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Formats
Paperback Book Details
  • 07/2022
  • 9786500396973
  • 322 pages
  • $14.99
Ebook Details
  • 07/2022
  • 9786500396966 B09VLGSRTY
  • 322 pages
  • $4.99
Karmen Špiljak
Author
No Such Thing as Goodbye
A spy with a criminal past. A dark family secret. Freedom at the cost of betrayal. To escape her mobster family, Toni fakes her own death, but before she can start anew in Mexico City, she’s pulled into a world of spies and deadly secrets. Her new life crumbles when she discovers her boss is keeping secrets of his own. When word gets around that Toni’s brother is on his way to Mexico, she fears the worst - he wants to hunt her down. Cornered and with nowhere to turn, Toni must decide: will she run once more, or will she risk her life for a chance of freedom?
Reviews
Špiljak’s striking crime thriller, which was shortlisted for the Black Spring Crime Fiction Prize 2020, follows Antonia Morretti, the daughter of a Dutch mobster, as she attempts to escape her past (and probable death) to start a new life across the Atlantic in Mexico City. However, it’s not long before Moretti finds herself face to face with the very world she has been trying to escape: a world spilling over with spies, criminals, and worst of all, violence–the lethal kind.

From the arresting first line (“Tomorrow, I’ll be dead”), Špiljak, author of the “culinary noir” collection Add Cyanide to Taste, explores the futility of trying to escape who you are and where you come from, suggesting that the past will always come back to haunt you, making the novel’s title fittingly appropriate. Špiljak writes with persuasive power about the ins and outs of both the criminal world and those who police it, and the narrative is interspersed with piquant details of how things are done, details readers might expect only an insider could divulge, while Antonia training in disguise, tailing, and other tricks of the trade in the novel’s middle makes clear how much work it takes to develop the skills this milieu demands. As striking as the verisimilitude is Špiljak’s prose, which is as poetic as it is fast-paced; plot points are punctuated with philosophical musings that lend the narrative welcome depth and resonance.

There are times when this action-packed novel can seem too frantic, straining reader credulity about how many things can go wrong at any given time. But Špiljak exercises impressive narrative command, carrying readers along the entire way, delivering skillful setpieces of suspense and action that despite their headlong momentum never sacrifice surprise or impact. Lovers of swift-moving crime thrillers will enjoy this book, which packs a punch while delving deep into the human psyche.

Takeaway: Packed with action and thematically rich, this globe-crossing crime thriller stands out.

Great for fans of: Lisa Lutz’s The Passenger, Alex Michaelides’s The Silent Patient.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Black Spring Crime Fiction Prize

Shortlist & Honourable mention at the Black Spring Crime Fiction Prize 2020’

Goodreads

'What an undownputtable pleasure!
Every word and turn of events was savoured.'

Goodreads

'If you like spy novels, novels with strong female characters, or mysteries, I would recommend this book to you and I will look forward to other work from this amazing author.'

Goodreads

'An absolute page turner. I read this book in two days, couldn't put it down. I particularly enjoyed the well developed character of the main protagonist, the subtlety of her story and reading a thriller that didn't centre around a weary detective for once.'

Goodreads reviewer

From the first paragraph I was sucked into the story and it just kept on moving at a nice clip. I think this book kind of has everything that a mystery/suspense novel should have: a dark and gritty backstory for the main character, a loveable cat, a quirky mysterious mentor, lots of disguises and tension filled scenarios.While not as outwardly funny as Evanovich's books, I definitely got the same sort of vibe from this book. It didn't quite have the comedy or romance tension, but it was like it took the more serious elements of Evanovich's storylines and actually turned them into something a bit more literary. 

Goodreads Reviewer

'Excellent thriller. A real page turner.'

Goodreads reviewer

'If you like spy novels, novels with strong female characters, or mysteries, I would recommend this book to you and I will look forward to other work from this amazing author.'

Reedsy Discovery

'No such Thing As Goodbye succeeds on every level- story, characters, dialogue. Karmen Spiljak offers thriller/crime/suspense and a cute kitty to expose corruption.'

Formats
Paperback Book Details
  • 07/2022
  • 9786500396973
  • 322 pages
  • $14.99
Ebook Details
  • 07/2022
  • 9786500396966 B09VLGSRTY
  • 322 pages
  • $4.99
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