Helle and Death

Oskar Jensen author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Profile Books Ltd

Published:18th Jan '24

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Helle and Death cover

A witty modern murder mystery, which reinvents the Golden Age country house whodunnit for the twenty-first century.

'A glorious debut' - SUNDAY EXPRESS 'An affectionate homage to classic murder mysteries' - DAILY MAIL 'Recommended reading for a long winter night' - GUARDIAN A snowstorm. A country house. Old friends reunited. It's going to be murder... Torben Helle - art historian, Danish expat and owner of several excellent Scandinavian jumpers - has been dragged to a remote snowbound Northumbrian mansion for a ten-year reunion with old university friends. Things start to go sideways when their host, a reclusive and irritating tech entrepreneur, makes some shocking revelations at the dinner table. And when these are followed by an apparent suicide, the group faces a test of their wits... and their trust. Snowed in and cut off, surrounded by enigmatic housekeepers and off-duty police inspectors, not to mention a peculiar last will and testament, suspicion and sarcasm quickly turn to panic. As the temperature drops and the tension mounts, Torben decides to draw upon all the tricks of Golden Age detectives past in order to solve the mystery: how much money would it take to turn one of his old friends into a murderer? But he'd better be quick, or someone else might end up dead... This witty murder mystery puts a modern spin on the classic country house whodunnit. A must-read for fans of Agatha Christie, Richard Osman and Janice Hallett. 'A witty repurposing of the Golden Age country house' - FINANCIAL TIMES 'An entertaining whodunnit in the classic Christie style' - MAIL ON SUNDAY 'A glorious feat that intrigues, surprises and delights' - JANICE HALLETT 'A love letter to the classic country house murder mystery' - J.M. HALL

Oskar Jensen's clever and engaging debut is an affectionate homage to classic murder mysteries * Daily Mail *
A witty repurposing of the Golden Age country house whodunnit for the modern age * Financial Times *
An ingenious plot, witty asides and lively characterisations... If Carlsberg did whodunnits they would probably be something like this * Saga *
Nicely done, with some entertaining asides about the nature of detective fiction: recommended reading for a long winter night * Guardian *
Combines classic country house murder mystery with an ensemble comedy caper in a glorious debut * Sunday Express *
An entertaining whodunnit in the classic Christie style * Mail on Sunday *
Jensen has taken themes from dozens of golden age novels and made something new - and funny - out of them... Self-conscious in the best way, with an array of literary references, this is an excellent cosy crime novel * Literary Review *
A spine-chilling, Agatha Christie-esque whodunnit * iPaper *
A locked-room mystery that gleefully winks to its form... Full of sharp turns, the plot is equally engaging, reminiscent of the Knives Out films, and drawing from the many mysteries it name-checks. This craftily entertaining novel's surprising conclusion fits comfortably in that lineage * Irish Times *
A heart-warming blend of a classic whodunnit with a modern spin * Belfast Telegraph *
A glorious feat that intrigues, surprises and delights from page one. This gem is a solid-gold revival of the golden age whodunnit, with a delicious Danish twist -- Janice Hallett, author of THE APPEAL
A love letter to the classic Country House murder mystery... if Agatha Christie had written The Big Chill it would have been very much like this -- J.M. Hall, author of A SPOONFUL OF MURDER
A brilliant update on the traditional country house murder. Oskar Jensen has a wonderfully descriptive style, pin-point accurate and loaded with atmosphere. If this is the start of Scandi-Cosy, I'm all for it -- Ian Moore, author of DEATH AND CROISSANTS
Oskar Jensen is a sparkling new voice in crime fiction. Loved it -- S.J. Bennett, author of THE WINDSOR KNOT
A wonderful mix of golden age tributes, scandi not-so-noir, puzzling mystery, and a study of the sort of friendships that linger across the years, often against the odds... A belter of a book, and I'm already anxiously awaiting the sequel -- Katy Watson, author of THE THREE DAHLIAS

ISBN: 9781800811720

Dimensions: 236mm x 158mm x 36mm

Weight: 540g

336 pages

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