Back From The Dead

A Jensen Thriller #3

by Heidi Amsinck

Mens København sveder under rekordtemperaturer, dukker et lig uden hoved op i havnens grumsede vand. Et andet sted i byen forsvinder den syriske flygtning Aziz Almasi, chauffør for parlamentsmedlem Esben Nørregaard, sporløst. Af frygt for en lyssky kontakt fra sin fortid appellerer Esben til Jensen om at undersøge Aziz’ forsvinden. Kan liget i havnen være Aziz?

Jensen og Henrik får endnu engang brug for hinanden for at afsløre sandheden - en, der er farligere, end de kunne have forestillet sig.

375 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2024

About the author

Heidi Amsinck won the Danish Criminal Academy's Debut Award for My Name is Jensen (2021), the first book in a new series featuring Copenhagen reporter sleuth Jensen and her motley crew of helpers. She published her second Jensen novel, The Girl in Photo, in July 2022, and the third, Back from the Dead, in February 2024. A journalist by background, Heidi spent many years covering Britain for the Danish press, including a spell as London Correspondent for the broadsheet daily Jyllands-Posten. She has written numerous short stories for BBC Radio 4, such as the three-story sets Danish Noir, Copenhagen Confidential and Copenhagen Curios, all produced by Sweet Talk and featuring in her collection Last Train to Helsingør (2018). Heidi's work has been translated from the original English into Danish, German and Czech.

Reviews

[Bruce Hatton · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s June and Copenhagen is suffering under a brutal heatwave. Syrian refugee Aziz Almasi, chauffeur and bodyguard to prominent politician Esben Norregaard has been kidnapped. Then a headless corpse is discovered in the city’s harbour. Could it belong to Aziz? Detective Inspector Henrik Jungerson is assigned to the case and has to (albeit quite willingly) cancel his family holiday to Italy.
Meanwhile, Norregaard contacts crime reporter Jensen to investigate Aziz’s disappearance. He fears it could be because of one of his past shady associations; something he doesn’t wish to be made public.
Despite some uncomfortable history between them, Henrik and Jensen find themselves having to collaborate and find themselves drawn into events far more wide reaching and dangerous than either of them could have expected.
This is this third novel in the series but the first I’ve read. There obviously was quite a bit of backstory between the central characters I wasn’t aware of but it didn’t spoil my enjoyment. The novel was well plotted with frequent unexpected twists and some thrilling action sequences.

[Linda Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jensen is about to become embroiled in another case.

My goodness, Back From The Dead is an exciting and fast paced novel and I thought it was excellent. Whilst I appreciated having read the first two excellent books in the series better to appreciate the nuances here, Heidi Amsinck ensures readers are not disadvantaged if they are new to the series and haven’t encountered the characters before. I found the subtle weaving of back story very skilled indeed.

The plot of Back From The Dead is complex, brilliantly plotted and breath-taking. With timed and dated chapters that are short, snappy and exciting, there’s a fabulous sense of pace. It is hard to say too much for fear of spoiling the story for others, but there are twists and turns, with surprising events and reveals that make the story totally compelling and engaging. I loved it. As I read I kept thinking of stones dropping into a barrel of water (or in this case bodies dropping into water) with all the ripples intersecting in a plot that is quite masterful.

I loved too the seething, simmering heat of Copenhagen with that sense of over-heating tempers, bodies and minds that so perfectly reflected the febrile tension between Jensen and Henrik. Their toxic attraction for one another is one of the best relationships in crime fiction around. What I found so interesting in Back From The Dead was the increased vulnerability displayed by Jensen. She is developing so realistically and convincingly. Gustav too feels as if he is maturing so that the potential for him in future books is massive.

The challenges facing the police in Henrik’s investigation not only heighten the tension of the story, but add an understanding of how the police are often unrealistically expected to produce near miraculous results in very short time scales. Heidi Amsinck has a mature and compassionate skill in incorporating societal attitudes, immigration, the way marriages work, and the bonds and frustrations of intimate and frequently challenging professional relationships, so that they become layers of interest beyond the already compelling thriller.

