There’s an air of familiarity in Alan Roderick’s tales of Ace Welsh Private Investigator Astrid Price if you live in Wales.
Astrid and The Girl in The Tangerine Dress is the third book in the Astrid Price series. Set in an alternate reality of Wales under a Welsh Republic on the verge of voting in a new government amidst increasing tensions with England and Ireland,
Of course, if you are familiar with the local culture of South Wales or indeed Newport there are many references that will immediately raise a smile from “Casnewydd Super Dragons” (of which many are disappearing off the city streets) to Mary Hopkin and the “Celtic Banner Golf Course”.
Astrid, a red-haired private eye and former outside half for the Welsh Women’s Rugby team, who embraces the art of Tai Chi (as well as numerous gadgets including inflatable coracles to get her out of tight scrapes) has the maturity of James Bond combined with the physical energy of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
The Girl in The Tangerine Dress, certainly requires our heroine to use her wits and energy to find a missing girl, locate the first ever recording of the Welsh National Anthem and discover why so many people are being knifed to death.
Its all quite an adventure once the story kicks off and there’s a cast of many to help and hinder Astrid in the investigative process along the way. I’d say you don’t have to be a Wales resident to enjoy this book. The storytelling is paced and detailed, so it does help the reader build up a perfect picture of an alternative Wales while there is plenty of good-hearted humour to chuckle at along the way.
If you loved Alan Roderick’s earlier Astrid titles, you would certainly enjoy this book, with the addition of Ella J Wilding’s black and white drawings to bring the plot further to life.
- Astrid and The Girl in The Tangerine Dress is published by Cath Drwg and available now via Amazon and other good booksellers.
- READ ON: Interview with Astrid Price author, Alan Roderick