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Oslo Detectives #1

by Kjell Ola Dahl, Carla Joustra (Translator)

Vanachter zijn raam volgt de oude Johansen dagelijks het liefdesleven van de jonge en levenslustige Reidun Rosemdal. Tot Reidun plotseling op brute wijze wordt vermoord. De politie van Oslo wordt erbij gehaald en op hun zoektocht naar de moordenaar stuiten de inspecteurs Gunnarstranda en Frølich op pornografische lectuur, en dat niet alleen in de woning van de heer Johansen. Wie zijn degenen die het bed met Reidun hebben gedeeld? Welke geheimen verbergt de computerfirma, waar Reidun het laatst heeft gewerkt?

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Fiction, Nordic Noir, Scandinavian Literature, Thriller, Procedural

ebook

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Born in 1958, Dahl's first novel was published in 1993. He is best known for his series about Oslo detectives Frank Frølich and Inspector Gunnarstranda.

Also publishes as K.O. Dahl

Reviews

[Barbara ★ · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are much fewer male authors I like than female authors. Unfortunately this isn't one of them. Though in all honesty part of the problem could be the translation but I'll never know as this isn't an author I'd read again. Even without knowing K.O. Dahl was a guy, I knew just from the writing style and how he portrayed and described his female characters.

Check out this...
"A babe in a tart costume inched her way out of a taxi, revealingly. Legs first."
If there is another way to climb out of a vehicle, this reader isn't aware of it.

And a sentence later...
"both wriggled their way sideways from the queue, the woman with bashful, downcast eyes, as though she were walking topless on the beach."
This is the same woman barely five minutes later. Now which is she...shy or a tramp?

[Silver · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had to put down this book at page 96. I feel like someone's puked on me. This book is incredibly misogynist. Every woman is described by her sexual attractiveness, physical attributes, and favorite sexual position. If it weren't a library book, I'd throw it in the recycling bin. Ugh.

Descriptions of five different women:

P.95: A bowl of jelly fleeing a children's party, he thought and braced himself... Black leggings at bursting point over the stomach. Her whole body pitched and rolled."

P.90: "Controlled. Proper. Breasts camouflaged in a loose-fitting blouse. Long, slim legs under shapeless culottes, and her face made up in a cultivated manner to emphasize personality."

P.79: "Lisa Stenerson's face was smooth and girlish. Nevertheless, now that she was wearing her outdoor clothes, her age came clearly to the fore. That, and two flat, slipper-like shoes, made her look like a revue act."

P.68: "She seemed uncomfortable in her office clothes. They clung too tight. The result was a physical ungainliness that was not at all necessary."

P.33: "'Our young filly.' He winked at Frank. 'Pert pear-shaped tits, the type that bounce around! High buttocks. Rounded, and ginger pussy hair."

It goes on, ad nauseam.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

In my quest to read as many Scandi Noir series as I can, I’ve had this one on my to be read shelf since 2020. Finally picked it up to give Kjell Dahl’s Oslo Detective series a go. I actually really liked it and I’m glad I finally read it. It’s somewhere between Jo Nesbø and Henning Mankell for me.. kind of grounded with earthy and authentic characters, no holds barred and pulls no punches. Politically incorrect and sometimes slightly cringey not in a cliche kind of way but in a ‘you can’t say that’ kind of way. Yet, that’s precisely what I like about it whether I should or not is another thing.

The Oslo detectives are Frank Frølich and Chief Inspector Gunnarstranda and these two work in tandem on a case that explores everything from money laundering fake businesses, disgruntled vengeful jilted lovers, all the usual kind of ingredients. Add to this the backdrop of downtown Oslo and surrounds that Dahl describes with clarity and accuracy, and we have all the elements of the genre that I have grown to love.

I will definitely read more of this series. 4 stars for this one.

[Kokos · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid Nordic crime, likeable pair of detectives, no unnecessary personal dramas (yet?), progressing the investigation seemed a bit random at times. Also occasionally difficult to follow the plot but I think this is due to the translation.

