The Night Raven by Johan Rundberg

Loved it! It’s a bitterly cold winter in Stockholm, 1880 and the orphans are starving, but twelve-year-old Mika finds a new purpose in life when she joins forces with gruff Constable Hoff to investigate a gruesome murder.

Absolutely my cup of tea!

When Mika opens the orphanage door in the middle of the night, she finds a boy on the step with a baby. He thrusts it into her arms, mutters something about a Dark Angel, and disappears into the snowy night.

An official report has to be made, the mysterious baby registered.

Mika’s sharp-eyed observations in the report catch the attention of Constable Vlademar Hoff, and he invites her to help him with an ongoing investigation - a possible copycat killer is on the loose. It’s an invitation she can’t refuse, and she’s soon drawn into a mystery which cuts very close to home.

Mika is a plucky, pragmatic heroine with an edgy sense of humour. I fell in love with her the moment she called the bluff of a drunk policeman when he was threatening to cut off her ears with a blunt herring knife. Yes, there are some grisly moments.

The dialogue and developing relationship between Mika and Constable Hoff is a warm centre to a bleak, atmospheric story, and I admired how their different world views created sparks between them. Ragamuffin, for him, is a term of endearment: for her, it is shameful.

First in the Moonwind Mysteries series, Tbe Night Raven is one of my favourite reads of the year. Five stars.

Note: While the text is middle grade, there are some dark moments and gruesome images. My children were spellbound.

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