Walpurgis Tide

Hannis Martinsson #3

by Jógvan Isaksen

Two British environmental activists are discovered dead amongst the whale corpses after a whale-kill in Tórshavn. The detective Hannis Martinsson is asked to investigate by a representative of the organisation Guardians of the Sea – who shortly afterwards is killed when his private plane crashes. Suspicion falls on Faroese hunters, angry at persistent interference in their traditional whale hunt; but the investigation leads Martinsson to a much larger group of international vested interests, and the discovery of a plot which could devastate the whole country.

Genres: Fiction, Crime

282 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Lauren]

▫️ WALPURGIS TIDE by Jógvan Isaksen, translated from the Faroese by John Keithsson, 2005/2016.

#ReadTheWorld21 📍Faroe Islands

I'll fully admit that I knew 3 things about the Faroe Islands before I read this book:
1) stunning land / seascapes
2) controversial (to put it mildly) whaling practices
3) tons of sheep / rich fiber + textile tradition

And in reading this noir/mystery set in the Faroes, I learned quite a bit more about each of these things - and more! I liked the Isaksen didn't "beat around the bush", and made the environmental activism and EU sanctions re: the Faorese whaling practices one of the prime focuses of the book.

Investigative journalist Hannis Martinsson has moved back to Tórshavn, the Faroese capital, after several years in Denmark, the territorial governing kingdom over the Faroes. He returns ... and immediately 2 British tourists are found dead on the beach... Bodies start piling up... Martinsson is on the case!

Quite an action-packed little thriller with a lot to say about environmental ethics, international economics, corporate espionage and terrorism, and about starting over again in your own town.
I haven't read genre mysteries in awhile, and the thrills and whodunit aspect were entertaining, but there's no denying that the real stars here are the landscape and the Faroese peoples' spirit.

While the mystery winds and weaves, we hop the islands with Martinsson, we dodge the bullets as he hides in mine shafts and in puffin nest tunnels, we meet his drinking buddies and co-workers, his frenemies and exes.

Apparently several others featuring Martinsson, but this is the first of Isaksen's books translated from the #Faroese, which is related to Old Norse and Icelandic linguistically. Faroese, Danish, and English (Faroes geographically located just north of Scotland and the Shetlands, so a lot of interplay there) are the prime languages spoken in the Faroe Islands.

[Ken Fredette · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like the way Jógvan put together the story he made up. I'm happy to say that I got that his girlfriends daughter was his also the first time we met her. The murders were something else and I was not quite sure who the murder was. And I was surprised when Hannis found out who killed who and how. This was a very good read where I learned a few things other than the mystery. It was involved and had action all the time and I highly recommend this book.

[Bryan Edgington · Rating 5 out of 5]

This makes me want to visit the Faroe Islands - just skipping the shooting and death. A fun story that guides all over the islands and incorporates a few interwoven elements. Good, fast read.

[Alexandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a solid 3.5 stars. I loved the setting in the Feroe Islands. I bought this book last summer when I was there on vacation so it was pleasent to read about places I've been to albeit it was with murders. The pacing was slow and none of the characters were impressive or memorable but I loved the cultural aspect of the book-learning a bit about Feroese traditions and daily habbits.

[Dan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe it's me. Maybe I'm too skeptical, or too demanding, or something...

This is a novel that sounded intriguing. As much for the locale and the nationality of the author, I was drawn to a fresh (I'd hoped) voice in the thriller/suspense/ detective genre. But, sadly, no.This plot is muddled. This language is simplistic. This idea, albeit a good one, is botched.

Here's the skepticism: is it the author's fault? Or, is it the translator's? Time after time I'm disappointed by English language translations of modern foreign authors. Sure, Proust and Tolstoy and Mann are great translations. They've been redone so often it's GOT to be good by now. But, I just don't trust that the translations I read of current European (and other nationalities too numerous to list) writers have been sufficiently vetted and edited.

But, that's just me.

Read this one at your own risk.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know whether the book wasn't especially well written, or whether the translation wasn't great, but this was not a particularly good read for a crime/murder mystery novel. The location was exotic to me, the Faroe Islands, but I wouldn't say that the book evoked a super-strong sense of place, as, for example, Ann Cleeves's Shetland books do, or Elly Griffiths's Ruth Galloway books do. The protagonist acts foolishly often, and it's amazing how many times he gets shot at, but never hurt. It's odd how many dead bodies he happens to stumble across. All in all, the whole thing seems highly unlikely even in a genre that is filled with the need to suspend your disbelief.

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A real page Turner once I got into it. Learnt lots of nice details about life on the Faroes, like choir singing on the radio and the quality of life there. Good descriptions of fauna of the islands, the history snd whaling and its dilemmas in the modern world.

But most of all, a crackingly good mystery thriller and gripping to the very end.

[E Ehrenfeld · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nordic noir from the Faroe Islands

Good detective story that wraps a lot of Faroes culture into the story. Was recommended to me by a young woman working at the museum on the Faroes when I told her I liked mystery stories and wanted to read some based on the Faroes. I also recommend the books by Chris Ould, although he is British and not Faroes.

[Hanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bok nummer 3 om Hannis Martinsson.
Her er det miljøorganisasjonene som får sitt pass påskrevet når 2 miljøaktivister blir funnet død etter et grindadrap i Tórshavn. Hannis blir kontaktet av Guardians of the sea som vil at han skal oppklare mordene. Her får kan ILA smitte på oppdrettsanlegg og mye annet snacks

[Lana Velkov · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really anticipated this book, but the translator's writing style sent me in and out of focus for a story that otherwise would have been engaging.

[Ida Wieborg von Rosen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bedre end sidste bog. Spændende at læse om grindedrab fra et færøsk perspektiv.

[Winston Schaeffer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book, but it got slightly repetitive in my opinion. The Faroese landscape drew me in; I am enchanted by the place. I thought the characters to be realistic, if not super deep, but that’s okay; it’s a mystery. The action, what with all the shooting, was definitely welcome. Plus, the murders seemed intriguing and fresh. Yet, (this could just be me) I thought the story dragged on for a bit too long and wasn’t aided by the very to the point writing style (I don’t know how to describe it, it’s probably an aspect of the translation). The writing itself just seemed to bore me after awhile. Anywho, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to other nordic noir lovers and mystery enjoyers.

[Roger King · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to a recent Wall Street Journal article about Nordic Noir authors killing off all kinds of fictitious people in relatively homicide-free Faroe Islands, I just finished reading Isaksen’s Walpurgis Tide, the only one of his books I could find in English. Very nice plot twist at the end, plus I learned something about pilot whales, salmon virus (and salmon diet), and pawns in geopolitical chess.

[Paul · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know if its just the English translation, or the original that is quite stilted.
Plodding attempt to add a Faroese angle to Nordic noir.

However, as a guide book to the Faroe islands, whaling customs and drinking culture it is worth reading, even if the crime wave is brought by those nasty foreigners from Scotland.

[Michael Krarup · Rating 3 out of 5]

http://bogbrokken.blogspot.dk/2010/03...

[Nicola · Rating 3 out of 5]

just ok, the clunky translation put me off - how many times can one say 'on the other hand'...

found the subject interesting and spend quite some time looking up Faroese related topics

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed it...I just think it suffers a little bit from translation issues.

[Tanja (Litteraturhesten)]

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