Ready for visitors tomorrow
lørdag den 31. juli 2010
fredag den 30. juli 2010
Linda Castillo, Sworn to Silence (2009)
This thriller/police procedural is the first in the series about Kate Burkholder. I bought it myself.
In quiet Painters Mill, Ohio, Officer T.J. Banks finds the body of a naked woman the snow. Some marks on her body make the police force suspect the murderer has killed a number of women before, but stopped fifteen years ago.
The local Chief of Police, Kate Burkholder, knows the area well, as she grew up in the Amish community. She left after the first round of murders, however, and in spite of the evidence, she has good reason to believe the murderer is a copycat. Her private knowledge makes her hesitate to call in help, but soon the decision is forced upon her by the mayor.
The book offers an interesting and probably quite realistic setting, e.g. the Amish community of Ohio, and I liked the taste of Pennsylvania Dutch, which seems much like German. Besides Kate Burkholder is an engaging, well-drawn character, a modern woman in a leading position, who feels torn between her ´English police´ and her loyalty to her family and old friends.
Several plusses to the writer for the setting, the main characters and the level of excitement, but a minus for unnecessary brutality when it comes to the descriptions of the serial killer´s torture of the young, female victims.
In quiet Painters Mill, Ohio, Officer T.J. Banks finds the body of a naked woman the snow. Some marks on her body make the police force suspect the murderer has killed a number of women before, but stopped fifteen years ago.
The local Chief of Police, Kate Burkholder, knows the area well, as she grew up in the Amish community. She left after the first round of murders, however, and in spite of the evidence, she has good reason to believe the murderer is a copycat. Her private knowledge makes her hesitate to call in help, but soon the decision is forced upon her by the mayor.
The book offers an interesting and probably quite realistic setting, e.g. the Amish community of Ohio, and I liked the taste of Pennsylvania Dutch, which seems much like German. Besides Kate Burkholder is an engaging, well-drawn character, a modern woman in a leading position, who feels torn between her ´English police´ and her loyalty to her family and old friends.
Several plusses to the writer for the setting, the main characters and the level of excitement, but a minus for unnecessary brutality when it comes to the descriptions of the serial killer´s torture of the young, female victims.
torsdag den 29. juli 2010
onsdag den 28. juli 2010
DJ´s Bait in the Box # 68
This novel is the first in a series, and the writer is new to me, but hopefully some of you will recognize the quotation.
“My heart drops into my stomach when I notice more blood on her abdomen, just above her navel. Obscured within the dark smear is something I´ve seen before. Something I still see in my nightmares.
´What about that?´
´Good God.´ The doctor´s voice quivers. ´It looks like something carved into her flesh.´
´Hard to make out what it is.´ But in that instant I´m certain we both know. Neither of us wants to say it aloud.
The doc leans closer, so that his face is less than a foot from the wound. ´Looks like two Xs and three Is.´”
The Rules
If you recognize the quotation, or if you think you are able to guess who wrote it, please post a comment. Just leave a hint, do not spoil the fun by giving too much away. The book will be reviewed on Friday.
“My heart drops into my stomach when I notice more blood on her abdomen, just above her navel. Obscured within the dark smear is something I´ve seen before. Something I still see in my nightmares.
´What about that?´
´Good God.´ The doctor´s voice quivers. ´It looks like something carved into her flesh.´
´Hard to make out what it is.´ But in that instant I´m certain we both know. Neither of us wants to say it aloud.
The doc leans closer, so that his face is less than a foot from the wound. ´Looks like two Xs and three Is.´”
The Rules
If you recognize the quotation, or if you think you are able to guess who wrote it, please post a comment. Just leave a hint, do not spoil the fun by giving too much away. The book will be reviewed on Friday.
tirsdag den 27. juli 2010
Shots
After some really good writing days my discipline slipped a bit yesterday so instead of adding another 500 words or so to my novel, I wrote a flash story, based on ´memory overflow´, or perhaps the kind of ´extra scene´ you can find attached to a DVD. And the funny thing is that as soon as I had written the last few words, the first blog post I found was this one. Thank you very much, Cathy, for allowing me to use this wonderful picture to illustrate my story. And now remember to read Cathy´s wonderful post about the orange house first!
----------------------------------------------
Annabella Kickinbottom took a sip of the cooking sherry. How weary, stale, flat and unprofitable seemed to her all the uses of this world. Her mother had been after her again yesterday, claiming she had a regular drink problem, and this morning the cook had threatened to count the bottles in the pantry. As if this wasn´t enough, the gardener had refused to save her sorry arse again after last week. And if she was fired from this job, there wouldn´t be anyone left in the village who didn´t know her reputation. She had been so lucky that her new employer, Sir Baldini, had not asked for references or anything.
FULL STORY: DJ´s Daim Stories, Candied Crime.
