Lelde Kovaļova's new thriller "Paid Mourner" released in a print run large by Latvian standards
Latvian author and film producer Lelde Kovaļova has released a new psychological thriller, "Maksas sērotāja" (Paid Mourner), published by Zvaigzne ABC in a print run of ten thousand copies due to strong reader demand.
Publisher Zvaigzne ABC has released the latest novel by Latvian writer and film producer Lelde Kovaļova, titled "Maksas sērotāja" (Paid Mourner). The book was printed in a run of ten thousand copies, a number considered notably large for the Latvian book market, which the publisher attributes to strong reader interest. An e-book edition is also available.
The plot
The novel follows Lina Eizere, who makes a living as a professional paid mourner, attending strangers' funerals for money while staying inconspicuous and asking no questions. At the funeral of influential businessman Ričards Dālbergs, she notices something off: a woman everyone believes to be the deceased's daughter is actually someone Lina recognizes as an actress from a small-town casting agency. Days later, that woman disappears without a trace. Lina's attempt to find out what happened draws her deeper into the hidden secrets of the Dālbergs family, where the desire to protect the past proves more dangerous than the secrets themselves.
Helping Lina in her investigation are two friends, a pastor named Roberts and a city morgue employee named Valters, while a cat with an unusual name also plays a notable role in the story. The publisher notes the book continues Kovaļova's signature psychological-thriller style, where the tension comes not only from what happened but from suspicions about people's true motives and who can be trusted. A sequel is planned, in which Lina, Roberts and Valters will investigate a new mystery.
About the author
Kovaļova is already well known to Latvian readers for her suspense novels, including "Stalkere" and "Klusie kaimiņi". Her debut novel, "Bezvēsts pazudušās", was adapted into a popular television series, and several other series she helped create, including "Nelūgtie viesi" and "Ķīlnieki", have repeatedly ranked among the most-watched local productions in Latvia.
