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Varg Veum #11
Mirror Image
As Bergen PI Varg Veum investigates two different cases, it becomes clear that they are uncannily similar to harrowing events that took place thirty-six years earlier... A gripping installment of the award-winning Varg Veum series, by one of the fathers of Nordic Noir.
Bergen Private Investigator Varg Veum is perplexed when two wildly different cases cross his desk at the same time. A lawyer, anxious to protect her privacy, asks Varg to find her sister, who has disappeared with her husband, seemingly without trace, while a ship carrying unknown cargo is heading towards the Norwegian coast, and the authorities need answers.
Varg immerses himself in the investigations, and it becomes clear that the two cases are linked, and have unsettling – and increasingly uncanny – similarities to events that took place thirty-six years earlier, when a woman and her saxophonist lover drove their car off a cliff, in an apparent double suicide.
As Varg is drawn into a complex case involving star-crossed lovers, toxic waste and illegal immigrants, history seems determined to repeat itself in perfect detail ... and at terrifying cost...
A chilling, dark and twisting story of love and revenge, Mirror Image is Staalesen at his most thrilling, thought-provoking best.
Bergen Private Investigator Varg Veum is perplexed when two wildly different cases cross his desk at the same time. A lawyer, anxious to protect her privacy, asks Varg to find her sister, who has disappeared with her husband, seemingly without trace, while a ship carrying unknown cargo is heading towards the Norwegian coast, and the authorities need answers.
Varg immerses himself in the investigations, and it becomes clear that the two cases are linked, and have unsettling – and increasingly uncanny – similarities to events that took place thirty-six years earlier, when a woman and her saxophonist lover drove their car off a cliff, in an apparent double suicide.
As Varg is drawn into a complex case involving star-crossed lovers, toxic waste and illegal immigrants, history seems determined to repeat itself in perfect detail ... and at terrifying cost...
A chilling, dark and twisting story of love and revenge, Mirror Image is Staalesen at his most thrilling, thought-provoking best.
301 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2002
82 people are currently reading
163 people want to read
About the author
Gunnar Staalesen
135 books279 followersGunnar Staalesen is a Norwegian writer. Staalesen has a cand.philol degree from Universitetet i Bergen and he has worked at Den Nationale Scene, the main theater in Bergen.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
September 20, 2023
You know when you reach that point with an author, where you have reviewed so many of their books and feel that you have run out of superlatives to describe them.
Yes. That.
I have been a fan of Gunnar Staalesen and particularly those translated by the excellent Don Bartlett, for many years now. There’s always a feeling that you know what you’re going to get, being so familiar with his world weary private investigator, Varg Veum, but then there is the delight of those little tricks and twists that Staalesen delights in catching us off-guard with, and Mirror Image is no exception.
We have now reached 1993, and Veum is still running his highly unprofitable private investigation business, but seems to have entered a more settled, dare I say happier, period of his life. taking on the case of a missing couple (which cleverly interlinks a storyline from the 1950s), and that of a shipping company ferrying dubious cargo between Norway and Africa. Staalesen roots us firmly in the early 90s with subtle references to everyday life and so on, so we feel grounded and wistful for, or in some cases, scathing of life thirty years ago.
These books always work really effectively when Staalesen gives his character a little too much on his plate, that tests his investigative nous to the extreme. I also very much like the way that Staalesen quite often incorporates a narrative featuring some kind of messed up family( a la Raymond Chandler), with many a dark secret for him to winkle out, but balancing it neatly with a plotline that homes in on a wider social issue and corruptive acts. This is essentially why this book in particular works so well, as the linkage these distinct narratives, and the incorporation of past events forms a neat and satisfying whole. The nefarious actions of a Norwegian shipping company brings to light two hugely important issues (no spoilers here) which are handled with the aplomb, often imitated a slew of Scandinavian authors, riding Staalesen’s coat-tails. The storyline focusing on the Breheim family (alluding to the title of the book) is twisted and full of sibling jealousy, thwarted love, and with some clever reveals, that serve to alter the reader’s perception of what is actually going on at the heart of this family. It’s all very neatly done in true Staalesen style, leading to a surprising and highly satisfying conclusion.
And then there is the character of Varg Veum himself, with is a constant source of delight with his quick rejoinders, his pitch perfect, if cynical reading of others and the world they inhabit, and beautifully timed moments of sarcasm and wit- not always appreciated by others, I think it is fair to say. As much as he smart mouths those he suspects of hiding information from him, or those that just simply irritate him, there lies beneath this a wonderful self-deprecating humour too, mostly centred on his perception of himself as a grizzled old man, that is also a source of delight in the quite often grim tales Staalesen weaves. Also it would be impossible to ignore that Veum harbours, as much as he would probably deny it, a dogged determination to get to the truth, usually at some personal cost to himself…
Mirror Image once again demonstrates Staalesen’s gift for characterisation, plot and pace, and shored up by another superb and fluid translation by Don Bartlett, this is another book that I am delighted to have read and enjoyed. I have a feeling that in the years to come, I will return to this series as many times as I have returned to Raymond Chandler, and there surely can be no greater recommendation than that.
Gunnar Staalesen is simply one of the best.
Yes. That.
I have been a fan of Gunnar Staalesen and particularly those translated by the excellent Don Bartlett, for many years now. There’s always a feeling that you know what you’re going to get, being so familiar with his world weary private investigator, Varg Veum, but then there is the delight of those little tricks and twists that Staalesen delights in catching us off-guard with, and Mirror Image is no exception.
We have now reached 1993, and Veum is still running his highly unprofitable private investigation business, but seems to have entered a more settled, dare I say happier, period of his life. taking on the case of a missing couple (which cleverly interlinks a storyline from the 1950s), and that of a shipping company ferrying dubious cargo between Norway and Africa. Staalesen roots us firmly in the early 90s with subtle references to everyday life and so on, so we feel grounded and wistful for, or in some cases, scathing of life thirty years ago.
These books always work really effectively when Staalesen gives his character a little too much on his plate, that tests his investigative nous to the extreme. I also very much like the way that Staalesen quite often incorporates a narrative featuring some kind of messed up family( a la Raymond Chandler), with many a dark secret for him to winkle out, but balancing it neatly with a plotline that homes in on a wider social issue and corruptive acts. This is essentially why this book in particular works so well, as the linkage these distinct narratives, and the incorporation of past events forms a neat and satisfying whole. The nefarious actions of a Norwegian shipping company brings to light two hugely important issues (no spoilers here) which are handled with the aplomb, often imitated a slew of Scandinavian authors, riding Staalesen’s coat-tails. The storyline focusing on the Breheim family (alluding to the title of the book) is twisted and full of sibling jealousy, thwarted love, and with some clever reveals, that serve to alter the reader’s perception of what is actually going on at the heart of this family. It’s all very neatly done in true Staalesen style, leading to a surprising and highly satisfying conclusion.
And then there is the character of Varg Veum himself, with is a constant source of delight with his quick rejoinders, his pitch perfect, if cynical reading of others and the world they inhabit, and beautifully timed moments of sarcasm and wit- not always appreciated by others, I think it is fair to say. As much as he smart mouths those he suspects of hiding information from him, or those that just simply irritate him, there lies beneath this a wonderful self-deprecating humour too, mostly centred on his perception of himself as a grizzled old man, that is also a source of delight in the quite often grim tales Staalesen weaves. Also it would be impossible to ignore that Veum harbours, as much as he would probably deny it, a dogged determination to get to the truth, usually at some personal cost to himself…
Mirror Image once again demonstrates Staalesen’s gift for characterisation, plot and pace, and shored up by another superb and fluid translation by Don Bartlett, this is another book that I am delighted to have read and enjoyed. I have a feeling that in the years to come, I will return to this series as many times as I have returned to Raymond Chandler, and there surely can be no greater recommendation than that.
Gunnar Staalesen is simply one of the best.
August 14, 2023
Bergen, 1993.
