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Hella Mauzer #3
Trouble
The third in the Hella Mauzer mystery series. Set in Finland, early summer 1953. Hella Mauzer the first-ever woman Inspector in the Helsinki Homicide Unit has been fired and is now a reluctant private investigator.
Hella has been asked by the police to do a background check on Johannes Heikkinen, a senior member of the Finnish secret services. Heikkinen has a complicated a child dead just weeks after birth and a wife who died in the fire that destroyed their house a few years later. Background checks are not exactly the type of job Hella was hoping for, but she accepts it on the condition that she is given access to the files concerning the roadside death of her father in 1942. Colonel Mauzer, his wife and other family members were killed by a truck in a hit and run incident. An accident, file closed, they say. But not for Hella, whose unwelcome investigation leads to some who would prefer to see her stopped dead in her tracks.
Hella has been asked by the police to do a background check on Johannes Heikkinen, a senior member of the Finnish secret services. Heikkinen has a complicated a child dead just weeks after birth and a wife who died in the fire that destroyed their house a few years later. Background checks are not exactly the type of job Hella was hoping for, but she accepts it on the condition that she is given access to the files concerning the roadside death of her father in 1942. Colonel Mauzer, his wife and other family members were killed by a truck in a hit and run incident. An accident, file closed, they say. But not for Hella, whose unwelcome investigation leads to some who would prefer to see her stopped dead in her tracks.
210 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 2, 2023
10 people are currently reading
111 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
March 22, 2023
A great addition to a wonderful series. A refreshing protagonist,good plot. It had me a bit worried at the end, but Ivar stays true to her characters. Looking forward to more books.
November 26, 2022
We start out with a horrible act where a family is destroyed by a hit a run driver who left no one alive.
It is set during WWII in Finland where the war is with Russia and we have Nazi's helping with their fighting. Ten years later we have Hella looking into the deaths as it was her family that was killed. She was 18 when it happened and was in the hospital at the time. She was with the police but was now on her own as a private detective. The police wanted to hire her to check out a new hire to see if anything was wrong. In checking she saw a file that was empty where her parents were killed. You have the main points and it is not a simple thing to check out the people. Many of her friends were involved in this drama and Hella decides how to proceed which is interesting. Hella is not a simple woman and in the end she proves it. I gave it 4 stars out of five.
It is set during WWII in Finland where the war is with Russia and we have Nazi's helping with their fighting. Ten years later we have Hella looking into the deaths as it was her family that was killed. She was 18 when it happened and was in the hospital at the time. She was with the police but was now on her own as a private detective. The police wanted to hire her to check out a new hire to see if anything was wrong. In checking she saw a file that was empty where her parents were killed. You have the main points and it is not a simple thing to check out the people. Many of her friends were involved in this drama and Hella decides how to proceed which is interesting. Hella is not a simple woman and in the end she proves it. I gave it 4 stars out of five.
October 11, 2023
Good story! Love Hella’s independence during years when women mostly weren’t. Looking forward to the next one. . .
January 27, 2023
Am I in trouble if Trouble is the first book I have read in this series? I ought to be. If this novel is any indication, Hella Mauzer and her investigative skills need to find out where I’ve been. Clearly it was not keeping up with this mixed genre set of detective novels featuring a nascent feminist in post World War II Finland.
The book opens in 1942 with a terrible accident. A family is struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver in a truck. Only the younger daughter, Hella, survives. She is at home with a minor illness when her family gets wiped out in an instant.
Some years later, Hella is a former police officer living in Helsinki. Her former boss at the police department asks her to conduct a routine background check on a member of the Finnish clandestine services. This man has applied to become the head of the Helsinki homicide department. Before offering him the job the police want to make sure there are no surprises–and the clandestine services are not very forthcoming with information.
Hella takes the job, hoping it will be an easy paycheck. She is still recovering from injuries received during her previous case, and has moved back into her family’s old house. And initially it does seem very straightforward. The man’s neighbors like him. His in-laws like him. Everyone seems to like him. He is a widower, injured when trying to rescue his wife from a fire in their home. Strong, sympathetic, a patriot, a public servant. Indeed, an excellent candidate.
