Trouble by Katja Ivar

Good morning, readers! Today I'm super excited to be part of the Random Things tour for Katja Ivar's latest Hella Mauzer mystery, Trouble. 

Having recovered from nearly losing her life on her last investigation, Hella has decided it's finally time to face down her own past. 

It's been over a decade since her family was killed in a horrible accident. And Hella has taken great pains to avoid the family home. Until now. Even though she's recuperated, four floors of stairs to her apartment aren't exactly welcome. And the house has been empty all along. 

No sooner has she arrived, however, than her former boss calls her with another case. This time it's a simple background check for the new head of homicide. But it's delicate considering the man was a revered spy. And it probably wouldn't be great for the man's soon to be employees to be doing the investigation either. 

Hella agrees, but only if she's granted access to her family's file. After all, it was only until recently she began to believe their death might not have been an accident after all. 

At first her case is simple and the man seems to be the perfect candidate. But as Hella digs further, she does find something suspicious. Whether it concerns the focus of her investigation or is a coincidence is up to Hella to discover. 

This is such a fun series!

Set in the 50s, this third in the series takes place right on the heels of book 2, which takes place directly on the heels of book 1. That said, each can be read as a standalone (with minor spoilers if you backtrack). 

Hella's father was a top tier spy in his day. In fact, he died just after announcing his retirement. Hella was the only one left, having been sick the day the family took their fateful last outing. 

Working for her old boss again isn't exactly Hella's cup of tea. The last favor she did for him didn't end that well. But hints of something suspicious in her family's file are enough for her to take the job. 

Unfortunately for Hella, her family's file is empty. 

No matter. She sets forth to do her promised job and requests that her old boss look into the file in the meantime. 

And really it should be a simple job. But trouble finds Hella no matter where she goes!

Hella is a fabulous character! A female police officer in Finland in the wake of WWII and Finland's own issues. This third in the series is set in the days after Stalin's death, so things aren't exactly stable around the country. 

And in truth, each book deals with those issues to an extent. Evil Things concerns the body of a dead Russian found just over the border and Deep As Death involves the suspected murders of prostitutes. 

As mentioned, each book can be read as a standalone. And honestly any spoilers are pretty minor. 

Fans of fabulous Nordic Noir should take note, Ivar is an author you definitely need to add to your TBR! It's also perfect for fans of historical fiction and mysteries in general. It's definitely a series I want more people to discover—and I can't wait for another installment myself!

Trouble is out now in the UK and will be out in the US later next month!