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Louise Rick #6
Dødsenglen
Dødsenglen - et flere hundrede år gammelt og meget kostbart glasikon - har været i den stenrige familie Sachs-Smiths eje i generationer, men altid som en velbevaret hemmelighed. Derfor kommer det som et chok, da det en dag pludselig er væk, og bedre bliver det ikke, da politiet kan meddele familien, at morens død nogle måneder tidligere ikke var selvmord, men nu efterforskes som en drabssag.
Samtidig er Louise Rick fra drabsafdelingen på Københavns Politigård blevet involveret i en sag om en kvinde, der er meldt savnet under en rejse til Solkysten. En af politiets teorier er, at hun har ønsket at begynde et nyt liv, men da en kendt filminstruktør kort efter forsvinder sporløst i samme område, er Louise ikke længere i tvivl: De to kvinder er blevet bortført eller dræbt.
Da sagen om Dødsenglen optrappes med en gidseltagning, bliver Louise inddraget, og mens det langsomt går op for hende, hvordan Sashs-Smith-historien hænger sammen, finder hun samtidig et afgørende spor i forsvindingssagen. Til hendes overraskelse viser det sig, at de to sager er forbundet, og at sandheden om den ene afslører sandheden om den anden.
Samtidig er Louise Rick fra drabsafdelingen på Københavns Politigård blevet involveret i en sag om en kvinde, der er meldt savnet under en rejse til Solkysten. En af politiets teorier er, at hun har ønsket at begynde et nyt liv, men da en kendt filminstruktør kort efter forsvinder sporløst i samme område, er Louise ikke længere i tvivl: De to kvinder er blevet bortført eller dræbt.
Da sagen om Dødsenglen optrappes med en gidseltagning, bliver Louise inddraget, og mens det langsomt går op for hende, hvordan Sashs-Smith-historien hænger sammen, finder hun samtidig et afgørende spor i forsvindingssagen. Til hendes overraskelse viser det sig, at de to sager er forbundet, og at sandheden om den ene afslører sandheden om den anden.
306 pages, Paperback
First published July 17, 2007
121 people are currently reading
1414 people want to read
About the author
Sara Blaedel
35 books2,028 followersSara Blaedel is the author of the #1 international bestselling series featuring Detective Louise Rick. Her books are published in thirty-seven countries. In 2014 Sara was voted Denmark’s most popular novelist for the fourth time. She is also a recipient of the Golden Laurel, Denmark’s most prestigious literary award.
In 2016 she published the first book "The Undertakers Daughter" in a new trilogy set in Racine, Wisconsin:
Already widowed by the age of forty, Ilka Nichols Jensen, a school portrait photographer, leads a modest, regimented, and uneventful life in Copenhagen. Until unexpected news rocks her quiet existence: Her father–who walked out suddenly and inexplicably on the family more than three decades ago–has died. And he’s left her something in his will: his funeral home. In Racine, Wisconsin.
In 2016 she published the first book "The Undertakers Daughter" in a new trilogy set in Racine, Wisconsin:
Already widowed by the age of forty, Ilka Nichols Jensen, a school portrait photographer, leads a modest, regimented, and uneventful life in Copenhagen. Until unexpected news rocks her quiet existence: Her father–who walked out suddenly and inexplicably on the family more than three decades ago–has died. And he’s left her something in his will: his funeral home. In Racine, Wisconsin.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 120 reviews
May 24, 2024
First of all, I’d like to emphasize that I wouldn’t have read this thriller at all if it hadn’t been on my shelf for quite a while already. It’s the second volume of the Louise Rick book series, but my last one ever.
I’m sorry to say that the writing is – well, not really good, even though the author is a popular writer and has won several literary awards. Phrases are too short and context is too sparse to make accessible to the reader what the author (probably) wants to express. I’ve been having problems with the main character since the beginning, because she’s not very likeable the way she’s depicted. I have the feeling that the author tried to show her as an understanding, empathetic person, but to me, she seemed to be quite insensitive and disagreeable instead.
And then, the plot of the story. The novel is about a serial rapist who presents himself as romantic and tender on his “dates” at first, before he suddenly turns into a brute each time who injures and tortures his victims in such a cruel way that one of them even dies in the process. But when he’s finally arrested, it turns out that he thinks he didn’t do anything wrong! I had been waiting all the time for an explanation for his split personality, and at the end there is – none at all. And although the main character is disgusted at the rapist’s deeds, the bottom line seems to be that he’s basically just a guy who feels misunderstood.
But when one of the young women whom he brutally raped before tries to commit suicide, it’s actually the fault of her domineering mother, who has been ruining her life!?! Hey, just forget about trivial offenses like being handcuffed, gagged and brutally raped with different objects – what you REALLY have to fear is a mom who wants to control the time you come home from work!
Sara Blædel, you just can’t be serious!!!
The novel is not without suspense, though. 2 stars, reluctantly.
I’m sorry to say that the writing is – well, not really good, even though the author is a popular writer and has won several literary awards. Phrases are too short and context is too sparse to make accessible to the reader what the author (probably) wants to express. I’ve been having problems with the main character since the beginning, because she’s not very likeable the way she’s depicted. I have the feeling that the author tried to show her as an understanding, empathetic person, but to me, she seemed to be quite insensitive and disagreeable instead.
