Under the Blazing Sun by Jenny Lund Madsen @jennylundmadsen @orendabooks t. @paulrussellgarrett #undertheblazingsun #nordicnoir #murderbythebook

 

Hannah is miserable. Her love life is in ruins, her contract demands a sequel to her bestselling crime debut – and she's out of ideas. After a mortifying TV interview, her agent ships her off to a sun-drenched Sicilian villa with a simple order: finish the book. No distractions. No excuses.

But inspiration doesn't strike – murder does.

When a night out ends in murder, Hannah finds herself at the centre of a murder investigation … again. The police want her out of the way, and the only person who seems to believe her is a young but charming Italian police officer. That is, until she doesn't.

Soon Hannah is chasing suspects, fleeing crime scenes, and doing whatever it takes to avoid becoming the next victim. She came to write a crime novel. Now she's trapped inside one.

Dark, sly and deliciously atmospheric, Under the Blazing Sun is the second novel in the award-winning series featuring accidental sleuth and disgruntled literary author Hannah, whose pursuit of plot twists keeps turning dangerously real.

Under the Blazing Sun by Jenny Lund Madsen - translated by Paul Russell Garrett was published on 21 May 2026 by Orenda Books and is the second of the Murder By The Book series. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review as part of this Virtual Book Tour 

I read and reviewed the first book in this series; Thirty Days of Darkness in June 2023

I loved that book and have been eager to return to see what crazy things our protagonist, Hannah has been up to. 

The novel reunites us with the wonderfully cantankerous Hannah Krause-Bendix, a crime writer who has once again been dispatched by her long-suffering editor to focus on writing a bestseller. This time, however, Sicily's sunshine, excellent wine and tempting cuisine prove far more appealing than sitting in front of a laptop.

When Hannah finds herself caught up in the brutal death of Greta Tauson, a wealthy Swedish woman who had only recently welcomed her into her home, she quickly becomes a person of interest. Unwilling to leave the investigation to the police, and even less willing to remain under suspicion,  Hannah launches her own inquiry, dragging readers along on a thoroughly entertaining and often outrageous adventure.

What makes this series such a delight is Hannah herself. She's blunt, judgemental, stubborn and frequently exasperating, and I absolutely bloody adore her! She is so sharp and funny about the people that she comes across!  I also found her endless determination to avoid actually writing her book quite relatable, procrastination is my middle name! 

The return of fellow crime writer and egomaniac Jørn Jensen was a great touch and adds another layer of comedy. Their friendship/rivalry is one of my highlights of the novel, with their funny yet strangle tender exchanges that made me smile. 

Yes, you'll need to suspend disbelief at times. There are improbable twists, dramatic confrontations and enough coincidences to make even Hannah raise an eyebrow. But the author cleverly acknowledges the absurdity, playfully poking fun at crime fiction tropes while also embracing them wholeheartedly. The result is a fast-paced  mystery that never takes itself too seriously.

Warm, witty and hugely entertaining, Under the Blazing Sun is a clever crime novel that reminds us that reality can be far stranger and far more fun than fiction. Highly recommended. 

Jenny Lund Madsen is one of Denmark’s most acclaimed screenwriters, known for
international hits such as Rita and Follow the Money, as well as for her advocacy for better representation of sexual and ethnic minorities in Danish TV and film. 

She recently made her debut as a playwright with the critically acclaimed Audition (Aarhus Teater).

Her debut literary thriller, Thirty Days of Darkness―the first in an addictive new series―won the Harald Mogensen Prize for Best Danish Crime Novel of the Year and was shortlisted for the prestigious Glass Key Award. 

She lives in Denmark with her young family.