2009 Suspense and Thriller Reading Challenge

I have participated in - and finished - my first reading challenge ever!
The challenge is hosted by Kay of J.Kay´s book blog. The main rule is: read twelve different sub-genres of thrillers in 2009. And here you have my twelve books including links to each review. Thanks Kay for a wonderful challenge.

My Thriller Dozen:
1) Anne Holt, What Never Happens/Det som aldrig sker - serial killer thriller
2) Sue Grafton, A is for Alibi/A for alibi - private detective mystery
3)Kerstin Ekman, Blackwater/Hændelser ved vand - psychological thriller.
4) Ingrid Hedström, The Schoolmistress of Villette/Lærerinden fra Villette - legal thriller.
5) Inger Frimansson, The Shadow in the Water/Skyggen i vandet - inverted mystery.
6) Ann Cleeves, The Crow Trap - eco thriller.
7) Mark Billingham, The Burning Girl/Den brændende pige - hard-boiled mystery.
8) Kjell Ole Dahl, The Fourth Man/Den fjerde røver - art crime/literary thriller.
9) Martin Edwards, The Coffin Trail - police procedural thriller.
10) Donna Moore, Go to Helena Handbasket - comic thriller.
11) Tana French, In the Woods/Skoven - murder mystery.
12) Charles Dickens, Our Mutual Friend/Vor Fælles Ven - historical thriller.

Charles Dickens, Our Mutual Friend (1864-65)

2009 Suspense and Thriller Reading Challenge: historical thriller.

I have read a handful of Dickens´ novels, and in my eyes this one is by far the best. Not only because of the crime story – which does not take up so much space that it should keep any non-crime reader off the book – but because it is a very early example of a ´modern´ novel: a complex and coherent plot, engaging and credible characters of all classes, and excellent descriptions of the environment. Quite impressive, actually, as Dickens wrote the book as monthly installments and always had to think of keeping up his readers´ interest from one month to the other. An example of what this publishing method may lead to is The Pickwick Papers which are more like short stories loosely tied together by recurrent characters than a novel.

Basically, the novel is about an old, cruel and tight-fisted dustman who dies, and leaves a quite spiteful will. He leaves a fortune to his only son, who ran away from home several years ago, on the condition that young John Harmon marries an unknown girl, Bella Wilfer.

It is also a story about the social classes of Britain, however. About unfathomable wealth, hypocrisy and endless, boring dinners on silverstrewn tables. About the eternal race of the newly rich and the middle class to keep up their veneer of dignity. And about poor people struggling to survive.

Other characters just try to placate everybody and end up pleasing no one as in this scandalous scene among Bella Wilfer´s mother, younger sister and former suitor:
´”… why one should go out to dine with one´s own daughter or sister, as if one´s underpetticoat was a blackboard, I do not understand.”
“Neither do I understand,” retorted Mrs Wilfer, with deep scorn, “how a young lady can mention the garment in the name in which you have indulged. I blush for you.”
“Thank you, Ma,” said Lavvy, yawning, “but I can do it for myself, I am obliged to you, when there´s any occasion.”
Here, Mr Sampson, with the view of establishing harmony, which he never under any circumstances succeeded in doing, said with an agreeable smile: “After all, you know, ma´am, we know it´s there.”
Shocking, Mr Sampson!

Furthermore, there are two wonderful love stories: young, spoilt Bella who meets a young, secretive secretary, and poor Lizzie Hexam, who struggles to help her ungrateful brother and resist the advances of the unambitious barrister Eugene Wrayburn, because she knows any relationship between them is bound to end in disaster – for her, at least.


Charles Dickens, Vor Fælles Ven.
Jeg har læst en håndfuld af Dickens´ romaner, og i mine øjne er den her absolut den bedste. Ikke kun på grund af krimi-plottet – som ikke fylder så meget, at ikke-krimifans behøver lade sig skræmme væk fra bogen – men fordi den er et meget tidligt eksempel på en ´moderne´ roman: et komplekst og sammenhængende plot, fængslende og troværdige personer fra alle sociale klasser, og fremragende miljøbeskrivelser. Særligt imponerende, fordi Dickens skrev bogen i form af månedlige afsnit (ligesom de fleste andre romaner på den tid), og altid skulle huske på at holde læserens interesse fangen fra den ene måned til den næste. Et typisk eksempel på denne genre er Dickens´ egen “The Pickwick Papers”, som nærmere er en række korte historier, som bliver løst knyttet sammen via de gennemgående personer, end en egentlig roman.

I store træk handler romanen om en ond, gammel gnier som dør, og efterlader sig fire bjerge af skrald, og et hævngerrigt testamente. Han efterlader en formue til sin eneste søn, som løb hjemmefra mange år tidligere, på betingelse af at unge John Harmon gifter sig med en for ham helt ukendt pige, Bella Wilfer.

Det er også historien om de sociale klasser i datidens Storbritannien. Om ufattelige rigdomme, hykleri og kedelige, endeløse tretårnede middage. Om de nyrige og middelklassens ræs for at holde på facaden, og om underklassens kamp for at overleve. Sidst, men ikke mindst, er der to vidunderlige kærlighedshistorier: unge, forkælede Bella Wilfer, som møder en hemmelighedsfuld sekretær, og fattige Lizzie Hexam som kæmper for at hjælpe sin utaknemmelige bror, og modstå de meget smigrende tilnærmelser fra den uambitiøse sagfører Eugene Wrayburn, fordi hun ved at et forhold mellem to så ulige børn nødvendigvis må ende med en katastrofe – i hvert fald for hende.

Tana French, Skoven (2008)

Irsk thriller-debut, 2009 reading challenge: ´murder mystery´.
Mange år før plottet i denne thriller udspiller sig, forsvandt tre irske teenagers fra deres hjemby uden for Dublin. Kun Adam bliver fundet igen, blodig og chokeret, og ude af stand til at huske, hvad der er sket.

Tyve år senere er Adam tilbage i Knocknaree-området som kriminalbetjent, nu under navnet Rob Ryan, og sammen med sin makker og nære ven, Cassie Maddox, bliver han sat på en sag om en teenagepige som er fundet myrdet på en mystisk, gammel offersten nogle få hundrede meter fra Robs barndomshjem.

Tana French har skrevet en spændende thriller med et fint plot, og det viser sig naturligvis, at Robs barndomsoplevelser får en vis betydning. Personerne er også fyldigt beskrevet, og bestemt ikke flade og kedelige. Og man kan næppe bebrejde French, at hun har skabt en noget irriterende og utroværdig, mandlig hovedperson. Til trods for sit barndomstraume fungerer Rob tilsyneladende som kriminalbetjent, som makker og i forhold til kvinder, men som han selv indleder med at forklare læseren, så skal man måske ikke stole alt for meget på, hvad han siger: ”Jeg vil råde dig til ikke at glemme, at jeg er kriminalassistent. Vores forhold til sandheden er i bund og grund fuldt af sprækker …”

Så nyd en flot og lovende debut af en forfatter, jeg bestemt gerne vil høre mere fra, også for hendes glimrende miljøbeskrivelse, men lad være med at tage alt for meget af det du får fortalt for pålydende.

