Thus concludes my read-through of Randi Fuglehaug's books about Agnes Tveit and the murder mysteries in the Norwegian town of Voss ... at least for now (more on that later)!

The experience overall has been very enjoyable, and this third book is no exception. Agnes Tveit has been a solid character the entire time. Both charming and frustrating, impulsive and prone to comfort eating, both confident and insecure depending on the circumstances, and very real in her clumsy, complicated, and awkward ways. She's never intended to be some master crime solver, but still manages to piece things together, often through her natural nosiness as a reporter, and perhaps a little bit the fact that she's a glutton for gossip in general.

All three books have presented us with a unique and creative mystery, and I feel that Fuglehaug has managed to avoid coming across as too bound by formula. I do intend to say something about a slight element of formula, but when it comes to the actual mysteries and how they are explained, Fuglehaug does manage to present each of them with its own unique structure in a way that will surely keep you guessing.

The parts that are somewhat formulaic are parts I appreciate. While the mysteries are stand-alone, they all begin in a similar way, as we first get an introduction to the soon-to-be victim, as well as Agnes having a tendency to be at the right (wrong?) place at the right (wrong?) time. That Fuglehaug made her a reporter was a smart choice in that respect; Agnes is there to cover a story, just as a death is discovered or witnessed. Had this been a TV series, I could easily see these segments being the cold open before the intro/title card. It gives a sense of familiarity, and a slight "Oh crap, here we go again."

I've also enjoyed how each story takes place during a specific local event in Voss. First, it was the extreme sports week, then it was the jazz festival, and this time, it was the sheep-head festival. It creates a nice, jarring contrast between joyful annual traditions and gruesome deaths. It reminds me of the horror trope of slasher films, where menacing killers commit massacres on specific holidays such as Halloween, or significant dates like Friday the 13th.

Now, on the surface, these books are quite entertaining. They are solid mysteries, complete with the appropriate amount of misdirection and red herrings, and as I said, Agnes Tveit is a wonderful main character who will both annoy you and make you chuckle. However, I very much appreciate the underlying social commentary as well. These books are very much written from a women's perspective, and rightfully call out elements in society that are still highly problematic in terms of unfairness, violence, abuse, assault, gaslighting - you name it. Not just about the misogyny of men but also, in part, how other women bring each other down and, in some ways, perpetuate these patriarchal norms.

Fuglehaug's writing has been consistent through all three books, still while upping the stakes a little bit for each mystery, but not in a way that makes things too unlikely or appears as forced for the sole sake of being more intense than the previous story. This third book does explore some political intrigue, such as corruption, secret deals and potential scandals, and we are left to wonder if Agnes may be in over her head this time. But that's a great way to keep us invested and bring a new vibe into the series.

Speaking of which ... I've seen a few articles online where these three books are described as a trilogy, implying that this may be the final installment in the series. If so, then sure, I think this works as a nice place for things to conclude. Throughout all three books, Agnes herself and some of the supporting characters have been on a personal journey, and it feels like all of their stories wrap up in a satisfactory way. However, perhaps it's the optimist in me, but one could say that the way some things are concluded, they are not necessarily set in stone, and if Fuglehaug ever decides to write a fourth book, I see some potential jumping-off points from where things could continue.

Also, as I implied in the review for the first book, since the Agnes Tveit series is very connected to the community and culture of a specific local town in Norway, I don't know if there are any plans for an English translation, as some things could be lost in translation. Just the fact that the title of each story is either a pun or has a double meaning could present a problem for the translation. But I'm still inclined to hope for this, as I would have loved to hear what some of my non-Norwegian-speaking friends thought about them.