Spring Tide (2014) by Cilla Borjlind and Rolf Borjlind

One of the World Book Night titles we'll be giving away is Spring Tide, a murder mystery from the writers behind the popular Swedish crime series Arne Dahl and Wallander.  The novel is centred around the unsolved murder case of an unidentified woman in the sea off a remote Swedish island in the 1980s, which is picked up by Olivia, a student training to become a police officer, as a summer assignment for college. As Olivia delves into the fragmented and incomplete pieces of the case, other characters and stories emerge, all of whom seem to be linked to the investigation somehow. The reader is quickly pulled into the story as the case becomes more complex and Olivia becomes more involved.

I found the style of writing a little jarring at times, when the text is broken up into individual sentences down the page, presumably for dramatic effect (or the whim of the translator?) – unfortunately I just found it irritating! However this didn’t spoil my enjoyment of the story, which kept me interested and wondering how it would all end. “Nordic Noir” is not a genre I have ever read or watched on television, so I wasn’t sure how I would find Spring Tide, but I think it made for a great introduction.

Review by Rachel Bickley, Academic Liaison Librarian.

Chickenfeed (QuickReads edition, 2015) by Minette Walters

Chickenfeed is Minette Walters' telling of the ill fated relationship between Norman Thorne and Elsie Cameron. When I first picked up the book, I did not see myself as a member of Minette Walters' target audience, but on completion I found the novella so be quite successful in what it aspires to be. Crime stories may not be for everyone but the book was not in bad taste and realistically could be read by young adults and above. The best compliment I have for this book is that it is an incredibly easy read and I was able to blitz through it in three sittings. Thinking about students that do not have English as a first language, I really would recommend a novella like this. Whether it be in an airport lounge, a long train journey or during a flight, Minette Walters' Chickenfeed is great light entertainment.  

Review by Avtar Natt, Academic Liaison Librarian.