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bookph1le's review against another edition
4.0
Intense in so many ways. This series is very strong, particularly the way the authors always weave so many plot threads together. More complete review to come.
Full review:
Literary mysteries have always fascinated me. While I enjoy reading about the procedural end of things, I also like getting to know the stories of the victims and the perpetrators, to get that glimpse into the human psyche that attempts to explain what is often unexplainable: why people do the things they do. The hallmark of this series is its ability to do this. As with the previous books, this one weaves not only a murder mystery into the narrative, it also adds historical fiction and some insight into current European political systems. This, I think, is partially why I enjoy Nordic crime fiction so much: it's often suffused with such an awareness of the world at large. Minor spoilers to follow.
Nina is in a new place in her life when this book starts. Her character arc is an aspect of the series that I particularly like. In some ways, she something of a gender flip. The man obsessed with his job is nothing new, but it takes on a different tone when the person involved is a woman. Nina is becoming increasingly aware of how her obsession has shaped her life, something that's far more evident in this book than it was in the previous two. Caught in the midst of this book's crisis, she finds herself thinking about the impact her job has had on her life and wondering if it's worth it, if she can really live up to the expectations she has set for herself. I liked seeing this more reflective side of Nina as it's reflective of some good character growth on her part. I'm very curious about where the series will take her next.
Much as I liked her story, even more interesting is that of the two Ukranian sisters, Olga and Oxana. It's unclear in the beginning how they tie into the story, but as the plot progresses, the book gives insight into how the seemingly small story of the relationship between two sisters grew larger than the two of them, with devastating result to many others. The sense of setting in their story is very vivid, and I was drawn into the description of Ukraine in the 1930s and the impact of Communism on its people. I never feel that these books are gratuitous, but they paint their scenes in very stark terms, and this book is no exception. The lives of the two sisters are brutal and unforgiving, and the writing in these sections is so strong that I was pulled right down into them.
This book also ties up the story of Natasha and Rina, the Ukranian mother and child who were former inhabitants of Coal-House Camp, where Nina works, and who have been recurring characters in the series. The book examines Natasha's past, revealing what she's been through, and it's harrowing. Natasha is truly a victim of circumstance, and this book finds her desperate to finally be an actor in her own life. Like a pond, the ripples from the characters' actions grow until the touch many others, which is the case for Natasha. There's a bit of open-endedness too, because while her past is exposed, her future is still pretty uncertain.
As with the previous two books, this one is quite political, which is a hallmark of Nordic fiction, as I noted. The crime in this book is bigger than an act of anger and violence between two people and contains much larger societal implications. It's an interesting glimpse into Danish culture, and for an American like me it's a little surprising to recognize some similarities when it comes to the plight of immigrants and asylum seekers in Denmark and in the U.S. Nina is something of a Quixotic figure, tilting at windmills. I don't necessarily think these books are Nihilistic, but they do paint a pretty bleak picture of human frailty and selfishness, which I think is intentional. It's easy for people to turn a blind eye on societal problems, and this book, while a work of fiction, is pretty eye-opening.
Three books in, I'm very well hooked. I snatched this one up as soon as I saw it was available, and I guarantee I'll do the same with the fourth book. As a whole, this series is well plotted, full of excellent characterization, and guaranteed to make the reader think a little differently about the world. Rather than throwaway thrillers, these are meaty books that provide plenty to chew over when the reading is done.
Full review:
Literary mysteries have always fascinated me. While I enjoy reading about the procedural end of things, I also like getting to know the stories of the victims and the perpetrators, to get that glimpse into the human psyche that attempts to explain what is often unexplainable: why people do the things they do. The hallmark of this series is its ability to do this. As with the previous books, this one weaves not only a murder mystery into the narrative, it also adds historical fiction and some insight into current European political systems. This, I think, is partially why I enjoy Nordic crime fiction so much: it's often suffused with such an awareness of the world at large. Minor spoilers to follow.
Nina is in a new place in her life when this book starts. Her character arc is an aspect of the series that I particularly like. In some ways, she something of a gender flip. The man obsessed with his job is nothing new, but it takes on a different tone when the person involved is a woman. Nina is becoming increasingly aware of how her obsession has shaped her life, something that's far more evident in this book than it was in the previous two. Caught in the midst of this book's crisis, she finds herself thinking about the impact her job has had on her life and wondering if it's worth it, if she can really live up to the expectations she has set for herself. I liked seeing this more reflective side of Nina as it's reflective of some good character growth on her part. I'm very curious about where the series will take her next.
Much as I liked her story, even more interesting is that of the two Ukranian sisters, Olga and Oxana. It's unclear in the beginning how they tie into the story, but as the plot progresses, the book gives insight into how the seemingly small story of the relationship between two sisters grew larger than the two of them, with devastating result to many others. The sense of setting in their story is very vivid, and I was drawn into the description of Ukraine in the 1930s and the impact of Communism on its people. I never feel that these books are gratuitous, but they paint their scenes in very stark terms, and this book is no exception. The lives of the two sisters are brutal and unforgiving, and the writing in these sections is so strong that I was pulled right down into them.
This book also ties up the story of Natasha and Rina, the Ukranian mother and child who were former inhabitants of Coal-House Camp, where Nina works, and who have been recurring characters in the series. The book examines Natasha's past, revealing what she's been through, and it's harrowing. Natasha is truly a victim of circumstance, and this book finds her desperate to finally be an actor in her own life. Like a pond, the ripples from the characters' actions grow until the touch many others, which is the case for Natasha. There's a bit of open-endedness too, because while her past is exposed, her future is still pretty uncertain.
As with the previous two books, this one is quite political, which is a hallmark of Nordic fiction, as I noted. The crime in this book is bigger than an act of anger and violence between two people and contains much larger societal implications. It's an interesting glimpse into Danish culture, and for an American like me it's a little surprising to recognize some similarities when it comes to the plight of immigrants and asylum seekers in Denmark and in the U.S. Nina is something of a Quixotic figure, tilting at windmills. I don't necessarily think these books are Nihilistic, but they do paint a pretty bleak picture of human frailty and selfishness, which I think is intentional. It's easy for people to turn a blind eye on societal problems, and this book, while a work of fiction, is pretty eye-opening.
Three books in, I'm very well hooked. I snatched this one up as soon as I saw it was available, and I guarantee I'll do the same with the fourth book. As a whole, this series is well plotted, full of excellent characterization, and guaranteed to make the reader think a little differently about the world. Rather than throwaway thrillers, these are meaty books that provide plenty to chew over when the reading is done.
cemoses's review against another edition
3.0
It helped that I read the first book in the series, The Boy in the Suitcase which I bought on my own. However, I did not read the second book in the series. I thought the first book on the whole was better than the third book.
While I am not that fond in general of the technique the authors used of having multiple story lines merge finally merging into one story line. In the third book this technique is even more confusing because the stories are set in different time periods. I liked the story about the two sisters in Stalinist Russia but the Natasha/Pavel story I did not find interesting.
In both books, I felt that Nina Borg should sooner have played a more prominent role. I like the fact that she is basically an amateur detective who does not have some incredibly high level of technical knowledge that helps her solve the crime. I also liked that the character is a do-gooder who gets too involved with her work which leads her to investigate crimes. However, in the start of the third book it at least initially appears that the crime might be solved by the professional police; when I was reading the beginning of the book this felt like a terrible disappointment.
I thought there were many unanswered questions and events that seem improbable which I would have liked to see resolved. Why does Anna want to blackmail her sister? She seems very comfortably off in Denmark. Why would she want to risk things for the extra money? Why is Olga so afraid of exposure? Would people really care about her past in the Ukraine? From all the problems from the wars would there be enough evidence to prove anything about Olga? Katarina was given enough medication to kill her but then this problem just seems to disappear. I also found it hard to believe that Anna would be in such good shape for a woman in her late eighties. While I can believe she would have looked much younger than Olga she seemed too young for someone in her eighties. Actually both sisters seemed more like they were in their seventies than in their eighties. I found it hard to believe that Olga could have had a child as young as her second child.
However, on the whole I enjoyed the book despites these imperfections.
While I am not that fond in general of the technique the authors used of having multiple story lines merge finally merging into one story line. In the third book this technique is even more confusing because the stories are set in different time periods. I liked the story about the two sisters in Stalinist Russia but the Natasha/Pavel story I did not find interesting.
In both books, I felt that Nina Borg should sooner have played a more prominent role. I like the fact that she is basically an amateur detective who does not have some incredibly high level of technical knowledge that helps her solve the crime. I also liked that the character is a do-gooder who gets too involved with her work which leads her to investigate crimes. However, in the start of the third book it at least initially appears that the crime might be solved by the professional police; when I was reading the beginning of the book this felt like a terrible disappointment.
I thought there were many unanswered questions and events that seem improbable which I would have liked to see resolved. Why does Anna want to blackmail her sister? She seems very comfortably off in Denmark. Why would she want to risk things for the extra money? Why is Olga so afraid of exposure? Would people really care about her past in the Ukraine? From all the problems from the wars would there be enough evidence to prove anything about Olga? Katarina was given enough medication to kill her but then this problem just seems to disappear. I also found it hard to believe that Anna would be in such good shape for a woman in her late eighties. While I can believe she would have looked much younger than Olga she seemed too young for someone in her eighties. Actually both sisters seemed more like they were in their seventies than in their eighties. I found it hard to believe that Olga could have had a child as young as her second child.
