BOOKS FROM NORWAYThe Bird Tribunal
by Agnes Ravatn
Tags:
Set in Norway
Female author
Description:
Two people in exile. Two secrets. As the past tightens its grip, there may be no escape... TV presenter Allis Hagtorn leaves her partner and her job to take voluntary exile in a remote house on an isolated fjord. But her new job as housekeeper and gardener is not all that it seems, and her silent, surly employer, 44-year-old Sigurd Bagge, is not the old man she expected. As they await the return of his wife from her travels, their silent, uneasy encounters develop into a chilling, obsessive relationship, and it becomes clear that atonement for past sins may not be enough... Haunting, consuming and powerful, The Bird Tribunal is a taut, exquisitely written psychological thriller that builds to a shocking, dramatic crescendo that will leave you breathless. 'The Bird Tribunal is a chilly psychological thriller / domestic noir that unfolds in an austere style that perfectly captures the bleakly beautiful landscape of Norway's far north' Irish Times 'An unrelenting atmosphere of doom fails to prepare readers for the surprising resolution that engulfs this flawed pair.' Publishers Weekly 'Ravatn creates a creeping sense of unease, elegantly bringing the peace and menace of the setting to vivid life. The isolated house on the fjord is a character-like shadow in this tale of obsessions. This is domestic suspense with a twist - creepy and wonderful' Good Reading Magazine 'The Bird Tribunal offers an incredible richness of themes ... The atonement for the past sins and the titular bird tribunal carry powerful messages, as well as questions of morality and humanity...Crime Review 'The Bird Tribunal is suffused with dark imagery from the ancient Eddas, creating a foreboding atmosphere that gets under the skin and stays there. Like a lunar eclipse, each revelation is another form of darkness.' Crime Fiction Lover 'Chilling, atmospheric and hauntingly beautiful ... I was transfixed' Amanda Jennings 'Intriguing ... enrapturing' Sarah Hillary 'A masterclass in suspense and delayed terror, reading it felt like I was driving at top speed towards a cliff edge - and not once did I want to take my foot off the pedal' Rod Reynolds 'A beautifully written story set in a captivating landscape ... it keeps you turning the pages' Sarah Ward