Out of the Dark

by Heidi Amsinck

Matilde Clausen, 9, vanishes from a crowded playground in the middle of Copenhagen, triggering a frantic search across the city.

When a possible link emerges to the disappearance of Lea Høgh, 10, six years ago, DI Henrik Jungersen is thrown back into the nightmare that almost finished his career. Desperate for redemption, but barred from reopening the old case, Henrik turns to his estranged lover, Dagbladet chief crime reporter Jensen, for help. In denial about a big change approaching in her personal life, Jensen throws herself into an investigation reaching deep into Denmark’s underworld.

Will Henrik, Jensen and her troubled teenage apprentice Gustav manage to escape the darkness that threatens to engulf them, in time to solve the mystery?

What really happened to Lea? And where is Matilde?

Paperback

Published April 24, 2025

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

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another superb instalment in the Jensen series. The development of the main characters is a joy to read, it truly feels like catching up with old friends. I also love how quickly Heidi Amnick is churning out each book…this is the 4th in the series for in less than 3 years which is admirable and highly addictive reading.
I particularly enjoyed seeing some closure for Henrick in this one, he is a tortured soul and deserves some time to recover from the events of the last book.
Jensen is on a new journey herself and the crimes highlighted in this book made her personal circumstances all the more personal in her search for the truth.
Gustav steals the show as always! It was really pleasant to see some old characters from the original book coming back and flourishing, as well as some brilliant new characters who have brought fortune and bestowed fresh new chances for Jensen going forward. I won’t say any more else that would be a spoiler. Looking forward to book 5 especially after reading the last page I’m very much intrigued.

[Peter Fleming · Rating 5 out of 5]

A few months have passed, it is now approaching Christmas in Copenhagen and there have been several changes. Journalist Jensen is heavily pregnant but still at work for now, determined to continue for as long as she can, though the reality of her condition is catching up with her. Her ‘apprentice’ Gustav has headed back to high school, thanks to pressure from his aunt Margrethe (Jensen’s boss) though how hard he is studying is debatable. He has been replaced at Dagbladet by an experienced videographer. As for Margrethe she now has two lodgers at her home now that homeless Jensen has joined Gustav.

When a nine-year-old girl, Matilde Clausen goes missing from a busy playground, there is a frantic search for her citywide. For DI Henrik Jungersen this stirs unwelcome memories. Six years previous a ten-year-old girl Lea Høgh went missing and was never found, this was a case that put Henrik’s career in jeopardy. Now there is a repeat and the paedophile they thought most likely to be responsible for Lea’s disappearance, though never proved, is to be released from prison. A nightmare for Henrik, but perhaps an opportunity for redemption, except Weisse is refusing to allow the old case to be reopened.

Naturally Jensen is covering the disappearance, but she also has another perplexing case to consider. An old lady reported seeing a violent altercation between a man and a woman, when she looked out of her window in the early hours. Initially sceptical, the old woman being written off as senile in the minds of some, Jensen believes her once she met her in her flat.

This is the darkest of the Jensen stories to date. Missing persons cases rarely end well, those involving children are particularly disturbing. At times the author manages to be beautifully understated with her writing, the words missing child are enough to take the readers thoughts to places they would rather not. We have all seen or read real life reports, all it takes is a few prompts on the page to render the possibilities. This is skilful writing nudging us to dark pages without putting it on the page.

The plot is the hunt for Matilde and Henrik’s determination to discover what happened to Lea, if only for his own piece of mind. This becomes a deep dive into the suitably named Dark Web, into a world of organised paedophile gangs who have influence and power thanks to their disturbed and often compromised members. There is a pervasive sense of fear, of being observed at times even controlled, as Henrik, Jensen and Gustav search for the missing girl.

The central theme is that of the family, in particular children. Of course there are the missing girls, but it’s the effect that the search brings out in the central characters. A child was never on the agenda for Jensen until she accidentally fell pregnant (to a murderer). As the story progresses, we see Jensen not only come to terms with the idea of motherhood, but start to acknowledge the baby, look forward to the birth and the change in her life. Investigating the case hammers home the risk and potential dangers ahead and she appreciates the fiercely protective side of motherhood.