Tana French, In the Woods (2007)
Irish debut, part of my 2009 Suspence and thriller reading challenge: murder mystery.
Many years before the real beginning of this plot, three Irish teenagers disappeared from their hometown outside Dublin. Only Adam reappears, bloody and in shock, unable to remember anything about what has happened.

Twenty years on, Adam Ryan is back in the Knocknaree area as a police detective, now under his middle name Rob, and together with his colleague and best friend, Cassie Maddox, he gets a case about a teenage girl who is found murdered on a mysterious, old sacrificial alter a few hundred metres from Rob´s childhood home.

Tana French has written an exciting thriller with a fine plot, and of course Rob´s childhood experiences are of a certain importance.. The characters are described in great detail and not at all flat or boring. And one can hardly blame French that she has created a somewhat annoying and incredible, male character. In spite of his childhood trauma Rob seems to function in his capacity as detective, as a partner and in his various relationships with women, but as he begins by telling the reader, one is not supposed to trust what he says, “What I warn you to remember is that I am a detective. Our relationship with truth is fundamental but cracked …”

So enjoy a fine and promising debut by an author I should like to hear more from, also for her interesting descriptions of the Irish environment, but remember: do not trust too much of what her characters tell you!

Donna Moore, Go to Helena Handbasket (2006)

[Denne britiske debutroman er desværre ikke oversat til dansk]
2009 Suspense and Thriller Reading Challenge - comic thriller.

In the prologue of this hilarious whodunnit we meet a wanna-be serial killer, someone who obviously has some theoretical knowledge about the profession but needs practise. "I needed a signature." - "I looked down at the hand on the table in front of me. I picked it up by the thumb, dropped it into the ice-filled picnic box, and forced the lit shut. How much more of a signature did I need?"

Helena Handbasket, the private investigator, seems to be a cross between Kinsey Millhone and Philip Marlowe with his whisky bottle in the drawer. For some reason, Helena is hired to solve the case of a man who is missing, the only clues being his severed hands. As this is Helena´s first case, she feels in the mood for celebration:
"´I think this calls for some whisky.´ I opened the bottom drawer of my desk.
´Not for me, thanks,´ said Owen.
I opened the next drawer up. ´Brandy? Gin? Tequila?´
Another shake of the head.
Top drawer. ´Vodka? Bud? Cherry Brandy? Babycham?´
´Too early for me - but you go ahead.´
I looked at my watch - 10 am. Oh wel, it was bound to be midnight somewhere in the world."

Helena is fully equipped with antique desk, oddball secretary and a large number of useful friends, including a geeky hacker called Heidi Salami! Now and then she puts in a bit of work, but she is quite willing to let anything in trousers distract her from her case. Assisted by Ms Salami, she tries to move with the times by upgrading her equipment. This readers fears it can only be a sad waste of money. "I pulled out my mobile, which reminded me that I needed to recharge it, as it had been two months since I last did so. One of these days it would cut out on me at a most inopportune moment, and then I´d be sorry."

My overall impression: a refreshing and charming debut. And if you are a cat lover, the book includes a special treat for you. Helena´s cat, Virgil, a "hard-boiled, spitting tomcat", plays an important role and is by far the cleverest character of the book.

For Maxine´s Euro Crime review of "Go to Helena Handbasket", look here.

This cute, literate cat belongs to Karen Meek - or vice versa?

Martin Edwards, The Coffin Trail (2004)

[Denne fortræffelige krimi er desværre ikke oversat til dansk]
2009 Suspence and Thriller Reading Challenge: police procedural thriller .

This novel is the first in Martin Edwards´ ´new´ Lake District series. In the short prologue, Barrie Gilpin, a young sufferer of Asperger´s Syndrome, finds the body of a woman on the old Sacrifice Stone. As Barrie is anti-social and ´different´, he is an obvious suspect.

Seven years later, Oxford historian Daniel Kind, who met Barrie when they were both children, and his partner Miranda move to Lake District to begin a new, peaceful country life of writing. By chance, Barrie´s home, the old but cosy Tarn Cottage is for sale. On the outset Daniel is cautious because of his prior knowledge about the place. His charming Miranda who is a spontaneous and determined woman - but perhaps also a bit restless - soon succeeds in convincing him that the cottage is the place of their dream, however.

Chief Inspector Hannah Scarlett is also about to begin a new life though not exactly of her own choice. Her superior has appointed her the leader of Cumbria Constabulary Cold Case Review Team, not as a real promotion but to keep her out of the way after a spectacular murder case which went wrong. Her not very sympathetic partner Marc quite likes the idea of Hannah reviewing old cases in the countryside as he thinks she has been far too involved in her job lately. Obviously the Gilpin case is the first one the Cold Case Team decide to reopen after a mysterious phone call. The locals do not seem to be too keen on talking about the case, though.

Apart from a truly satisfying mystery, the novel offers excellent and convincing descriptions of the village environment where it takes a generation to become part of the place. Martin Edwards is clearly an experienced writer who takes an interest in his area and his characters; nicely rounded characters whom I am looking forward to meeting again - soon!

Kjell Ola Dahl, The Fourth Man (2008)

2009 suspense and thriller reading challenge: Art crime aka Literary thriller


This Norwegian crime novel is the fourth in a series, but the first in English, I believe. As usual we meet the police officers Gunnarstranda, Yttergjerde and Frølich (K.O. Dahl is not exactly preoccupied with their titles but Gunnarstranda is certainly their superior).

The book begins with a long story in which Frank Frølich literally falls for (over) a woman, who is involved in one of his cases. Frølich is besotted, yet he has his doubts as to whether Elisabeth Faremo is an insecure and vulnerable woman, ´a men´s magazine picture come alive´ or just a modern, liberated woman. Furthermore he realizes that her brother has been sentenced for robbery, but Frølich is unable to stay away from her.

Temperamental Gunnarstranda flares up when he learns about the relationship, and orders his subordinate to take some time off as the only alternative to suspending him. Gunnarstranda´s team consists mainly of tough cops who enjoy sexual and coarse jokes which makes Frølich´s love story seem a bit contrived, as if a mysterious and romantic Robert Goddard femme fatale has suddenly materialised in Oslo. Otherwise the plot is well-planned and carried out with much suspense in the end.

