Anya Lipska’s compelling sequel
to “Where The Devil Can’t Go” demonstrates that she is fast building what the
marketeers like to refer to as a “brand” for herself. In simple terms it means
she’s a damn good writer.
The intricate plot interweaves a
number of story threads, reuniting the characters of Janusz Kiska and DC Natalie
Kershaw. The chemistry between Kiska and Kershaw is carefully constructed and
beautifully weighted. Lipska writes the nuanced dialogue with real skill, and
Kiska’s dour grumpiness provides a counterpoint to his muscular approach to
detecting. He also gets some of the best dialogue, particularly when in
conversation with his dodgy Polish compatriot Oskar.
The plot is complex and
multi-layered, constructed with a number of false starts and dead ends so that
the reader is kept guessing nearly as much as the protagonists. The denouement
is both brilliantly set-up and executed, with more than a hint of Thomas
Harris.
Lipska excels at creating believable
minor characters with strong individual voices. I was a little disappointed
that Kiska’s complicated love-interest Kasia [one time exotic dancer now
running a nail-bar] didn’t get to make an appearance, apart from a brief text
message. I thought she was one of Lipska’s great inventions from “Devil”, and I
hope that she may return in the next book.
I was privileged enough to hear
Anya speak at a Polish Crime Night a few months ago, organised by Magda
Raczynska of The Polish Cultural Institute at Belgravia Books in Victoria. Anya
shared a platform with another of my literary heroes William Brodrick, author
of the Father Anselm books. They both spoke eloquently about their work and
each performed a brief reading from their current WiP.
I am a huge fan of her writing
and me this novel is even better than her debut. So many of the scenes have a
cinematic sensibility, which screams movie / TV mini-series to me. I can only
hope that the novel gets optioned, which it richly deserves.
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