Red as Blood by Lilja Sigurðardóttir (translated by Quentin Bates)

Wishing a very happy publication day to Lilja Sigurðardóttir for the brilliant Red as Blood translated into English by Quentin Bates and out today from Orenda Books. So it's the perfect day to be sharing my review as part of the blog tour. Huge thanks to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours for The invite and to the publisher for my review copy. I've since bought my own paperback copy.

The Blurb

When entrepreneur Flosi arrives home for dinner one night, he discovers that his house has been ransacked, and his wife Guðrún missing. A letter on the kitchen table confirms that she has been kidnapped. If Flosi doesn’t agree to pay an enormous ransom, Guðrún will be killed. Forbidden from contacting the police, he gets in touch with Áróra, who specialises in finding hidden assets, and she, alongside her detective friend Daníel, try to get to the bottom of the case without anyone catching on. Meanwhile, Áróra and Daníel continue the puzzling, devastating search for Áróra’s sister Ísafold, who disappeared without trace. As fog descends, in a cold and rainy Icelandic autumn, the investigation becomes increasingly dangerous, and confusing. Chilling, twisty and unbearably tense, Red as Blood is the second instalment in the riveting, addictive An Áróra Investigation series, and everything is at stake.

My Review

This is the follow up to Cold as Hell which saw Áróra, happily settled in the UK, reluctantly returning to an Iceland she'd barely visited for years to search for her missing, estranged sister Ísafold. In Red as Blood several months have passed, Ísafold is still missing but Áróra is feeling much more settled in Iceland, even beginning to put down roots. Her job as a kind of forensic accountant, searching for hidden money, means she can work from anywhere. A Scottish colleague calls her with an unusual favour. The wife of an Icelandic client of his has been kidnapped, a hefty ransom note left and strict instructions not to involve the police. Can Áróra help? And so the story begins. The police do get involved,  but do so very cleverly, which brings Áróra back into contact with old family friend Daníel who she has not spoken to in some months. As police investigation moves forward, and Áróra carries out one of her own, things become more confusing for all concerned and potentially more dangerous too. 

I love Áróra. She's strong, fierce and determined. She might have begun the search for her sister reluctantly but now she's fervent about it, spending days driving down miles of tracks painstakingly searching Iceland's vast lava fields by bit, looking for the smallest sign of Ísafold. This part of the story is heartbreaking, actually, but her determination is inspiring. And the main storyline of Guðrún's abduction and the random note, gives her something meaty to get her teeth into and she soon discovers the odd thing that doesn't look quite right, making her a little suspicious that someone isn't telling the truth... Financial fraud is something that the author has clearly researched (it's a subject that has been touched upon in earlier books) and it shows. 

I must talk about Daníel. Handsome, caring, fair, he seems like the ideal man! His interactions with his drag queen nextdoor neighbour are very sweet, his interactions with his colleagues are very fair and balanced, with interviewees and suspects he's calm, almost friendly. And then there's Áróra. Honestly, I could just bang their heads together, I really could! But they work well together, even though Áróra isn't part of the police team. Finally in this bit, I have to mention Helena, who is a breath of fresh air. No desire for a romantic relationship but she likes her needs met, has been fortunate to meet other similar women and has a system that works for her. 

The main storyline becomes more and more twisted and tangled as time goes on as more people, more facts and more secrets come out of the woodwork. It's cleverly done and had me racing to turn the pages to see what came next. The financial element to the crime is explored also, and you'll need to keep your wits about you to keep up with it all. This isn't a guns blazing kind of novel but there is plenty of tension and intrigue making it a quick and very enjoyable read. 

Red as Blood is a story of marriage, family, love, lies and betrayal. It explores happiness and sadness and undercovers secrets. But running through all of it is the tale of a woman desperately searching for her sister or, at least, some trace of her. It's incredibly poignant and sad. A thoroughly interesting story full of well written colourful characters, I loved it. 

The Author

Icelandic crime-writer Lilja Sigurdardóttir was born in the town of Akranes in 1972 and raised in Mexico, Sweden, Spain and Iceland. An award-winning playwright, Lilja has written six crime novels, with Snare, the first in a new series and Lilja’s English debut shortlisting for the CWA International Dagger and hitting bestseller lists worldwide.Trap soon followed suit, with the third in the trilogy Cage winning the Best Icelandic Crime Novel of the Year, and it was a Guardian Book of the Year. Lilja’s standalone Betrayal, was shortlisted for the Glass Key Award for Best Nordic Crime Novel. In 2021, Cold as Hell, the first in the An Áróra Investigation series was published, with Red as Blood the follow up. The film rights to Cold as Hell have been bought by Palomar Pictures in California. Lilja is also an award-winning screenwriter in her native Iceland. She lives in Reykjavík with her partner.