There is just the little matter of the anonymous letters being sent to the police. And the cousin who despises him. And that uncomfortable feeling that Hella gets when people are not being honest with her. None of this is enough to derail the appointment. It is enough to keep Hella looking.
Hella is also looking into the deaths of her family. It is possible they died in a tragic accident. The truck, though, was stolen. The driver wore gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints. There were enough differences from a typical accident to make Hella question the official report. One thing no detective likes to see are discrepancies, particularly when the victims are your family.
Trouble is a captivating novel. The roles of men and women in post-war Helsinki were very different than we currently find acceptable, and I cringed on Hella’s behalf every time a man suggested to her that she should just get married, or have children, or quit working. Katja Ivar captures the flavor of the paternalism that was the norm in my grandparent’s generation, and she does it well. I am sure she does not take it as far as she could, but it is done with grace and humor and sensitivity.
I would not blame Hella, though, if she ends up punching someone in a later book.
The book opens in 1942 with a terrible accident. A family is struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver in a truck. Only the younger daughter, Hella, survives. She is at home with a minor illness when her family gets wiped out in an instant.
Some years later, Hella is a former police officer living in Helsinki. Her former boss at the police department asks her to conduct a routine background check on a member of the Finnish clandestine services. This man has applied to become the head of the Helsinki homicide department. Before offering him the job the police want to make sure there are no surprises–and the clandestine services are not very forthcoming with information.
Hella takes the job, hoping it will be an easy paycheck. She is still recovering from injuries received during her previous case, and has moved back into her family’s old house. And initially it does seem very straightforward. The man’s neighbors like him. His in-laws like him. Everyone seems to like him. He is a widower, injured when trying to rescue his wife from a fire in their home. Strong, sympathetic, a patriot, a public servant. Indeed, an excellent candidate.
There is just the little matter of the anonymous letters being sent to the police. And the cousin who despises him. And that uncomfortable feeling that Hella gets when people are not being honest with her. None of this is enough to derail the appointment. It is enough to keep Hella looking.
Hella is also looking into the deaths of her family. It is possible they died in a tragic accident. The truck, though, was stolen. The driver wore gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints. There were enough differences from a typical accident to make Hella question the official report. One thing no detective likes to see are discrepancies, particularly when the victims are your family.
Trouble is a captivating novel. The roles of men and women in post-war Helsinki were very different than we currently find acceptable, and I cringed on Hella’s behalf every time a man suggested to her that she should just get married, or have children, or quit working. Katja Ivar captures the flavor of the paternalism that was the norm in my grandparent’s generation, and she does it well. I am sure she does not take it as far as she could, but it is done with grace and humor and sensitivity.
I would not blame Hella, though, if she ends up punching someone in a later book.
January 23, 2023
This is the 3rd book in the Hella Mauzer Series but my first read and it read well as a stand-alone. Set in the early 1950’s in Helsinki, Finland featuring Hella, who has left the police force and is now a Private Investigator. This is a great Cold War spy thriller well written and clearly well researched. Hella is a great character, a feisty woman who is determined to bring the guilty to justice, one gutsy girl.
Briefly, Hella has been asked by her friend and police chief to carry out an investigation on a man he wants to appoint as head of Homicide, Johannes Heikkinen. She agrees but only if she is allowed access to the files on a hit and run which killed her parents, sister and nephew. This happened in 1942 when Finland was fighting against the Russian army backed by Nazi Germany. Her investigation soon uncovers secrets about Finland during WWII, which certain people are determined to keep secret, and she very quickly finds herself in grave danger. At the same time she starts to learn more about her parents.
