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Oslo Crime Files #4
Sikre tegn på din død
Norsk / Norwegian / Norwegisch
408 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
33 people are currently reading
100 people want to read
About the author
Torkil Damhaug
24 books47 followersTorkil Damhaug (1958–) has a degree in medicine with a specialisation in psychiatry. His début novel, Flykt, måne (The Flight of the Moon) caused a great stir when it appeared in 1996. Syk Rose (Ailing Rose) was also well received by the critics.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
July 24, 2017
I thought that this story was frightening and very sad that a young child of eight witnesses a father killing someone with a gun. I am sure other readers will feel the same. As I liked this book I put an extract from the book on my book site www.ireadnovels.wordpress.com Twitter@favouritenovels
July 9, 2025
Dette var ikke min beste Damhaug. Han forteller og skriver strålende, men her var det for mange personligheter, reaksjoner og situasjoner jeg ikke helt greide å tro på….
April 27, 2017
I would Like to thank Netgalley and Headline for a review copy of Certain Signs That You Are Dead, the fourth in a series of crime novels set in Oslo.
The novel revolves around 2 main characters Sigurd Woods who gets into some extremely dangerous situations helping his mysterious girlfriend, Katya, and Arash, an Iranian immigrant with PTSD who loses the patient from the blurb and may have more to do with it than he is saying.
This is a difficult novel to review without issuing spoilers as so much happens after these initial events and it is all interlinked. It is very slow to start with the author concentrating on Sigurd and Katya's relationship. A confident 23 year old, Sigurd is making a good living through network marketing. The product sounds extremely dodgy but perhaps that gives an insight into Sigurd's personality as he's not as upstanding as the original impression. His behaviour over Katja's lies is inexplicable, constantly deciding to dump her and then rushing to help her. Arash doesn't make an appearance until 15% into the novel when the patient he is supposed to be moving from A&E to the orthopedics ward vanishes. This is a mixture of very recognisable hospital incompetence and something more. Arash is one of the few likeable characters in a novel populated with people you wouldn't want to spend time with.Like Sigurd he is caught up in events that have nothing to do with him.
Certain Signs That You Are Dead, after the initial slow start, is a fairly high octane read with plenty going on, both action and plot wise. It isn't fundamentally complicated but it switches between points of view, Sigurd, Arash and Sigurd's mother, the pathologist Jenny Platerud and can be allusive in parts so you need to concentrate. I couldn't follow the reasoning behind the title as it's all a bit airy-fairy for me.
I enjoyed this novel so I have no hesitation in recommending it as a good read.
The novel revolves around 2 main characters Sigurd Woods who gets into some extremely dangerous situations helping his mysterious girlfriend, Katya, and Arash, an Iranian immigrant with PTSD who loses the patient from the blurb and may have more to do with it than he is saying.
This is a difficult novel to review without issuing spoilers as so much happens after these initial events and it is all interlinked. It is very slow to start with the author concentrating on Sigurd and Katya's relationship. A confident 23 year old, Sigurd is making a good living through network marketing. The product sounds extremely dodgy but perhaps that gives an insight into Sigurd's personality as he's not as upstanding as the original impression. His behaviour over Katja's lies is inexplicable, constantly deciding to dump her and then rushing to help her. Arash doesn't make an appearance until 15% into the novel when the patient he is supposed to be moving from A&E to the orthopedics ward vanishes. This is a mixture of very recognisable hospital incompetence and something more. Arash is one of the few likeable characters in a novel populated with people you wouldn't want to spend time with.Like Sigurd he is caught up in events that have nothing to do with him.
Certain Signs That You Are Dead, after the initial slow start, is a fairly high octane read with plenty going on, both action and plot wise. It isn't fundamentally complicated but it switches between points of view, Sigurd, Arash and Sigurd's mother, the pathologist Jenny Platerud and can be allusive in parts so you need to concentrate. I couldn't follow the reasoning behind the title as it's all a bit airy-fairy for me.
I enjoyed this novel so I have no hesitation in recommending it as a good read.
October 11, 2024
It took me almost two weeks to read this, cause it didn't really grip me at all. Which was quite surprising as I really enjoyed the previous book in this series. Torkil, I know you can do so much better!
September 4, 2017
All of my reviews can be found at: https://hookedfrompageoneblog.wordpre...
Certain Signs that You are Dead is the first book by Torkil Damhaug which I have read and it is the fourth book in the Oslo Crime Files series. Although I hadn’t read the previous books in the series I had no problem getting into this book and it made for a very enjoyable read, I highly recommend it.