Men and masculinity play a large part in this crime story with slightly cynical lone rangers who neglect the rules, ´solve´ problems by means of cigarettes, alcohol and time off - or by watching aquarium fish. Men who regard women with suspicion, a subspecies who are seen not as individuals but as types: the hateful lesbian, the helpful stripper, the dangerous femme fatale, etc. Women who are rarely called by the neutral Danish term "kvinde", but turn into "dame" (i.e. "lady") which in modern Danish rarely means ´a refined woman´ but rather ´someone you date/may have a sexual relationship with´, and usually one of a number of female acquaintances (e.g. ´she is one of his ladies´). Another term is ´kvindfolk´, meaning ´womenfolk´ but always used as a derogatory or humorous term, and certainly never about friends or partners on equal terms.

I think the author tries to make some of the characters rounded and credible, but in my opinion it never really works - not even Gunnarstranda and his lonely goldfish. To sum up my point, this is a world in which men and women do not enter into equal relationships, and where they never really try to communicate with each other.

Kjell Ola Dahl, Den fjerde røver (2008).
2009 suspense and thriller reading challenge: Art crime aka Literary thriller

Denne norske krimi er den fjerde i Dahls serie. Vi møder som sædvanlig Gunnarstranda, Yttergjerde og Frølich (Dahl strør ikke lige frem omkring sig med titler, men Gunnarstranda er da i hvert fald den overordnede).

Bogen begynder med en lang forhistorie hvor Frank Frølich rent bogstaveligt falder for (over) en kvinde, som er involveret i en af hans sager. Frølich er hårdt angrebet, samtidig med at han er stærkt i tvivl om hvorvidt Elisabeth Faremo er en usikker og sårbar kvinde, ´et levende motiv fra et glittet mandeblad´, eller bare en moderne, frigjort kvinde. Undervejs opdager han endvidere, at hendes bror er tidligere straffet for røveri, men han er ude af stand til at holde sig fra hende. Ellers er plottet veltilrettelagt, og der er masser af spænding mod slutningen.

Temperamentsfulde Gunnarstranda farer naturligvis op, da han hører om Frølichs forhold, og beordrer sin underordnede til at gå på ´afspadsering´ for ikke at blive tvunget til at suspendere ham. Gunnarstranda og hans team består hovedsageligt af barske strissere, som sætter stor pris på seksuelle og grovkornede vitser. Frølichs historie virker derfor lidt påklistret, som om en mystisk og romantisk Robert Goddard-agtig femme fatale pludselig er dumpet ned i Oslo.

Mænd og maskulinitet fylder meget i denne krimi, hvor kriminalbetjentene er lettere kyniske enspændere som ser stort på reglerne, ´løser´ problemer ved hjælp af cigaretter, alkohol og afspadsering - eller ved at betragte svømmende akvariefisk. Mænd, som er fyldt med mistro overfor kvinder, en afart som fremstår mere som typer end som rigtige personer: den hadske ´lebbe´, den hjælpsomme stripper, den mystiske og farlige femme fatale osv. Kvinder, som netop ikke kaldes ved det neutrale ord "kvinde", men bliver til "damer" (som man kan have et seksuelt forhold til) eller "kvindfolk" (generelt nedsættende glose), men aldrig have som ligeværdige venner eller partnere.

Forfatteren gør vist nok forsøg på at gøre nogle af sine personer facetterede og troværdige, men det virker ikke overbevisende. Måske ikke engang Gunnarstranda med den ensomme slørhale. For kort at opsummere min pointe, er dette en verden, hvor mænd og kvinder ikke indgår i ligeværdige forhold, og aldrig gør noget reelt forsøg på at forstå hinanden.

Mark Billingham, Den brændende pige (2007)

Britisk thriller, ´hard-boiled mystery´.
Plottet i Billinghams fjerde krimi har tilknytning til en gammel sag om Gordon Rooker, en lejemorder som sætter ild til en helt almindelig skolepige. Det viser sig hurtigt, at han har begået sit livs fejltagelse: for det første var han blevet bestilt til at overfalde en bandeleders datter, for det andet blev han hurtigt pågrebet og idømt en fængselsstraf på tyve år. Ved bogens begyndelse bliver der imidlertid sået tvivl om hele sagen: var det virkelig Rooker som begik forbrydelsen? Hovedplottet drejer sig imidlertid om et bandeopgør mellem nye og gamle grupper i London; en nutidig lejemorder udrydder det ene bandemedlem efter det andet, men inden han dræber dem, snitter han et stort X i kroppen på dem. Sagen eskalerer, og læseren får rig lejlighed til at opleve storbyens værste sider.
Politiet sætter naturligvis et større team på sagen, i det mindste i teorien. I praksis er det i høj grad kriminalkommissær Tom Thorne, som engagerer sig i opklaringen. "Manden var firskåren, i begyndelsen af fyrrerne og var klædt i en slidt, brun læderjakke. Han så væk... og kørte en hånd gennem hår, der var mere grå på den ene side af hovedet end på den anden." Thorne er først i fyrrerne, men render allerede rundt med fysiske og psykiske ar efter et overfald seks måneder tidligere. Thorne er den barske, respektløse og oprørske opdagertype, som tilsyneladende har næsten lige så mange fjender indenfor korpset som i det kriminelle miljø. Hans overordnede beskylder ham for at være den ensomme ulv, enspænderen som meget symbolsk nægter at læse "Håndbog i efterforkning af mord", men er nødt til at følge sagen til dørs for sandheden og retfærdighedens skyld, selv når stationens ledelse beslutter sig for at lukke den.
Thorne viser selvfølgelig også andre sider af sin personlighed. En god ven, patologen Phil Hendricks bor midlertidigt hos Thorne. Hendricks er en piercet og glatraget type, klædt i sort, og vennerne mundhugges omtrent som et gammelt ægtepar, men hygger sig alligevel sammen. Derudover har Thorne en voldsom interesse for country musik som modvægt til jobbet, og den ældgamle, ´klassiske´ BMW, som er et bekosteligt bekendtskab. Til trods for travlhed og engagement i sagen, forsøger Thorne også at forstå og støtte sin Alzheimer-ramte far bedst muligt.
En anden vigtig person i bogen, som muligvis skulle fungere som en slags makker og feminint modstykke til Tom Thorne, er 55-årige Carol Chamberlain, tidligere vicekriminalkommissær og medlem af ´Rynkeholdet´, en gruppe pensionerede betjente, som bliver sat på særlige sager. Hun var involveret i den oprindelige sag om den unge pige, og føler sig stærkt påvirket, da en mand ringer til hende, og påstår det i virkeligheden var ham, som satte ild til pigen. Der bliver bare aldrig tale om noget egentligt samarbejde mellem Thorne og Chamberlain, som virker malplaceret og utilpasset blandt de yngre politifolk, som ikke altid har så meget at lade de barske gangstertyper høre for.Tonen er hårdkogt, og der er et stærkt element af konkurrence og rivaliseren mellem de forskellige afdelinger af frustrerede og vrantne strømere. Det viser sig dog mod slutningen af bogen, at Chamberlain er andet end en bekymret bedstemortype, men det noget bratte skift virker ikke helt overbevisende.
Hvad taler for at kalde denne bog en machokrimi? Det barske miljø, de hårdkogte forbrydelser, de lige så skrappe kriminalbetjente, som sjældent kan få et parforhold til at fungere i længere tid, og et ordentligt læs kulsort humor. På den anden side har Tom Thorne som nævnt også bløde sider, og så er der jo Carol Chamberlain, men det er svært ikke at tænke, at hun netop bliver trukket ind i sagen for at tilføje lidt kvindelig modvægt til alle de barske børster.

