The Long Water
by Stef Penney
Stef Penney has written several novels but her debut The Tenderness of Wolves probably remains her best-known one. In her latest novel, The Long Water, Penney returns to a Northern setting, although rather than 1860s Canada, we are transported to modern-day Norway, more specifically in the arctic Nordland/Sami territory.
At its heart, The Long Water is a mystery story, which deals with the disappearance of a teenager during the “Russ”, raucous end-of-school celebrations. During searches for the boy, Daniel, a body is found in a disused mine in the mountains, leading to a second cold-case investigation parallel to the first.
The small-town atmosphere is well brought out, and the mystery
thread, albeit ultimately rather underwhelming, drives the plot nicely. But what
makes this novel more interesting is its mix of narrative voices – alternating between
third-person narration and the acerbic, darkly humorous voice of misanthropic
old Svea. Through Svea we meet a colourful cast of characters including Svea’s
granddaughter Elin and her friend Benny, both of whom are coming to terms with their
sexuality, and “Odd Emil”, Daniel’s grandfather. Secrets are revealed, as the younger
characters come of age, and the older ones come to terms with their past.
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