And then, the plot of the story. The novel is about a serial rapist who presents himself as romantic and tender on his “dates” at first, before he suddenly turns into a brute each time who injures and tortures his victims in such a cruel way that one of them even dies in the process. But when he’s finally arrested, it turns out that he thinks he didn’t do anything wrong! I had been waiting all the time for an explanation for his split personality, and at the end there is – none at all. And although the main character is disgusted at the rapist’s deeds, the bottom line seems to be that he’s basically just a guy who feels misunderstood.
But when one of the young women whom he brutally raped before tries to commit suicide, it’s actually the fault of her domineering mother, who has been ruining her life!?! Hey, just forget about trivial offenses like being handcuffed, gagged and brutally raped with different objects – what you REALLY have to fear is a mom who wants to control the time you come home from work!
Sara Blædel, you just can’t be serious!!!
The novel is not without suspense, though. 2 stars, reluctantly.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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June 2, 2019Read
February 16, 2020
The Stolen Angel stands alone as a fascinating police procedural set in Cophagen. The story starts with stark horror, dressed as art, and the reader knows at once that darkness will cover the mystery. A girl is missing. She can only be returned in exchange for a valuable, secret glass panel. But the panel is missing. Lives, money and art hang in the balance. Greed, both sane and insane, rules the road and vacation spots. And Louise Rick needs to keep her own life on track while struggling to resolve the mystery expanding around her.
The Stolen Angel is a novel whose split plots twist and combine, offering curious secrets and lies, and the sort of haunting darkness that readers expect from Scandinavia. It’s not a fast read, but the characters are absorbing and the complex plot keeps you glued to the pages.
Disclosure: I got a copy for my birthday
The Stolen Angel is a novel whose split plots twist and combine, offering curious secrets and lies, and the sort of haunting darkness that readers expect from Scandinavia. It’s not a fast read, but the characters are absorbing and the complex plot keeps you glued to the pages.
Disclosure: I got a copy for my birthday
September 16, 2018
I discovered Sara Baedel a couple of years ago when only a handful of her books were translated into English, and fell madly in love. I started reading crime/ detective novels in elementary school : Holmes, Encyopedia Brown, Christie, and later read the whole series by Cornwell, Patterson, Kellerman, Ludlum, Connelly, Deaver and oh, too many to name, and I can tell you, as a female author, Blaedel is second to none. Her logic and plotting is blemishless. A true master. I'm hopelessly addicted.
March 24, 2020
This book was nothing special. I didn't like the whole storyline about some rich, spoiled, Danish aristocracy, so greedy that they would actually betray their whole family. Also, the whole mystery with that Death Angel was annoying and not particularly interesting. The only interesting part was with that missing Scandinavian girls from their vacations in Spain.
I absolutely love Jonas, he is such a sweet kid. He is so caring and gentle boy, he's always there for people who need comfort like Louise or Melvin even though he is the one that suffered the most.
I hope that missing person trilogy will be much more interesting. I expect a lot of intensity, mystery and secrets, unexpected twists and turns etc.
I absolutely love Jonas, he is such a sweet kid. He is so caring and gentle boy, he's always there for people who need comfort like Louise or Melvin even though he is the one that suffered the most.
I hope that missing person trilogy will be much more interesting. I expect a lot of intensity, mystery and secrets, unexpected twists and turns etc.
March 12, 2023
Rating: 5 Stars!!
Review:
This was my first time reading a Thriller by Sara so i wasnt sure what to expect but i have to say i really enjoyed this one even tho it read more like a Mystery then it did a Thriller even tho it had Thriller vibes to it.
The Characters were so interesting and enjoyable to read about. I didnt have any favorites since i enjoyed all of the characters.
The Setting was beautifully described which made me feel like i was actually in the book while reading, especially when the scenery was described.
Overall a Good Mystery Thriller about a missing Angel Statue!! Can't wait to read more by Sara in the future!!
Review:
This was my first time reading a Thriller by Sara so i wasnt sure what to expect but i have to say i really enjoyed this one even tho it read more like a Mystery then it did a Thriller even tho it had Thriller vibes to it.
The Characters were so interesting and enjoyable to read about. I didnt have any favorites since i enjoyed all of the characters.
The Setting was beautifully described which made me feel like i was actually in the book while reading, especially when the scenery was described.
Overall a Good Mystery Thriller about a missing Angel Statue!! Can't wait to read more by Sara in the future!!
September 15, 2020
Começa a ser muito difícil classificar as minhas leituras. Começo a ser injusta com a maioria dos livros que leio. Dou 4* a excelentes livros, porque 5* só mesmo aqueles que me marcam e comparativamente a outros medianos, quase sinto um impulso em classificar estes últimos, abaixo do pretendido.
Adiante, quanto a este livro, proporciona uma leitura agradável, excelente para quem gosta de um policial leve, no entanto, para o patamar a que estou habituada é um livro mediano.
Adiante, quanto a este livro, proporciona uma leitura agradável, excelente para quem gosta de um policial leve, no entanto, para o patamar a que estou habituada é um livro mediano.
August 30, 2020
Oplæser: Karen Abrahamsen. Hun gør det godt!
Det er som altid spændende at læse Sara Blædels krimi med Louise Rick. To sager viser sig at have forbindelse til hinanden og Louise kastes hovedkuls ind i begge sager samtidig med at hun forsøger at hjælpe plejesønnen igennem en træls tid i skolen. Det er svært at balancere rundt i, da døgnet jo kun har 24 timer.
Det er som altid spændende at læse Sara Blædels krimi med Louise Rick. To sager viser sig at have forbindelse til hinanden og Louise kastes hovedkuls ind i begge sager samtidig med at hun forsøger at hjælpe plejesønnen igennem en træls tid i skolen. Det er svært at balancere rundt i, da døgnet jo kun har 24 timer.
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April 8, 2023Måske den bedste yet? Syntes bestemt fortællingen, karaktererne og dramaet generalt er bedre end da serien begyndte.
June 15, 2018
The Angel of Death, a stained-glass icon taken generations ago from the Hagia Sofia in Copenhagen, is the required ransom for the release of a young kidnapped girl. But the icon disappeared from the Sachs-Smith family home, leaving negotiator Detective Inspector Louise Ricks to match wits with a criminal mastermind who will stop at nothing to own the Angel.
Well-developed characters and an intriguing premise keep the pages turning although the side plot involving Louise’s family is less compelling and not fully resolved as the narrative draws to a close. In addition, plot revelations early in the telling of the tale keep the suspense from building; astute readers will identify the culprit and deduce the ending long before the not-so-surprising reveal.
Well-developed characters and an intriguing premise keep the pages turning although the side plot involving Louise’s family is less compelling and not fully resolved as the narrative draws to a close. In addition, plot revelations early in the telling of the tale keep the suspense from building; astute readers will identify the culprit and deduce the ending long before the not-so-surprising reveal.
November 3, 2012
Dødsenglen er simpelthen fantastisk skrevet. Der er spænding, uhygge og overraskelser fra første kapitel. Nogle steder er den så spændende at jeg fik gåsehud.
Dødsenglen er en af de bedste bøger i serien om Louise Rick. Det er ikke den første og helt sikkert ikke den sidste gang at jeg læser denne bog.
Dødsenglen er en af de bedste bøger i serien om Louise Rick. Det er ikke den første og helt sikkert ikke den sidste gang at jeg læser denne bog.
July 6, 2015
Det var liiiidt for mange historier på gang her
September 14, 2024
Combined audio/book rating.
Shocking, haunting, dark, disturbing and depraved opening which involves missing Scandinavian women and of course, a sociopath! This is one plot-line and it alternates with the second, about a missing religious, and historically significant, icon from the 1400’s…known as The Angel of Death.
It coincided with the death of a matriarch and disappearance of the patriarch; from the wealthy Sachs-Smith Family of Danish fame.
Before I go on I must ask this:
If you, the reader, has the book open whilst listening to the very American audio narration, did you find some big discrepancies, via translation?
Or did you think that, perhaps, details were deliberately changed in the audio plot?
The question is…what exactly is the icon? A painting? A glass panel? A sculpture?
Please comment below as I’m intrigued!
Did I read Glass panel in the book and hear sculpture or statue on the audio?? Or have I lost the plot??
Therefore I will only refer to this treasure as an icon. It did bristle me though. I tried to ignore this major difference and other minor descriptions.
So….back to the plot!
This extremely valuable, authentic icon, along with a display copy of it (but smaller in size) had been in the hands of the Sachs-Smith family for centuries it seems!
Where is it from and how did they come to own it?
We hear some detail of it originating from an exhibit in Constantinople (Turkey), at the Hagia Sophia. Quite a tourist destination today! And that basilica is impressive I recall.
Historic rumours say the family smuggled it out in 1453 and only a few members knew about its existence. This secret was evidently passed down through select ancestors only.
Indeed, the Angel is already stolen then!
Would not the Hagia Sophia and the Turks have attempted to retrieve their treasure over time? Maybe they, or others, still are?
Is this the plot-line? I was hoping it was. Historian POV/information would have been beneficial in this tale to take the icon to a higher status in the plot; though the plot weaves around its existence there are several other plot lines in the mix.
Indeed, the icon was ‘owned’ by the Sachs-Smiths but has suddenly disappeared from the family home since the death of the mother (murder by diabetic medication was questioned & son, Carl Emil was a diabetic!), and the equally bizarre disappearance of the father. Is he alive or dead?
Naturally the original icon is assumed stolen…but by whom? A family member or someone else? Our intrigue grows. But it’s the suspicious son, Carl-Emil, who steers the plot’s direction from now on; which family member has it?
We soon learn that he will go to great lengths in regaining it, especially after learning that their father had a smaller replica on display instead, which was left in the family home.
We discover also, that this overtly wealthy and powerful family have their own demons. Something has made these people dysfunctional with each other. Or someone. It’s a typical pattern in family sagas.
But how is this plot linked to a sociopath’s deathly macabre ‘art’ display which we hear about intermittently? It’s sordid and sickening!
The police are not aware of this sociopath yet, nor his female models….but we are! We assume its all connected to the missing women?
Initially, the two, or possibly three plots, are obviously not related. But our instinct, and the fact we are privy to a sociopath’s behaviour, tells you that they eventually will be! It’s a drawcard to read on.
However, I think I would have preferred to discover the gross display and the manner in which it was created and built, much later. The author could have had the sociopathic artist in his normalised role, during the plot…without a clue to us. The shock factor might have worked far more! (Think of The girl with the Dragon Tattoo…the son, the ending!)
Anyway, she didn’t and we start putting it together even when red herrings occur.
Karl Emil’s sister has a young daughter, Isobel, an heir. He is fond of her but not so much her mother. Jealousy? He suspects she knows more about the real missing angel icon. It sends him over the edge.
We also learn that the father is actually alive and in hiding overseas. This will surprise his offspring! Does he have the authentic icon? Suspicion mounts.
Conveniently, the father is being interviewed over the phone by a Danish journalist, Camilla, a friend of the main protagonist, the investigator, Louise Rick. She and her police investigating team have been in the story thus far but have not impressed me really.
Camilla also happened to have had a very convenient relationship with another Sachs-Smith brother, Frederick, who lives in America. Guessing the father trusts her!
Later in the story, Frederick and Camilla have a steamy rendezvous in Denmark. Of course! But his existence doesn’t impact the plot really. But is her interest in this family professional or personal, or both? Not sure I like Camilla’s attitude either. Especially on audio.
In between this stolen family angel icon plot, and the missing girls which Louise and team are investigating (no connections being made thus far), we are being carried along by the continuing sadistic thoughts of a sociopath.
Indeed, this artistic lover of women is brimming with pride about his deathly art display…dehydrated bodies, new eyes, rehydrated and exhibited! It’s a chilling and ghoulish read.
But remember, we are only privy to this. I felt like a drone circling the plots but not touching down.
Meanwhile, Louise and the investigators are involved in talking to a missing girl’s mother and helping her sort out her daughter’s belongings. There’s no clue as to why she disappeared after leaving for a Spanish holiday.
Another sub plot brings us into Louise’s home-front situation with her foster son, Jonas. He has been misbehaving at school. The teacher rings; she is totally over him and has no empathy at all! Most unprofessional really. It irked me!
Louise really doesn’t spend much time with Jonas due to her heavy workload but has a downstairs neighbour, Melvin, who appears kindhearted and a good role model…Jonas enjoys doing puzzles with him. They are likeable characters.
But….you do wonder about leaving a boy with an older man! There is definitely something amiss with Jonas. He needs counselling. Louise cannot fathom it all as he’s good at home. Mmmm…
Indeed, she and the investigative team are stretched to their limits soon enough. Police procedural processes are described and Louise is going about her job well enough. And the boss is not a likeable guy; there’s obvious tension in the air.
By the halfway mark you may find yourself a tad bored. There seems to be quite a bit of filling without much action. Characters are not developing enough; perhaps a few too many?
And the plots aren’t intersecting. I thought the book was a 3-3.5* at this point. The audio was grating! 1.5*!! I am not American but oh that accent!!! It did not work in a Danish setting. At all!!
But hang on….we have something gritty happening. Finally!
Finding the historic icon becomes a magnet for Carl Emil who, by now, has become extremely desperate. He’s watching his niece outside her dance class….and for a while you wonder if he’s after her or the nanny…or if he’s, in fact, involved with the mystery of these missing women?
These plots might intersect at last!
But he’s convinced his sister knows where the original icon is and he wants to get back at her! He is driven now! And the plot is character driven.
The million dollar icon tag lures him into luring Isobel into his web. He kidnaps her. Blackmailing his sister for the icon.
But he also becomes involved in helping his sister find Isobel! He needs to be seen to care. He also discovers that she knows nothing about the icon, like himself. He’s beyond help now as he can’t just bring Isobel back….she knows too much.
The reader is now invested. Action and suspense moves this story along at a faster rate. My rating is going up.
Camilla speaks to the father.
The patriarch decides to return to Denmark after the granddaughter disappears. But she’s pretty comfortable in her uncle’s place watching dance movies and eating pizza. For a while only!
The pace picks up….the authentic icon is discovered and taken to a secret rendezvous…Camilla is involved and she tells Carl Emil.
But someone else is lurking.
Soon enough, a murder occurs, the icon ends up in the wrong hands, and we discover actually who!
Isobel is taken.
The investigative team are faced with a major crime over Isobel’s kidnapping. Louise’s negotiating skills with Isobel’s mother and then texting the kidnapper about the icon and Isobel etc is gripping. But then the texting stops.
Carl Emil has also disappeared. His home is a clue. The truth is soon discovered. But where is Isobel?
Louise is told to investigate a psychic who is in a care home; appearing mentally unstable and childlike, her room mate tells Louise that she has found other missing people before.
She mentions an arch. And to hurry up, there’s little time left…Isobel can’t hang on.
In the meantime, a missing girl escapes death (on the way to being delivered to the sociopathic
‘artist’). A car accident; wrapped in carpet, barely breathing but manages to survive.
Indeed, more clues and information is given to the police. They need to move fast now!
We learn also, that the missing Scandinavian women were procured from Spain after being followed and captured to sell.
The police find the laboratory, come art studio, and the horrific discovery of siliconised women in glass cabinets, or coffins, under soft lighting. It’s a sight for sore eyes and what a fright they receive!
The missing women are found though…but not alive. A gallery I would not like visiting!
I won’t divulge who the artistic culprit is! It’s the connection between the icon and the missing women. At last!
There is a clue very early on but it didn’t trigger suspicion then…until now. He is responsible for causing friction in the family though!
He tries to escape and succeeds, even through road blocks. But is conned at last when he falls for a trap in a huge house where he expected to sell the icon. But someone else is on the ball! It’s a gripping description. Suspense is high.
A race against time is on; a trip to the Basilica finds nothing at first but then Louise looks up…you guessed it…an arch!
Below it, a trap door in the floor where Isobel is wrapped up, barely breathing; like the missing woman. It’s tense.
And then….the plots are wrapped up too!
But wait…a sudden death of a police boss changes the course for Louise at the very end. She’s offered a new job on a new project because of her great negotiating skills.
Life goes on! What will the following books bring? Will I read them!? Maybe.
—————————————————————————
Overall….if I have the above all correct, I liked the depth of twists and mystery of both plots. It’s definitely more plot driven.
I didn’t think the characters were in depth enough…I wanted to know more about our sicko sociopath, his background, when he started and why/what made him do this etc …perhaps less on other lengthy non-interesting aspects and more on him!
It was more a mystery with a little thrill added.
Louise was likeable but didn’t seem strong enough. Though she appears more personable with Jonas by the end when he spills all! That’s another plot-line I wanted to know more about as this was a stand alone book read. Is there more in the prior books?
The narrator was annoying. Her voice being the only one and though some characters were done well, it lacked that something! I could not get into it. Yes it affected how I rated the story too.
I think the Scandinavian noir was absent; it did not seem like a Danish tale. At least an accent would have helped!
Book: 3.5-4* Audio: 1.5-2* max (it improved over time) Overall: 3-3.5*
Shocking, haunting, dark, disturbing and depraved opening which involves missing Scandinavian women and of course, a sociopath! This is one plot-line and it alternates with the second, about a missing religious, and historically significant, icon from the 1400’s…known as The Angel of Death.
It coincided with the death of a matriarch and disappearance of the patriarch; from the wealthy Sachs-Smith Family of Danish fame.
Before I go on I must ask this:
If you, the reader, has the book open whilst listening to the very American audio narration, did you find some big discrepancies, via translation?
Or did you think that, perhaps, details were deliberately changed in the audio plot?
The question is…what exactly is the icon? A painting? A glass panel? A sculpture?
Please comment below as I’m intrigued!
Did I read Glass panel in the book and hear sculpture or statue on the audio?? Or have I lost the plot??
Therefore I will only refer to this treasure as an icon. It did bristle me though. I tried to ignore this major difference and other minor descriptions.
So….back to the plot!
This extremely valuable, authentic icon, along with a display copy of it (but smaller in size) had been in the hands of the Sachs-Smith family for centuries it seems!
Where is it from and how did they come to own it?
We hear some detail of it originating from an exhibit in Constantinople (Turkey), at the Hagia Sophia. Quite a tourist destination today! And that basilica is impressive I recall.
Historic rumours say the family smuggled it out in 1453 and only a few members knew about its existence. This secret was evidently passed down through select ancestors only.
Indeed, the Angel is already stolen then!
Would not the Hagia Sophia and the Turks have attempted to retrieve their treasure over time? Maybe they, or others, still are?
Is this the plot-line? I was hoping it was. Historian POV/information would have been beneficial in this tale to take the icon to a higher status in the plot; though the plot weaves around its existence there are several other plot lines in the mix.
Indeed, the icon was ‘owned’ by the Sachs-Smiths but has suddenly disappeared from the family home since the death of the mother (murder by diabetic medication was questioned & son, Carl Emil was a diabetic!), and the equally bizarre disappearance of the father. Is he alive or dead?
Naturally the original icon is assumed stolen…but by whom? A family member or someone else? Our intrigue grows. But it’s the suspicious son, Carl-Emil, who steers the plot’s direction from now on; which family member has it?
We soon learn that he will go to great lengths in regaining it, especially after learning that their father had a smaller replica on display instead, which was left in the family home.
We discover also, that this overtly wealthy and powerful family have their own demons. Something has made these people dysfunctional with each other. Or someone. It’s a typical pattern in family sagas.
But how is this plot linked to a sociopath’s deathly macabre ‘art’ display which we hear about intermittently? It’s sordid and sickening!
The police are not aware of this sociopath yet, nor his female models….but we are! We assume its all connected to the missing women?
Initially, the two, or possibly three plots, are obviously not related. But our instinct, and the fact we are privy to a sociopath’s behaviour, tells you that they eventually will be! It’s a drawcard to read on.
However, I think I would have preferred to discover the gross display and the manner in which it was created and built, much later. The author could have had the sociopathic artist in his normalised role, during the plot…without a clue to us. The shock factor might have worked far more! (Think of The girl with the Dragon Tattoo…the son, the ending!)
Anyway, she didn’t and we start putting it together even when red herrings occur.
Karl Emil’s sister has a young daughter, Isobel, an heir. He is fond of her but not so much her mother. Jealousy? He suspects she knows more about the real missing angel icon. It sends him over the edge.
We also learn that the father is actually alive and in hiding overseas. This will surprise his offspring! Does he have the authentic icon? Suspicion mounts.
Conveniently, the father is being interviewed over the phone by a Danish journalist, Camilla, a friend of the main protagonist, the investigator, Louise Rick. She and her police investigating team have been in the story thus far but have not impressed me really.
Camilla also happened to have had a very convenient relationship with another Sachs-Smith brother, Frederick, who lives in America. Guessing the father trusts her!
Later in the story, Frederick and Camilla have a steamy rendezvous in Denmark. Of course! But his existence doesn’t impact the plot really. But is her interest in this family professional or personal, or both? Not sure I like Camilla’s attitude either. Especially on audio.
In between this stolen family angel icon plot, and the missing girls which Louise and team are investigating (no connections being made thus far), we are being carried along by the continuing sadistic thoughts of a sociopath.
Indeed, this artistic lover of women is brimming with pride about his deathly art display…dehydrated bodies, new eyes, rehydrated and exhibited! It’s a chilling and ghoulish read.
But remember, we are only privy to this. I felt like a drone circling the plots but not touching down.
Meanwhile, Louise and the investigators are involved in talking to a missing girl’s mother and helping her sort out her daughter’s belongings. There’s no clue as to why she disappeared after leaving for a Spanish holiday.
