Deadly Autumn Harvest by Tony Mott BLOG TOUR #DeadlyAutumnHarvest @tonymott_ T. @MarinaSofia8 @CorylusB #BookReview

 

A series of bizarre murders rocks the beautiful Carpathian town of Braşov. At first there’s nothing obvious to link what appear to be random killings.

With the police still smarting from the scandal of having failed to act in a previous case of a serial kidnapper and killer, they bring in forensic pathologist Gigi Alexa to figure out if several murderers are at work – or if they have another serial killer on their hands.

Ambitious, tough, and not one to suffer fools gladly, Gigi fights to be taken seriously in a society that maintains old-fashioned attitudes to the roles of women.

She and the police team struggle to establish a pattern, especially when resources are diverted to investigating a possible terrorist plot. With the clock ticking, Gigi stumbles across what looks to be a far-fetched theory – just as she realises that she could be on the murderer’s to-kill list.

Deadly Autumn Harvest by Tony Mott was published on 30 July 2023 by Corylus Books and is translated by Marina Sofia. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review as part of this Blog Tour. 

I am a huge fan of translated fiction, especially crime fiction and Deadly Autumn Harvest is another cracker from the Corylus Books stable. Translated by Marina Sofia, it's a slim volume but packed to the brim with a complex and intriguing murder investigation carried out by a lead character who has already become a favourite. 

The small town of Braşov is beginning to slow down at the end of the tourist season. The weather is getting colder, the days are getting shorter when the police are called in to investigate the murder of a local woman. Gigi Alexander is a forensic pathologist who has worked closely with the police in the past, and once again, her services are called upon to help with this new case. 

And then there is another murder, seemingly unrelated, the investigative team can find no connections between the victims, and the actual killings seem very different. However, Gigi is not convinced that there is more than one murderer, there's something about these cases that pull at her instincts, and she is determined to find out more. As the death toll increases, the investigation becomes more complex and more urgent. There's a huge media interest due to issues with previous cases and everyone involved knows that these murders have to be stopped. 

Gigi is an amazing character. Strong willed, forceful and often blunt. The author cleverly and subtly weaves her back story into the narrative, enabling the reader to understand more of her behaviours. Despite her prickly behaviour at times, one cannot help but back her all of the way. 

Interwoven between the accounts of the investigation are the thoughts and feelings of the killer. The reader knows far more about the workings of their mind than Gigi and the police do, although we are not aware of the identity of the murderer. This adds a sinister note to the story, increasing the tension throughout. 

This is a clever story that kept me intrigued and guessing right up to the end. Maria Sofia's translation is clear and precise and there's an authentic feel to this, especially around the setting.

This is the first in this series to be translated into English and I am really hoping that more is to follow. Gigi is a fabulous character and I'd love to learn more about her. 

Tony Mott was born and bred in Braşov, which often forms the backdrop for her novels.
She has worked internationally as a coach and HR professional, but her real passion remains writing. 

In 2022 she received the Romanian Mystery&Thriller Award. Deadly Autumn Harvest is the first novel in the Gigi Alexa series to be translated into English.

Twitter @tonymott_

Marina Sofia is a translator, reviewer, writer and blogger, as well as a third culture kid who grew up trilingual in Romanian, German and English. Her previous translations for Corylus Books are Sword by Bogdan Teodorescu and Resilience by Bogdan Hrib. She has spent most of her winters in Braşov skiing, so is delighted to translate a book set in her favourite Romanian town.

Twitter @MarinaSofia8