David Hewson

Nordic noir!

A truly bleak story as tortured as the isolated area it describes. Hewson himself describes the book as, "gentle Scandi noir with a tough edge to it."
There is nothing "gentle" about this novel. It's pure, gritty Nordic noir and I loved it!
Bodies piles up, just as surely as the whale bodies do during the killing season, the "Grind" as its referred to. If you are repulsed by the garnishing of whales in what is portrayed as a traditional fisher folk activity, now rigorously governed show more by official regulations, then this is not the story for you. If you can move past that to seeing this as a descriptor that brings to light the harshness of this remote village life where these folk are living out the cycle of their cultural traditions, where the poverty of many of their lives becomes a background for the events that ensue, then this is a mystery for you. The folk from this community are legally entitled to hunt and trap 'blackfish' and this is a central tenet to the mystery.
Into this closed community comes a retired policeman and his wife, innocently looking for the country life. Sheriff Tristan Haraldsen and his wife Elsebeth have moved to the remote Island of Vágar, part of the Faroe archipelago of Denmark. It's the Sheriff's job to ensure that during the "grind" all goes according to the regulations. However his part does not go quite to plan. As Tristan becomes more immersed in the life, he comes to understand his naivety about his job, this village and how as an outsider he doesn't fit in. What he and Elsebeth get is more akin to gothic horror movie.
Two boys go missing. That is on top of another missing person, and the previous death of a boat captain's son. Put down to the harsh surroundings. But was it?
Then there's the policewoman with her own agenda.
Some matters are solved, if not in the normal way.
Is there redemption in this tale? I'm still left wondering. But I do know that the more I think about this story, the more I find to examine and wonder about. The various characters, how they interrelate to their community, how some take advantage of others weaknesses, destroying the supportive nature that the village has been for each other for generations over against outsiders.
There are depths here to be further explored!

A Severn ARC via NetGalley show less

Police “paper-pusher” Tristan Haraldsen has retired with his wife Elsebeth to the starkly beautiful Djevulsfjord in the Faroe Islands. In his new role as district sheriff, Tristan oversees The Grind, an annual culling of pilot whales in preparation for winter. Reichlin captures the isolating nature, cruel poverty, and dying community which contribute to the bleak atmosphere. When two young brothers disappear only for one to turn up dead, the locals assume fratricide. But as a community show more that values appearances over justice, Djevulsfjord hides a multitude of dark secrets under a thin veneer of community. As a town elder oft repeats, one can’t live in Djevulsfjord without killing sometimes. The loving relationship between the Haraldsens is clearly articulated while Reichlin simultaneously reveals the creeping psychopathy and detachment amongst the insular villagers. In the end, not all the threads are resolved, but fans of Nordic settings seeking darker noir will be well-rewarded.

The improved review was published in Booklist August 1, 2019 issue. show less

Great narration by Alan Cumming on this expanded version of the "Scottish Play"

I completely enjoyed this in any case, but having Alan Cumming narrate it with a Scottish burr kicked it into 5 star territory for me. Some may not see the point of a novel-sized expansion to Shakespeare's "Scottish Play," but I found Hartley's & Hewson's to be both respectful of the original material and inventive in its enhancements.

There is a whole long prelude of the war with Norwegian King Sweno (actually show more Svein Knutsson in history) before we even get to Act 1 Scene 1 with the witches on the heath. The witches are portrayed as three very different types ranging from young teenager to crone. Lady Macbeth gets her own name at last ("Skena") and is less the villainess. King Duncan is more of a hideous depraved lecher who is rather deserving of his fate. The porter (with much fewer jokes) doubles as the lead murderer (which is a nice nod to how the actual Shakespearean actor probably had to double up on roles), Banquo's and Fleance's tie in to the later Stewart kings of Scotland is greatly expanded on. etc. etc. Most of the best lines of the play are quoted in their original context, but the borrowing is kept to a minimum.

It all had me researching the historical basis for the characters, cross-checking against the play, and greatly adding to my enjoyment. A very well done job! show less

Retired archivist Arnold Clover is living simply in Venice when his friend Luca invites him to take on a task that should suit him: vetting and writing from a cache of documents apparently written by the 18th century Venetian Antonio Vivaldi. Almost nothing is known about Vivaldi’s life, except that he was lauded for a time and then forgotten, left to die in penury, but the purported discovery of writings could change all that. Unfortunately the task gets off on a sad note when the show more millionaire sponsoring the work kills himself and leaves his wife to carry on in his place; but that is only the beginning of Arnold’s trials and tribulations…. This is the third book in Mr. Hewson’s series set in Venice and featuring Arnold, who is a rather curmudgeonly Brit but also a keen seeker of truth, at least in terms of ancient (and not-so ancient) artifacts. Venice is itself a character, of course, but the real joy in this series lies in the relatively gentle nature of the main characters (despite the violence that they sometimes encounter). I figured out one part of the story midway through, but other parts of the complex puzzle eluded me to the very end, which is always a mark of a good mystery. One could read this as a stand-alone, I think, but then you’ll want to go back to read the first two (The Medici Murders, The Borgia Portrait). Recommended! show less