An Elderly Lady Must Not Be Crossed

Helene Tursten — 2021

Don't let her age fool you. Maud may be nearly ninety, but if you cross her, this elderly lady is more sinister than sweet. Just when things have finally cooled down for 88-year-old Maud after the disturbing discovery of a dead body in her apartment in Gothenburg, a couple of detectives return to her doorstep, ruining a perfectly good afternoon. Though Maud deftly dodges their questions with the skill of an Olympic gymnast a fifth of her age, she wonders if suspicion has fallen on her, little old lady that she is. The truth is, ever since Maud was a girl, death has seemed to follow her. In these six interlocking stories, memories of unfortunate incidents from Maud's past keep bubbling to the surface, each triggered by something around her- an image, a word-even a taste. Meanwhile, certain Problems in the present require immediate attention. Luckily, Maud is no stranger to taking matters into her own hands . . . even if it means she has to get a little blood on them in the process. *Includes cookie recipes*

Reviews

Denaiir@denaiir

Oct 3, 2023

Liked that one less than the previous one since it became a little over the top, but the ending was really good.

Lara Engle@bzzlarabzz

Aug 23, 2023

Fun, but not as delightful as the first book. It became rather sentimental by the end, but I suppose that happens in life, too.

Tea@booksandtea997

Aug 9, 2022

It's adorable still. Somewhere between 3 and 4 stars. But it's not a kind of book that I'll remember for a long time.

Kimberly@kmbrly925

Nov 17, 2021

I received this in a Goodreads giveaway and I am grateful to Soho Press for the ARC. After reading An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good, I couldn't wait to read this one. Helene Tursten created the most loveable and diabolical elderly lady. Maud is sharp as a whip and has a big heart. This collection of Maud stories were perfect. We take a trip down Maud's memory lane. I liked that the stories in this book were connected and formed a story within a story. You got to know more about Maud and some of the people mentioned in the previous book. Maud is still fantastic and after these stories, I love her even more. Marlaine Delargy is a wonderful translator and the stories flowed nicely and they read almost like a tv show or film script. There are recipes included in this book that I cannot wait to try out. Highly recommend for people wanting a cozy mystery with a spunky untraditional heroine.