Quotations Weblog

Third in the series, Always by Nicola Griffith continues the story of Aud Torvingen:

• Unshelved comic strip – Always by Nicola Griffith

At the start of Griffith’s intense third thriller to star Aud Torvingen (after The Blue Place and Stay), the stylish half-American, half-Norwegian lesbian ex-cop and self-defense teacher is still grieving over the shooting death of her lover, Julia, a year earlier. Also distraught over a recent violent incident involving one of her self-defense students, Aud welcomes the chance to leave Atlanta, accompanied by her friend, Matthew Dornan, to visit her ambassador mother, Else, in Seattle. There sabotage of a TV pilot in production that’s been receiving OSHA and EPA complaints disrupts their vacation. Adding romantic tension is Victoria “Kick” Kuiper, a caterer and former stuntwoman, to whom both Aud and Matthew are attracted. Aud’s ace investigation reveals political and environmental chicanery, but more importantly, leads to a surprising lesson about love. Lucid prose and great self-defense lessons are a plus.

Sounds like girl power on overtime, but if you want a story about girls who kick a**, then you’ve got it here. You might want to start at the beginning of the series, however:

• The Blue Place by Nicola Griffith