Rating: 
Summary: The Troll always gets you in the end
Review: After devouring Griffith's first two well-written, well-researched works of speculative fiction(Ammonite, Slow River), I was looking forward to Blue Place. Even with the change of genre, I expected more intelligent and literary fiction. I was not entirely disappointed. As usual, Griffith researched the locations and the science well - and the writing was skillful. Her imagination, though - so prevalent in the first two books, seems to have taken a particularly dark turn. Aud Torvingen is an Aryan dream - monied, educated, strong,white - if only she weren't a lesbian. Except for her unsettling enjoyment of violence, she is too perfect - a kind of female Scharwzenegger. This kind of character deserves a satirical edge and there is none. And lastly, I didn't find the book much of a thriller in the traditional sense. There is intense action, violence, wild chases, etc - but, in the end you care less about "who done it" than about Aud herself and her personal evolution. And, in the end, the promise of such an evolution is dashed. Stick to speculative fiction, Nicola - you're MUCH better at it.
Rating: 
Summary: A very good mystery.
Review: But whether that mystery is really about a destroyed painting, or about Aud is up to the reader to decide. Either way, I devoured this book in one day, and still felt like I had gotten my money's worth even at hardcover prices. Now I'm just waiting for her next book.
Rating: 
Summary: Not sci fi and not what I was expecting...
Review: Clearly, I missed something in reading this book that othersfound. I came at this book from the wrong angle and even though I tried to go with the flow and enjoy it for what it is, I really disliked the entire book. I bought this book solely because I had read Slow River and enjoyed it a great deal. What I didn't notice when I bought The Blue Place is that unlike Slow River, there is not a single bit of anything sci fi in this book. I think it's great that Nicola Griffith is expanding her range. I have no issues with authors writing outside of their normal genre. My problem is that it was not clearly displayed in any way here ....... that this is a general fiction or lesbian fiction book as opposed to sci fi. Yes, if you carefully read the reviews and comments, you'll understand that. However, this is not clear without careful examination.As a result, I spent the first 50 pages waiting for something "sci fi"-ish to happen and the rest of the book regretting my purchase. Before anyone rants at me... yes, I did try to have an open mind. Yes, I did try to enjoy the book based on my final understanding of it as a lesbian fiction book. Yes, I do enjoy reading books that are not sci fi and I have read and enjoyed feminist books. No, I am not a lesbian, but that doesn't mean that I can't enjoy a well written book about lesbians. Whatever your politics or orientation might be, I am confused on how anyone can call this a great or even a good book. I am doubly confused by people who call this book a great feminist book. In my opinion, it is neither. The plot is simplistic. The characters are flat with little real depth, only cartoonish depth. The murders and other general violence that occur in the book are needlessly gruesome and overdone. The action is boring. Potentially interesting plot lines are dropped all over the place and ignored. In reality, this book isn't about the action, it isn't about a plot, it's just about a relationship between two women. I agree with an earlier reviewer who characterized this as a romance novel, because that is what it really is. Like many romance novels, the level of writing just isn't very good. And that is what I'm basing my review on.
Rating:
Summary: Compelling, complex, genre-defying
Review: Complex, layered, The Blue Place is a genre masterpiece. It centers on - indeed, is told from the first-person point of view of, Aud Torvingen, a Jane Bond fantasy super-heroine. Aud is wealthy, sophisticated, brilliant; sensual and beautiful: skilled in martial arts, accomplished in . . . the arts of death. Yet . . . Griffith writes against genre. Her first novel, Ammonite, neatly deconstructed the lesbian fantasy-utopia of a world without men, and I suspect she's up to much of the same here. An entry point - the very first thing that happens to Aud is, her wallet is lifted. I'll return to this, but it isn't what we expect from our super-dyke. I think it's meant as a warning: Aud is an unreliable witness to her own world. Another entry-point: all we can know of Aud's world is what she sees, what she notices. Within those constraints -- and Griffith hews to them with the rigor of a geometers line - we have to be able to detect a murderer whom Aud cannot see. Find the character flaws in Aud that she is unaware of. All the time feeling her - isolation, love, loss. How can the novelist make us - not merely see through Aud's eyes, but see past them? Another entry point: reviewers have remarked on how shabbily the novel treats men. It could be argued that, as a lesbian, Aud has little use for men, doesn't notice them. It would be -- genre writing: lesbian romance. I don't see it that way. For me, one of the central passages in the novel is the time Aud spends in her wood-workshop. She talks about wood, and her projects, and her tools. Mmmm . . . a dykes tools; a lesser writer would have Aud wax lyrical over her tools. Not Griffith: to Aud, tools are tools, with precisely defined functions; her lyricism is reserved for the living qualities of wood itself. So too with Aud's men (even with her women): they're nothing more than tools. She knows what they can do, how they can be used, but she cares nothing for them. It's Auds's fatal flaw, what allows her to overlook the murderer, to fail to see so much . . . Aud's wallet is lifted because: she's absorbed in the scent of pine resin Because: she's walking, alone, at midnight Because: The Blue Place, more than any novel I've read since . . . say, Gravity's Rainbow . . . repays the layering of multiple re-readings.
