#mauzer

[lowellteacuppuppies]

cute baby mauzer puppy 🤍🖤

[l3irdl3rain]

This is mauzers she bullies me to turn on the shower so she can drink and cries when I leave the house

you need to teach her to use her little white feetsies to turn on the shower herself

[fictionfromafar]

Crime Fiction In Translation 2023

This list will be added to throughout 2023

5 Jan

Black Ice by Carin Gerhardsen, translated by Ian Giles, Head Of Zeus SWEDEN

A deadly secret haunts a group of strangers who cross paths in the snow of a Swedish midwinter. The days are short, the air is cold, and all the roads are covered in snow. On a deserted, icy backroad, these wintry conditions bring together a group of strangers with a force devastating enough to change their lives forever

Empathy by Antoine Renand, translated by Frank Wynne, Welbeck FRANCE

Prix Maison de la Presse Award Finalist 2019 Marion Mesny and Anthony Rauch, otherwise known as 'The Pear', work at the heart of the Sexual Assault Unit in Paris.

Renowned for their bravery and intelligence, the pair are not unfamiliar with violent crimes. Yet they are horrified when they discover a criminal who goes by the name of Alpha - a man filled with red-hot hatred, whose meaning of life lies in assaulting and torturing others.

18 Jan

Trouble by Katja Ivar, Bitter Lemon Press FINLAND

Helsinki, early summer 1953. Hella Mauzer, once a member of the city’s murder squad, now a reluctant private investigator, is doing a background check on a member of the Finnish secret services. She accepted the job because she was promised information about the 1942 death of her father. An accident, file closed they say. But not for Hella. Her investigation leads to people who want her stopped dead in her tracks.

The Birthday Party by Laurent Mauvignier, translated by Daniel Levin, Fitzcarraldo Editions FRANCE

While Patrice plans a surprise for his wife's fortieth birthday, inexplicable events start to disrupt the hamlet's quiet existence: anonymous, menacing letters, an unfamiliar car rolling up the driveway. And as night falls, strangers stalk the houses, unleashing a nightmarish chain of events. Told in rhythmic, propulsive prose that weaves seamlessly from one consciousness to the next over the course of a day, Laurent Mauvignier's The Birthday Party is a deft unravelling of the stories we hide from others and from ourselves, a gripping tale of the violent irruptions of the past into the present, written by a major contemporary French writer.

25 Jan

Winter Swallows by Maurizio de Giovanni, translated by Antony Shugaar, Europa Editions ITALY (USA)

Christmas has just passed and the city is preparing to celebrate New Year when, on the stage of a variety show, famous actor Michelangelo Gelmi fires a gun at his wife, Fedora Marra. The shooting itself would be nothing strange: it is repeated every evening as part of their performance. But this time, someone replaced one of the blanks with a real bullet. Gelmi swears his innocence, but few believe him.

The Only Child by Mi-ae Seo, translated by Yewon Jung, Point Blank KOREA

Criminal psychologist Seonkyeong has two new people in her life. A serial killer whose gruesome murders shook the world but who has steadfastly remained silent. A young, innocent looking stepdaughter from her husband's previous marriage, who unexpectedly turns up at the door after the sudden death of her grandparents. Both are unsettling. Both are deeply troubled. And both seem to want something from her. Can she work out just who is the victim in all of this?

29 Jan

Nothing Is Lost by Cloé Mehdi, translated by Howard Curtis, Europa Editions

In a small town just like any other, a police identity check goes wrong. The victim, Saïd, was fifteen years old. And now he is dead. Mattia is just eleven years old, and witnesses the hatred and sadness felt by those around him. While he didn’t know Saïd, his face can be seen all over the neighbourhood, graffitied on walls in red paint, demanding “Justice”. Mattia decides to pull together the pieces of the puzzle, to try to understand what happened. Because even the dead don’t stay buried forever, and nothing is lost, ever.

2 Feb

You Will Never Be Found by Tove Alsterdal, translated by Alice Menzies, Faber & Faber SWEDEN

A body has been found locked in the basement of an abandoned house in the woods. Aside from the victim's name - which he carved into the wall before he died - the police have nothing to go On. Eira is still struggling with the aftermath of her last big case. But no one knows Ådalen like Eira, and she soon begins to immerse herself in this eerie new case.

Nothing Can Hurt You Now by Simone Campos, translated by Rahul Bery, Pushkin Press BRAZIL

Lucinda has lived her whole life in the shadow of her glamorous and outgoing high-end model sister Viviana. But when Viviana suddenly disappears on a trip to Sao Paulo, Lucinda drops everything to track her down. Met with indifference from the police, Lucinda joins forces with Viviana's girlfriend Graziane to launch her own investigation.

Mirror of our Sorrows by Pierre Lemaitre, translated by Frank Wynne, MacLehose Press FRANCE

Louise Belmont runs, naked, down the boulevard du Montparnasse.

To understand the tragic scene she has just experienced, she will have to plunge into the madness of the 'Phoney War', when the whole of France, seized by the panic of a new World War, descends into chaos.

7 Feb

The Island by Katrine Engberg, translated by Tara Chase, Hodder & Staunton, DENMARK

Jeppe Kørner, on leave from the police force and nursing a broken heart, has taken refuge on the island of Bornholm for the winter. Back in Copenhagen, Anette Werner is tasked with leading the investigation into a severed corpse discovered on a downtown playground. As she follows the strange trail of clues, they all seem to lead back to Bornholm. With an innocent offer to check out a lead, Jeppe unwittingly finds himself in the crosshairs of a sinister mystery rooted in the past, forcing him to team up with Anette and Esther to unravel the island’s secrets before it’s too late.

