An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good by Helene Tursten

Seventy years had passed since the contract had been drawn up, and at the time no one could have envisaged that one of the daughters would still be living there.

In addition, the clause stated that “for as long as any member of the family wishes to reside in the apartment, no rent will be payable.” A few lines further down it was made clear that the term “member of the family” referred only to the widow and her two daughters. In return, the buyer was given the opportunity to purchase the building at a very reasonable price. To put it briefly, a clause was inserted in the contract stating that the widow and her two daughters should be allowed to remain in their apartment without paying any rent they simply had to cover the cost of electricity, water, and heating. When it was sold, the lawyer managed to work out an agreement with the new owner. The only thing of value was the large apartment building in the Vasastan district of Gothenburg. Until then he had kept up appearances, but when he died the family lawyer quickly discovered there was virtually no money left. The apartment in which Maud lived was the only thing her family had managed to hold on to after her father’s sudden death from a heart attack. The reason behind the whole thing was her living arrangements, which were rather unusual.

Maud sat motionless in her armchair, making no attempt to get up. The shrill sound of the doorbell sliced through the silence. 'synopsis' may belong to another edition of this title.Īn excerpt from the short story “An Elderly Lady Has Accommodation Problems” But when the local authorities are called to investigate a dead body found in Maud's apartment, will Maud finally become a suspect?

Over the course of her adventures-or misadventures-this little bold lady will handle a crisis with a local celebrity who has her eyes on Maud's apartment, foil the engagement of her long-ago lover, and dispose of some pesky neighbors. It's a solitary existence, and she likes it that way. Now in her late eighties, Maud contents herself with traveling the world and surfing the net from the comfort of her father's ancient armchair. That was how Maud learned that good things can come from tragedy. This funny, irreverent story collection by Helene Tursten, author of the Irene Huss investigations, features two-never-before translated stories that will keep you laughing all the way to the retirement home.Įver since her darling father's untimely death when she was only eighteen, Maud has lived in the family's spacious apartment in downtown Gothenburg rent-free, thanks to a minor clause in a hastily negotiated contract. Maud is an irascible 88-year-old Swedish woman with no family, no friends, and.

An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good by Helene Tursten