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New Writers I’ve Discovered and Enjoyed in 2011

December 30, 2011 — 10 Comments

As the year draws to a close, I thought it would be neat to highlight some of the new writers I’ve discovered in 2011. For some writers on this list, it only took one book to make me a fan. This list mostly consists of Scandinavian writers which is fitting considering that this is my area of interest. All of these writers are good at writing about social commentary, excellent at characterizations, descriptive settings and giving the reader a good sense of time and place. While there are other writers I’ve read this year, this list is of writers who stood out to me in 2011:

Colin Cotterill – this author blew me away with his stories about a seventy year old coroner living in 1970′s Laos under the newly established socialist regime. The first book in the series is THE CORONER’S LUNCH (2004). The series has some paranormal elements in them because the lead protagonist, Dr. Siri Paiboun is housing the spirit of a thousand-year old shaman. He’s also able to see dead people even though he’s not able to speak to them. Often the dead consist of people who were murdered. As the series progresses though, those elements are not used very much. I got a chance to meet Mr. Cotterill at a book-signing this year and I’ve read all of his books with the exception of his latest, just released Dr. Siri novel, SLASH AND BURN (2011).

Patricia Melo – what can I say about this writer? I was fascinated with the story she wrote, set in Brazil, about a former contract killer who was in hiding for ten years and then he resurfaces to attend his aunt’s funeral. He discovers that his girlfriend has taken off with his daughter and he decides to track them down. That is the main plot of LOST WORLD (2009), the sequel to THE KILLER (1999). The story is very gritty and and very, very dark. He goes through many adventures and faces many obstacles until he reaches his destination point. The story is very atmospheric with an anti-hero who is rather complex. I have since went on to procure many of her earlier titles like THE KILLER and INFERNO (2003) that are in print only. LOST WORLD is digitized but is geo restricted for US customers at Amazon.

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The Black Path, By: Åsa Larsson and translated by Marlaine Delargy

December 28, 2011 — 7 Comments

I am on an Åsa Larsson reading spree. Her novels, described by others, are said to be more traditional crime thrillers than police procedurals and how she structures her story, told in third person narrative, works very well for me. Some of the themes in her novels have been interesting too. The novels are all set in northern Sweden, 150Km north of the Arctic Circle. So far these are entertaining reads with two strong female protagonists.

Having enjoyed THE BLOOD SPLIT so much, I thought I would dive right in to THE BLACK PATH, the third book in the series. Rebecka Martinsson has quit her job as a junior attorney at Sweden’s top business law firm, Meijer & Ditzinger in Stockholm and has taken up residence in her childhood home in the mining community of Kiruna after so many years in exile. After the devastating events in the last book that put her in mortal danger, she does a stint in a psychiatric clinic and is prescribed anti-depressants. Rebecka, over time, in the book it says 18 months, recovers and takes up residence in her grandmother’s home in Kurravaara.

The weather is still blistering cold and the wind is up. A fisherman finds a woman’s body in an ark a few miles outside the tourist station of Abisko. Detectives Anna-Maria Mella and Sven-Erik Stålnacke investigate the case with the help of the newly appointed prosecutor, Rebecka Martinsson. She was snapped up by the chief prosecutor in Kiruna because he thinks she would be good at the job (plus she’s a workaholic) and she is.

The victim is a woman in her forties who held a important position in Kallis Mining, a company that is a major player in the mining industry. She was an information specialist. There are very few clues in Inna Wattrang’s death. The victim’s brother, Diddi Wattrang arrives to identify her body along with their boss, Mauri Kallis, an overseas investor who heads Kallis Mining. He brings along his security team. The two men are upset at Inna Wattrang’s death but manage to remain guarded and tight lipped to the police. Neither of them claim to know Inna Wattrang’s whereabouts before her death and offer the police very little in helping them track down this opportunistic killer. Continue Reading…

In Book Reviews, translated crime fiction ,
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The Commercialization of Scandinavian Writers

December 22, 2011 — 28 Comments

Washington Post: “The Leopard” is a bloated, near-total disaster. ”

The Washington Post review of The Leopard written by Jo Nesbø, is the eighth book in the Harry Hole series, written by Patrick Anderson (a review I don’t agree with) highlights a problem I see coming with the commercialization of Scandinavian writers for U.S. audiences. Just to quickly pick on the review: I read the review and thought it quite harsh and incorrect. For starters, his dismissive tone or remarks about the “pointless memories of people’s childhoods” ignores a key aspect to the pathos that is Harry Hole. A man who is beset with demons and who uses alcohol to chase them away. His past is a significant part of his character development and that to me is not “pointless.”

Moving on. Admittedly, I have enjoyed other books in the Harry Hole series more but The Leopard was not a near total disaster but then that is my opinion of course. Was it the best in the series? Probably not. Patrick Anderson is welcome to his opinion and I don’t dispute many of his claims of how far afield Jo Nesbo’s plots have strayed from the rest of his other titles. Reading the criticism in the review does bring to mind a fear that I have in that Scandinavian writers will probably lose much of what made them different and respected in the first place if they are to succeed in a U.S. market. I say that with scant evidence to back it up and am only going by what I perceive and I am no industry insider. I am just a reader with an opinion. Continue Reading…

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Poll:The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo: Should You Read the Book First?