Rating:
Summary: Independant ex-cop finds heart
Review: Destined to become a classic of the genre. This is a rip-roaring, unputdownable, cracking page turner. A stunningly well paced narrative, building from a slow burn start to an ending that delivers a devastating blow. Aud Torvingen - 6ft Norwegian Uberbabe. Ex-cop, and now bodyguard, self-defence expert, freefall skydiver, master carpenter, glacier climber and top horticulturist to boot(!!). A lethal killer. Super-cool, confident and in control. But becomes fallible as soon as she falls in love with Julia Lyons-Bennet, the woman whom Aud has been hired by, to protect. This is a bitter-sweet love story, with a strong central character that you care deeply about. In Aud Torvingen, Nicola Griffith has created the quintessential Lesbian Icon. Intriguing, complex and believable. By the very nature of the genre you know a tragedy is just waiting to happen. And the bad guy is screamingly obvious. But this doesn't matter. It is the journey that counts. The narrative takes you to places you don't usually come across in this genre, and has a beautiful sence of time and place. Very evocative of the Norwegian landscape, mixing as it does myth and fable, the fjells, local cuisine, character and temperament. The novel itself is reminiscent of David Lindsey's 'Requiem for a Glass Heart' in it's central Lesbian relationship, breakneck narrative thrust and killer ending. Like all great novels 'The Blue Place' leaves you desperate for more. But how can any future installments ever hope to compare with such an astonishing and accomplished work - and one that is so obviously a one off. A pleasure to read this outstanding novel. Extremely Highly Recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Psychopath Lady Cop on the Loose!
Review: Excuse me? Would blood-lusting Aud get past the psychological assessments of the police force? Since she did I assume this book is a critique of the Atlanta police unit! A Xena type fantasy set in Norway and Atlanta.
Rating: 
Summary: A big disappointment for a fan of her earlier works.
Review: Griffith's third novel falls disappointingly short of the standard she set with Ammonite and Slow River. Ostensibly a novel of suspense, The Blue Place fails to create the essential tension upon which its success hinges. Rather, it ambles somewhat nebulously and never gels. While I enjoyed Ammonite quite a bit, Slow River got me really excited about Griffith. In that, her second novel, she pulled together the elements of a skillfully realized character, a gripping plot, and a thoughtful and imaginative vision of the future. I became invested in the lead character's life and found her inner struggles thoroughly believable and compelling. Slow River had its own mysteries and secrets, and Griffith revealed them with perfect pacing. Upon reflection, I am tempted to blame The Blue Place's failure on Griffith's editor. At times, Griffith's talented voice comes through and it seems like the novel is poised to take off at last. But, regrettably, the moment always passes. The book suffers from just the sorts of problems editors routinely face: too many tangents, structural and organizational weaknesses, repetitiveness, and the sloppiness of having American characters use British expressions and phrasing from time to time. I further suspect that, owing to the success of Slow River, this latest book was rushed to press before either Griffith or her editor had had the opportunity to give it the work it needed. All in all, I still count myself a Griffith fan, but this newest one's a dud.
Rating:
Summary: Kickass noir - great stuff!
Review: Griffith's usual excellent prose is harnessed to a story that's not really a traditional mystery, but is definitely a page-turner. Lots of physical action and emotional action, nicely blended. Griffith's always exploring some edge of whatever genre she writes--don't know why anyone would expect her to stay in sci-fi or to write a 'traditional' thriller or mystery. This book is completely different from Slow River, but every bit as evocative and haunting. Characters and environment, relationships and the effects of the choices we make--those are Griffith's strengths and they are certainly demonstrated once again in The Blue Place. If you want a cozy mystery, stick with Miss Marple. If you want a noir-character study in the general neighborhood of Vachss' Burke or Jane Whitefield (when she's having a really bad day) then this is a new alley for you to explore.
Rating:
Summary: Good writing, Bad story
Review: I considered myself a great fan of Nicola Griffith's after reading Slow River. However, The Blue Pace did not live up to my expectations. Not that the writing is bad - I still admire the author's visceral style - but the story is poor. In the end I felt like the focus was really on Aud's growing attraction to Julia. If I wanted a romance, I'd read Mills and Boons! The handling of the 'thriller' aspect was not satisfying - there was little suspense, or build-up. Instead of who-dunit, it was a when-will-they-do-it. I felt the author tried to get too much in. Gardening, carpentry, martial arts, art, theorising on the Norwegian mind-set and fairytelling while all interesting in their own right, it did not really add to the story. In Slow River, though there were diverse aspects to the character, it added to the story - here it got in the way of it. Likewise, the landscape descriptions overwhelmed the story. It seemed like Norway in 2 weeks, rather than a setting for a story. Furthurmore, I have a problem with the comic book represetation of Aud. Most of us grow out of imagining killing people at every introduction once we are past a certain age. Rather than gritty and brave and alert, Aud just seems a little delusional. I guess I might seem very harsh in this review, but it is because I expected so much of Nicola Griffith, and know she is capable of so much more. I would be interested to hear what other fans think of my observations.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting, but extremely predictable
Review: I found Nicola Griffith's book(first one I've read by her) interesting factually, but many times bogged down in flowery prose and unrealistic dialogue. I knew not long after Aud met Julia exactly how it would turn out and knew the identity of the criminal way before Aud did. If we were supposed to be surprised by the ending, it was a huge disappointment.
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