Hidden Falls

Rating:
Summary: The denouement is delicious; the love story beckons
Review: Carla Danziger is a freelance, award-winning writer. She is an American of Scandinavian descent and lives in Northern Virginia. HIDDEN FALLS is her first novel.

Reading the author's notes, the reader quickly comes to the conclusion that Carla Danziger is a very thorough, well-versed writer. She took 17 years to write HIDDEN FALLS, beginning while convalescing from foot surgery. But the process of writing took her through her family genealogy and roots in Norway; through her husband's background as an Israeli Jew, and finally to Bergen and the wondrous sights of Norway itself. She joined the Sons of Norway, got funding from the Norwegian Tourist Board in New York, and made numerous friends along the way. The book is as much a personal journey as it is a murder mystery.

American Kristina Kelly sets off for Norway to visit her revered cousin, Elsa Jenssen, a renowned Norwegian journalist, when her marriage shatters. Kris and Elsa plan to hike Hidden Falls, but Kris oversleeps and Elsa winds up dead at the bottom of the falls. Kris is immediately suspicious, and with the help of her Uncle Andy, a very senior sculptor and Elsa's father, her new friend and soon to be love, Tor Olsen, Kris begins her own investigation. It seems that many of the hotel's guests have something to hide, but what could her cousin have uncovered. As Kris retraces Elsa's steps, she becomes the quarry, and her life hangs by a thread:

"She didn't have the strength to play this guessing game, nor could she keep going or spend the night outside. All she knew was she wanted to live, wanted to see her children again. She would have to use her wits and whatever weapons available to her to fend Hans off if indeed he was in the cabin."

Danziger's HIDDEN FALLS is a carefully written travelogue and history of Norway. It is an exciting cliff-hanger; the scenery is beautifully wrought; and the characters are starkly real. Kris' heartbreak over her first marriage and concern for her just grown-up children renders her almost foolishly impervious to a new love that is ready and waiting. The denouement is delicious; the love story beckons; and there are lots of twists and turns. Excellent!

Shelley Glodowski, Senior Reviewer
Midwest Book Review


Rating:
Summary: Excellent twists!
Review: I thought the Hidden Falls book by Carla Danziger a very good read. It's a murder mystery whose plot is solid - it doesn't require a leap of faith - excellent twists, enough tension to keep one turning the pages, and a refreshingly unique context. The descriptions of Norway were very enticing, and the Israeli connection is just perfect. The author sounds like an amazing person. I enjoyed reading about her and her effort to get the book published: how it happened, and all the people who helped her along the way. The combination Norwegian-American with Israeli is enthralling.

Rating:
Summary: CAPTIVATING!
Review: The book was so captivating that I couldn't put it down! Carla Danziger has truly captured the art of writing a romance mystery!!! I was so impressed with the tightness of the story, the details, the misleading clues that keep the reader guessing, the way she weaves the story together, circling wide and slowly (but quickly enough for today's "on-the-go" reader). She adds to the reader's knowledge of Norway, a deep awareness of the country's memory of the German occupation, details of the Norwegian culture, and truly captures the beauty of the Norwegian fjord country and customs. She gathers together a cast of interesting characters in a story centered around an American woman and an appealing modern-day Viking man. The descriptions of the characters are perfect in that she follows the discipline of only giving the reader brief outlines and allowing the reader to fill in the physical features in their mind as they read. This is truly a winner in this mystery/romance genre, with an added flavor and intellectual intrique that draws in the reader completely!

Rating:
Summary: CAPTIVATING!
Review: The book was so captivating that I couldn't put it down! Carla Danziger has truly captured the art of writing a romance mystery!!! I was so impressed with the tightness of the story, the details, the misleading clues that keep the reader guessing, the way she weaves the story together, circling wide and slowly (but quickly enough for today's "on-the-go" reader). She adds to the reader's knowledge of Norway, a deep awareness of the country's memory of the German occupation, details of the Norwegian culture, and truly captures the beauty of the Norwegian fjord country and customs. She gathers together a cast of interesting characters in a story centered around an American woman and an appealing modern-day Viking man. The descriptions of the characters are perfect in that she follows the discipline of only giving the reader brief outlines and allowing the reader to fill in the physical features in their mind as they read. This is truly a winner in this mystery/romance genre, with an added flavor and intellectual intrique that draws in the reader completely!