An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good
Helene Tursten
ISBN: 9781641290111
Published: November, 2018
Pricing
Hardcover $12.99
eBook $12.99
More books by Helene Tursten
Description
Maud is an irascible 88-year-old Swedish woman with no family, no friends, and... no qualms about a little murder. This funny, irreverent story collection by Helene Tursten, author of the Irene Huss investigations, features two-never-before translated stories that will keep you laughing all the way to the retirement home....
Maud is an irascible 88-year-old Swedish woman with no family, no friends, and… no qualms about a little murder. This funny, irreverent story collection by Helene Tursten, author of the Irene Huss investigations, features two-never-before translated stories that will keep you laughing all the way to the retirement home.
Ever since her darling father’s untimely death when she was only eighteen, Maud has lived in the family’s spacious apartment in downtown Gothenburg rent-free, thanks to a minor clause in a hastily negotiated contract. That was how Maud learned that good things can come from tragedy. Now in her late eighties, Maud contents herself with traveling the world and surfing the net from the comfort of her father’s ancient armchair. It’s a solitary existence, but she likes it that way.
Over the course of her adventures—or misadventures—this little bold lady will handle a crisis with a local celebrity who has her eyes on Maud’s apartment, foil the engagement of her long-ago lover, and dispose of some pesky neighbors. But when the local authorities are called to investigate a murder in her apartment complex, will Maud be able to avoid suspicion, or will Detective Inspector Irene Huss see through her charade?
Media
“[A] deliciously noir short story collection...Tursten takes readers deep inside Maud’s head as she plots the demise of anyone who crosses her...Here’s hoping Tursten brings back the flinty homicidal octogenarian for more adventures.”
–Tina Jordan, The New York Times
“Witty...All pay the ultimate price for outraging this dangerous octogenarian. Will the police ever realize that sweet, frail, confused old Maud is in fact sharp as a tack and just as ruthless?”
–Wall Street Journal
“Deliciously dark...Imagine a ticked-off Miss Marple with the conscience of Patricia Highsmith's Ripley and the cold-blooded pragmatism of Jack Reacher.”
–Mystery Scene
“An Indie Next List Selection for November.”
“This elderly lady stops at nothing in her desire for a peaceful existence. I ought to feel guilty for enjoying her crimes, but I don't. The stories are written with such persuasive logic and delicious irony that I want the killing to continue indefinitely.”
—Peter Lovesey, Mystery Writers of America Grand Master
“As good as Louise Welsh's similarly creepy tour of Glasgow.”
—Gillian Flynn, Entertainment Weekly
“A juicy dose of senior justice. The book is pure fun.”
–Kirkus Reviews on An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good
“A juicy dose of senior justice. The book is pure fun.”
–Kirkus Reviews on An Elderly Woman is Up to No Good
“Exceptional ... Readers will be amused by how sharp-as-a-tack Maud plays the forgetful, fuzzy-brained old lady to achieve her ends.”
—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review on An Edlerly Lady Is Up to No Good
“Never underestimate 88-year-old ladies—nearly deaf, living alone, and using wheeled walkers—when it comes to murder ... You won’t want to miss Tursten’s clever stories.”
—Karen Briggs, The Booknook on An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good
“The juxtaposition of the way Maud presents in the world, as elderly, somewhat frail, and what she is capable of doing when she is thwarted makes for a really intriguing read that is often laugh out loud funny.”
-Lily Bartel on WAMC's The Roundtable
“Dark, irreverent, and hilariously funny.”
-Booklist, Starred review on An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good
“A succinct treatise on how to get away with murder. This is a terrific little dollop of crime. Just beware of the little old lady who lives upstairs.”
-Washington Independent Review of Books on An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good
“The elderly female antihero we never knew we needed ... Suspenseful, funny, and certainly unique, this story is one you won’t want to miss this holiday season.”
-BookTrib on An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good
“Morbid, mysterious, and outrageously funny...this collection is a wonderful example of the more uproarious side of Scandinavian Noir, one that doesn’t often reach our shores and should be savored when it does.”