Private Investigator Varg Veum meets Berit Breheim, a lawyer, who has a private assignment for him. Her younger sister, Bodil, is missing alongside her husband, Fernando Garrido, a Spanish national working for the shipping company Trans World Ocean (TWO).
Berit is worried for her sister and her husband as they argued few days before their disappearance. A concerned neighbour called the police, where Fernando once again lost his temper and was arrested. Berit acted as Fernando’s lawyer.
Berit tells Veum that there is a history in their family for ‘death pacts’. This piques Varg’s interest and the woman tells him the tragic story of her mother and her lover who drove into the sea, their arms wrapped around each other in a tight embrace. Berit is worried that Bodil is about to meet the same fate as their mother back in 1957…
When Veum investigates Bodil and Fernando’s disappearance he uncovers some inaccuracies and omissions on Berit’s part. He also finds out that Fernando quit his job at TWO right before he disappeared.
At the same time, a freelance journalist, Torunn Tafjord calls him from Casablanca and tells him of suspicious activity onboard a ship called Seagull, belonging to a Bergen shipping company, TWO. Apparently the ship is heading for Norway and it’s coming from Conakry in Guinea in West Africa. There are rumours of toxic waste and more.
Varg begins to wonder whether Fernando’s quitting his job had something to do with what was happening on that ship.
He also discovers some interesting things about the Breheim family and how it all ties in with the 1957 events.
How is it all connected?
This book has everything a crime thriller fan can hope for: a 36-year-old family mystery, past and present love triangles, and history about to repeat itself. The other nefarious activities include intimidation, toxic waste disposal, and illegal immigration.
In this book, you couldn’t trust anyone – well, apart from Varg. He kept saying that everyone lied and he was so right. Everyone had a secret (or two) up their sleeve and you had to take everything they said with a huge pinch of salt.
Overall, it’s a gripping and captivating crime thriller. Another hit from Team Orenda!
Private Investigator Varg Veum meets Berit Breheim, a lawyer, who has a private assignment for him. Her younger sister, Bodil, is missing alongside her husband, Fernando Garrido, a Spanish national working for the shipping company Trans World Ocean (TWO).
Berit is worried for her sister and her husband as they argued few days before their disappearance. A concerned neighbour called the police, where Fernando once again lost his temper and was arrested. Berit acted as Fernando’s lawyer.
Berit tells Veum that there is a history in their family for ‘death pacts’. This piques Varg’s interest and the woman tells him the tragic story of her mother and her lover who drove into the sea, their arms wrapped around each other in a tight embrace. Berit is worried that Bodil is about to meet the same fate as their mother back in 1957…
When Veum investigates Bodil and Fernando’s disappearance he uncovers some inaccuracies and omissions on Berit’s part. He also finds out that Fernando quit his job at TWO right before he disappeared.
At the same time, a freelance journalist, Torunn Tafjord calls him from Casablanca and tells him of suspicious activity onboard a ship called Seagull, belonging to a Bergen shipping company, TWO. Apparently the ship is heading for Norway and it’s coming from Conakry in Guinea in West Africa. There are rumours of toxic waste and more.
Varg begins to wonder whether Fernando’s quitting his job had something to do with what was happening on that ship.
He also discovers some interesting things about the Breheim family and how it all ties in with the 1957 events.
How is it all connected?
This book has everything a crime thriller fan can hope for: a 36-year-old family mystery, past and present love triangles, and history about to repeat itself. The other nefarious activities include intimidation, toxic waste disposal, and illegal immigration.
In this book, you couldn’t trust anyone – well, apart from Varg. He kept saying that everyone lied and he was so right. Everyone had a secret (or two) up their sleeve and you had to take everything they said with a huge pinch of salt.
Overall, it’s a gripping and captivating crime thriller. Another hit from Team Orenda!
December 31, 2023
I like the Varg Veum series. A lot. Veum is a brilliant character, too honest and moralistic for his own good at times, as his mounting bills will attest, but it's all part of his charm. He won't, as a rule, get involved in marital disputes or infidelity cases and yet ... there is a hint of just that in this book, albeit some thirty years after the fact. Engaged by a prominent Lawyer to track down her missing sister, Veum soon finds himself taking a look back to the past and the scandal that rocked the women's family when they were just small children. Could the sins of the past be a part of a tragedy in the present? Adding to his workload, Veum also takes on an assignment from a reporter, keen to track the origins and destination of a ship with an unexplained cargo on board.
This book has everything I look for in a novel. I love the character of Varg Veum, love the way in which he is portrayed to us as readers with a kind of matter of fact approach and an uncanny ability to get under the skin of everyone he meets. He has a knack of pressing just the right buttons, uncovering the truer nature of their characters, adding just that perfect balance of suspicion around them that ignites my interest. Add in the perfect pinch of mystery and a plethora of unanswered questions and it just really hit the spot.
I found myself totally drawn into this book, wondering just what had happened to the missing woman, Bodil, and her husband, Fernando. Although I hadn't met either character, Gunnar Staalesen had me on the hook almost immediately. I wanted to know why two people would just disappear, and the more Veum learned, the more we learned, the stranger the whole case became. The author has a knack for creating unreliable characters and Mirror Image is awash with them with everyone, from Bodil's sister and Veums client, Berit Breheim, through to Fernando's colleagues and neighbours, casting a shadow of doubt over the whole case. Add in the mystery surrounding the death of Berit and Bodil's mother and I found I really needed to know how everything ties back together.
And tie together it does, pretty perfectly as it happens. It's such a clever story, so many seemingly separate threads pulled neatly together to finally reveal the bigger picture to readers. Was it what I was expecting? To be honest, no. Gunnar Staalesen makes use of some canny misdirection to keep us completely in suspense to just the right moment. Did I guess some of what would come to pass. Well, yes and no. And if you read the book, you will understand what I mean by that as some of my suspicions proved founded, but not for the reasons, or at the times, I had thought.
This is a really clever novel, the flow between the events of the past and the present handled perfectly, and translation by Don Bartlett is top notch as always. He captures the nuances of Veum's Bergen phrasing beautifully, whilst also creating the imagery and atmosphere that transports us as readers to the heart of the action. Whilst the pacing of the book is not especially fast, the mystery, and the case, really captured by attention and I read the book far quicker than I was expecting, completely immersed in the story from start to finish.
As I said at the start, this is one of my favourite books to date, and I am loving going back in time to some of Veum's earlier cases. It gives me even more insight into a character I have always found fascinating and walk a few more miles in Veum's shoes at at time where is his life wasn't quite so dark. Loving it.
This book has everything I look for in a novel. I love the character of Varg Veum, love the way in which he is portrayed to us as readers with a kind of matter of fact approach and an uncanny ability to get under the skin of everyone he meets. He has a knack of pressing just the right buttons, uncovering the truer nature of their characters, adding just that perfect balance of suspicion around them that ignites my interest. Add in the perfect pinch of mystery and a plethora of unanswered questions and it just really hit the spot.
I found myself totally drawn into this book, wondering just what had happened to the missing woman, Bodil, and her husband, Fernando. Although I hadn't met either character, Gunnar Staalesen had me on the hook almost immediately. I wanted to know why two people would just disappear, and the more Veum learned, the more we learned, the stranger the whole case became. The author has a knack for creating unreliable characters and Mirror Image is awash with them with everyone, from Bodil's sister and Veums client, Berit Breheim, through to Fernando's colleagues and neighbours, casting a shadow of doubt over the whole case. Add in the mystery surrounding the death of Berit and Bodil's mother and I found I really needed to know how everything ties back together.
And tie together it does, pretty perfectly as it happens. It's such a clever story, so many seemingly separate threads pulled neatly together to finally reveal the bigger picture to readers. Was it what I was expecting? To be honest, no. Gunnar Staalesen makes use of some canny misdirection to keep us completely in suspense to just the right moment. Did I guess some of what would come to pass. Well, yes and no. And if you read the book, you will understand what I mean by that as some of my suspicions proved founded, but not for the reasons, or at the times, I had thought.
