Greek Gods On TikTok by Rupert Stanbury #BookExtract #GreekGodsonTikTok @rupertstanbury @RandomTTours @randomthingstours #VirtualBookTour

 

THE WORDS OF 120 VIDEOS ABOUT THE GREEK GODS AND RELATED STORIES

Mythological Stories from the Classical World

Rupert Stanbury, the author of the Gods Galore fantasy / comedy books about the Greek Gods in the 21st Century, also produces TikTok videos on Greek Mythology.

Greek Gods on TikTok records the words from these videos, appropriately edited, in a written book.

It covers the major Olympian Gods - Zeus, Poseidon and Hades - as well as the Goddesses Athene, Aphrodite and Artemis and many others.

The famous Greek heroes are also introduced – Perseus taking on the Gorgon Medusa, Theseus fighting the Minotaur, and Jason claiming the Golden Fleece. We also meet many of the participants in the Trojan Wars – Helen, Achilles and Odysseus – and finally Hercules, perhaps the most famous hero of all!

Greek Gods On TikTok by Rupert Stanbury was published on 1 December 2025.  I am delighted to share an extract from the book with you today as part of this #RandomThingsTours Virtual Book Tour. 

Extract from Greek Gods on TikTok by Rupert Stanbury

93) Oedipus

Oedipus’s story starts in Thebes, a city which seemed destined to bring its rulers Bad Luck. We saw this with Cadmus and his family, and a similar outcome applied to Oedipus.

The tale of Oedipus is best recorded in a play by Sophocles called Oedipus Rex and this is what I’m going to summarise today. Sophocles was an Athenian playwright in the 5th Century BC.  

Let’s begin:

King Laius of Thebes had a young wife called Jocasta. When their son was born, Laius consulted the Oracle of Delphi about the future and was told that he would be killed by his son at some point in time. Laius, fearing this prophecy, told his wife to kill the child. 

Jocasta was unable to do this, so she handed the baby to a servant and told him to leave it exposed to the elements on a mountain. The servant himself took pity on the child, and in the countryside, he handed the baby to a shepherd who named him Oedipus, meaning swollen foot, because he had a swollen foot.

The shepherd took young Oedipus to Corinth where he gave him to the ruler, King Polybus and his wife Queen Merope. Now Polybus and Merope hadn’t been able to have any children, so they decided to bring Oedipus up as their own son.

So far so good, but when Oedipus was a young adult, he heard a rumour that he was adopted. Despite firm denials by his parents, who had clearly decided long ago not to tell Oedipus about his origins, he went off to Delphi to consult the Oracle on this matter. He didn’t get an answer to his question but was instead told that he was destined to kill his father and to marry his mother.

This was a terrible prophecy, so in order to avoid this fate, Oedipus left Corinth and set off for Thebes.

On route he came across an older man driving a chariot accompanied by at least one servant. The two had an argument about who had the right of way on the road. This led to a fight with Oedipus killing the man, probably by accident. Unbeknown to Oedipus, this old man was King Laius, his real father.

Anyway, Oedipus proceeded on his way, but before he reached Thebes, he encountered a Sphinx. Now sphinxes were nasty creatures, having the head of a woman, the body of a lion and the wings of an eagle. This one would only let you proceed if you could correctly answer her riddle. If you got it wrong, the sphinx would eat you.

The riddle was: “What walks on four feet in the morning, two in the afternoon and three at night?” Oedipus answered Man which was correct since man, as a baby, crawls on all fours, then walks on two legs when grown up, but needs a walking stick – a third foot or leg - as he gets old.

Apparently, the sphinx was so amazed that someone could answer the riddle that she jumped off a cliff and died.

Thebes had decided long ago that whoever got rid of their sphinx would become its king - so when Oedipus arrived, he became the city’s monarch. He also married Jocasta – not knowing she was his mother, so fulfilling the prophecy.  

Oedipus and Jocasta had four children and matters went well for a number of years. Then, a terrible plague struck the city which just wouldn’t go, so Oedipus sent Creon, a powerful man who was Jocasta’s brother, to Delphi to ask what had to be done to stop the plague. The answer that Creon brought back was that King Laius’s killer had to be found and punished.

Oedipus set about this task with gusto. A complicated sequence of events took place, but let’s briefly summarise the evidence which came to light, as responsibility eventually settled on Oedipus himself:

Firstly, the prophet Tiresias was consulted. He knew Oedipus was responsible and was reluctant to speak out but eventually did so.