[Curt Buchmeier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspector Gunnarstranda of the Oslo Police, middle-aged, widowed and cynical, and his younger #2, Frank Frolich, are entertaining, unique and believable. One of the best teams in the genre I've read in a long time. This is technically a prequel to Dahl's previous books with this same team (as far as I know). Written in first person with biting insights that, to author K O Dahl's credit, give this novel a leg up on the rest of the Nordic Noir writers.
Along with a small apartment in the Capital, Gunnarstranda owns a cabin in the woods an hour or two out of Oslo. His wife got sick and died a couple of years prior to the setting of the novel(early/mid 90's). The cabin and it's garden was his wife's, and is now the Inspector's, passion. He doesn't get to spend much time at his refuge due to his round the clock crime-solving occupation/obsession. Early in the book, he does get down there for one night. A neighbor, name of Sorby, approaches the policeman as he pulls up and is just getting out of his car. The following excerpt is indicative of the entire novel.
"Sorby belonged to a coterie of pensioners who stuck together out here, partied, played accordion and dressed in rags. The policeman did not like him. The man was an old windbag. Talked about his kids as if he were confiding state secrets. Gunnarstranda couldn't give a flying fart about people's children or grandchildren. Least of all those this fat bastard was responsible for begetting."
I recognize these people; can relate to the emotion and I admire the ability to weave it into the narrative.
Gunnerstranda is small of stature, too thin, bald, chain-smokes and is a wickedly accurate judge of people and their motives. He's short with words and doesn't suffer fools. Puts me in mind of a Hammett antagonist without the macho/romantic undertones.
His main (only?) trusted team member in the homicide dept. is Detective Frank Frolich. Younger, large, intimidating when need be, street-smart, has a girlfriend, likes a drink or two and can talk to Gunnarstranda like noone else. Kind of a ying to Gunnarstranda's yang; Watson to Holmes (Hardy to Laurel?). You get the idea. He's dependable and believes in the Inspector's abilities and hunches. They are a tight-knit team and trust and confide in each other exclusively.
The novel opens with a 20-something female sales person found stabbed to death in her small flat in a posh housing area of Oslo that used to be the warehouse district. None of the neighbors heard or saw anything; or so it seems. Very late one night the two detectives are again at the murder scene, the apartment has been gone over and the forensics team is long gone. Gunnarstranda turns out the lights and notices another apartment, above and across the way, that still has a light on. Shades of Rear Window here. Gunnarstranda takes off with a bewildered Frolich in tow to find out what, if anything, the night owl neighbor with a bird's eye view saw. Turns out the neighbor is no Jimmy Stewart but he saw a lot. And the game is afoot. Plenty of suspects, a couple of unexpected twists, a couple more murders winding up in a clean, believable ending with no loose ends that I could think of. Very entertaining; an incredible ability to build believable characters and a terrific ride. With this first read of Dahl, I have to say he is one of the best of the genre and I highly recommend.

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book I wanted to read but was slow getting down to read it.
This a Police procedural with a couple of forgettable detectives, Gunnarstranda and Frølich. Not as engrossing as more modern reads but part of the wider genre so worth a read. However,the Sjöwall-Wahlöö's Martin Beck Police Mystery series is closer to this novel and that is where the comparison ends. This book has a reasonable plot but the author losing it in the telling. The reader is as much in the dark as the investigators and they rely on chance to help solve the mystery when a lack of solid police work initial leaves the case stalled with more victims adding to the body count.
The book wasn't evenly paced and a lack of final momentum meant you didn't rush to the end of the story. Some good points and character notes to take forward into other stories in this series so I'll eventually seek these out.
A good book but in a competitive genre can't be heard to shout out "read me".

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tho Dahl is compared to Mankell, I'd say no comparison. A good read - but his detectives are not very interesting in their procedures or their personalities. Also, little about Norwegian society. Little sense of what it means to be a Norwegian these days - which is what I usually like about Scandenavian mysteries. Still - a good read and I had no idea "who done it."

[Ken Fredette · Rating 3 out of 5]

It may be the translator but the beginning was rough to read. It had nice concepts and it was a good plot but it didn't have the staying power to keep you reading.

[Jessica · Rating 1 out of 5]

Couldn't even finish it

[Jess · Rating 1 out of 5]

Was excited to start this book with all the raving reviews and story plot. Returned the loan after third page.

‘She lay as in dreaming, sleeping soundlessly with her knees drawn in front of her breasts’

‘Her breasts rippled as she shrugged her shoulders and stared at the receiver’ -wtf? Cant imagine how many more mention of breasts since im only at my third page..

[Γιώτα Παπαδημακοπούλου · Rating 1 out of 5]

Το βιβλίο παραείναι μισογυνιστικό, ακόμα και για μένα που δεν συνηθίζω να επηρεάζομαι από κάτι τέτοια. Όχι ιδιαίτερα καλογραμμένο, κουραστικό, βαρετό και κυρίως ενοχλητικό, είναι από εκείνα τα έργα που σε κάνουν να αναρωτιέσαι κατά πόσο μπορείς να τα χαρακτηρίσεις ως λογοτεχνικά.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have really enjoyed catching up on this series. The more I read, the more I understand about the Detectives, Gunnarstranda and Frølich, the. clearer the picture I have of them in my head. And I really do like them. They may be contrasting characters, not just in age, but also in outlook, but they work well together and both have the drive to get to the truth of the investigation. And this one is pretty complex, hampered by a group of potential witnesses and suspects who make dishonesty an art form.