16 Feb

The Last Grudge by Max Seeck, translated by Kristian London, Welbeck FINLAND

While her colleagues investigate the brutal murder of a prominent businessman, Jessica Niemi must battle demons from her past. Powerful executive Eliel Zetterborg has been found murdered in his upscale Helsinki home. What at first seems like a straightforward case soon proves to be anything but when it becomes clear the murderer has other targets. The only clue the police have is a photo of Zetterborg with three men whose faces have all been scratched off.

The Hitchhiker by Gerwin van der Werf, translated by David Colmer, Text Publishing (USA) NETHERLANDS

Tiddo plans a holiday to Iceland, travelling the tourist circuit in a rented campervan. On their trip, they pick up a hitchhiker named Svein, who is tall, handsome and covered in tattoos of ancient runes. When Svein offers to guide them off the beaten track, Tiddo is conflicted. Does Svein pose a threat or offer salvation? Is there wisdom in his stories? What power do his tattoos hold?

23 Feb

The Mill House Murders by Yukito Ayatsuji, translated by Ho-Ling Wong, Pushkin Press JAPAN

Every year, a small group of acquaintances pay a visit to the remote, castle-like Water Mill House, home to the reclusive Fujinuma Kiichi, son of a famous artist, who has lived his life behind a rubber mask ever since a disfiguring car accident.

This year, however, the visit is disrupted by an impossible disappearance, the theft of a painting and a series of baffling murders. The brilliant Kiyoshi Shimada arrives to investigate. But will he uncover the truth?

7 Mar

Tina, Mafia Soldier by Maria Rosa Cutrufelli, translated by Robin Pickering-Iazzi, Soho Crime ITALY

Sicily, 1980s: When she was just eight years old, Tina watched as her father, a member of Cosa Nostra, was murdered in cold blood. Now a teenager, she terrorizes her hometown of Gela, having made it her mission to join the mafia, an organization traditionally forbidden to women as made members. Nicknamed ’a masculidda, or “the tomboy,” Tina has taken charge of her own gang, and is notorious for her cruelty and reckless disregard for societal expectations 

16 March

Red Queen by Juan Gómez-Jurado, translated by Nicholas Caistor, Macmillan, SPAIN

Antonia Scott is special. Very special. She is not a policewoman or a lawyer. She has never wielded a weapon or carried a badge, and yet, she has solved dozens of crimes. But it's been awhile since Antonia left her attic in Madrid. The things she has lost are much more important to her than the things awaiting her outside. She also doesn't receive visitors. That's why she really, really doesn't like it when she hears unknown footsteps coming up the stairs. Whoever it is, Antonia is sure that they are coming to look for her.

The Hand That Feeds You by Mercedes Rosende, translated by Tim Gutteridge, Bitter Lemon Press URAGUAY

The attempted robbery of the armoured truck in the back streets of Montevideo was a miserable failure. A lucky break for the intrepid Ursula who manages to snatch all the loot, more hindered than helped by her faint-hearted and reluctant companion Diego. Only now, the wannabe robbers are hot on her heels. As is the police. And a private detective. And Ursula's sister. But Ursula turns out to be enormously talented when it comes to criminal undertakings, and given the hilarious ineptitude of those in pursuit, she might just pull it off. She is an irresistible heroine. A murderess with a sense of humor, a lovable criminal with an edge and she is practically invisible to the men who dominate the deeply macho society of Uruguay.

The Spider by Lars Kepler, translated by Alice Menzies,  Zaffre SWEDEN

Three years ago, Saga Bauer received a postcard with a threatening text about a gun with nine white bullets - one of which is waiting for Detective Joona Linna. But time passed and the threat faded. Until now. A sack with a decomposed body is found tied to a tree in the forest. A milky white bullet casing is found at the murder scene. And soon the police are sent complicated riddles from the killer - a chance to stop further murders.

23 Mar

Mothers' Instinct by Barbara Abel, Translated by Susan Pickford, Harper Collins

David and Laetitia Brunelle and Sylvain and Tiphaine Geniot are inseparable friends and next-door neighbors in a pretty, tranquil suburb. Their sons Milo and Maxime, born in the same year, grow up together as close as brothers. But when Maxime is killed in an accident, their idyllic world shatters. Maxime's parents, Sylvain and Tiphaine, are consumed by grief and bitterness, while David and Laetitia are wracked with guilt for their role in the tragedy. Then a mysterious series of “accidents” begins to happen to Milo, raising Laetitia’s suspicions.

The Girl By The Bridge by Arnaldur Indridason, translated by Victoria Cribb, Vintage Publishing ICELAND

An elderly couple are worried about their granddaughter. They know she's been smuggling drugs, and now she's gone missing. Looking for help, they turn to Konrad, a former policeman whose reputation precedes him. Always absent-minded, he constantly ruminates on the fate of his father, who was stabbed to death decades ago. But digging into the past reveals much more than anyone set out to discover, and a little girl who drowned in the Reykjavik city pond unexpectedly captures everyone's attention.

30 March

The Sins Of Our Fathers by Asa Larsson, translated by Frank Perry, MacLehose Press SWEDEN

Forensic pathologist Lars Pohjanen has only a few weeks to live when he asks Rebecka Martinsson to investigate a murder that has long since passed the statute of limitations. A body found in a freezer at the home of the deceased alcoholic, Henry Pekkari, has been identified as a man who disappeared without a trace in 1962: the father of Swedish Olympic boxing champion Börje Ström. Rebecka wants nothing to do with a fifty-year-old case - she has enough to worry about. But how can she ignore a dying man's wish?