Then Laius’s servant, who was with him when he was killed, was identified and he confirmed where the fight took place. This got Oedipus thinking about the time he’d had a similar fight at the same location.

Next, Jocasta admitted she’d had a baby boy whom she had sent to his death in the mountains. The servant just mentioned above was the one who took the baby, and he now admitted to having handed him over to a shepherd.

A short while later, this same shepherd arrived from Corinth with news of King Polybus’s death. He and the servant recognized each other, and the shepherd confirmed he’d handed the baby to the king and queen who had brought it up as their son. This was Oedipus.

By now it was clear that the Oracle was correct. Oedipus had killed his father, Laius, and had married his mother, Jocasta.

The ending was, of course, tragic. Jocasta hanged herself; Oedipus gauged out his own eyes - and then went into exile, accompanied by Antigone, his eldest daughter.  

Rupert Stanbury is a Cambridge graduate. 

He was born in Manchester but has lived most of his adult life in Central London. 

He has always been an avid reader and a few years ago decided to take up writing himself. 

His previous books are Gods Galore (published in November 2021), The Four Horsemen (April 2023), and Pimlico People (October 2024). 

Instagram @RupertStanbury

Tiktok @rupertstanbury

The Hope by Paul Hardisty #BookReview @Hardisty_Paul @OrendaBooks #ClimateEmergency #ForcingTrilogy

 

The year is 2082. Climate collapse, famine and war have left the world in ruins. In the shadow of the Alpha-Omega regime – descendants of the super-rich architects of disaster – sixteen-year-old Boo Ashworth and her uncle risk everything to save what’s left of human knowledge, hiding the last surviving books in a secret library beneath the streets of Hobart.

But Boo has a secret of her own: an astonishing ability to memorise entire texts with perfect recall. When the library is discovered and destroyed, she’s forced to flee – armed with nothing but the stories she carries in her mind, and a growing understanding of her family’s true past. 

Hunted and alone, and with the help of some unlikely allies, she must fight to save her loved ones – and bring hope to a broken world.

Spanning three generations before, during and after the fall, The Hope is the shattering conclusion to Paul E. Hardisty’s critically acclaimed climate-emergency trilogy – a devastating, visionary thriller that dares to imagine the possibility of redemption in the face of near-total collapse. In a dying world, it asks the most urgent question of all: what if there’s still time?

The Hope by Paul E Hardisty is published today; 29 January 2026 by Orenda Books and is volume three in The Forcing Trilogy. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review as part of this Blog Tour

The two previous books in this trilogy; The Forcing and The Descent are two of my favourite books, and I've been really excited and looking forward to reading the conclusion.

There are books that entertain, books that unsettle, and then there are books that quietly take hold of you and refuse to let go. The Hope by Paul E. Hardisty is firmly in that last category. This is not just the conclusion of The Forcing trilogy; it is a powerful, unsettling and compassionate piece of storytelling that lingers long after the final page is turned.

Set in 2082, The Hope introduces a world that has paid the ultimate price for decades of greed, denial and wilful inaction. Climate collapse has reshaped everything: politics, power, morality and survival itself. The author does not gently ease his readers into this future. Instead, he places us directly inside it, where the remnants of humanity exist under the control of the Alpha-Omega regime; descendants of the very people who profited while the planet burned. It is grim, but it is also painfully believable, and that is what makes this novel so great.

At the heart of the story is Boo Ashworth, a teenager whose courage and resilience are remarkable without ever feeling implausible. Boo possesses an extraordinary gift, she ca memorise entire books with perfect recall. The author never treats this as a gimmick. Instead, it becomes a deeply symbolic act of resistance. In a world where knowledge is dangerous, outlawed and erased, Boo becomes a living archive, a keeper of stories, ideas and memory itself. The author understands the power of the written word so well. 

This is a novel that spans generations, moving perfectly between past and present.  The author invites the reader to consider not just what has been lost, but how it was lost, and, importantly, who benefited along the way. His background as an environmental scientist is evident, but never heavy-handed. The science is embedded seamlessly into the narrative, giving the story authority and weight without ever overwhelming the human drama at its core.

This book packs such an emotional punch. There is anger, and sorrow, and moments of genuine fear, but there is also tenderness and an unexpected sense of hope. The author's prose is often lyrical, almost poetic, even when describing the harshest realities. He has an uncanny ability to balance beauty and brutality, ensuring that the novel never slips into despair for despair’s sake.

