ARC Book Review: Devils Fjord (A Faroe Islands Mystery Book 1) by David Hewson

Release Date: May 1, 2019
Publisher: Severn House Publishers
Format: ebook
Pages: 288 pages
Genre:  International Mystery/crime
Buy: Kindle | Paperback 

Synopsis:

New District Sheriff Tristan Haraldsen uncovers a series of dark secrets when he investigates the disappearance of two boys in the remote Faroe Islands. Newly-appointed District Sheriff Tristan Haraldsen and his wife Elsebeth are looking forward to a peaceful semi-retirement in the remote fishing village of Djevulsfjord on the stunningly beautiful island of Vagar. But when two boys go missing during the first whale hunt of the season, the repercussions strike at the heart of the isolated coastal community. As he pursues his investigations, Tristan discovers that the Mikkelsen brothers aren’t the first young men to have vanished on Vagar. Determined to solve the mystery of Djevulsfjord, yet encountering suspicion wherever he turns, Haraldsen comes to realize he and his wife are not living in the rural paradise they had imagined, and that the wild beauty of the region hides a far darker reality.

Review: 

As with many Scandinavian mysteries this one is dark, atmospheric and slow paced. Djevulsfjord is a dying village. There are few children or young people and the ones that do live there have lived their whole lives there. They don't like outsiders much and tend to stick to the same way of life they have had forever.  From the Grind where they drive whales to the beach for slaughter to get them through the winter to understanding the hard life it is to live in such a remote desolate place.

Bodies drop like flies in Djevulsfjord, some older than others but all of them start to seem connected and some seem like they were covered up. There are many mysteries in this little town and new District Sheriff seems to be caught in the middle of it.

I've traveled the Fjords of Norway and they are isolated little towns and I can certainly see how if they didn't have tourists coming that it would be a very isolated and difficult life.  This was a really well done mystery and if you love Scandi mysteries you will love this book and the ending gave me chills.

Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

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