An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good

Loved this book. Introduced me to a new, highly talented author.

Eighty-nine-year-old Maud keeps herself to herself. To the other tenants in the apartment building, they see an old lady who lives in an apartment that's much too big for her, and-- worst of all-- she doesn't pay a penny in rent! What those neighbors don't know would fill an encyclopedia. Just as Maud entered university at the age of eighteen, her beloved father died. Her mother couldn't cope with the shame of finding out there was no money left, rapidly faded away, and died. Fortunately, a real estate deal was done that gave Maud and her sister their apartment rent-free for as long as they were alive. For the next few decades, Maud was burdened with the care of an emotionally fragile sister who should've been put in assisted living but refused because, well, that was what Maud was for. Finally, when she was in her sixties, Maud was free to live her life as she chose. Perhaps she should be forgiven for wanting to stay where she'd lived her entire life and for all the traveling she does. Hasn't she paid her dues? (Take that, nosy neighbors!) All this and more is what you learn as you read Helene Tursten's short story collection, An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good. I've been asked before what my "guilty pleasure" books are, and I've always responded that I never feel guilty about the books that I read. Life's too short and all that. But maybe... just maybe... I should call Maud a guilty pleasure character. In these stories, Maud runs into several folks who take one look at her and think that she's going to be easy to cheat. After all, she's a little old lady who uses a walker to get to the shops. Her mind's got to be going, right? Think again! In this collection, Maud has to outwit someone trying to take her apartment away from her and someone else who's trying to steal her antiques-- and she's not above a little murder to take care of these people either. It's a pleasure to watch this old lady take care of her youngers and supposedly betters, and lest you get the idea that "it's all about Maud," that's not true. She's also willing to help out others she comes in contact with, although she certainly doesn't seek them out. When I read one story that was written from an outsider's point of view, I thought to myself, "Why couldn't we get this story from Maud?" The very next story told us the events from her perspective. Tursten read my mind. Tursten also had fun having her two other characters, Detective Inspectors Irene Huss and Embla Nyström test their wits against Maud. An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good is a light, fun read that proves something I've always known: never underestimate the elderly.

Very entertaining, well-written book. A decidedly different story told with some humor about an elderly woman who commits murders. That said, the elderly lady is very clever and her victims not sympathetic characters. You might end up liking her. The sequel, "An Elderly Lady Must Not Be Crossed" is good, too, and has a happy ending. I've read both books several times and highly recommend.

This book is geared to more mature female readers, but I though it was very repetitive and did not enjoy it as much as I though I would.

If you were a little ol' Swedish lady, living rent free in a sweet apartment in Gothenburg, and with all your marbles at the age of 92, what would drive you to commit a murder? And if one murder, why not, say, four murders? That's the story in Swedish author Helene Tursten's new book of short stories, "An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good". Maud, our murdering heroine dispatches four people, all four of whom really needed dispatching. Tursten's book is a short one, and beautifully translated by Marlaine Delargy. The four short stories equal one book that leaves the reader a bit off-sides as we contemplate our mother, or our grandmother - or hell, even ourselves! - pushing a nasty neighbor down the stairs to her death. As the reader meets Maud and accompanies her on her murder spree, we're rooting for the Gothenburg police to discount old Maud as the doer of the deeds of death. You'll have to read the book to see what happens, but Tursten's book is a delightful, if not a bit disquieting, read. And if you enjoy Tursten's novel, take a look at the books of British//Italian author Tim Parks, including "Painting Death", where the protagonist has married and murdered his way up the social ladder.

I liked the suspense. A little taken back that it was several short stories, instead of one long mystery, but each one gota little more intense, especially the last one. That one had me cringing at the murder scene and sitting on edge of my chair.

Have not read this yet, I am just SURPRISED. I expected this to be a regular sized book, about 8x6" in size. It's a MINI BOOK at 5x7". fits in my hand! Will try to send a photo and update about whether it's a good book or not. Revised 1.1.2025. What a great way to start the new year! Maud is a great little murderer at 88+ years old! Definitely suggest reading this tiny book. Book: An Elderly Lady Is Up To No Good, by Helene Tursten.

Darkly humorous, and maybe a little annoying. Maude comes off as a little too spiteful at times, but when you learn about the life she's led, you almost don't want to blame her for it. She uses her age and the stereotypes that come with it to fool both her enemies and any investigators that would suspect her.

What a fantastic book. Looking forward to read more about maud and her life when she is too old to live in the apartment.

I hope this author gives us more stories like this one. Funny and entertaining, I was sorry to finish this book.

Funny interesting perspective

Very readable style but the stories missed the unexpected or a twist... The Roald Dahl touch. So for me it will stay one book.

This is a series of stories about Maud, who is a loner in her eighties. She lives rent free in a large apartment in Gothenburg but is often not there, because her frugality and forward planning enable her to enjoy her passion, which is travel. The really significant thing about her is that she has no compunction about killing people who deserve to be dead. She gets away with it by playing the little old lady card, limping, and being tearful and confused at will. I’ve downloaded the next book to enjoy more whimsy.