–CrimeReads on An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good
“Top of the line... [Maud] has a take-no-prisoners penchant for survival and can go from zero to 90 whether practicing self-defense or administering rough justice. She does both and more in this collection of finely written and memorable stories.”
-Bookreporter on An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good
“A petite, deliciously dry set of short stories...grab this one as a stocking-stuffer for the mystery lover on your list.”
-The News & Observer on An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good
“If you’re into crime stories, dark humor, and want it centered around an octogenarian, run to this collection.”
-Book Riot on An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good
“A wonderful discovery...Who knew the grim Swedish crime school included a writer this merry ...and merciless?”
–The Shawangunk Journal on
“Darkly engaging...The murders Maud pulls off are meticulously plotted and executed, and one of the pleasures of the stories lies in watching Maud in action.”
–The Toronto Star
“The perfect size for stowing in your handbag with your hard candies and spare garrote wire.”
-Literary Hub
“These wicked, funny tales...could be the product of an illicit union between Arsenic and Old Lace and The Talented Mr Ripley.”
-Reviewing the Evidence
“A completely different type of murderer than the regular mystery reader is used to.”
-Pop Goes Fiction
“Maud is just too good when she is up to no good...[her] 'adventures' make for grisly fun, and a quick read if you’re in the mood to dip into a bit of Scandinavian noir.”
–Reading Reality
“Full of fun (and a little bit of gore), this small book will leave you laughing.”
–Odyssey Bookshop, (South Hadley, MA)
“Helene Tursten, the author of many popular Scandinavian crime thrillers, has shifted gears to offer up this lively and darkly funny tale...You will never take seniors for granted again!”
—Eagle Harbor Book Company (Bainbridge Island, WA)
“I thoroughly enjoyed all the wicked things this elderly lady got up to in this fun little read from the author of the Inspector Irene Huss Investigation series. A great gift for a mystery reader.”
–Queen Anne Book Company (Seattle, WA)
“Maud is the petty, take-no-prisoners grandmother we all wish we had.”
–K99 Radio, Northern Colorado's #1 for New Country!
“Wickedly fun... if you’ve had your fill of gooey, saccharine sweet holiday books or movies, then this collection of vignettes featuring Maud, an eighty-eight year old serial killer, will cure your holiday sugar rush.”
–The Book Review on An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good
“Tursten is best known for the hard-boiled Detective Inspector Irene Huss series of novels. However, the comic twists and turns she delivers in this compact collection are equally engrossing. Unassuming, murderous Maud--with her devious, pseudo-innocent charm--makes these concise stories wickedly funny and addictively readable.”
–Shelf Awareness
“Cleverly plotted...88-year-old Maude is a combination of Charles Bronson’s character in the movie, Death Wish, Mrs. Wilberforce in the movie, The Ladykillers, and a small touch of John le Carré's low-key George Smiley. Tursten has created the perfect criminal, a senior citizen who has the cunning and vindictiveness of Bronson's character, the haplessness and sense of morality of Mrs. Wilberforce, and the deceptive appearance of George Smiley.”
–Los Angeles Public Library Reads
“A satirical warning against the perils of ageism.”
-Alfred Hitchcock Magazine
“A delightfully macabre collection of vignettes involving Maud's murderous escapades...this slim little collection of irreverent, interrelated tales will keep you laughing as you root for this irascible murderess.”
–Bas Bleu Books & Gifts for Avid Readers
“Eighty-eight-year-old Maud, a Swedish cult favorite, freely dispatches greedy neighbors, selfish lovers, and potential thieves in four linked stories that push elderly empowerment to grimly funny heights in this Swedish cult favorite.”
-The Boston Globe on An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good
“For a twist on the genre, read this delightful anthology of five short stories revolving around an octogenarian protagonist named Maud. The plots will leave you enthralled and keep you entertained, and the translation from the Swedish original reads flawlessly...Enjoy the advantages of aging from a comfortable distance, knowing the blood is fake and the victims are figments of Tursten’s lively imagination.”