Mystery set in Nordland, Norway
The Long Water – Stef Penney
Off to Nordland. A region in the Norwegian Arctic; a remote valley that stretches from the sea up to the mountains and the glacier of the Blue Man.
A boy has gone missing and the inhabitants of Bodo aren’t saying a word…..
Map of locations in The Long Water
BOARDING PASS INFORMATION
Destination : Norway
Author guide: Stef Penney
Genre: mystery
Food and drink to accompany: anything you can hunt
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A novel to transport you to Norway
Map of locations in The Long Water
This book has a very interesting story behind it. Turns out the author was asked to write a book set in Bodø since it was going to be the Capital of Culture in 2024. She might have had her doubts but she did it and what a book!
A teenage boy goes missing in a very remote part of Norway. There are disused mines around these parts and so the police have a job on their hands. So, the police investigate and they do find a body. However – the bones are a lot older than someone who might have gone missing only recently. Oh oh. Someone unknown has been found. Who is it? And where is Daniel?
What was really interesting about this book was that it the story was told through the eyes of the very strange people who live around where the boy went missing. Svea worked in the days when the mines were in their heyday so could they know more than they are letting on? Then there’s Elin and Benny who, in their own ways, are affected deeply by Daniel’s disappearance. Elin is neurodivergent and so adds another level to this complex story. Blimey – the secrets to come out are quite something.
The landscape in this book made it for me. It took the danger and mystery to a whole new level. Bodø is in the arctic and is made up of ice, ice and more ice. There are several mountains, and fjords but for the most part, the vast space is all you can see. You’d think it would be easy to spot someone missing here. But no. It is a deadly place if you are not used to the dangers and unknowns it offers.
Map of locations in The Long Water
Quite apt is the fact that this is the place where Norway’s second largest glacier – The Black Ice – is located. You don’t see black ice until it’s too late – until you fall or skid off the road. How apt to set this book here!
You can tell the author has done some amazing research to get this level of detail and nuance in the book – if she hasn’t lived in Bodo, then she’s infiltrated the community to make it feel this authentic. Authentically creepy and a void of secrets and lies.
Noir indeed.
Map of locations in The Long Water
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