MIDDLE GRADE MYSTERY: The Night Raven by Johan Rundberg & translated by A.A. Prime
ABOUT THE BOOK
Mika is not your average orphan—and she’s about to prove it.
It’s 1880, and in the frigid city of Stockholm, death lurks around every corner. Twelve-year-old Mika knows that everyone in her orphanage will struggle to survive this winter. But at least the notorious serial killer the Night Raven is finally off the streets…or is he?
Mika is shocked when a newborn baby is left at the orphanage in the middle of the night, by a boy with a cryptic message. Who is he? And who is this “Dark Angel” he speaks of? When a detective shows up, Mika senses something even more sinister is going on.
Drawn in by Mika’s unique ability to notice small details—a skill Mika has always used to survive—the gruff Detective Hoff unwittingly recruits her to help him with his investigation into a gruesome murder. Mika knows she should stay far, far away, and yet…with such little hope for her future, could this be an opportunity? Maybe, just maybe, this is Mika’s chance to be someone who matters.
Johan Rundberg is an award-winning author of children's books who lives in Stockholm. He has written picture books, early readers, and middle grade, including Kärlekspizzan, Knockad Romeo, and the series Häxknuten. In 2021, he was awarded Sweden's most prestigious literary prize, the August Prize, in the children's and YA category for Nattkorpen, the original edition of The Night Raven, which was first written in Swedish. Nattkorpen was also the winner of a Swedish Crimetime Award in the children's and YA category. There are now four books in this series published in Sweden.
A. A. Prime (Annie Prime) is an award-winning translator of Swedish literature. She was born in London and traveled the world studying a number of languages before settling in the English coastal town of Hastings. She now works full-time as a translator, specializing in the weird, witty, and wonderful world of children's and young adult fiction. She holds an MA in translation from University College London and has published more than twenty books in the UK and US. In her free time, she can be found belly dancing, folk singing, horse riding, and sea swimming.
It’s 1880, and in the frigid city of Stockholm, death lurks around every corner. Twelve-year-old Mika knows that everyone in her orphanage will struggle to survive this winter. But at least the notorious serial killer the Night Raven is finally off the streets…or is he?
Mika is shocked when a newborn baby is left at the orphanage in the middle of the night, by a boy with a cryptic message. Who is he? And who is this “Dark Angel” he speaks of? When a detective shows up, Mika senses something even more sinister is going on.
Drawn in by Mika’s unique ability to notice small details—a skill Mika has always used to survive—the gruff Detective Hoff unwittingly recruits her to help him with his investigation into a gruesome murder. Mika knows she should stay far, far away, and yet…with such little hope for her future, could this be an opportunity? Maybe, just maybe, this is Mika’s chance to be someone who matters.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR & TRANSLATOR
REVIEW
Mika lives in an orphanage in 1880s Sweden. During a freezing winter, she finds her life taking a strange turn after a young man drops off a newborn baby in the middle of the night and warns her about the Dark Angel. She sees a shadowy figure across the street but is unable to make out who stands watching. Mika's talent for noticing details brings her to the attention of a local detective who brings her in on his murder case. But after putting together some clues that those in power would rather she did not, Mika and Detective Hoff find themselves risking their lives to solve a case that could destroy everything. Mika makes a winning young heroine as her spirit prevents her from succumbing to her difficult circumstances. But that same feistiness quickly gets her in trouble as she can't resist following the clues to where they lead, however dangerous. The darkness of the story, the subject of serial murder, and Mika's working in a bar make this a read more appropriate for older middle grade readers (grades 6-9). The mystery is compelling and the way Mika puts things together fascinating. The clues about Mika's origins indicate future volumes that I eagerly anticipate reading. The historical setting provided an appropriately dark and threatening landscape although I struggled to pronounce all the Swedish street and place names. Overall, an intriguing opening to a new series with a remarkable young heroine determined to make her mark on the world.
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