This is a really clever novel, the flow between the events of the past and the present handled perfectly, and translation by Don Bartlett is top notch as always. He captures the nuances of Veum's Bergen phrasing beautifully, whilst also creating the imagery and atmosphere that transports us as readers to the heart of the action. Whilst the pacing of the book is not especially fast, the mystery, and the case, really captured by attention and I read the book far quicker than I was expecting, completely immersed in the story from start to finish.
As I said at the start, this is one of my favourite books to date, and I am loving going back in time to some of Veum's earlier cases. It gives me even more insight into a character I have always found fascinating and walk a few more miles in Veum's shoes at at time where is his life wasn't quite so dark. Loving it.
June 3, 2025
There was a lot I did like about the book. And I am not sure it is fair for me to mark it down due to, what I am sure, is a translation issue from the original language to English. Language is not just a literal translation of words, it is nuance, and the nuance in this book did not translate well into English. It felt at time over explained, and a little forced, which made me disconnect from the characters.
The story itself was cleverly woven, with the strings of all the different angles being pulled this way, and that, until the resolution appeared - and completely opposite to the direction we had been led.
It was an enjoyable read for the most part, but I know if it hadn't been for the bus commute I wouldn't have got through it as quickly as it was not something I wanted to pick up at home.
The story itself was cleverly woven, with the strings of all the different angles being pulled this way, and that, until the resolution appeared - and completely opposite to the direction we had been led.
It was an enjoyable read for the most part, but I know if it hadn't been for the bus commute I wouldn't have got through it as quickly as it was not something I wanted to pick up at home.
September 29, 2023
I’m strangely fascinated by the Nordic noir genre and have enjoyed a few in a similar style so was pleased to be able to read another offering. The story takes us between two strikingly similar events separated by history including the strange case of a saxophonist and his lover seemingly in a suicide by driving their car off a cliff. This has echoes of a classic style murder mystery and some promise.
I didn’t, however, warm to this one as much as I expected and found it a bit hard going to concentrate and stay engaged in places. Worth a go but I got lost a few times along the way.
I didn’t, however, warm to this one as much as I expected and found it a bit hard going to concentrate and stay engaged in places. Worth a go but I got lost a few times along the way.
October 12, 2024
Jag läste mycket Gunnar Staalesen på nittiotalet. Jag läste en av hans böcker på norsk! Jag tycker om hans torra humor och samhällskritik, samtidigt som man får en bra deckare med närmiljö (Bergen), intressanta karaktärer och bra intrig. Det är tyvärr inte fullt så mycket av allt det där i den här historien; åtminstone inte i början. Det finns desto mera snack om populärmusik på 1950-talet, i Bergen, vilket på den tiden var jazz. Boken är utgiven 2002 men utspelar sig 1993.
Läsaren får oxå vänta länge på ett brott – åtminstone ett som bekräftas. I flera hundra sidor far vi runt i Bergen med omnejd, pratande om gamla kärleksaffärer och jazzspelningar med misstankar men inget lik. När mordoffren väl börjar dyka upp faller de tätt; gamla lik och nya lik!
Ibland sprakar språket:
"Jag sov illa. Harry Hopsland hemsökte mina drömmar, och när jag dök upp i vestibulen på advokatfirman ... en och en halv minut i åtta nästa morgon var det med en känsla av stålull och bensin i huvudet, något grått och oformligt som kunde börja brinna när som helst." s. 8
"Utaoset var stendött större delen av året, men under påsken var där fullt med människor så det räckte och blev över. I en halvmils omkrets från stationen räknat låg en av landets största stugbyar. Den första biten var tätare mellan fritidshusen än mellan regniga dagar i Bergen." s. 57
Herr Veum är i fin form annars; nykter, i god kondition och beredd att snacka med vem som helst, när som helst. Som sig bör är detektiven ensam (and lonely).
"...Jag var femtioett år gammal, far till en son på snart tjugotvå med en sambo från Löten, men själv hade jag inte bott ihop med någon sedan Beate lämnade mig 1973. Med Karin hade det utvecklat sig ett slags samliv av den sort som trendforskare kallar 'särbo'. Det var ett förhållande som passade oss bägge. Hon slapp min smutstvätt och jag hade inga andra räkningar att betala än mina egna.
Å andra sidan ... Under nätter som den här, med ett ilsket regn piskande mot rutan och huvudet fullt av förvirrade tankar, skulle det ha känts skönt att ha en varm, rund rygg att lägga sig tätt intill, en kropp att lägga armarna om och en nacke att andas varsamt mot för att inte väcka henne." s. 68
Det är tidig vår i Bergen men i en enkel bisats kan Herr Staalesen förflytta oss till en annan årstid någon annanstans:
"Atle Helleve bar ett vältrimmat skägg och håret var nyklippt, men hans kraftiga kropp hotade ständigt att skjuta iväg de översta skjortknapparna, som stenar på vattenytan en vindstilla sommardag vid Volavatnet..." s. 153
"Han svarade inte. Han verkade torr och hopklämd. Det fanns inte mer att hämta där, inte för någon. Han hade levt sitt eget liv, alldeles för länge i skuggan av något som för honom av allt att döma hade varit den stora kärleken.
Kärleken gör en blind, sägs det, men det är ren och skär lögn. Kärleken förlamar en, borde det heta, när den inte återgäldas. Visare än Salomo kände jag mig när jag släntrade hemåt. Men det resultat jag kunde visa upp skulle inte ens en uteliggare ha varit stolt över." s. 239
Förutom huvuduppdraget, vilket är att hitta ett försvunnet äkta par, håller Veum på med ett annat fall - som har lite koppling till det första. Det gäller ett fartyg som är ute på skumraskaffärer. Vilka de affärerna är kan nog läsaren gissa sig till, men vi får träffa en driven journalist och spendera en kall natt på en fjordkant så den biten hade jag inte gärna varit utan.
Det blir ändå några riktiga överraskningar, allting förklaras, läsaren känner sig inte sååå lurad och Veum är inte längre märkt för mord så det är en sorts resultat. Han kommer dock att ha lika svårt att betala sin räkningar vid slutet, som i början, av boken.
Läsaren får oxå vänta länge på ett brott – åtminstone ett som bekräftas. I flera hundra sidor far vi runt i Bergen med omnejd, pratande om gamla kärleksaffärer och jazzspelningar med misstankar men inget lik. När mordoffren väl börjar dyka upp faller de tätt; gamla lik och nya lik!
Ibland sprakar språket:
"Jag sov illa. Harry Hopsland hemsökte mina drömmar, och när jag dök upp i vestibulen på advokatfirman ... en och en halv minut i åtta nästa morgon var det med en känsla av stålull och bensin i huvudet, något grått och oformligt som kunde börja brinna när som helst." s. 8
"Utaoset var stendött större delen av året, men under påsken var där fullt med människor så det räckte och blev över. I en halvmils omkrets från stationen räknat låg en av landets största stugbyar. Den första biten var tätare mellan fritidshusen än mellan regniga dagar i Bergen." s. 57
Herr Veum är i fin form annars; nykter, i god kondition och beredd att snacka med vem som helst, när som helst. Som sig bör är detektiven ensam (and lonely).
"...Jag var femtioett år gammal, far till en son på snart tjugotvå med en sambo från Löten, men själv hade jag inte bott ihop med någon sedan Beate lämnade mig 1973. Med Karin hade det utvecklat sig ett slags samliv av den sort som trendforskare kallar 'särbo'. Det var ett förhållande som passade oss bägge. Hon slapp min smutstvätt och jag hade inga andra räkningar att betala än mina egna.
Å andra sidan ... Under nätter som den här, med ett ilsket regn piskande mot rutan och huvudet fullt av förvirrade tankar, skulle det ha känts skönt att ha en varm, rund rygg att lägga sig tätt intill, en kropp att lägga armarna om och en nacke att andas varsamt mot för att inte väcka henne." s. 68
Det är tidig vår i Bergen men i en enkel bisats kan Herr Staalesen förflytta oss till en annan årstid någon annanstans:
"Atle Helleve bar ett vältrimmat skägg och håret var nyklippt, men hans kraftiga kropp hotade ständigt att skjuta iväg de översta skjortknapparna, som stenar på vattenytan en vindstilla sommardag vid Volavatnet..." s. 153
"Han svarade inte. Han verkade torr och hopklämd. Det fanns inte mer att hämta där, inte för någon. Han hade levt sitt eget liv, alldeles för länge i skuggan av något som för honom av allt att döma hade varit den stora kärleken.
