New review of 'The Mistake' by B.J.Mon

"Your mistake would be to pass this by."
By B.J. Mon
...

A cleverly constructed novella that gradually reveals the truth to the various lies told by several people. The nine year gap between events, when explained does raise an interesting 'just desserts' moral dilemma (no more detail to avoid spoiler). Increasing gruesomeness fits the storyline and does not seem gratuitous. The author builds a picture of an apparent unfortunate victim, Gunnar Atli, first on the scene of a brutal murder and quickly accused by circumstances. He has a tragic background and his inability to recall events suggests his vulnerability will create more problems for him. In a novella there is less room to develop characters but in this short space we gain clear awareness of the motivations of Detective Grimur and of Kjartan, the father of the murdered girl, Bella. The story rolls along, dialogue is crisp and realistic and I thoroughly enjoyed it.