Two stories that run alongside each other with both tied up seamlessly. I also loved the authors description of Helsinki, a beautiful city I’ve visited a few times. A good crime thriller with thrills and spills and some emotional moments. I really enjoyed it
Briefly, Hella has been asked by her friend and police chief to carry out an investigation on a man he wants to appoint as head of Homicide, Johannes Heikkinen. She agrees but only if she is allowed access to the files on a hit and run which killed her parents, sister and nephew. This happened in 1942 when Finland was fighting against the Russian army backed by Nazi Germany. Her investigation soon uncovers secrets about Finland during WWII, which certain people are determined to keep secret, and she very quickly finds herself in grave danger. At the same time she starts to learn more about her parents.
Two stories that run alongside each other with both tied up seamlessly. I also loved the authors description of Helsinki, a beautiful city I’ve visited a few times. A good crime thriller with thrills and spills and some emotional moments. I really enjoyed it
February 8, 2023
Crime thriller set in HELSINKI
The story opens as a father and some of his family are mown down by a logging lorry in 1942. Hella lost her whole family in that accident and subsequently trained with the police murder squad but had to leave and now works as a PI. It is 1953 and of course this is style a period in time when women were very much the underdogs, so working in this field was very unusual for a woman.
She is invited by the police, byher erstwhile boss in fact, to carry out a background check on a member of the Finnish Secret Service, SUPO, and in return she asks to delve into the files surrounding her family’s death… murder, even.
As she starts to make headway, various characters are introduced who might just warrant a closer look as she goes deeper into the past. This novel is a very solid mystery, that is well paced, it feels very reliable as the narrative progresses and it is certainly very readable; it won’t perhaps set the world on fire but it is satisfying in its own way.
It is worth being aware of words that would/would not have been in use in the 1940/50s – thus “stroller” in 1942 should in fact be pushchair to offer a true sense of the era.
The sense of place is quite strong, the sun is in the sky until the wee small hours and the relentless light adds to the ambience of the story. Helsinki feels very tangible as Hella makes her way around the city, to the station, to Cholera Basin (which is the name for the western harbour basin in front of Market Square), heading for meet ups or sleuthing in her methodic way. It is no.3 in Hella Mauzer series and can be read as a standalone.
The story opens as a father and some of his family are mown down by a logging lorry in 1942. Hella lost her whole family in that accident and subsequently trained with the police murder squad but had to leave and now works as a PI. It is 1953 and of course this is style a period in time when women were very much the underdogs, so working in this field was very unusual for a woman.
She is invited by the police, byher erstwhile boss in fact, to carry out a background check on a member of the Finnish Secret Service, SUPO, and in return she asks to delve into the files surrounding her family’s death… murder, even.
As she starts to make headway, various characters are introduced who might just warrant a closer look as she goes deeper into the past. This novel is a very solid mystery, that is well paced, it feels very reliable as the narrative progresses and it is certainly very readable; it won’t perhaps set the world on fire but it is satisfying in its own way.
It is worth being aware of words that would/would not have been in use in the 1940/50s – thus “stroller” in 1942 should in fact be pushchair to offer a true sense of the era.
The sense of place is quite strong, the sun is in the sky until the wee small hours and the relentless light adds to the ambience of the story. Helsinki feels very tangible as Hella makes her way around the city, to the station, to Cholera Basin (which is the name for the western harbour basin in front of Market Square), heading for meet ups or sleuthing in her methodic way. It is no.3 in Hella Mauzer series and can be read as a standalone.
August 5, 2023
To a man with a hammer, it was once said, everything looks like nails. And what about a woman trying to solve a crime?
Trouble is the third in a series about the first female homicide detective in 1950s Helsinki, Finland—and her life as a PI after leaving the force.
Her family was killed in 1942 under suspicious circumstances, and I would have needed to read books 1&2 to explain how she finds herself at a crossroads. She’s ended up back in her family home, one she’d abandoned for more than a decade. She can’t sleep at all, living amongst the family ghosts and hearing all manner of strange noises. Her old popo peeps won’t quite let her go, with the homicide head asking her to investigate his replacement. She’s in contact with the coroner too, dredging up five year old cases and trying to ask for remains to be dug up and tested. And every time there is a dead body, she’s on scene already and sparring with a specific homicide detective whom she finds lazy.
