, who definitely does not fit the neighbourhood gossips' idea of a suitable Wickenshire bride. However, Amelia is anything but disappointed, as she has no intention of marrying anyone...

Channelling her love of a rollicking classic tome, Katie Lumsden's second glorious book turns from the Gothic vibes of her debut, The Secrets of Hartwood Hall, to celebrate a lighter shade of Victorian novel - with a modern twist.

The style is highly engaging. Lumsden fills her pages with romance, family foibles, the glamour of balls and entertainments, and all the gossip that comes with them. If you are a Jane Austen fan, as I am, you will find much to delight you in the interactions that go on in public and behind close doors. You will certainly recognise many of the sorts of characters that make up this sprawling cast, and the light touch of well-wielded wit and wisdom is pure Austen. For me, the Victorian loveliness of the setting also evokes the sweeping family epics of Elizabeth Gaskell, and at times, the humour and sharp social commentary of Anthony Trollope. All of which is rather wonderful.

Lumsden revels in dissecting what goes on beneath the surface of her characters' obsessions with money, class and the marriage market, especially when it comes to the secrets that almost everyone seems to have - secrets that they are not shy about engaging in a little deception to keep hidden. The bones of their dilemmas give her the fodder she needs to bring in more modern topics, such as sexuality, and I really enjoyed how she does this perfectly in keeping with the feel of the novel.

This was such fun, with just the right mix of charm, comedy, melancholy, and absurdity to make the pages fly. Fingers crossed for more Wickenshire from Katie Lumsden, as this kind of novel really suits her writing style. 

The Trouble With Mrs Montgomery Hurst is available to buy now in hardcover, ebook and audio formats.

Thank you to Michael Joseph for sending me a proof of this book in return for an honest review.

About the author:

Katie Lumsden read Jane Eyre at the age of thirteen and never looked back. She spent her teenage years devouring nineteenth century literature, reading every Dickens, Brontë, Gaskell, Austen and Hardy novel she could find.

She has a degree in English literature and history from the University of Durham and an MA in creative writing from Bath Spa University. Her short stories have been shortlisted for the London Short Story Prize and the Bridport Prize, and have been published in various literary magazines.Katie's YouTube channel, Books and Things, has more than 26,000 subscribers.

She lives in London and works as an editor.

In Bloom by Eva Verde

 

In Bloom by Eva Verde.

Published in paperback 1st August 2024 by Simon and Schuster.

From the cover of the book:

A deeply affecting novel, In Bloom tells of strength, survival, forgiveness, resilience and determination, and the fierce love and unbreakable bonds between mothers and daughters.

Delph has kept herself small and quiet as a form of self-protection, ever since the love of her life Sol’s untimely death left her pregnant and alone at the age of twenty-four. Theirs was such a once-in-a-lifetime love, that the loss of her soulmate broke her heart ‒ and almost broke her, too.

Years on, Delph’s protective bubble bursts when her daughter Roche moves out of the flat Delph shares with her partner Itsy and in with her estranged nan, Moon. Now that it’s just the two of them, the cracks in Delph and Itsy’s relationship begin to grow. Feeling on the outside of the bond between her fierce-yet-flaky tarot-reading mother and volatile martial-arts-champion daughter, Delph begins questioning her own freedom.

Is her life with Itsy all it seems? And has keeping small and safe truly been her choice all these years…?

***********

Delph is forced to take a good hard look at her life when her seventeen-year-old-daughter Roche makes the choice to leave home and move in with Delph's mother Moon, an eccentric woman who exists very much on her own terms. 

Delph has a lot to reflect on. She begins to realise she has been sleepwalking through the years, kept under the control of her partner Itsy, the man who came into her life when she was left pregnant and alone by the staggering murder of Roche's father, Sol.

Can these three women ever find a way to be a family?

This stunning family drama, with touches of literary thriller and unconventional romance, totally immerses you in the lives of three generations of women separated by the emotional baggage they have collected. At the heart of the novel sits Delph, caught between the maddening behaviour of her flaky mother Moon, and the frustrations her daughter Roche cannot contain. They seem poles apart, and you feel every moment of exasperation as they cannot help but rub each other the wrong way, which I think many readers will find poignantly relatable.

Verde knows how to write superbly about difficult family dynamics from the outset, but it is not until the history of these women reveals itself through sensitively written scenes in the present, and powerfully wielded glimpses of the past, that that you truly understand the events that have shaped them. There is an almost relentless tide of heartache, yearning, and unfathomable loss laid bare as you discover shocking secrets that Moon only knows how to stifle under hoarded possessions and a cocktail of drink and drugs; Delph's utter helplessness in a relationship that is all about control rather than love; and the aching vulnerability of Roche as she struggles with her identity, future and fears.

My emotions took a pounding from the echoing themes of abuse, racism, manipulation, and grief. Many tears were shed. And yet, as these women shatter the well-worn pattern of dysfunction that isolates them from each other, confronting the past and looking towards a future filled with forgiveness, it is the unbreakable bonds of love and the warming spark of hope that overwhelm you. I loved that Delph, Moon and Roche finally come into blossom, in keeping with the wonderful title In Bloom, and it was a joy to be at their sides as they found their way towards the sunlight. Beautifully written, and intensely moving.

In Bloom is available to buy now in hardcover, paperback, ebook and audio formats.

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

About the author:

Eva Verde is a writer from East London. Identity, class and female rage are recurring themes throughout her work and her debut novel Lives Like Mine, is published by Simon and Schuster. Eva's love song to libraries, I Am Not Your Tituba forms part of Kit De Waal's Common People: An Anthology of Working-Class Writers. Her words have featured in Marie Claire, Grazia, Elle and The Big Issue, also penning the new foreword for the international bestselling author Jackie Collins Goddess of Vengeance. Eva lives in Essex with her husband, children and dog.