Mark Billingham, The Burning Girl (2004)
2009 thriller reading challenge: hard-boiled mystery.
The plot of Billingham´s fourth crime novel is related to an old case about Gordon Rooker, a contract killer who sets fire to an ordinary school girl. It soon turns out that he has made the mistake of his life: not only was he hired to attack the daughter of a gang leader, he is also apprehended immediately and sentenced to twenty years in prison. At the beginning of the story doubt begins to arise as to who actually committed this crime, however.
The main plot centres around warfare between new and old gangs in North London; another contract killer wipes out one gang member after the other, but before killing them he cuts a huge X in their bodies. The case escalates, and the reader has plenty of opportunity to see the worst sides of life in the city.
Obviously the police invest all resources in this case, at least theoretically. In actual practice it seems that Detective Inspector Tom Thorne is the only one who is really involved in solving it. "The man was stocky, in his early forties and wore a battered brown leather jacket. He looked away ... and ran his hand through hair which was greyer on one side than the other." Even at this age, Thorne carries around physical as well as psychological scars after an attack six months earlier. Thorne is the tough, respectless and rebellious detective who apparently has as many enemies within the police force as in the criminal environment. His superiors accuse him of being the lone wolf, the individualist who quite symbolically refuses to read the "Murder Investigation Manual", but also the person who must follow the case through for the sake of truth and justice, even when his superiors decide to close it.
Of course we also see other sides to Thorne´s personality. A good friend, the pathologist Phil Hendricks, is staying in Thorne´s flat. Hendricks is a pierced, bald type dressed in black, and the friends squabble like a married couple in a quite companionable fashion. Other interests of Thorne´s are his fondness for country music and his old ´classic´ BMW which proves to be a costly hobby. In spite of long hours of work and his strong engagement in this case, Thorne also tries to understand and support his Alzheimer-ridden father.
Another important character who might have been envisaged as a kind of partner and feminine counterpart of Tom Thorne is fifty-five-year-old Carol Chamberlain, ex-DCI and member of a Cold Case Squad. She was involved in the original case about the young girl and thus strongly affected when a man calls her, claimimg he was the one who set the girl on fire. Yet there is never any real co-operation between Thorne and Chamberlain who seems out of sorts among the younger police officers. The tone is harsh, and there is a strong element of competition and rivalry among the frustrated and morose coppers. Near the end of the book Chamberlain demonstrates that she is more than a worried granny, but the rather abrupt change is not quite convincing.
So what speaks for calling this crime novel "machokrimi"? The tough environment and the horrible crimes, the equally tough detectives who are rarely able to make a long-term relationship work, and a load of pitch-black humour. On the other hand Tom Thorne has his soft spots, and then there is Carol Chamberlain, but it is hard not to think that she has been pulled into the case to act as a counter-balance to all these ´rogues´.

Ann Cleeves, The Crow Trap (1999)

- denne britiske krimi er desværre ikke oversat til dansk -
Reviewed as part of my 2009 thriller and suspense reading challenge (eco thriller).

“Bella had arranged her suicide as efficiently as she had done everything else in her life. In the torchlight she swung, hanging from a noose made of strong, nylon rope. Her face was white. She had prepared for the occasion by putting on lipstick and the silk top Rachael had bought her as a thank-you present after last season. Her black shoes shone so the torchlight reflected from them. She´d pulled two bales away from the wall and climbed onto them to tie the rope round a beam. Then, when she was ready, she had kicked one away.”

In this crime novel Ann Cleeves switches among the point of view of four women. The first voice is Rachael Lambert, the friend who discovers Bella´s body, and the team leader of an environmental survey near Kimmerston in Northumberland National Park. Rachael´s ambition is to be a confident and assertive leader, but at the same time she is afraid to appear rude. On the whole, Rachael struggles to find her own feet professionally as well as privately. She has had an affair with Peter Kemp, her boss, a man too charming to be true, but when Rachael met him, she was too young or romantic to see this.

We also follow Rachael´s team members, Anne Preece and Grace Fulwell. The three very different women do not really hit it off, to say the least. Anne Preece is a confident and reckless botanist who has had a number of affairs because her homosexual husband cannot satisfy her. She despices Rachael and regards Grace as a stuck-up madwoman.

Grace Fulwell is a pale young woman who prefers to keep her own company. In her chapters we learn that as a lonely foster child she “had to pretend at failure to be accepted at all by the other kids at school” and that she considers animals and facts easier to handle than human beings.

As Rachael cannot come to terms with Bella´s suicide, she engages her bossy and enterprising mother Edie to help her find out what lies behind. She realizes that she did not know Bella at all, and that the quiet, unobtrusive farmer´s wife has a tragic past, but Rachael and Edie do not make any real progress until a second woman dies.

We are not properly introduced to Vera Stanhope, the fourth and final voice, until nearly half-way through the book, but this remarkable woman is certainly worth waiting for.First of all, it is quite refreshing to meet a female detective who is more like a bag lady than a dainty beauty queen. Vera Stanhope does not do much to placate the people around her, either, in her direct, nearly sarcastic manner, “... if I do have a reputation for eccentricity, I have one too for getting results”

Just like Stephen Booth´s Ben Cooper and Diane Fry series, the hostile and dangerous environment plays an important role. An interesting, recurrent symbol is the crow trap with its live bait. It takes a long time, however, before the reader is able to figure out who is the bait and who is supposed to walk into the trap.

Vera Stanhope does get her results in the end, though, even if she is not at all as certain as she pretends, and after this first thrilling meeting with the grim landscape and characters of Northumberland this reader certainly craves for more! This is an unusually promising ´first in a series´.


Photo: sheep from Northumberland National Park

Inger Frimansson, Skyggen i vandet (2006)

- oversat fra svensk, (Skuggan i vattnet 2005) - inverted mystery
Advarsel: Da denne bog er en fortsættelse af Frimanssons krimi-debut, "Godnat, min elskede", kan det ikke rigtigt lade sig gøre at skrive noget om plottet, uden at komme ind på, hvad der er foregået i den første bog.

