Book Review of Evil Things by Katja Ivar

 

Name of Book: Evil Things 

Author: Katja Ivar 

ISBN: 978-1-912242-09-2

Publisher: Bitter Lemon Press

Part of a Series: Hella Mauzer crime trilogy 

Type of book: 1952, Finland, Soviet Union, wars, mystery, government, Police, gender roles, secrets, inspecting, border, 

Year it was published: 2019

Summary:

Hella Mauzer, the first female Helsinki murder squad detective, is dispatched to a remote Lapland village near the Soviet border by her chauvinistic boss to investigate an old man’s disappearance.

Embittered by the death of her entire immediate family during WWII and her recent breakup with her married lover, the 30ish, stiletto-tongued Hella tries to behave professionally like a man, but she defies male authority by using her instinct for detecting half-truths and her compassion for the weak to try to solve what initially appears to be a minor missing person case.

With the discovery of the body of a Soviet doctor, it mushrooms into something much more complex involving institutional corruption and international intrigue.

Characters:

Main characters include Hella Mauzer, a former female Inspector of German origins who has grown up in Finland. Hella often describes and sees herself as unattractive, she is also highly atypical, very brash and determined to right the wrongs. She also takes advantage of her contacts and is a fighter. She is an orphan whose entire family (mother, father sister and nephew) were killed and is reluctant to trust and also wants to figure out what happened to her family. The secondary characters such as Irja, a woman married to a priest who is pregnant, Steve Hella's married lover, and some of Hella's co-workers are also prominent in the story as well. 

Theme:

Things can be unpredictable 

Plot:

The story is told in third person narrative from Hella's and Irja's points of view and it takes place from Monday, October 13th to Tuesday, October 21st. If I were to describe it, I'd say this novel is more character driven rather than plot or mystery. While all play a big role, I definitely feel as if the characters had a bigger role in the story rather than the mystery. The mystery itself is intriguing and I couldn't really guess how it will go and how it will end. 

Author Information:
(From goodreads)

N/A

Opinion:

Its kind of embarrassing to admit that I am from former Soviet Union yet I know next to nothing about Finland of the past. Yet luckily, EVIL THINGS helped me to learn a few things about Finland, namely the more recent past of Soviet Union. The story as well as characters are really intriguing and I highly enjoyed exploring the time period as well as the locale. The mystery tends to take its time instead of rushing through, and there is plenty to explore and enjoy such as the scenery, the traditions, the 1950s of Finland and seeing city and remote country living through characters' eyes. 

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.)