By Tony Mott @tonymott_
Translated by Marina Sofian https://findingtimetowrite.wordpress.com/ @MarinaSofia8
Published by Corylus Books https://corylusbooks.com/ @CorylusB
257 pages ISBN 9781739298913
Publication date 30 July 2023
I was sent an electronic copy to enable me to take part in this Blog Tour. I would like to thank Ewa Sherman https://nordiclighthouse.blog/ @sh_ewa for the invitation to participate and of course the Author and the Publisher.
The Cover
Moody rain-soaked streets, rather appropriate considering the story. It also has a feel of familiarity, of European streets but at the same time different and not British.
From the blurb
A series of bizarre murders rocks the beautiful Carpathian town of Braşov. At first there’s nothing obvious that links what look like random killings.
With the police still smarting from the scandal of having failed to act in a previous case of a serial kidnapper and killer, they bring in forensic pathologist Gigi Alexa to figure out if several murderers are at work – or if they have another serial killer on their hands.
Ambitious, tough, and not one to suffer fools gladly, Gigi fights to be taken seriously in a society that maintains old-fashioned attitudes to the roles of women.
She and the police team struggle to establish a pattern, especially when resources are diverted to investigating a possible terrorist plot. With the clock ticking, Gigi stumbles across what looks to be a far-fetched theory – just as she realises that she could be on the murderer’s to-kill list.
My thoughts
Strolling around London last Saturday after Hull Kingston Rovers’ defeat in the Rugby League Challenge Cup (by 1 point!!!) my nephew asked me why I didn’t get bored reading, listening to and then blogging so many crime novels. To be fair that’s not a bad question. I explained that whilst there were many novels which were quite similar, just a little digging around can unearth so many different styles and varied locations. There was always new writers to find, some of them absolute diamonds in the rough, often from small independent presses ignored by the mainstream and critics alike. Celebrity (supposedly) written cosy crime may be flavour of the month, but I like to read off the beaten track. In doing so I have been lucky to read this little gem set in Romania, which also ticks off another country in my round the world read.
Set in the town of Braşov, this succinct novel incorporates many mainstream ideas but presents them in a style which is refreshingly different. It’s serial killer story but without the gory embellishments one would see in the US equivalent. It eschews much of the mundane aspects of the police procedural, which keeps it brief and punchy whilst allowing room for the characters to express themselves.
Our central character Dr Regina Alexa (Gigi from now on) works at the local University’s Behavioural Sciences department and has helped the local police as a consultant. Externally she is the epitome of the modern European woman, confident, determined and sassy, with what can be thought of a male attitude to sex and relationships. She has shared pasts with police colleagues which really add to the emotional complexity. (So much like another female favourite of mine who regular readers of this blog will recognise.) There are some dark experiences in her past that still haunt her, and when feeling hurt she has the trait of dressing totally in black. Otherwise, she dresses with all the colours and flamboyance of a budgerigar’s cocktail party (wearing black, blue, yellow, pink and magenta together one day), which with her mop of blond curls mean nobody is going to miss her.
Braşov is a city in Transylvania, and we even have a character named Vlad, but there are no silly vampire references, this is a modern European city, much like many others. The Iron Curtain fell over thirty years ago and membership of the EU has changed the place immensely, though plum brandy and tripe soup are still popular. There is still a different feel to the place though, the use of cafes and late-night dining puts it more on a par with Spain or Italy, as does the smoking. Here it’s almost like a throwback of forty years, so many characters smoke and any indoor bans seem to be ignored. To this could be added homophobic and sexist attitudes but compared to recent revelations at the Met that’s probably a little unfair.
The plot centres on the realisation that murders are linked and there is a serial killer at large, then the subsequent search for him. The pattern and motivation at play is interesting and entertaining, creative without being too far-fetched and allows Gigi’s’ brilliance shine. The storyline flows remarkably well considering the relationship tensions between Gigi and her boyfriend, colleagues and a new admirer slotted around the murders. Another author might be tempted to add much more detail to the investigation, but I feel that she has been ruthless but only taken out the unnecessary bits. For me it worked remarkably well and produced a style I loved, one that I think would suit a TV mini-series.
The translation is on point and allows the story to flow smoothly along, and in combination with a cracking storyline, this is a novel that deserves a wide audience. Crime fiction might not be a ‘big thing’ in the literary canon of the region, but I for one would be happy to explore more. Perhaps we have a new sub-genre Sinti-Noir, perhaps I should trademark that phrase just in case…
Deadly Autumn Harvest breaks the shackles of the serial killer thriller trope and presents it with a stylish, fast moving Eastern European slant.
Deadly Autumn Harvest can be purchased via the publisher’s website here
The author
Tony Mott was born and bred in Braşov, which often forms the backdrop for her novels. She has worked internationally as a coach and HR professional, but her real passion remains writing. In 2022 she received the Romanian Mystery&Thriller Award. Deadly Autumn Harvest is the first novel in the Gigi Alexa series to be translated into English.
The translator
Marina Sofia is a translator, reviewer, writer and blogger, as well as a third culture kid who grew up trilingual in Romanian, German and English. Her previous translations for Corylus Books are Sword by Bogdan Teodorescu and Resilience by Bogdan Hrib. She has spent most of her winters in Braşov skiing, so is delighted to translate a book set in her favourite Romanian town.
Don’t forget to check out the other reviews on this blog tour:
Peter turns the page 