Obviously the search for the truth about her family’s demise intersects with the background investigation in a tenuous way. This is a great addition to the Scandinavian procedural genre.
Trouble is the third in a series about the first female homicide detective in 1950s Helsinki, Finland—and her life as a PI after leaving the force.
Her family was killed in 1942 under suspicious circumstances, and I would have needed to read books 1&2 to explain how she finds herself at a crossroads. She’s ended up back in her family home, one she’d abandoned for more than a decade. She can’t sleep at all, living amongst the family ghosts and hearing all manner of strange noises. Her old popo peeps won’t quite let her go, with the homicide head asking her to investigate his replacement. She’s in contact with the coroner too, dredging up five year old cases and trying to ask for remains to be dug up and tested. And every time there is a dead body, she’s on scene already and sparring with a specific homicide detective whom she finds lazy.
Obviously the search for the truth about her family’s demise intersects with the background investigation in a tenuous way. This is a great addition to the Scandinavian procedural genre.
October 12, 2023
This was an unusual book that was missing something to make it a good book. The characters were okay and Hella's preoccupation with her personal life and the death of her family can be understood but it seems to take over the plot. The plot itself was interesting and kept me interested but the events in the end did not fit. I was somewhat disappointed with the story.
February 2, 2024
I almost gave up on this book because there are absolutely better uses of my time (it's.......fine? unremarkable) but in the end I was able to read it in one evening across a few hours of subway/bar/bed reading. But I do not think it is necessary! A little interesting historical background which I'm sure could be gone into better elsewhere.
April 13, 2023
the first two books of this series are great, twists and turns, evidences are pointing to someone, you may think, that's it, but it changed again. however, this book is not as great as the previous two, bit thin, bit stretched, but a fun reading, entertaining
June 12, 2023
Ivar creates an authentic world, full of detailed descriptions and observations about life in the 1950s in the country still scarred by the WWII and next to a menacing presence of its powerful neighbour as the Cold War. Trouble is a slick, cleverly plotted and captivating murder mystery.
December 28, 2023
I’ll bump up to 3 stars because I feel like the exposition with her family’s death had SO much potential but not the best execution imo….no crazy twists or anything, the 2nd half was definitely better than the 1st with the historical timeline tying in a lot more but the conclusion felt so random???
January 5, 2025
This is the third book in a series about a woman in the Finnish police and how she copes with the other officers, doing her job as a woman on the force, and trying to find out how her family died. It all takes place in the summer of the early 1950's.
March 23, 2023
time to read the first two novels in the series
After enjoying this one I want to read the first two novels in the series. This was a simple tale, well told.
After enjoying this one I want to read the first two novels in the series. This was a simple tale, well told.
June 11, 2023
A quick crime read. Takes place in Finland. A fun beach read. She has two others I will read them.
June 4, 2025
Complicated story with 2 mysteries to solve. Hella an interesting detective with an interesting family murder to solve and a current person to look into.
August 11, 2024
Finland
November 30, 2022
Trouble by Katja Ivar, a wonderfully captivating story of secrets and intrigue set in Helsinki in 1953, during the early years of the Cold War.
Historical crime fiction isn’t a favorite genre, and I rarely read any. So, after learning from the synopsis that Trouble is set in 1953, I ordinarily might have taken a miss. But since a publisher I admire offered the book, and I’ve never received a bad book from them, I chose to read it. And I’m so glad I did. It’s a marvelous, tightly plotted and absorbing mystery tale.
It’s early summer in 1953 in Helsinki, Finland, and the world grapples with the early years of the Cold War (1945–1990). Former Helsinki homicide unit inspector Hella Mauzer is finding her feet as a private investigator. When her former boss hires Mauzer to do a routine background check on a man being considered to head the department’s homicide unit, she reluctantly agrees, hoping to get something in return. Hella wants access to the files concerning the hit-and-run incident that killed her entire family, father, mother, sister, and nephew, when she was eighteen years old. The assignment not only forces Hella to face the ghosts of her painful past, but sets her on a collision course with a dangerous present and uncertain future.