The Shadow Lily by Johanna Mo, translated by Alice Menzies,  Penguin Books SWEDEN

Small-town police detective Hanna Duncker has a past. Her deceased father was convicted of murder and arson long ago, and she has taken up residence and resumed her police career in her hometown after his death. She and her partner Erik Lindgren are called to investigate the disappearance of a father and his infant son from their home while his pregnant wife was away on a weekend trip.

Lady Joker Vol 2 by Kaoru Takamura, translated by Allison Markin Powell and Marie Iide, John Murray Press JAPAN

This second half of Lady Joker, by Kaoru Takamura, the Grand Dame of Japanese crime fiction, concludes the breathtaking saga introduced in Volume I. Inspired by the real-life Glico-Morinaga kidnapping, an unsolved case that terrorized Japan for two years, Lady Joker reimagines the circumstances of this watershed episode in modern Japanese history and brings into riveting focus the lives and motivations of the victims, the perpetrators, the heroes and the villains.

Tomas Nevinson by Javier Marias, translated by Margaret Jull Costa, Hamish Hamilton Ltd SPAIN

Tomas Nevinson has left the secret service and returned to his old job working in the British Embassy in Madrid.

Assumed dead by his wife Berta, Tomas attempts to resume his previous life and heal from his psychological wounds. But when he is contacted by his old boss, Bertram Tupra, Nevinson reluctantly becomes involved in a plan to locate and eliminate a woman believed to have helped orchestrate the 1987 Hipercor bombing.

3 April

The Consultant by Im Seong-sun, translated by An Seon Jae, Raven Books KOREA

The Consultant is very good at his job. He creates elegant, effective solutions for … restructuring. Nothing obvious or messy. Certainly, nothing anyone would suspect as murder. The ‘natural deaths’ he plans have always gone well: a medicine replaced here; a mechanism jammed there. His performance reviews are excellent. And it’s not as though he knows these people. Until his next ‘customer’ turns out to be someone he not only knows but cares about, and for the first time, he begins to question the role he plays in the vast, anonymous Company. As he slowly begins to understand the real scope of their work, he realises just how easy it would be for the Company to arrange one more perfect murder.

13 Apr

Stigma by Thomas Enger and Jørn Lier Horst, translated by Megan E. Turney. Orenda Books, NORWAY

Incarcerated in a Norwegian high-security prison, a broken Alexander Blix joins forces with Emma Ramm to find a ruthless killer who has escaped from a German jail. Pulse-pounding Nordic Noir. Alexander Blix is a broken man. Convicted for avenging his daughter’s death, he is now being held in one of Norway’s high-security prisons. Inside, the other prisoners take every opportunity to challenge and humiliate the former police investigator .On the outside, Blix’s former colleagues have begun the hunt for a terrifying killer. Walter Kroos has escaped from prison in Germany and is making his way north.

Skin Deep by Antonia Lassa, translated by Jacky Collins, Corylus Books SPAIN

In the glamorous resort of Biarritz, the corpse of an elderly millionaire is discovered brutally scarred with acid burns in a downmarket rental apartment. Her young lover is the chief suspect but the authorities admit they are not entirely convinced about his guilt. It will take the intervention of private detective Albert Larten to explore all the complexities of desire, and ultimately reveal the truth.

4 May

Nineteen Claws and a Black Bird by Agustina Bazterrica, translated by Sarah Moses, Pushkin Press ARGENTINA

On hearing her neighbour's body plummet on to her patio, a woman's comfortable life seems to split open.

A cab driver's perfectly manicured nails may be concealing grisly secrets. In these tense, macabre stories, acclaimed author Agustina Bazterrica strikes to the dark heart of our desires, fears and fantasies.

11 May

Blood Ties by Veronica E Llaca, translated by Mark Fried, Mountain Leopard MEXICO

When the writer Ignacio Suarez is sent photos of two murdered women, mirroring a passage of his detective novel, he rushes to uncover who is responsible. What no one suspects is that the key to solving these crimes lies in the forgotten story of Felicitas Sanchez, the midwife turned child-killer who became known in the 1940s as 'The Ogress of Colonia Roma'.

Thirty Days of Darkness by Jenny Lund Madsen, translated by Megan E. Turney, Orenda Books DENMARK

Copenhagen author Hannah is publicly challenged to write a crime novel in thirty days. Scared that she will lose face, she accepts, and her editor sends her to Húsafjöður – a quiet, tight-knit village in Iceland, filled with colorful local characters – for inspiration. But two days after her arrival, the body of a fisherman’s young son is pulled from the water … and what begins as a search for plot material quickly turns into a messy and dangerous investigation that threatens to uncover secrets that put everything at risk … including Hannah.

Coffee and Cigarettes by Ferdinand Von Schrirach, translated by Kat Hall, Baskerville GERMANY

Von Schirach returns with gripping character portraits and short stories, as well as autobiographical vignettes and astute observations drawn from his life and career. From conversations with imprisoned clients, great writers and supreme court judges, and vignettes on art, film and smoking, to observations on Germany's heavy history - as well as his own family's. The result is a revealing, revelatory collection

25 May

Killing Moon by Jo Nesbø, translated by Robert Ferguson, Vintage Publishing NORWAY

Harry has gone to Los Angeles to drink himself to death, in the wake of his life back in Oslo falling to pieces. He’s nearly managed to, but Harry has been helping an older film actress, Lucille, to get away from the grips of a drug cartel to which she owes one million dollars, and in return she’s given him shelter, company and a tailored suit. In Oslo, two girls have disappeared and been found murdered and one of the suspects is a well-known real estate magnate. Katrine Bratt wants to bring in the country’s foremost serial killings expert, but the idea of collaborating with Harry Hole is out of the question for the chiefs of police.