After the body of a young sales executive is found in her apartment, the victim of a very bloody attack, our two Detectives are drawn into a world of computer technology, speculative sales and the very complex romantic liaisons of their victim. Her latest partner is undoubtedly a suspect in her murder, but with more than the odd admirer not only in her workplace but in her neighbourhood too, but the truth is far more complex but at the same time perhaps the most common motive of all.

What I like about these books is the way that as readers we are drawn deep into the investigation. This is a complex case with a number of threads that link to some very suspect and unsavoury characters. The author, as always, does an excellent job of establishing those characters and thereby unveiling potential motives for the murder. There are a number of elements to this story which are slowly revealed to readers, but I must admit that as soon as I learned more of what the victim did for a living, I had an inkling as to where the story would lead. The book still held my attention though as whilst the potential why might have been obvious, the who definitely wasn't. You could tell from the start that something ominous was about to happen and, when it did, I was intrigued to see how it would wrap up, not expecting quite such a dramatic showdown at the end.

When reading, you do need to give some thought to the time at which this book was originally written and set. Today, you would think nothing about tech start-ups and new Apps and computer programmes almost seem ten a penny. The book was originally written in 1993, and so in that context, the whole idea of a tech firm, and development of investments into the industry, rings true and makes a perfect backdrop for the story.

The writing in this book is excellent, as is the translation, bringing both character and setting to life. From Gunnarstranda's love of botanics, to Frølich's relationship with Eva-Britt, I feel like I know the characters much better now and have a better handle on the nature of their working relationship, which changed so much over the course of the final few books in the series I read.

[Tony da Napoli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Must say I enjoyed this one. There seems to be some confusion as to the order of the series. Amazon/GR say one thing and other book sites say differently. consequently this is my second book of the series.
The Oslo detectives are pretty rough around the edges compared to many other police. As in not overly polite and condescending. As Dahl portrays them, they do not tolerate foolishness and tend to go straight to the point. Gunnar and Frank both show this tendency.
The crime/plot unfolding is well-paced with not a lot of personal backstory filler that many other writers feel the need to supply. I like that, personally.
If you are a fan of Nordic Noir you should like this. I am moving to whatever seems to be the next in the series. This stands alone easily.

[Kirsten · Rating 1 out of 5]

Eine junge Frau wird ermordet und ein alter Mann schaut zu. Die Spur führt zu einer Computerfirma, deren glänzenden Fassade sich etwas ganz anderes verspricht, als das Geschehen dahinter hält...

Gute Idee, aber schlechte Ausführung. Diese Beschreibung trifft das Buch am ehesten. Ich habe selten Ermittler kennen gelernt, die die Verdächtigen mit so viel Verachtung behandeln. Gleichzeitig hatte ich bei einigen der Charaktere durchaus den Eindruck, als ob sie diese Behandlung auch verdient haben, weil auch sie sich nicht anders verhalten. Dabei sind der durchaus interessante Ansatz und die Ermittlungen für mich leider auf der Strecke geblieben.

[Lili · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first of Oslo detectives Frank Frølich and Inspector Gunnarstranda series to be translated into English. The pair set out to investigate the murder of a young woman. This book started well with interesting first chapters; it lost its way a little, mainly because the nuts and bolts, i.e the plot and the narrative throughout the book was not developed interestingly enough to keep my attention.

[Bruce Hatton · Rating 1 out of 5]

The first of Mr Dahl's novels I've read will almost certainly be my last. A cast of cliched characters who were neither likeable nor interesting; a predictable, linear whodunnit revolving around a tedious financial scam, coupled with an adolescent obsession with irrelevant sexual matters. The only saving grace about this book was its brevity. At least I only wasted a couple of evenings getting through it.

[Nyssy · Rating 2 out of 5]

The beginning was hard to get into because the sentences ran on and there were no pause to catch your breath. One minute you’re reading about the guy leaving her bed then the next he’s yelling I didn’t do it. I had to go back and make sure I didn’t skip pages. It didn’t have a flow to it, I felt like I skipped chapters when I didn’t.

[Richard · Rating 1 out of 5]

First, there is no one in the entire cast of characters I liked. Second, I don't care which street they turned left or right on. The mystery was closely covered up until the end, however. Actually, you could just read the last 30 pages and save a lot of otherwise wasted time.

[Sherry Mackay · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF. Got halfway thru and thought 'life's too short'... is it just bad translation or bad writing? I think a bit of both. A lot of it is incomprehensible; characters I just can't fathom, and a story that just meanders. Weird stuff.

[Elizabeth Sulzby · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the first of the Gunnarstranda and Frolich (police detectives in Oslo) mysteries. The mystery began with a death which widens into other crimes throughout the book. I have read two other of this series (The Last Fix and The Man in the Window). I noted in the "review" space of The Last Fix that I was waiting to see how these two main characters are developed. This FIRST book gives me hints of my unease in reading the others.