Another sub plot brings us into Louise’s home-front situation with her foster son, Jonas. He has been misbehaving at school. The teacher rings; she is totally over him and has no empathy at all! Most unprofessional really. It irked me!
Louise really doesn’t spend much time with Jonas due to her heavy workload but has a downstairs neighbour, Melvin, who appears kindhearted and a good role model…Jonas enjoys doing puzzles with him. They are likeable characters.
But….you do wonder about leaving a boy with an older man! There is definitely something amiss with Jonas. He needs counselling. Louise cannot fathom it all as he’s good at home. Mmmm…
Indeed, she and the investigative team are stretched to their limits soon enough. Police procedural processes are described and Louise is going about her job well enough. And the boss is not a likeable guy; there’s obvious tension in the air.
By the halfway mark you may find yourself a tad bored. There seems to be quite a bit of filling without much action. Characters are not developing enough; perhaps a few too many?
And the plots aren’t intersecting. I thought the book was a 3-3.5* at this point. The audio was grating! 1.5*!! I am not American but oh that accent!!! It did not work in a Danish setting. At all!!
But hang on….we have something gritty happening. Finally!
Finding the historic icon becomes a magnet for Carl Emil who, by now, has become extremely desperate. He’s watching his niece outside her dance class….and for a while you wonder if he’s after her or the nanny…or if he’s, in fact, involved with the mystery of these missing women?
These plots might intersect at last!
But he’s convinced his sister knows where the original icon is and he wants to get back at her! He is driven now! And the plot is character driven.
The million dollar icon tag lures him into luring Isobel into his web. He kidnaps her. Blackmailing his sister for the icon.
But he also becomes involved in helping his sister find Isobel! He needs to be seen to care. He also discovers that she knows nothing about the icon, like himself. He’s beyond help now as he can’t just bring Isobel back….she knows too much.
The reader is now invested. Action and suspense moves this story along at a faster rate. My rating is going up.
Camilla speaks to the father.
The patriarch decides to return to Denmark after the granddaughter disappears. But she’s pretty comfortable in her uncle’s place watching dance movies and eating pizza. For a while only!
The pace picks up….the authentic icon is discovered and taken to a secret rendezvous…Camilla is involved and she tells Carl Emil.
But someone else is lurking.
Soon enough, a murder occurs, the icon ends up in the wrong hands, and we discover actually who!
Isobel is taken.
The investigative team are faced with a major crime over Isobel’s kidnapping. Louise’s negotiating skills with Isobel’s mother and then texting the kidnapper about the icon and Isobel etc is gripping. But then the texting stops.
Carl Emil has also disappeared. His home is a clue. The truth is soon discovered. But where is Isobel?
Louise is told to investigate a psychic who is in a care home; appearing mentally unstable and childlike, her room mate tells Louise that she has found other missing people before.
She mentions an arch. And to hurry up, there’s little time left…Isobel can’t hang on.
In the meantime, a missing girl escapes death (on the way to being delivered to the sociopathic
‘artist’). A car accident; wrapped in carpet, barely breathing but manages to survive.
Indeed, more clues and information is given to the police. They need to move fast now!
We learn also, that the missing Scandinavian women were procured from Spain after being followed and captured to sell.
The police find the laboratory, come art studio, and the horrific discovery of siliconised women in glass cabinets, or coffins, under soft lighting. It’s a sight for sore eyes and what a fright they receive!
The missing women are found though…but not alive. A gallery I would not like visiting!
I won’t divulge who the artistic culprit is! It’s the connection between the icon and the missing women. At last!
There is a clue very early on but it didn’t trigger suspicion then…until now. He is responsible for causing friction in the family though!
He tries to escape and succeeds, even through road blocks. But is conned at last when he falls for a trap in a huge house where he expected to sell the icon. But someone else is on the ball! It’s a gripping description. Suspense is high.
A race against time is on; a trip to the Basilica finds nothing at first but then Louise looks up…you guessed it…an arch!
Below it, a trap door in the floor where Isobel is wrapped up, barely breathing; like the missing woman. It’s tense.
And then….the plots are wrapped up too!
But wait…a sudden death of a police boss changes the course for Louise at the very end. She’s offered a new job on a new project because of her great negotiating skills.
Life goes on! What will the following books bring? Will I read them!? Maybe.
—————————————————————————
Overall….if I have the above all correct, I liked the depth of twists and mystery of both plots. It’s definitely more plot driven.
I didn’t think the characters were in depth enough…I wanted to know more about our sicko sociopath, his background, when he started and why/what made him do this etc …perhaps less on other lengthy non-interesting aspects and more on him!
It was more a mystery with a little thrill added.
Louise was likeable but didn’t seem strong enough. Though she appears more personable with Jonas by the end when he spills all! That’s another plot-line I wanted to know more about as this was a stand alone book read. Is there more in the prior books?
The narrator was annoying. Her voice being the only one and though some characters were done well, it lacked that something! I could not get into it. Yes it affected how I rated the story too.
I think the Scandinavian noir was absent; it did not seem like a Danish tale. At least an accent would have helped!
Book: 3.5-4* Audio: 1.5-2* max (it improved over time) Overall: 3-3.5*
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 14, 2018
The Stolen Angel entails several mysteries with many different components.
Louise is a Police Dept. hostage negotiator. she has a foster son. The story lines include missing persons, murder, murder investigations, abductions, theft, job politics and foster care issues. I think the foster son was brought into the picture to humanize Louise's character but along with all of the plots and sub-plots it seemed unnecessary and really muddied the story.