The Wreckage Of Us by Dan Malakin

 

The Wreckage of Us by Dan Malakin.

Published 6th June 2024 by Viper.

From the cover of the book:

It's always the husband... Isn't it?

Astrid Webb is missing. The police have found her car crashed near the woods, the driver's door open, the seat spotted with blood. But there's no sign of Astrid herself, a sick woman who rarely left her house, who surely couldn't have left the scene of the accident without help.

Her husband Bryan is sure that she's alive - after all, this isn't the first time she's vanished, only to reappear without explanation. But as the days pass, Bryan starts to look like a suspect in his wife's disappearance, perhaps in her murder. Because Bryan isn't telling the police the whole truth. Not about Astrid's stalker, their broken-in back door, or the threatening messages she received. And it seems as if both Astrid and Bryan have something to hide.

Then a woman's body is found in the woods, her face terribly disfigured. By staying silent, is Bryan protecting Astrid, or protecting himself?

***********

Bryan Webb returns from a bike ride to find his wife Astrid is not at home - something unusual given that she rarely leaves the house due to her chronic conditions. His anxiety turns to shock when the police arrive to tell him that Astrid's car has been involved in an accident on a country lane, and they have been unable to find any trace of her beyond the splatters of blood left behind. The plot thickens when Bryan discovers there has been a break-in at their home. He admits to the police that Astrid was traumatised by her past experiences with a stalker, and he is concerned that this person might have resurfaced to extract revenge.  

Ex-policeman Bryan is sure Astrid is alive, but he has little faith that the police team investigating her disappearance will find her before she comes to harm. When he takes matters into his own hands, he realises she was keeping secrets from him. But Bryan has his secrets too, and when the police find a body in nearby woodland, his inability to tell the truth puts him in the spotlight as their number one suspect... after all, it's always the husband... Isn't it?

The story unfurls through the narratives of Bryan, Astrid and a mysterious character called Celine, moving back and forth in time between before and after the accident. Malakin plays beautifully on the premise that there are always two sides to every story, and in a masterclass of misdirection keeps you guessing about not only what has really been going on in this marriage, but exactly how Celine fits into the bigger picture too.

Straight out of the gate, Malakin puts a question into your mind, casting suspicion on Bryan as a guilty husband - something the police also seem to suspect, despite his apparent reputation as a pillar of the community. It becomes obvious that this has not been a marriage made in heaven, but does that mean Bryan has been up to no good... or has Astrid? Well, that you are going to have to find out yourself. However, I can tell you that there are some truly delicious twists and turns to negotiate before you find out the truth.

I swallowed this book whole, and loved how Malakin manipulates your perception throughout, in the way only a brilliant story-teller can do. He plays subtly with the crime tropes we all know and love, and explores some meaty themes around unresolved trauma, whopping secrets, what goes on behind closed doors, redemption, and justice, to give you lots to ponder upon when the ride is over.

What a page-turner! Dan Malakin certainly has style, and I like it. I cannot wait to read more of his books!

The Wreckage of Us is available to buy now in hardcover, ebook and audio formats.

Thank you to Dan Malakin for sending me a proof of this book in return for an honest review.

About the author:

Dan Malakin has twice been shortlisted for the Bridport Prize, and his debut novel, The Regret, was a Kindle bestseller. When not writing thrillers, Dan works as a data security consultant, teaching corporations how to protect themselves from hackers. He lives in North London with his wife and daughter.

His new novel, a crime thriller called The Wreckage of Us, will be released by Viper Books in June 2024.

The Helsinki Affair by Anna Pitoniak

 

The Helsinki Affair by Anna Pitoniak.

Published in paperback 18th July 2024 by No Exit Press.

From the cover of the book:

IT’S THE CASE OF AMANDA’S LIFETIME, BUT SOLVING IT WILL REQUIRE HER TO BETRAY ANOTHER SPY―WHO JUST SO HAPPENS TO BE HER FATHER.

SPYING IS THE FAMILY BUSINESS. Amanda Cole is a brilliant young CIA officer following in the footsteps of her father, who was a spy during the Cold War. It takes grit to succeed in this male-dominated world―but one hot summer day, when a Russian defector walks into her post, Amanda is given the ultimate chance to prove herself.

The defector warns of the imminent assassination of a US senator. Though Amanda takes the warning seriously, her superiors don’t. Twenty-four hours later, the senator is dead. And the assassination is just the beginning. Amanda races from Rome to London, from St. Petersburg to Helsinki, unravelling the international conspiracy. But as she gets closer and closer to the truth, a central question haunts her: Why was her father’s name written down in the senator’s notes?

***********

CIA officer, Amanda Cole, is in for another boring day in the American embassy in Rome, a posting that is less than ideal for someone with her pedigree and ambition. While her station chief is out schmoozing with Rome's elite, an unusual walk-in finally gives her the chance for some excitement - a Russian informant, on holiday in the city, says he has important information about the upcoming assassination of US senator Bob Vogel. Amanda knows in her bones that Semonov is the real deal, but she is unable to convince her station chief to take his information seriously... until twenty-four hours later, when Vogel does indeed die in precisely the way Semonov predicted.

The resulting furore within the CIA finds Amanda with a promotion to station chief, and a brand new asset to manage in the GRU, but this is not the end of the fallout from Vogel's assassination. Amanda's father, Charlie Cole, a former CIA operative during the Cold War, discovers that Vogel was compiling a top-secret dossier that had his name in it. He fears that his own murky past about an operation in Helsinki back in the 1980s may be about to come back to haunt him. He passes the file to the only person he can trust - his daughter Amanda. His one proviso is that she does her best to keep his name out of any investigation.

As Amanda begins to dig into the scattered jottings in Vogel's dossier, with the help of formidable CIA analyst Kath Frost, she uncovers a sophisticated attempt by Russia to influence the financial markets and recruit spies. Racing around the globe she slowly learns the truth about why Vogel was killed, and realises that there are uncomfortable links to her father's espionage career. Why was his name written in this file, and will it be her role to bring him to account for his actions?