The Invisible Web by Oliver Bottini, translated by Jamie Bulloch, Maclehose Press GERMANY

Berlin: A man is beaten up, the attacker escapes undetected. As a trail leads to Freiburg, Chief Inspector Louise Bonì is sent to investigate. It's a complex case: the attacker appears to be a professional, the victim a secret service informer, the only witness knows more than she's saying, and the domestic intelligence service is hovering in the background but refusing to cooperate. Industrial espionage appears to be at play, focused on the burgeoning solar energy sector.

Lazarus by Kjell Ola Dahl, translated by Don Bartlett, Orenda Books, NORWAY

Summer, 1943. When a courier for Sweden's Press and Military Office is killed on his final mission, the Norwegian government-in-exile appoints a writer to find the missing documents ... breathtaking WW2 thriller. Daniel Berkak works as a courier for the Press and Military Office in Stockholm. On his last cross-border mission to Norway, he carries a rucksack full of coded documents and newspapers, but before he has a chance to deliver anything he is shot and killed and the contents of his rucksack are missing.

Cult by Henrik Fexeus and Camilla Läckberg, translated by Ian Giles, Harper Collins, SWEDEN

A young child is snatched in broad daylight outside his nursery. Nobody in charge sees a thing, but the other children say a woman is the culprit… Detective Mina Dabiri calls on her close friend Vincent to untangle the puzzle that surrounds the kidnapped boy. As he finds a link between the boy and other others who have gone missing, it becomes clear that time is running out for everyone involved… Meanwhile, Mina’s estranged daughter gets caught up in the secretive world of Epicura, a shadowy organisation that claims to be a centre for leadership development. Can Mina protect her child—a child who doesn’t even know she exists?

1 Jun

The Collector by Anne Mette Hancock, translated by Tara Chase, Swift Press, DENMARK

When 10-year-old Lukas disappears from his Copenhagen school, police investigators discover that the boy had a peculiar obsession with pareidolia—a phenomenon that makes him see faces in random things. A photo on his phone posted just hours before his disappearance shows an old barn door that resembles a face. Journalist Heloise Kaldan thinks she recognizes the barn—but from where?

8 Jun

Inmate by Sebastian Fitzek, translator TBC, Head Of Zeus GERMANY

A desperate father. A terrible secret. Serial killer Guido T has already confessed to two horrific child murders and led the Berlin police to the horribly disfigured bodies. The police are sure he is also the kidnapper and murderer of six-year-old Max, who disappeared without trace a year ago. But now Guido T, who is being held in the high-security ward of a psychiatric prison hospital, is staying silent.

15 Jun

The Murder of Anton Livius by Hansjörg Schneider, translated by Mike Mitchell, Bitter Lemon Press SWITZERLAND

For Inspector Hunkeler the New Year begins with a most unwelcome phone call. He is summoned back to Basel from his holiday to unravel a gruesome killing in a gardening allotment on the city's outskirts. An old man known as Anton Fluckiger has been shot in the head and found hanging from a butcher's hook from the roof of his garden shed - like butchers hang the carcasses of dead animals.

The Woman Inside by M. T. Edvardsson, translator TBC, MacMillan SWEDEN

A wealthy couple ends up murdered in the nicest part of town in this compulsively readable, page-turning thriller from M. T. Edvardsson, The Woman Inside. Bill Olsson, recently widowed, is desperate to provide for his daughter, Sally. Struggling to pay rent, he welcomes a lodger into their home: Karla, a law student and aspiring judge, who works as a housekeeper to make ends meet. Her clients are the Rytters, an incredibly wealthy couple who hide behind closed doors. The wife is ill and hasn’t left the house in months. The husband is controlling and obsessive. Is he just a worried husband, concerned for his wife’s health? Or is there something more sinister at play?

29 June

The Devil's Flute Murders by Seishi Yokomizo, translated by Jim Rion, Pushkin Press JAPAN

The scruffy sleuth Kosuke Kindaichi investigates a series of gruesome murders within the feuding family of a brooding, troubled composer, whose most famous work chills the blood of all who hear it. The Devil's Flute Murders is an ingenious and highly atmospheric classic whodunit from Japan's master of crime.

Deadly Autumn Harvest by Tony Mott, translated by Marina Sofia, Corylus Books

When what seems to be a series of random murders start troubling the beautiful Carpathian town of Brașov, forensic pathologist Gigi Alexa is asked to collaborate with the police to handle one of the rare instances of a serial killer in Romania. Encountering prejudice as an ambitious woman in a misogynistic world, she soon discovers that the killer may be on her trail as well.

6 Jul

Death of the Red Rider by Yulia Yakovleva, translated by Ruth Ahmedzai, Pushkin Press RUSSIA

As the Red Terror gathers pace, a horseman and horse mysteriously collapse in the middle of a race in Leningrad. Weary Detective Zaitsev, still raw from his last brush with the Party, is dispatched to the Soviet state cavalry school in Novocherkassk, southern Russia, to investigate.

11 Jul

A Little Luck by Claudia Pinero, translated by Frances Riddle, Charco Press ARGENTINA

After twenty years, a woman returns to the suburban Argentina she had fled to escape a dreadful accident, a sense of guilt, and social condemnation, leaving her son behind.

