Thank you @soho_press for providing me with a free copy of this book to review! Rarely do I choose books based on covers alone, but I’ll be totally honest that when I saw this cross-stitched cover, I knew I needed it - the fact that it details the insidious crimes of an 88-year-old woman just makes it even better!
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The book is split into stories, but they all centre on Maud and her dastardly doings, and eventually Tursten introduces the Inspector she usually writes about in her books, Irene Huss, who is charged with solving one of Maud’s crimes. I don’t know about you, but reading crime novels is way more entertaining from the point of view of the criminal, especially when said criminal is an irascible yet hilarious old woman.
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I was expecting cosy crime, and while it is sort of cosy, there’s the undeniable razor sharp edge of any Nordic crime writer - I think if you’re a fan of both authors like Agatha Christie and Jo Nesbø, you’d enjoy this little book! And when I get the urge to scratch my crime fiction itch again, I may be reaching for Tursten’s Huss novels, although I hope they’re translated by Marlaine Delargy as well because she did an amazing job - such a smooth reading experience!