Tension runs through every page. The sense of threat is constant, and yet the novel never becomes exhausting. Instead, you are compelled onwards, by the need to see whether resistance, memory and compassion can still matter in a world that seems determined to crush them. This is dystopian fiction at its most effective: not spectacle, but warning.

While The Hope does work as a standalone novel, it gains enormous power when read as the culmination of the trilogy. Threads laid down in earlier books come together with precision and purpose. However, the author is careful not to alienate new readers; enough context is provided to make this story accessible to all readers.

Ultimately, The Hope asks a question that feels uncomfortably urgent: what if there is still time? It does not offer easy answers, but it does suggest that resistance can take many forms; knowledge, memory, kindness, and the refusal to forget. This is a sobering, thought-provoking and deeply affecting novel, and a fitting, unforgettable conclusion to a remarkable trilogy.

Highly recommended, and not easily forgotten.

Canadian Paul Hardisty has spent twenty-five years working all over the world as an
environmental scientist and freelance journalist. 

He has roughnecked on oil rigs in Texas, explored for gold in the Arctic, mapped geology in Eastern Turkey (where he was befriended by PKK rebels), and rehabilitated water wells in the wilds of Africa. 

He was in Ethiopia in 1991 as the Mengistu regime fell, survived a bomb blast in a café in Sana’a in 1993, and was one of the last Westerners out of Yemen at the outbreak of the 1994 civil war. 

In 2022 he criss-crossed Ukraine reporting on the Russian invasion. 

His debut thriller The Abrupt Physics of Dying was shortlisted for the CWA John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger and was a Telegraph Thriller of the Year, and The Forcing (2023) and The Descent (2024) were a SciFi Now Book of the Month and shortlisted for the Crime Fiction Lover Awards. 

Paul is a keen outdoorsman, a conservation volunteer, and lives in Western Australia.

X @Hardisty_paul

Instagram @paulhardisty

Substack Bite On The Nail

Esther Is Now Following You by Tanya Sweeney #BookReview #EstherIsFollowingYou @tanyasweeney @estherfollowsyou @bantambooksuk @TransworldBooks @RandomTTours

 

You're the love of Esther's life. You just don't know it yet...

Esther first sees Ted walking in a park in London. They lock eyes and for a fraction of a second, she feels something she’s never felt before.

She starts by reading up about his life in Canada and his work as an actor. Then she watches every interview with him online. It isn’t long before she’s joined Ted’s fan site online where her and the ‘Tedettes’ stalk his every move.

When Ted gets a new celebrity girlfriend, Esther decides that things have gone far enough. She leaves her husband, takes all their savings, and buys a one-way ticket to Canada.

After all, Ted might not know it yet, but they are meant to be together – he just needs a little bit of persuading...

Esther Is Now Following You by Tanya Sweeney is published by Bantam on 29 January 2026. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy as part of this #RandomThingsTours Virtual Book Tour 

I think we all judge a book by the cover. That first glance often tells us so much about what we are going to find inside. I looked at this one and saw fun, humour, maybe a love story? Well, yes, there are some of those, but there's so much more too. 

There’s something quietly unsettling about the book and the story, and that’s very much its strength. Tanya Sweeney’s debut is one of those novels that slips under your skin almost without you realising, you are nudged into uncomfortable territory yet it's so readable and so compelling at the same time. 

At first glance, the premise feels familiar: obsession, celebrity culture, fandom taken too far. But the author really doesn't sensationalise. Instead, she has produced a wonderful, intimate portrait of a woman whose inner life is far more fragile and complex than the surface narrative initially suggests. Esther is not an easy character to like, and I don't think that she is designed to be. I often found myself questioning her decisions, feeling frustrated by her beliefs and uneasy with the choices she makes. And yet, as the novel unfolds, it becomes harder to dismiss her as simply 'unhinged' or delusional.

The novel is paced so well. This is not a breathless thriller, but it is a slow, psychologically driven exploration of loneliness, longing, and the human need to be seen. There’s a quiet sadness at the heart of the story that lingers long after the final page, balanced with moments of sharp observation and the occasional wry note of humour.

The novel deals with modern fandom and online spaces, where connection and validation can feel so close, yet are ultimately hollow. Esther’s relationship with the digital world feels authentic and frighteningly plausible, particularly in how it feeds both her hope and her isolation.

Esther Is Now Following You is a quietly powerful debut, more melancholic than shocking, and far more empathetic than I expected from the blurb. It’s a novel about obsession, yes, but also about grief, depression, and the stories we tell ourselves in order to survive. Not an easy read, but a rewarding one.

