The End of the World

My trip to Norway took me to the end of the world, more or less, as the ship docked on an island a forty minute coach ride away from the stunning landscape of the North Cape. This was certainly the coldest place I have ever experienced, and the journey was memorable,not least because the convoy of buses was led by a snow plough. Even the reindeer had deserted the area in search of (relatively) warmer climes.

I've read and enjoyed a number of books by Norwegian writers in recent years. Jo Nesbo and Karin Fossum are immensely successful, but I particularly like Gunnar Staalesen's books about the private eye Varg Veum. He's a quietly accomplished author, and books like Yours Until Death are well worth seeking out. I can't, without checking, recall reading any books set in the most northerly parts of the country, but I'm sure there must be a number, and the Norwegian landscape does play an important part in creating the bleak atmosphere of books like Fossum's He Who Fears the Wolf. I'll have to consult Barry Forshaw, whose expertise on Scandinavian crime fiction is unmatched (his books, such as Nordic Noir, are a mine of information.)

Norway is an affluent country, with very low unemployment levels, yet the population density, especially in the large northern province of Finnmark is very low - the total coastline of Finnmark is almost 7000 km in length, and the province is bigger than Denmark, but it's home to a mere 75,000 people. There is something eerie, as well as compelling, about Finnmark's lonely mountains, lakes and tiny villages. Lots of scope here for closed communities and dark deeds in isolated settings.

The seas around the North Cape look daunting, but saw a good deal of action during the Second World War and stories with their roots in war-time do crop up from time to time in "Nordic Noir" - a Swedish example that sticks in my mind is Henning Mankell's Return of the Dancing Master . And a trip to the border with Russia the following day provided a reminder of Norway's intriguing geographical position, right next to a country which (as the current alarming news from Ukraine reminds us) is not always the cosiest of neighbours.

Recent years have seen a thawing (sorry, couldn't resist that!) of relations between the two countries, and one can only hope that events in the Ukraine don't lead to increased tension elsewhere. Again, I've not read any "Nordic noir" books set in the borderland, but I'm sure there must be some. Borderlands, as Ellis Peters among others has demonstrated, often provide excellent backgrounds for fiction because of the potential for conflict between cultures. And this particular border country is as fascinating as any I've ever visited.

Finding a new author

I knew nothing of Gunnar Staalesen until I read Yours Until Death, which I reviewed for Tangled Web UK, and more briefly for this blog the other day. But he is certainly an interesting writer. Born in 1947, he published his first book at the tender age of 22. His titles include At Night All Wolves are Grey – terrific title! An author I shall look forward to revisiting.

It’s always a good feeling when you find an author new to you whose books really appeal. It’s even better in a way if they have been around for a long time, since then you know that there are plenty of other titles to devour. Of course, they may not all be of the same standard, but most good writers are worth reading even when below their best.

Over the years I’ve made plenty of such discoveries. Among those I remember with great pleasure are Cornell Woolrich, whom I first encountered in the early 80s, and the great Frenc duo, Boileau and Narcejac, whom I first read about four years ago, though I’d seen Vertigo many years earlier. And reading Ruth Rendell for the first time was another great experience - I started with A Judgement in Stone, still one of the best novels of psychological suspense that I’ve ever read. I can even remember reading some of it in Kew Gardens, of all places...

Equally, I must admit that I get a kick out of reviews where someone has come across my work for the first time, and expresses enthusiasm for reading more of my work. This means a lot to a writer, and such a response always puts me in a good mood for the rest of the day! On the subject of reviews, by the way, I have now updated the Lake District Mysteries page on my website which contains reviews of The Serpent Pool. Reaction to that book has exceeded even my expectations, and I’m truly delighted by the critiques. The publishers tell me the paperback is due out in January - looking forward to it!

Yours Until Death

I’ve read a few crime novels by Norwegian writers, but this Euro Crime paperback of a book first published as long ago as 1979 was my introduction to the work of Gunnar Staalesen. Yours Until Death is set in Bergen and features private detective Varg Veum, Staalesen’s main series character. And I thought it was excellent.

Credit must go to translator Margaret Amassien for an attractive piece of work – she renders Staalesen’s prose in a very appealing way. This is a well-written novel, which makes very good use of the Bergen backdrop, and it’s a much cleverer mystery than I anticipated after the early pages.

The story begins with a young boy, Roar, asking gumshoe Varg to help his mother, who is being menaced by a teenage gang which hangs out near their flat. Varg lends a hand, and quickly falls under the spell of the mother, the lovely Wenche Andresen. He finds himself embroiled in Wenche’s rather unfortunate private life, and when a man is found dead on the premises, Wenche is the obvious suspect. She is arrested, but Varg is determined to help her prove her innocence.

One unlikely feature of the book is the way so many characters confide very extensively in Varg, but Staalesen just about managed to get me to suspend my disbelief. The revelation about the main culprit comes as a genuine surprise. This is a very enjoyable private eye story, distinctive and memorable.