I so enjoyed Back From The Dead. It’s everything I want in a police procedural thriller and a real triumph as the plot is gripping and the characters multi-layered and believable. I can’t wait for book four!

[Irene · Rating 5 out of 5]

„Back from the Dead“ by Heidi Amsinck is the third installment in the Danish crime series featuring DI Henrik Jungersen and investigative journalist Jensen. The story is told alternatively from the perspectives of the two main characters and offers not only insight into the investigation but also into their private lives.

In “Back to the Dead” Jensen hooks up with billionaire Kristoffer Bro, much to the dismay of Henrik, who -despite being married – can’t get Jensen out of his mind. He can’t seem to accept the fact that she has finally turned her back on him. But for Jensen, everything seems to work out fine: She has got a hot new boyfriend, she is convinced she has left Henrik behind for good AND she becomes chief crime reporter for the “Dagbladet”.

So, everything is fine until Aziz Almasi, the driver of Jensen’s friend MP Esben Nørregaard, suddenly disappears into thin air and a headless corpse is discovered in the Copenhagen harbour. Jensen immediately rushes to help Esben, who turns to her rather than to the police since he doesn’t want to alert public attention. Meanwhile Henrik and his team try to find out the body’s identity. Inevitably, Jensen’s and Henrik’s paths cross again. Could Aziz’s disappearance and the body in the harbour be linked? When more dead bodies turn up, it becomes clear that the case is much more complex and dangerous than Jensen and Henrik initially thought.

I really loved reading this third book in Heidi Amsinck’s crime series. The author’s characters are authentic and well-developed, the plot is fast-paced, well-structured and immensely gripping, and the endings are always logical and satisfying.

I particularly like Jensen, who excels at what she’s doing but whose private life is not as successful as her professional life. She’s a loner by nature, independent and headstrong, but at the same time sensitive and warm-hearted. Her on-and-off relationship with Henrik is a part of the charm of this crime series.

I would recommend this crime series to everyone who loves complex and fast-paced crime novels with characters who face professional and private challenges. As far as I’m concerned, I can’t wait to read the next installment in this series!

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some of my favourite characters in the world of Scandi Noir, every new Heidi Amsnick book makes me want to go and visit Copenhagen (despite the soaring crime rates depicted in her novels 😂). I consumed this one and tried to ration myself to just a few chapters a day. Her work is amazing, everything flows and the characters just come alive in your mind. I particularly enjoyed some of the side characters from the first two books becoming a key element to the third books plot. There is a lot to develop upon for a fourth book and I can’t wait to read it.
They say authors usually get a three book deal and this is usually dependent on their debut’s success. I would say Amsinck has navigated the famously tricky 3rd book trap expertly. I somewhat guessed elements of the plot, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t well thought out. Looking forward to the next issue of Dagbladet. Also looking forward to the audible version coming out later this month.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, quick read. Captured my attention. Good for ppl who know Copenhagen/Denmark a bit, otherwise it might be confusing

[KD · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like Heidi Amsinck’s writing. However, I found this book somewhat confusing due to plethora of characters, suspects, and victims popping in and out of the plot.

[David Prestidge · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to confess that the crime fiction obsession with Scandi crime a decade ago came and went, as far as I was concerned. Some of it was very good, but to this old cynic it seemed that as long as an author had a few diacritic signs in their name, they were good for a publishing deal. Heresy, I know, but there we are. Back From The Dead is not a Scandi crime novel translated into English. The author (left) was born in Copenhagen, but has lived for many years in London, and she writes in English.

DI Henrick Jungerson is a Copenhagen cop, and his city is enduring a heatwave. This adds to his discomfort when he has to stand on the harbour side and watch a corpse being removed from the water. The body is not leaving its watery grave without a struggle. Jungerson, when he sees that the body is minus its head and hands realises that that wasn’t some poor fellow who fell into the water after imbibing too well during the interval of La Traviata at the nearby Opera House.