With lovely echoes of John le Carré, The Helsinki Affair by Anna Pitoniak is a first-class novel that thrums with tension, mixing classic Cold War vibes with a modern twist on the espionage thriller. The story unfurls in slow-burn style between the present investigation by Amanda, and her father's past transgressions in 1980s Helsinki. It begins with easily discernible chapters from the points of view of Amanda and Charlie, that separate the two timelines, but you do have to keep your wits about you, because as the pace of the story ramps up the narratives blur in the later stretches of the story, rapidly (and sometimes confusingly) flipping between present and past. This does make this a book that requires intense concentration throughout, but this really is worth it in contriving a many-layered story with cleverly reflected themes. 

It is hard to go into the plot in any depth without giving the game away, but suffice to say that Pitoniak does a grand job of comparing and contrasting the experiences and working styles of father and daughter as they go about their shady CIA careers, separated by time, linking the two with Soviet baddies you can really get your teeth into. And I very much enjoyed the way she explores the different threats they face, flooding Charlie's parts of the story with very nicely contrived, authentic Cold War fayre, and Amanda's with bang-up-to-date spook shenanigans of technological gadgetry, untrustworthy oligarchs, and very realistic manipulation in the financial markets.

Charlie is a difficult character to like given his actions, although Pitoniak does lead him towards redemption as the slick pay-off unfolds. What really makes this story is the unconventional Amanda with her wild past, and her determination to pursue a career to the best of her abilities, whatever the personal cost; and Kath Frost is an absolute diamond. Amanda and Kath's interactions are a joy for lovers of strong female characters who make fun working partnerships and, combined with the direction of Charlie's storyline, I can see this book having real legs for a long-running espionage series - which I would very much like to read. More please!

The Helsinki Affair is available to buy now in hardcover, paperback, ebook and audio formats.

Thank you to No Exit Press for sending me a copy 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:

Anna Pitoniak is the author of The Futures, Necessary People, and Our American Friend. 

She graduated from Yale, where she majored in English and was an editor at the Yale Daily News. 

She worked for many years in book publishing, most recently as a Senior Editor at Random House. 

Anna grew up in Whistler, British Columbia, and now lives in New York City.

The Eustace Diamonds (Palliser Book Three) by Anthony Trollope

 

The Eustace Diamonds (Palliser Book Three) by Anthony Trollope.

This edition published 12th May 2011. Originally published 1873.

From the cover of the book:

Lizzie Eustace is young, beautiful, and widowed. Her determination to hold on to the Eustace family's diamond necklace in the face of legal harassment by her brother-in-law's solicitor entangles her in a series of crimes - apparent and real - and contrived love-affairs. Her cousin Frank, Tory MP and struggling barrister, loyally assists her, to the distress of his fiancée, Lucy Morris.

 A pompous Under-Secretary of State, an exploitative and acquisitive American and her unhappy niece, a shady radical peer, and a brutal aristocrat are only some of the characters in this, one of Trollope's most engaging novels: part sensation fiction, part detective story, part political satire, and part ironic romance.

The Eustace Diamonds (1873) belongs to Trollope's Palliser series. Though often considered the least political of the six novels, it is a highly revealing study of Victorian Britain, its colonial activities in Ireland and India, its veneration of wealth, and its pervasive dishonesty.

***********

Beautiful Lizzie Greystock married for money, and was fortunate that her sickly husband, Sir Florian Eustace, did not linger long in the world. Now widowed, with a young son, Lady Eustace is determined to make the most of her inheritance, which she feels should include the famous Eustace family diamond necklace... something her brother-in-law's solicitor, Mr Camperdown, vehemently disagrees with.

The subsequent legal spat sets in motion a series of unfortunate events as Lizzie tries to hold on to the valuable diamonds, while trying to bag herself another husband. She looks around her for potential partners, torn between choosing a steady husband or the romantic delights of a 'corsair' who will sail her into stormy seas - should it be the boorish Lord Fawn, a number of shady characters with doubtful provenance, or even her cousin Frank, who is doing his best to extricate her from the mess she has got herself into? Her marriage plans serve to upset the domestic felicity of them all in one way or another - especially for Frank, who is secretly engaged to penniless governess, Lucy Morris, who lives among the Fawn family...

I had high hopes for The Eustace Diamonds as a rare gem amongst a series that largely concerns itself with Victorian politics, as this is a book Trollope himself claimed was inspired by the writings of Wilkie Collins. Yes, please Mr Trollope, I was very much up for a story about family diamonds and the fallout that results from their possession - this would be some light relief after the politically heavy storyline of the previous Palliser novel, Phineas Finn.

The story begins well, gradually introducing potentially riveting characters. Here we have a beautiful, manipulative widow keen to keep hold of a valuable necklace that may, or may not, be hers to do with as she wishes; a gaggle of suitors of varying levels of respectability to play the parts of steady potential husbands, or romantic 'corsairs'; an innocent governess ripe for being being taken advantage of; and eccentric friends and family galore who get caught up in the consequences of games within games. 

The concept of disputed ownership of the diamonds, the surprising mystery about their fate that Trollope conjures, and the absolute pickle Lizzie Eustace gets into with her lies are rather enjoyable. There are some familiar faces that it always a delight to meet in a Palliser novel - Lady Glencora is always worth reading about, as are many of the Matching Priory set, and I confess a deep affection for the unashamedly crotchety Lady Linlithgow and the enchanting Andy Gowran (Lizzie's plain-talking steward). There is also plenty of Trollope's trademark playful humour and scorching social commentary. All well and good, if not really anything like a Wilkie Collins page-turner.