But the woman who returns is not the same: she doesn't look the same, her voice is different, she doesn't even have the same name. After two decades spent in the United States, this damaged woman has rebuilt her life. Will those who knew her even recognise her? Will _he _recognise her? Not fully understanding her own reasons for going back to the place where she once lived and raised a family, and that she had been determined to forget forever, both anticipated encounters and unanticipated revelations show her that sometimes life is neither fate nor chance: perhaps her return is nothing more than a little luck.

The Stranger in the Seine by Guillaume Musso, translated by Rosie Eyre, Weidenfeld & Nicholson FRANCE

Paris, a misty night a few days before Christmas: a young woman is saved from the waters of the Seine. She is naked, doesn't remember her name or how she ended up in the river, but is still alive. The mysterious woman is taken to the hospital - and then disappears in thin air. DNA testing reveals her to be celebrated concert pianist.

Anatomy of a Killer by Romy Hausmann, translated by Jamie Bulloch, Quercus Publishing GERMANY

Berlin, 2017: several young girls have been disappearing for the past fourteen years. Red ribbons show the police the way to their bodies, but there's no trace of the killer. One evening, internationally renowned philosophy professor and anthropologist Walter Lesniak is arrested on the suspicion of the murders in the presence of his daughter, Ann. 'Professor Death' becomes the headline of the tabloid press and Lesniak himself refuses to cooperate with the police.

20 Jul

Blizzard by Marie Vingtras, translated by Stephanie Smee, Mountain Leopard Press, FRANCE

In a harsh, Alaskan landscape, four solitary characters are brought together by a desperate hunt to find a missing child. Blizzard is a gripping thriller. Quiet and unnerving, but building to a breath-taking dramatic climax. A blizzard rages in Alaska. In the storm, a woman stops for a moment to tie her shoelaces. Seconds later, the child under her protection has vanished. She searches for him, soon joined by the very few other inhabitants who live in this cold, desolate place. As the hunt intensifies - a race against the clock in these excruciating conditions to bring back the child alive - the inner demons and torments of each individual are revealed, and their uncanny connection to one another is finally unveiled.

You Can't See Me by Eva Björg Ægisdóttir, translated by Victoria Cribb, Orenda Books, ICELAND

A wealthy family is investigated and dark secrets exposed when a body is found on the lava fields outside the hotel where they’ve gathered for a reunion. This is a Forbidden Iceland prequel.

The Great Snake by Pierre Lemaitre, translated by Frank Wynne, Mountain Leopard Press FRANCE

Mathilde has always been a headstrong woman. A member of the French resistance when she was just eighteen years old, she both impressed and horrified everyone with her cool capacity for violence. Now it is 1985 and Mathilde is in her sixties. She is not as glamorous as she once was, but she continues to take great pride in all that she does. Recently, however, the sixty-three-year-old has been affected by loss of memory and erratic changes in mood that even her exasperated dog Ludo has noticed. This is a potentially dangerous situation, since Mathilde now makes her living as a contract killer...

27 Aug

Reykjavik by Katrín Jakobsdóttir and Ragnar Jónasson, translated by Victoria Cribb, Michael Joseph ICELAND

Iceland, 1956. Fifteen-year-old Lára spends the summer working for a couple on the small island of Videy, just off the coast of Reykjavík. In early August, the girl disappears without a trace. The mystery becomes Iceland's greatest unsolved case. What happened to the young girl? Is she still alive? Did she leave the island, or did something happen to her there?

31 Aug

The Girl In The Eagle’s Talons: Millennium 7 by Karin Smirnoff, translated by Sarah Death, MacLehose Press SWEDEN

Karin Smirnoff’s take on the Millennium series.  The story that follows hacker Lisbeth Salander and investigative journalist Mikael Blomkvist, moves from Stockholm to Northern Sweden, an area vast and beautiful, but also dealing with economic and social problems and the effects of climate change and environmental exploitation.

Feral by Gabrielle Filteau-Chiba, translated by David Homel, Mountain Leopard Press, CANADA

Set in the Canadian forest, Feral is a feminist eco-thriller, a passionate love story and an ode to nature's ferocious beauty. Raphaelle, a forty-year-old forest warden, has been estranged from her family for many years. She lives with her beloved dog, Coyote, in a caravan deep in the Canadian woods.Fiercely independent and cut off from civilisation, she is always armed, protecting herself from bears, coyotes and lynxes who she in turn defends from sadistic, overzealous poachers. Soon after Raphaelle discovers animal footprints outside her cabin, her dog vanishes and is eventually found severely injured. And then it is not long before Raphaelle herself becomes the prey of the forest's ultimate predator, which is not animal, but man.

14 Sep

The Eye Collector by Sebastian Fitzek, Head of Zeus GERMANY

The first in a powerfully unsettling new trilogy by the master of the psychothriller, Sebastian Fitzek. First he kills the mother, then he kidnaps the child. The grieving father is given 45 hours to search for them. If the child isn't found, they die, never leaving the place they have been imprisoned. That's his method: the man they call the Eye Collector. Because the horror doesn't end there. All the bodies found are missing their left eye

To Be Confirmed...

The Prey by Yrsa Sigurdsdottir

The Beaver Theory by Antti Tuomainen

2024

20 Jun

The Children of the Cult by Mariette Lindstein, HQ

Previous lists here:

[isaarnoldphotos]

Mauzer at '93 Tap

by: Isa Arnold P.

[northernstarrants]

Yugoslav TurboFolk

In recent times, I have started to listen to an increasing (and admittedly bizarre) amount of Yugoslav turbofolk.