Jungerson ticks many of the boxes on the Classic CriFi Detective Inspector Checklist: he is middle aged, has a less than idyllic personal life, and doesn’t suffer fools gladly. ‘Loose cannon, womaniser and too unorthodox‘ are just a few of the descriptions laid at his door. He has an on/off relationship with a journalist called Jensen. She works for Dagbladet, a Danish tabloid which is, like many print journals, struggling against the inexorable rise of digital media.

She has received a ‘phone call from Esben Norregaard, a national MP. His chauffeur and factotum, a Syrian immigrant called Aziz Almasi, has vanished from the face of the earth. Almasi’s wife is beside herself with worry. Jungerson and Jensen share information, and it seems possible that the harbour corpse might be that of Almasi. Both were huge men, built like the proverbial brick whatnot, and well over six and a half feet tall. The body fished from the harbour was also that of a very big man but despite the missing head, it is almost certainly not that of the missing Syrian. A burnt-out hire car seems to have been the vehicle which transported the unknown corpse to the water’s edge, but Jungerson is frustrated to learn that the name on the rental agreement, Christopher Michael White, was a ten year old British boy who died of a brain tumour twenty years earlier. Everything about the case seems to be going pear shaped. There is a glimmer of hope when a head is found dumped in a bin, but when the pathologist tells Jungerson that it did not belong to the harbour man, the detective feels like punching the wall.

The room or, more likely, the assembly hall, containing fictional Detective Inspectors is certainly crowded, but Henrik Jungersen stands out for his faults rather than for his triumphs. He is a good copper, for sure, but he is swept along by events rather than controlling the flow. This makes him all the more credible. It also ticks that vital box that asks the question of readers, “do you care what happens to him/her?” Yes, we do, and that’s what makes Back From The Dead such an entertaining read.

The title is something of a giveaway in terms of the fate of Aziz, but Heidi Amsinck steers the plot in an entirely unpredictable direction, as both Jungersen and Jensen have their lives – both professional and personal – turned upside down by the course of events. They are both swept along by the tide of a case neither can control, and this makes for a gripping and immersive police thriller. As is so often the case, the Bard of Avon can have the last word. There is, truly, something rotten in the state of Denmark.

Back From The Dead is published by Muswell Press and is available now.

[Mary Picken · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy Heidi Amsinck’s writing. She has the ability to write about dark crimes as a Scandi noir writer, but she also has a lightness of touch that means there are moments when you just laugh out loud at something a character says or does. Her protagonist, Jensen is a savvy journalist with a good eye for a story and a really bad habit of taking up with the wrong men.

Not this time, though. Now she is all but living with her billionaire boyfriend Kristoffer Bro and she is happy. Well in her personal life at least. At work the story is rather more mixed. The paper is cutting ever more jobs and the impetus to be ever more digital first is something the Dagbladet has to address. On the plus side, it means that Jensen now becomes Chief Crime reporter, but on the back of a colleagues redundancy, and there’s no team to back her up, just a young intern by the name of Gustav who is the editor’s nephew.

The story begins with the discovery of a headless body found in the sea by a local fisherman. DI Henrik Jungersen of Copenhagen Police and his sidekick, Mark Søndergreen are on the case. Henrik is feeling aggrieved. He doesn’t like change and he’s just lost his D.S. Elisabeth Quist, to organised crime. Henrik is also fretting about Jensen. He’s not happy she’s taken up with Kristoffer, whom he has cause to dislike.

Jensen, meanwhile, has been asked by MP Esben Nørregaard to see what she can find out about the disappearance of his driver, Aziz Almasi. He asks for discretion – will she look into it as a favour to him, please? When she hears about the headless body Jensen is concerned it might be Aziz and that involves her straight away in Henrik’s investigation.

The pair are swiftly swung headline into an escalating series of more dead bodies and a lot more mystery which leads to some misunderstandings and some tense and emotional moments. Of course as former lovers, there’s that personal closeness and also tension between the; not helped by Jungersen’s inability to decide what he really wants.

Heidi Amsinck has constructed a complex plot with lots of different pathways, allowing Jensen and Henrik to follow different investigative paths which will ultimately lead them to the same destination. It’s fascinating to watch the gloomy short –tempered Henrik follow his path with a heavy tread while Jensen always seems more fleet of foot, partly because she has sources that Henrik just could not imagine.