Sigurd Woods believes his girlfriend, Katya is having an affair. He has watched her talking with a stranger and now she is leaving him for several days and gives him very little information about what she is doing, it begins to drive Sigurd mad and he sets out to discover the truth about what she has been doing behind his back. But when he discovers the truth behind her mysterious past and what she has been getting up to, he finds himself in a dangerous situation and he must make the decision whether he should help Katya or not. Is their relationship really worth fighting for?
The book is filled with plenty of action, especially towards the end. I thought it was an intelligently plotted thriller and I enjoyed getting to know Torkil’s characters. I found Sigurd and his mother Jenny particularly intriguing. Whilst they both find themselves caught up in this dangerous case they both have their problems at home to worry about. Sigurd’s brother puts a huge strain on the family due to his increasing debt, I thought this was interesting back story to explore and for me it opened up their characters.
If you’re a fan of Jo Nesbo, then you have to give this a go, it’s a series that I’ll be keeping an eye out and I’m keen to read the previous books. Thank you to Millie Seaward at Headline and Bookbridgr for sending me a copy to review.
Certain Signs that You are Dead is the first book by Torkil Damhaug which I have read and it is the fourth book in the Oslo Crime Files series. Although I hadn’t read the previous books in the series I had no problem getting into this book and it made for a very enjoyable read, I highly recommend it.
Sigurd Woods believes his girlfriend, Katya is having an affair. He has watched her talking with a stranger and now she is leaving him for several days and gives him very little information about what she is doing, it begins to drive Sigurd mad and he sets out to discover the truth about what she has been doing behind his back. But when he discovers the truth behind her mysterious past and what she has been getting up to, he finds himself in a dangerous situation and he must make the decision whether he should help Katya or not. Is their relationship really worth fighting for?
The book is filled with plenty of action, especially towards the end. I thought it was an intelligently plotted thriller and I enjoyed getting to know Torkil’s characters. I found Sigurd and his mother Jenny particularly intriguing. Whilst they both find themselves caught up in this dangerous case they both have their problems at home to worry about. Sigurd’s brother puts a huge strain on the family due to his increasing debt, I thought this was interesting back story to explore and for me it opened up their characters.
If you’re a fan of Jo Nesbo, then you have to give this a go, it’s a series that I’ll be keeping an eye out and I’m keen to read the previous books. Thank you to Millie Seaward at Headline and Bookbridgr for sending me a copy to review.
May 18, 2024
this book has a good story line, but sometimes you feel lost. maybe because i did not familiar with this kind of writing. it is hard to finish it, but still enjoy reading. i did not know this is the 4th book.
May 7, 2017
Dark, brooding, atmospheric, typical skandi noir. Very enjoyable
December 1, 2020
Hvordan er det mulig at en forfatter skriver så ufattelig bra, men samtidig dårlig?
June 30, 2022
Certain Signs That You are Dead!! Great book!!
October 19, 2013
En brukbar spenningsbok med mange tråder å nøste opp. Her er traumatiserte krigsflyktninger, overgripere fra andre verdenskrig, medisinske forskere og brutale ungdomsgjenger. Dersom man klarer å holde tunga rett i munnen er dette en god thriller, men kanskje har forfatteren til tider prøvd å være litt FOR interessant? Enkelte passasjer i boka blir såpass svevende at det går utover konsentrasjonen, men til slutt klarer man å knytte alt sammen på en brukbar måte. Vi møter igjen noen av personene i "Ildmannen" men handlingen har forflyttet seg til mindre urbane områder.
March 29, 2016
Certain Signs that you are Dead (Olso crime files 4
Four stars for this book have read all in this series and found this one the hardest to follow but kept going and enjoyed it
Four stars for this book have read all in this series and found this one the hardest to follow but kept going and enjoyed it
May 18, 2017
Certain Signs That You Are Dead By Torkil Damhaug.
Every killer leaves a trace.
In Akershus University Hospital, a patient disappears into thin air.
That evening, his body is found in a basement box-room, his throat cut.
When retired forensic pathologist Jennifer Plåterud is called in to examine the dead man, she has no idea of just how closely she is involved in the murder herself.
And in the merciless heat of summer, she will be forced to make connections she would have preferred to ignore..
This was a fantastic read with brilliant characters. I couldn't put it down. Even though it was book 4 I still read it. I wanted to know what happened. 5*. Netgalley and headline.
Every killer leaves a trace.
In Akershus University Hospital, a patient disappears into thin air.
That evening, his body is found in a basement box-room, his throat cut.
When retired forensic pathologist Jennifer Plåterud is called in to examine the dead man, she has no idea of just how closely she is involved in the murder herself.
And in the merciless heat of summer, she will be forced to make connections she would have preferred to ignore..
This was a fantastic read with brilliant characters. I couldn't put it down. Even though it was book 4 I still read it. I wanted to know what happened. 5*. Netgalley and headline.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews