The Night Watch

By Neil Lancaster https://neillancastercrime.co.uk/

Published by HQ Digital (an impress of Harper Collins Publishers) https://www.hqstories.co.uk/

384 pages ISBN 9780008518479

Publication date 8 September 2022

The Night Watch is the third novel in the Max Craigie series.

I was allowed access to a pdf review copy on Net Galley.  Thanks to the author and publisher for organising this.

From the blurb

He’ll watch you.
A lawyer is found dead at sunrise on a lonely clifftop at Dunnet Head on the northernmost tip of Scotland. It was supposed to be his honeymoon, but now his wife will never see him again.

He’ll hunt you.
The case is linked to several mysterious deaths, including the murder of the lawyer’s last client – Scotland’s most notorious criminal… who had just walked free. DS Max Craigie knows this can only mean one thing: they have a vigilante serial killer on their hands.

He’ll leave you to die.
But this time the killer isn’t on the run; he’s on the investigation team. And the rules are different when the murderer is this close to home.

He knows their weaknesses, knows how to stay hidden, and he thinks he’s above the law…

Synopsis

‘Not Proven’ the infuriating third verdict possible in Scotland allows Scott ‘The Axe’ Paterson to strut out of court cocksure and a free man. Few would shed a tear when he is found murdered on a golf course, but when his lawyer is also found dead off a cliff top through either accident or suicide, people take note. DS Craigie fears that there is a vigilante killer out there intent on righting the wrongs of the legal system, with their own brand of tough justice.

When that rarest of commodities in the modern world, a hard drinking old-school investigative journalist Shuggie Gibson approaches with inside information Max’s team take note. Shuggie has an informant, who seems to be reliable, who points in the direction of an MIT officer. An unpleasant task ahead, but just the sort of job the Policing Standards Reassurance team was set up for.

To progress the investigation, they need someone on the inside, luckily Max knows just the person for the job. With their mole in place and ex MI5 man Barney working on the surveillance hardware Max is confident of getting a result, but ultimately will the price they have to pay prove too great?

My thoughts

Before you dive into The Night Watch fasten your seatbelt because it doesn’t hang around. Perhaps not quite as fast paced as The Blood Tide (reviewed here) it retains all the hallmarks of the author’s fast past paced all action-packed style. A book where the action drags the reader along with it.

The plot centres on police corruption, but this time not the financial kind but the moral kind. Law enforcement officers taking the law into their own hands when the ‘right’ judgement is not delivered, handing out summary executions. Nobody wants to live in a country where the police force also acts as judge and executioner, like in a few failed states, but one can appreciate the frustration when a prosecution fails, and the accused is laughing at the officers. So, something very rare but not entirely far-fetched.

Even though the novel is incident packed there is time for some excellent characterisation. We learn more of Max’s time in the Met and how he owes his friend and former colleague Niall Hastings so much. A debt that becomes central to the plot. Max is still suffering with PTSD, the insomnia and nightmares, and how mages to cope. We also get to know that finally Janie’s relationship problems are being resolved as she settles down with new girlfriend Melissa. Not forgetting the third member of the team Ross who is still being moulded by his wife (surely, she cannot remain a ‘her indoors’ style character throughout the series.) There is also a lovely cameo portrayal of Shuggie the decent old-school journalist, a dying breed in the age of clickbait online ‘journalism.’

As already noted, the storyline doesn’t hang around, but Mr Lancaster maintains a canny knack of remaining one step ahead of the reader the whole time. Just when you think it’s becoming clear where the plot is leading there is a sidestep and like a labouring prop forward in the loose you are left in his wake trying to catch up. Some readers may be quicker on the uptake, but I was guessing right up to the end.

The thing that makes it all work is the authentic feel about it. As fiction the boundaries are going to be pushed in the name of entertainment, but at its core this is a novel written by an author who has first hand experience and knows how to bring this to life on the page. Even down to Max’s PTSD, if the author hasn’t suffered himself, I would imagine he has encountered those who have. Sadly as a nation we put young in the firing line to protect us but fail to do enough to protect them on their return.

There are two central themes to the novel. The first is the vigilantism, the killing of evil people who ‘get away with it’. The other is the bond of friendship forged during danger that can never fully be repaid, the reliance on someone even to put them back in danger. Undercover work is glamourised in fiction, particularly on screen, but the human cost on an individual level is so great. The question posed s when have you had enough, when do you get out? Powerful stuff.

The Night Watch is a high-octane crime thriller that feels truly authentic that will have you engrossed from the start and exhausted by then end. Enjoy the ride!

The author

Source: Author’s Amazon Page

NEIL LANCASTER is the No. 1 digital bestselling author of both the Tom Novak and Max Craigie series. His first Craigie novel, Dead Man’s Grave, was longlisted for the 2021 McIlvanney Prize for Best Scottish Crime Book of the Year. The second Craigie novel, The Blood Tide, topped several ebook and audio charts. It was also longlisted for the 2022 McIlvanney Prize and shortlisted for Best New Series at the Dead Good Reader Awards.

Neil’s authentic crime writing style stems from his police background. He served as a military policeman and worked for the Metropolitan Police as a detective, investigating serious crimes in the capital and beyond. As a covert policing specialist, he used all manner of techniques to investigate and disrupt major crime and criminals. He now lives in the Scottish Highlands, writes crime and thriller novels and works as a broadcaster and commentator on true crime documentaries. He is an expert on two Sky Crime TV series, Meet, Marry, Murder and Made for Murder.

The Devil’s Bridge Affair

By Rob Gittins https://www.robgittins.com/

Published by Hobeck Books https://www.hobeck.net/

366 pages ISBN 9781913793913

Publication date 25 October 2022

I was sent an electronic copy to enable me to take part in this Blog Tour. I would like to thank Rebecca at Hobeck Books and the Author for the invitation to participate.

From the blurb

Lightning splits the sky, night somersaulting into day.

And in that moment, a life is lost…

The Devil’s Bridge – a name drawn from the legend that it was built by the devil himself, centuries before the town was established.

That legend has a further twist. The devil vowed to return at different times and in different guises with dark consequences for those living in the bridge’s shadow.

To most Devil’s Bridge residents it’s merely a colourful local story; a flight of fancy. Dark deeds can happen anywhere – and there’s no such thing as the devil, is there?