Ved bogens begyndelse møder vi Jill Kylén og Tor Assarsson, som er på ferie sammen i Norge. Jill nyder sejlturen til Lofoten, ser en kaskelothval (sperm whale), mens Tor sidder indendørs, kold og søsyg. Tors kone forsvandt for seks år siden, og hverken han eller politiet aner, hvad der blev af hende. Jill er hans kones bedste veninde, og hun gør sit bedste for at ruske lidt op i ægtemanden.

Læseren ved imidlertid lige fra begyndelsen, at Berit blev myrdet af sin gamle klassekammerat, Justine, som blev udsat for grov mobning, bl.a. af Berit og Jill. Det er altså denne viden om morderen, samt hendes opvækst og personlighed, der skal drive handlingen fremad, men det tager sin tid, før der for alvor begynder at ske noget.

Ligesom Sjöwall og Wahlöös første krimi, Roseanna, udspiller handlingen i denne bog sig omkring Stockholm og sluserne ved "Mälaran med det mørke vand". Et andet fælles træk er de mange triste menneskeskæbner. "Skyggen i vandet" vrimler med ensomme og triste mennesker, skuffede, grædende, onde og skyldige mennesker, mennesker som oplever mishandling, død og ulykker, og man mærker ikke meget til deres gode sider. Bogen er altså i høj grad en mørk, psykologisk thriller og ikke en krimi, selv om den fik prisen for bedste svenske krimi i 2005.

Inger Frimansson har et bedre sprog og er sikrere i sine personkarakteristikker end Ingrid Hedström, men selv om der kommer nogenlunde gang i spændingen efter de første hundrede sider, er den langt fra så helstøbt som Kerstin Ekmans krimi om det sorte vand.

Inger Frimansson, The Shadow in the Water (2008)
Swedish thriller from 2005 - inverted mystery.

Warning: as this book is a sequel to Frimansson´s debut, "Good Night my Darling", it is not possible to write about the plot without spoiling the first book.

At the beginning we meet Jill Kylén and Tor Assarsson on holiday in Norway. Jill enjoys the Lofoten Islands and the sperm whales while Tor is sitting indoors, freezing and seasick. Tor´s wife disappeared six years earlier, and neither he nor the police has any idea what has happened. Jill is his wife´s best friend, and she does what she can to brighten up his life.

The reader knows from the outset that Berit was murdered by her old classmate, Justine, because of the gross bullying she was subjected to in school by the other girls. So this knowledge about the murderer, her background and personality is supposed to be the incentive of the story, but it takes some time before the action really begins.

Just like Sjöwall and Wahlöö´s first crime novel, Roseanna, the setting of this book is the area around Stockholm and the locks of "Mälaren with the dark water". Another similarity is the many dismal fates. "The Shadow in the Water" is practically swarming with lonely and sad people, disappointed, crying, evil and guilty people, people who experience maltreatment, death and accidents, and their good sides rarely surface. So this book is certainly a ´noir´ thriller and not a crime story, even though it won the prize for the best Swedish crime novel in 2005.

Inger Frimansson writes better and her characters seem more real than Ingrid Hedström´s, but even though this thriller is reasonably exciting after the first hundred pages or so, it is not of the same literary quality as Kerstik Ekman´s crime novel about the black water.

Ingrid Hedström, The Schoolmistress of Villette (2008).

The book has not been translated into English, but I have decided to use it as part of my 2009 suspense and thriller challenge even though it is a bit unfair (legal thriller).

This Swedish thriller takes place in Villette, a fictitious town on the river Meuse in the French-speaking part of Belgium. In the prologue, which takes place in 1961, we meet eleven-year-old Nico who receives a serious blow when he sees his hero, the older brother Daniel, crying! The plot continues in 1994 when the beloved old schoolmistress of Villette is killed by a hit-and-run driver. Her last words are, "It was wrong of us... the truth... always wrong to hide it."

Other jigsaw pieces are a medival mass grave under a building site, two missing children and some Belgian solders who lose their lives in connection with the Rwandan genocide (Rwanda is a former Belgian colony).

Now it is up to the newly appointed investigative judge Martine Poirot and the reader to figure out what is the connection between these pieces of information, and what is behind the murder. Martine Poirot is 34 years old, married to a professor of history, and apparently always attired in black Armani suits.

My view of the book: the author seems strangely uninvolved in the characters and the murder of the old teacher. Furthermore, the book is swarming with people, and the language is marred by a number of cliches and clumsy expressions, "... she was glad their parents had been spared from seeing Philippe throw his career and marriage away." "The blody corner of the mantelpiece does not come from the lesion in her head..." [Sic]

At any rate I know which designers Ingrid Hedstrom´s characters prefer, however, and the book undoubtedly lives up to at least nine out of ten "femikrimi commandments". Roughly speaking, the characters can be divided into three groups: first the idealistic women who want to bring forth the truth at any cost, and second the female victims of the third group, the dishonest, Machiavellian politicians of the town.

At some point Poirot´s female subordinate turns down an invitation with the following words, "unfortunately I do not have time, detective inspector, I am going to castrate my cat tonight. That is the only way you can prevent them from squirting all over to mark their territory." (Is this good femi-humour or sexism? - judge for yourself).

The case is duly solved, and the last 20-30 pages are fairly exciting, but far too often Martine Poirot has the answers handed to her on a plate e.g. when an inkeeper happens to trudge into the Palace of Justice with a basket full of sandwiches and is able to give her important information about a photo related to the case. I think enough has been said; this crime novel was just not my cup of tea.

Ingrid Hedström, Lærerinden fra Villette (2008)
- oversat fra svensk (Lärarinnan i Villette 2008) - legal thriller

Denne krimi udspiller sig i Villette, en fiktiv by ved floden Meuse i den fransktalende del af Belgien. Den indledes med en prolog, som foregår i 1961. Her møder vi 11-årige Nico, som får sit livs første knæk da han oplever sin helt, storebroderen Daniel, græde! Handlingen fortsætter i 1994, hvor byens højt-elskede lærerinde bliver dræbt af en flygtbilist. Hendes sidste ord lyder: "Det var forkert af os... sandheden... altid forkert at skjule den."

Andre brikker i sagen er en ældgammel massegrav på en byggegrund, to forsvundne børn og nogle belgiske soldater, som mister livet i forbindelse med folkemordet i Rwanda (tidligere belgisk koloni).

Og derefter er det op til den nyudnævnte undersøgelsesdommer Martine Poirot og læseren at finde ud af, hvordan disse oplysninger hænger sammen, og hvad der ligger bag. Martine Poirot er 34 år gammel, gift med en historieprofessor, og går tilsyneladende altid i sorte Armanisæt med tilhørende knude i nakken.

