The Maze

Dania Gorska #6

by Hania Allen

The sixth gripping DI Dania Gorska novel.

Praise for Hania Allen

'Nicely nasty in all the right places . . . The story rattles along until bringing the curtain down with an unnerving twist' Craig Robertson

'A fresh new find for crime fans ... the plot is intriguing, the characters are well drawn, and the end comes with an unnerving twist. Extremely readable' Sunday Post

'Captivating characters and an intriguing plot. A great new find for crime fans' Lin Anderson

'Pitch-perfect . . . a witty, tense crime novel written in a highly readable style' Russel D McLean

Genres: Crime, Fiction

384 pages, Paperback

Published January 21, 2025

About the author

Hania Allen was born in Liverpool of Polish refugees. She always wanted to go into space and came a fair way (but not far enough) in the Project Juno competition to find Britain's first astronaut. Her career in education culminated in information management at the University of St Andrews, a post she left to write full-time. When not writing, she plays the piano with her musically gifted godchildren, making up for in enthusiasm what she lacks in talent. Hania has lived in Scotland longer than anywhere else and loves the country and its people, despite the nine months of rain and three months of bad weather. She currently resides in a fishing village in Fife.

Reviews

[Piper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the Little Brown Book for sending me a copy of "The Maze" by Hania Allen, the 6th book in the Dania Gorska series.

In this book, we follow Daina as she investigates the murder of a high-profile fashion designer who has a twin. When the designer's brother hasn't heard from him in a few days and becomes worried, he reports him missing.

We also meet two sisters who sneak into the Mazt to try and win money. They stumble across a body but don't report it right away because they are young and have snuck out to learn more about the maze.

This book has many twists and turns, keeping you guessing with its intricate plot. I particularly enjoy it when Daina teams up with her brother, and the sibling bond is well-portrayed.

The unexpected ending shocked me, making it a great read that I highly recommend.

#BookReview #MysteryNovel #SiblingBond #CrimeFiction #TwistsAndTurns #BookRecommendation #SuspensefulPlot #UnexpectedEnding #SisterlyAdventure

[Hannah Symonds · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the sixth book in the DI Dania Gorska thriller series and my first book to read. DI Dania Gorska is on the next case where a body is found but Dania does not think it is a plain sailing case of suicide, the thinking of murder is the right way forward in this case. The investigation leads Dania to a maze but is Dania safe or is the case going to spiral out of control, Dania needs to be quick before it is too late. It was one of those reads that when you put it down, you are thinking about it. The story is a slow one and the pace is slow too, but I am glad I read it as it was a pretty intriguing story. The ending was an almighty twist and I could not believe it. It is well worth a read.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very enjoyable Dundonian read.

For me this is a trip back to the nearest city to where I grew up. This sixth story in the series is set back in Dundee after the previous book was set in DI Dania Gorska’s home town of Warsaw.

In this book Dania and her team as well as her brother Marek look into the murder of an Italian fashion designer whose exhibition is being shown in the V&A on the riverside.

The book starts at a goodish pace in the first half/two thirds set around a Maze around the set of the city. It quickens in the latter stages with a few unexpected twists in the case which bring it to an exciting and potentially dangerous ending.

This is another very good addition to a quality series. Looking forward to the next instalment.

[Martha Brindley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another good, well written read by the author featuring Dania Gorska and set in Dundee. The characterisation is believable, I love the relationship Dania has with her team, but also with her brother Marek. It is dark in places and very atmospheric, as the team investigate the murder of an Italian designer and the pacing flows along nicely until the end. The twist at the end surprised me and I would highly recommend the read to lovers of crime thrillers. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

[Emma Lou Lawrence · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book, kept me in suspense all the way through.

[Sarah Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

a good mystery, interesting chatacters

[Jo-anne Atkinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two girls find a partially buried body in woodland outside Dundee. Detective Dania Gorska immediately rules out suicide. Piero was a famous fashion designer renting a remote cottage during an exhibition of his work and his twin brother, Luca, arrives to pursue justice. Clues lead to the famous local maze and footage shows Piero arguing with someone. As Dania and her brother Marek investigate the scope grows to include a lost inheritance but more lives are in danger.
This is a very enjoyable series of novels, set in Dundee but featuring lead protagonists of Polish background. Here the plot is one of justice and revenge, an age-old story, but with an unusual setting in a moving maze. It's a very standard procedural but still engaging and a little different.

[Jill Stirling · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good story on the surface of it but the ending was terrible. I hate unresolved endings. There is no need for them in fiction. I guessed who the murderer was. The policies seem to grope around in the dark.
So many annoying untidy bits. Who were those two silly girls that were part of the narrative? What was their purpose?