Nina Borg's first appearance in The Boy in the Suitcase introduces her as a sensitive and determined nurse, willing to set aside her own convenience to meet the needs of others. Invisible Murder also demonstrates this quality of her character, but readers are forced to recognize that the way in which
The Nina Borg mysteries are rooted in relationships, beginning with this first volume in the series. There are crimes, yes. And the plot unfolds in matter-of-fact prose, which is designed to build tension and suspense. 2008; Trans. Lena KaaberbølSoho Press, 2010 But ultimately these stories are about the
This is from Gabriel's neighbour, Giuditta. "One day Gabriel opened up more than usual and told me he had four sons. From four different women. In four different countries." The reader wonders if perhaps he opened up more to her than to anyone; Gabriel is a cipher, someone the reader knows
Although I had picked up the author's works throughout the years, it was Eleanor Wachtel's interview with Cees Nooteboom that firmly nudged his Rituals onto my reading list for Iris' DutchLit Fortnight this year. (The interview is available in podcast here.) 1980; HBJ, Translated Adrienne Dixon, 1983 Rituals
It began when I was a girl, with books like Jean Webster's Daddy Long Legs and Norma Fox Mazer's I, Trissy. These stories invited me directly into characters' private thoughts, via letters written to a trusted recipient and journal entries written for the writer's own eyes. Trans. Katharina Bielenberg
