Book Review of Deep as Death by Katja Ivar

 

Name of Book: Deep as Death

Author: Katja Ivar

ISBN: 978-1-912242-30-6

Publisher: Bitter Lemon Press 

Part of a Series: Hella Mauzer Detective Mysteries (Prequel Evil Things, sequel Trouble) 

Type of book: Finland, 1953, mystery, prostitutes, gender roles, murders, relationships, secrets, past, history, Helsinki, detective, police 

Year it was published: 2020

Summary:

Hella Mauzer was the first-ever woman Inspector in the Helsinki Homicide Unit. But she's been fired despite solving her first murder case. 

This is Helsinki, March 1953. An unusually long and cold winter, everywhere frozen sea, ice-covered lakes and rivers. In a port city flooded with refugees, who cares if a young woman goes missing? An up-and-coming inspector who views this as an opportunity to advance his career. A heartbroken PI with a score to settle. They have yet to discover one thing: the most dangerous lies are those we tell ourselves. 

It all begins when Nellie, a prostitute working in a high-end brothel is found floating upside down in Helsinki Harbor. Not exactly a high priority case for the Helsinki police, so homicide chief Jokela passes the job to his former colleague Hella. It's beginning to look like a serial killer is at work when Elena, another lady of the night, narrowly escapes being driven into the harbor by her 19-year-old john. Problem was he had handcuffed her in the car. And to add further excitement to Hella's life, the madam is soon found dead in the garden outside the brothel. 

What begins like a taut whodunit turns into something more tantalizing and psychological as Hella investigates different suspects, including Steve, the US DJ and love her life, reluctant to leave his wife for Hella, and the fascinating Inspector Mustonen, charismatic, ambitious and trying desperately to live up the standards of his high maintenance wife. There are dark powers at play, including Finnish obsessions with the social and religious cleansing powers of death by drowning in icy waters, as well as lighter passages, particularly those involving Anita, voluptuous but savvy, freshly arrived from Lapland to join the Helsinki police force, a most unwanted roommate for Hella. Sadly she too ends up in deep trouble, in a satisfying denouement of twists and turns.

Characters:

Main characters are Hella Mauzer and Chief Inspector Mustonen. Hella Mauzer is a Finn of German origins who has mysteriously lost her whole family and is having an on/off again relationship with a married man Steve. She is brash, impulsive, brave and impatient as well as very resourceful. Chief Inspector Mustonen is best described as Hella's polar opposite because he is methodical, thoughtful, respectful and also ambitious in trying to make his wealthy wife happy. The secondary characters and their complexities are highly revealed in the story as well, in particular Anita and Ranta. 

Theme:

Things are not as they seem

Plot:

While the previous one had two points of view told in third person narrative, DEEP AS DEATH also has two points of view but they are told in first person narrative instead; one is from Hella's while another is from Chief Inspector Mustonen. The plot twists and their revelations, I definitely didn't see them coming until the very end of the book. This novel is also character driven and gives a lot more focus to the co-workers, and the reader also learns a lot of secrets that they hold which aren't revealed in first book. 

Author Information:

(From goodreads)

N/A

Opinion:

DEEP AS DEATH by Katja Ivar is quite a bit different from EVIL THINGS and I often wonder if the trilogy is a bit experimental in writing the trilogy? While it seem as if mysteries connect with one another, in this case I am not sure if its best to read EVIL THINGS before moving on to this novel, although for the third one its best to have read the two novels. I definitely found this novel a lot more intriguing than the previous one and it focuses quite a bit more on the co-workers we have met in the previous novel, giving them a lot more depth and dimension. The mystery itself is also interesting but its more of a heartbreaking mystery rather than a possible government conspiracy. I would definitely recommend reading DEEP AS DEATH. 

This was given for review

4 out of 5
(0: Stay away unless a masochist 1: Good for insomnia 2: Horrible but readable; 3: Readable and quickly forgettable, 4: Good, enjoyable 5: Buy it, keep it and never let it go.)