Being a Danish to English translation, the names of the characters, areas and places almost drove me nuts!
Much of the story was very predictable except for one ah-ha moment where the worst villain was revealed. There were more than one unsavory characters which again muddied everything. there were loose ends not tied up and the ending came about quickly (like how fast can I finish this novel?!) with Louise put into a neat box for the story to end. There was just way too much going on in this book none of which was well developed.
Louise is a Police Dept. hostage negotiator. she has a foster son. The story lines include missing persons, murder, murder investigations, abductions, theft, job politics and foster care issues. I think the foster son was brought into the picture to humanize Louise's character but along with all of the plots and sub-plots it seemed unnecessary and really muddied the story.
Being a Danish to English translation, the names of the characters, areas and places almost drove me nuts!
Much of the story was very predictable except for one ah-ha moment where the worst villain was revealed. There were more than one unsavory characters which again muddied everything. there were loose ends not tied up and the ending came about quickly (like how fast can I finish this novel?!) with Louise put into a neat box for the story to end. There was just way too much going on in this book none of which was well developed.
April 27, 2020
I've become a big Sara Blaedel fan. This is the fifth Louise Rick (her novel's detective) book I've read, three within the last week. This one may be the most suspenseful yet because it involves the kidnapping of a young child. The villain of the piece also buys murdered women's bodies and preserves them in silicone. We met the family of the victims in Blaedel's last book, one of the wealthiest in Denmark. The adult children in this family have taken over the business and are now trying to sell an ancient artifact that has been illegally in the family for generations. All of this intrigue involves both Louise and her friend Camilla, a reporter who has discovered that the matriarch of the family was murdered, perhaps by one of her own children. If all this seems too much for one book, it's not; it's so tightly woven together that the read is smooth and delightful.
April 3, 2021
I wasn’t able to indulge as deeply with this one, due to a busy work week. This one is about a valuable icon that’s been hidden in a powerful Danish Family. The young son is greedy and a downright jerk and all he wants to do is sell it for himself snd pocket millions. He’s already broken up the famiky company snd pushed his father out. Now hud father is missing after hid mother’s untimely death.
All the while, there are a string of missing women, a madman creating works of art with them, the inter family drama that Camilla managed to get involved with after meeting the elder son in America. Now she’s trying to help find the icon, but no to sell it. I like the string of ongoing person story between detective and reporter. Again, this one ended when I wasn’t ready with Louise heading up a new department.
All the while, there are a string of missing women, a madman creating works of art with them, the inter family drama that Camilla managed to get involved with after meeting the elder son in America. Now she’s trying to help find the icon, but no to sell it. I like the string of ongoing person story between detective and reporter. Again, this one ended when I wasn’t ready with Louise heading up a new department.
October 25, 2021
Cada livro que leio de Sarah Blædel deixa-me sempre curiosa para ler mais.
É apenas o segundo livro que leio com a Detective Louise Rick mas mais uma vez adorei.
Adoro aprender mais sobre a complexidade das personagens, sejam secundárias ou principais. O enredo é fantástico e adoro como é explorado e me deixa sempre intrigada. Gostaria que a situação entre Louise e o filho tivessem sido um pouco nas exploradas mas a história principal foi sem dúvida imensamente interessante.
Mais uma vez não consegui antecipar o que iria acontecer e não consegui parar até obter respostas. Uma verdadeira montanha-russa de mistérios, num cenário sombrio e típicos dos países Nórdicos, com personagens complexas e intrigantes! O que mais se pode pedir?
Tenho a certeza que irei ler mais livros desta fantástica autora no futuro próximo.
É apenas o segundo livro que leio com a Detective Louise Rick mas mais uma vez adorei.
Adoro aprender mais sobre a complexidade das personagens, sejam secundárias ou principais. O enredo é fantástico e adoro como é explorado e me deixa sempre intrigada. Gostaria que a situação entre Louise e o filho tivessem sido um pouco nas exploradas mas a história principal foi sem dúvida imensamente interessante.
Mais uma vez não consegui antecipar o que iria acontecer e não consegui parar até obter respostas. Uma verdadeira montanha-russa de mistérios, num cenário sombrio e típicos dos países Nórdicos, com personagens complexas e intrigantes! O que mais se pode pedir?
Tenho a certeza que irei ler mais livros desta fantástica autora no futuro próximo.
February 25, 2022
Louise es la detective asignada a un caso en donde una niña de 8 años ha sido secuestrada. Están dispuestos a entregar a la niña a cambio de una obra de arte que tiene la familia. La obra es invaluable pero aparte acaba de ser robada, así que están luchando contra reloj. Además la detective está investigando un caso de una mujer danesa desaparecida en la costa del sol y resulta que todo está conectado.
Pues, el libro es un thriller, se lee rápido, peeero está medio confuso. Hay demasiadas cosas pasando a la vez y luego las conectan pero apenitas. Está bien escrito y entretenido para pasar el rato, pero si piensas como que están conectando cosas random. Al parecer es una serie, con los mismos personajes, y alomejor teniendo esa backstory hace más sentido el libro.
Pues, el libro es un thriller, se lee rápido, peeero está medio confuso. Hay demasiadas cosas pasando a la vez y luego las conectan pero apenitas. Está bien escrito y entretenido para pasar el rato, pero si piensas como que están conectando cosas random. Al parecer es una serie, con los mismos personajes, y alomejor teniendo esa backstory hace más sentido el libro.