To clarify, wikipedia defines turbofolk as “[…] a subgenre of Serbian contemporary pop music that initially developed during the 1990s as a fusion of techno and folk.” This definition is fine, but makes a few fairly major mistakes. I will also specify that I am talking about military turbofolk. I will use the term “Turbofolk” for simplicity, but I do specifically mean turbofolk with war and conflict as a backdrop.

For one, turbofolk is not unique to Serbia. Most ex-Yugoslav, or even, more broadly, most balkan states have some form of turbofolk. In addition to that, one could even argue that turbofolk exists outside of those countries, but I won’t discuss that argument immediately.

In addition to this, I think that referring to it as Serbian at all is bizarre. Must turbofolk artists would date back to Yugoslav times, and even thought most artist espouse views of national or ethnic superiority for their specific group, it is still bizarre to say “Serbia” when Croats and Bosnians have produced songs in that genre as well.

But why turbofolk?

To be concise; because it’s catchy. There is an undeniable appeal to music that is purely catchy. To use a non-Turbofolk example; the song “Sommartider” by Gyllene Tider is not particularly interesting musically. It is essentially the same lyrics repeated over and over again over a fairly uniform track, but it’s a very good song. It’s hard to listen to a song like that, even if, unlike me, you don’t particularly like that kind of music, without humming the chorus to yourself.

(Sommartider, hej! Hej! Sommartider, ge mig din hunger, ge mig din hand.)

Essentially, even if one doesn’t find a song particularly interesting musically, it can earn merit based solely on it being enjoyable.

The same rule applies to most turbofolk. “Panteri Mauzer” by Roki Vulovic is not a very interesting song musically. Neither are “Bosanska artiljerija” or “Tata”, but they are still fun to listen to just for the undeniably catchy choruses.

But there is an obvious elephant in the room I haven’t adressed; subject matter.

A vast majority of turbofolk music contains lyrics, messages, or other links to some utterly deplorable things. A song I mentioned earlier, “Tata”, by features the opening lines…

“Moj je tata zločinac iz rata

Moj je tata zločinac iz rata

Vi se potrudite pa ga osudite

Vi se potrudite pa ga osudite”

For those wondering, these roughly translate to…

“My dad is a war criminal

My dad is a war criminal

You do your best to condemn him

You do your best to condemn him”

I trust I don’t need to clarify, but this is praising the war-criminal-father, as opposed to condemning him. This is an example, but there are many more (and many FAR worse I could’ve chosen from.)

Context

Most of these songs were written in the early to mid 1990s, a period of turmoil in the balkans; on account of the dissolution of Yugoslavia. The breakup of this large nation caused ethnic groups that had been living together in relative peace to begin fighting, in a bid to gain their “rightful territory” from their neighbors.

This is a major oversimplification, there were many causes of both the increase in fighting between ethnic groups and the dissolution of Yugoslavia. It’s a sort of “Chicken or the egg”, as it was in large part due to tensions between these that the nation collapsed; which led to even more ethnic conflict.

But essentially, ethnic tension led to groups seeking their own states, which led to further tension, and so on in a vicious cycle.

Subject Matter

But with that in mind, one can now address subject matter again. These ethnic conflicts frequently resulted in the massacre of civilian populace. And an important tool for this was propaganda. Among other sources, these songs served the important role of reinforcing the idea that “my group is better than this other group, and therefore I am justified in extreme violence against them.” For instance, “Oj Alija Aljo”, a song written by Serb-Nationalist band Коридор features a number of lines specifying that the Bosnian muslims are inferior to the Serb orthodox Christians. Importantly, this phenomenon was not unique to the Serbian factions during the Yugoslav wars; most groups involved had their own turbofolk. To summarise, a lot of this music’s subject matter comes from its origins in military and ethnic conflict, in which it was beneficial to praise one’s own side, whilst insulting the other.

At this section’s conclusion, I will establish these as being my rules for what defines a turbofolk song:

• The song generally praises the group the made it, or the religion and values of the group that made it.

•The song is generally linked to conflict, specifically linked to promoting or encouraging one side of the conflict.

•Musically, the song in question must combine traditional folk elements with contemporary pop.

•The songs in question should generally be catchy or upbeat, or slow and inspiring.

The Balkans?

In the beginning, I mentioned that I took issue with saying that turbofolk is a uniquely Balkan phenomenon. I disagree. I believe that one could argue a number of nations have their own versions of turbofolk. An obvious example is Ireland. If we are to look at the folk-rock band The Wolfe Tones, almost every song they released in their 50+ year career fits into the categories I established above. The only major differences being, they praise the IRA, or other extremist factions of that era, as opposed to a balkan extremist group, and that the “folk” element is Irish folk, as opposed to Balkan. If we are to look at Broad Black Brimmer, written some time around 1970. The most famous version of this song, recorded by the Wolfe Tones in 1973, opens with traditional Irish instruments over the first two verses. However, after the second chorus, the song start over for the first verse a second time and a third chorus. Except this time, instead of the traditional Irish instruments, the backing track is a very early 70s-sounding hard rock track. With a bluesy guitar and prominent drums, this is an obvious departure from the banjos and fiddles one can generally expect from Irish folk. This song fits perfectly in the criteria I established for turbofolk, but I am willing to admit that there is something missing. This song fits the criteria, and yet it isn’t turbofolk.

The most important factor of turbofolk, in my opinion, is the balkans.