Mit indtryk af bogen: både personbeskrivelserne og mordet på lærerinden virker sært uvedkommende (som om forfatteren ikke en gang selv bryder sig om nogen af dem). Det bliver ikke bedre af, at man møder et væld af personer, og at bogen skæmmes af en del klicheer og kluntet sprog: "... hun var glad for, at forældrene var blevet skånet for at se Philippe kaste karriere og ægteskab bort."
"... det blodige hjørne af kaminhylden stammer slet ikke fra læsionen i hovedet..."

Men i det mindste, så ved jeg hvilke designere, Ingrid Hedströms personer foretrækker, og man kan heller ikke være i tvivl om, at bogen lever op til mindst 9 af femikrimiens 10 bud. Personerne kan groft sagt inddeles i tre grupper: først de idealistiske kvinder, som vil have sandheden frem for enhver pris, dernæst de kvindelige ofre for den tredje gruppe: de uhæderlige og magtgale mænd.

Martine Poirots kvindelige underordnede afslår på et tidspunkt en date med følgende replikker: "desværre, kriminalassistent, jeg har ikke tid, jeg skal kastrere min kat her til aften. Det er den eneste måde, man kan forhindre dem i at gå rundt og strinte over det hele og markere deres territorium." (er det god femihumor eller sexisme? - døm selv).

Sagen bliver naturligvis opklaret, og de sidste 20-30 sider er absolut de mest spændende, men Martine Poirot får alt for ofte svarene foræret, som når en kroejer ´tilfældigvis´ vader ind i selve justitspaladset med en kurv sandwiches og lige på stedet kan give hende vigtige oplysninger om et foto med tilknytning til sagen. Så er det vist sagt, denne krimi faldt slet og ret ikke i min smag.

Kerstin Ekman, Blackwater (1996)

[Bingo post 8 & 2009 thriller reading challenge]
This Swedish thriller begins in the present (the 1990s) when the main character, Annie Raft, wakes up at four o'clock in the morning at the sound of a car engine ticking over outside her house. Automatically she reaches for her shotgun under the bed. In the car sits her daughter Mia together with a new boyfriend. Annie recognizes the man whom she connects with a horrible crime in the past. And maybe it isn´t such a wise idea to return?

In 1974 Annie and little Mia come to Blackwater (a fictive area in the far north of Sweden) on Midsummer Eve to begin a new life among a group of revolutionary collectivists! She and her daughter stumble right into a double knife murder of a young couple. Midsummer Eve is an obvious opportunity to drink and celebrate, try out old rituals and coarse jests verging on manhood rites - and stab a few tourists. Nonetheless Annie is looking forward to her new existence, "when I have had some rest, I´ll think all this is wonderful... These people who want to help each other. The tranquility."

Johan Brandberg, Mia´s boyfriend, plays an important role in the murder plot, but for a long time the reader does not know how. He is the nerdy half brother in a family of macho men, the soft and weak bookworm who struggles with his eternal feeling of guilt because he is unable to live up to his father´s expectations. The lonely teenager survives on his dreams about his biological father, "trapped. Spun in and caught" because he is completely dependent on his mother and stepfather. Johan is a modern time Joseph, a mother´s boy who has to get away from his jealous and hateful brothers in this environment where the local chief constable thinks fishing with the doctor is more interesting than ´interfering´.

And this bright Midsummer Night when Johan finally makes up his mind to run away, is so full of incidents that no one is able to see through what is crucial for the murder case. The police have no choice but shelve the investigation as everyone has something to hide and several reasons to lie and conceal what really happened, until Johan´s return eighteen years later, which is the small stone causing one ripple after the other in Svartvattnet.

In the environment around Svartvattnet where local farmers and villagers call people newcomers for at least one generation, and where Sami and Finns are regarded with the same suspicion as the peculiar and amoral collectivists, it is difficult to determine whether the knife murderer, the forces of nature or the intrusive civilization is the worst threat. "Now he just had to cross the stream. In a hurry. Into the silence of the bog. Away from the water. Away from the noises which sounded like small screams and mewing. Away from this babbling around the stones and the sucking of the swift, black water."

No matter what one thinks while reading it, this book is not ´femikrimi´ as Annie Raft is not the detective. Of course the murders are adequately solved, but this book is so much more than a crime novel. The black water and whatever is hidden beneath the surface is a recurrent symbol in Ekman´s award-winning book which by no means romanticizes country life or the old days.

To readers who cannot get enough of Kerstin Ekman or Svartvattnet here is the really good news: her great literary work, The Wolfskin Trilogy, is set in the same environment. A Danish reviewer has called the trilogy "women´s lives in a historical perspective". In these books, which are not crime fiction but certainly feminism when it is best, there are no cliches but strong, credible character sketches and down-to-earth symbols.

Kerstin Ekman, Hændelser ved vand (1994)
- oversat fra svensk (Händelser vid vatten 1993) -
Bogen begynder i nutiden (1990erne), da hovedpersonen, Anni Raft, vågner klokken 4 om morgenen ved lyden af en bil, som holder i tomgang udenfor hendes hus. Hun fisker automatisk sit gevær frem under sengen. I bilen sidder hendes datter Mia sammen med en ny kæreste. Annie genkender manden, som hun forbinder med en voldsom forbrydelse i fortiden. Og måske er det slet ikke klogt at vende tilbage?

I midten af 1970erne ankommer Annie og lille Mia til Röbäck ved Svartvattnet (en fiktiv sø i det allernordligste Sverige) sankthansaften for at begynde et nyt liv blandt en gruppe revolutionære kollektivister! Hun og datteren ramler lige ind i et dobbelt knivmord på et par turister. Sankthans er en oplagt lejlighed til fest, druk, gamle ritualer og voldsomme løjer med et vist præg af manddomsprøver, og altså også til mord. Ikke desto mindre glæder Annie sig til den nye tilværelse i kollektivet: "når jeg får hvilet mig, kommer jeg til at synes at alt dette her er vidunderligt... Disse mennesker, som vil hjælpe hinanden. Roen."

Johan Brandberg, Mias kæreste, spiller en vigtig rolle for mordhistorien, men i lang tid er det uvist for læseren hvordan. Han er den utilpassede halvbror i en familie af jagtglade mandfolk, den bløde og vege læsehest, som kæmper med en evig skyldfølelse, fordi han ikke kan leve op til sin fars forventninger. Den ensomme teenageknægt overlever på drømmene om sin biologiske far, "spærret inde. Spundet ind og fanget" fordi han på alle måder er afhængig af sin mor og stedfar. Johan er en moderne tids Josef, en mors dreng som er nødt til at komme væk fra sine jaloux og hadefulde halvbrødre i dette område, hvor den lokale politimester hellere vil fiske med lægen end ´blande sig´, så området bogstavelig talt er uden for lands lov og ret.