Kärleken gör en blind, sägs det, men det är ren och skär lögn. Kärleken förlamar en, borde det heta, när den inte återgäldas. Visare än Salomo kände jag mig när jag släntrade hemåt. Men det resultat jag kunde visa upp skulle inte ens en uteliggare ha varit stolt över." s. 239
Förutom huvuduppdraget, vilket är att hitta ett försvunnet äkta par, håller Veum på med ett annat fall - som har lite koppling till det första. Det gäller ett fartyg som är ute på skumraskaffärer. Vilka de affärerna är kan nog läsaren gissa sig till, men vi får träffa en driven journalist och spendera en kall natt på en fjordkant så den biten hade jag inte gärna varit utan.
Det blir ändå några riktiga överraskningar, allting förklaras, läsaren känner sig inte sååå lurad och Veum är inte längre märkt för mord så det är en sorts resultat. Han kommer dock att ha lika svårt att betala sin räkningar vid slutet, som i början, av boken.
November 15, 2025
When one is fed up with reading about Nazis or Ice raids, there's always Gunnar Staalesen and Varg Veum to cleanse the palate.
OK, so there's still toxic waste, human trafficking, and gruesome murders to deal with, but the wise-cracking Norwegian PI from the city of Bergen is at hand to right the wrongs as best he can.
Like other of Staalesen's novels, Mirror Image presents a mystery rooted in events three decades earlier. In searching for a missing couple, Varg repeatedly encounters ghostly connections to a family tragedy, a suicide pact between a remarkably beautiful woman and her musician lover - or was it?
Interesting if stock characters, scenic images, historical references, classic musical pieces, observations on civic 'improvements' that strike home, and a plot complicated by lies and omissions.
How can you resist stories with a character named Varg Veum?
OK, so there's still toxic waste, human trafficking, and gruesome murders to deal with, but the wise-cracking Norwegian PI from the city of Bergen is at hand to right the wrongs as best he can.
Like other of Staalesen's novels, Mirror Image presents a mystery rooted in events three decades earlier. In searching for a missing couple, Varg repeatedly encounters ghostly connections to a family tragedy, a suicide pact between a remarkably beautiful woman and her musician lover - or was it?
Interesting if stock characters, scenic images, historical references, classic musical pieces, observations on civic 'improvements' that strike home, and a plot complicated by lies and omissions.
How can you resist stories with a character named Varg Veum?
January 2, 2022
Staalesen i fin form. Han er en mester til å trekke linjer mellom gamle og nye forbrytelser. Denne gangen handler det om et forsvinningsnummer på tidlig 90-tall med linjer tilbake til en angivelig dødspakt i på 50-tallet. Jeg synes koblingen til moderne menneskesmugling fungerer sånn passe, men ellers er dette veldig bra.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 15, 2023
The narrative is engaging and maintained my interest throughout. The solving of the cold case and the two current cases through alternating timelines was clear and concise not to mention the twists in each. A good one.
January 17, 2019
gillade de sista 50 sidorna sååå spännande. men innan det: nja. för mycket norska städer och beskrivningar, vilket gör att jag svävar bort lite...
March 1, 2024
Another great read
Gunnar continues his adventures of Varg Veum with this intriguing story. It stands up well as another consistent novel in this series. Highly recommended.
Gunnar continues his adventures of Varg Veum with this intriguing story. It stands up well as another consistent novel in this series. Highly recommended.
April 11, 2025
I liked the way the story wrapped up but was very very slow going and I must admit not really my type of book
November 1, 2025
I like this series. Nordic noir
September 1, 2023
In Mirror Image, by Gunnar Staalesen, we follow PI Varg Veum as he pursues two cases: the disappearance of 38-year-old Bodil Breheim and her husband, Fernando Garrido, and a dodgy shipment connected with a company named Trans World Ocean (TWO) – whom Fernando worked for until shortly before he went missing.
The investigations are complicated by Bodil’s family history – despite bringing the job to Varg, her sister Berit is often obstructive, and there are parallels with their mother’s tragic death when they were children – and the hostility of the staff at TWO towards Varg.
Can Varg overcome these obstacles to uncover the truths in these cases?
This is my first Gunnar Staalesen book, and I’d certainly be happy to read more! I didn’t find myself at a disadvantage having not read any of the previous books in the series – I was told all I needed to know along the way, without getting bogged down by backstory.
While Mirror Image was written in 2002 and set in 1993, it feels fresh. I expect this is for a combination of reasons: Don Bartlett’s recent translation, the fact that it deals with issues that are sadly still very relevant 30 years on, and the timelessness of a quality classic detective novel.
Varg may not have access to the technology used by private investigators today, but that adds an extra element of challenge to his cases, and means there’s a lot for the reader to “see” as he’s constantly out and about, talking to interesting characters and snooping around places in person.
This frequent movement gives the novel a real sense of place, as do Varg’s memories of what various places in Bergen used to be. Under a less skilled writer and translater, these could be dreary and/or detract from the main action, but in Mirror Image, they’re interesting and add colour. They also serve to remind you that Varg is not a young man.
I also enjoyed Staalesen’s detailed descriptions of places, particularly interiors, and what Varg deducts from their appearance.
I found the mysteries at the heart of the story intriguing and eerie in their own different ways. There are plenty of twists and surprises that kept me turning the pages.
The italicised flashbacks to 1957 mean that you’re not hearing everything second-hand through Varg and the people he talks to, and therefore get more of a sense of the emotional charge in the air at the time.
Something else I appreciated was Varg’s collaboration with freelance investigative journalist Torunn Tafjord on the TWO case. She’s a smart, capable, and interesting character and, like Varg, I would have loved to spent more time in her company.
Mirror Image is a solid, intriguing, and twisty detective thriller.
The investigations are complicated by Bodil’s family history – despite bringing the job to Varg, her sister Berit is often obstructive, and there are parallels with their mother’s tragic death when they were children – and the hostility of the staff at TWO towards Varg.
Can Varg overcome these obstacles to uncover the truths in these cases?
This is my first Gunnar Staalesen book, and I’d certainly be happy to read more! I didn’t find myself at a disadvantage having not read any of the previous books in the series – I was told all I needed to know along the way, without getting bogged down by backstory.
While Mirror Image was written in 2002 and set in 1993, it feels fresh. I expect this is for a combination of reasons: Don Bartlett’s recent translation, the fact that it deals with issues that are sadly still very relevant 30 years on, and the timelessness of a quality classic detective novel.
Varg may not have access to the technology used by private investigators today, but that adds an extra element of challenge to his cases, and means there’s a lot for the reader to “see” as he’s constantly out and about, talking to interesting characters and snooping around places in person.
This frequent movement gives the novel a real sense of place, as do Varg’s memories of what various places in Bergen used to be. Under a less skilled writer and translater, these could be dreary and/or detract from the main action, but in Mirror Image, they’re interesting and add colour. They also serve to remind you that Varg is not a young man.
I also enjoyed Staalesen’s detailed descriptions of places, particularly interiors, and what Varg deducts from their appearance.
I found the mysteries at the heart of the story intriguing and eerie in their own different ways. There are plenty of twists and surprises that kept me turning the pages.
The italicised flashbacks to 1957 mean that you’re not hearing everything second-hand through Varg and the people he talks to, and therefore get more of a sense of the emotional charge in the air at the time.
Something else I appreciated was Varg’s collaboration with freelance investigative journalist Torunn Tafjord on the TWO case. She’s a smart, capable, and interesting character and, like Varg, I would have loved to spent more time in her company.
Mirror Image is a solid, intriguing, and twisty detective thriller.
