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aratecla_the_bookrat's review against another edition
4.0
I was attracted to this book by its premise, and I have to say it lived up to the expectations, but it also positively surprised me.
Hannah is a revered author, but of a genre that doesn't really sell much, so her fan base is pretty slim. When at a literary event she voices her frustration at the more famous crime genre and at how similar the books in that genre are and how easy it is to write them, she unexpectedly finds herself accepting a bet. She needs to write a crime novel in 30 days.
To find her inspiration she is flown to a small fishing village in Iceland, where the days are characterised by darkness and cold. When a few days after a body is discovered on the shore, she can't believe her luck, could this be her inspiration?
What she thinks is only curiosity to solve the case to use in her book, soon becomes her mission and she gets entangled with the village's people's lives deeper than she expected. What started as a mere bet and a way to prove something to the literary world, also becomes a way to discover herself. All through the twists and turns in her pursuit to find the murderer, more than once risking losing everything.
I sucked in the atmosphere of this book with the bitter and pure Icelandic background, together with the unfiltered, cynical and self-centered character of Hannah. And although to her own admission in the book, she is changed by the events (who wouldn't?), I was pleased to see she retained her humour and cynicism.
I enjoyed this modernisation of Jessica Fletcher (one of my favourite TV shows growing up) and I found the actual murder case and the motives behind it refreshing and credible. As stated in the book this genre is so widespread that the themes are often the same and each book is a regurgitation of the previous ones. So, I will look out for this author's next books.
If you like a different take on the crime genre with a clumsy self-appointed investigator (who doesn't do a really great job to be honest), but that is highly entertaining, then I recommend this one!
Thanks to the author, Orenda Books and Random Things Tours for a copy and this is my honest opinion.
Hannah is a revered author, but of a genre that doesn't really sell much, so her fan base is pretty slim. When at a literary event she voices her frustration at the more famous crime genre and at how similar the books in that genre are and how easy it is to write them, she unexpectedly finds herself accepting a bet. She needs to write a crime novel in 30 days.
To find her inspiration she is flown to a small fishing village in Iceland, where the days are characterised by darkness and cold. When a few days after a body is discovered on the shore, she can't believe her luck, could this be her inspiration?
What she thinks is only curiosity to solve the case to use in her book, soon becomes her mission and she gets entangled with the village's people's lives deeper than she expected. What started as a mere bet and a way to prove something to the literary world, also becomes a way to discover herself. All through the twists and turns in her pursuit to find the murderer, more than once risking losing everything.
I sucked in the atmosphere of this book with the bitter and pure Icelandic background, together with the unfiltered, cynical and self-centered character of Hannah. And although to her own admission in the book, she is changed by the events (who wouldn't?), I was pleased to see she retained her humour and cynicism.
I enjoyed this modernisation of Jessica Fletcher (one of my favourite TV shows growing up) and I found the actual murder case and the motives behind it refreshing and credible. As stated in the book this genre is so widespread that the themes are often the same and each book is a regurgitation of the previous ones. So, I will look out for this author's next books.
If you like a different take on the crime genre with a clumsy self-appointed investigator (who doesn't do a really great job to be honest), but that is highly entertaining, then I recommend this one!
Thanks to the author, Orenda Books and Random Things Tours for a copy and this is my honest opinion.
doreeny's review against another edition
3.0
This book has received many positive reviews, so I’m in the minority, but it just didn’t resonate with me. As I was reading, I kept thinking that it was intended as a parody of crime fiction, since it offers little that is original and relies so heavily on the tropes of that genre. But the book is being marketed as the first in a new series?
Hannah Krause-Bendix is an established literary writer in Denmark. Though disdainful of crime fiction, she accepts the challenge to write a crime novel in 30 days. Her editor sends her to a remote village in Iceland where she is the houseguest of a woman named Ella. Shortly after Hannah’s arrival, the body of Thor, Ella’s nephew, is pulled from the water. Looking for inspiration, Hannah inserts herself into the investigation.
Hannah is not a likeable character. She is a judgmental, arrogant, and rude. She behaves appallingly, even breaking into her host’s study, though she hopes that Ella won’t notice her vandalism. When she starts investigating, she proves to be rash, insensitive, and inept. The author goes to lengths to show that Hannah does experience personal growth: she becomes less standoffish both personally and professionally. She becomes less self-centred, even starting to show concern for others, and less dismissive of commercial fiction. My problem is not an unlikeable protagonist but the fact that she is 45 years of age. Some of her behaviour is more appropriate to a teenager than a middle-aged person.
