I’m reviewing these two titles, both by Danish author Rannva Saltoft, as one since the first is a short story and the second a novella. I’m also counting them as just one step on my climb up Mount TBR.
The Mad Girls of Angel Maker Lake
FROM AMAZON’S BOOK DESCRIPTION:
“Meet the mad twins, Lily and Ivy, bound for the Asylum after a ghastly encounter with a suitor, but a dark man follows them while they are traveling through “Murder Forest”. Will they get there alive?
The short story offers a brilliant opportunity to get acquainted with the main characters of “Killing Birch”, cranky old Mrs. Kofoed and her rescue children Jenny and Birch. Besides, it is a treat for any reader with a crush on the Victorian age.”
FIRST SENTENCE:
“The noise draws her to them.”
MEMORABLE MOMENT:
( 19% into the Kindle edition) “Jenny and Birch stare at Kofoed as if she is a mythical creature risen from the bowels of the earth. Their very own dragon.”
FROM AMAZON’S BOOK DESCRIPTION:
“Where do you go, when home is the place that scares you the most? This modern-day saga revolves around a brutal murder and offers a story of love and heartbreak, set in a picturesque village on the West Coast of Jutland.
Two childhood friends, Jenny and Birch, are torn apart by a sinister tragedy. Birch is found sitting beside his mother’s corpse by the edge of the ancient Angel Maker Lake. Deeply traumatized and unable to account for his mother’s fate, the boy is disowned by his family.
Twenty years later, the adult Birch is crippled by gory visions and inexplicable dreams. An unexpected visitor forces him to return to the eerie village and face his past. In this narrow community where most people harbor secrets and ancient grudges, the general belief is that Birch is a murderer. But nature has a way of intervening when hearts turn dark and demons are let off their leash.”
FIRST SENTENCE:
(Prologue) “Don’t scream.”
MEMORABLE MOMENT:
(19% into the Kindle edition) “He is a poor judge of who he can berate without consequence, and usually has the bruises to show for it. Purples and blues sprawled across his face. An irregular road map of insults.”
MY THOUGHTS:
Scandinavian Noir. It even has a wiki page. It’s a good term to use because I’d be hard pressed to put these two stories into a specific category. Crime, gothic horror, fantasy – it’s all there and then some.
I began with the short story, which is a prequel to the novella and gives you a glimpse into the lead characters’ childhood, though it doesn’t necessarily have to be read first.
Definitely dark and brooding, the novella delves deeply into the dysfunction of a small village and one family in particular. Certain aspects of the plot were fairly obvious, yet there were just enough weird events to keep me intrigued as I read. It was interesting from the start, but the last third of the story really took off and kept me quickly turning the (virtual) pages.
It might not be a genre I would choose often, but I enjoyed the time spent reading these.
Kelly
Kelly's Thoughts & Ramblings 
Mad twins bound for the Asylum after a ghastly encounter – yeah, definitely sounds like my kind of read despite the fact I’m not a big fan of either the short story/novella.
I’m not particularly big on so-called Scandinavian Noir, generally finding it too dark at the cost to the plot and characters, but The Mad Girls of Angel Maker Lake in particular really appeals to me.
By: Tracy Terry on February 27, 2017
at 8:20 am
These both definitely fall into that dark category. I’m not sure the short story is available in any format other than digital. A shame we’re not close enough that I could come have a cup of tea while you read my copy. Personally, I preferred the novella.
By: Kelly on February 27, 2017
at 9:18 am
Hi Kelly,
The Mailbox Monday post which you kindly stopped by to comment on today, is my first foray into the world of any Scandi writing, although I do have many books by various Scandi authors, sitting on my shelves.
I am only just coming to terms with Scottish Noir, so to introduce Scandi Noir into the mix already, is probably just a bit too soon for me. These books sound very dark and brooding, probably a genre I would quite enjoy, but for now I shall just sit and admire those amazing covers!
Thanks for sharing and I hope that your next book is just as good 🙂
By: Fiction-Books (@Fiction_Books) on February 27, 2017
at 12:40 pm
Other than my friend who has written some Danish crime stories, my only exposure to Scandi fiction has been the Stieg Laarsen series.
I had a feeling you might like these covers! Something about that first one really appeals to me. Both are a bit weird, much like their respective stories. 🙂
By: Kelly on February 27, 2017
at 1:13 pm
Kelly,
I am not familiar with Scandinavian
Noir. From what you said in your
review, especially the short story
piqued my curiosity. And I will add
it to my list.
Raven
By: stardustraven on February 27, 2017
at 10:33 pm
The short story might be best described as “gothic horror”.
By: Kelly on February 28, 2017
at 10:36 am
What a lovely review, Kelly 🙂
Rannva will be thrilled to see it tomorrow.
And just for your information, the paperback version of the novel is for sale on CreateSpace & Amazon.
https://www.createspace.com/pub/simplesitesearch.search.do?sitesearch_query=rannva+saltoft&sitesearch_type=STORE
By: Dorte Hummelshøj Jakobsen on February 28, 2017
at 6:44 pm
Thanks, Dorte – and thanks for providing that link. 🙂
By: Kelly on February 28, 2017
at 7:24 pm
Thank you very much, Kelly for the review. I’m happy you liked my weird, lost boy. It’s my debut novel, in fact, and rest assured I will be working on my plotting skills 😉
A small tip for those interested in “The Mad Girls”, I discovered yesterday that it’s free on Kindle Unlimited.
If anyone enjoys photos from the Victorian age (the hair styles, crinoline dresses and what not),feel free to check out Pinterest : https://dk.pinterest.com/rannvasaltoft/the-girl-with-a-sapling-heart/
Thanks again, Kelly 🙂
By: Lene Rannva Saltoft on March 3, 2017
at 4:15 am
I appreciate you stopping by to comment, Rannva. Thanks, too, for the link you provided. There are some wonderfully creepy photos there and I look forward to seeing where they take your imagination! Good luck with the short story and subsequent novel!
By: Kelly on March 3, 2017
at 12:19 pm