Og den lyse sankthansnat, hvor Johan omsider vælger at flygte, er så fuld af hændelser, at ingen kan gennemskue, hvad der er væsentligt for mordsagen, før han og Mia vender tilbage 18 år senere. Politiet har ikke andre muligheder end at henlægge denne sag, hvor alle har noget at skjule, og masser af grunde til at lyve og fortie, hvad der i virkeligheden skete, indtil det viser sig, at Johans tilbagevenden var præcis den lille sten, som bliver ved med at danne nye ringe i vandet.

I området omkring Svartvattnet, hvor de lokale småbønder og landsbyboere kalder tilflyttere for nye i mindst en generation, og hvor samer og finner betragtes med næsten samme mistænksomhed som de underlige og amoralske kollektivister, er det svært at afgøre, om det er knivmorderen, naturkræfterne eller den påtrængende civilisation, der udgør den største trussel. "Nu skulle han bare over åen. I en fart. Op i stilheden på mosen. Væk fra vandet. Væk fra lydene der lød som små skrig og mjaven. Væk fra denne pludren omkring stenene og suget fra det hurtige, sorte vand."

Selv om man kunne tro det, er der ikke tale om en femikrimi, da det ikke er Annie Raft, som er detektiven. Mordene bliver naturligvis opklaret på passende vis til slut, men denne bog er så meget mere end en krimi. Det sorte vand med alt hvad der gemmer sig under overfladen er et gennemgående symbol i Ekmans bog, som på ingen måde romantiserer landlivet eller gamle dage. Som Annie med slet skjult ironi siger om beboerne i området: "Før havde man det bedre end man havde det. Nu har man det dårligere end man har det."

For læsere, som slet ikke har fået nok af Kerstin Ekman eller Svartvattnet er der rigtig godt nyt: hendes store litterære værk, Ulveskindstrilogien, udspiller sig i det samme område. En anmelder omtaler meget rammende trilogien om tre generationer af Röbäck-kvinder som "kvindeliv i et historisk perspektiv". Bedre kan det næsten ikke siges. I disse bøger, som ikke er krimi, men absolut "femi" i ordets allerbedste betydning, findes der ingen tomme klicheer, men stærke, troværdige personskildringer og holdbare, jordnære symboler.

Sue Grafton, A for alibi (1982)

Denne anmeldelse er dels svaret på ugens Gæt-en-bog, dels tæller den som "suspense and thriller reading challenge" nr 2.

Bogen er den første i Sue Graftons alfabetserie, hvor hun skriver en krimi for hvert bogstav i alfabetet om samme hovedperson, Kinsey Millhone. Kinsey er 32 år gammel, arbejder som privatdetektiv i Californien, er skilt to gange og har ingen børn. Ligesom Piet Heins berømte kat, er Kinsey helt sin egen, og man kan sige, at hun foretrækker at ´rejse uden bagage´. Som det nedenstående citat viser, begynder handlingen så at sige bagfra med denne tilståelse; "I forgårs slog jeg én ihjel..."

Kinsey påtager sig at hjælpe Nikki Fife, der nogle år tidligere blev dømt for mordet på sin utro og ubehagelige ægtemand Laurence. Nikki er lige blevet prøveløsladt, og vil gerne have hjælp til at finde den virkelige morder. Kinsey får adgang til sagsmappen, og opdager hurtigt, at et lignende giftmord blev begået nogle få dage efter mordet på Laurence, og konkluderer at noget er galt.

Sue Graftons miljø- og personbeskrivelser fungerer rigtig godt. Selv et dansk familiemenneske kan sagtens identificere sig med Kinsey og nyde at kigge hende over skulderen. Hun er virkelig et bekendskab værd med sin minimalistiske livsstil, en fremragende detektiv som samtidig er elendig til at håndtere menneskelige relationer. Kinsey er drengepigen uden sans for tøj, frisure og make-up, og hvis hun har andet på end cowboybukser eller løbetøj, for eksempel ´den lille sorte´, er det helt sikkert en form for forklædning.

Gennem hendes øjne møder læseren et bredt udsnit af Californiens befolkning, høj som lav, tynd som (ekstremt) tyk, og som regel involveret i en eller anden form for terapi. Man nyder hendes veludviklede talent for at lyve, fuppe og smyge sig ind, hvor hun strengt taget ikke har noget at gøre, og vender hurtigt siderne, når det viser sig, hvor farlig jagten på en ustraffet morder kan være, både for Kinsey og andre; "Jeg hørte døren gå op og hendes dæmpede, overraskede udbrud. Og så hørte jeg et kort, nærmest hult knald."

Jeg ved ikke, om amerikanske læsere vil opleve bogen som ´gammel´. Personligt synes jeg, den holder sig rigtig fint af en syvogtyveårig at være, men det er muligvis bare fordi jeg selv er langt bagud for min tid? Bogen slipper i hvert fald hurtigt op, og så er det jo godt, at der er fireogtyve tilbage. Sue Grafton er på nuværende tidspunkt nået til bogstavet T (T is for Trespasss) på engelsk, og "R for rikochet" på dansk. Grafton har i øvrigt inspireret adskillige kvindelige skandinaviske krimiforfattere (mere herom senere).

Sue Grafton, A is for Alibi (1982)
This review is not only this week´s Bait in the Box, but also "suspense and thriller reading challenge" no 2 (private detective thriller).

The book is the first one in Sue Grafton´s alphabet series, a crime novel for each letter in the alphabet about the same main character, Kinsey Millhone. Kinsey is 32 years old, a private eye in California, twice divorced with no children. Kinsey is a truly independent woman who likes traveling unencumbered. As the following quotation will show you, the plot begins backwards, so to speak, with a confession, "The day before yesterday I killed someone ..."

Kinsey agrees to help Nikki Fife who was convicted of poisoning her unfaithful and unpleasant husband Laurence. Nikki, who claims she is innocent, has just been paroled and wants the real killer brought to justice. When Kinsey gains access to the original files, she soon discovers that a similar poisoning case took place a few days after the murder of Laurence, and concludes that something is wrong.

Sue Grafton is a deft hand at describing environment and characters. Even this Danish family person finds it quite easy to identify with Kinsey and enjoys experiencing the world as seen from her point of view. She is a delightful acquaintance with her minimalist lifestyle, - brilliant at her work but lousy at handling relationships with people. Kinsey is the tomboy with no sense of style or make-up who cuts his hair with her nail-scissors so if she is not wearing jeans or tracksuit, e.g. her LBD, she must be in disguise.

Through her eyes the reader meets a cross section of the Californian population, rich and poor, thin and (extremely) thick, and usually engaged in some sort of therapy. I thoroughly enjoyed her talent for lying, conning and slipping into places where she should not be, and felt myself turning the pages a bit faster when it transpired how dangerous the pursuit of a murderer who feels safe could be - for Kinsey as well as for others, "I heard the door open and her muffled, surprised exclamation. And then I heard a short, rather hollow pop."

