DAINA KLEPONE

"In her debut novel, the author not only weaves a gripping detective story but also conveys a sense of authenticity—one feels she has thoroughly explored the subjects she describes. Add a journey through various countries, compelling societal issues, intriguing characters, and you get a refreshing gust of literary crime fiction, a rarity in Lithuania."

— Audrius Ožalas, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of 15min.lt, literary critic, and literature expert.

"I've never read such a well-crafted, engaging, impactful, logical, and intricately woven Lithuanian thriller before. The structure, precision, and logic essential to detective stories are excellent. The themes are timely: migration, conflicts between the familiar and the foreign, the dark entanglements of business and politics, consumerism, childish dreams, and careerism. The female characters are particularly convincing. In Lithuanian genre literature, finding well-rounded female characters is often like searching for a needle in a haystack. Here, women are fully developed, complex protagonists with their own stories, motivations, and arcs — not just objects of male desire or decorative figures. The novel is meticulously written, maintaining constant tension throughout. Highly recommended — a true discovery this year!"

— Virginija Kulvinskaitė, writer and literary critic.