The Dogs of Pasvik
Olivier Truc returns to the land of the Sami and the Reindeer Police with an eerie crime novel that explores the historical tensions of the Norwegian border with Russia.
Piera Kyrö is reindeer herder in the Norwegian Pasvik Valley. He is a Norwegian Sami whose family comes from Russia and grew up with nostalgia for the lost pastures on the Russian side during the Soviet era and nostalgia for his grandmother, the mysterious Ida.
In the still days of winter, Piera is facing a diplomatic incident when several of his reindeers cross the border, twice in a short period of time, perhaps pushed by Russian stray dogs. These reindeer must therefore be found before they suffer the fate of the first ones, found dead with their tongues cut, a clear sign of trafficking.
This is also a case which Inspector Klemet Nango, a policeman from the Reindeer Police who struggles as much as he can with his Sami identity, will investigate, together with Nina Nansen of the Border Police.
But nothing will go as planned. Because these Norwegian reindeer and these old Russian pastures suddenly seem to interest a lot of people. The investigation will reopen old wounds in this area where the borders have dispersed the Sami people, where the land is still bleeding from the wounds of war.
Request more informationOriginal Language
FRENCH | Éditions Métailié
Translation Rights
ITALIAN | Marsilio
Reviews
“It is difficult to resist the fascination exerted by the radical change of scenery caused by these immense expanses of infinite skies that the author, Olivier Truc, a specialist in the Nordic and Baltic countries, knows how to make resonate so well.” Michel Abescat, Télérama
“Olivier Truc knows his stuff and is unmatched in helping us discover amazing polar communities traumatized by the horrors of World War II.” Isabelle Lesniak, Les Echos
“The fourth investigation by the reindeer police, The Dogs of Pasvik is an abundant thriller that explores, against a backdrop of trafficking and identity issues, the historical and geopolitical issues of the border area between Norway and Russia.” Sophie Joubert, L’Humanité Dimanche
“Let's say it straight away, it's very, very good.” Karen Lajon, Le Journal du Dimanche
“A great breath of fresh air coupled with an exciting lesson in history and geopolitics.” Anne Lessard, Le Télégramme
