An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good by Helene Tursten

An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good

by Helene Tursten

Maud is an irascible 88-year-old Swedish woman with no family, no friends, and... no qualms about a little murder. This funny, irreverent story collection by Helene Tursten, author of the Irene Huss investigations, features two-never-before translated stories that will keep you laughing all the way to the retirement home.

Ever since her darling father's untimely death when she was only eighteen, Maud has lived in the family's spacious apartment in downtown Gothenburg rent-free, thanks to a minor clause in a hastily negotiated contract. That was how Maud learned that good things can come from tragedy. Now in her late eighties, Maud contents herself with traveling the world and surfing the net from the comfort of her father's ancient armchair. It's a solitary existence, and she likes it that way.

Over the course of her adventures—or misadventures—this little bold lady will handle a crisis with a local celebrity who has her eyes on Maud's apartment, foil the engagement of her long-ago lover, and dispose of some pesky neighbors. But when the local authorities are called to investigate a dead body found in Maud's apartment, will Maud finally become a suspect?

Reviewed by lovelybookshelf on

3 of 5 stars

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Holy moly, Maud knows how to play up her elderly status to get away with murder, figuratively and literally. I don't know, after binge-watching Dexter because he was so compelling, I want more complexity in my murderer pro(?)tagonists. Maud was amusing in a horrifying kind of way, but I didn't find it as funny as the blurb led me to think. This was just good, no strong feelings either way. 2.5 stars, rounding up.

(CW: Her younger sister had severe anxiety, and it's poked fun of in a mean-spirited way. Because Maud.)

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 21 February, 2019: Finished reading
  • 21 February, 2019: Reviewed