August 10, 2023
Like Fallen Angels and Bitter Flowers, Mirror Image was originally published in Norway several years ago and again gives English-speaking readers the opportunity to see a slightly younger Varg Veum at work. As with all the books in the series, it can easily be read as a standalone and will be as enjoyable for those new to the novels as it is to readers who have met the older Veum.
Most of the storyline is set in the then current day of 1993 but throughout the book there are flashbacks to earlier events which gradually reveal what really took place in the convoluted histories of the various characters. Veum's services have been engaged by Berit, a lawyer who is concerned she hasn't heard from her sister, Bodil and her husband, Fernando for a few weeks. With little to suggest anything is awry, she is reluctant to go to the police at this stage. Fernando's quick temper and a recent altercation at their house which resulted in the police being called may be cause for concern or it could just be that the pair have chosen to take themselves away on a holiday. However, the family has a tragic past which resulted in the shocking death of the sisters' mother and Veum becomes increasingly aware of the curious links between past and present.
This is a novel of apparent coincidences and a further twist of fate occurs when Torunn Tafjord, a freelance journalist calls Veum from Casablanca and asks for his assistance looking into the movements of The Seagull, a ship belonging to Trans World Ocean, a company based in Bergen. The connection to his own case makes him uneasy and the less than enthusiastic welcome he receives at the TWO offices certainly suggests secrets are being kept which may have caused Fernando to flee the country. There are several characters in Mirror Image who seem to be hiding something and although this isn't a fast-paced novel, there is always an underlying sense of foreboding and melancholic tension.
After some early progress, his investigation stalls and Gunnar Staalesen deftly captures Veum's increasing frustration as the leads he follows seem to result in the situation becoming even more complex. The sense of place is as immersive as I've come to expect, with the geography of the coastline and the relatively small size of Bergen particularly important here and as much a character as the fascinatingly unfathomable characters with their various dark secrets and long-held memories. Varg Veum himself is the real heart of the novel, though and he is such a wonderful character. The first-person narrative works superbly in Mirror Image, giving a real insight into the mind of this resolute, pugnacious man. He seems to delight in aggravating the people he talks to but his dry, often self-effacing wit is frequently in evidence too. On a superficial level, he could be the epitome of the almost romanticised, hard-bitten private investigator; his drinking isn't at its worst here but there are hints as to his battle with the bottle and he certainly has an eye for the women. However, he is written with a heavy dose of Nordic realism and while he is in a relationship of sorts, he lives alone in a small flat and is barely making enough money to live.
The mystery as to the whereabouts of Björg and Fernando is baffling and is the focus for most of the book but the subplot gives Gunnar Staalesen his customary opportunity to explore contemporary issues. The Seagull, he learns, may have links to organised crime and while he acknowledges that at this time in Norway, it's on a relatively small scale, he wonders what the future holds. Meanwhile, the actual crimes which are perpetrated are actually on a global level and especially resonant given the current discussions around asylum seekers and the culpability of richer countries when it comes to environmental damage in poorer areas of the world.
As always, Don Bartlett's translation should be commended, the atmospheric, observant narrative flows seamlessly throughout. Mirror Image is beautifully written, intricately plotted crime fiction at its most engaging and as Veum attempts to figure his way through the tissue of lies and subterfuge, the truth is both shocking and tragic, I highly recommend it.
Most of the storyline is set in the then current day of 1993 but throughout the book there are flashbacks to earlier events which gradually reveal what really took place in the convoluted histories of the various characters. Veum's services have been engaged by Berit, a lawyer who is concerned she hasn't heard from her sister, Bodil and her husband, Fernando for a few weeks. With little to suggest anything is awry, she is reluctant to go to the police at this stage. Fernando's quick temper and a recent altercation at their house which resulted in the police being called may be cause for concern or it could just be that the pair have chosen to take themselves away on a holiday. However, the family has a tragic past which resulted in the shocking death of the sisters' mother and Veum becomes increasingly aware of the curious links between past and present.
This is a novel of apparent coincidences and a further twist of fate occurs when Torunn Tafjord, a freelance journalist calls Veum from Casablanca and asks for his assistance looking into the movements of The Seagull, a ship belonging to Trans World Ocean, a company based in Bergen. The connection to his own case makes him uneasy and the less than enthusiastic welcome he receives at the TWO offices certainly suggests secrets are being kept which may have caused Fernando to flee the country. There are several characters in Mirror Image who seem to be hiding something and although this isn't a fast-paced novel, there is always an underlying sense of foreboding and melancholic tension.
After some early progress, his investigation stalls and Gunnar Staalesen deftly captures Veum's increasing frustration as the leads he follows seem to result in the situation becoming even more complex. The sense of place is as immersive as I've come to expect, with the geography of the coastline and the relatively small size of Bergen particularly important here and as much a character as the fascinatingly unfathomable characters with their various dark secrets and long-held memories. Varg Veum himself is the real heart of the novel, though and he is such a wonderful character. The first-person narrative works superbly in Mirror Image, giving a real insight into the mind of this resolute, pugnacious man. He seems to delight in aggravating the people he talks to but his dry, often self-effacing wit is frequently in evidence too. On a superficial level, he could be the epitome of the almost romanticised, hard-bitten private investigator; his drinking isn't at its worst here but there are hints as to his battle with the bottle and he certainly has an eye for the women. However, he is written with a heavy dose of Nordic realism and while he is in a relationship of sorts, he lives alone in a small flat and is barely making enough money to live.
The mystery as to the whereabouts of Björg and Fernando is baffling and is the focus for most of the book but the subplot gives Gunnar Staalesen his customary opportunity to explore contemporary issues. The Seagull, he learns, may have links to organised crime and while he acknowledges that at this time in Norway, it's on a relatively small scale, he wonders what the future holds. Meanwhile, the actual crimes which are perpetrated are actually on a global level and especially resonant given the current discussions around asylum seekers and the culpability of richer countries when it comes to environmental damage in poorer areas of the world.
As always, Don Bartlett's translation should be commended, the atmospheric, observant narrative flows seamlessly throughout. Mirror Image is beautifully written, intricately plotted crime fiction at its most engaging and as Veum attempts to figure his way through the tissue of lies and subterfuge, the truth is both shocking and tragic, I highly recommend it.
August 26, 2023
Varg Veum is trying to locate a married couple, Bodil and Fernando, who disappeared around Easter. The week after Easter he was engaged by the Bodil’s sister Berit, a successful lawyer, who appears reluctant to involve the police. She claims she is trying to avoid embarrassment if it turns out they have just gone on holiday, but Veum ends up pondering this more than once. Veum’s questioning of family and friends unearths leads to follow but they appear to connect with the events of 1957 when Bodil and Berit’s mother died in tragic circumstances.
The novel is set in the then contemporary (1993) but regularly returns to the momentous events of 1957. To Veum it seems easier to solve that mystery as the secrets held for 36 years are now being more easily given up. The burden of carrying them for so long has been so heavy, it seems now is the time for the truth to be finally told. Will these disclosures help Veum in 1993?
Mirror Image is a perfect title and as the reader will quickly realise the story has much in common with literary tragedy, one where history is destined to repeat itself. Throughout the present there are so many echoes of the past, that it almost feels like a kind of parallel existence, one in which destiny is inevitable. Even the musical theme fits in, with a genre in which proponents are so often melancholic and tragic.
The plotting and structuring are wonderfully tight, centring on family and lovers, and their strained sometime internecine relationships. These complex relationships, which at times feel almost incestuous, that are protected by a bodyguard of lies. Veum is a PI of course and people are not obliged to tell him the truth and throughout he is told a mixture of part truths and lies. These are so cleverly constructed that the reader will struggle as much as Veum to pick out the truth, which will have you enthralled to the (bitter) end.