The plot is quite convoluted, though well-constructed, and both Henrik and Jensen find themselves in real difficulty more than once, leading to some thrilling moments, and a lot of tension. There is also a sobering reflection on how dangerous and difficult this work is which leads to an ineffable sadness on the death of a respected colleague. The story delves into Danish politics, capitalism and cronyism as well as immigration and the impact on Danish society.

The pace is strong and the dual perspectives of Jungersen and Jensen make for a good contrast. I enjoyed the glimpse of an ‘underground’ Denmark where the local coffee stall owner makes contact with a network that keeps him informed. I’m sure there’s more to come from Liron, other than the fact that he makes the best coffee in Copenhagen.

Verdict: A thoroughly enjoyable read with great characters, an insight into Danish politics and a thoroughly tangled mystery to unpick.

[Peter Fleming · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Cracking follow up to The Girl in the Picture and this is one novel where the reader would benefit by reading the earlier stories. Back from the Dead can be enjoyed as a stand-alone but as the reader will discover some earlier threads are tied up along the way.

Jensen is a journalist of the old-school rather than the modern, online, clickbait variety. After 14 years in England, she has recently returned to Copenhagen unsure of what the future holds and looking for something solid to anchor her life to. Initially working freelance she is now full time at Dagbladet where her boss Margrethe recognises her value as a real journalist and sees a bit of herself in Jensen. Jensen also provides her with a ready-made ‘babysitter’ for nephew Gustav, who has had to leave school at least temporarily. After a period of irritation Jensen starts to like the foolish, reckless and very keen Gustav and they form the sort of unlikely alliance that give a novel a bit of zing. Gustav provides the humour and the light-hearted moments that a story involving headless corpses needs.

Central to the story is the relationship between Jensen and Henrik. Once lovers they are trying to be ‘friends’ though a rekindling of the past can never be ruled out. Henrik is in a can’t live with, can’t live without position, needing Jensen in his life but at the same time unwilling to abandon his home life and children. Jensen is trying to move on, now being in a relationship with her landlord the billionaire businessman Kristoffer Bro. Henrik doesn’t approve and makes his feelings clear, suggesting that Jensen knows little of him and certainly not of his dark past. She feels that Henrik is being the archetypal spurned lover who is reluctant to give up, harbouring the if I can have you then nobody can attitude. After thinking that she could find happiness with Kristoffer, Henrik has now sown the seeds of doubt. The dynamic of this relationship is critical to the series. It is perfectly judged to produce the right balance between interest in the characters and in the plot.

The story moves along at a brisk enough pace, never so quick that the characters cannot express themselves but when it reaches the conclusion it progresses with appropriate urgency. It is a story where there is always something going on, sometimes in the background away from the action, so the reader is encouraged to keep reading a bit more. Don’t be surprised if that ‘just one more chapter’ means you end up reading much later than intended.

The plot is intricate rather than complex, twisting around so the reader is never quite sure what to expect. The killers are wonderfully dumb, managing to leave a key piece of evidence behind. In crime fiction there is the desire for a criminal mastermind, but most, certainly those that are caught are usually done so due to their stupidity or incompetence. In this case it certainly got a chuckle out of me. The violence is low key and not graphic but there are headless bodies, bloodshed and beatings. The motivation throughout is control over people and how it is achieved, be it emotional, coercive, financial or debt of honour.

[Lynsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘Back From the Dead’ is a thrilling and dark book that is full of humour, and brilliant characters and is completely engrossing! This is the third book in the series but it could be read as a standalone, but I thoroughly recommend reading the whole series. They are cracking reads and you have the benefit of knowing more about the character interactions and backgrounds. Also, I see this as a series which will go on for a long time so getting in at the start is always good!

The story is told from two different viewpoints, firstly the spunky journalist Jensen. She is having to deal with changes in the paper she works for as they are increasingly going digital, plus there have been a raft of redundancies which resulted in her actually being promoted to Chief Crime reporter. She is still working with her ‘intern’ Gustav who brings such a lightheartedness to this series. I adore him! We also see the story from DI Henrik Jungerson's viewpoint and he and Jensen have a complicated history.