Then a massive scandal, involving a schoolboy and his English teacher, hits the community, and even the most die-hard of sceptics begin to wonder if a devil-like figure is walking in their midst.

Synopsis

Nia is concerned about her son Nathan. He is coming to a key stage in his schooling but acting a little strange and withdrawn, distancing himself from other kids and not eating much. Is he worried about exams or is he still upset about his parents splitting up?

When she finds a spliff in his jeans she decides to confront him. He’s engrossed with something on his phone and Nia grabs it off him. She sees a photo of his English teacher, naked. Can it be real? Is it photoshopped? Nia and ex-husband Al do the only thing they can think of doing, going to the police, then nothing will ever be the same again.

My thoughts

Readers who like their novels grounded in a particular genre are going to be surprised and frustrated in equal measure by this very clever book. The author has taken a local legend, which is based upon the supernatural, wrapped it up in a crime story and then added some gothic horror highlights for good measure.

The concept of The Devil’s Bridge can be attributed to several bridges around the world originating from many eras, it seems one of those ideas absorbed into human nature. This legend of the bridge in the story corresponds to that in Ceredigion, Wales, which is made up of three built at various times on top of one another. The tale of the Devil being tricked and so periodically returns to exact his revenge fits the tale and works well in the story. Those that live within the shadow of the Bridge permanently blighted, the legend like an albatross around their necks, waiting for the Devil to return extract his price. Some of us seem to be hardwired to be superstitious and it doesn’t take much for us to believe that a place, object, or person to be cursed.

Crime is at the core of the plot. Firstly, there is the question of whether it is murder, accident, or suicide of someone falling from the Bridge. Secondly, there is the tale of the alleged affair between the pupil and he teacher. The police need to establish whether the allegation is false or whether there is a case of child abuse to prosecute. It takes a bold and confident author to write as convincingly about such a topic as this and taking the unusual step of male pupil and female teacher even more so.

The gothic horror I promised comes from the set piece scenes at the Bridge, high winds, darkness, and lightening rending the sky, evocative stuff. If the Devil was to make an appearance, then a night like that would surely be the one. Curled up with this on a stormy winter’s night the reader is easily transplanted there in their mind.

The Devil’s Bridge is a central motif throughout the storyline and the narrative keeps returning to it either in terms of the current or the past. Bad things happen there, and they are key to the story whether the actions are by the hand of man or the Devil. Perhaps he can manifest in human form.

The narrative form is one of multiple viewpoints which are constantly changing, with very short chapters. This is allowing for the opposing sides of the tale to be told simultaneously, as the characters effectively divide into two camps plus the police investigation. Significantly, the reader never actually sees it from Nathan’s position. It also moves the story along quickly, but I found it just a little too jerky.

Emotions are intense and loyalties tested as it boils down to who to believe, who to trust. Is Nathan a fantasist or a peeping Tom; is Tanya the victim of a crush or a child abuser who has abused her position? This is where the insular small town feel of shared pasts and connections plays out. Nathan’s Mother Nia was the girlfriend of Joel who is now married to the accused teacher Tanya. Nathan’s father Al who is separated from Nia works for Joel. Loyalties dividend and tested in an internecine battle for the truth however unpalatable it may be.

Characterisation is strong, managing the trick of make me go through a complete change of opinion on some. As group they are a grim unlikable group of people, but they are people put into a situation where there are no winners, except perhaps the Devil.

The Devil’s Bridge Affair is a cleverly crafted modern take on a local legend, a deep and intense story that leaves no real winners. Unless you are the devil.

The Devil’s Bridge Affair can be purchased direct from the publisher here

The author

Source: Goodreads profile

Rob Gittins is a screenwriter and novelist. Rob’s written for almost all the top-rated network TV dramas from the last thirty years, including Casualty, EastEnders, The Bill, Heartbeat and Vera, as well as over thirty original radio plays for BBC Radio 4.

He’s previously had six novels published by Y Lolfa to high critical acclaim. Rob’s first novel for Hobeck, I’m Not There, is a crime thriller and the first of a new series set on the idyllic, if occasionally sinister and disturbing, Isle of Wight.

​Rob’s second book with Hobeck, a psychological thriller, The Devil’s Bridge Affair, was published on 25 October 2022.

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Red As Blood

By Lilja Sigurdardottir liljawriter.com

Translated by Quentin Bates

Published by Orenda Books https://orendabooks.co.uk/

257 pages ISBN 9781914585326

Publication date 13 October 2022

Red as Blood is the second novel in the Áróra Investigation series.

I was sent a paperback proof copy to enable me to take part in this Blog Tour. I would like to thank Anne at Random Things Tours for the invitation to participate and of course the Author and Publisher.

From the blurb

When entrepreneur Flosi arrives home for dinner one night, he discovers that his house has been ransacked, and his wife Guðrún missing. A letter on the kitchen table confirms that she has been kidnapped. If Flosi doesn’t agree to pay an enormous ransom, Guðrún will be killed.

Forbidden from contracting the police, he gets in touch with Áróra, who specialises in finding hidden assets, and she, alongside her detective friend Daniel, try to get to the bottom of the case without anyone catching on.

Meanwhile, Áróra and Daniel continue the puzzling, devastating search for Áróra’s sister Ísafold, who disappeared without trace. As fog descends, in a cold and rainy Icelandic autumn, the investigation becomes increasingly dangerous, and confusing.

Chilling, twisty and unbearably tense, Red as Blood is the second instalment in the riveting, addictive an Áróra Investigation series, and everything is at stake…

Synopsis

Áróra continues to search the deserted tracks and footpaths of the Icelandic countryside in search of her missing sister Ísafold. Áróra is a determined young woman and has resolved to remain on Iceland until she is found. Now using a drone in her search, she is resigned to the likelihood that it is Ísafold’s body she is looking for, but even if Ísafold is dead Áróra is driven to lay her remains to rest. During the search she has grown close to Daniel, the detective in charge, but she needs him to concentrate on the job of finding Ísafold before friendship can blossom into more.

 Businessman Flosi returns home to find his wife Guðrún kidnapped. Uncertain what to do he telephones his accountant in Edinburgh, Michael, for advice and to ask him to raise the ransom in cash. Michael arranges for Áróra to support him, and she will be acting as the courier when the ransom is raised. The ransom note said no police but Áróra persuades Flosi to bring in Daniel incognito.