Turbofolk’s main appeal to me isn’t the awful, yet morbidly interesting lyrics, or the catchy hooks and refrains; it’s the fact that it can function as a time capsule. One can listen back on these songs, and in a way that isn’t the case with the Wolfe Tones, who still have bands that regularly cover them, hear something that probably won’t be done again. Listening to “Bosanska Artiljerija” for instance, feels, above all else, uncensored. It seems like something that should have been left in the past and yet wasn’t. Arguably the most accessible memento of these wars and ethnic cleansing that killed thousands is nothings violent, but something jovial. A catchy pop-song, that if one didn’t know any better, could be referring to anything.

It is in this capacity that turbofolk is so very interesting. These songs that sound like they could be so innocent and joyous, originating in one of Europe’s darkest chapters. And therefore, I think it’s important that the term turbofolk isn’t used for anything it could fit. Yes, I believe the Wolfe Tones have all the makings of a Turbofolk band, yet they aren’t, simply because Turbofolk, as a such an entity, only existed during that short window, during the 90s in Southeastern Europe.

[mentalnahigijena]

Kapetan Milan Krljević, potporučnik Andrija Stanković, Luka Đurković, Andrija Vučinić, student, Mihailo Sekulić, Simo Raičević, Božo Krivokapić, student. Ivo Ljenavič, Milorad Petrović, Vladimir Lopičić, student, kapetan Petar Kovačević, Pavić Pajović, Milisav Drljević, Petar Đukanović, student. Miloš Šćepanović, Radonja Medenica, Milika Medenica, Risto Miranović, Pitkola Božović, Vule Mitrović, Mile Vučeraković, Gojko Radoičić, Veljko Petrović, student, Dimitrije Lahović. Ilija Leković, Aleksa Uskoković, Milinko Rosić, Radosav Đurović, Vaso Karadaklić, Đorđe Mandić, Lazar Čikić, Mitar Kiković, Milisav Đurković, Mihailo Novičić, Nikola Kandić, Rašo Kavedžić, Andrija Petrović, student, Spasoje Zuletić, Rade Mijović, Petar Mijović, Mašan Medenica, Aleksandar Đokić, student. Vidak Žugić, Marko Martinić, Ilija Vlašić, Ljubo Vučeraković, Petar Ilić, Radonja Vulić, Jakov Badnjar, Novica Radović, Jakov Adžić, Petar Džanjević, student, Petar Rosić, Vuksan Budinić. Novak Stanković, Panto Acović, Andrija Babić, Marko Kiković, Djordje Rogač, Vlado Vulić, Petar Pešić. Ilija Đuković, Petar Ročen. Niko Božović, Jovan Popović, Luka Nikčević, Lazo Lekić, Vasilj Ušćumlić, Ilija Martinović, student, Jagoš Nedić, Vujadin Šćepanović, Radivoje Nedić, Vuko Sekulović, Veko Rakočević, Jovan Ćulafić, Todor Tomčić, Okica Vasiljević, Drago Petrović, student, Milinko Mrdak, Vule Radović, Vuko Deletić, Šćepan Vasiljević, Bogdan Živković, Živko Tanjević, Milija Šekulara, Blažo Blagojević, Jagoš Vasović, Bajo Radmilović, Mirko Živković, Simo Ivanišević, student, Kostandin Tomčić, Lazar Tomović, potporučnik, Nikola Knežević, Jovan. Radoman .Torđe Šćekić, Nikola Muchalica, Jovan Jovanović, Mihailo Šaulić, Miljan Raljević, Ignjat Đedović, Đorđe Kontić, student, Krsto Kovačević, Milija Braletić, Jevrem Kršikana, potporučnik, Miloš Karabasil, Ignjat Mumin, Milan Radović. Teofil Rađenović, Bogdan Lazica, Niko Šćepanović, Milisav Savović, Đukan Lakičević, Pavle Jovanović, Mihailo Božanović, Danilo Vešović, student, Miloš Babović, Pavle Babić Đoko Kraljević. Novak Turović, Jako Božović. Petar Kaletić, Luka Kadić, Milija Đurović, Tomo Martinović, Vaso Babić, Mihajlo Badanović, Panto Budalić Blagoje Grgur. Šćepan Mauzer, Radojko Jašović, student, Drago Brajović, Radosav Armuv, Miloš Obradović, Savo Radović, Dimitrije Božović, Rade Popović, Neđeljko Terzić, Jovo Vrlacić, Milovan Savić, Dragutin Bilinković, Radojica Perović, Blažo Vučković. Petar Vadović, Mičko Babić, Vasilije Vabić, Stevan Tmusić, Miljan Orović, Labud Baltić, Đuro Vukasević, student, Stjepan Kadić, Vuko Pejović, Lazar Popović, Pavle Babić, Gojko Babić, Petar Dabović, Jefto Trklja, Jovan Vušurović.

[rosemariecawkwell]

Review: Trouble, by Katja Ivar

PUB DATE: January 19, 2023 MARKET: Nordic Noir BINDING: Paperback B-Format PRICE: £9.99 EXTENT: 224 pages ISBN: 9781913394-776 The third in the series featuring Hella Mauzer, to follow on the success of Evil Things and Deep as Death.A Nordic Noir of the first-order set in Helsinki in 1953. A dark political thriller at the heart of the Cold War; a novel about ruthless ambition and betrayal,…

[avtomatkalashnikova]

Subscribe to Mauzer Warcrime

[julicity]

from that one mobile rpg i liked more than others but doesn’t exist anymore-

art tag | art archive

[mauzersewingmachines]