Veum refuses to do matrimonial cases (wise man) but these investigations take him dangerously close. At their core are love and relationships, with infatuation, obsession and lust, but these also lead to betrayal, control and revenge. A crime of passion if you must, but to Veum its all too premeditated, too preordained and still a crime. This he approaches with his sanguine, slightly jaded persona, the PI who has seen it all and heard all the excuses. He’s much more of a rounded human than the hard-boiled wise cracking PIs we are all familiar with, he is of course troubled but has a settled existence. Seemingly satisfied with a LAT (living apart together) relationship with Karin, he hasn’t lived with anyone since his wife Beata left him. Not exactly happy, but not wallowing in self-pity, simply getting on with life the best way he knows how. He also has good taste in music.
There is a side runner to the main plot which helps to build up the intrigue and the pool of suspects. Fernando works for a shipping company, a respected and long established one, but one in which some rogue elements are at work. This introduces the freelance investigative journalist Torunn Tafjord who adds depth and sense of freedom to the story. Bold and fearless, but very easy going, she quickly makes a big impression on Veum when they finally meet. Kindred spirits who could easily become soul mates, their blossoming friendship brings a ray of sunshine to a dark tale.
It is so easy to overlook the work of the translator, but once again Don Bartlett produces translated prose that could have been originally written in English.
Mirror Image is classic Nordic Noir; a dark and twisty look at love and the human condition, with disturbing echoes of the past.
The novel is set in the then contemporary (1993) but regularly returns to the momentous events of 1957. To Veum it seems easier to solve that mystery as the secrets held for 36 years are now being more easily given up. The burden of carrying them for so long has been so heavy, it seems now is the time for the truth to be finally told. Will these disclosures help Veum in 1993?
Mirror Image is a perfect title and as the reader will quickly realise the story has much in common with literary tragedy, one where history is destined to repeat itself. Throughout the present there are so many echoes of the past, that it almost feels like a kind of parallel existence, one in which destiny is inevitable. Even the musical theme fits in, with a genre in which proponents are so often melancholic and tragic.
The plotting and structuring are wonderfully tight, centring on family and lovers, and their strained sometime internecine relationships. These complex relationships, which at times feel almost incestuous, that are protected by a bodyguard of lies. Veum is a PI of course and people are not obliged to tell him the truth and throughout he is told a mixture of part truths and lies. These are so cleverly constructed that the reader will struggle as much as Veum to pick out the truth, which will have you enthralled to the (bitter) end.
Veum refuses to do matrimonial cases (wise man) but these investigations take him dangerously close. At their core are love and relationships, with infatuation, obsession and lust, but these also lead to betrayal, control and revenge. A crime of passion if you must, but to Veum its all too premeditated, too preordained and still a crime. This he approaches with his sanguine, slightly jaded persona, the PI who has seen it all and heard all the excuses. He’s much more of a rounded human than the hard-boiled wise cracking PIs we are all familiar with, he is of course troubled but has a settled existence. Seemingly satisfied with a LAT (living apart together) relationship with Karin, he hasn’t lived with anyone since his wife Beata left him. Not exactly happy, but not wallowing in self-pity, simply getting on with life the best way he knows how. He also has good taste in music.
There is a side runner to the main plot which helps to build up the intrigue and the pool of suspects. Fernando works for a shipping company, a respected and long established one, but one in which some rogue elements are at work. This introduces the freelance investigative journalist Torunn Tafjord who adds depth and sense of freedom to the story. Bold and fearless, but very easy going, she quickly makes a big impression on Veum when they finally meet. Kindred spirits who could easily become soul mates, their blossoming friendship brings a ray of sunshine to a dark tale.
It is so easy to overlook the work of the translator, but once again Don Bartlett produces translated prose that could have been originally written in English.
Mirror Image is classic Nordic Noir; a dark and twisty look at love and the human condition, with disturbing echoes of the past.
August 31, 2023
Bergen PI, Varg Veum, is offered an intriguing case when a lawyer asks him to track down her missing sister and brother-in-law, who seem to have disappeared without a trace. In a stroke of good fortune for Veum's empty bank account, he also finds himself involved in the case of a ship on its way to Norway with a suspect cargo.
At first these cases seem to have no apparent connection, but curious links between the two begin to emerge. The husband of the missing sister worked for the same company operating the cargo vessel, and there are odd echoes between the sudden disappearance of him and his wife and a case of a double suicide in the family over thirty years before.
As events unfurl, Veum is pulled into a complex web of secrets, lies and desire, and the shadowy world of subterfuge around nuclear waste and illegal immigrants... putting him squarely in the way of a past adversary's spiteful revenge.
My favourite Norwegian PI, Varg Veum, is back in a brand new twisty mystery that takes a considerable amount of good old-fashioned, gum-shoe leg work to get to the bottom of. At the heart of the tale is an anxious relative, concerned about the fate of her sister, but as Veum trudges around Bergen and its environs the story burgeons into one which connects past and present events through the timeless trouble-makers of affairs of the heart and greed.
The threads of this story are far reaching in time and place, flipping between the present and intimately described scenes of the past that ooze with atmosphere and tension. It is hard to see how all these threads can possibly resolve into a coherent picture, but in his capable way Staalesen does an excellent job of keeping track of them all as they draw together towards the slickest of endings - one that makes the absolute most of the consequences of what the darker emotions of passion, jealousy, avarice, and revenge can lead to. This kept me guessing right to the delicious denouement, when Veum puts the pieces of the puzzle together in a way that suddenly has you looking at the whole chain of carefully contrived events in an entirely new light. Well played, Gunnar Staalesen, well played!
The translator, Don Bartlett, does an excellent job with Staalesen's text once more, retaining every ounce of the fabulous Humphrey-Bogart-does-Philip-Marlowe vibes that I know and love in Varg Veum, right down to the sardonic humour and sassy comebacks - with some clever little nods to the great man himself. I think this story shows a more reflective side of Veum too, especially when it comes to his views on romance, and his love of jazz thrums throughout.
Staalesen is one of the Nordic noir giants, and this book has the mark of another hit on the Norwegian crime front. I loved it from start to finish, and cannot wait for the next one.
At first these cases seem to have no apparent connection, but curious links between the two begin to emerge. The husband of the missing sister worked for the same company operating the cargo vessel, and there are odd echoes between the sudden disappearance of him and his wife and a case of a double suicide in the family over thirty years before.
As events unfurl, Veum is pulled into a complex web of secrets, lies and desire, and the shadowy world of subterfuge around nuclear waste and illegal immigrants... putting him squarely in the way of a past adversary's spiteful revenge.
My favourite Norwegian PI, Varg Veum, is back in a brand new twisty mystery that takes a considerable amount of good old-fashioned, gum-shoe leg work to get to the bottom of. At the heart of the tale is an anxious relative, concerned about the fate of her sister, but as Veum trudges around Bergen and its environs the story burgeons into one which connects past and present events through the timeless trouble-makers of affairs of the heart and greed.
The threads of this story are far reaching in time and place, flipping between the present and intimately described scenes of the past that ooze with atmosphere and tension. It is hard to see how all these threads can possibly resolve into a coherent picture, but in his capable way Staalesen does an excellent job of keeping track of them all as they draw together towards the slickest of endings - one that makes the absolute most of the consequences of what the darker emotions of passion, jealousy, avarice, and revenge can lead to. This kept me guessing right to the delicious denouement, when Veum puts the pieces of the puzzle together in a way that suddenly has you looking at the whole chain of carefully contrived events in an entirely new light. Well played, Gunnar Staalesen, well played!
The translator, Don Bartlett, does an excellent job with Staalesen's text once more, retaining every ounce of the fabulous Humphrey-Bogart-does-Philip-Marlowe vibes that I know and love in Varg Veum, right down to the sardonic humour and sassy comebacks - with some clever little nods to the great man himself. I think this story shows a more reflective side of Veum too, especially when it comes to his views on romance, and his love of jazz thrums throughout.
Staalesen is one of the Nordic noir giants, and this book has the mark of another hit on the Norwegian crime front. I loved it from start to finish, and cannot wait for the next one.
February 4, 2013
Ce livre est un des nombreux livres qui met en scène le détective privé Varg Veum. Je n’ai pas lu un seul autre ouvrage de cette saga et cela ne pose aucun problème à la lecture.
