Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this ebook, free of charge,from Scribner Publishing, via Netgalley, for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it, all opinions are my own.
Synopsis:
When bombs explode at the Islamic Cooperation Council’s headquarters in Oslo, detective Hanne Wilhelmsen is on the case in the ninth and penultimate installment of the award-winning series from Norway’s bestselling crime writer Anne Holt—“the godmother of Norwegian crime fiction” (Jo Nesbo).
On an early April afternoon, a bomb goes off in the Islamic Cooperation Council’s offices in Oslo, killing twenty-three people. The Police and Security Service suspect an extremist organization to be responsible for the attack, a suspicion that grows stronger when threats of yet another, bigger explosion during the planned celebration of the Norwegian constitution reach the authorities.
On an early April afternoon, a bomb goes off in the Islamic Cooperation Council’s offices in Oslo, killing twenty-three people. The Police and Security Service suspect an extremist organization to be responsible for the attack, a suspicion that grows stronger when threats of yet another, bigger explosion during the planned celebration of the Norwegian constitution reach the authorities.
As a special adviser on cold cases, Hanne Wilhelmsen has cut all of her official ties to the Security Service and lives contentedly—or at least as contentedly as someone like her can manage—in solitude with her partner Nesir and their young daughter. A small computer monitor is Hanne's only window to the outside until the day of the attacks, when her closed-off world is broken open. Hanne is approached by her long lost friend, Billy T., whose son Linus has undergone some disturbing changes recently. As the mood of the city darkens, Hanne tries to help Billy T. reach out to Linus and realizes that Oslo is up against forces far more terrible and menacing than ever before.
Review:
This is Book 9 of the series, and I have to admit, not my favorite., Sigh. When you get wrapped up into a series, you want a natural progression of the main character. But in theory the reader wants something they can relate to, that makes sense, and helps to tie up the mystery of the personality of the lead. The books leading up to this one seemed to follow that line, but this one seems to so focus on current issues, that some of what made the series so unique seems to get lost. Hanne is still Hanne, but now she is married, with a child, and she isn't the same. Billy T has come unglued, literally and figuratively, and it is up to Hanen to 'fix' him, as no one else seems to care. In many ways it seems the opposite in tone to the previous book, and that is part of what throws the reader somewhat. It's an interesting read, but to me it was too much, and one I really would recommend to readers of the series only, as otherwise, the new reader might not care so much about the characters, or sub plots. But Holt can craft a book and it will keep the series reader turning pages and wondering. So if you've become a fan of the series, you might not want to miss it.
About the Author
Anne Holt is Norway’s bestselling female crime writer. She was a journalist and news anchor and spent two years working for the Oslo Police Department before founding her own law firm and serving as Norway’s Minister for Justice in 1996 and 1997. Her first novel was published in 1993 and her books have been translated into over thirty languages and have sold more than 7 million copies. Her novel 1222 was nominated for an Edgar Award for Best Novel. She lives in Oslo with her family.
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