family drama

You Will Never Be Found by Tove Alsterdal – Book Review

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You Will Never Be Found by Tove Alsterdal – Book Cover

There are two main types of Scandinavian crime novels. First, there are the ones that try to bring joy to the reader through a protagonist who carries the weight of the world on their shoulders, endlessly depressed (see: Reykjavík Nights). Then, there are those that stand out with some extra twist, like the Harry Hole novels, where the added flavor comes from the brilliance (and alcoholism) of a detective specialized in serial killers (see: Killing Moon). Tove Alsterdal takes a different path. Her book You Will Never Be Found focuses primarily on authenticity.

Eira Sjödin Returns to Investigate

Alsterdal’s series debut, We Know You Remember, won the prestigious Glass Key Award for Best Scandinavian Crime Novel. So, it’s no surprise that the Swedish author’s protagonist, patrol officer Eira Sjödin, is once again given the chance to prove her skills with a new case.

What starts off as the disappearance of an unemployed actor soon reveals itself to be much more serious. Eira, who has been involved in the investigation from the very start, gets the opportunity to participate in the homicide investigation as well.

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City on Fire by Don Winslow – Book Review

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City on Fire by Don Winslow – Book Cover

The Godfather – in Miniature

Don Winslow’s mafia novel, City on Fire, is essentially a watered-down version of The Godfather. Most of the motifs present in that classic novel appear here as well, such as:

• Mafia family wars over territory
• The unifying strength of family and blood ties
• The issue of succession, where the heir is, of course, not the most suitable candidate
• The drug trade as the path to big money, with the promise of big downfall

Since The Godfather is such a magnificent and unparalleled novel, you might be inclined to settle for even a reduced version, especially when it comes from the pen of Don Winslow, the author of the monumental The Power of the Dog trilogy. This time, with Irish and Italian mobsters clashing.

Small-Town Gangsters

Okay, but still. The fact that City on Fire is set in Providence, Rhode Island, also known as Dogtown, somehow diminishes initial expectations. Providence, squeezed between New York and Boston, is small and insignificant in comparison. Prostitution, gambling, and the docks are the main sources of money around there.

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Wildlife by Richard Ford – Book Review

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Wildlife by Richard Ford - Book Cover

I’m not saying Wildlife is boring, but I don’t know why

Richard Ford’s novel, which has won both the Pulitzer Prize and the PEN Award, cannot be definitively declared boring or completely uninteresting. Instead, you might simply say that Wildlife is not particularly engaging. The story of a slowly unraveling marriage, observed through the eyes of a sixteen-year-old boy, is quite ordinary and could happen to any of us. There are no major dramas, and perhaps not even any real reasons for the breakdown. Maybe it’s an escape from the mundane.

(And as a book review blog author, I must note that those facing such issues might find fewer problems by enrolling in a library. Hello, Great Falls Public Library!).

Young Joe analyzes the unfolding events with a Vulcan-like detachment reminiscent of Lieutenant Spock.

Wildlife isn’t gritty enough for “dirty realism”

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