December 14, 2011 — 20 Comments

Just curious what other readers out there think. The American version of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo will be released on Dec 21st and I wanted to ask you all to share your thoughts with others who might be unfamiliar (yes they are out there) with the books or the author if they should read the book first before seeing the film or not. Your advice is appreciated. Of course I recently read where the sales have surged for the book so maybe people are preferring to read the book first.

The reason for the post: I was recently asked if I would recommend reading the book first before seeing the movie. I would say yes for several reasons with one of them being that you would be better served to know what to expect as the book is very dark. Also, I found The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo a page turner. The prologue of the book with the pressed flowers set a sinister tone for the novel. I found parts of the book very hard to read for obvious reasons. Enough of what I think. What do you say? The film promises to be just as dark as the book, so that’s why I say read the book first but I’d like to hear what you all think if you happen to pass through here today. Thank You.

Poll is now closed. Thank You! Results are below the break. Continue Reading…

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News and Views

December 8, 2011 — 6 Comments

The News

Just a gentle reminder to US mystery readers that Jo Nesbo’s latest Harry Hole novel, The Leopard will be released next week, Dec 13th. I’ve already read it and it’s good. The Redeemer still holds the top spot for me though and I still don’t see a publication date for it on Amazon.

Also, Jo Nesbo’s website just released news that The Redeemer, is a hit in Croatia. I imagine so since it has one of the most memorable assassins I’ve read in crime fiction and he was, you guessed it, Croatian. It is a fascinating storyline with a semi-sympathetic villain. Wish the US would get a move on and publish it soon.

I don’t usually follow the Bad Sex in Fiction awards unless someone mentions it and this year, David Guterson gets handed the title for retelling the Oedipus story. It’s the other titles that were nominated that got my attention though: Haruki Murakami’s “1Q84, Lee Child’s “The Affair” and Stephen King’s “11/22/63.” The award is given by the Literary Review which in and of itself says it all. I’m more amused that they even have this type of award. Continue Reading…

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Professor Andersen’s Night by Dag Solstad with translation by Agnes Scott Langeland

December 5, 2011 — 7 Comments


Professor Andersen’s Night is an unsettling yet highly entertaining novel of apathy, rebellion and morality. In flinty prose, Solstad presents an uncomfortable question: would we, like his cerebral protagonist, do nothing?

While Professor Andersen is drinking his cognac and letting the “Christmas spirit fill my mind”, he peeks out his window and sees a woman being strangled. He hides behind the curtains and eventually picks up the telephone to call the police but he changes his mind. He thinks: what’s done is done, the woman is probably dead anyway:

“I can’t tell them about this. The only outcome would be the murderer’s arrest.” And the murderer might well be caught, but not on account of him, Professor Andersen, intervening and notifying them that the man had committed a murder. The idea was distasteful to him.

According to the blurb of Professor Andersen’s Night, Professor Andersen runs into the murderer at a sushi bar several days later. Sadly, I didn’t make it that far into the story. Red flags went up immediately when I found myself setting this book aside after reading the first two pages. This is a book about a man and his conscience. He doesn’t phone the police but continues to rationalize his actions. The following day he attends a dinner party and plans to share the night’s events with his friend. He keeps going back and forth in his decision to say to his host/friend that he witnessed a murder and didn’t report it to the police. This is where my interest started to wan. I stopped reading at page 18 because I got bored with reading stuff like this:

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The Blood Split by Åsa Larsson and translated by Marlaine Delargy

December 2, 2011 — 6 Comments

The Blood Split (2008) by Åsa Larsson with translation by Marlaine Delargy is the second book featuring tax attorney Rebecka Martinsson. She first appeared in Sun Storm, a riveting story that focused on religious zealotry. Both books are set in North Sweden where the subarctic climate is characterized by unusually long and freezing winters. The type of crime fiction that Åsa Larsson writes have to do with social criticism in family dynamics, social power, religion and the centuries old conflict between men and women.

The Blood Split takes place during the mildly warmer summer months and about a year and a half later after the event(s) of the last book. This series is best categorized as police procedurals even though the main star is a lawyer. Rebecka’s path often intersects with detectives Anna-Maria Mella (married with children) and her partner, Sven Erik Stålnacke (lives alone with his cat). There is something about Ms. Larsson’s stories and her storytelling abilities that keeps me riveted. The truth is that she’s really good about writing human drama and its triumphs and tragedies. Her prose/narrative is full of energy. Conflicts, secrets and regular people who react impulsively from their inner demons and rage make up the majority of her stories thus far. A lot of the secrets aren’t hard to figure out but that didn’t stop it from being an engrossing read. Continue Reading…

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