J’ai trouvé ce livre un peu mou, l’histoire a du mal à se mettre en place, le détective tourne en rond et le lecteur aussi. Jusqu’à la page 260 environ, je me suis vraiment demandée où l’auteur voulait en venir. Aucun suspens ou presque, l’enquête n’avançait pas et ça commençait presque à devenir pénible. Et puis, grand retournement de situation, un dénouement que je n’avais pas vu venir arrive pour l’enquête secondaire (le mystère de bateau au contenu inconnu), c’est un peu bizarre. Cela a l’air sorti du chapeau sans réel lien avec tout ce qui a été expliqué jusque-là, comme si l’auteur avait trouvé l’idée au dernier moment. Ensuite, concernant l’enquête principale (la disparition du couple), tout s’accélère et il y aurait presque du suspens, mais sur une trentaine de pages, ça fait peu. Heureusement, pour ce dénouement-là, tout s’enchaîne correctement et c’est un peu ce qui sauve le tout.
Vous comprendrez donc que j’ai été déçue par ce livre. C’est dommage car la fin est plutôt pas mal mais l’histoire se traîne tellement au départ que ça gâche un peu la globalité de l’ouvrage.
Du coup, même si je suis de nature curieuse, j’hésite vraiment à lire un autre livre de cette saga. J’ai peur d’être à nouveau déçue. Malgré tout, sachant que les histoire du détective Varg Veum ont été des best sellers en Norvège, je me dis que j’ai dû tomber sur le mauvais ouvrage de la série.
J’ai trouvé ce livre un peu mou, l’histoire a du mal à se mettre en place, le détective tourne en rond et le lecteur aussi. Jusqu’à la page 260 environ, je me suis vraiment demandée où l’auteur voulait en venir. Aucun suspens ou presque, l’enquête n’avançait pas et ça commençait presque à devenir pénible. Et puis, grand retournement de situation, un dénouement que je n’avais pas vu venir arrive pour l’enquête secondaire (le mystère de bateau au contenu inconnu), c’est un peu bizarre. Cela a l’air sorti du chapeau sans réel lien avec tout ce qui a été expliqué jusque-là, comme si l’auteur avait trouvé l’idée au dernier moment. Ensuite, concernant l’enquête principale (la disparition du couple), tout s’accélère et il y aurait presque du suspens, mais sur une trentaine de pages, ça fait peu. Heureusement, pour ce dénouement-là, tout s’enchaîne correctement et c’est un peu ce qui sauve le tout.
Vous comprendrez donc que j’ai été déçue par ce livre. C’est dommage car la fin est plutôt pas mal mais l’histoire se traîne tellement au départ que ça gâche un peu la globalité de l’ouvrage.
Du coup, même si je suis de nature curieuse, j’hésite vraiment à lire un autre livre de cette saga. J’ai peur d’être à nouveau déçue. Malgré tout, sachant que les histoire du détective Varg Veum ont été des best sellers en Norvège, je me dis que j’ai dû tomber sur le mauvais ouvrage de la série.
October 6, 2023
I love me some Nordic fiction and I really think you can’t call yourself a Scandi Noir fan without having read Varg Veum. It’s always a pleasure to meet up with Veum again, I’m reading this series completely out of order but somehow I never get confused and for me, starting a new Veum always kinda feels like stepping into a favourite restaurant: I know what’s on the menu, I know I like it, and that’s why I keep coming back for more.
This time around, Veum is juggling two investigations that he soon realises might not only be linked to each other, but also to a death pact and other events decades earlier. No, the title of this story was not drawn out of a hat! Veum didn’t know what to make of it, I didn’t either but I was happy to let him have at it. With Mirror Image set in 1993, that means a whole lot of good old-fashioned legwork and very little tech and call me old-fashioned, or maybe just nostalgic, but I do so appreciate that old PI charm.
With its understated, rather stoic protagonist and his a subtle but wicked sense of dry humour, and more than a few jaw-dropping WTH moments, Mirror Image was a joy to read. If you’re as big a fan of Nordic thrillers and solid detective stories as I am, do check out Mirror Image!
Massive thanks to Orenda Books for the digital proof. All opinions are my own.
This time around, Veum is juggling two investigations that he soon realises might not only be linked to each other, but also to a death pact and other events decades earlier. No, the title of this story was not drawn out of a hat! Veum didn’t know what to make of it, I didn’t either but I was happy to let him have at it. With Mirror Image set in 1993, that means a whole lot of good old-fashioned legwork and very little tech and call me old-fashioned, or maybe just nostalgic, but I do so appreciate that old PI charm.
With its understated, rather stoic protagonist and his a subtle but wicked sense of dry humour, and more than a few jaw-dropping WTH moments, Mirror Image was a joy to read. If you’re as big a fan of Nordic thrillers and solid detective stories as I am, do check out Mirror Image!
Massive thanks to Orenda Books for the digital proof. All opinions are my own.
August 10, 2023
The newest instalment of the award-winning Varg Veum series, Mirror Image is a gripping thriller where the past and present collide in explosive and horrific ways when bloody history repeats itself in front of our eyes.
From the first few pages, that sense of dread and unease creeps in - the feeling of not only a strange Deja-vu but a feeling that something is lurking around every single page with an intense anticipation that compels you to keep turning the pages. Every setting, from the frozen shores to the dimmest offices is perfectly described and vivid, full of little details that draw your eye and make you wonder if you've finally got the last clue to put everything together.
If you haven't read Varg before, you can definitely still pick this book up because his storytelling lets you know him quickly - although at times his narration is cold, clinical and patient, he also deals with a lot of personal struggles and shows us how he thinks, letting us really get to know him and get invested in not only his case but his personal life too.
Mirror Image is subtle, patient, calculated - but still packs an electric energy and a frantic intensity to create a brilliantly absorbing thriller.
From the first few pages, that sense of dread and unease creeps in - the feeling of not only a strange Deja-vu but a feeling that something is lurking around every single page with an intense anticipation that compels you to keep turning the pages. Every setting, from the frozen shores to the dimmest offices is perfectly described and vivid, full of little details that draw your eye and make you wonder if you've finally got the last clue to put everything together.
If you haven't read Varg before, you can definitely still pick this book up because his storytelling lets you know him quickly - although at times his narration is cold, clinical and patient, he also deals with a lot of personal struggles and shows us how he thinks, letting us really get to know him and get invested in not only his case but his personal life too.
Mirror Image is subtle, patient, calculated - but still packs an electric energy and a frantic intensity to create a brilliantly absorbing thriller.
August 18, 2023
Book 13 in The Varg Veum series. Varg is a PI based in Bergen and the series is translated from its original Norwegian. Set in 1993 (the present) with some flashbacks. Written in the first person the character of Varg is very well fleshed, a damaged but determined man who comes across as a bit arrogant but with a wonderfully dry wit that made me smile.
Briefly, Varg is struggling with two very different cases. Firstly, a solicitor wants him to help trace her missing sister and husband. Secondly, he is working with an investigative journalist in tracking a ship heading to Norway with an unusual cargo. Very soon he discovers close links to a double suicide in 1957 involving the sisters’ mother whilst the missing husband has connections with the shipping company. Too much coincidence for Varg’s liking.
Apart from wishing I could get my tongue around the various Norwegian names, and I read a lot of Scandi Noir, this is a complex plot but a relatively easy read. A medium paced thriller that ramps up in the latter chapters, a very cleverly written book with a shocking and tragic climax. A book full of secrets, undertones of revenge and requited love with environmental issues and illegal immigration thrown in for good measure. An exciting read. 4.5⭐️
Briefly, Varg is struggling with two very different cases. Firstly, a solicitor wants him to help trace her missing sister and husband. Secondly, he is working with an investigative journalist in tracking a ship heading to Norway with an unusual cargo. Very soon he discovers close links to a double suicide in 1957 involving the sisters’ mother whilst the missing husband has connections with the shipping company. Too much coincidence for Varg’s liking.
