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A review by gwalt118
The Shadow Lily by Johanna Mo
4.0
After finishing The Night Singer, I couldn't wait to get my hands on The Shadow Lily. I enjoyed the sophomore novel in this series more than the first.
The mystery in this one captivated me more than the mystery in The Night Singer. I found this story more suspenseful, and there was a bit more of a twist to the ending (although, still nothing major). The case in this novel worked well alongside Hanna's deeper investigation into her dad's case. I was afraid it would be too much for one novel, but that didn't come to fruition.
Hanna's character develops a lot in this novel, both as an individual and in her relationship to others. Erik, Ingrid, Ove, and Isak all make important reappearances in this novel, and we learn a bit more about each of them as well. There are also plenty of new characters, and Mo balances multiple points of view well throughout the novel.
When it comes down to it, I just really like Hanna. She makes this series for me. Her exploration of grief, her internal struggles to come to terms with life as it happened rather than life as she expected, her commitment to the discovery of truth, and her compassion toward others as an investigator are all things that make me love her as a character. I can't wait to see how Mo continues to develop her in the next novel.
This novel ends in a significant cliffhanger, so I need the third one to be translated into English soon. It was released in Sweden in June 2022, so I'm hoping the translation is forthcoming! In the meantime, I'm looking for more novels with this Nordic noir vibe.
The mystery in this one captivated me more than the mystery in The Night Singer. I found this story more suspenseful, and there was a bit more of a twist to the ending (although, still nothing major). The case in this novel worked well alongside Hanna's deeper investigation into her dad's case. I was afraid it would be too much for one novel, but that didn't come to fruition.
Hanna's character develops a lot in this novel, both as an individual and in her relationship to others. Erik, Ingrid, Ove, and Isak all make important reappearances in this novel, and we learn a bit more about each of them as well. There are also plenty of new characters, and Mo balances multiple points of view well throughout the novel.
When it comes down to it, I just really like Hanna. She makes this series for me. Her exploration of grief, her internal struggles to come to terms with life as it happened rather than life as she expected, her commitment to the discovery of truth, and her compassion toward others as an investigator are all things that make me love her as a character. I can't wait to see how Mo continues to develop her in the next novel.
This novel ends in a significant cliffhanger, so I need the third one to be translated into English soon. It was released in Sweden in June 2022, so I'm hoping the translation is forthcoming! In the meantime, I'm looking for more novels with this Nordic noir vibe.