Helene Turston. Snow Drift. 2018. Translation, New York: Soho Press, 2020.
A good police procedural is always welcome, so here we are in and around Gothenberg, Sweden. Embla Nyström is a local detective, off duty with her stepson Elliot, visiting her rural uncle; R & R for Embla often includes the Swedish pastime of hunting in the forests. However, it's not a wild animal but a murdered man who gets her attention, when Uncle Nisse's neighbour Harald calls. Harald and his wife operate a deluxe country vacation lodge; the dead man in one of their cottages was Milo Stavic, boss of the biggest crime gang in Gothenberg. Embla has suffered for years from trauma because her best friend Louise/Lollo, when they were fifteen, was kidnapped or murdered by the Stavic brothers. The teenage girls were drunk at the time, and Embla's memory is confused, but she can't release the guilt that she failed to help Lollo. She's not confused that it was the hands of Milo Stavic squeezing around her neck then, a warning to keep silent about the incident.
Embla finally tells the truth about that night to her friend, Police Superintendant Göran Krantz. When Luca Stavic is also found shot dead in the city, they learn that the third brother, Kador – who lived in Croatia – had disappeared. Is this an inner power struggle or budding gang warfare? At Milo's murder site, Embla meets local detective Olle Tillman, whose team is investigating a teenager's stabbing not far away. Suffice to say, they help each other with their respective cases and develop a warm relationship. The victim in Olle's case, Robin, was among the many drunk members of a celebrating bandy club. Embla is also smart and quick at analyzing the smallest clues for Göran who leads her case. But she manages to put herself and Olle into a scary life or death situation. Not only that, Embla is forced to face her past trauma in a new light.
Good solid mystery set in a snowy Swedish winter. Embla and her companions are part of two series written by Tursten. Unforeseen benefit: I learned what bandy is!
One-liners
▪ "You must admit it's an odd coincidence for him to be murdered here, when you're only a few kilometers away." (40)
▪ Even though he was exhausted, Olle could still manage to be funny, which was a point in his favor. (56)
▪ The thin smile Mikaela unexpectedly directed at Embla sent an icy shiver down Embla's spine as her own memories from school rose to the surface. (127)
▪ Once again she was surprised at the reluctance of both the teenagers and their parents to help the police investigate the events of the night in question. (148)
▪ The sleeve of his jacket rode up, revealing a gold watch the size of an American cupcake. (169)
▪ "An area about twenty kilometers from here was clearly marked on the map—heading west toward the Norwegian border." (221)
▪ She felt enveloped by his warmth, and an unfamiliar sensation spread through her body; she wanted to stay in his arms. (248)
▪ The only person who'd been there for her was her best friend, Lollo. (345)
Multi-liners
▪ Milo Stavic, the man in the recurring nightmares that had plagued her for fifteen years. The man who, together with his two brothers, had abducted Lollo. (23)
▪ "You are fucking unbelievable! You are supposed to be looking after my son, but instead you hand him over to an old man, who takes the kid hunting while you go chasing after a murderer!" (80)
▪ "Did you notice anything strange? I mean, before and after you found Robin," Olle clarified. (133)
▪ "We're so grateful that you're here, trying to solve these terrible murders. You seem like such a good team." (141)
▪ Olle looked her in the eye. "We shoot the bastard holding the gun. One less to worry about." (268)
▪ "I've read your notes from back in the fall. You went through a terrible trauma, both physically and mentally, and I suspect that what you've experienced today was even worse. Like a war zone." (287)
The best
"It's good to see you again," he said, blushing slightly.
It could be the cold and snow crystals that had brought color to his face, but she didn't think so. Impulsively she took off one of her mittens and laid her hand on his cheek.
"It's good to see you, too."
What the hell was wrong with her? She was standing here and ... doing what, exactly? Flirting? Or more than that? Definitely more than that. (249)
The worst
The explosion came when she'd counted to seven. She immediately began to run. If the gunman was still at the window, he would automatically look in the direction where the grenade had gone off, not down at the yard. She raced toward the house, every fiber of her being on full alert. A bullet could strike her at any second.
When she reached the house she pressed herself against the wall to catch her breath and send a thank you to her own guardian angel. She wasn't out of the woods yet; the odds had been against them from the start, but now at least the threat had been significantly reduced. (274)
M.C. Beaton. Death of a Green Eyed Monster. New York, Grand Central Publishing, 2022.
Hamish Macbeth has been around for years. As a TV series, some pilloried it as completely untrue to the books. Before Marion Beaton recently died, she was working with trusted friend R.W. Green who was able to put her final plot ideas into print for two posthumous books. Not being familiar with her previous books in the series, I can't say how well Green Eyed Monster compares, but it works for me. Hamish, the Detective Inspector of Lochdubh village in northern Sutherlandshire, has a history of falling in love. With ever-disappointing results. When his new constable, Dorothy McIver, arrives, he is smitten at once, and her police work is as good as her beautiful face.
Dorothy doesn't seem to mind the grubby little police station and Hamish's crew of pet animals. Indeed, as months go by, she returns Hamish's love joyfully and the wedding is planned. The community has grown to love her too; even two of the prior girlfriends get on board. When a Glasgow thug is found shot to death at the Lochdubh petrol station, they suspect a mysterious motorcycle driver. DCI Blair arrives to head a special investigative team; Hamish's former boss, he's a lazy cop now secretly up to no good in his Glasgow job. His appointment puts the nose of Hamish's current boss, DCI Jimmy Anderson, out of joint. No way is Hamish cooperating with Blair. Then Dougie, the petrol station operator, is severely beaten at home; his cottage is set on fire. Was he mistakenly considered a witness to the murder?
The criminal Macgregor gang of Glasgow is suspected as the force behind the violence. Hamish interviews other characters, some staying at the local Tommel Castle Hotel; he wants to identify a woman in a blue car who may have been visiting Dorothy. All in all, the story plays out with more than one villain and at least one dreadful surprise. Jealousy is a green eyed monster that can spawn unthinkable revenge. There's no doubt that you've most certainly entered a remote Highland village with all its boundless scenery, innate superstitions, and warmth of heart.
Words: teuchter [Highlander], scunner [disliked, disgusting], bampot [foolish, obnoxious], drookit [drenched], slangevar [cheers!]. And the like!
Bits
▪ Hamish had the Highlanders' relaxed relationship with the truth. (17)
▪ She buried her face in his chest. "I've never been more happy in all my life." (70)
▪ "Calm down now, Dougie. What's going on here? Who's dead?" (71)
▪ "We've enough problems without letting big-city turf wars spill over into our territory." (96)
▪ "Never stayed over?" Blair gave a rasping laugh. "You mean you've no slept wi' her?" (123)
▪ "You're carrying out your own investigation behind my back, aren't you? You're doing this to make me look bad." (183)
▪ He turned to see a blaze of headlights and a car mounting the kerb, heading straight for him. (226)
▪ "Blair could be under pressure from the top brass to crack the case, and from his paymaster not to!" (253)
▪ He'd never seen anything like this before—two senior police detectives trying to strangle each other right in front of his eyes. (270)
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