When Hella investigates Johannes Heikkinen, a member of the Finnish secret services, she gets nothing but glowing reports about his character and reputation from acquaintances, neighbors, and relatives. But something feels off when she learns Heikkinen had a child who died just weeks after birth and that his wife died in a house fire two years later. The authorities ruled the death of the wife accidental. But after talking with the pathologist who did the autopsy, Hella suspects murder. The deeper Hella digs into Heikkinen’s background, the more certain she becomes the man may have pulled off the perfect crime and she will never prove he murdered his wife. Meanwhile, probing the deaths of her family members, Hella uncovers information that points her toward the person responsible and that person intends to stop her inquiries even if it means stopping Hella dead in her tracks, literally. She’ll need to keep her gun at the ready, because Hella is facing something even more ominous than her painful memories.
I adored our leading lady, Hella Mauzer, who is realistic and likeable. Ivar peppers her engaging prose with vivid descriptions of place and evocative character-building expressions and weaves stirring social commentary into Hella’s inner dialogue. The resourceful and gutsy Hella walks toward danger, following new avenues of investigation into puzzling mysteries and finds answers aplenty to long buried secrets about her painful past. Even when the forthright expression of her open-minded opinions leads her into perilous situations, Hella perseveres in seeking justice.
I unreservedly recommend this book to crime fiction fans who enjoy feisty, strong, and intelligent female leads. For those like me, who may feel indifferent about reading historical crime fiction, this book may change your mind. It certainly changed mine. It’s a solid detective mystery that seems timeless, offering two mysteries for the price of one that Ivar pulls together seamlessly by the novel’s end.
I received an advance copy of the book from the publisher for review purposes.
Historical crime fiction isn’t a favorite genre, and I rarely read any. So, after learning from the synopsis that Trouble is set in 1953, I ordinarily might have taken a miss. But since a publisher I admire offered the book, and I’ve never received a bad book from them, I chose to read it. And I’m so glad I did. It’s a marvelous, tightly plotted and absorbing mystery tale.
It’s early summer in 1953 in Helsinki, Finland, and the world grapples with the early years of the Cold War (1945–1990). Former Helsinki homicide unit inspector Hella Mauzer is finding her feet as a private investigator. When her former boss hires Mauzer to do a routine background check on a man being considered to head the department’s homicide unit, she reluctantly agrees, hoping to get something in return. Hella wants access to the files concerning the hit-and-run incident that killed her entire family, father, mother, sister, and nephew, when she was eighteen years old. The assignment not only forces Hella to face the ghosts of her painful past, but sets her on a collision course with a dangerous present and uncertain future.
When Hella investigates Johannes Heikkinen, a member of the Finnish secret services, she gets nothing but glowing reports about his character and reputation from acquaintances, neighbors, and relatives. But something feels off when she learns Heikkinen had a child who died just weeks after birth and that his wife died in a house fire two years later. The authorities ruled the death of the wife accidental. But after talking with the pathologist who did the autopsy, Hella suspects murder. The deeper Hella digs into Heikkinen’s background, the more certain she becomes the man may have pulled off the perfect crime and she will never prove he murdered his wife. Meanwhile, probing the deaths of her family members, Hella uncovers information that points her toward the person responsible and that person intends to stop her inquiries even if it means stopping Hella dead in her tracks, literally. She’ll need to keep her gun at the ready, because Hella is facing something even more ominous than her painful memories.
I adored our leading lady, Hella Mauzer, who is realistic and likeable. Ivar peppers her engaging prose with vivid descriptions of place and evocative character-building expressions and weaves stirring social commentary into Hella’s inner dialogue. The resourceful and gutsy Hella walks toward danger, following new avenues of investigation into puzzling mysteries and finds answers aplenty to long buried secrets about her painful past. Even when the forthright expression of her open-minded opinions leads her into perilous situations, Hella perseveres in seeking justice.