The Moose Paradox by Antti Tuomainen (translated by David Hackston)

I'm thrilled to be sharing my review today of The Moose Paradox by Antti Tuomainen, translated by David Hackston. And it's Orentober too, so perfect timing! This is the follow up to The Rabbit Factor which some of you might remember was one of my favourite books last year, so I have been eagerly, and rather impatiently, awaiting this one. I wasn't disappointed. More mayhem and madness in the adventure park business! Huge thanks to Anne Cater for the invitation and to the publisher, Orenda Books, for my review copy.

The Blurb

Insurance mathematician Henri Koskinen has finally restored order both to his life and to YouMeFun, the adventure park he now owns, when a man from the past appears – and turns everything upside down again. More problems arise when the park’s equipment supplier is taken over by a shady trio, with confusing demands. Why won’t Toy of Finland Ltd sell the new Moose Chute to Henri when he needs it as the park’s main attraction? Meanwhile, Henri’s relationship with artist Laura has reached breaking point, and, in order to survive this new chaotic world, he must push every calculation to its limits, before it’s too late. 

My Review

Actuary Henry's life is ruled by mathematics. Every decision is made after careful calculations, every problem dealt with in the most efficient way possible. He thrives on logic and order. All of that was thrown into chaos when he inherited an adventure (not amusement) park from his late brother, together with its quirky employees. His early adventures here are described in The Rabbit Factor. Six months on he has settled into his time and the park is running well. But to beat their competitors and increase visitor numbers, the park needs new equipment. Specifically, the Moose Chute. But Henri finds his previously good relationship with supplier Toy of Finland has soured since it was taken over by three new owners. And that's not how only problem. There are threats to him and threats to the park, a face from the past and rebellious staff. And a relationship to navigate. It's a lot.

I love, love, love Henri. He's never admit it but he is just as quirky as his park employees. I love his ability to apply maths and logic to everything he faces, even the ridiculous. And how that calm, organised approach can get him out of the stickiest of situations. And, without realising it, he's very funny! So brilliant from Tuomainen. His description of being caught short when out an about, and also his parents' joint funeral are very chucklesome, especially when the latter really shouldn't be. But what I really love is his burgeoning relationship with artist Laura Helanto. Every mention of her includes both her first name and surname. Henri is new to the vagaries of love and we see him struggle with telephone conversations and text messages, which I agree are a total minefield! And his description of love making is... well, read it for yourself! 😂 But the effect Laura, and her art, have on him is beautiful to read. Time spent with her is 'fuller and denser than usual.' He's such a carefully created character and it feels like this was done with a real affection for him. Laura, of course, is another character I love, and amongst the park employees I have affection for Kristian, an eager young puppy, keen to learn, taking courses to improve himself, although not, it should be noted, Henri's course on 'The Fundamental Principles Of Adventure-Park Mathematics, and Head of Security Esa, who I suspect might be as mad as a box of frogs! 

But it's not all love and fun. Threats to YouMeFun come from every direction and Henri finds himself in some absurd, and dangerous, situations. He has to make some difficult, but always calculated, decisions and must decide how honest to be with DI Osmala, a big man with tiny feet! The descriptions of all these encounters are so entertaining, brilliantly written. 

This book is brilliamtly written and skilfully translated by David Hackston. Amongst the giggles are some beautiful descriptions:

'...it's light was like an endless cascade of white gold and silk.'

'Outside it is dark, save for the illuminated windows of the building opposite, which seem to be floating in mid-air. Golden, multicoloured, dim, bright floating squares in a sea of black or in an endless universe, all set in soothing, regular formation.'

The Moose Paradox is madcappery and mayhem, with some genuine peril thrown in. Add to that an awkward love story and one of my favourite protagonists ever and it is everything I could ask for. Loved it! 

The Author

Finnish Antti Tuomainen was an award-winning copywriter when he made his literary debut in 2007 as a suspense author. In 2013, the Finnish press crowned Tuomainen the ‘King of Helsinki Noir’ when Dark as My Heart was published. With a piercing and evocative style, Tuomainen was one of the first to challenge the Scandinavian crime genre formula, and his poignant, dark and hilarious The Man Who Died became an international bestseller, shortlisting for the Petrona and Last Laugh Awards. Palm Beach Finland was an immense success, with Marcel Berlins (The Times) calling Tuomainen ‘the funniest writer in Europe’. Little Siberia (2020), was shortlisted for the CWA International Dagger, the Amazon Publishing/Capital Crime Awards and the CrimeFest Last Laugh Award, and won the Petrona Award for Best Scandinavian Crime Novel of the Year. The Rabbit Factor (2021), the first book in Antti’s first ever series, is in production by Amazon Studios with Steve Carell starring. The Moose Paradox is the second book in the series.