Daniel sets his team to work investigating and Áróra does work of her own on Flosi’s finances. Áróra uncovers important facts with implications to the case but also discovers something sinister which would be best left alone.

My thoughts

A carefully crafted plot that cleverly spins a second strand out of the central one and manages to twist them both back on themselves at the conclusion. Characters have unexpected connections which prove to have important implications later in the storyline. This has the effect of pulling any loose strands back to the central core of the plot as if it were producing its own gravity and nothing can get away. All of which results in a tight almost insular feel to the novel. Perhaps to be expected as the population of Iceland is smaller than several UK cities.

 Áróra is an excellent central character, a strong and determined woman, who can handle herself physically within the constraints of her body and she is not petite. A financial investigator who is tenacious and headstrong is going to run into her fair share of trouble. She is focussed on the search for what happened to her sister almost to the detriment of everything else, even any possible relationship with Daniel. Their potential relationship is the classic on/off type beloved of screen fiction.

Police officer Helena is another engaging character. A lesbian with the outlook of a thoroughly modern woman, career minded and happy to partake in casual hook ups with a select group of partners managed around her work commitments. Naturally trouble finds her, but her ‘mornings after the night before’ and occasionally inappropriate actions prove the perfect foil to Mr Perfect Daniel, sort of the Ying to his Yang.

Initially I had some sympathy for Flosi, having just had his wife kidnapped, but as the story progresses, we see him as a callous self-centred man with some dubious contacts. Accountant Michael’s record is hardly stain-free but thanks to the vagaries of fiction he is on the side of the good albeit someone who works right up to the dividing line. As accountant myself, it’s nice to have one portrayed with dubious morals rather than just plain boring.

It’s a bit of a slow burn, probably because the storyline is so compact and the early pages deal with the initial kidnap where there is a build-up of tension. However, as more is revealed and Áróra commences her digging the shackles are released and it cuts loose. There is a release of the intensity, but the reader has no time to relax as the author turns the key and the spring mechanism tightens to breaking point for Áróra. This manipulation of the reader is masterfully played. When the action and violence come it catches you a little off guard which is no bad thing, but it’s not a book centred on murder and mayhem. Good to see other crimes covered, murder remains relatively rare except in crime fiction.

The prose flows wonderfully and is accessible thanks to some great translation work. On a blind read I would have been convinced it was initially written in English. There are some lovely descriptive passages giving the reader a real feel for the rugged beauty of Iceland and a flavour of a way of life rather different to that in the UK. It is this that gives it its own distinct identity and reinforces why Icelandic fiction is so popular, placing it on many crime fiction fans’ bucket list of countries to visit. The description of Áróra’s investigation is also nicely judged as frauds are often complex and difficult to articulate briefly for fiction and at no point does the story become boring.

Red as Blood is a perfectly judged crime novel, thrilling and entertaining but also dark beneath the surface, so tightly packed it just has to erupt.

Red as Blood can be purchased direct from the publisher here

The author

Icelandic crime-writer Lilja Sigurdardóttir was born in the town of Akranes in 1972 and raised in Mexico, Sweden, Spain and Iceland. An award winning playwright, Lilja has written four crime novels, with Snare, the first in a new series and Lilja’s English debut shortlisting for the CWA International Dagger and hitting bestseller lists worldwide. Trap soon followed suit, with the third in the trilogy Cage winning the Best Icelandic Crime Novel of the Year, and was a Guardian Book of the Year. Lilja’s standalone Betrayal, was shortlisted for the Glass Key Award for Best Nordic Crime Novel. In 2021, Cold as Hell, the first in the An Áróra Investigation series was published, with Red as Blood to follow in 2022. The film rights have been bought by Palomar Pictures in California. Lilja is also an award-winning screenwriter in her native Iceland. She lives in Reykjavík with her partner.

The translator

Quentin Bates escaped English suburbia as a teenager, jumping at the chance of a gap year working in Iceland. For a variety of reasons, the gap year stretched to become a gap decade, during which time he went native in the north of Iceland, acquiring a new language, a new profession as a seaman and a family, before decamping en masse for England. He worked as a truck driver, teacher, netmaker and trawlerman at various times before falling into journalism, largely by accident. He is the author of a series of crime novels set in present-day Iceland (Frozen Out, Cold Steal, Chilled to the Bone, Winterlude, Cold Comfort and Thin Ice) which have been published worldwide. He has translated all of Ragnar Jónasson’s Dark Iceland series.

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Command #AlMurray #Command

By Al Murray https://thepublandlord.com/

Published by Headline https://www.headline.co.uk/

343 pages ISBN 9781472284594

Publication date 13 October 2022

I was sent a hardback copy of the book in exchange for a fair review. l would like to thank Anna Pallai for arranging my copy and of course the Author and Publisher for making it available.

From the blurb

Al Murray’s passion for military history and the Second World War in particular has always run parallel with his comedy and was brought to the fore with several acclaimed and award-winning television shows and the recent huge success of his podcast We Have Ways of Making You Talk which he hosts with fellow bestselling military author James Holland. In his first serious narrative book, Command showcases Al Murray’s passion for this pivotal period in the twentieth century, as he writes an engaging, entertaining and sharp analysis of the key allied military leaders in the conflict.

Command highlights the performance and careers of some of the leading protagonists who commanded armies, as well as the lesser-known officers who led divisions, regiments and even battalions for the British, Commonwealth and United States of American armies. By showcasing each combat commander across every major theatre of operations the allies fought in, Murray tells the story of how the Western Allies rebounded from early shocking defeats (Dunkirk and Pearl Harbor) to then victories (El Alamein and D-Day) in its efforts to defeat the Axis forces of Nazi Germany and Japan, and what that tells us about the characters and the challenges that faced them. Command is the book for all fans of Second World War History who appreciate a true enthusiast of the genre with something new and compelling to say.

My thoughts

Command is billed as the author’s first book without jokes and while that is true, there is plenty of his trademark wit and humour throughout. War and conflict are no laughing matter but as anyone who has read Spike Milligan’s war autobiographies, which are referenced by the author, will attest squaddies use humour as a way so dealing with the madness all around them. Here it is pitched just about right, enough to lift the prose but without being in anyway knockabout or disrespectful.

