When the Devil Holds the Candle

De: Karin Fossum

Narrado por: David Rintoul

Has anyone seen Andreas? Andreas's disappearance is a mystery to all, including his inseparable friend Zipp. But it’s not easy for Zipp to come forward with details of the last time he saw his friend - they had been following an old woman, an easy target for some quick cash, and Andreas boldly followed her into her home brandishing his knife, the next moment he was gone. Zipp waited anxiously outside but Andreas failed to reappear.

Inspector Sejer and his colleague Skarre are baffled but while the confusion in the outside world continues, a chilling and heart-stopping drama is unfolding inside the old woman's home. In a plot in the tradition of Stephen King, Fossum deploys her trademark skill of looking realistically, terrifyingly, into the minds of criminal and victim. Appearances aren't always to be believed, and people are not always what they seem.

©2011 Karin Fossum (P)2011 Random House Audio Go

Gripping

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

After male-authored works Fossum is excellent respite. Never too-kind to the character or reader, frequently brutal, but redeeming with her quiet attentiveness to detail. A surprising source of power: viewpoint is utterly feminine. Her male characters sometimes see things that really only a female would know. Young Andreas talks about girls that have to go to the bathroom to change their pantyliner because he only has to look at them and they get wet. Cute. So often the reverse is the case. A male writer putting incongruous thoughts into a female character's head. Fossum's feminine voice is not saccharine. She empowers. Emotionally complex listen.

Keep your finger on the volume!

The main difficulty I had with this book was with the narrator. Although he had a lovely warm voice, he made no distinction between the male and female characters. As there was almost no pause or signal that there was a change of chapter, I had difficulty figuring out who was talking. I had to rewind many times before I could figure it out. Also, the narrator shouts and whispers so much, that I had to continually adjust the volume which was difficult when I was listening in bed. The story itself was interesting and well written, but the narration spoiled it somewhat for me.