.
mandag den 26. juli 2010
Headshots
Don´t worry, I haven´t had any serious head injuries recently!
One of the great things of rubbing your shoulders with creme de la crime is that you learn so many useful tricks of the trade. From my friend Elizabeth Spann Craig I have learned that a real, professional author has to have new headshots taken once a year.
Dear me, mine are with my old glasses so yesterday I asked my children to help me a bit. They did their very best, I can assure you, and now I want you to vote for the best shot. Which one should I use in my brilliant crime series?
One of the great things of rubbing your shoulders with creme de la crime is that you learn so many useful tricks of the trade. From my friend Elizabeth Spann Craig I have learned that a real, professional author has to have new headshots taken once a year.
Dear me, mine are with my old glasses so yesterday I asked my children to help me a bit. They did their very best, I can assure you, and now I want you to vote for the best shot. Which one should I use in my brilliant crime series?
søndag den 25. juli 2010
Caroline Graham, Death of a Hollow Man (1989)
This cosy mystery is the second in the series about Chief Inspector Barnaby.
My family and I have loved watching “Midsomer Murders” for ages, but though I am such a great fan of Tom Barnaby and his family, I did not really enjoy the two books I have read in Danish translation. I have promised some of my friends (and myself) that I would give Caroline Graham a third chance in English so here goes:
In this story we have a drama within a drama: the Causton Amateur Dramatic Society are going to produce Amadeus, the story about Salieri and Mozart. And as this is Midsomer, obviously they are adding their own intrigues in plenty behind the curtain so though you don´t know who of the many controversial characters is going to be killed, you certainly expect a victim. And on the first night the leading actor, Salieri alias Esslyn Carmichael slices his own throat with a razor which was somewhat sharper than he had bargained for.
Of course Joyce is busily engaged as she is responsible for the wardrobe and plays the role as Salieri´s cook (no, Salieri was not poisoned). Cully plays the role of self-appointed critic and shows some interest in the promising, young actor Nicholas Bradley while Barnaby paints the scenery.
As is typical of a Barnaby mystery, there are plenty of quirky characters and a delicious small-town atmosphere. With regard to language I promise that I will never, ever read Caroline Graham in translation again. She deserves better than that. And please do not see this as if I am trying to slate the Danish translator – when a story depends heavily on (linguistic) humour and puns, it is terribly difficult to render the tone and the details in a translation.
The book versus the film:
In my opinion the director of the film has been very loyal to the characters of the book – I enjoyed the book in particular because it was almost like seeing the characters from the screen. Especially the haughty director and the gay couple.
I did get a few surprises, though, but perhaps that is because I don´t remember the first episodes as well as I think I do. As I have read two stories a couple of years ago, I knew that Troy was married (there is a hilarious scene where Troy introduces Cully to Mrs Troy, but you will have to read that yourself).
We all know that Joyce is dangerous in a kitchen, but does Barnaby really love gardening and painting? And was 19-year-old Cully such a pest? A really insolent teenager who was very busy expressing her honest opinion about this and that?
Never mind, I must remember to order a couple more – so I have an antidote ready for an overcast day. I bought the book myself.
My family and I have loved watching “Midsomer Murders” for ages, but though I am such a great fan of Tom Barnaby and his family, I did not really enjoy the two books I have read in Danish translation. I have promised some of my friends (and myself) that I would give Caroline Graham a third chance in English so here goes:
In this story we have a drama within a drama: the Causton Amateur Dramatic Society are going to produce Amadeus, the story about Salieri and Mozart. And as this is Midsomer, obviously they are adding their own intrigues in plenty behind the curtain so though you don´t know who of the many controversial characters is going to be killed, you certainly expect a victim. And on the first night the leading actor, Salieri alias Esslyn Carmichael slices his own throat with a razor which was somewhat sharper than he had bargained for.
Of course Joyce is busily engaged as she is responsible for the wardrobe and plays the role as Salieri´s cook (no, Salieri was not poisoned). Cully plays the role of self-appointed critic and shows some interest in the promising, young actor Nicholas Bradley while Barnaby paints the scenery.
As is typical of a Barnaby mystery, there are plenty of quirky characters and a delicious small-town atmosphere. With regard to language I promise that I will never, ever read Caroline Graham in translation again. She deserves better than that. And please do not see this as if I am trying to slate the Danish translator – when a story depends heavily on (linguistic) humour and puns, it is terribly difficult to render the tone and the details in a translation.
The book versus the film:
In my opinion the director of the film has been very loyal to the characters of the book – I enjoyed the book in particular because it was almost like seeing the characters from the screen. Especially the haughty director and the gay couple.
I did get a few surprises, though, but perhaps that is because I don´t remember the first episodes as well as I think I do. As I have read two stories a couple of years ago, I knew that Troy was married (there is a hilarious scene where Troy introduces Cully to Mrs Troy, but you will have to read that yourself).
