Blood on the Snow

You can think of As Red as Blood by Salla Simukka as Nordic crime fiction "lite" -- it's a young adult thriller in the (less gruesome) vein of works by authors like Jo Nesbø and Stieg Larsson.  This first in a trilogy introduces readers to 17 year-old Lumikki, an invisible outsider living on her own while attending high school in frigid Tampere.  When she discovers a stash of euros covered in blood, she's pulled into a dangerous mystery that takes her deep inside the Finnish criminal underworld.  Honed by a childhood trauma that is hinted at throughout the book, Lumikki possesses a unique skillset that makes her part detective, part action star -- she herself jokes that she is the secret lovechild of Lisbeth Salander and Hercule Poirot.  Fast moving, this title is enjoyable on its own, but is also an effective setup for the rest of the trilogy, as readers will want to know more about Lumikki and her own mysterious background.  HM

A Black Deed

In Diane Setterfield's Bellman and Black, a careless and cruel deed commited in childhood comes back to haunt a man in the worst way. This poetic and mysterious novel by the author of The Thirteenth Tale  tells of William Bellman, who we first meet as a boy out with his friends in the English countryside. William impresses his companions by killing a rook with his slingshot, and as the years go by, he continues to impress. A winning young man with a knack for business, he rises to the top of a local mill, marries and has four bright children, and expects all of his days to be equally blessed. Then disease comes to his town. It takes his wife and three of his children, and, in desperation, William makes a deal with a black-coated stranger. His eldest daughter is spared, but William is unable to face reminders of his happy past. He pours himself into industry, moving to London and opening Bellman & Black. As the years fly by, William becomes a kind of Ebenezer Scrooge, obsessed with work and haunted by the appearance of crows, and Setterfield is our  conscience, reminding us of what coins can and cannot buy.

An Electric Read

Ben Coes writes thrillers that remind me a bit of Vince Flynn.  Coes' book Power Down is full of international intrigue, government conspiracy and action packed murder, all revolving around America's need for power (as in electric, oil, gas).  It's very scary to see how dependent we are on other countries for our energy and when you bring in the story line of terrorists attacking our domestic power sources it becomes a very plausible story.  Add in ex Delta officer Dewey Andreas and you now have a full blown action packed thriller.  SG

Ghostman

When I saw Lee Child give a recommendation for The Ghostman by Roger Hobbs I was thrilled to find a new author that not only has a similar style of writing as Child but has the same expertise in building a good story.  This book was everything I expected and more!  The Ghostman is the guy in a heist who makes people ‘disappear’ after a job and he’s an expert at disappearing himself.  When The Wolf finds him and tells him he has a job that he HAS to do because he ‘owes’ him the Ghostman is not too happy he was found.  The story within the story explains how the Ghostman came to owe The Wolf and while this type of writing is usually not something that works for me I found it very interesting and anxiously followed both storylines to see what would happen next.  Speaking of anxious - I am anxiously awaiting Hobbs next book! SG

Political Dirty Tricks

John Sanford's book, Dead Watch,is about politics, or should I say the dirty tricks behind politics. Very fast-paced, it opens as Lincoln Bowe,a former senator is found dead. His wife realizes someone is watching her and turns to Jacob Winter, ex-Army Intelligence "fixer" who has the ear of the president. Full of twists and turns, this thriller will take you on a fast ride!

The Girl Who Went to the Movies

Have you gone to see the Hollywood remake of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, based on the book by Stieg Larsson? I saw it last weekend, and though I was very impressed with the actors and enjoyed the story's reinterpretation, I'm still in love with the Swedish original (and Noomi Rapace's chilling portrayal of Lisbeth Salander). Check it out -- along with the other two films in the trilogy, The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest.


Have you seen both versions? What do you think? HM