Thirty Days of Darkness
In Jenny Lund Madsen’s novel Thirty Days of Darkness, a misanthropic author is embroiled in a murder mystery.
Hannah’s books are cerebral, acclaimed by critics—and read by almost no one. After making a rash, very public promise to write a crime novel in a month, she retreats to a remote Icelandic fishing village, hoping for some inspiration. When a real murder rocks the quiet town, she can hardly get the words down fast enough. Whether she can solve the real murder is another matter.
Hannah is as fascinating as the mystery she uncovers. She’s a cranky alcoholic, and her acerbic, unfiltered observations and clumsy attempts at investigation result in dark, understated humor. She is the last person anyone would have expected to become so invested in the fate of a stranger, yet she fights harder than anyone else to follow all of the loose ends left by the young man’s murder and bring peace to the victim’s grieving loved ones.
Along the way, Hannah surprises herself by coming to care for the people of Húsafjörður. Above all, she bonds with the local policeman’s wife, embarking on an affair that threatens her curmudgeonly façade—and her ability to view the case with clarity. She thinks that she’s found the answer just as a blizzard engulfs the town, but the snow obscures both the truth and her way home. To survive, Hannah has to use all she’s learned in Húsafjörður—about the murderer’s identity and motive; about the value of love and friendship.
Set during a bleak Icelandic autumn, the compelling mystery novel Thirty Days of Darkness concerns family secrets and forbidden love.
Reviewed by
Eileen Gonzalez
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