Apart from wishing I could get my tongue around the various Norwegian names, and I read a lot of Scandi Noir, this is a complex plot but a relatively easy read. A medium paced thriller that ramps up in the latter chapters, a very cleverly written book with a shocking and tragic climax. A book full of secrets, undertones of revenge and requited love with environmental issues and illegal immigration thrown in for good measure. An exciting read. 4.5⭐️
September 1, 2023
I love Varg Veum. He’s a character that has a dry wit, trusts absolutely nobody and carries with him like the best detectives a sense of melancholy and humour at the same time.
This is a slow burn story so don’t expect the heart stopping pace of many novels. That being said it builds the story slowly, and has everyone hiding something which makes Veum’s decision to trust nobody a pretty sound one.
Staalesen paints pictures with words. For instance he describes a secretary’s athletic build in such a clear way, yet it’s different and fresh. Even small things that are described are painting a perfect picture. The words painting landscapes indoors and out are given in a way that makes you see the story as well as feel it’s menacing undertones.
This was a brilliant read and I love the decades old family mystery that needs to be solved a very enticing one. If you want a slower paced read with a detective that will make you laugh, yet you want to shake occasionally, read this one. The translation by Don Bartlett is also excellent.
With thanks to Anne Cater, Orenda Books and the author for the advanced reading copy of this book.
This is a slow burn story so don’t expect the heart stopping pace of many novels. That being said it builds the story slowly, and has everyone hiding something which makes Veum’s decision to trust nobody a pretty sound one.
Staalesen paints pictures with words. For instance he describes a secretary’s athletic build in such a clear way, yet it’s different and fresh. Even small things that are described are painting a perfect picture. The words painting landscapes indoors and out are given in a way that makes you see the story as well as feel it’s menacing undertones.
This was a brilliant read and I love the decades old family mystery that needs to be solved a very enticing one. If you want a slower paced read with a detective that will make you laugh, yet you want to shake occasionally, read this one. The translation by Don Bartlett is also excellent.
With thanks to Anne Cater, Orenda Books and the author for the advanced reading copy of this book.
December 4, 2023
I have never read any of this series before but was keen to get into this. Sadly for me I struggled with this book though. Initially I think it was that I am very unfamiliar with Norwegian names, both for people and places and found it all a bit confusing. This is a fault with me not the book, but as I mostly read before sleeping it was difficult to concentrate. I switched to the audiobook version which was available on Spotify. The narration helped a lot.
However the story still felt a bit muddled and despite the numerous characters, different sub-plots and the historical vs modern incidents it felt slow. (Not sure modern is the correct term given this is set in 1993)
The language was at times quite stilted- which may be because the book wasn't written in English and the translation was clunky or may be some cultural difference: I don't know but it didn't work for me.
The narration was pretty ok but if I had been listening via a different app and could have sped it up I would have.
Overall 3 stars
Narration 3.5 stars
Story 3 stars.
However the story still felt a bit muddled and despite the numerous characters, different sub-plots and the historical vs modern incidents it felt slow. (Not sure modern is the correct term given this is set in 1993)
The language was at times quite stilted- which may be because the book wasn't written in English and the translation was clunky or may be some cultural difference: I don't know but it didn't work for me.
The narration was pretty ok but if I had been listening via a different app and could have sped it up I would have.
Overall 3 stars
Narration 3.5 stars
Story 3 stars.
October 27, 2023
This novel introduced me to the PI Varg Veum and is part of a series, not sure how many. I've not read any of the previous books, it didn't matter, but I would like to go back to the beginning and read them all.
I love Nordic Noire and this did not disappoint. The novel is set in '93 but returns to events in '57 on a regular basis. The title, Mirror Image, perfectly reflects the main plot where the past seems destined to repeat itself.
Very well written, plenty of tension and a great plot that had me working with Veum to unpick the lies and get to the truth. The book has a kind of constant movement about it that keeps the pace and interest going. A side plot involving illegal immigrants and waste added depth and intrigue. The descriptive writing is excellent, taking you to a frozen Norway.
The character, Varg Veum is what makes me want to read the other books in the series. He's got this great wit, sarcastic and quick he gets right to the point.
Loved it and would recommend.
I love Nordic Noire and this did not disappoint. The novel is set in '93 but returns to events in '57 on a regular basis. The title, Mirror Image, perfectly reflects the main plot where the past seems destined to repeat itself.
Very well written, plenty of tension and a great plot that had me working with Veum to unpick the lies and get to the truth. The book has a kind of constant movement about it that keeps the pace and interest going. A side plot involving illegal immigrants and waste added depth and intrigue. The descriptive writing is excellent, taking you to a frozen Norway.
The character, Varg Veum is what makes me want to read the other books in the series. He's got this great wit, sarcastic and quick he gets right to the point.
Loved it and would recommend.
October 21, 2023
This is my first Varg Veum book and when I picked it up I was a little worried to find out it was quite a way into a long running series. I shouldn’t have worried however as I soon found myself in the action. I found Veum a really easy character to read and soon felt like I knew him well.
This is also my first Norwegian translated book and I found the setting and writing style captivating.
The book spans 2 cases, decades apart, along with a shady sounding company, and plenty of secrets and lies. How do all the pieces come together? Slowly and surely, you can’t assume anyone is telling the truth!
I’d love to read another book in this series and I’ll miss Veum now this read is over!
This is also my first Norwegian translated book and I found the setting and writing style captivating.
The book spans 2 cases, decades apart, along with a shady sounding company, and plenty of secrets and lies. How do all the pieces come together? Slowly and surely, you can’t assume anyone is telling the truth!
I’d love to read another book in this series and I’ll miss Veum now this read is over!
November 1, 2023
Mirror Image by Gunnar Staalesen.
Bergen Private Investigator Varg Veum is perplexed when two wildly different cases cross his desk at the same time. A lawyer, anxious to protect her privacy, asks Varg to find her sister, who has disappeared with her husband, seemingly without trace, while a ship carrying unknown cargo is heading towards the Norwegian coast, and the authorities need answers.
Really good read. I do like this author. Gripping read. 4*.
Bergen Private Investigator Varg Veum is perplexed when two wildly different cases cross his desk at the same time. A lawyer, anxious to protect her privacy, asks Varg to find her sister, who has disappeared with her husband, seemingly without trace, while a ship carrying unknown cargo is heading towards the Norwegian coast, and the authorities need answers.
Really good read. I do like this author. Gripping read. 4*.
April 13, 2024
Good, just like all the others.
Not a police procedural, but a cantankerous old PI running around asking questions until, in a way, the whodunit answer shows up.
I think there are more books in the series, but not translated. Depending upon which listing you look at, this is the last book, well, translated, as it seems like an appropriate ending (retirement, love, etc) for our hero is due.
But maybe not.
Not a police procedural, but a cantankerous old PI running around asking questions until, in a way, the whodunit answer shows up.
I think there are more books in the series, but not translated. Depending upon which listing you look at, this is the last book, well, translated, as it seems like an appropriate ending (retirement, love, etc) for our hero is due.
But maybe not.
May 17, 2010
A pretty good mystery about a very complicated family history that seems to be repeating itself in a deadly way. The protagonist, Varg Veum, is much more interesting than the other characters. For an American reader, the Norwegian interest in American music, particularly Jazz, is interesting. I actually learned from this book the lyrics to a couple of standards I have heard all my life.
August 25, 2014
L'enquête la moins rythmée de la série mettant en scène le privé Varg Veum. Une lecture tout de même agréable, et une intrigue intéressante, bien que partant un peu dans tous les sens, sans pour autant exploiter pleinement les divers rebondissements. Toujours un plaisir de retrouver Veum, surtout quand on a le plaisir de se balader sur les traces du détective dans les rues de Bergen.
September 29, 2023
P I Varg Veum is asked to investigate the apparent disappearance of a couple by the woman's sister. All is not as it first appears and this investigation has ties to a second he is asked to help with. A past traumatic event takes the investigation in a different direction and once again Veum is in danger. An intriguing read with all the components of gripping Nordic noir.
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