I understand that some readers find comfort in the use of the tropes of crime fiction, but I found that this book follows so many of them that the book feels imitative and unoriginal. Of course, Hannah is going to have a drinking problem. Of course Viktor, the town’s sole policeman, is not going to be up to the task. Of course there will be a blizzard which will isolate the town. More than once I thought of Trapped. The only thing that surprised me is that Hannah doesn’t research these tropes to help her in her writing.
More than one event stretched my credulity. We are supposed to accept the arrival of Hannah’s nemesis in this remote town as plausible? Vigdis and Ella are supposed to be close, yet Vigdis knows so little about her sister? Seriously injured people are able to undertake physically demanding tasks? Some of the murderer’s actions seem ridiculous and the motive for so much mayhem seems weak: the killer’s willingness to kill someone who was so obviously also a victim makes no sense.
I love Nordic crime fiction, but this example fell flat for me; the plot is unimaginative and borders on the absurd, and most of the characters remain one-dimensional. Hannah describes crime fiction as formulaic and unoriginal; unfortunately, that describes this book for me.
But as I said at the beginning, I'm in the minority. The novel won the Harald Mogensen Prize for Best Danish Crime Novel of the year and was shortlisted for the Glass Key Award.
Please check out my reader's blog (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/) and follow me on Twitter (@DCYakabuski).
Hannah Krause-Bendix is an established literary writer in Denmark. Though disdainful of crime fiction, she accepts the challenge to write a crime novel in 30 days. Her editor sends her to a remote village in Iceland where she is the houseguest of a woman named Ella. Shortly after Hannah’s arrival, the body of Thor, Ella’s nephew, is pulled from the water. Looking for inspiration, Hannah inserts herself into the investigation.
Hannah is not a likeable character. She is a judgmental, arrogant, and rude. She behaves appallingly, even breaking into her host’s study, though she hopes that Ella won’t notice her vandalism. When she starts investigating, she proves to be rash, insensitive, and inept. The author goes to lengths to show that Hannah does experience personal growth: she becomes less standoffish both personally and professionally. She becomes less self-centred, even starting to show concern for others, and less dismissive of commercial fiction. My problem is not an unlikeable protagonist but the fact that she is 45 years of age. Some of her behaviour is more appropriate to a teenager than a middle-aged person.
I understand that some readers find comfort in the use of the tropes of crime fiction, but I found that this book follows so many of them that the book feels imitative and unoriginal. Of course, Hannah is going to have a drinking problem. Of course Viktor, the town’s sole policeman, is not going to be up to the task. Of course there will be a blizzard which will isolate the town. More than once I thought of Trapped. The only thing that surprised me is that Hannah doesn’t research these tropes to help her in her writing.
More than one event stretched my credulity. We are supposed to accept the arrival of Hannah’s nemesis in this remote town as plausible? Vigdis and Ella are supposed to be close, yet Vigdis knows so little about her sister? Seriously injured people are able to undertake physically demanding tasks? Some of the murderer’s actions seem ridiculous and the motive for so much mayhem seems weak: the killer’s willingness to kill someone who was so obviously also a victim makes no sense.
I love Nordic crime fiction, but this example fell flat for me; the plot is unimaginative and borders on the absurd, and most of the characters remain one-dimensional. Hannah describes crime fiction as formulaic and unoriginal; unfortunately, that describes this book for me.
But as I said at the beginning, I'm in the minority. The novel won the Harald Mogensen Prize for Best Danish Crime Novel of the year and was shortlisted for the Glass Key Award.
Please check out my reader's blog (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/) and follow me on Twitter (@DCYakabuski).
autricesetheroines's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
lee_anne's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
laurenm26's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
hales2385's review
5.0
I loved this book! There was something about it that just gripped me from the start and then I found that I couldn’t put it down! I thought that our main character Hannah, was a little stuck up to start with but then I really came to like her. I think one of the things that I liked was the range of emotions that she went through in the book - some of which were a real surprise to her!
I loved how, despite the fact that Hannah was clearly not a people person she did actually form relationships with some of the other characters fairly quickly, even though one of those was an ongoing dislike of one of them! The storyline itself was intriguing, it definitely felt as though there were hidden secrets from the start, you just weren’t sure who it was keeping them.
