Copy
View this email in your browser
The January 2023 Newsletter
Trouble by Katja Ivar is out now. The intrepid Finnish investigator Hella Mauzer is back. The third in the series, to follow on from the success of Evil Things and Deep as Death.
 
Helsinki, June 1953, at the heart of the Cold War. Hella, now a reluctant private investigator, has been asked by the Helsinki murder squad to do a background check on a member of the Finnish secret services. 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 was killed by a truck in a hit and run incident. An accident, file closed, they say. But not for Hella, whose investigation leads to some who would prefer to see her stopped dead in her tracks.


   BUY HERE
THE FIRST IN THE HELLA MAUZER SERIES

“She was told 'justice in a cold climate is not a natural phenomenon'. But the resourceful Sgt. Mauzer seems the just the police officer to deliver it." Wall Street Journal

"I read it in one sitting. The setting, the timing, in the midst of the Cold War, and our smart and brave Hella." Cecilia Ekbäck, author of Wolf Winter
"A wonderful blend of spy story and crime thriller, gripping from the first pages. Hella is destined to become a formidable detective as this series progresses." NB Magazine  

BUY HERE
THE SECOND IN THE HELLA MAUZER SERIES

“The misdirection and manipulation of the evidence is worthy of Agatha Christie, but the quirky humour is Katja Ivar’s own. Ultimately, though, it is her portrait of Helsinki—'a city of lost souls’—that is most impressive.” The Times
“Discover Hella Mauzer, a splendid creation by Katja Ivar.  The setting is Finland in 1953, a cold winter during a Cold War, and call-girls are ending up in Helsinki (‘a city for walking fast’) harbour.  Mauzer, a former cop turned private eye, struggles against patronising, institutional sexism. The 1950s setting and characters are totally convincing. ” ShotsMag
INTERVIEWS AND REVIEWS
Crime Fiction Lover has just published a fascinating INTERVIEW with Katja. Much on the genesis of the series, her writing process and literary influences on her writing. Publishers Weekly has also contributed an insightful INTERVIEW to accompany a strong STARRED review: ". Hella pursues that cold case as well as disturbing discoveries from her look into Heikkinen’s history. Ivar balances the complex plotlines perfectly. Fans of multifaceted female leads will be riveted."
"With parallel cases full of hidden secrets, Hella is soon in deep waters but is tenacious and a hardy seeker of the truth, even when it brings danger to her door. A gritty lead character in the making.” CrimeTime
"A procedural with hints of a Nordic noir atmosphere to it, a touch of espionage as the Cold War is in progress, but it’s very much a book about a progressive young woman finding her place in the world, fending off prejudice and uncovering injustices large and small." Crime Fiction Lover
Random Things Tours, @RandomTTours, is running a daily blog tour from 19 January through 1 February. 15 crime fiction reviewers have agreed to participate.
 
 
Facebook
Twitter
Website
 
Copyright © Bitter Lemon Press Limited
Our mailing address is:
47 Wilmington Square, London WC1X 0ET
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.