For the last fifteen years, Tanya has been a columnist in a number of Irish newspapers and magazines, among them the Dubliner, STELLAR, U, Irish Tatler, and the Irish Times Magazine.

She is currently a journalist and Weekend magazine columnist at the Irish Independent and is a regular contributor on Irish radio & TV. 

Her work in the music, film & TV industries helped inspire her debut novel, Esther is Now Following You, a funny, fresh and deeply affecting story about celebrity fandom and what happens when it all becomes a bit too real.

IG @tanyasweeney

IG @estherfollowsyou

All The Little Houses by May Cobb #BookReview #AllTheLittleHouses @may_cobb @bookmarked @sbkslandmark @RandomTTours

 

Adults can behave badly, too.

It's the mid-1980s in the tiny town of Longview, Texas. Nellie Anderson, the beautiful daughter of the Anderson family dynasty, has burst onto the scene. She always gets what she wants. What she can’t get for herself…well, that’s what her mother is for.

Because Charleigh Andersen―blond, beautiful, and ruthlessly cunning―remembers all too well having to claw her way to the top. When she was coming of age on the poor side of East Texas, she was a loser, an outcast, humiliated, and shunned by the in-crowd, whose approval she’d so desperately thirsted for.

So when a prairie-kissed family moves to town, all trad wife, woodworking dad, wholesome daughter vibes, Charleigh’s entire self-made social empire threatens to crumble.

Who will be left standing when the dust settles?

A ruthless suspense thriller filled with twisted thrills and jaw-dropping secrets, All the Little Houses is a must-read for thriller fans―and a gripping exploration of what it means to be a wife, mother, and woman in a world of ruthless ambition.

All The Little Houses by May Cobb was published on 20 January 2026 by Sourcebooks Landmark. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review as part of this #RandomThingsTours Virtual Book Tour. 

This is my first read from this author and it is a  darkly irresistible slice of domestic noir. From the opening pages, the author builds an atmosphere that thrums with tension, there are sun-baked streets, smiling neighbours, and underneath it all, tightly coiled secrets waiting to be exposed. It’s exactly the kind of structure that I adore: ordinary lives with little cracks that get bigger, little by little, until everything threatens to collapse.

Everything seems so safe and calm, at first. These pretty houses, manicured lawns, and seemingly perfect friendships are beautiful from a distance, but up close you feel everything seething underneath. The characters are wonderfully layered; flawed, impulsive, desperate, and so very human. This author really has a talent for writing women whose choices make you want to reach into the book and shake them, while also whispering, I understand why you did that.

The pacing is so good. Each chapter is like looking into another room of one of those little houses, some are cosy, some are claustrophobic and they are all hiding something. The slow simmer of suspicion, the shifts in loyalty, the creeping dread… it’s all woven so cleverly that by the time the reveals begin to land, you’re already holding your breath. 

And the twists, oh, the twists! The author doesn’t go for shock for shock’s sake; instead, she turns the plot like a key in a lock, slowly, deliberately, until suddenly the door swings open and you’re staring at something far more unsettling than you expected.

Atmospheric, sharp, and wonderfully addictive, All The Little Houses is a fabulous novel of psychological suspense. It’s the sort of book you intend to dip into for a chapter or two and then find yourself devouring in an afternoon, utterly hooked.

Highly recommended for readers who love their thrillers with emotional depth, sun-drenched menace, and a narrative voice that refuses to let you look away.

May Cobb is the bestselling author of The Hunting Wives, The Hollywood Assistant, My
Summer Darlings, and more. 

Her thriller, The Hunting Wives, is now a Netflix series starring Brittany Snow and Malin Akerman, and her books have received attention from Book of The Month, The Today Show, and O, The Oprah Magazine. 

She has an M.A. from San Francisco State University and her essays and interviews have appeared in The Washington Post and Good Housekeeping. 

She currently lives in Austin with her family, where she has a love/hate relationship with the Texas summer heat.

Instagram @may_cobb

www.maycobb.com

Just One Look At You by Jill Mansell #JustOneLookAtYou #JOLY @JillMansell @headlinepg #BookReview #RespectRomFic #Venice

 

Venice. The perfect setting for romance, and for secrets to be shared.

Fen can't believe her luck. A luxury holiday with her beloved grandmother Disa - what could be more delightful? It doesn't cross her mind that she might fall in love. Or that love can bring complications . . .

Jamie can't help it that women always fall for him, rather than for his kind-hearted friend Leon. Nor that only one of them got the looks (that would be Jamie). But how will he feel if the girl he's drawn to only has eyes for Leon?

