I am a big fan of Victoria Dougherty and her Cold Noir Writing. Having met her in person in Prague, the city with a Cold War history, and scene of her amazing book “The Bone Church” , definitely has helped to bring this new book to the top of my tbr pile.
The blurb:
An heiress who can’t seem to keep her legs closed. A Russian plan for dominating the space race. An assassin with a penchant for rich food and sadistic murder. When you’re alone in the cold, passion and betrayal are commodities and love hangs on by an icy thread. From the author of The Bone Church and Cold, comes a white knuckle tour de force of Cold War noir.
Find the book on Amazon US and Amazon UK
My review:
“Welcome to the Hotel Yalta” comprises of six marvellous short stories, all set in the dubious twilight world of cold war espionage, world and sexual politics, personal ambitions, ideology and human behaviour. You will love the characters and hate them at the same time, smile at things you don’t want to smile about, and root for those you shouldn’t. While it takes the best of espionage thrillers and suspense novel traditions, it adds flair, ambience and a certain ‘je ne sais quoi”. You’d be tempted to live with these people, such is the strength of Dougherty’s seductive skills.
The writing is evocative and hypnotising at times, I found it hard to put the book down. The characters are well drawn and written with a combination of attachment and sarcasm. Who is good, who is laughable, who is a hero and who has a heart at all?
Dougherty has a great use of language, journalistic at times with fast pace and precision, while never losing sight of the beauty literary prose has to offer.
An incredibly talented writer and six truly magnificent stories. If you like Noir, you’ll love this. If you don’t liek Noir, you might be converted after reading this.
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Thank you, Christoph! I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
Loved it. Well done ❤
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Check out Christoph Fischer’s review of Victoria Dougherty’s collection of short stories.
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