The Vikings are coming! The Vikings are coming!
Every time I think about Vikings, I can't help but giggle at the memory of watching The Vikings (starring Tony Curtis!) in 10th grade English. There's something so amusing about watching campy actors fight with obviously fake swords, singing ludicrous songs, and toss "boulders" that bounce at each other. If ever a movie deserved the Mystery Science Theater treatment, it's this one.
Yeah, so back to the topic. I just finished The Funeral Boat by Kate Ellis - a well-done British mystery set in Devon. There are several plot threads running through the novel: the discovery of an ancient Viking burial on local land (hence the titular boat), a series of bold farmhouse robberies, and the unusual disappearance of a Danish tourist named Ingeborg Larson. Local coppers Wesley Peterson and Gerry Heffernan work to untangle the mysteries while trying to resolve personal issues - Wesley struggles to find a balance between his work and his responsibilities to his wife and infant son, while Gerry tries to reconnect with his son after losing his wife.
Whenever I read mysteries by British authors, I'm amazed at the difference in quality between British and American writers. For some unknown reason, British mystery writers have a knack for avoiding the slap-dash, stereotypical plots that American writers cling to so desperately. They feel comfortable introducing a large cast of characters quickly, knowing that readers will be able to keep them straight. But perhaps most importantly, British writers assume a higher level of intelligence for their readership, and they trust that the clever twists and turns of their plots won't go sailing over readers' heads. I think that's why British mysteries appeal to me in a way that American ones never seem to do - I enjoy it when someone assumes that I'm smart. The ego boost is gratifying.
I'll definitely be checking out more of Ellis' books in the future - I'm pretty sure that my mom can dig some up out of her gigantic library.
Yeah, so back to the topic. I just finished The Funeral Boat by Kate Ellis - a well-done British mystery set in Devon. There are several plot threads running through the novel: the discovery of an ancient Viking burial on local land (hence the titular boat), a series of bold farmhouse robberies, and the unusual disappearance of a Danish tourist named Ingeborg Larson. Local coppers Wesley Peterson and Gerry Heffernan work to untangle the mysteries while trying to resolve personal issues - Wesley struggles to find a balance between his work and his responsibilities to his wife and infant son, while Gerry tries to reconnect with his son after losing his wife.
Whenever I read mysteries by British authors, I'm amazed at the difference in quality between British and American writers. For some unknown reason, British mystery writers have a knack for avoiding the slap-dash, stereotypical plots that American writers cling to so desperately. They feel comfortable introducing a large cast of characters quickly, knowing that readers will be able to keep them straight. But perhaps most importantly, British writers assume a higher level of intelligence for their readership, and they trust that the clever twists and turns of their plots won't go sailing over readers' heads. I think that's why British mysteries appeal to me in a way that American ones never seem to do - I enjoy it when someone assumes that I'm smart. The ego boost is gratifying.
I'll definitely be checking out more of Ellis' books in the future - I'm pretty sure that my mom can dig some up out of her gigantic library.
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