Jenson has been asked by her friend and member of parliament, Esben Norregaard to help look into the disappearance of his driver Aziz. He wants to keep it under the radar as Aziz is very worried about him and his family being sent back to Syria. As Jensen looks into this, Henrik is investigating the discovery of a headless corpse. As the pair investigate the threads weave together to throw them into a dangerous investigation for both of them!

This was a the well-thought-out mystery that sent both Jensen and Henrik into various misdirections and wrong turns. The pace was excellent and built up to a thrilling conclusion. I flew through this book in one day as it's always a delight to return to Amsinck’s brilliant writing. I just could not put the book down, it was a real page-turner. Although it deals with some heavy and dark topics it has a lightness through the narrative and at times I was laughing out loud!

Let me know if you pick this one up!

[Elaine Tomasso · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank Netgalley and Muswell Press for an advance copy of Back from the Dead, the third novel to feature crime reporter Jensen and DI Henrik Jungersen of Copenhagen Police.

MP Esben Nørregaard asks Jensen to quietly look into the disappearance of his driver Aziz Almasi while Henrik is investigating a headless body pulled from the water. Could it be Aziz? Jensen and Henrik will have to navigate spiralling events to find out.

I thoroughly enjoyed Back from the Dead, which has an absorbing plot with plenty of twists and turns, a dash of humour and some genuinely sad moments. In short it has a bit of everything.

The narrative is split between Jensen and Henrik, which in a sense presents its own problems as they are former lovers and it complicates their interactions, but not fatally so as they have a good working relationship. The split narrative works well as they both have contributions to make by pursuing different lines of enquiry. It rounds out the story and maintains the mystery as it is all told from the investigative side. It also allows a good comparison of their characters. Jensen is rather gung-ho in her approach while Henrik is more cautious and jaded. She is sunny while he broods.

The plot is fairly outrageous, asking the reader to believe some very unrealistic events, actions and attitudes, so go with the flow and you won’t be disappointed. It is meticulously constructed and offers the reader an interesting and at times tense and exciting read that continually moves forward. There are no dull moments as there is always a new development or twist to consider.

Back from the Dead is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

[Sonja Charters · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes my inability to read blurbs catches up with me and in this case, once again, I missed that this was a book 3 in the Jensen Thriller Series.....and the first that I've read.
I don't tend to really mind too much, especially in this genre, as each book deals with an individual case and this was all contained here as a complete story.
However, I definitely feel the lack of character development and continuity when not read in order as intended.

Jensen was an intriguing character and I gather that her luck with men so far, has not been going well.
Now seemingly settled, there was an obvious tension as she interacts with DI Henrik to work her own case.
Although somewhat explained here, I'm interested to see how their relationship played out (maybe in a previous book?) as they were so obviously completely different characters.

This contrast in personalities and the difference in working styles provided a few uncomfortable moments, but also some humour to the otherwise tense situations.

The case and plot were really well worked out and at times, quite complex.
I'm not big on politics and so being based around Danish politics and immigration kept me focussed throughout.
I did enjoy that we were essentially following two different cases for the majority, but as more information comes to light, the two converge nicely.

I really enjoyed the writing style and the way the tension builds up within the storyline.
I doubt this will be the only book I read by this author and am keen to add the first two books in this series to my tbr in the near future.

