Author:Karin Fossum,Kari Dickson
‘He'd just learnt to walk,’ she said. ‘He was sitting playing on his blanket, then all of a sudden he was gone.’
A 16-month-old boy is found drowned in a pond right by his home. Chief Inspector Sejer is called to the scene as there is something troubling about the mother’s story. As even her own family turns against her, Sejer is determined to get to the truth.
Fossum’s Inspector Sejer novels are invariably morally and psychologically complex affairs, but The Drowned Boy might well be her crowning achievement to date
—— Declan Burke , Irish TimesA simple but gripping story, balanced, believable and compassionate, about a sensitive subject
—— Laura Wilson , GuardianNordic noir of note
—— GQA tightly woven tale in spare but piercing prose
—— MetroMoving and thought-provoking
—— Doug Johnstone , Big IssueKarin Fossum's minimalist police procedurals... have a stealthy way of mutating into richer, if also darker, psychological studies of criminals and their victims... In the end, the novel isn't about willful murder or even accidental death, but the psychological aftershocks for the living
—— New York Times Book ReviewReading a Karin Fossum novel is always a wonderful, almost meditative, experience. Even though she writes about horrible crimes, her compassion and intelligence shine through, and by the time you reach the final page you’re left feeling irrevocably changed - for the better. Her latest, The Drowned Boy, is right up there among her best
—— Reading MattersFossum shows us how the crime novel can be more than sheer entertainment… Well-written and gripping
—— DagbladetKarin Fossum is among our foremost authors, regardless of genre. This because of her unique ability to create real people and her deep understanding of the human soul. She has always mastered this, but never better than in The Drowned Boy
—— Drammens TidendeAmong Fossum’s finest novels…a strong literary quality and quivering suspense
—— DagsavisenAbir Mukherjee’s A Rising Man is a whodunit set in the social and political tinderbox of 1919 Calcutta – a thought-provoking rollercoaster
—— Ian Rankin , ObserverOne of the most exciting debut novels I've read in years
—— Val McDermidWitty, atmospheric.
—— Jake Kerridge , Daily Telegraph, Book of the YearColourful, eloquent, witty, unputdownable. And here's the best bit: this is the first in an unmissable new series that is clearly destined to join the pantheon of intelligent historical crime fiction. Jump on the wagon now
—— Neel Mukherjee, author of Booker shortlisted The Lives of Others[An] atmospheric period thriller from [a] promising debut author
—— Natasha Harding , SunA thoroughly engaging new detective... A Rising Man kept me awake, racing to the finish… This is a Calcutta of smart cantonments and deep corruption, vividly brought to life, the politics and the people skewered with sharp dialogue and a brilliant sense of period
—— Jason GoodwinA historical thriller of the highest calibre; evocative and pleasingly complex, shot through with the driest of wit, it marks Mukherjee out as an author of great style and ambition
—— Eva DolanA journey into the dark underbelly of the British Raj.
—— Charlotte Heathcote , Daily ExpressA promising start to Mukherjee’s atmospheric new historical crime series.
—— Patrick Worth , Compass MagazineEnjoyable tale… Agreeably witty and sharply written, this is an evocative portrait of a multifaceted Calcutta.
—— Literary ReviewThis guy is a real find… Mixes family history with a good helping of imagination.
—— Sue Price , Saga MagazineAn assured novel: well researched and vivid, with a strong plotline, delivered with verve and some appealing wry humour.
—— Laura Wilson , GuardianA vivid sense of history and locale
—— Best Books of 2016, Financial TimesMeticulously researched and delivered in clear, lucid and intelligent prose, Mukherjee is a fantastic addition to the stable of international crime writers, whose books effortlessly cross boundaries and bind readers in a community of excellence and enjoyment.
—— Eastern EyeVividly described, full of humour and humanity, it's a wonderful picture of that time and world, as well as being a perfect murder mystery novel.
—— Liz Anderson , iNewsBursting with lively historical details about post-World War I India, this is a stirring and entertaining mystery
—— Library JournalThis brilliant mingling of real history and fictional invention kicks off a series that does for the Raj what Philip Kerr did for the Reich
—— Karen Robinson , The Times / Sunday Times Crime Club, *Best Books of the Past Five Years*