Pursued by Death by Gunnar Staalesen Translated by Don Bartlett #Review #Giveaway

Today we have another in the brilliant Varg Veum series by Gunnar Staalesen, Pursued by Death. It is published  by Orenda Books on August 29th 2024. You can pre-order here.

I also have the chance for you to win a print copy of the book. Details on how to enter are at the foot of this post.  

 
 When Varg Veum reads the newspaper headline ’Young Man Missing’, he realises he’s seen the youth just a few days earlier – at a crossroads in the countryside, with his two friends. It turns out that the three were on their way to a demonstration against a commercial fish-farming facility in the tiny village of Solvik, north of Bergen.
 
Varg heads to Solvik, initially out of curiosity, but when he chances upon a dead body in the sea, he’s pulled into a dark and complex web of secrets, feuds and jealousies.
 
Is the body he’s found connected to the death of a journalist who was digging into the fish farm's operations two years earlier? And does either incident have something to do with the competition between the two powerful families that dominate Solvik’s salmon-farming industry? 
 
Or are the deaths the actions of the ‘Village Beast’ – the brutal small-town justice meted out by rural communities in this part of the world. 
 
Shocking, timely and full of breathtaking twists and turns, Pursued by Death reaffirms Gunnar Staalesen as one of the world's greatest crime writers.

My Thoughts

In this complex story, Varg Veum is both caught up in a current case and investigating a cold case from some years earlier. As he doggedly sets about following evidence, a web of secrets and past jealousies emerges. It is far from easy for him and even the local police seem to regard him with suspicion and at times, hostility. There are plenty of characters within the story and Varg soon begins to notice that there are several love triangles. Not many seem to want to talk to him.

    The issue of fish farming is pertinent to the community of Solvik and the coastal area is part of the action. Commercial industry seems uncaring to local needs, reflected in the harsh coastal conditions. Death never seems far away as Varg carries out his investigation. Varg is a well rounded character who you find to be totally credible. I enjoyed his liking for crime fiction, especially that set on Iceland - it was a real nod to the genre. As the different story threads are unravelled, you can only marvel at the masterly plotting. Especially as the crimes are character driven with jealousy a powerful motive.

In short: crime writing at its best

 

About the Author

One of the fathers of Nordic Noir, Gunnar Staalesen was born in Bergen, Norway, in 1947. He made his debut at the age of twenty-two with Seasons of Innocence and in 1977 he published the first book in the Varg Veum series. He is the author of over twenty titles, which have been published in twenty-four countries and sold over four million copies. Twelve film adaptations of his Varg Veum crime novels have appeared since 2007, starring the popular Norwegian actor Trond Espen Seim. Staalesen has won three Golden Pistols (including the Prize of Honour) and Where Roses Never Die won the 2017 Petrona Award for Nordic Crime Fiction, and Big Sister was shortlisted in 2019. He lives with his wife in Bergen.

 You can read my review of Wolves in the Dark and read an author interview with Gunnar, here ,a review of Big Sister here , a review of Fallen Angels here and a review of Bitter Flowers here amd Mirror Image here. 

  Book link: Amazon UK

 

Thanks to Gunnar Staalesen, Karen Sullivan and Anne Cater of Orenda Books for a copy of the book and a place on the tour. 

Check out the rest of the tour!

Giveaway (UK only)

To win a print copy of Pursued by Death just Follow and Retweet the pinned tweet at @bookslifethings

 

  Closing Date is 13th August 2024 and there is one winner.  Good luck!  

 

*Terms and Conditions – UK only.  The winner will be selected at random via a random retweet selector such as,Tweetdraw from all valid entries and will be notified by X (Twitter) and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.