From Gunnarstranda we get a fat annoying fellow who seems to relish in smoking in forbidden or impolite spaces. Frolich is said to have long arms and legs. Much is made of how the two fit into their work cars. Frolich seems to be the foil against which we are expected to see how Gunnarstranda goes through different theories of the related spaces and then gets to the solution. But neither man seem very interesting for me; I don't want to know more and, since reading this book, I want to know less about them and also other men in the book.

But it is the author's take on all the women--and there are many in this book. We are told tons about the young woman who was murdered at the begging of the book has a great figure, sexualized personality, willingness to lay and get laid. She is referred to as being intelligent but she does not show great curiosity about the mysteries in her Computer Partners company except to not like that she is being "left out" of the real goings on with the company even though we learn later that she has had an affair with the owner. The author also goes at length to let us know her other jobs weren't very important and were short term. For the rest of the women, they are described in detail about how vacant their glances are, evil glances, expensive clothes and furniture but poor taste, antagonism toward the police, and on and on and on. And, of course, for this writer, the shape of boobs and bums, still and in movement.

On the other hand, there are passages that describe scenery in different parts of Norway (one of my favorite countries) and also plants and flowers with great appreciation and details.

I think 3 books by this author is enough for me. A well plotted mystery cloaked by misogyny--or general animosity to the human race. 1.5 stars. (I could have read it in one sitting but it repelled me so I spread it over a few days.)

[John Hardy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read later ones in this series quite some time ago. Inspector Gunnarstranda is an interesting character, a bit unlike other cops. He's short, and people find it hard to believe he's really a cop. He's old, so he's experienced and observant, able to pick up subtleties of behaviour and location when interviewing. His relationship with his offsider Frolich is fairly formal, although could that be changing?
The author describes feelings of characters a lot - about all sorts of things. It gets tedious sometimes, and certainly added to the length of the book, over 330 pages.
The investigation is painstaking, and the victim's life is shown to have been less than pristine, revealing motive.
The dialogue is earthy in places, maybe revealing some Norwegian attitudes?
There is an exciting climax, a rare moment in a book which generally plods along. So, why four stars? I'm giving it a 3.6 rating, so it just sneaks in.

[Sharon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kjell Ola Dahl, translated by Don Bartlett. Norway.
Gunnarstranda & Frølich

**6 of the 11 novels have been published in English, these translations have been published in the reverse order to which they were written.

Lethal Investments #1. 1993/2012 .......iBook 2018. NOT often that I read a book that I have no connection, empathy or interest in any character!!! And that is just so long winded and slow to move along! Granted first in a series can mean introduction to characters and location but that isn’t the case.... 3/4 through the storyline finally picks up. Thank goodness as there are more in this series and they need to improve. I was keen because of the well known translator, so it’s not the issue! Nicely wrapped up ending with even more dead......think violent Christie rather than Noir!

[Randal · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Don't be fooled by the publisher's attempts to market this book as a "prequel" to Dahl's "Oslo Detectives" series. This book was written and published in Norway as the first book in the series, introducing series regulars Gunnarstranda and Frolich. However, it was the fourth book to be translated into English (the first four books in the series were translated in reverse chronological order for some unknown reason). That said, the first book that I read in the series, The Fourth Man (actually the 4th in the series, but the 1st in English), was a stronger book than this one, but the foundation for the series is set here.

[Michael Springer · Rating 3 out of 5]

An OK effort by KO Dahl as his Oslo detectives look into the murder of a young businesswoman. Was it a crime of passion, or is it tied to some shady dealings at the company? A decent read, not quite as good as The Man in the Window.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Only okay

I had a hard time getting into this one. I found myself putting it down and picking it up a week later which is not normally the case with crime novels and definitely made the plot unnecessarily hard to follow.

[David C Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite good. A sex crime turns into a financial crime turns into both and then something else. Low key and flatly described but very good on the exhaustion of the police, both physical and morale. Also has a background motif of body descriptions and body functions: hangovers, sex, vomit etc as well as lines, false teeth, wrinkles and rolls of fat.

[Nicola · Rating 2 out of 5]

The two central characters are interesting, well-described and developed throughout the book, but the plot was so slow and tiresome and predictable. Perhaps the work didn't translate well from the original, or perhaps it's somewhat hackneyed now.

[Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just finished this book and I did not like it as much as I thought I would. The ending was okay but I did not like the tone of the police. They were very gruff and I think I like it better when there are more female police.

[Nick Pemberton · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first read of this author, & I was unsure that I was going to enjoy it after reading the many bad reviews. However, I'm glad I did, as I found it an absorbing mystery, the debut novel by K.O. Dahl (though the fourth published in U.K.). Recommended to Scandi Noir fans.

[Carol Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pleasant enough...but a week later, I remember next to nothing about it!