Disa has a secret. A few weeks ago, an old letter in a file revealed a shocking truth about her late husband. She's come to Venice to find out more.

There's news on the way that will reverberate through all their lives, as Jill Mansell's joyful, heartbreaking new novel takes readers on a roller coaster ride of emotion - and makes us believe in love again.

Just One Look At You by Jill Mansell is published on 29 January 2026 by Headline. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review. 

January would not be January without a new Jill Mansell book. I've looked back through my blog and I've reviewed twelve of her novels on Random Things. In total, she's written thirty-seven books since 1991, and I am more than certain that I've read them all. Whilst I may be more well know for my love of crime fiction; Jill Mansell is and has always been one of my all time favourite authors.

I used to review for the Daily Express and in one of those reviews I called her 'the Queen of feelgood romance' ... that quote is still used on her books and I am chuffed! 

So back to her latest; Just One Look At You. It is utterly captivating; the Venice setting is sublime and the characters are, as always, perfectly formed. I am especially fond of Disa; a glamorous, beautifully dressed older woman - I think I'd like to be Disa! 

Disa and her granddaughter Fen are taking a five star river cruise in Venice. It's Disa's treat and Fen is delighted to accept. However, Disa has her own reason for visiting Venice. She recently discovered something shocking about her late husband, and this has led her to Venice. She is apprehensive about what she may discover, but determined to find out more. 

Meanwhile; handsome rugby star Jamie and his lifelong best friend Leon are also on board. Jamie has a speaking gig and Leon is along for the ride. Everyone always falls in love with Jamie, but Leon adores him too and doesn't really mind.  Things are a little different in Venice when it is Leon who attracts the girl, and Jamie is too much of a good friend to try to but in. 

This is a wonderful escape, perfect for these dreary grey January days. It is not all hearts and flowers though, there are some very emotional scenes, some that brought a huge lump to my throat. 

This is a tender, graceful, perfectly created novel of love, family, secrets, grief and healing. It is perfect and is Jill Mansell at her very very best. Highly recommended.

Jill Mansell started writing fiction while working in the NHS, after she read a magazine article that
inspired her to join a local creative writing class. 

Since then she has written over twenty-five Sunday Times bestsellers. 

Her acclaimed novels include The Wedding of the Year, Promise Me, Should I Tell You?, And Now You’re Back, It Started with a Secret and You and Me, Always. 

Jill’s books have sold over 14.5 million copies worldwide.

Jill lives in Bristol and for many years worked in the field of clinical neurophysiology. You’d think inventing characters and stories would be easier, but she can assure you it isn’t.

Twitter @Jill Mansell

Facebook /OfficialJillMansell

Instagram @JillMansell

Anatomy Of An Alibi by Ashley Elston VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR #AnatomyOfAnAlibi @ashley_elston @headlinepg @RandomTTours #BookReview

 

Two women. One dead husband. And only one alibi...

Camille Bayliss suspects her husband Ben hides a dark secret. But as he tracks her every move, she cannot prove it.

Aubrey Price believes lawyer Ben Bayliss knows the truth about the night that wrecked her life a decade ago. But she needs a way in.

When Camille and Aubrey meet, they hatch a plan.

For twelve hours, Aubrey will take Camille's place. Ben will track the wrong woman, Camille can spy on Ben, and both women will get their answers.

Except the next morning, Ben is found murdered.

Two women need an airtight alibi, but only one of them has it. And one false step is all it takes for everything to come undone...

Anatomy Of An Alibi by Ashley Elston was published on 13 January 2026 by Headline. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy as part of this #RandomThingsTours Virtual Book Tour 

Anatomy of an Alibi is a deliciously twisty thrillers that pulls you in with a clever premise.

At its heart are two women connected by the same man, although in very different ways. Camille Bayliss is convinced that her husband Ben is hiding something rotten beneath his polished exterior. Aubrey Price has spent the last decade carrying the weight of a night that destroyed her life, and she’s convinced Ben knows more than he has ever admitted. When Camille and Aubrey cross paths, what follows feels a little inevitable: a risky plan that depends on deception and trust between two strangers.

The author handles the dual points of view confidently, she allows the tension to build steadily rather than relying on constant shocks.  The novel explores control and power within relationships, especially the quiet, creeping kind that’s easy to miss. Ben’s presence looms large even when he’s not in a scene, giving the reader a sense of being watched which adds an edge of unease.