[Anette Knudsen (anettesbookshelf) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fundet i havnen er tredje bog i Heidi Amsincks Københavner-krimiserie om den kvindelige reporter Jensen. Jeg har læst med fra start og de to forrige bøger i serien fløj jeg også igennem ligesom denne.
I alle tre bøger møder vi, udover Jensen, også kriminalkommissær Henrik Jungersen, som Jensen for år tilbage har haft en affære med. Nu et had-kærlighedsforhold, mens begge forsøger at få deres respektive forhold til at fungere, men svært når deres veje konstant krydses og spændingen mellem dem er stadig elektrisk.
Jensen, den kvindelige reporter, er tilbage på Dagbladet, der er lukningstruet. Hun kontaktes af vennen og parlamentsmedlemmet Esben Nørregaard, der diskret ønsker Jensens hjælp til at finde hans chauffør Aziz Almasi, der er forsvundet. Hun får igen hjælp af den unge medhjælper Gustav, der viser handlekraft og som giver de voksne lidt modspil.
Historien har nemlig et utrolig godt flow med fornem ping-pong mellem kapitlerne og dynamikken mellem de to hovedpersoner Jensen og Jungersen fungerer med en tilpas intensitet. Sprogligt glider fortællingen let fremad og det er den slags krimier, man flyder igennem uden at se sig tilbage.
Du kan læse min fulde omtale her og også lidt om de to forrige bøger -https://anettesbookshelf.dk/fundet-i-...

[J Kromrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

Heidi Amsinck’s “Back From the Dead” immerses readers in a chilling Copenhagen where secrets fester like old wounds. This third installment in the Jensen series delivers a fiendishly clever plot, vibrant characters, and an atmospheric backdrop. I will be reading the earlier offerings from this talented author.

As Copenhagen swelters under record temperatures, DI Henrik Jungersen faces a headless corpse in the murky harbor. Simultaneously, Syrian refugee Aziz Almasi, driver to MP Esben Nørregaard, vanishes. Crime reporter Jensen, aided by her motley crew, investigates. Could the body be Aziz? The pursuit of evil spirals out of control, intertwining past and present.

Amsinck’s alternating perspectives—Henrik and Jensen—add depth. The city’s pulse, local politics, and suspense build steadily. Ingenious twists keep readers guessing. “Back From the Dead” is a page-turner that defies genre norms.

For fans of police procedurals with heart, this novel delivers. Prepare for a journey where shadows hold the deadliest secrets.

I personally love police procedurals set in interesting locations outside the US. 5 stars from this happy reviewer!

[Julie Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to be offered the opportunity to read this on NetGalley. It is the third book in a series featuring Jensen who is a journalist in Copenhagen. I have read the first two in the series and loved them, I was certainly not disappointed with this third book which I think could be read and enjoyed as a standalone book … and then you’d just have to go back and read the other two!
This book is filled with strong characters who are believable and realistically flawed. Jensen has a complicated relationship with a married detective and the story is told from both their perspectives. They are not together but frequently spar with each other about cases that both have an interest in. Jensen is a dogged and imaginative journalist who can often bring to light key evidence that Henrik can use to help solve a case.
An excellent plot with lots of twists and turns ensures that this is a real page-turner and I definitely didn’t want to put it down! I highly recommend this book and cannot wait for the next book to get back to the world of Jensen, Henrik and Gustav!

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Back from the Dead is the third book in the Jenson thriller series by Heidi Amsinck.
In short, there’s a lot going on but it begins with the discovery of a headless corpse surfacing in the harbour, then elsewhere the driver of the local MP goes missing and crime reporter Jensen is asked by the MP to investigate so she turns to former lover DI Henrik for help.
This is such a good series with great characters and riveting storylines. Back from the Dead simply left me craving for the next instalment, I highly recommend.
Big thanks to Heidi Amsinck, Muswell Press and NetGalley for this eARC which I chose to read in return for my honest review.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good story overall. I think the plot would have been much better though if not so much had been written about the main characters' lives and their states of mind. It took away much of the tension of the thrilling plot. I was also a bit surprised at Jensen's new boyfriend. Somehow it did not fit with her character. I had enjoyed the previous books and still want to read the next one.
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I am leaving voluntarily an honest review.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a classy addition to the Jensen series. This one sees Jensen ad her sidekick Gustav caught up in the disappearance of one of their friends and nothing is as it seems. The case has ramifications for all of them going forward and is a riveting read even if you are new to the series 5* from me as this is a series that goes from strength to strength

[Jantineke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot get enough of Jensen and Henrik, the crime and mystery solving they get involved in and group of now familiar characters around them. Not to mention the setting of Copenhagen. I love it all. Please write more!!