In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

Reviewed by:
  • As Red as Blood by Salla Simukka
  • Elizabeth Bush
Simukka, Salla As Red as Blood; tr. from the Finnish by Owen F. Witesman. Skyscape, 2014 [236p] (Snow White Trilogy) Paper ed. ISBN 978-1-4778-4771-8 $7.99 E-book ed. ISBN 978-1-4778-9771-3 $9.99 Reviewed from galleys     R Gr. 10-12

Lumikki lives on the social edge at her prestigious high school for the arts, striking a balance between privacy and amiability, conformity and individuality. Having left home, she holes up in a tiny studio apartment, quietly battling her demons and marking time until real life begins, but then a chance discovery in the school darkroom upends her steady life. Thirty thousand Euros, washed clean of blood and hung out to dry, scream of a mystery, and an overheard conversation among several classmates indicates just who is involved. Elisa, daughter of a police narcotics investigator, found the garbage bag full of dirty money in her backyard the night of a parents-free house party, and after the first rush of glee at the discovery she and her friends realize they have a tiger by the tail. Tuukka, the principal’s son, knows that Lumikki knows, and between his subtle blackmail and Elisa’s cajoling, Lumikki is drawn into their investigation. The solution to the whodunit is established early on, but there’s plenty of plot left to thrill as Lumikki, who is named after the heroine in the Finnish version of Snow White, goes undercover at a party hosted by enigmatic criminal kingpin Polar Bear and nearly loses her life. The Arctic setting of this import is used to full advantage, evoking a chilling mood and strewing genuine frigid weather obstacles in Lumikki’s way. The backstory of her personal tragedy unfolds organically as Lumikki finds herself considering the possibility of friendship with Elisa. The first entry in Simukka’s Snow White trilogy will tempt mystery readers back for more. [End Page 127]

...

pdf

Share