We all know that Joyce is dangerous in a kitchen, but does Barnaby really love gardening and painting? And was 19-year-old Cully such a pest? A really insolent teenager who was very busy expressing her honest opinion about this and that?
Never mind, I must remember to order a couple more – so I have an antidote ready for an overcast day. I bought the book myself.
Etiketter:
British,
Caroline Graham,
cozy mystery,
review
fredag den 23. juli 2010
DJ´s Bait in the Box # 67
No, this crime novel is not German, I just thought the Mozart box was quite appropriate anyway. Do you remember this slightly old novel – or perhaps the film? (Hint: it is one of my favourite tv-series).
“He lifted the razor and, with one dramatic sweep, drew it across his throat. It left a bright red line. He stood for a moment frowning down at the blade, unexpectedly scarlet. He swayed forwards then jerked himself upright as if with great effort. The Keeper of the Cakes bustled cheerfully on with the breakfast tray. Salieri took a step to meet her. She stared at him, her mouth shaped to a silent O, then she dropped the tray and caught him as he fell. Then she screamed. Shrieks of pure terror. Over and over again. Whilst the bright blood flowed over her snowy fichu and dove-grey skirt on to the boards beneath.”
The Rules:
If you recognize the quotation, or if you think you are able to guess who wrote it, please post a comment. Just leave a hint, do not spoil the fun by giving too much away. The book will be reviewed on Sunday.
“He lifted the razor and, with one dramatic sweep, drew it across his throat. It left a bright red line. He stood for a moment frowning down at the blade, unexpectedly scarlet. He swayed forwards then jerked himself upright as if with great effort. The Keeper of the Cakes bustled cheerfully on with the breakfast tray. Salieri took a step to meet her. She stared at him, her mouth shaped to a silent O, then she dropped the tray and caught him as he fell. Then she screamed. Shrieks of pure terror. Over and over again. Whilst the bright blood flowed over her snowy fichu and dove-grey skirt on to the boards beneath.”
The Rules:
If you recognize the quotation, or if you think you are able to guess who wrote it, please post a comment. Just leave a hint, do not spoil the fun by giving too much away. The book will be reviewed on Sunday.
torsdag den 22. juli 2010
Leighton Gage, Blood of the Wicked (2007)
This Brazilian crime novel is the first in the Chief Inspector Mario Silva series.
Already from the first page I enjoyed the language and setting of this one. We are in Brazil, in the town Cascatas do Pontal, where bishop Dom Felipe Antunes has just arrived by helicopter to consecrate the new church. A large crowd is waiting for him, including a group of local landless peasants, demonstrating against the authorities which are very unwilling to adhere to the law that farmland which is not cultivated should be distributed to the landless.
When the bishop is assasinated during the ceremony, Chief Inspector Mario Silva is ordered to go to the place and solve the case immediately to prevent negative attention from the press. Some of the first theories are that the assassin has hit the bishop instead of a landowner, or that it is related to liberation theology, the idea that the church should fight for equality on this earth.
Mario Silva joined the police force when his father was killed and his mother raped during a robbery several years ago. Though he is not necessarily averse to tough methods, he has not forgotten his ideal of fighting crime as we see when the story turns into a battle between Silva of the Federal Police and the corrupt, local cops. And just for once in a crime novel, we see that journalists are not only obstacles but can actually work for good causes.
The book offers a fine crime plot, but also a glimpse of Brazil behind the facade; a depressing place of social injustice and inequality, marred by crime, police brutality and corruption. To quote Leighton Gage´s postscript:
“The wealthiest 10 percent of the population enjoy more than 50 percent of the national income. Fifty-four million Brazilians live below the poverty line. A minuscule fraction of 1 percent of the population owns half the arable land. Twenty-five million agricultural workers survive on two dollars a day.”
A very exciting read, but I must admit that the book did not exactly make me want to go there myself! It was an excellent choice for my 2010 Global Reading Challenge # 9, however.
I bought the book myself.
Kerrie´s review
Cathy´s review
Norman´s review
R.T´s review
Leighton Gage, Blood of the Wicked (2007)
Denne brasilianske krimi er den første i inspektør Mario Silva-serien. Den er ikke oversat til dansk, men forfatteren har lige solgt serien til Finland, så måske en dag ...
Jeg nød sproget og miljøet lige fra starten. Vi befinder os i Brasilien, i byen Cascatas do Pontal, hvor biskop Dom Felipe Antunes lige er ankommet med helikopter for at indvi byens nye kirke. En stor folkemængde venter på ham, blandt andet en gruppe jordløse jordarbejdere, som demonstrerer mod de myndigheder, som ikke er særligt villige til at overholde loven om at udyrket landbrugsjord skal fordeles til de jordløse.
