Another gloomy Scandinavian angst-fest? Well, hold on now… For starters, the author’s name – Derek B Miller – doesn’t seem very Nordic at all. Yes, the book is set in Oslo, but there is a major difference. For starters, the central character is an 82 year-old ex-marine from New York. Sheldon ‘Donny’ Horowitz is living with his grand-daughter in Norway following the death of his wife. It’s fair to say he is hating every minute of it, but when he gets the chance to help a six-year-old boy evade the clutches of a particularly vile Kosovan mobster, he gears himself up for what may be his final adventure. Like Tennyson’s Ulysses, it could be said of Horowtz, “Though much is taken, much abides.” Ultimately, the veteran must battle against real evil to save those he loves. Yes, there is Scandinavian angst a-plenty, but this is a wonderful crime debut for Miller. Our review is here.