I liked the fact that there wasn’t a clear front runner for who the murderer was, and the fact that there were times when there could have been multiple suspects and then none! I thought this was really well written and I loved the fact that it was set in Iceland and the description of the daylight hours (or lack of!). The ending was great and I loved some of those last chapters when it all became clear. I’d love to hear more from Hannah and our other main supporting characters.
I loved how, despite the fact that Hannah was clearly not a people person she did actually form relationships with some of the other characters fairly quickly, even though one of those was an ongoing dislike of one of them! The storyline itself was intriguing, it definitely felt as though there were hidden secrets from the start, you just weren’t sure who it was keeping them.
I liked the fact that there wasn’t a clear front runner for who the murderer was, and the fact that there were times when there could have been multiple suspects and then none! I thought this was really well written and I loved the fact that it was set in Iceland and the description of the daylight hours (or lack of!). The ending was great and I loved some of those last chapters when it all became clear. I’d love to hear more from Hannah and our other main supporting characters.
brownflopsy's review against another edition
5.0
Danish author Hannah Krause-Bendix writes novellas about the human condition, but they have failed to sell in large numbers, despite regularly featuring in the high-brow literary prize lists. Hannah is starting to wonder if writing books no one actually reads is worth the emotional toll that is feeding her descent into alcoholism, no matter how worthy she believes them to be. Struggling with writer's block, her first attempt at a love story is going nowhere, so she decides to head for the literary festival her agent Bastian has been begging her to attend.
Hannah quickly realises that this is not an environment likely to improve her mood. Everything about it emphasises the gulf between her carefully considered, heartfelt prose, and the popular publications she holds in contempt. Her irritation is incited into fury when she is confronted by her literary nemesis, best-selling crime writer Jørn Jensen, who epitomises everything she hates about genre fiction. Inadvertently, Hannah's outrage results in her being openly challenged to write a crime novel of her own in only thirty days, and she is forced to take up the gauntlet or admit to public humiliation.
Bastian sends Hannah off to remote Iceland settlement Húsafjöður to get to work, hoping that the small town vibes and quirky characters will inspire her, but her writer's block persists and rattling-off a crime novel is much harder going than she thought. Two days after her arrival, the body of a young man is pulled from the water, and she is driven from her jaded mood by morbid curiosity. She begins to ask questions about the death, which, while giving her a rich seam of plot ideas for her book, puts everyone in danger. Hannah's growing conviction that this was no accident threatens to expose long buried secrets that some in Húsafjöður would rather stay hidden...
Thirty Days of Darkness is the first part of a brand new crime series starring author, turned unlikely criminal investigator, Hannah Krause-Bendix. Hannah is a spiky character. She begins this story in a self-pitying black hole that keeps everyone at arm's length, except her long-suffering agent Bastian. When her caustic attitude gets her into a spot of bother, the scene is set for Jenny Lund Madsen to weave a layered journey of self-discovery for Hannah, bringing together a highly enjoyable mix of dark comedy and the delicious Nordic noir elements that I love.
The theme of darkness runs cleverly through the threads of this tale, from pitch black moods and the sinister influence of those hiding secrets, to a menacing atmosphere heightened by dwindling daylight hours. In turn, the concept of isolation echoes across the story, reflected in the setting of a remote small town in Iceland, the weather that closes in, and in the history of many of the characters - whether it be a self-imposed distance, or as the result of a community that marginalises those that do not fit its rigid expectations. I particularly enjoyed how Madsen uses language barriers to play on the theme of isolation too.
This is a sharply plotted crime tale, full of mystery, that pulls off the difficult task of blending grit and pitch black humour to perfection. Madsen contrives tense thrills, bloody spills, compelling passionate interludes, and spot-on moments of slapstick comedy - and you can cut the claustrophobic, small-town vibes with a knife. It kept me guessing, made me chuckle at Hannah's blundering about, and has a powerful punch when the shocking reveals start to drop. And that is not all, because Madsen also casts an insightful eye on so many aspects of the world of books, touching on assumptions about the worthiness of different genres, and the writing process, which is very thought provoking.
I consumed this book, and take my hat off once more to Megan E. Turney for her first-class translation work. The little twists, turns, and thawing of frosty relationships have me looking forward with high anticipation to the next book in the series!
