Written as 5 linked short stories, with 4 focused on Maud and the last centered on a detective who cannot find enough proof but knows that Maud killed the victim, the collection starts out with a lot of promise, full of engaging details and dark humor. Unfortunately it starts to feel a bit repetitive, especially the final story, which rehashes the previous story from the detective's perspective (a detective who is apparently the main character in a very popular series by Tursten). Maud's character is fascinating because the reader doesn't feel disgust for her even as she calculates how to murder the people who are annoying her beyond all endurance. She's not nasty, she's pragmatic and clever and uses her age and perceived feebleness to her advantage. The book is a very fast read and mostly entertaining, especially for those who are inclined to be tickled by people getting what they deserve (in some cases) or looking for a deadly version of the ultimate "Get Off My Lawn!"
Tuesday, March 26, 2019
Review: An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good by Helene Tursten
Written as 5 linked short stories, with 4 focused on Maud and the last centered on a detective who cannot find enough proof but knows that Maud killed the victim, the collection starts out with a lot of promise, full of engaging details and dark humor. Unfortunately it starts to feel a bit repetitive, especially the final story, which rehashes the previous story from the detective's perspective (a detective who is apparently the main character in a very popular series by Tursten). Maud's character is fascinating because the reader doesn't feel disgust for her even as she calculates how to murder the people who are annoying her beyond all endurance. She's not nasty, she's pragmatic and clever and uses her age and perceived feebleness to her advantage. The book is a very fast read and mostly entertaining, especially for those who are inclined to be tickled by people getting what they deserve (in some cases) or looking for a deadly version of the ultimate "Get Off My Lawn!"
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That sounds intriguing! I'll add it to my Goodreads TBR!
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