In a publishing market packed with celebrity fiction (of varying quality) and vanity projects, it is refreshing to come across such a carefully considered, well written and thought-provoking book. It is clear Mr Murray has real affinity with and deep interest in the subject. It is not the ‘boys toys’ obsession of the weapons of war, though there is a fascinating dissection of tank warfare, but the desire to understand what happened, why and its impact on ordinary people. Written in an accessible style, not the dusty history books of the past, it has been carefully researched and represents a work of real substance. I would imagine that his understanding of the subject and real empathy with the ordinary solider proves popular with members of the armed forces and veterans alike.

The text is constructed as ten chapters, each around 30 pages long, which concentrate on one commander, who are mainly generals. Each one has basic biographical details, along with a side story or digression together with the lesson learned. The men selected vary from the famous like Montgomery and Patton, the model professional like Bradley and Slim to the more obscure such as Hobart and White. A huge spread of personalities and commanding styles are distilled into a cogent study of how continuous improvement and learning the harsh lessons from earlier mistakes served the Allies well. Indeed, from the strap line ‘How the Allies learned to win the Second World War.’

That the Allies were going to win, barring Germany of Japan discovering some wonder weapon or winning the race to produce the nuclear bomb, the reader is left in no doubt. Initially with Germany having a big head start in re-armament production, development of weapons and modernised tactics, the battle was just to remain in the war. There are the battles in North Africa, of which Montgomery was heavily involved, where tank warfare came to the fore, with British tanks being inadequate in build and fire power but also being used ineffectively. It is here that Tuker proves to be effective, but then later in the war the spirit of continuous improvement leads to ‘Hobart’s specials’ tanks resigned and modified to carry out specific roles during the ‘D Day’ Normandy landings.

In the autumn and winter of 1941 two events changed the whole course of the war. The failure of the Blitzkrieg element of ‘Barbarossa’ bogged Germany down against a determined Russian foe who could bring massive numbers of men and arms to bear. Then the December attack on Pearl Harbour brought the United States formally into the war along with its massive manufacturing base. How big this advantage became is made clear by statistics quoted within the book and it is truly staggering. German production was declining rapidly whereas that of the allies was growing. The Germans were also running out of manpower for their war machine, even when armament production was largely carried out by foreign slave labour. From this point onward the object is to end the war as soon as possible with the least cost of life. This is poignantly covered in the final chapter on Peter White. White wasn’t a General but a Second Lieutenant, a man on the ground demonstrating great leadership and dealing with ‘command’ when it is thrust his way. Here we see a thoughtful but pragmatic man doing all he can to get the job done, albeit with some personal regret.

Is a General only as good as the men and weaponry at his disposal? Well sheer weight of numbers matters as we have seen but another key ingredient highlighted in the book is support or patronage. As a new way of fighting was being developed mistakes were inevitably made. Without support in central command these mistakes could also cost careers was well men and equipment.

Command is an excellent modern history book of some substance which is well written and certainly engaging.

Not sure whether to dive in? Well, Al Murray and war historian James Holland produce a weekly podcast We Have Ways of Making You Talk and in the 13 October 2022 episode Al reads the final chapter on Peter White. It is of course available on your favourite podcast site but the link to it on Spotify can be found here.

There is also a website supporting the podcast the link to which can be found here.

I hope you find it as fascinating as I did.

Command can be purchased direct from the publisher here

The author

Credit: Headline website

Al Murray is one of the most successful comics in the UK with his alter-ego The Pub Landlord and has had four previous bestselling books, The Pub Landlord’s Book of British Common Sense, The Pub Landlord Says Think Yourself British, Great British Pub Quiz Book and Watching War Films with my Dad. One of the most popular live comedy acts in the country, Al has sold out arenas nationwide, including London’s O2 Arena. He has earned numerous awards and accolades, such as the British Comedy Award for his ITV1 series Al Murray’s Happy Hour, the Perrier Award and two Olivier Award nominations.

The East German Spy Mistress #NataliaPastukhova #TheEastGermanSpyMistress

By Natalia Pastukhova

Published by Brown Dog Books (Self-Publishing Partnership) https://www.selfpublishingpartnership.co.uk/about-us/

270 pages ISBN 9781839525087

Publication date 22 September 2022

I was sent a paperback copy of the novel to participate in its Blog Tour. Many thanks to Brown Dog Books, Natalia Pastukhova and Team LitPR for allowing me to participate in the tour.

From the blurb

It is 1955. An East German agent – a disillusioned man who hates pretty girls – is sent to spy on a non-existent missile test in Cyrenaica. It is intended that he be caught.

Ulrica, his boss, is busy smuggling stolen paintings and coins to the West in readiness to defect.

A group of British Army and R.A.F. officers, aware of communist traitors in the Civil Service, devise a deception to draw them from their lairs.

Every subterfuge miscarries. Ingenuity counts for nothing. No one foresees the outcome, yet everyone ends up with more or less the slice of cake they deserve.

Major Dardry is a wily and perceptive intelligence officer. Ulrica too is a heroine of sorts. Her espionage threads go back to wartime Tangier and although living out a life which she neither sought nor enjoys, tries to lessen the chaos and damage which she is tasked with sowing.

My thoughts

The East German Spy Mistress is certainly an ambitious novel in scope and subject matter. The action takes place across a vast canvas, from war time Germany and Western Europe to post war United Kingdom, Libya and Lebanon finishing with a stop in Trinidad.

The plot revolves around betrayal and defection with multiple strands that either intersect or lie parallel. Some strands are more convincing than others, but there is certainly no shortage of intrigue. It is 1955 and post war Europe has settled down into the forward-looking Europe of NATO and the European Coal and Steel Community in the West, whereas the insular East is behind Churchill’s so called Iron Curtain. The United Stated had just battled with McCarthyism and paranoia within the espionage was rife as double agents were exposed and the battle for information through defection was in full flow. An ideal time setting for espionage fiction and highlighted to great effect within the novel.

Unusually for an espionage novel it steers a course somewhere between the cerebral of Le Carre and thriller of Fleming, with a good deal of it taking place within RAF and Army camps. The motivations for characters are not always clear and remain carefully hidden but the pace of the novel, which moves along quickly to pack so much incident in, doesn’t leave enough room for the depth of intrigue beloved of the masters of the genre. The action scenes are low key but nicely thought out, constructed and at times executed with some wit. One in particular set in Northumberland left me chuckling.

