iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Chris Ould

Quentin Bates @graskeggur.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

When you're in too deep to say no... Behind the scenes at one of Reykjavík's smartest hotels as someone needs a murder on the ninth floor to be made to disappear. Erlendur Arason is a fresh new voice in Nordic Noir. www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0GZ543WF2/

Banner for Nordic Noir novel The Hotel Manager's Guide to Murder.

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Chris Ould @chrisould.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

You are SO wrong (and obviously not a cat butler)!

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Chris Ould @chrisould.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

I call them Sow Pigs and my wife calls them Slaters. They are very forgiving !

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Chris Ould @chrisould.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

Excellent news. Richly deserved, both!

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Quentin Bates @graskeggur.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Another hot weekend coming up? Or a cool, wet weekend ahead? Either way you can't go wrong with a portion of ice-fresh Nordic Noir... BOLO Books called it ‘...undeniably Nordic and yet it feels as fresh as a field of daffodils on a Spring morning.’ www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0GZ543WF2/

Nordic noir novel The Hotel Manager's Guide to Murder by Erlendur Arason

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Chris Ould @chrisould.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

Stoat of the day! He made me very happy to be idling. #stoat

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Chris Ould @chrisould.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Oh, absolutely! It has become (and has been for some time) my automatic reaction to most of this shit storm we're living these days!

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Chris Ould @chrisould.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Can't believe it myself. Not from them!

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Chris Ould @chrisould.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Call me pedantic but I can only see an average of 2.666 legs per animal. Thankfully, though, one tail each.

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Chris Ould @chrisould.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

Could it possibly be that real humans don't vet or compile the lists? Surely not! (Excellent news btw!)

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TheCenci @thecenci.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

Monkey Thoughts - Skip Ad. open.substack.com/pub/karlcopp...

open.substack.com

Monkey Thoughts - Skip Ad

Getting old.

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Chris Ould @chrisould.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

This is very good and well worth the (short) read! Karl is a man of erudition for all of us of a certain grumpy disposition!

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Quentin Bates @graskeggur.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

My mate wrote this. It's worth a read.

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Chris Ould @chrisould.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

Yes, and if you're caught in possession by the rozzers you're in trouble! (Available on Amazon, 3 varieties but chicken and dental are Her American Majesty's favourite: the treats, not the dry food!)

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Chris Ould @chrisould.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

These days I have to resort to Scumbles (#notsponsored) to remove the office cat from the keyboard, but they do work a treat. #blackmail

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Quentin Bates @graskeggur.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

Thanks to @westwords.bsky.social for the cool review!

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Chris Ould @chrisould.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

I'd vote for him on the basis of 5 & 6 as well!

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Ewa Sherman @ewashe.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

Have you heard of the Icelandic crime fiction writer Erlendur Arason? Yes? No? His book The Hotel Manager’s Guide to Murder will be available later this week, in excellent English translation by @graskeggur.bsky.social 🇮🇸, famous for his own writing & @corylusbooks.bsky.social’ literary adventures.

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Chris Ould @chrisould.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

Sorry, didn't mean to tease, but no statute of limitations here! (Also, I was young and naive!)

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Quentin Bates @graskeggur.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

'...a brilliantly witty book, with a dark, slightly whacky humour. It’s also tense, with properly shocking moments, and more twists than a barley sugar sweetie.' Many thanks to @tripfiction.bsky.social for the kind words!

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Chris Ould @chrisould.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

When I was an ice cream man in the late 70s we didn't leave the yard until 10 am. (It *was* also a cover for an illicit trade, but that's another story)

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Chris Ould @chrisould.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

Tired of it now. Stop please.

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Chris Ould @chrisould.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

Sweaty place, the grindstone, in the current climate!

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Chris Ould @chrisould.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

Had to go to GT to get this. Apparently BS can't do Icelandic yet! Good of Erlender to stick to the keys in this very un-Nordic weather!

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Chris Ould @chrisould.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

Please do: the heatwave is no excuse for a poor work ethic! BTW: BlueSky seem to be offering me a crash course in Icelandic: "The post you’re replying to was marked as being written in Icelandic by its author. Would you like to reply in Icelandic?"

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Chris Ould @chrisould.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

The hapless and unfortunate Torfi may have become one of my favourite characters of this year! @graskeggur.bsky.social has done a fantastic job of translating. More, please, Hr Arason!

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Chris Ould @chrisould.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

Wren still busy at Much-Tweeting-In-The -Porch, although I am now worried they'll get too hot! It's just one damn thing after another where wrens are concerned!

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Chris Ould @chrisould.bsky.social · 23/06/2026

Three chicks in the wren's nest in the office/shed porch. #wren #nest Not a little pleased.

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Ewa Sherman @ewashe.bsky.social · 13/06/2026

Yes! The Hotel Manager’s Guide to Murder #Iceland 🇮🇸

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Chris Ould @chrisould.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

Some uncommon promotion. Why not? You might like it, you might not.

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Chris Ould @chrisould.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

Not Translator's Transport then? Pity!

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Chris Ould @chrisould.bsky.social · 30/05/2026

Infinitely. We can only tremble at the intellect at work here.

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Chris Ould @chrisould.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

The Book Elves have been in the night, leaving the latest translation by @graskeggur.bsky.social Stora takk fyra! An even better excuse to sit in the deck chair!

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Chris Ould @chrisould.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

One of the great minds of the 21st Century at work here:

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Quentin Bates @graskeggur.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

Some very swish advance paperback copies turned up today... Review copies on their way tomorrow.

Paperback copies of Nordic Noir novel The Hotel Manager's Guide to Murder

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Lulu Allison @luluallison.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

Anatomy for Lovers. In my seventysevenseas.co.uk shop now.

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Quentin Bates @graskeggur.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

I can make guesses – but four books in, and I'm still not certain of the identity of the mysterious Stella Blómkvist. Translating the work of an anonymous author comes with both challenges and advantages... www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0H1DZGV5L

amazon.co.uk

Stella Blómkvist

Visit Amazon's Stella Blómkvist Page and shop for all Stella Blómkvist books. Check out pictures, author information, and reviews of Stella Blómkvist

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𝕃.𝕁.𝔽𝕆𝕏 🇮🇸☕📚 @onefootiniceland.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

Get your preorders in for this great new voice, #TheHotelManagersGuideToMurder has the most fantastic premise, with the perils that can arise from a simple misinterpretation of a throwaway phrase! #BookSky #Iceland

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Chris Ould @chrisould.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

To my surprise and delight I discovered a #wren (male) has built a nest in the office/shed porch. I now feel privileged, and also guilty about coming and going in case I (or the office cat) disturb him. #nest #spring

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Chris Ould @chrisould.bsky.social · 03/05/2026

As per Mr Jagger... So I hope the forthcoming guillemot is what you *need* in these difficult times. (Coming air mail, naturally.)

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Chris Ould @chrisould.bsky.social · 02/05/2026

Sorry, the gannet refused to stay in the box and the Royal Mail apparently have rules about stamping seabirds, even air mail.

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Corylus Books @corylusbooks.bsky.social · 04/02/2026

Fresh Stella! Look out for The Murder Pool - classic @stellablomkvist.bsky.social with all the twists and double crosses anyone could desire. Pre-order now and get all the previous titles on Kobo, Apple and Amazon amazon.co.uk/dp/B0G7JL3SZ6 www.kobo.com/ww/en/series...

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