I unreservedly recommend this book to crime fiction fans who enjoy feisty, strong, and intelligent female leads. For those like me, who may feel indifferent about reading historical crime fiction, this book may change your mind. It certainly changed mine. It’s a solid detective mystery that seems timeless, offering two mysteries for the price of one that Ivar pulls together seamlessly by the novel’s end.
I received an advance copy of the book from the publisher for review purposes.
January 26, 2023
Trouble is set in 1953 and I like fiction from this period as it gives the author a great historical canvas to work upon. Hella, our heroine, is not interested in putting flowers under her pillow on midsummer’s evening to dream about her future husband, she wants to discover who killed her family.
At the start of the novel there is a flashback to 1942 when her family were killed by a lorry whilst walking down a lane after viewing a lakeside cabin. The authorities put it down to be accident, albeit one of hit and run where they perhaps never realised they had hit them. Hella though is convinced that the collision was deliberate, that they were murdered, and she is determined to bring those responsible to justice. This remains the driving motivation for the determined Hella throughout the novel.
Hella has stepped down from the police and has only recently recovered from nearly being killed during her last investigation when she fell through some ice whilst being pursued by a serial killer. She is now working as a PI when former colleague Police chief Jokela decides to put a little work her way. He needs a member of the Finnish Secret Service, Johannes Heikkinen, vetting as he has applied for Jokela’s position which will become vacant. Ultimately this proves to be significant because Hella’s father was also a member of the service until his sudden retirement. This vetting procedure provides the basic skeleton of the plot, with a skilfully constructed bluff worthy of the best whodunnits.
The war looms large as it did for much of Europe at that time. Finland was effectively piggy in the middle between the Nazis and the Soviets, attacked from both sides at different times whilst battling to remain free and independent. Once the Nazis exerted influence over Finland those in power were left were left with a dilemma, do nothing and go along with brutality or do the honourable thing and make a stand even if it comes at a personal cost. Doing ‘the right thing’ is a motif that repeats throughout the story.
Hella is a great character, strong, determined and completely focused. Her relationship with Steve a married man who she had waited for has been parked for now, even though after five years he has finally divorced his wife. His hopes at rekindling affection provide some spiky scenes. The pathologist Tom is the closest she has to a friend or at least someone to confide with and their interactions help to give some light against the shade.
There are deaths, but this is neither a violent or gritty piece of writing, if anything it is quite cerebral as Hella does plenty of thinking whilst digging into the past and uncovering the unpalatable truth. The storyline is nicely constructed, twisting the two threads together and keeping both active. There are little seeds of clues planted along the way for the reader to pick up on before they germinate to produce the reveal and set up the finale. The ending itself works well, Hella gets some closure or sorts and proves that not everything in life can be neat and tidy.
At the start of the novel there is a flashback to 1942 when her family were killed by a lorry whilst walking down a lane after viewing a lakeside cabin. The authorities put it down to be accident, albeit one of hit and run where they perhaps never realised they had hit them. Hella though is convinced that the collision was deliberate, that they were murdered, and she is determined to bring those responsible to justice. This remains the driving motivation for the determined Hella throughout the novel.
Hella has stepped down from the police and has only recently recovered from nearly being killed during her last investigation when she fell through some ice whilst being pursued by a serial killer. She is now working as a PI when former colleague Police chief Jokela decides to put a little work her way. He needs a member of the Finnish Secret Service, Johannes Heikkinen, vetting as he has applied for Jokela’s position which will become vacant. Ultimately this proves to be significant because Hella’s father was also a member of the service until his sudden retirement. This vetting procedure provides the basic skeleton of the plot, with a skilfully constructed bluff worthy of the best whodunnits.
The war looms large as it did for much of Europe at that time. Finland was effectively piggy in the middle between the Nazis and the Soviets, attacked from both sides at different times whilst battling to remain free and independent. Once the Nazis exerted influence over Finland those in power were left were left with a dilemma, do nothing and go along with brutality or do the honourable thing and make a stand even if it comes at a personal cost. Doing ‘the right thing’ is a motif that repeats throughout the story.