The role call of characters is huge for a 270-page novel and when you add in the pseudonyms and spy names it can be a little confusing. This allows for a vast array of personality type to be displayed within each setting, for example in the Officers Mess they are not all the ‘hunting, fishing, shooting ‘type, but we never really get under the skin of the central characters.

The strength of the storytelling lies with the subtle observations and anecdotes. The scene setting, such as in the Officers Mess and characters homes is impressive and brings the book to life. The author clearly has an eye for detail and has been ably assisted by Peter Morris (credited in the acknowledgements) with all aspects relating to the British Armed Forces. The attention to detail here with the weapons, vehicles, uniforms, and customs is most impressive. Although I was not alive then, I think the period has been captured quite convincingly. A series of anecdotes are stitched throughout the storyline as part of the overall plot. These introduce an element of gentle humour which helps to keep the text light.

The East German Spy Mistress is a fast paced, incident packed story of the paranoia of the espionage world of the 1950s.

The author

Natalia Pastukhova was born in Saint Petersburg on the day it reacquired that name. She read English and Italian at university before joining the Russian security services and working abroad.

She enjoys archery, writing, playing the violin badly and spending most of her time in England.

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Dark Music

By David Lagercrantz https://www.davidlagercrantz.com/english-start

Translated by Ian Giles https://gilestranslation.com/about/

Narrated by Matt Bates

Published by MacLehose Press (digital Quercus Audio) www.maclehosepress.com

384 pages ISBN 9781529413212

Publication date 1 November 2021

Dark Music is book one in the Rekke and Vargas series.

I was allowed access to an audio review copy on Net Galley.  Thanks to the author and publisher for organising this.

From the blurb

Professor Hans Rekke is a world authority on interrogation techniques, capable of dizzying feats of logic and observation. He was born into wealth and power and has a picture-perfect wife and daughter. But he also has a fragile psyche that falls apart under pressure.

Micaela Vargas is a street-smart police officer, daughter of Chilean political refugees, who grew up in the projects on the outskirts of Stockholm and has two brothers on the wrong side of the law. She is tenacious and uncompromising, and desperate to prove herself to her fellow cops.

Micaela needs Hans’s unique mind to help her solve the case of a murdered asylum-seeker from Afghanistan. Hans needs Micaela to save him from himself. Together, they need to find the killer before they’re both silenced for good.

Synopsis

An immigrant football referee was murdered after a fractious end to the match he was in charge of. There is a clear suspect, the drunken father of the star player who was fouled at the end of the match so causing the fracas. A seemingly simple case but the police are struggling to get a confession out of the prime suspect. Then a case review instigated by the assistant commissioner provides another angle of approach, they will involve Professor Hans Rekke to improve their interrogation technique. Rekke reviews the available video footage a demonstrates they have clearly not got the right man. Back to square one. They are now looking for an older middle eastern looking man.

The investigation stalls and when Vargas refuses to set up her criminal brother for an easy collar on another case she is sent back to community policing work. Another suspect is eliminated for the murder, and it becomes clear the police are getting nowhere with it, so the investigation is shelved.

Some months later a chance meeting between Vargas and Rekke results in her saving him from one of his self-destructive urges. This act cements a strange relationship between them. Now working together, they are determined to solve the case.

My thoughts

David Lagercrantz is probably best known in the UK for continuing Stieg Larsson’s legacy with the Millennium Maagzine series featuring Mikael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander. He has added a further three novels to the original three in the series, with the baton being passed on to Karin Smirnoff to pen the next three novels. I’ve read the three novels that David has added to the series, they do differ a little from the originals in style, but he has put his own stamp on the series in a positive way. So, the prospect of a new series of his own creation piqued my interest.

The two principal characters are the classic set up of opposite leads. Professor Rekke is mature man, wealthy, privileged, sophisticated, musical, and cerebral. Officer Vargas is a younger woman, from a poor family living in one of the social housing projects on the outskirts of the city. Her background means she is resourceful and possesses street smarts, she is also honest, hardworking, and determined to do good. Much of the novel revolves around the interactions between the two as they develop a working relationship and start spark off each other. They also need each other; Vargas wants to learn from Rekke and he needs her to save himself from his own self-destructive streak.

Elements of Rekke are drawn from Sherlock Holmes, he is governed by logic and possesses acute observational skills and he ability to make deductions from what he notices. Holmes famously dabbled with recreational drugs, here Rekke is hooked on a series of prescription drugs which are slowly destroying him.

Vargas has the makings of being a great character a feisty and smart young woman. The addition of a criminal brother adds another dimension touched upon within the plot as her police superiors are looking for her to betray him to further her career. I think we can expect these relationships to be exploited as the series develops.

The plot centres on the aftermath of the 2003 war on terror. The case is of a murdered refugee who has a mysterious past. The authorities in the form of the Swedish government and the CIA want a quick and easy solution to the crime for their own reasons. The digging into his back story by Rekke and Vargas unearths a tale radicalisation, torture and rendition that won’t stay buried. Another fine example of the Scandinavian sense of social justice and morality being woven into the plot of a thriller in the same way Henning Mankell or Stieg Larsson would.  

The pacing is variable with activity coming in spurts, but at other times it is slow, ponderous, and perhaps a little dull. The set up for a new novel series can be difficult, trying to judge the right amount of background and this coupled with the complex switching around as true identities are revealed have left it a little unbalanced. Overall though it works and is an entertaining read if you stick with it.

Dark Music introduces two fascinating new characters and is the start of a new series that promises much.

Dark Music can be purchased via the publisher here

The author

Credit: MacLehose Press

David Lagercrantz was born in 1962 and is an acclaimed author and journalist. In 2015 The Girl in the Spider’s Web (2015), his continuation of Stieg Larsson’s Millennium Trilogy, became a worldwide bestseller and was made into a film by Sony Pictures (2018). He is the author of the acclaimed and bestselling I am Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Fall of Man in Wilmslow, and the fifth and sixth books in the Millennium series, The Girl Who Takes an Eye for an Eye (2017) and The Girl Who Lived Twice (2019). Dark Music, the first Rekke and Vargas Investigation, will be published in the UK in 2022.

N4-Down #MarkPiesing #N4Down

By Mark Piesing

Published by Mariner Books (an impress of Harper Collins) https://www.harpercollins.com/pages/marinerbooks

428 pages ISBN 9780062851536

Publication date 13 October 2022

I was sent a paperback copy of the book to participate in its Blog Tour. Many thanks to Mariner Books, Mr Piesing and Team LitPR for allowing me to participate in the tour.

