An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good

Love the title, great read

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.

This book really surprised me in how brilliant and cunning it is. The author clearly knows how to create an intriguing character and atmosphere. I am by no means a fast reader, but I could not put this book down. Looking forward to reading her other work.

I was enjoying this book but had ordered several books at once, so didn’t read it as soon as it arrived. Now they tell me it’s too late to ask for an exchange, however this copy of the book duplicates one long section and doesn’t include the whole pages 118-151. Not a great read after all, especially in a mystery type story.

This is a most unusual set of stories. You know those everyday annoyances you wish you could do something about? Well the protagonist has a most unusual and always creative approach. Most satisfying if you appreciate dark humor.

Entertaining light fiction written in an appealingly dry tone. Tursten's protagonist Maud, much like Maggie Smith's character in the film "Keeping Mum," is an ostensibly mild, unremarkable old lady, who has a hidden cold-blooded side and a total inability to understand why killing objectionable people would be wrong. Tursten writes with insight about society's knee-jerk dismissive attitudes toward the elderly (e.g. the old are infirm, easily confused, lacking mental acuity, and/or not worth much notice), and Maud uses these condescending stereotypes to manipulate the authorities and onlookers into believing that she is just a frail golden ager, incapable of cleverly planned, ruthless crimes.

This is such a delightfully written book. It’s wonderful to read a book by an author who can write beautifully. The only problem is that there are four stories, and it takes little time to read each. I’m off to find more books by Helene Tursten.

This collection of short stories is laced with black humor. To underestimate 88 year old Maud could be fatal! Is she a sociopath? A narcissist? Hard to say. What she is- is a unique character- rather like a cross between Miss Marple and the Bad Seed. You can't help but like her, though. I hope there will be many more installments of her adventures. I've passed this book as well as " An Elderly Woman Must not be Crossed"on to all my friends and everyone loves them.

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

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

The 2 books in this series are superb - funny, well written and just a bit dark. Good fun in fact.

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

If you have read An Elderly Lady Must Not Be Crossed, this book is a collection of previous short stories which formed the basis for the next book, so it is a bit repetitious. However, if you haven’t read AELMNBC, it forms a good basis to meet the delightful, elderly serial killer Maud who can be the nemesis of some very unpleasant characters.