Da biskoppen bliver snigmyrdet under ceremonien, bliver inspektør Mario Silva beordret til stedet for at løse sagen øjeblikkelig for at forebygge negativ presse. Nogle af de første teorier om mordet er, at snigskytten var ude efter en jordejer, eller at sagen har med frigørelsesteologi at gøre (tanken at kirken burde kæmpe for social lighed her på jorden).
Mario Silva blev politimand da hans far blev dræbt og hans mor voldtaget under et røveri mange år tidligere. Selv om han ikke nødvendigvis er modstander af barske metoder, har han ikke glemt sine idealer om at bekæmpe kriminalitet, som vi ser, da historien udvikler sig til en kamp mellem Silva fra det føderale politi og de korrupte, lokale betjente. Og for en gangs skyld en krimi, hvor journalister ikke kun står i vejen for politiets arbejde, men arbejder aktivt for at få sandheden frem.
Bogen byder på et udmærket krimiplot, men også et indblik i Brasilien bag facaden: et deprimerende land med uretfærdighed og social ulighed, skæmmet af kriminalitet, politibrutalitet og korruption. Et citat fra Leighton Gages efterskrift:
“De rigeste 10 procent af befolkningen sidder på mere end 50 procent af landets indtægter. 54 millioner brasilianere lever under fattigdomsgrænsen. En minimal gruppe på 1 procent af befolkningen ejer halvdelen af landbrugsjorden. 25 millioner landarbejdere overlever på én dollar om dagen.”
Spændende læsning, men jeg må indrømme, at bogen ikke ligefrem gav mig lyst til at rejse til Sydamerika. Men den var et fint valg til min 2010 Global Reading Challenge # 9, og jeg har selv købt den.
Etiketter:
2010 global reading challenge,
Brazil,
Leighton Gage,
review
onsdag den 21. juli 2010
Help found
I had planned a regular bait-in-the-box post today, but the weather is wonderful (neither too hot nor too cold) so I am sitting in my wonderful nook together with a cosy muse.
But I can tell you that I have made up my mind how to solve my name problem. As I said, I really liked the name Jesmona Rowntree, and thanks to you, I have found new names for the red-headed twins.
Personally, I might prefer Kit and Kat, or Warren and Wilma, but their biological mother intervened - she is a pretty woman in the style of a Bollywood heroine - and she just loved the idea of Rhett and Scarlett. So what can a writer do? Rhett and Scarlett it is.
I may also use some of your other, wonderful suggestions later, but now I am ... (okay, okay, just because you are a muse you can´t ...)
But I can tell you that I have made up my mind how to solve my name problem. As I said, I really liked the name Jesmona Rowntree, and thanks to you, I have found new names for the red-headed twins.
Personally, I might prefer Kit and Kat, or Warren and Wilma, but their biological mother intervened - she is a pretty woman in the style of a Bollywood heroine - and she just loved the idea of Rhett and Scarlett. So what can a writer do? Rhett and Scarlett it is.
I may also use some of your other, wonderful suggestions later, but now I am ... (okay, okay, just because you are a muse you can´t ...)
tirsdag den 20. juli 2010
Putting Brazil on the map
It may not be very difficult for you to guess why I googled maps of Brazil today. This one is from geology.com
Perhaps it is more amazing that the inhabitants of this huge country have discovered Denmark on the map. But the following dialogue about a spoilt woman goes to prove it:
"If she spends more than a week living on the fazenda she gets claustrophobic."
"Claustrophobic? How big is this place?"
"About half the size of Denmark."
L. Gage, Blood of the Wicked, p 195.
And before you ask, Denmark is c 43,ooo square km, and Brazil is 8,547,400.
Perhaps it is more amazing that the inhabitants of this huge country have discovered Denmark on the map. But the following dialogue about a spoilt woman goes to prove it:
"If she spends more than a week living on the fazenda she gets claustrophobic."
"Claustrophobic? How big is this place?"
"About half the size of Denmark."
L. Gage, Blood of the Wicked, p 195.
And before you ask, Denmark is c 43,ooo square km, and Brazil is 8,547,400.
mandag den 19. juli 2010
Reading Report
I noticed this blog post yesterday about the Shiny Book Syndrome and must admit I felt slightly guilty.
But not today – I have just picked a book which has been gathering dust on my TBR for months, and I have no idea why I didn´t grab it before.
The story takes place in Brazil, and the writing and perspective are so captivating that it is exactly like being there myself. There are so many great paragraphs so which one should I choose?