From the blurb

Triumphantly returning from the North Pole on May 24, 1928, the world-famous exploring airship Italia—code-named N-4—was struck by a terrible storm and crashed somewhere over the Arctic ice, triggering the largest polar rescue mission in history. Helping lead the search was Roald Amundsen, the poles’ greatest explorer, who himself soon went missing in the frozen wastes. Amundsen’s body has never been found, the last victim of one of the Arctic’s most enduring mysteries…

Whereas previous Arctic and Antarctic explorers had subjected themselves to horrific—often deadly—conditions in their attempts to reach uncharted lands, airships held out the possibility of quickly and safely soaring over the hazards. In 1926, the famed Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen—the first man to reach the South Pole—partnered with the Italian airship designer General Umberto Nobile to pioneer flight over the North Pole. As Mark Piesing uncovers in this masterful account, while that mission was thought of as a great success, it was in fact riddled with near disasters and political pitfalls. Braiding together the gripping accounts of the survivors and their heroic rescuers, N-4 Down tells the unforgettable true story of what happened when the glamour and restless daring of the zeppelin age collided with the harsh reality of earth’s extremes.

My thoughts

When first offered a spot on this Blog Tour my initial reaction is this really a non-fiction book? The Italians were pioneers of airship technology, flying to the North Pole on voyages of exploration? Surely not! We British like to joke that Italian tanks have one forward gear, and four reverse how could they have been major players in dirigible design before us? They’ve always designed magnificent sport cars, but airships, this comes as a shock to someone who is 58 and considers himself well read and has seen hundreds of documentaries.  

What Mark Piesing has done is dragged into the spotlight (or should that be searchlight to remain in keeping with the topic) an epic story of discovery, rivalry, endurance, and deceit. This is a story that deserves a wider audience not just for the tale of daring do but also the lessons to be learned within the context of a time which was to become dominated by war within a decade.

Say polar exploration and in the UK we think of Robert Falcon Scott and his doomed trip to be first to the South Pole, beaten by Roald Amundsen who is either ignored or portrayed as a kind of unsporting cad, fancy using sled dogs. In recent years much has been made of the heroic but doomed Ernest Shackleton and his Antarctic voyages. We love stories of reckless British explorers who demonstrate a stiff upper lip to failure. In this work the reader is left in no doubt that Amundson was a true professional, polar exploration and more importantly survival was his life’s work but would prove ultimately to be his death.

American Robert Peary may (or may not) have been the first to reach the North Pole and in doing so claim to see unknown land. Amundsen being a pragmatist realised that there was no fame or fortune in following in his footsteps (the author makes it clear that to finance his voyages and expensive lifestyle Amundsen relied upon lecture tours and publications.) Being the first to fly over the Pole would be something new and lucrative. So the book starts with this ill-fated plan where eventually damage to the two planes lead to a variation of the movie The Flight of the Phoenix where model airplane engineer Hardy Krüger (more on him later) saves the day. This itself could have been an amazing story of reliance and recovery but merely serves as an hors d’oeuvre. Summed up perfectly by the chapter title “You are supposed to be dead” as Amundsen returns against the odds.

The main thrust of the book is the relationship between Roald Amundsen and Italian airship designer Umberto Nobile. They first come together when Amundsen decides an airship would be the best way to fly to the Pole so the need for Nobile’s help becomes a marriage of convenience. Amundsen has the knowledge, experience and funding whereas Nobile has the means of transport but also a desire to curry favour with Mussolini whose patronage was vital. As laid bare in the book, this was a recipe for conflict and ill feeling as in Amundsen’s view Nobile highjacked his voyage, which whilst not a complete success achieved most of the main objectives.

Undeterred Nobile was to return with a bigger, better airship the N-4 Italia with the aim of landing a man at the North Pole. It is this ill-fated journey and the subsequent rescue mission provides the bulk of the narrative.

There are several fascinating side stories, but the author sticks to the main historical flow never pausing for too long. This isn’t a dusty old-style history book though, there is a lightness to the prose and at times you feel as if you could be reading an Alistair Maclean thriller. Like the best popular history writing he manages to bring the story to life without over embellishing or projecting his ideas where there are gaps in the historical record, when you are battling for survival on the ice making diary entries becomes low priority. He lets the facts speak for themselves (there are extensive citations in the notes section) whilst enthralling and entertaining the reader. Just the sort of book I would have loved in my teens and is a great way provide history, geography and geopolitics in a form that would engage a young adult audience.

It is the personalities, relationships and humanity that really grab the reader though. Even though they had fallen out irreparably, Amundsen knew he had the skills needed so volunteered to aid the rescue mission using a totally inadequate plane that was to cost him his life. How Nobile was usurped by Italo Balbo within the establishment somehow having a hold over Mussolini such that he was the darling for his flying circus antics whereas Nobile was damned whether he succeeded or not. In the 1930’s patronage could be vital for mere survival. Finally, there is Nobile’s simple misjudgement prompted by listening to well-meaning others which was to cost him dearly for the remainder of his life.

N-4 Down is a magnificent work of non-fiction story telling. Entertaining, engaging and at times gripping it is incredibly well researched and written. Hopefully he has more stories to unearth and do justice to as he has done here.

N-4 Down: The Hunt for the Arctic Airship Italia can be purchased direct from the publisher here

The author

Mark Piesing is a successful freelance technology and aviation journalist and author. He writes for brands such as BBC Future, The Guardian, Wired, and The Economist. Piesing is passionate about aviation, history, innovation, and exploration. His passion has led him to search for lost World War II airfields in the New Forest, find the last surviving Nazi helicopter, fly drones inside a fusion reactor (a world first), and tread carefully around Bosnian minefields. He has been driven by an autonomous car, flown in Britain’s flying laboratory, gone underground at CERN, and dug up the skeletons of gladiators in a lost Roman city in Spain. For Piesing’s first book, N-4 DOWN: The Hunt for the Arctic Airship Italia, he travelled to frozen Svalbard and the Arctic Circle, discovered forgotten manuscripts in an overlooked archive in Tromsø, and tracked down one of the last people alive who knew Umberto Nobile, the protagonist, to a Copenhagen suburb.