Despite the magic ingredients, the novel conspires to be less than the sum of its parts. Primarily, there is simply not enough plot to sustain a book that extends to nearly 590 pages. The tortured wranglings of Lizzie's predicament are rather circular, which gets a bit tiresome after a while. Trollope does try by weaving in a sub-plot about the shady friends Lizzie welcomes into her home, but this does feel rather contrived to work in the twists he has in mind, and I simply did not care about the johnny-come-lately characters involved.

All round the characters needed more substance. The males are generally unlikeable and undeserving; and as for Lizzie's love rival Lucy Morris, she fades into insipid nothingness after a promising beginning - hardly a woman you can get your teeth into. But the biggest crime is Trollope's failure to fulfil the Becky Sharp like shenanigans from Lizzie Eustace that he promises early on in the proceedings. She really is not mean enough to put her footwear in the same closet as Becky, let alone wear her shoes. Throughout, Trollope intends you to despise Lizzie as much as he clearly does, but even though she is selfish, foolish, and a fantasist, I could not help feeling sympathy for her vulnerable situation at many points in the story. 

I am left disappointed by this third instalment of the series, which I really was not expecting. I am actually rather looking forward to the return of Phineas Finn in the next book, Phineas Redux, even if it brings with it a hefty slice of politics... 

The Eustace Diamonds is available to buy now in various formats.

About the author:

Anthony Trollope (1815-82) became one of the most successful, prolific and respected English novelists of the Victorian era. Some of Trollope's best-loved works revolve around the imaginary county of Barsetshire, but he also wrote penetrating novels on political, social, and gender issues and conflicts of his day.

How To Solve Murders Like A Lady (Violet Hamilton Book Two) by Hannah Dolby

 

How to Solve Murders Like a Lady (Violet Hamilton Book Two) by Hannah Dolby.

Published 6th June 2024 by Aria.

From the cover of the book:

Violet Hamilton is no ordinary lady.

She is a Lady Detective, who spends her time solving mysteries and unveiling scandals in the bustling seaside town of Hastings and St Leonards, a popular spot for the Victorian middle classes.

But when the body of a local woman is found on the beach, Violet's efforts to investigate are blocked at every turn.

Is that because, as a woman, she can't possibly be allowed to think or act for herself? Or is it because someone sinister has Violet in their sights?

Jane Austen meets Sherlock Holmes in this delightful mystery of manners that will steal your heart, and transport you to a world of seaside scandal and moonlit balls; dubious doctors and duplicitous crooked lords; adventurous escapades and stolen kisses.

***********

Hastings, 1898. Violet Hamilton is a very unusual young lady. After her adventures in No Life for a Lady she now finds herself pursuing her dream of being a lady detective at the side of her handsome fiancé, Benjamin Blackthorn. No job is too small for Violet as she develops her sleuthing skills, mostly because her protective beau has yet to let her take on a more violent or salacious case, despite being fully supportive of her ambitions. However, she is determined that her sex will not prevent her from becoming a full partner in the their detective business.

When the body of the respectable Mrs Withers, known for her outspoken attitude (as Violet knows only too well), is found on the beach, Violet is sure that there is more to her death than meets the eye. As she and Benjamin start to ask questions about the incident branded as an accident, they uncover scandal, corruption, and an astonishing plan to rip the heart out of the seaside town they know and love.

Violet soon finds herself the target of those keen to carry out their sinister plans, but woe-betide them for underestimating her fearlessness and grit. She may be a woman, but she is also every bit the detective she was born to be, and she will not rest until justice has been served.

The delightful Violet Hamilton is back in her second Victorian sea-side adventure from Hannah Dolby, and it is just as enchanting as the first. Violet begins this story hot on the heels of a goat thief, but soon she has a much trickier case on her hands, which comes with real danger.

The Violet we meet in this second book is as likeable as she was in her first adventure, and she has also grown in confidence and determination to keep her independence - two qualities that will very much come to the fore in the twisty plot that Dolby has in store for her. Whoever was behind the demise of Mrs Withers has grand plans for this quiet sea-side town, but it is not easy to detect who these villains are, or exactly what they have in mind, and Violet must call on the help of several characters - including the advice of literary heroine Miss Cately, who Violet uses as a role model to comic effect. I especially enjoyed the reappearance of familiar faces Hildebrand, Miss Turton and Mrs Monk, who make great female friends for Violet, as they are not afraid to support her in her 'frowned-upon. feminist pursuits like riding a bicyle! Hurray!

This book does have a more accomplished feel to the first one, which shows how much Dolby is settling into writing about both her characters and setting. Her trademark humour and subtle social commentary are here in buckets, which is one of my favourite things about these novels, but she also weaves much more action and drama this time around, keeping you firmly on the edge of your seat and threading the plot with lashings of mystery and misdirection. Violet gets into some pretty nasty scrapes, which put her in extreme danger, and the delicious thrill of a blow by blow climax on the funicular railway was first class.

The first book beautifully explored sex and class in Victorian Britain, which Dolby touches on again in this story, and she brings in a wealth of other fascinating themes too - notably wellness, doubtful medical remedies, and the bizarre world of female health treatments, which by and large seem solely aimed at curbing troublesome females (even an electric corset gets a mention!). I particularly liked that Dolby brings in a thread about the menopause, which is not something you generally mentioned in a historical fiction story like this. There are sensitively wielded themes about happiness in marriage, and romantic relationships too, with some heart-warming developments in Violet's father's life, as well as her own.

This series is an utter joy to read. Dolby's writing is so engaging, and she knows how to thrill, amuse, and touch the emotional soft-spot in equal measure. These are characters you can really take to heart, playing out an entertaining Victorian caper in a nostalgic setting that makes you long for a paddle in the sea and a stick of rock. I loved everything about this book and cannot wait for the next one.

How To Solve Murders Like A Lady is available to buy now in paperback, ebook and audio formats.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ecopy of this book, in return for an honest review.

