TWO THIRDS
Two books, both the third in an acclaimed series arrived in the post today.
Maxine of Petrona was kind enough to send me on her copy of The Stone Cutter by Camilla Lackberg with a note, saying not to read the blurb first. The book is the third in the series featuring police detective Patrik Hedstrom and his partner Erica located in the fishing village of Fjallbacka.
I did sneak peak that on the back cover Harper Collins are still using a blurb that refers to Ms Lackberg's debut novel The Ice Princess as 'heart-stopping and heart-warming'. I must have a cold heart as the subject matter in The Ice Princess was indeed heart-stopping, and left me feeling more disturbed than comfortable. It was an enjoyable book but with not enough goodness in it to be considered heart-warming. Camilla Lackberg is of course a massive best seller in Europe ahead of both Henning Mankell and John Grisham.
The translator of The Stone Cutter is our old friend Steven T. Murray aka Reg Keeland [Stieg Larsson's translator] and so I am expecting this novel to be a really good read.
The second book, A Razor Wrapped in Silk was sent by author Roger Morris [R.N.Morris] via publishers Faber and Faber. Also the third in an acclaimed series this one features Porfiry Petrovich, the investigator from Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment. I must say that I like the cover designs of for this series with the atmospheric photographs of St Petersburg.
I hope to be able to interview Roger in the next few weeks.
posted by Uriah Robinson at 7:00 AM
4 Comments:
So glad it arrived OK, Norman - and quickly, too. I used the Royal Mail website to pay for the postage, which is brilliant compared to standing in a queue at the post office. It would not fit into the letterbox, though (probably the book is big enough to be a bomb?) so I took it to our mail room at work and asked them to put it into their pick-up bag for the postman. The two guys were pretty suspicious, even though I let them inspect the label closely. (A few years ago, if you had a packet or letter to send at our work, they weighed and sent it for you in the post room and you just gave them the cash, but the world is like that no longer). Anyway, they said they'd put it in the bag for me, so I am glad that the evidence is in their favour ;-)
I quite liked The Stonecutter but I don't think this series is the greatest detective series I have read. They pass the time pleasantly enough, though. I have submitted my review to Euro Crime (my source of the book) so you can see what I think in due course! But heart stopping and heart warming - not so sure if either is true, as you say.
Norman - I hope that you enjoy those books. The Morris novel sounds terrific, but then, I like historical mysteries, and not everyone does. I look forward to haering what you think of them.
Reg thinks Stonecutter is the best in the series but I still need to get Preacher.
I enjoyed Roger Morris' first two books tremendously and I'm not ordinarily a reader of historical fiction. I was extolling the virtues of Roger's books just this afternoon to a public librarian friend. I have a copy on pre-order with Book Depository and looking forward to reading it.
Reg/Steven's authors are blessed to have a translator who does so much to promote their books in the markets into which he translates.
I did enjoy The Stonecutter, and the rest of Camilla Lackberg's books, but they are not absolutely top of my list. Highly enjoyable, and I shall definitely continue to read them, though.
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