However, on the whole I enjoyed the book despites these imperfections.
juniperusxx's review against another edition
adventurous
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
Tämä oli mielestäni selvästi parempi kuin kaksi edeltänyttä osaa, kirja tuli luettua melkein ahmimalla. Itseäni kiinnosti tapahtumien sijoittuminen Ukrainaan, ja niissäkin jaksoissa, jolloin kirjassa oltiin Tanskassa, pääosassa olivat Ukrainasta tulleet henkilöt. Hyvin ajankohtainen kirja näiltä osin.
karieh13's review against another edition
4.0
Last year, I read “The Boy in the Suitcase” and I remember feeling an almost constant sense of tension as I read. From the first few words, I could practically hear the clock ticking, the pressure building. There was a tightly wound sense of panic running through that book as the events progressed and it certainly kept me engaged.
I wouldn’t say the same is exactly true of “Death of a Nightingale” – but there is a similar underlying tension. The events taking place during the sections set in the present happen quickly and with a sense of extreme urgency. The interesting thing, for me, was that as vivid and horrible as some of the characters experiences are – the emotion, the passion behind the actions is slightly muffled. It’s difficult to describe – but there is a feel to both books that was different than most fillers in that the characters seem to transfer their most extreme feelings to the reader without doing so overtly. The stress/worry/terror they are feeling is clearly delivered to the reader in an incredibly subtle way.
One of the characters has a horrific accident with an axe, and instead of a gory, over the top description – the reader finds out with, “Then came the roar.” Which I think was more effective and delivers a much stronger impact.
This is a story about the past catching up with the future. Of long held love and hate. Of the incredibly strong and impossibly complicated relationships humans have with their families. Of how much one can endure in order to make things right.
“Sometimes when you have to do a really hard thing, you can’t let yourselves think. No looking down and discovering how deep the drop is beneath your feet, and no looking ahead either. You balance on a wire, and it can be ten or a hundred meters long. It doesn’t matter, because you can’t run anyway, and you can’t jump the last bit to make it across the abyss. You can’t cheat. All you can do is place one foot in front of the other. One step at a time.”
“Death of a Nightingale” was a quietly powerful book that kept me turning the pages with an urgent need to find out what would happen next – and what had happened before.
I wouldn’t say the same is exactly true of “Death of a Nightingale” – but there is a similar underlying tension. The events taking place during the sections set in the present happen quickly and with a sense of extreme urgency. The interesting thing, for me, was that as vivid and horrible as some of the characters experiences are – the emotion, the passion behind the actions is slightly muffled. It’s difficult to describe – but there is a feel to both books that was different than most fillers in that the characters seem to transfer their most extreme feelings to the reader without doing so overtly. The stress/worry/terror they are feeling is clearly delivered to the reader in an incredibly subtle way.
One of the characters has a horrific accident with an axe, and instead of a gory, over the top description – the reader finds out with, “Then came the roar.” Which I think was more effective and delivers a much stronger impact.
This is a story about the past catching up with the future. Of long held love and hate. Of the incredibly strong and impossibly complicated relationships humans have with their families. Of how much one can endure in order to make things right.
“Sometimes when you have to do a really hard thing, you can’t let yourselves think. No looking down and discovering how deep the drop is beneath your feet, and no looking ahead either. You balance on a wire, and it can be ten or a hundred meters long. It doesn’t matter, because you can’t run anyway, and you can’t jump the last bit to make it across the abyss. You can’t cheat. All you can do is place one foot in front of the other. One step at a time.”
“Death of a Nightingale” was a quietly powerful book that kept me turning the pages with an urgent need to find out what would happen next – and what had happened before.
cook_memorial_public_library's review against another edition
5.0
Recommended by Connie
Check our catalog: http://encore.cooklib.org/iii/encore/search/C__Sdeath%20of%20a%20nightingale%20%20friis__Orightresult__U?lang=eng&suite=pearl
Check our catalog: http://encore.cooklib.org/iii/encore/search/C__Sdeath%20of%20a%20nightingale%20%20friis__Orightresult__U?lang=eng&suite=pearl
clara_hedman's review against another edition
3.0
The ending for this book was so confusing and mixed that it sort of ruined the entire story for me looking back. Too many unanswered questions left me frustrated.
kiramke's review against another edition
3.0
I like the way the books are tied together. The balance here could've been better, the time spent on the historical plotline doesn't pay off in the present.
__karen__'s review against another edition
5.0
I thoroughly enjoyed this book as well as the 1st two Nina Borg novels. I hope there will be more -- they're suspenseful and thought provoking stories with relatable characters.
ladulcinella's review against another edition
3.0
This is a book full of unpleasant events. The horror of starvation in Oekraine (by Stalin) combined with refugees, death and the fate of children living in desperate circonstances, does not give a light lecture. It is good and worth the read, but very somber.