Shipping Globally 🌎 Dm us - @mauzersewingmachines Email - mauzerinternational@gmail.com Exciting New Colors 🌈 Available To Choose From With Instant Shipping ✈. By - Mauzer International. #Mauzerinternational #mauzer #mauzercylinderarm #singer114w103 #singer114w120 #chainstitching #chainstitchembroiderymachine #bonnaz #cornelymachine #lintzeckhardtberlin #cornley #chainstitchembroiderypatches #jeans👖 #usa #pontorusticobordados #custompatches #madierathread #embroidery #patchechange #singer114e103 #114w103 #Mauzersewingmachines #vintageindustrialsewingmachines #mosstitch #chenillepatch #levisusa#chenillepatches #chainstitchembroidery #Chainstitchmachine #handembroidery (at Mauzersewingmachines) https://www.instagram.com/p/CdQmi8uPKpQ/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[lilu-bird-blog]

photobombing.... maui style 😉 his noneye looks cute here! its pretty gross tho 😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂 . . . . . . . . . . . . #oneeyedcat #mainecoone #orangecat #fluffycatcrew #oneeyedcats #petstagram #cats #catsofinstagram #photobomb #oneeye #winky #purplehair #undercut #maccosmetics #manicpanic #colorfullybold #maui #mauzer

[fictionfromafar]

Trouble by Katja Ivar

Trouble

By Katja Ivar

Bitter Lemon Press

Publication Date: 19 January 2023

I found Trouble to be a captivating story set in Helsinki which is placed during a fascinating historical era offering an exciting blend of mystery, intrigue with some cloak and dagger brinkmanship. The novel works entertains as a thriller, but it also is a very informative story which tells you much about the situation in Finland at the time it was set. During the post-war period memories of Finland’s war with the Soviet Union in an attempt to reclaim lost territory placed them on the same side as the Axis forces. Having assumed a neutral status since the war, this left the country in an uncomfortable proximity to a country which occupied one sixth of the earth’s surface during a period of change.

Despite having not read the two preceding novels in the Hella Mauzer series: Evil Things and Deep Is Death, I found it did not take long to learn enough of Hella Mauzer’s to be able to follow this story. Still haunted by the death of her family, Hella is short of work as a private investigator when her former police chief contacts her for what appears to be a fairly simple task. She is asked to look into the background of a secret service member named Heikkinen before he is offered a future senior role in the police forces. While it seems a straightforward task, she is told a few concerning facts about Heikkinen which the authorities believe warrants further investigation. Hella Mauzer agrees to undertake the work in exchange for access to the police files into the death of her family. The story that follows combines the protagonist’s investigation into both cases.

Perhaps unusually for a modern crime thriller the focus remains on Hella Mauzer throughout the story as she looks into her father’s back history and connections, while initially giving appearances of following due diligence in exploring some of the events that have occurred in Heikkinen’s life. Not everything is as it seems, but Hella is once again able to try to take advantage of what she discovers. Trouble also is very enlightening about the uneasy cooperation between leaders of the Finnish armed forces and their counterparts in Nazi Germany. While I did find there were perhaps a couple of fortunate memories and coincidences that arise, where would any investigation be without a degree of luck?

The well-travelled author was born in Moscow before being raised in the USA and I look forward to exploring her earlier novels and indeed whatever she looks to write next.

Trouble is available now:

The blurb:

A Nordic Noir of the first-order set in Helsinki in 1953. A dark political thriller at the heart of the Cold War; a novel about ruthless ambition and betrayal, but also about the challenges of being a single professional woman in post war Europe. Helsinki, June 1953, at the heart of the Cold War. Hella, now a reluctant private investigator, has been asked by her former boss at the Helsinki murder squad to do a background check on a member of the Finnish secret services. Not the type of job Hella was hoping for, but she accepts it on the condition that she is given access to the files concerning the roadside death of her father in 1942, at a time when Finland joined forces with Nazi Germany in its attack against the Soviet Union. German troops were sent to Finland, the Gestapo arrived in Helsinki and German influence on local government was strong, including demands for the deportation of local Jews. Colonel Mauzer, his wife and other family members were killed by a truck in a hit and run incident. An accident, file closed, they said. But not for Hella, whose unwelcome investigation leads to some who would prefer to see her stopped dead in her tracks.

About the author:

Katja Ivar grew up in Russia and the U.S. She travelled the world extensively, from Almaty to Ushuaia, from Karelia to Kyushu. She now lives in Washington, DC with her husband and three children. Katja received a B.A. in Linguistics and a master's degree in Contemporary History from Sorbonne University.

Many thanks to Bitter Lemon Press for an advance copy of Trouble and to Anne Cater for inclusion on the blog tour. Please check out the other reviews of this book on the blog tour as shown below:

[isaarnoldphotos]

Mauzer at Banger

by: Isa Arnold P.

[grungygardener]

He looks at me like I'm the sun on a cloudy day. It's been so rainy the past few weeks. He's *my* sun. #starfleetpup #mauzer #dogsofinsta #rainyday #youaremysunshine #dogsarethebest (at Easthampton, Massachusetts)

[preporodbn]

Održana premijera filma Avde Huseinovića u Janji

Održana premijera filma Avde Huseinovića u Janji

Uprkos ultimatumu ‘Pantera’: Održana premijera filma Avde Huseinovića u Janji Uprkos ultimatumima i traženju zabrane, večeras se u Centru za kulturu u Janji održava premijerno prikazivanje filma pod nazivom “Ubijeni prirodnom smrću” autora Avde Huseinovića, publiciste, istraživača, autora brojnih dokumentarnih filmova, a u produkciji “PodrinjeMedia”. Događaj je izazvao veliki interes u Semberiji,…

[itstimewehavesomesoliddick]

The virgin war aesthetics fan vs the chad mauzer enthusiast