Book Reviews JUNE 2021 ‘The Book of Trespass’ by Nick Hayes (Hardback £20.00) This is a work of art, a fascinating piece of history, a passionate call for social justice and it is also beautifully written. Walking, cycling, or floating downstream, Nick Hayes invites us to accompany him on illicit rambles into land that once was common ground; a place of free firewood, grazing, foraging and connection with nature. Along the way he explains how the people of Britain have found their circle of freedom shrinking, with pieces of land tucked into the pockets of the wealthy again and again over time. The consequences of this for the environment, for mental health and for our future are timely issues to explore. Hayes’ illustrations are worth lingering over, as are his ideas.
‘The Darkness’, ‘The Island’, and ‘The Mist’ by Ragnar Jonasson (Paperbacks £8.99) This fantastic trilogy is set in the streets of Reykjavik, the Icelandic highland and cold, isolated fjords. The events unravel in reverse, cleverly unfolding the crimes and tragedies that have formed Detective Inspector Hulda Hermannsdottir into the heroic person she has become. The Darkness. Hulda is being forced into early retirement at 64. Horrified at the prospect of the impending loneliness awaiting her, she takes on a cold case, a Russian woman seeking asylum on the cold and foreign shore of an unfamiliar country. Soon Hulda uncovers yet another death of a young Russian asylum seeker and her efforts to uncover a botched investigation will end in tragedy. The Island. Weaving together a year old crime with a present day locked room mystery, and the chance to spend more time with Hulda, the spirited and down to earth character of this trilogy makes this second book a real treat. Hulda is sent to the isolated island of Ellidaey to investigate a disappearance, and she discovers haunting similarities to an old case, the murder of a young woman ten years ago. Are these cases connected? Hulda is soon caught in a web of deceit, convinced everyone is lying. What secrets is the island hiding? The Mist In this third and final book Jonasson draws readers into the inner life of its endearing and compelling protagonist. We follow Hulda as she returns to work following a personal tragedy. She will face a disturbing and puzzling case. A mysterious death at a remote farmhouse in the Icelandic far north, where two bodies are found. The novel weaves together Hulda’s personal life with extended flashbacks at the farm in the leadup to our victim’s deaths. : 01932 862903 : info@cobhambooks.com : www.cobhambooks.com : 12A Anyards Rd, Cobham, KT11 2JZ