January 3, 2024
While the overall story was somewhat interesting, I didn’t enjoy this book as much. The lead character is very passive - both in regards to the case and her personal life. Things just kind of seem to happen to her. She doesn’t really play a major part in solving the case, except for one random moment of brilliance at the very end. Otherwise, the case just kind of happens and runs its course with bad luck and random people bringing justice to the bad guys. This is the second book I read in this series and I was really hoping it would get me hocked. But it didn’t. I will not be reading further books in this series.
December 3, 2023
3⭐️
It started out slow but compelling enough that I would read a few chapters here and there. It was a little hard to keep track of characters and names at first. The book really started to pick up around the halfway mark and then I couldn’t put it down. Although it ended a little too abruptly for my liking. For example, the blurb on the back of the book said “…until the final shocking twist” so I kept waiting for more and then all of a sudden I was at the acknowledgments page. Kind of disappointing.
It started out slow but compelling enough that I would read a few chapters here and there. It was a little hard to keep track of characters and names at first. The book really started to pick up around the halfway mark and then I couldn’t put it down. Although it ended a little too abruptly for my liking. For example, the blurb on the back of the book said “…until the final shocking twist” so I kept waiting for more and then all of a sudden I was at the acknowledgments page. Kind of disappointing.
July 26, 2025
the stories are interesting so I keep reading but i don't like louise as much as i wish i did. i think that might change, towards the end of the novel i was liking her more.
this one felt a little more unbalanced then previous works; it splits into two stories - a serial killer killing women and a rich family with an artifact worth even more money then they already have but it's been taken; and so has the patriarch's grand daughter. it all comes together in the end but all this mess for this artifact never felt worth it to me.
this one felt a little more unbalanced then previous works; it splits into two stories - a serial killer killing women and a rich family with an artifact worth even more money then they already have but it's been taken; and so has the patriarch's grand daughter. it all comes together in the end but all this mess for this artifact never felt worth it to me.
April 11, 2018
This was a good read when you focused on the developing relationships - between Louise and Jonas, Camilla and Frederick, Louise and Camilla. A lot of ground was covered, and they’re developing very realistically.
The Angel of Death just wasn’t as interesting an artifact as I wanted it to be, and I didn’t think the guilty party was that hard to spot. Tying the two stories together was the more entertaining part for me.
Worth checking out if you like mysteries.
The Angel of Death just wasn’t as interesting an artifact as I wanted it to be, and I didn’t think the guilty party was that hard to spot. Tying the two stories together was the more entertaining part for me.
Worth checking out if you like mysteries.
July 14, 2019
Overall, I enjoyed this one about as much as the rest of Blaedel's books I've read, but at times it seemed like there were too many story-lines going on. Granted, Blaedel wrapped them together nicely, and toward the end I put off making dinner just so I could finish the book (I didn't want to put it down), but, for a bit, it did seem like she was trying to tell one too many stories within the pages of one book.
March 28, 2021
So far Sara Blaedel has always told a good story, or perhaps stories as there are overlapping stories including detective searches as well as personal interactions in this one and in her other books as well. Someone referred to it as a standalone novel and it could be but there is much interaction and conversations that would be lost if one hadn't read the previous books. I intend to continue to read her books and recommend her for all who like Scandinavian mysteries.
May 9, 2025
I have to say that mysteries or thrillers that involve a criminal mastermind with psycho-sexual problems that manifest in some really grotesque ways of killing or abusing women is one of my least favorite things and this one has that. On the other hand, I like Louise Rick quite a bit and am excited at the prospects for her heading her own department. Camilla remains a bonehead.
I'm not sure why I am still reading these - I guess I keep waiting for them to get better.
I'm not sure why I am still reading these - I guess I keep waiting for them to get better.
January 30, 2018
3.5 stjerner
Der foregår rigtig meget og der er mange sideløbende historier i denne bog. Hvis man formår at holde tungen lige i munden, så synes jeg de forskellige historier bliver vævet godt sammen og der bliver ligeså stille dannet et helt billede.
Bogen var velskrevet, spændende og underholdende, men ikke hendes bedste bog i serien.
Der foregår rigtig meget og der er mange sideløbende historier i denne bog. Hvis man formår at holde tungen lige i munden, så synes jeg de forskellige historier bliver vævet godt sammen og der bliver ligeså stille dannet et helt billede.
Bogen var velskrevet, spændende og underholdende, men ikke hendes bedste bog i serien.
February 11, 2018
I enjoy this Louise Rick series. This book carries on directly from the previous one in the series (The Running Girl), with carried-over story lines.
This one focuses mostly on the perpetrators, with much less focus on Louise and her family/friends. Made for a very tense and different plot, though I wanted to find out more about what had been going on with Jonas (Louise’s foster son.)
This one focuses mostly on the perpetrators, with much less focus on Louise and her family/friends. Made for a very tense and different plot, though I wanted to find out more about what had been going on with Jonas (Louise’s foster son.)
March 20, 2018
A rich Danish family hides an ill gotten religious icon for many years. Two of them lose their lives over it. I found it very hard to relate emotionally to the characters in this book making it a difficult read for me. Plot was sufficiently complicated, but the lack of connection to the characters really left the book lacking for me.
June 23, 2018
Two stolen angels in this book—a rare treasured icon and a little girl. Lots of intrigue and betrayals. The kidnaper of the little girl demands the icon as ransom, but it’s missing. Who has it and will it be found in time? Danish detective Louise a Rick is on the case.
Plot seemed less believable to me than her other works.
Plot seemed less believable to me than her other works.
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