I don´t know if the book would strike American readers as ´dated´. Personally I think it is twenty-seven years young, but this may possibly be because I am far behind my time? If you feel about this cosy whodunnit the way I do, you will be happy to realize there are still twenty-four to go. Sue Grafton published "T is for Trespass" in December 2007. Grafton has certainly been a source of inspiration for many female Scandinavian crime writers (more about this later).

Also reviewed by Erika, Kiss My Book.

Anne Holt, Det som aldrig sker (Gyldendal 2005).

- oversat fra norsk (Det som aldri skjer 2004) -
Første anmeldelse til "2009 Suspense and Thriller Reading Challenge": serial killer thriller.

Jeg må hellere straks advare mine blog-gæster om, at denne bog indeholder en kraftig advarsel mod at blogge - morderen har sandsynligvis fulgt sine ofre på deres meget åbenhjertige blogs, kortlagt deres vaner og derfor nemt kunnet myrde dem i dyb diskretion. "NN førte en weblog, en af de der ufatteligt selvoptagne opfindelser hvor indehaveren tydeligvis mener at være uhyre interessant for verden."

I andet bind om kriminalassistent Yngvar Stubø og psykolog Inger Johanne Vik er de to blevet gift, og har lige fået et fælles barn. Inger Johanne er naturligvis på orlov, men når Yngvar tager spændende arbejde med hjem, kan hun ikke dy sig for at læse med over skulderen. Så denne gang skal hun absolut ikke overtales til at hjælpe politiet. Inger Johanne har sine grunde til at være ængstelig og overbeskyttende mor, ikke desto mindre er hun jævnligt et lidt trættende bekendtskab, hvor imod Yngvar Stubø er lige så tiltalende som i første bind.

Et meget brutalt celebrity-mord ryster fredelige Norge, og da endnu en kendt kvinde bliver myrdet et par uger senere, begynder Yngvar og hans team at sammenligne de to forbrydelser. Kan der virkelig være tale om en masse-/seriemorder i Skandinavien?

Læseren ved fra første side, at den kvindelige morder har prøvet det her før: "Hun vidste ikke længere, hvor mange hun havde taget livet af. Det spillede heller ingen rolle. Kvalitet var vigtigere end kvantitet i de fleste fag. Også i hendes, selv om nydelsen ved en original drejning med årene havde mistet noget af sin glans."
Så læseren er altså bedre informeret end politiet. Ikke desto mindre viser det sig snart, at der er rigtig meget, læseren ikke ved, men meget gerne ville vide. De første tre hundrede sider var rigtig spændende, og når man så pludselig vender bladet og opdager Anne Holts originale drejning! Fantastisk vellykket bedrag! Jeg vil ikke røbe mere, men undrer mig i mit stille sind: i hvor høj grad handler denne bog om forfatteren selv? ;)

Konklusion: endnu bedre kriminalarbejde & personskildringer end i etteren. Alligevel er den noget dystre slutning ikke helt tilfredsstillende, men mon ikke det hænger sammen med, at vi snart kan forvente en treer?

Anne Holt, The Final Murder (US: What Never Happens)
(First review for my 2009 Suspense and Thriller Challenge: serial killer thriller)

I´d better warn my blog guests that this book contains a strong warning against blogging ;)
- it seems that the murderer has been stalking some victims via their very outspoken blogs, mapping their habits and thus been able to murder them discretely.
"So-and-so had a weblog, one of those incredibly self-centred inventions, and the writer obviously feels incredibly interesting" (My own, rather free translation)

In this second volume about police inspector Adam Stubo and psychologist Johanne Vik the couple are married and have just had a child. Johanne is on maternity leave, of course, but when Adam brings an interesting case back home, she cannot help reading his notes. Johanne has her reasons to be a cautious and quite protective mother; nevertheless she can be a bit irritating while Adam Stubo is a very pleasant acquaintance.

A brutal celebrity murder shakes up peaceful Norway and when another famous women is killed a few weeks later, Adam and his team take a closer look at the two cases. Is it really possible that a mass- or serial killer is ravaging Scandinavia?

The reader knows from the very first page that the female murderer has tried this before, "She no longer knew how many people she had killed. Neither did it matter. Quality was more important than quantity in most professions. Also in hers, even though the pleasure of an original turn had lost part of its attraction." (My translation)
So the reader is better informed than the police. Yet it soon dawned upon me that there was quite a lot I did not know. And after three hundred thrilling pages I turned another, - and found Anne Holt´s original turn. Deception at its best, and I cannot help wondering to which extent this book is about herself? ;)

All in all, a crime story of fine quality with a delightfully deceptive plot even though the quite sinister ending leads the reader to expect a sequel. And I would not mind Johanne Vik being jazzed up a bit.

En udfordring til mig selv - Suspense and Thriller Reading Challenge

Jeg har besluttet mig for at melde mig til en af de talrige læse-udfordringer, der kan findes rundt om på engelske bogblogs. Denne udfordring er ret oplagt for mig; opgaven går ud på at læse tolv forskellige undergenrer af thrillers i løbet af 2009. For deltagere, som ikke sådan uden videre kan komme på mere end to-tre undergenrer, har J.Kay venligst lagt en lang liste med ikke mindre end 38 forskellige.

Challenging myself
I have decided to try the following reading challenge, found at J. Kay´s book blog: 2009 Suspense and Thriller Reading Challenge

The main rule is: read twelve different sub-genres of thrillers in 2009. I think I can do that - but let´s see. Afterwards the participants are supposed to post all their reviews in the same folders as inspiration.

My progress:
1) Anne Holt, What Never Happens/Det som aldrig sker - serial killer thriller
2) Sue Grafton, A is for Alibi/A for alibi - private detective mystery
3)Kerstin Ekman, Blackwater/Hændelser ved vand - psychological thriller.
4) Ingrid Hedström, The Schoolmistress of Villette/Lærerinden fra Villette - legal thriller.
5) Inger Frimansson, The Shadow in the Water/Skyggen i vandet - inverted mystery.
6) Ann Cleeves, The Crow Trap - eco thriller.
7) Mark Billingham, The Burning Girl/Den brændende pige - hard-boiled mystery.
8) Kjell Ole Dahl, The Fourth Man/Den fjerde røver - art crime/literary thriller.
9) Martin Edwards, The Coffin Trail - police procedural thriller.
10) Donna Moore, Go to Helena Handbasket - comic thriller.
11) Tana French, In the Woods/Skoven - murder mystery.
12) Charles Dickens, Our Mutual Friend/Vor Fælles Ven - historical thriller.