The plot unfolds over a tight timeframe, which gives the story some urgency, but still allows for great character development. Camille and Aubrey are believable and grounded, making their decisions feel authentic rather than convenient. As events spiral, I found myself questioning motives and assumptions right up until the final pages.

This is a clever and compulsive read that keeps you thinking long after you’ve turned the last page. Stylish, perfectly paced and well constructed, it’s the kind of thriller that slips under your skin without shouting for attention. Recommended by me. 

Ashley Elston is the author of several young adult novels, including The Rules
For Disappearing and 10 Blind Dates.

To date, her work has been translated into 23 languages, and her books go from strength to strength.

She lives in Louisiana with her husband and three sons

First Lie Wins, her debut adult thriller, has sold over a million copies, was a No. 1 New

York Times bestseller, a Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick, acclaimed and widely

reviewed and a Sunday Times Thriller of the Month.

Find Ashley online: IG: @ashleyelston / X: @ashley_elston

Into the Dark by Ørjan Karlsson, translated by Ian Giles BLOG TOUR #IntoTheDark @orjankarlsson @OrendaBooks #BookReview #NordicNoir

 

In Norway’s far north, something unspeakable is surfacing…

When a mutilated body rises from the icy waters off the jetty in Kjerringøy, it shocks the quiet coastal village – and stirs something darker beneath. Not long after, a young woman is found dead in a drab Bodø apartment. Suicide, perhaps. Or something far more sinister.

Detective Jakob Weber and former national investigator Noora Yun Sande are drawn into both cases. Then a hiker reports a terrifying encounter in the nearby wilderness: a solitary cabin … and a man without a face.

As the investigation deepens, the clues grow more disturbing – and the wild, wintry landscape closes in. Jakob is certain of one thing: if they don’t find the killer soon, he’ll strike again.

SECOND in the dark, addictive Nordic Noir series set in Norway’s unforgiving Arctic north.

Into The Dark by Ørjan Karlsson was published on 15 January 2026 by Orenda Books and is book two in the Arctic Mysteries Series. It is translated by Ian Giles. 

Into the Dark by Ørjan Karlsson, translated by Ian Giles, is very much my type of Nordic Noir. From the beginning it is quietly unsettling, a story that slowly draws the reader into its pages with such confidence.

This is not a book that rushes. Instead, it settles into its own rhythm. There’s an intensity to the writing that encourages you to slow down, and to pay attention, and to really live in the story rather than race through it. 

Set in Norway’s far north, the novel opens with the discovery of a mutilated body pulled from the icy waters near the small coastal village of Kjerringøy. When another death follows soon after in nearby Bodø — one that may or may not be suicide — Detective Jakob Weber and former national investigator Noora Yun Sande are drawn into an investigation that becomes increasingly disturbing. As the boundaries between the cases begin to blur, the sense of unease deepens, particularly when reports surface of a chilling encounter in the surrounding wilderness.

One of the real strengths of Into the Dark is its setting. The Arctic landscape is described with an authority that makes it feel vast, isolating and, at times, almost oppressive. It seems to press in on the characters as the investigation deepens, heightening the tension without ever overwhelming the narrative. I love crime fiction where the location feels integral to the story, and Karlsson does that so well. 

A special mention for the translation by Ian Giles too. It is beautifully done, the writing is understated and never loses the underlying sense of menace. There’s a real emotional feeling to it.

I was really impressed by authentic the story feels. The characters feel believable and human, carrying their fears and uncertainties quietly and never over dramatically. 

Although Into the Dark is the second book in the series, it works perfectly well as a standalone. I never felt as though I was missing crucial information, and the characters are introduced with enough care that it’s easy to settle into their world. 

Overall, this is thoughtful, atmospheric Nordic Noir that lingers in the mind long after the final page. If you enjoy crime fiction that concentrates on mood, character and psychological depth, then you will love this. Highly recommended. 

Ørjan N. Karlsson grew up in Bodø. 

A sociologist by trade, he received officer training in the army and has taken part in overseas missions.

He has worked in the Defence Ministry and is now a departmental manager in the Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection.

He has written a large number of thrillers, sci-fi novels and crime novels for adults.

Ian Giles has a PhD in Scandinavian literature from the University of Edinburgh.

Past translations include novels by crime and thriller luminaries such as Arne Dahl, Carin Gerhardsen, Michael Katz Krefeld, David Lagercrantz, Camilla Läckberg and Gustaf Skördeman.

His translation of Andreas Norman’s Into a Raging Blaze was shortlisted for the 2015 CWA International Dagger.