Juliet of Musings from a Muddy Island reviews Ann Cleeves's Raven Black, but before getting down to business (she loves the book), writes:
"Clearly, an island gives a writer small, complex community, in which many of the inhabitants will be interrelated; where resentments can fester - perhaps for generations; where secrets have to be kept more deeply hidden than in a less close-knit society; and from which quick escape can be physically difficult or impossible.
In today's age of instant mass communication, a remote island gives a perfect opportunity for recapturing realistically some essential elements from the world of 'golden age' detective fiction which would seem impossibly stilted on the modern mainland."
Thinking about this in the light of my recent reading, I recall Mari Jungstedt's two books Unseen and Unspoken, set in Gotland off the coast of Sweden. They have similarities to Ann Cleeves's books, being a combination of mystery, police procedural, human interest (local married teacher falls for TV journalist), and very well-conveyed island atmosphere. Another author who used the island setting is Simon Beckett's second novel, the very good Written in Bone; and another "island" novel which I did not think worked all that well, but is certainly uniquely atmospheric in quite a horrible way, is Pig Island by Mo Hayder.
Do you have any suggestions for Juliet, who writes: "Island fiction could become a niche literary interest for me - with island crime fiction as a niche within a niche."? William Golding's Lord of the Flies is obvious, I suppose. A book I have just started reading, and which seems excellent so far (can it really keep on being this good? I am asking myself) is Echoes from the Dead by Johan Theorin, to be published in July by Transworld. The author will be at the Harrogate crime-writing festival this year, taking part in the New Blood event with Laura Wilson on Friday 18 July, by the way. But, enough distractions -- please let Juliet know if you have any good island novel recommendations.
Way back in the American Golden Age, Raoul Whitfield wrote about "Jo Gar, island detective," based in Hawaii.
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Detectives Beyond Borders
"Because Murder Is More Fun Away From Home"
http://www.detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com/
Posted by: Peter | 30 May 2008 at 08:48
Joanne Harris' "The Coastliners"; and Mervyn Peake's "Mr Pye" are two that spring to mind.
Posted by: Clare | 31 May 2008 at 14:16