Well, what about this one where we see the scene through the eyes of a professional photographer:
“He was on the church steps, almost in the vestibule, just below Gaspar Farias, the crow that ran the parish. (The black soutanes priests wore always reminded Walter of crows so that´s what he called them.) That put Walter seventy-five meters from the helicopter, maybe even a little more, but that was the beauty of it, the action of a man who knew his business. The punk kids always tried to get in close, instead of letting the lens do it for them. And now, while they were all down there in the crush elbowing each other out of the way, Walter had a spot all to himself, high above the heads of the crowd. There was nothing, nothing at all, between him and the Chief crow. He had an unimpeded view.
Exactly as he´d foreseen, Walter´s mediumlength telephoto, the 300mm, was the perfect lens for the job. His frame ran from slightly below the knees to the tip of the bishop´s miter.
Walter hit and released the shutter button. The Nikon clicked and whirred.
Ha! Gotcha sneaking a peek at your watch.”
What did I say? – like being there yourself. And the book? Leighton Gage´s first Mario Silva story, Blood of the Wicked.
But not today – I have just picked a book which has been gathering dust on my TBR for months, and I have no idea why I didn´t grab it before.
The story takes place in Brazil, and the writing and perspective are so captivating that it is exactly like being there myself. There are so many great paragraphs so which one should I choose?
Well, what about this one where we see the scene through the eyes of a professional photographer:
“He was on the church steps, almost in the vestibule, just below Gaspar Farias, the crow that ran the parish. (The black soutanes priests wore always reminded Walter of crows so that´s what he called them.) That put Walter seventy-five meters from the helicopter, maybe even a little more, but that was the beauty of it, the action of a man who knew his business. The punk kids always tried to get in close, instead of letting the lens do it for them. And now, while they were all down there in the crush elbowing each other out of the way, Walter had a spot all to himself, high above the heads of the crowd. There was nothing, nothing at all, between him and the Chief crow. He had an unimpeded view.
Exactly as he´d foreseen, Walter´s mediumlength telephoto, the 300mm, was the perfect lens for the job. His frame ran from slightly below the knees to the tip of the bishop´s miter.
Walter hit and released the shutter button. The Nikon clicked and whirred.
Ha! Gotcha sneaking a peek at your watch.”
What did I say? – like being there yourself. And the book? Leighton Gage´s first Mario Silva story, Blood of the Wicked.
søndag den 18. juli 2010
Under Cover 1
Anyone who wants to play? I just received a huge parcel - my May and June books. (I know I am behind real time, but don´t worry - I never forget to spend my book budget, I just want time to enjoy the process of selecting my gems).
Here are some pictures of the first cover - sorry I was too busy to take some proper photos, but I am sure some of you smart people can guess which book this is.
If you know, just leave a hint in your comment.
Warning: if you are good at this, I most certainly will see it as encouragement to bring more of these posts!
lørdag den 17. juli 2010
A Swift Post
fredag den 16. juli 2010
Jan Costin Wagner, Ismåne (2010)
I know I should give you a proper, English review of this very fine crime novel, the first I have read by a German writer, but as I am headache challenged these days I will just recommend it warmly and link to three reviews. If you want a stronge sense of place and characters, this one is perfect.
Kerrie
Maxine
Karen
Jan Costin Wagner, Ismåne (2010)
Denne tyske krimi eller spændingsroman foregår i Finland.
Bogen begynder ikke med en forbrydelse, men med at politimanden Kimmo Joenta mister sin elskede Sanna af kræft. Og ganske vist kaster han sig ud i at opklare den næste mordsag, men der er ingen tvivl om, at for Joenta betyder ægteskabet alt, og han er knap nok sikker på, at han ønsker at leve videre alene.
Straks efter møder vi ´klaverstemmeren´, et frygtsomt og tilbagetrukket menneske, som måske egentlig ikke ønsker at slå ihjel, men er nødt til at gøre noget for at leve med sin egen angst.
Bogen bliver en form for kapløb mellem de to mænd, hvor politiet prøver at opdage, hvad læseren allerede ved, imens hovedpersonerne kommer til at stå levende og fængslende på siderne, og selv bipersoner tegnes forholdsvist klart i få ord. En fascinerende og anderledes bog, fordi den ikke så meget handler om at opklare forbrydelsen og fange morderen, som om at fange personerne og deres handlingsmønstre. (Undskyld jeg ikke kan forklare det bedre, men jeg er lidt hovedpineramt denne uge).
Dette er ikke strandlekture, men en stærk bog, der går tæt på.
En biblioteksbog, læst på dansk.
Kerrie
Maxine
Karen
Jan Costin Wagner, Ismåne (2010)
Denne tyske krimi eller spændingsroman foregår i Finland.
Bogen begynder ikke med en forbrydelse, men med at politimanden Kimmo Joenta mister sin elskede Sanna af kræft. Og ganske vist kaster han sig ud i at opklare den næste mordsag, men der er ingen tvivl om, at for Joenta betyder ægteskabet alt, og han er knap nok sikker på, at han ønsker at leve videre alene.