Hannah quickly realises that this is not an environment likely to improve her mood. Everything about it emphasises the gulf between her carefully considered, heartfelt prose, and the popular publications she holds in contempt. Her irritation is incited into fury when she is confronted by her literary nemesis, best-selling crime writer Jørn Jensen, who epitomises everything she hates about genre fiction. Inadvertently, Hannah's outrage results in her being openly challenged to write a crime novel of her own in only thirty days, and she is forced to take up the gauntlet or admit to public humiliation.
Bastian sends Hannah off to remote Iceland settlement Húsafjöður to get to work, hoping that the small town vibes and quirky characters will inspire her, but her writer's block persists and rattling-off a crime novel is much harder going than she thought. Two days after her arrival, the body of a young man is pulled from the water, and she is driven from her jaded mood by morbid curiosity. She begins to ask questions about the death, which, while giving her a rich seam of plot ideas for her book, puts everyone in danger. Hannah's growing conviction that this was no accident threatens to expose long buried secrets that some in Húsafjöður would rather stay hidden...
Thirty Days of Darkness is the first part of a brand new crime series starring author, turned unlikely criminal investigator, Hannah Krause-Bendix. Hannah is a spiky character. She begins this story in a self-pitying black hole that keeps everyone at arm's length, except her long-suffering agent Bastian. When her caustic attitude gets her into a spot of bother, the scene is set for Jenny Lund Madsen to weave a layered journey of self-discovery for Hannah, bringing together a highly enjoyable mix of dark comedy and the delicious Nordic noir elements that I love.
The theme of darkness runs cleverly through the threads of this tale, from pitch black moods and the sinister influence of those hiding secrets, to a menacing atmosphere heightened by dwindling daylight hours. In turn, the concept of isolation echoes across the story, reflected in the setting of a remote small town in Iceland, the weather that closes in, and in the history of many of the characters - whether it be a self-imposed distance, or as the result of a community that marginalises those that do not fit its rigid expectations. I particularly enjoyed how Madsen uses language barriers to play on the theme of isolation too.
This is a sharply plotted crime tale, full of mystery, that pulls off the difficult task of blending grit and pitch black humour to perfection. Madsen contrives tense thrills, bloody spills, compelling passionate interludes, and spot-on moments of slapstick comedy - and you can cut the claustrophobic, small-town vibes with a knife. It kept me guessing, made me chuckle at Hannah's blundering about, and has a powerful punch when the shocking reveals start to drop. And that is not all, because Madsen also casts an insightful eye on so many aspects of the world of books, touching on assumptions about the worthiness of different genres, and the writing process, which is very thought provoking.
I consumed this book, and take my hat off once more to Megan E. Turney for her first-class translation work. The little twists, turns, and thawing of frosty relationships have me looking forward with high anticipation to the next book in the series!
feiringen's review against another edition
3.0
Helt ok underholdningskrim. Litt konstruert. Greit spennende. Kunne vært smartere. Krim for de som ikke liker krim, antagelig. Men absolutt underholdende å lese.
marielle2003's review against another edition
4.0
Het verhaal komt langzaam op gang. Vanaf ongerveer pagina 150 wordt het echt interessant. De gebeurtenissen in het verhaal, zijn niet alleen spannend maar ook stof tot nadenken. Aan het einde (na meerdere plottwist’s) voel je een zekere mate van sympathie voor degene die uiteindelijk alles gedaan heeft.
Ja het is zeker een leuk verhaal. Alleen is hier en daar het ietwat krakkemikkig geschreven. Af en toe gebeurt er pagina’s lang niks, voordat er meerdere gebeurtenissen kort na elkaar plaats vinden. Dat maakt dit boek geen vijf sterren, maar vier sterren. Wel is dit boek een aanrader, als je boekt zoekt waar een voldoende spanning inzit + een einde waardoor je het boek niet meer kunt wegleggen voordat je weet hoe het zit!
Ja het is zeker een leuk verhaal. Alleen is hier en daar het ietwat krakkemikkig geschreven. Af en toe gebeurt er pagina’s lang niks, voordat er meerdere gebeurtenissen kort na elkaar plaats vinden. Dat maakt dit boek geen vijf sterren, maar vier sterren. Wel is dit boek een aanrader, als je boekt zoekt waar een voldoende spanning inzit + een einde waardoor je het boek niet meer kunt wegleggen voordat je weet hoe het zit!
theelliemo's review against another edition
2.0
I wouldn’t say I disliked it, but it didn’t wow me either.