Ágnes Mészöly: Rókabérc, haláltúra (Fox Hill, Death Tour*, PRAE.HU 2018)
Ágnes Mészöly got her degree as a conductor at the Pető Institute, then studied communication and journalism. She started writing in the early 2000s. She writes her books and short stories mainly for children and young adults, but Fox Hill is a mystery for adults.
Its characters are adults who have not yet been able to recover from their youth. They’ve been spending a long weekend together every fall since they graduated. This year, the venue is located in the valley below Fox Hill, a hunting lodge that is in the middle of Nowhere. Their relationships are bond by old friendships and disagreements. Everyone tries to behave the way they are expected to. This year, however, not everything is happening as required: first a quarrel and then a dead body stir up the mood. They cannot ask for help they have to find the killer themselves.
Many people said that the book has similarities to the works of Agatha Christie. The basic concept is analogous indeed: some people, tangled relationships and a house at the end of the world. However, the storytelling is very different. The author introduces the 14 characters first and then each chapter can be “listened to” in someone else’s interpretation, from their point of view. I really liked this idea, and I truly enjoyed the book, I couldn’t put it down. One would think that if we peeked into everyone’s minds, it could help to solve the mystery, but it didn’t help me, and it was a very good point. I like it when I can’t figure out who done it. It was also special that it took place in today’s Hungary. I recommend it to anyone who still wants a little shiver in these cold weathers.