Straks efter møder vi ´klaverstemmeren´, et frygtsomt og tilbagetrukket menneske, som måske egentlig ikke ønsker at slå ihjel, men er nødt til at gøre noget for at leve med sin egen angst.
Bogen bliver en form for kapløb mellem de to mænd, hvor politiet prøver at opdage, hvad læseren allerede ved, imens hovedpersonerne kommer til at stå levende og fængslende på siderne, og selv bipersoner tegnes forholdsvist klart i få ord. En fascinerende og anderledes bog, fordi den ikke så meget handler om at opklare forbrydelsen og fange morderen, som om at fange personerne og deres handlingsmønstre. (Undskyld jeg ikke kan forklare det bedre, men jeg er lidt hovedpineramt denne uge).
Dette er ikke strandlekture, men en stærk bog, der går tæt på.
En biblioteksbog, læst på dansk.
onsdag den 14. juli 2010
Delicious Parcel
I have kept an expectant eye on the post for days, and today the first parcel arrived.
A charming little book with the cosiest cover one can imagine:
Delicious and Suspicious, a cozy mystery written by my blog friend Elizabeth Spann Craig under her pen name Riley Adams.
I have added it to my TBR, but I don´t think it will grow old there.
A charming little book with the cosiest cover one can imagine:
Delicious and Suspicious, a cozy mystery written by my blog friend Elizabeth Spann Craig under her pen name Riley Adams.
I have added it to my TBR, but I don´t think it will grow old there.
tirsdag den 13. juli 2010
Help wanted
I have written the first three chapters of The Cosy Knave, but I am still struggling with some of the names.
One character is called Jesmona Rowntree. I quite like her name, but as I have twins called Jeremy and Jemima, I fear I will just end up confusing my readers (more than necessary).
As you may have guessed, I plan to use a number of product names so if you know a good (preferably British) brand name, e.g. chocolate, biscuit, toffee, please leave a comment with your suggestions. The more the merrier (names AND comments) Or perhaps you can suggest new names for the monster twins?
One character is called Jesmona Rowntree. I quite like her name, but as I have twins called Jeremy and Jemima, I fear I will just end up confusing my readers (more than necessary).
As you may have guessed, I plan to use a number of product names so if you know a good (preferably British) brand name, e.g. chocolate, biscuit, toffee, please leave a comment with your suggestions. The more the merrier (names AND comments) Or perhaps you can suggest new names for the monster twins?
mandag den 12. juli 2010
Julie Hastrup, En torn i øjet (2009)
Denne politikrimi er en dansk debut; endnu en skandinavisk journalist er sprunget ud som krimiforfatter, og efter sigende skulle bogen være første del af en trilogi.
Bogen er skrevet i et udmærket sprog, og Hastrup tegner personerne ganske godt.
Plottet begynder, da den 22-årige Anna Gudbergsen fra Ringkøbing er på vej hjem fra diskoteket på cykel.
“Cyklen slingrede så voldsomt, at det kildede i maven, da Anna bumpede ned ad den ujævne skovsti. Hun kom til at le højt, og lyden af hendes latter flængede stilheden i den sorte skov.”
Læseren har sikkert gættet, at Anna aldrig når hjem. Hun bliver brutalt myrdet, og allerede dagen efter tilkalder politikommissær Teit Jørgensen hjælp fra Rigspolitiets Rejsehold, som sender Rebekka Holm afsted som forstærkning. 35-årige Rebekka stammer selv fra Ringkøbing, men hun er ikke særlig begejstret for at vende tilbage til sin fødeby, og det bliver efterhånden klart, at vi her har en kvinde med fortid.
Plottet kører udmærket derudad med en passende håndfuld mistænkte, blandt andet den fyr, Anna skændtes med på diskoteket, hendes far, samt de mandlige medlemmer af familien Mathiesen. John Mathiesen er leder af den lokale frikirke, og Anna var kæreste med den ene af sønnerne. Det kristne miljø beskrives en smule firkantet, men dog ikke så fordomsfuldt som i visse andre romaner.
Alt i alt kommer Hastrup godt fra sin debut, hvor der også er plads til lidt romantik. Der er dog et par minusser i plottet: Rebekka Holm bliver aldrig helt overbevisende i rollen som Rejseholdets spirende stjerne, og det står heller ikke klart, hvorfor Teit Jørgensen først bestiller hjælp fra rejseholdet og bagefter konsekvent nægter at lytte til Rebekka. Desuden virker det amatøragtigt, at politiet meget længe overser de klare ligheder mellem mordet på Anna og et tyve år gammelt, uopklaret mord på samme sted.
Helhedsindtryk: lidt over middel, og bestemt en serie jeg har tænkt mig at følge. Jeg lånte bogen på biblioteket, men den har vist været med FamilieJournalen som tillæg for nylig.