About the author:

Hannah Dolby's first job was in the circus and she is keen to keep life as interesting. She trained as a journalist in Hastings and has worked in PR for many years, promoting museums, galleries, palaces, gardens and even Dolly the sheep. She completed the Curtis Brown selective three-month novel writing course, and she won runner-up in the Comedy Women in Print Awards for this novel with the prize of a place on an MA in Comedy Writing at the University of Falmouth.

The Betrayal Of Thomas True by A.J. West

 

The Betrayal of Thomas True by A.J. West.

Published 4th July 2024 by Orenda Books.

From the cover of the book:

The only sin is betrayal…

It is the year 1715, and Thomas True has arrived on old London Bridge with a dangerous secret. One night, lost amongst the squalor of London’s hidden back streets, he finds himself drawn into the outrageous underworld of the molly houses.

Meanwhile, carpenter Gabriel Griffin struggles to hide his double life as Lotty, the molly’s stoic guard. When a young man is found murdered, he realises there is a rat amongst them, betraying their secrets to a pair of murderous Justices.

Can Gabriel unmask the traitor before they hang? Can he save hapless Thomas from peril, and their own forbidden love?

Set amidst the buried streets of Georgian London, The Betrayal of Thomas True is a brutal and devastating thriller, where love must overcome evil, and the only true sin is betrayal…

***********

London, 1715. Young Thomas True has run away from his unhappy life in the village of Highgate. His new residence perches amongst the tumbledown shops and houses on the old London Bridge, but living a stone's throw away from the squalid maze of the City's backstreets is not the place to forget the doubts that have led him to flee his strict religious upbringing. In the shadow of St Paul's Cathedral, Thomas' wanderings in the City's dark and gritty underbelly bring him to the door of Old Mother Clap's, the infamous molly house where he finally feels at home. 

By day, Carpenter Gabriel Griffin is working on the finishing touches of the Cathedral, but at night he stands guard at Mother Clap's as its impassive guard Lotty. He knows all about living a double-life, torn between his grief for the wife and child he has lost and the desires he cannot deny. When one of the mollies is found murdered, he realises that there must be a rat among them, however impossible this seems. 

As Gabriel tries to track down the traitor, he begins to look at every one of his molly family with a suspicious eye. Who among them would sell their secrets, when their very motto is 'Always Together'? Can he save them, and himself, from the gallows, and finally find happiness in forbidden love with the apparently innocent newcomer Thomas?

In A.J. West's stunning second novel, he brings the hot-bed of Georgian London alive to explore the secretive world of the City's molly houses. Having read a tonne of historical fiction in my time, it would be hard not to have heard about the molly houses, but I think this is the first book I have read that really explores what it would have been like to have been part of this world. You can feel the care West has taken to make this novel as authentic as possible - and not just in the considerable research he has clearly undertaken into London's gay history.

It is hard to encapsulate what London was like in 1715, at the very beginning of the shiny, new Georgian era, with the bizarre juxtaposition with the older, seedy parts of the City, and the stately environs that rose from the ashes of the Great Fire, but West vividly captures the contrasts and contradictions of the time to perfection. And more than that, he extends this feeling of a constant struggle to reconcile different natures of this city to the souls of his characters too. 

Essentially, this is a period murder mystery, which has Gabriel desperately trying to find a traitor against the backdrop of a city openly hostile to the mollies. Caught between the necessity of living outwardly respectable existences, and the call of their true natures, West's mollies drive the tempo of this story, in all their fevered, glorious double-life wonder - reflecting the light and dark of the city that surrounds them. He also offers very clever clashes of perspective by looking at events through the eyes of the jaded Gabriel, with all his inner turmoil, and the terribly vulnerable Thomas who steps wrong time and time again as he embraces his emotions.

My heart was in my mouth for almost the entire story. Public hangings, political machinations, religious fervour, and power games combine to make a perfect storm of peril unleashed by mobs, assassins, and devious magistrates with private agendas. West weaves threads of mystery and danger relentlessly around the lives of his characters to create a historical thriller with immense power, keeping you guessing about who The Rat at the heart of the story really is - and when the truth comes it will shock you to the core.

My goodness, this book utterly broke me, carrying me through every moment of the joys and sorrows of Mother Clap's molly family. While this is a work of fiction, West portrays the lives of men who were consumed like moths by the flame of their existence, standing and dying together, simply for the freedom to love each other as they wished. What a heart-breaking, beautiful, and unforgettable story of love and courage.

The Betrayal of Thomas True is available to buy now in hardcover, ebook and audio formats. You can support indie publishing by buying 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:

A.J. West's bestselling debut novel The Spirit Engineer won the Historical Writers' Association Debut Crown Award, gaining international praise for its telling of a long-forgotten true story. His second novel, The Betrayal of Thomas True, is published July 2024.

An award winning BBC newsreader and reporter, he has written for national newspapers and regularly appears on network television discussing his writing and the historical context of contemporary events.

A passionate historical researcher, he writes at The London Library and museum archives around the world.

Breaking The Dark (Marvel Crime Book One: Jessica Jones) by Lisa Jewell

 

Breaking The Dark (Marvel Crime Book One: Jessica Jones) by Lisa Jewell.

Published 4th July 2024 by Century.

From the cover of the book:

Meet Jessica Jones: a private investigator and retired super hero based out of Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan, who goes from job to job as a hard living, rough talking, loner.

And then a wealthy Upper East Side woman pays her a visit. Amber Randall is concerned about her twin sixteen-year-olds, Lark and Fox, who have acted and looked very different since they returned from spending the summer with their British father in the UK. She tells Jessica that her children have unnaturally perfect skin for teenagers and have lost all the tics and habits that made them who they were. They are not Lark and Fox, she tells Jessica. Something has happened to them.

To find out more, Jessica travels to Essex to talk to their father and once there meets Belle who is living a curiously isolated existence in a run-down farmhouse with her guardian Debra. Jessica knows that Lark and Fox had spent the summer with Belle―but can this unworldly teenager really be responsible for Lark and Fox's new personas?

Jessica soon discovers that, behind Belle and Debra, evil geniuses are playing a dangerous game with technology in order to make the world a "better place", not caring who gets hurt, maimed or even killed in the process. Can Jessica stop them from wreaking destruction on a whole generation of young people?

Nothing is certain in Lisa Jewell's gripping and most imaginative novel yet.

***********

Private Investigator (and retired superhero) Jessica Jones, is scraping together a living in Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan - a living she mostly spends on the booze she needs to help her forget her past. An unusual case comes her way, just at the time she needs a sense of purpose to pull her out of the rut she has descended into.

Wealthy therapist, Amber Randall, asks for Jessica's help in finding out exactly what is going on with her children, sixteen-year-old twins Lark and Fox. Since the twins visited their British father in UK, they have transformed into languid creatures with perfect skin and odd habits, most unlike their former selves. Amber does not know what to make of it, but she is concerned that they are nothing like the people they were when they left. 

Under cover as a would-be author, Jessica heads to a small village in Essex, where Lark and Fox's father is renovating a dilapidated Jacobean mansion with a tragic history. She learns that the twins have been spending time with a beautiful reclusive girl, called Belle, and her carer Debra, who keep themselves very much apart from the locals. Something feels wrong here, but quite what this has to do with the change in Lark and Fox is hard to see. 

As Jessica begins to put together the pieces of this bizarre puzzle, she realises that there is a lot more at stake here than the fate of two affluent New York teenagers. Evil minds are about to launch their plans on the unsuspecting youth of the world, in pursuit of their damaged idea of 'perfection', and somehow Jessica has to find a way to stop them...

Breaking the Dark is the first novel in the brand new Marvel Crime series. I love a Marvel superhero movie for a bit 'suspension of disbelief' entertainment, but I am so glad that Marvel have actually taken the decision to explore the literary opportunities around the lesser known Defenders characters for the first three books to have been announced - featuring Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Matt Murdock (aka Daredevil) - as they are such interesting noir characters. 

Best-selling psychological thriller author Lisa Jewell has taken up the brand for this first Marvel collaboration about troubled PI Jessica Jones, which, I must admit, did give me pause for thought. Jewell certainly knows how to write a page-turning, twisty plot about complex characters, particularly when it comes to psychologically damaged individuals, but how would she get on with her first foray into a genre so very different from her usual style, and could she pull off the lashings of noir vibes this project would need to make it feel authentic? 

 

The story unfurls in two timelines, one following Jessica's slow-burn investigation into the bizarre case of the transformation of Lark and Fox, and the other, the eerie history of the evil geniuses at work on their misguided plan to make the world's young people 'perfect' (with a nice side-line in fame and fortune, naturally).

Jewell hits the spot-on 'noir' stride straight out of the gate, fully immersing you in the gritty mire of Jessica's psyche, and recreating her Hell's Kitchen stomping ground to perfection. Jessica is a complex character, weighed down with guilt, plagued by the responsibility of her powers, and hiding her vulnerabilities firmly behind a sardonic wise-cracking, tough-as-nails exterior. She is the Jessica Jones I know and love, and I am delighted that Jewell clearly knew the assignment here - you can feel the care she has taken in bringing her to life. There are other familiar faces from the Defenders canon who have a part in this story too, especially the big-man Luke Cage, and Jessica's ever-keen assistant Malcolm who really comes up trumps, but you do not need to be familiar with any of them to enjoy the book.

The parts of the story in rural Essex have a different feel, with a delicious sense of a spooky Hammer House of Horrors film about them. This is beautifully judged and fits the tone of Jessica's delving into historic tragedies, missing persons, and eccentric villagers spoken about in hushed tones. This works magnificently with what we learn from the flashback parts of the novel, which are bathed in occult themes and hints of bloodthirsty shenanigans that set your hair standing on end. I loved how Jessica is such a fish out of water in this environment too, which adds a touch of black humour to the horror setting.

With the mark of a genius storyteller, Jewell brings these distinctly different elements of the novel together with an over-arching concept that is gives a modern Black Mirror twist to the supernatural themes, blending blood lust, quantum physics, maniacal ambition, and earthly powers of the unfathomable kind, to make this bona fide Marvel universe fayre. She also explores some very timely themes about the world of social media, and the pressures on young people to pursue damaging notions of 'perfection'. And I am super impressed with the way she touches on so many shades of meaning around the title Breaking the Dark in the plot, and in Jessica's personal life.  

I thoroughly enjoyed this rollicking read. Marvel, you knew what you were about in picking Lisa Jewell to take on the iconic Jessica Jones and kick off the series in style. I cannot wait for the next books to be published - a Luke Cage novel by S.A. Cosby and a Daredevil adventure from Alex Segura... and Lisa, if you ever pick up your pen to continue the story where this leaves off, then I am definitely there for it!

Breaking the Dark is available to buy now in hardcover, paperback, ebook and audio formats.

Thank you to Century for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

About the author:

Lisa Jewell's first novel, Ralph’s Party, was published in 1999 and was the best-selling debut novel of the year. Since then she has published another twenty-one novels, most lately a number of dark psychological thrillers, including Then She Was Gone, The Family Upstairs and None of This is True.

Lisa is a number one New York Times and Sunday Times author who has sold over ten million books worldwide and been published in over twenty-five languages. 

She lives in north London with her husband, two daughters and a lovely dog called Daisy.

The Beaver Theory (The Rabbit Factor Book Three) by Antti Tuomainen (Paperback Release)

 

The Beaver Theory (The Rabbit Factor Book Three) by Antti Tuomainen.

Translated from the Finnish by David Hackston.

Published in paperback 18th July 2024 by Orenda Books.

From the cover of the book:

Henri Koskinen, intrepid insurance mathematician and adventure-park entrepreneur, firmly believes in the power of common sense and order. That is until he moves in with painter Laura Helanto and her daughter…

As Henri realises he has inadvertently become part of a group of local dads, a competing adventure park is seeking to expand their operations, not always sticking to the law in the process…

Is it possible to combine the increasingly dangerous world of the adventure-park business with the unpredictability of life in a blended family? At first glance, the two appear to have only one thing in common: neither deals particularly well with a mounting body count.

In order to solve this seemingly impossible conundrum, Henri is forced to step far beyond the mathematical precision of his comfort zone … and the stakes have never been higher…

Warmly funny, quirky, touching, and a nail-biting triumph of a thriller, The Beaver Theory is the final instalment in the award-winning Rabbit Factor Trilogy, as Henri encounters the biggest challenge of his career, with hair-raising results…

***********

Insurance actuary, Henri Koskinen is all set for a new adventure by moving in with his girlfriend, painter Laura Helanto, and her daughter, Tuuli. Many things about blended family life are bewilderingly incompatible with Henri's tenets of order and logic, and he is not too sure about the responsibilities that appear to come with being a 'school dad', but nevertheless he feels things are really looking up.

As Henri is getting his head around his new living arrangements, and the utter chaos of the extra-curricular activities of his fellow 'school dads', a challenge far greater than anything that has come before suddenly crops up where YouMeFun is concerned. Across town, a new adventure park, Somersault City, has just opened and it is hitting Henri's business hard. Henri and his faithful team are at a loss to work out how to compete with the newer attractions, free entry and food, and star-studded entertainments for parents, that are taking away their customers.

Henri decides to check out the competition for himself, and when he meets the shady crew running the operation, headed up by wannabe cowboy Ville-Pekka 'VP' Hayrinen, he is shocked to discover that they not only seem to be following a non-sensical business model, but they also want to grind YouMeFun into the dust in the process. When 'VP' subsequently ends up dead with an over-sized ice cream cone where nature never intended, Henri finds himself being fitted up for the murder by two hot-shot cops who have an agenda all of their own. Henri is going to need more than his mathematical skills to overcome the biggest hurdle of his adventure park career yet, especially now has family responsibilities...

Welcome to the final, joyful instalment of the Rabbit Factor trilogy by Antti Tuomainen. Henri is back in the thick of it once more, fighting to save YouMeFun, and his own skin, from the unscrupulous!

This third book is all about family, with three storylines that weave seamlessly together. As Henri takes baby-steps in the roles of live-in partner to Laura Helanto and father to her daughter Tuuli, his emotional development hits the steepest learning curve yet. On the YouMeFun front too, new feelings are stirring, with the team backing Henri to the hilt while he gets to grips with another fine mess that is not of his making. And in a triple, heart-string-plucking whammy, Henri works mathematical magic with the disorganised 'dads' group' to bring hope on the Parisian horizon. Amongst all the marvellous mayhem that ensues, Henri's capacity to understand love, friendship, human connection, and the benefits of 'going with the flow' blossoms, but he has many trials and tribulations to work through before the warm and fuzzy ending eventually dawns.

Henri's mathematical superpowers remain his core strength, despite being disparaged by his unwitting enemies, but he also has a lot of other skills and qualities at his disposal, honed through the battles he has been forced into since becoming the unexpected owner of an adventure park. The courage, determination, and resourcefulness of Henri and his team are not to be underestimated; and in a lovely twist, the inscrutable Detective Inspector Pentti Osmala has an intriguing role to play too, as he and Henri continue their 'so-much-left-unsaid' sparring.

I adored this book from start to finish. It is packed with Tuomainen's brand of dark, tongue-in-cheek humour that I have come to love so well. The absurd situations Henri continues to find himself in bring chuckle-worthy thrills and spills, with investigations of a giant beaver; the well-timed use of a spray can; some eye-opening horseplay; and ninja-like reactions with household implements... and if that was not enough to keep you entertained, there is the perfect level of emotional content to warm the cockles of your heart sufficiently to keep you toasty through the chills of a Finnish winter.

I am utterly bereft that this is the last book of Henri's adventures, but it is a fine conclusion to everything that has come before, and I tip my hat to the talented translator David Hackston for doing such a cracking job bringing Tuomainen's quirky comic genius to an English-speaking audience. A truly epic ending, to a fabulous trilogy!

**Review first published in October 2023 for hardback publiction.

The Beaver Theory is available to buy now in hardcover, paperback, ebook and audio formats. You can support indie publishing by buying direct from Orenda Books HERE.

Thank you to Orenda Books for sending me a copy 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:

Finnish Antti Tuomainen was an award-winning copywriter when he made his literary debut in 2007 as a suspense author in 2013, the Finnish press crowned Tuomainen the 'King of Helsinki Noir' when Dark as My Heart was published. 

With a piercing and evocative style, Tuomainen was one of the first to challenge the Scandinavian crime genre formula, and his poignant, dark and hilarious The Man Who Died became an international bestseller, shortlisting for the Petrona and Last Laugh Awards. Palm Beach Finland was an immense success, with Marcel Berlins (The Times) calling Tuomainen 'the funniest writer in Europe'. Little Siberia (2020), was shortlisted for the CWA International Dagger, the Amazon Publishing/Capital Crime Awards and the CrimeFest Last Laugh Award, and won the Petrona Award for Best Scandinavian Crime Novel of the Year. The Rabbit Factor (2021), the first book in Antti's first ever series, is in production by Amazon Studios with Steve Carell starring. The Moose Paradox, book two in the series was out in 2022.

About the translator:

David Hackston is a British Translator of Finnish and Swedish literature and drama. Notable publications include The Dedalus Book of Finnish Fantasy, Maria Peura’s coming-of-age novel At the Edge of Light, Johanna Sinisalo’s eco-thriller Birdbrain, two crime novels by Matti Joensuu and Kati Hiekkapelto’s Anna Fekete series (which currently includes The Hummingbird, The Defenceless and The Exiled, all published by Orenda Books). He also translates Antti Tuomainen’s stories. 

In 2007 he was awarded the Finnish State Prize for Translation. David is also a professional countertenor and a founding member of the English Vocal Consort of Helsinki. 

Shrouded (An Ice and Crime Mystery) by Sólveig Pálsdóttir

 

Shrouded (An Ice and Crime Mystery) by Sólveig Pálsdóttir.

Translated from the Icelandic by Quentin Bates.

Published 20th July 2024 by Corylus Books.

From the cover of the book:

A retired, reclusive woman is found on a bitter winter morning, clubbed to death in Reykjavik's old graveyard.

Detectives Guðgeir and Elsa Guðrún face one of their toughest cases yet, as they try to piece together the details of Arnhildur's austere life in her Red House in the oldest part of the city.

Why was this solitary, private woman attending séances, and why was she determined to keep her severe financial difficulties so secret?

Could the truth be buried deep in her past and a long history of family enmity, or could there be something more?

A stranger keeps a watchful eye on the graveyard and Arnhildur's house. With the detectives running out of leads, could the Medium, blessed and cursed with uncanny abilities, shed any light on Arnhildur’s lonely death?

***********

When an elderly woman is found bludgeoned to death in a Reykjavik cemetery, on a freezing winter morning, Detectives Guðgeir and Elsa Guðrún have no idea how complicated, and eerie, this case is going to be.

Searching for a motive for the killing, it becomes apparent to them that there was more going on in Arnhildur's unhappy life than meets the eye. Stories of a family torn apart by bitter recriminations take the investigation in scattered directions, but fail to explain why a woman living in an impressive property in the oldest part of Reykjavik was in such desperate need of money, or why she came to a grisly end among the gravestones. 

Perhaps it is time for them to put aside their doubts and listen to the strange Medium, who claims to be in contact with Arnhildur from beyond the grave...

Shrouded is the seventh book in Sólveig Pálsdóttir's Icelandic Ice and Crime Series, and the fourth book to have been published in English by Corylus Books, translated by Quentin Bates. It is my first foray in the series, and can be read as a stand-alone case, allowing for gaps in the back stories of the returning characters in the team of Detectives Guðgeir and Elsa Guðrún.

The story begins as my favourite kind of Icelandic noir crime does, with a brutal murder against a vividly described snowy backdrop, setting up a many-layered investigation with a lot of questions to be answered.

The case proceeds in slow burn style, as Detectives Guðgeir and Elsa Guðrún pursue scanty clues, taking you down parallel plotlines and leading to some lovely misdirection. Typical Icelandic noir themes run through the story, with a hefty whack of sins of the past, tragedy, family estrangement, abandonment, abuse, blackmail, and murder, and Pálsdóttir weaves the narrative structure in a really interesting way to switch points of view between a number of characters beyond the Guðgeir and Guðrún. This works magic in creating suspense, keeping the twists and turns going all the way to the end, and making you suspicious of just about everyone!

I liked the comfortable relationship between Guðgeir and Guðrún. Their foibles and verbal sparring add the kind of charm that you need with recurring characters. However, the pacing of the crime plot does suffer a bit from the involvement of personal aspects of the lives of the wider team, given that the book is only 257 pages long. But, these parts of the novel may well seem more relevant to readers who are familiar with the other books in the series, even if they felt a bit clunky and outdated given the (I presume) modern setting of the book. I did enjoy that Pálsdóttir touches on the plight of older people who find themselves in financial trouble in their latter years, which is a subject that is little explored in crime novels.

What Pálsdóttir does with accomplished flair is to set your mind reeling with supernatural whisperings from the word go, threading hair-raising possibilities into every aspect of the story that contrast beautifully with the gritty police procedural elements. And in that way masters of the craft like Stephen King do so well, there are uncanny things that cannot easily be explained away, which adds a delicious little edge to the proceedings. Nicely done!

As usual, when it comes to a Quentin Bates translation, he has done stellar work in making this an engaging read, while keeping the distinctive tone I enjoy in a book set in the land of ice and fire. I look forward very much to going back and reading the other Ice and Crime books he has translated, as I can never get enough of the work of a compelling Icelandic crime writer.

Shrouded is available to buy now in paperback and ebook. 

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

About the author:

Sólveig Pálsdóttir trained as an actor and has a background in the theatre, television and radio. In a second career she studied for degrees in literature and education, and has taught literature and linguistics, drama and public speaking, and has produced both radio programmes and managed cultural events.

Her first novel appeared in Iceland in 2012 and went straight to the country’s bestseller list. Her memoir Klettaborgin was a 2020 hit in Iceland. Sólveig Pálsdóttir has written seven novels featuring Reykjavík detectives Guðgeir Fransson and Elsa Guðrún in the series called Ice and Crime. Silenced received the 2020 Drop of Blood award for the best Icelandic novel of the year and was Iceland’s nomination for the 2021 Glass key award for the best Nordic crime novel of the year. Shrouded is the series’ fourth book to appear in English. 

Sólveig lives in Reykjavík.

About the translator:

Quentin Bates has personal and professional roots in Iceland that go very deep. He is an author of series of nine crime novels and novellas featuring the Reykjavik detective Gunnhildur (Gunna) Gísladóttir.

In addition to his own fiction, he has translated many works of Iceland’s coolest writers into English, including books by Lilja Sigurðardóttir, Guðlaugur Arason, Einar Kárason, Óskar Guðmundsson, Sólveig Pálsdóttir, Jónína Leosdottir, Ragnar Jónasson and elusive Stella Blomkvist. 

Quentin was instrumental in launching Iceland Noir in 2013, the crime fiction festival in Reykjavik.