Hella is a great character, strong, determined and completely focused. Her relationship with Steve a married man who she had waited for has been parked for now, even though after five years he has finally divorced his wife. His hopes at rekindling affection provide some spiky scenes. The pathologist Tom is the closest she has to a friend or at least someone to confide with and their interactions help to give some light against the shade.
There are deaths, but this is neither a violent or gritty piece of writing, if anything it is quite cerebral as Hella does plenty of thinking whilst digging into the past and uncovering the unpalatable truth. The storyline is nicely constructed, twisting the two threads together and keeping both active. There are little seeds of clues planted along the way for the reader to pick up on before they germinate to produce the reveal and set up the finale. The ending itself works well, Hella gets some closure or sorts and proves that not everything in life can be neat and tidy.
June 29, 2023
Another WWIi book, mostly told from a Finnish perspective. War never seems to change much, beyond the myriad of lives immediately affected by it. I think Ivar did a great job of teaching me how very close Finland and Russia are, not to mention the other Baltic states.
January 25, 2023
This was the first time that I had come across a Katja Ivar novel, but it definitely won't be my last. The story of Finnish detective Hella Mauzer trying to find out what actually happened the day her family was killed draws the reader into a captivating read of twists and turns, both within the main plot and the sub plots, of which there are many. I changed my mind so many times as to who was responsible for what, and in what context, whilst reading Trouble that I was kept fully engaged and found myself analysing every bit of evidence I could piece together whilst trying to get my mind to work in the way that Hella's does. There were so many twists that I wasn’t expecting and characters who were at the forefront one moment and then in the shadows the next that the reader is cleverly kept on their toes as to what Hella is going to discover and piece together in her quest to find out what actually happened to her family and who was responsible.
Trouble is a truly captivating read that captures its reader from the onset . It is a fine example of a skilfully written murder mystery which keeps the reader engaged at all times and I am looking forward to reading more in the Hella Mauzer series.
Katja Ivar is a writer who knows how to engage her readers from the first paragraph and how to then keep them hooked right until the very end. I hope we do not have to wait long for book four in the series.
Trouble is a truly captivating read that captures its reader from the onset . It is a fine example of a skilfully written murder mystery which keeps the reader engaged at all times and I am looking forward to reading more in the Hella Mauzer series.
Katja Ivar is a writer who knows how to engage her readers from the first paragraph and how to then keep them hooked right until the very end. I hope we do not have to wait long for book four in the series.
February 4, 2023
Thank you @RandomTTours and @KatjaIvar for letting me part of this tour and reviewing this book. Trouble is a seris and is book 3 . This is the first one i have read and i did enjoy it and read it in couple of hours. The story is historial fiction that is set in 1953. I would definatly read the two books becire just because i like Hella and would like to find out more about her. Hella is strong independent women who does not answer to any man which made me like her even more. Hella is a private invesigator helping her ex boss on a case but shes also trying to found out what happened to her father death in 1942. I limed the twist at the end i did not see that coming. I found the story engaging and I liked Katja Ivar writting style and I dont really read alot of this gener but i am glad i did. 5 stars great read and good plot that kept me hooked.
January 26, 2023
I haven’t read many Nordic novels, I need to start reading more, as I think they definitely set the right scene up for a good thriller.
I really love Hella, she is doing things so unusual for that era and especially because she’s a woman. Plus she’s a bad ass, and unfortunately comes into trouble whilst seeking answers about her family’s awful accident.
The author had created Hella fantastically, she is strong, blunt and doesn’t take no prisoners.
This book is just fantastic, and I will be coming back to this author for more of her amazing work.
I really love Hella, she is doing things so unusual for that era and especially because she’s a woman. Plus she’s a bad ass, and unfortunately comes into trouble whilst seeking answers about her family’s awful accident.
The author had created Hella fantastically, she is strong, blunt and doesn’t take no prisoners.
This book is just fantastic, and I will be coming back to this author for more of her amazing work.
January 20, 2023
A really impressive historical mystery novel exploring Finnish history; WW2 and the sexism of the time all focused around a compelling central figure in the figure of Hella
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