Julie Hastrup, A Thorn in the Eye.
This Danish debut has not been translated, but I think it may have a chance. The writer is yet anoter Scandinavian journalist who begins a new career as a crime writer. She writes fairly well, and on the whole the characters are convincing and interesting.
The drama begins when young Anna Gudbergsen from Ringkøbing (the west coast) is on her way home from the disco on her bike. She is brutally killed, and the local superintendent Teit Jørgensen calls for assistance from the flying squad (also called Unit One in a brilliant Danish TV series). A non-plussed Rebekka Holm is sent back home to her place of birth – and a huge skeleton in the cupboard.
The plot is well wrought with a handful of suspects; the young guy Anna argued with in the disco, her father, and the male members of the Mathiesen family. John Mathiesen is the leader of the local free church, and Anna dated one of the sons.
On the whole this is a solid debut. There are a few drawbacks to the plot,however. Rebekka Holm is not quite convincing in her role as the rising star of Unit One, and it is never clear why Teit Jørgensen calls for assistance but later refuses to listen to Holm´s conclusions. Furthermore it seems amateurish that the police ignore another murder throughout most of the book, a crime which took place twenty years earlier in the same spot, even though the similarities are obvious.
This was a library book, and in spite of these minor flaws, I am definitely going to watch out for more books in the series.
søndag den 11. juli 2010
Under Cover 0
As many of my readers have expressed their admiration of Rob´s great cover, I´d better share this post with you where he tells his readers a bit about the process.
You should notice the LAST paragraph. LOL
You should notice the LAST paragraph. LOL
fredag den 9. juli 2010
Book Sale
My husband does not read as much crime fiction as I do, but we do share some favourite authors. Yesterday he made a real bargain and came home with this gorgeous Håkan Nesser spoil. The trilogy below is his new series, featuring Gunnar Barbarotti (not translated into English yet).
I have read most of them beforehand, but not the third Barbarotti story, and I love having these great crime novels on my shelf.
torsdag den 8. juli 2010
Rob Kitchin, The White Gallows (2010)
This Irish police procedural is the second in the Colm McEvoy series.
Within one day Detective Superintendent Colm McEvoy is sent out to two deaths. The first one is an anonymous Lithuanian, the second is old Dr Koch, a German billionaire in his 90s, the founder of a successful company. At first glance, Koch seems to have died a natural death, but the young officer who arrives at the crime scene suspects foul play when he notices some marks on the body.
Outside Koch´s unassuming farmhouse the police discover a noose hanging from an old oak tree. A gallows, prepared for Dr Koch, or some kind of message? Significantly, the noose is placed where the local gallows was in the past (nice touch), indicating that Koch´s death may be related to his past.
The hotheaded relatives are less than pleased when they realize they are on McEvoy´s list of suspects together with his Polish housekeeper Roza, his temperamental neighbour and two East Europeans, members of the Jewish organization the Yellow Star. The organization is on the track of a Nazi war criminal who used his expertise on chemistry in the Jewish Skeleton Project, a most horrible concentration camp experiment.
Colm McEvoy, a likeable and honest detective, has been a single father since his wife died of cancer a year ago. His twelve-year-old daughter seems to cope well and be happy to spend much of her time with her aunt though she can´t help worrying whether her hard-working father remembers to eat. McEvoy misses his wife acutely, and as he quit smoking a few months ago he is not only lonely and overworked, but also highly irritable. As a consequence, McEvoy rubs several people up the wrong way, suspects as well as colleagues, yet it may be a sign that he is ready to move on with his life that he shows some interest in Kelly Stringer, his pretty colleague with the shapely legs.
It was a great pleasure to read my way through the twists and turns of this exciting, yet quite realistic novel which is a highly appreciated gift from the writer. See my review of Rob´s debut, The Rule Book.
And to quote Norman of Crime Scraps, "Hopefully there will be a book three in the series."
onsdag den 7. juli 2010
Straight from the reader´s mouth
As I am cameraless today, I can´t show you my husband´s bargain. A clue: it is Swedish, and something you can read.
And finally I have read a book! No reviews for eight days, what a pathetic book blog. There will be a review for you tomorrow, though.
For now, a teaser:
“The farmhouse was a two-storey structure covered in Boston Ivy that had recently lost its bright red leaves. Three steps led up to a Georgian door, a semi-circle of clear glass above it. There were two Georgian sash windows to the left of the door, one to the right. A single-storey structure continued past the house to the right, interrupted along its length by a high archway. From McEvoy´s experience it almost certainly led into a farmyard that would be framed all the way round by outbuildings. It was a modest house for someone reputed to be one of the richest men in Ireland.”
I don´t know about you, but this farmhouse and its history is a setting I like. And on page 304 - oh, no, I shouldn´t tell you this, but I also like when the clues and tracks are a bit out of the ordinary. Nice touch!