Mark Piesing lives in Oxford, UK, with his wife, two children, and dog.

Don’t forget to check out the other stops on this Blog Tour:

Mark Piesing did a fascinating talk on the N-4 Italia and polar exploration to the Explorer’s club, which can be found on YouTube, see link below:

I have expressed my surprise at never hearing of this incident before, the fact that there was a movie made on the subject starring four major actors makes it even more so. The Red Tent was filmed in 1969 and stars Peter Finch (as Nobile), Sean Connery (as Amundsen), Hardy Krüger (as Lunborg) and Claudia Cardinale (as Nurse Valeria). It probably didn’t get the credit it deserves in the UK due to it being an Italian/Russian production with English subtitles. The full film can be found on YouTube in two parts, see links below:

Wolf Pack #WillDean #WolfPack

By Will Dean

Published by Point Blank (an imprint of Oneworld Publications) https://oneworld-publications.com/imprint/point-blank/

302 pages ISBN  9780861541997

Publication date 6 October 2022

Wolf Pack is the fifth book in the Tuva Moodyson series.

I was sent a Hardback copy to enable me to take part in this Blog Tour. I would like to thank Anne at Random Things Tours, the publisher and the author for the invitation to participate.

From the blurb

When there’s a pack on the hunt, nobody’s safe…

After the traumatic events of the past year, Tuva is back as deputy editor reporting for the Gavrik Posten, but her world will never be the same.

A closed community

Rose Farm is home to a group of survivalists, heavily armed and completely cut off from the outside world.

A missing person

A young woman, Elsa Nyberg, goes missing within the perimeter of the farm compound. Can Tuva talk her way inside the tight-knit group to find her?

A frantic search

As Tuva attempts to unmask the culprit, she gains unique access to the residents. But soon she herself is in danger of the pack turning against her. Can she make her way back to safety and expose the truth?

Synopsis

When Tuva Moodyson comes across a dog that has been savaged by a wolf she could not imagine where it would lead her. When the owner (Bengt Nyberg) appears, she transports him and the dog to the vet, but even though he was wearing a spiked collar and Kevlar coat the dog is too badly injured to be saved. A lone wolf can be deadly.

Nyberg thanks Tuva and discovering she is a journalist tells her the story of his niece who has gone missing. Not an unusual occurrence in a big city, but this is rural Sweden and so Tuva’s interest is piqued. Elsa Nyberg is only 20 years old and was working at Rose Farm a closed community near the town.

Once she starts her research Tuva discovers Rose Farm has a horrific past. Back in 1987 there was a shocking murder-suicide by Johan Svensson, who not only killed his wife but his two older children, leaving only a newborn baby unscathed.

The farm is now home to a tight knit group of ‘preppers’ headed by the mysterious Abraham who hasn’t been seen for 6 years. Likened to a cult and with the farm surrounded by security measures some locals draw comparison to the Waco compound. Tuva realises that to find the girl she must gain their trust. Can they really be that dangerous?

My thoughts

Late to a series once again, this is the first Tuva Moodyson novel I have read, but it won’t be the last, what a magnificent and captivating main character she is. Strong and independent whilst also managing to cope with a disability (deafness) she cuts a heroic figure. Scratch the surface though and we see she is vulnerable, struggling emotionally with the love of her life Noora Ali being incapacitated. That Noora is alive but bedridden in an unresponsive state makes it worse for Tuva, she can find no release or closure, unable to walk away she must love her the best way she can. Even an unromantic soul like me can see the beautiful and touching way these scenes are written.

The plot is straightforward a missing girl and a cult like set up of a group who want to live ‘off the grid’. Its strength is the need for Tuva to become accepted to penetrate the group and uncover their secrets. It’s a tight knit set up which provides for a degree of claustrophobia juxtaposed against a wide desolate vista of open countryside. Progress wise it’s a bit of a slow burn, countryside pace against that of the big city and the reader must wait for Tuva to be accepted by those on the farm. All the time though it is gently ratcheting up the tension and intensity before bursting forth as Tuva foolishly puts herself in harms way. Short tense chapters become gripping as jeopardy is faced. After a chance to recover one’s breath there is an explosive and unexpected finale. A great lesson in making a seemingly mundane situation into a convincing thriller.

I loved the writing style, in particular the way that a sense small town rural Sweden can be portrayed without long descriptive passages disrupting the flow of the story. Almost as minimalist as the Scandinavian design aesthetic to furnish the backdrop, giving an overall impression somewhat like the Australian outback but with snow. We can also see traditions holding up with effort put into asparagus season and how the old method of burning straw in the fields keeps the frost off the crop. Very atmospheric and would work well visually if filmed.

Human behaviour is front and centre throughout the story. There is the inhabitants of the farm, whose lack of contact with the outside world incubates distrust and rumours of sexual abandon, evil worship and paedophilia within the town. Inside though, it is the comparison of their lives to that of the wolf with the group being a ‘wolf pack’ led by an ‘alpha wolf’ and how a ‘lone wolf’ is dangerous but needs a pack to survive long term. Most of all though is the need for humans to socially interact and make connections brought home most obviously by the scenes with Tuva at Noora’s bedside but also more understated way with a Johnny Cash song on a car radio.

Much of the storyline is dark but there are a few moments of lighter relief such as if you are going to hit someone with a cooking pan make sure its Le Creuset…

Wolf Pack is an outstanding piece of thriller writing, tense, gripping and at times psychologically overwhelming set within such tight confines. The action though is perfectly counterbalanced with a thoughtful vein of care and compassion throughout. For me definitely a series to follow.

Wolf Pack can be purchased direct from the publisher here

The author

Will Dean lives in the middle of a vast elk forest in Sweden, where the Tuva Moodyson novels are set. He grew up in the East Midlands. After studying Law at the LSE, and working in London, he settled in rural Sweden and built a wooden house in a boggy clearing, where he lives with his wife and son, and it’s from this base that he reads and writes. Will Dean is the author of Dark Pines, Red Snow, Black River and Bad Apples in the Tuva Moodyson series. His debut novel in the series, Dark Pines, was selected for Zoe Ball’s Book Club and shortlisted for the Guardian Not the Booker prize. The second, Red Snow, won Best Independent Voice at the Amazon Publishing Readers’ Awards and was longlisted for the Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2020, as was his third novel, Black River. The series is in development for television. Will is also the author of two stand-alone novels, The Last Thing to Burn, shortlisted for the Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2022, and First Born, both published by Hodder. Will Dean posts regularly about reading and writing on YouTube and you can find him on Twitter, TikTok and Instagram.

