Book reviews


The past few weeks have been something of a Nordic escape – a binge into a series of crime novels written by Jorn Lier Horst. By my reckoning he’s the new Henning Mankell.  He makes a worthy successor to that supreme leader of the Nordic Noir brigade who started really catching our attention only a few decades back. Until then they had remained a secret pleasure to all but those fluent in the authors’ respective tongues. After all, how many Brits know a word of Swedish, Danish, Norwegian or Finnish? Most of them can hardly squeeze out a mangled version… Continue reading

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Why would anyone want to risk living in the outwardly charming British village of Midsommer? The number of bizarre and sudden deaths that beset its residents must be an estate agent’s nightmare. The ultimate hard sell. Charming 18th century cottage for sale, all bloodstains removed, two previous owners shot, two knifed, one poisoned and another strung from magnificent oak beam in drawing room.  No place nor activity within the bounds of this bucolic retreat from the brutish world of big city life is murder-free. And the years have shown there is no tool, implement, artistic device, machine, drink or food… Continue reading