And tomorrow I am going to take you to Ireland, one of my favourite holiday resorts.
And finally I have read a book! No reviews for eight days, what a pathetic book blog. There will be a review for you tomorrow, though.
For now, a teaser:
“The farmhouse was a two-storey structure covered in Boston Ivy that had recently lost its bright red leaves. Three steps led up to a Georgian door, a semi-circle of clear glass above it. There were two Georgian sash windows to the left of the door, one to the right. A single-storey structure continued past the house to the right, interrupted along its length by a high archway. From McEvoy´s experience it almost certainly led into a farmyard that would be framed all the way round by outbuildings. It was a modest house for someone reputed to be one of the richest men in Ireland.”
I don´t know about you, but this farmhouse and its history is a setting I like. And on page 304 - oh, no, I shouldn´t tell you this, but I also like when the clues and tracks are a bit out of the ordinary. Nice touch!
And tomorrow I am going to take you to Ireland, one of my favourite holiday resorts.
tirsdag den 6. juli 2010
Comment problems
I have just seen that Blogger is up to new tricks of some kind.
Apparently it does not show comments today .... just wanted to warn you.
Apparently it does not show comments today .... just wanted to warn you.
mandag den 5. juli 2010
And the winner is ...
My competition ended yesterday, and thank you to everybody who participated. I have had 30,179 visitors now, and I appreciate each and every one of you!
It was fun to see which writers you suggested, and of course I liked them all! The ones who got most votes were the New Zealander, Ngaio Marsh, and my countrywoman, Lene Kaaberbøl.
And now to what you are all waiting for: the winner is
Mason Canyon, Thoughts in Progress
Congratulations, Mason! And as soon as you have told me if you want your voucher in dollars or pounds, I will send a gift card off to you.
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NB: your blogger has returned home, safe and sound, and is now clutching her dear laptop again. But she spent most of her Sunday in church, on her bike, and out in the sun with Rob Kitchin´s wonderful crime novel. Thank you for playing along.
søndag den 4. juli 2010
Blogger gone AWOL
A Danish blogger who is usually quite reliable (when it comes to blogging, that is), has gone missing. She was last seen right here Saturday afternoon. Her family and friends have not been unduly worried so far as she is known to neglect them shamelessly when on her precious blogging rounds all over the world, but late this afternoon they discovered that she had not touched her laptop for several hours!
Here is the evidence (click on photos to enlarge), and please leave any theories as to her whereabouts in the form of a comment. Her kind and forgiving family seem to want her back no matter how distracted she is. (They seem to fear she may have concocted several serious crimes while away so they feel relatively safer when they can keep an eye on her).
Here is the evidence (click on photos to enlarge), and please leave any theories as to her whereabouts in the form of a comment. Her kind and forgiving family seem to want her back no matter how distracted she is. (They seem to fear she may have concocted several serious crimes while away so they feel relatively safer when they can keep an eye on her).
lørdag den 3. juli 2010
Writer´s Corner
Yesterday was a fantastic day. I took the pictures when I was still quite safe from the sun, but perhaps it was almost too good around 3 o´clock: 35 degree celcius in the tiny slice of shade that was left.
So I sat outside for eight hours, armed with coffee, phone and laptop, revising my Danish novel. Four chapters, which is not bad, I think. And what is best is that I enjoyed my writing day immensely.
Blog visitors right now: 29,997.
So remember to participate in my worldwide competition - last chance is tomorrow.
torsdag den 1. juli 2010
When Amazon tempts you
Well, Amazon.uk have tempted me with books they think they can sell me quite often, but yesterday was actually the first time I just rushed off to buy (even pre-order) a brand-new book. But somehow they had sussed that I might be the target group of this one:
Riley Adams, Delicious and Suspicious, a Memphis BBQ mystery. Riley Adams is a pen-name for Elizabeth Spann Craig, my American blog friend who wrote a post about cozy mysteries for me recently.
Elizabeth, I couldn´t help it. Your book screams ´read me, read me´. And I have such a good excuse: if I want to write cosies, I´d better read some more of them. The book doesn´t even cost very much - did you hear that you people out there?
NB: my husband and I are going off for a few days in our cottage, just the two of us, so I had better not promise you a lot of posts the next days.
Riley Adams, Delicious and Suspicious, a Memphis BBQ mystery. Riley Adams is a pen-name for Elizabeth Spann Craig, my American blog friend who wrote a post about cozy mysteries for me recently.
Elizabeth, I couldn´t help it. Your book screams ´read me, read me´. And I have such a good excuse: if I want to write cosies, I´d better read some more of them. The book doesn´t even cost very much - did you hear that you people out there?
NB: my husband and I are going off for a few days in our cottage, just the two of us, so I had better not promise you a lot of posts the next days.
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