Don’t forget to check out the other stops on this Blog Tour:

The Moose Paradox

By Antti Tuomainen @antti_tuomainen

Translated by David Hackston @countertenorist

Published by Orenda Books https://orendabooks.co.uk/ @OrendaBooks

Paperback publishing date 22 June 2023

261 pages ISBN 9781914585357

The Moose Paradox is the second instalment in the ‘YouMeFun’ trilogy. My review of The Rabbit Factor the first book in the series can be found here.

I was sent a paperback copy to enable me to take part in this Blog Tour. I would like to than Anne at Random Things Tours @RandomTTours for the invitation to participate and of course the Author and Publisher.

The Cover

A giant moose and a man hanging on by his finger tips. A perfect visual representation of poor Henri’s life.

From the blurb

Insurance mathematician Henri Koskinen has finally restored order both to his life and to YouMeFun, the adventure park he now owns, when a man from the past appears – and turns everything upside down again. More problems arise when the park’s equipment supplier is taken over by a shady trio, with confusing demands. Why won’t Toy of Finland Ltd sell the new Moose Chute to Henri when he needs it as the park’s main attraction?

Meanwhile, Henri’s relationship with artist Laura has reached breaking point, and, in order to survive this new chaotic world, he must push every calculation to its limits, before it’s too late.

Synopsis

Henri has breathed life back into the YouMeFun adventure park and its foundations are solid now. That’s not to say that cash isn’t tight though. Through meticulous budgetary control Henri and his spreadsheets can account for every cent of expenditure, much to the frustrations of his staff. They have bigger ambitions than him but to achieve them Henri needs to improve the parks cashflow. Luckily Henri has identified the acquisition that will secure the park’s short-term future, The Moose Chute. As an actuary he has done all the calculations, created all the spreadsheets and they point to one thing, increased footfall, and the income it brings. The Moose Chute will put the park ahead of its competitors, he is certain of that.

Henri’s late brother Juhani left a watertight exclusive contract with the supplier of the Moose Chute, Toy of Finland Ltd, so he is looking forward to meeting them. Alas this meeting doesn’t go as planned. It seems that the company has been sold and the three new owners become problematic. They refuse to supply the Moose Chute and insist on him buying Crocodile Canyon, a terrible ride, at a vastly inflated price. Financial threats are delivered with an undercurrent of violence intimated.

Financier Kuisma Lohi is looking to expand into the leisure sector and has YouMeFun in his sights. On the face of it an offer could be appealing but super rich business types don’t make their money by making other people happy. Add to this he totally loathes children who would be his primary customers.

His inadequate people skills mean he is losing the support of his staff and his on-off relationship with artist Laura Helanto is drifting. He knows he needs to act to secure the things that make him happy and the people he loves, but its mathematics that he excels at. Can mathematics provide the answer to all his problems?

My thoughts

The Moose Paradox follows on nicely from The Rabbit Factor; time and life have moved on but at the same time almost nothing has actually changed. Spreadsheets rule Henri’s life and he still finds order and meaning in numbers. Mathematics are his lifebelt in a sea of insanity, a world he doesn’t understand. Was there ever a better time for such a character to be sprung on the literary world as the last few years? Chris Brookmyre’s quote on the cover absolutely nails it ‘In these uncertain times, what better hero than an actuary.’ Make no mistake Henri is a hero, a bizarre, infuriating, and unlikely one, but someone we can all get behind. Afterall surely security and peace of mind is what we are looking for, Henri just adopts an unlikely approach to secure it.

Once again, we see the plot unfold through Henri’s eyes with his skewed viewpoint. He is a truly great character and is beautifully drawn. We discover his love of film; he views one each week and takes a full week to decide what to watch following a careful formula. The best bits for him are the credits when he can truly appreciate the time, cost and effort put into the production and whether they got value for money. We also get ‘treated’ to his thoughts during love making which I will leave to the reader, a little odd, but perfectly in character.

The supporting roles are more cameo in nature, but a remain a lovely bunch of oddballs, who provide humorous interludes. There’s hard drinking, chain smoking Minttu K in marketing who thinks the 36 units measure of being a heavy drinker is per day and not per week. Kristian who still believes he is director material and so is taking all the courses and reading all the books. On discovering that the best businessmen rise at five am to be more productive, his logic dictates that should wake at three am to get even more done. Esa in charge of park security as ever is keen to put US Marine tactics in place, but thankfully his arsenal just consists of an anal sphincter capable of weapons grade emissions. Artist Laura Helano remains the sole oasis of sanity in the surreal world of YouMeFun and is Henri’s on-off love interest. The fact that she ‘gets’ Henri and can see the man he is under all his insecurities and foibles is the cherry on the Bakewell Tart.

It is a poignant and thoughtful novel, but most of all it’s a quirky and deliciously funny one. There’s some dark humour but mostly its silly stuff, observational, skewering the modern world or the sort of thing to make you cringe with embarrassment. The author seems able to tease a chuckle out of the most mundane of situations as well as those carefully thought out set pieces. If you read this in public be prepared because you will laugh out loud.

There is some death and violence but it almost cartoonish in delivery and served with a generous side order of slapstick. Make no mistake this will be filmed and those deaths and body disposals are going to work brilliantly on screen.

Part of the plot is a bit silly, but it works perfectly, and provides an ideal framework for the take down of modern business practices. The corruption of big business, strong-arming the weak and hostile take overs, are no match for Henri’s purity of spirit. He’s learned to make compromises and doesn’t stick to the absolute letter of the law, something suspected by DI Pentti Osmala, but overall, he’s on the side of the angels. One day Osmala may catch up with all that has happened, but just not yet.

The Moose Paradox is a joyously funny take down of modern business and its effects on life, love and relationships. An uplifting read that will certainly leave you in a good mood.

The Moose Paradox can be ordered direct from the publisher here

The author

Source: Orenda Books

Finnish Antti Tuomainen was an award-winning copywriter when he made his literary debut in 2007 as a suspense author Iin 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 is out in October 2022.

The translator

Source: Orenda Books

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.

Don’t forget to check out the other reviews on this Blog Tour: