FICTION

Forty Days Without Shadow: An Arctic Thriller

by Olivier Truc
Grand Central. Nov. 2014. 480p. tr. from French by Louise Rogers Lalaurie. ISBN 9781455547593. pap. $16; ebk. ISBN 9781455547586. F
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As much a fascinating anthropological study and travelog as a compelling police procedural, this debut crime novel immerses the reader in the barren lifestyle of the Sami reindeer herders in northern Lapland. A valuable Sami drum, which was headed to a major UN exhibition, is stolen from a local museum. At the same time one of the herders is murdered. Investigating are two members of the Reindeer Police, Nina Nansen from the south of Norway, and her more experienced Sami partner, Klemet Nango. The pair see a connection between the killing and the stolen drum, but the crime could stem from a border dispute among herders.
VERDICT Short-listed for the Crime Writers' Association International Dagger 2014, this atmospheric thriller leaves a lasting impression with its depiction of an ancient culture under pressure from the modern world. Aficionados of the genre who enjoy intriguing settings in their mysteries and fans of Tony Hillerman, James Lee Burke, and Henning Mankell will delight in discovering this young French writer.
Reviewed by Frances Thorsen, Chronicles of Crime Bookshop, Victoria, BC , Nov 15, 2014
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