12/21/2015
Police detective Jan Reyna, the sympathetic narrator of this psychologically astute series launch from British author Ould (Road Lines), returns to his place of birth, the Faroe island of Tórshavn, to visit his father, Signar Ravnsfjall, now suffering from a stroke and incapable of speech, whom he has seen only once in 40 years. When Jan was young, his mother, Lydia, left Signar, taking him to England, where an aunt adopted him at age five after Lydia’s death. Jan hopes to learn in Tórshavn about his past, particularly why Lydia left Signar. After arriving, Jan discovers that Signar was found unconscious at the side of a road in an area he rarely frequented. In Signar’s car were splashes of someone else’s blood, a recently fired shotgun, and a large amount of cash. The subsequent discovery of a corpse, its face riddled with shotgun pellets, raises the ante. The plot takes many unexpected twists en route to the satisfying ending. (Feb.)
The Blood Strand despite the gory title, is understated, quiet and modest.” - Reviewing the Evidence
"UK screenwriter and novelist Ould weaves family loyalties, human nature, and old secrets into a compelling and tightly crafted work. For fans of Ann Cleeves’s mysteries set in the Shetland Islands, this excellent atmospheric series launch is a natural complement." - Library Journal
"The plot takes many unexpected twists en route to the satisfying ending." - Publisher's Weekly
"This one is a winner for fans of both Scandinavian and British procedurals: the exotic, little-known Faroese location lends a Scandinavian feel without the forbidding atmosphere, and Ould brilliantly plunges intuitive, straightforward detectives Jan and Hjalti into a complicated tangle of secret motivations that fans of Henning Mankell and Elizabeth George will appreciate." - Booklist Starred Review
“the author keeps us constantly hungry for more” - Mysteries in Paradise
“Absolutely must read. From the bleak atmosphere to the realistic characters and procedure to the perfect slow increase of tension across the piece, THE BLOOD STRAND abandons the usual overblown nature of a thriller to create an incredibly satisfying, subtle read.” - The Crime Review
“The story moves along well and is a very enjoyable read.” - Whodunit Canada
“A nuanced look at an unusual, fascinating and really cold culture.” - Seattle Times
“Reminded me a lot of Henning Mankell’s Wallander books, both in terms of place and the characters... I like the feel of the book, the sense of remoteness not just of the place but the people and the way Ould’s put it all together.” - Lit Reactor
“A marvellous setting” - Kittling Books
“A tense crime thriller woven around a captivating family mystery. Super characters and authentic dialogue. Detective Reyna will run and run.” Paul Finch, No. 1 bestselling author of STALKERS
“Bleak and beautiful, with a poignant mystery at its heart.” Fergus MacNeil, author of EYE CONTACT
“Not only great atmosphere, but is set in an interesting location with characters who have depth and tremendous presence.” - Manhattan Book Review
"Ould did an excellent job in describing the remoteness of the Faroe Islands and the distinct customs and idioms." - Project Fandom
“Compelling” - October Country
"For those who like their mysteries bleakly atmospheric, as aware of cultural intricacies as they are the working of the police system, The Blood Stand is a winning opener in what promises to be an engaging trilogy of crime novels." - BlogCritics
02/01/2016
When he was three years old, Jan Reyna and his mother escaping a failing marriage fled the remote Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic. Jan, now a British police officer, returns for the first time to the Danish-controlled territory, having discovered that his estranged father suffered a stroke shortly before being found in his car with considerable cash, a shotgun, and another person's blood. Soon after Jan's arrival, a body washes ashore. All evidence points to his father's culpability. Det. Hjalti Hentze, who refuses to accept simple answers, invites Jan to help with the case. As Jan works with the local police, the question becomes: Can, or should, he go home again? A living presence throughout the story is the brooding magnificence of the Faroe Islands, marked by challenging terrain and weather and a close-knit community. Credible dialog, believable characters, and a thoughtful plot will keep readers engrossed. VERDICT UK screenwriter and novelist Ould weaves family loyalties, human nature, and old secrets into a compelling and tightly crafted work. For fans of Ann Cleeves's mysteries set in the Shetland Islands, this excellent atmospheric series launch is a natural complement. [See author profile: ow.ly/Wr5ad.—Ed.]—Penelope J.M. Klein, Onondaga Community Coll. Lib., Syracuse, NY
2015-12-09
Returning to the Faroe Islands of his birth, a British police detective seeks to unravel his complicated family history and becomes embroiled in a murder investigation. DI Jan Reyna left the Faroes, a cluster of Danish islands halfway between Norway and Iceland, at age 3 with his mother, who committed suicide soon after. Raised by his aunt and uncle in England, Reyna has returned to his homeland only once until now, when his father, wealthy fishing magnate Signar Ravnsfjall, is gravely injured under strange circumstances. When Reyna arrives, he receives a chilly welcome from his half brother Magnus but is greeted warmly by his cousin Fríða and his other half brother, Kristian. The police, led by detective Hjalti Hentze, want to know why Ravnsfjall was found unconscious in a bloodstained car with a shotgun and a briefcase full of money. Soon, the body of a local man, Tummas Gramm, is found on the beach with a shotgun wound, and once Hentze decides that his chilly British counterpart is actually interested in solving the crime rather than just protecting his estranged family, the two join forces. Reyna, who spends as much time lurking and sulking around his picturesque if unfamiliar birthplace as he does lending the locals his police know-how, discovers that his successful father may be at the center of a blackmail plot that perhaps connects to a decades-old incident or something much fresher, but equally rotten, concerning another family member. In this first of a planned trilogy, Ould introduces a complicated if perhaps excessively prickly hero whose faults are mostly redeemed by the locked-room allure of the locale.