Henrik realises that his on-off affair with Jensen is now unlikely to be rekindled, so his thought turn to his own family. As a cop he has neglected his family, but now he is realising what they mean to him, hopefully before it is too late. There is one particularly poignant and tender scene with his son which comes at a surprising moment.

The interaction between Henrik and Jensen is the key relationship in the series and is a dynamic one with changes ahead.

Clearly this needs be dark novel, but it’s not without its lighter moments, usually those scenes that involve Gustav. For me Gustav is a natural scene stealer, so his appearances need to be rationed to be effective and here it has been judged to perfection. He is also given plenty of depth this time as a young man finally coming to terms with the world out there. As a connoisseur of workplace nicknames the one given to the new, slightly obnoxious videographer, Jannik Fogh is simply perfect, true to life and used throughout.

The nature of the plot and the need to build up some creepy suspense rather dictate the pace, but at no point does it become dull. The lulls allow for lifelike periods of reflection that exhausted searchers, pushed to their physical and mental limits might experience. There is plenty of zip towards the end as the truth begins to dawn with just the right amount of danger and jeopardy injected into a thrilling finale.

A stunning Scandi-Noir that reaches the base level, protective instincts of the reader and grips them tight.

[Karolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here is my review for Out Of The Dark by Heidi Amsinck

This was a fantastic story and I really enjoyed reading it as I got into it straight away right from the start. I found the story was intriguing and a really in depth investigation was carried out in the story. The characters DI Henrik Jungersen and Jensen were ex-lovers but he turned to her for help in setting their differences aside and working on an investigation together to look into the disappearance of Lea Hogh who disappeared six years earlier? Where does their search take them? What has happened to Matilde? How did she disappear from the park or did she? The story is set in Copenhagen. The story is extremely well written and I just couldn’t put the book down as I was so invested in the story I needed to know what was going to happen next. I liked that the author knew so much about police work and investigative journalism. It made for such an interesting story that I was hooked. She had an interesting choice of characters. The written text is very descriptive and is very well described in the story. The synopsis drew me to read this story and I wasn’t disappointed, I would like to read more of this series in the future. This was book four of the series and it can be read without reading the others in the series but I now want to read the first three books!

Blurb :

A missing child ... a tainted witness ... Jensen's darkest case yet.
Matilde Clausen, 9, vanishes from a crowded playground in the middle of Copenhagen, triggering a frantic search across the city. When a possible link emerges to the disappearance of Lea Høgh, 10, six years ago, DI Henrik Jungersen is thrown back into the nightmare that almost finished his career. Desperate for redemption, but barred from reopening the old case, Henrik turns to his estranged lover, Dagbladet chief crime reporter Jensen, for help.As the investigation reaches deep into Denmark’s underworld, how will Henrik, Jensen, and her troubled teenage apprentice Gustav escape the darkness that threatens to engulf them, in time to solve the mystery? What really happened to Lea? And where on earth is Matilde?

[The Book Elf · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know that feeling when you open a new book , read the first page , and realise that you have found an incredible new author ? Well that’s what it was like when I started Out Of The Dark.
This excellent example of Danish Noir kept me engrossed from the very first page and I discovered an incredible detective in Henrik alongside his ex lover, crime reporter Jensen. These two make a phenomenal team as they search for Matilde and try and find what happened to Lea six years previously.
Amsinck’s writing is aimed at making the reader feel that they are there, in the incident room, at the paper and out tracking down evidence with them. There are times when you will feel your skin crawl and there are many instances when it is not an easy read , especially considering the subject matter. This is the sign,though, of a clever and accomplished author who can pull their readers into the story, allowing you to question each character as they are introduced, or revisited, investigating the clues in your own head whilst wondering if you are going to reach the correct outcome.
I have to be honest I didn’t solve it which , for me, is a good thing as it has left me wanting to read more books by Heidi and I will definitely be ordering the first three books in the Jensen series.
A huge 5🌟read and another Detective writer in Heidi Amsinck to add to my must read every book they write list.

[Books in cosmos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Out of the dark is the fourth Jensen thriller from Heidi Amsinck .
This book has pulled me out of my reading slump. The thriller series is brilliantly crafted and well-written scandi crime noir. We follow Jensen and Jungersen as they take on one of their most harrowing cases. This book deals with them with some heavy, dark topics, but I like the way I was engaged and invested throughout the book to get to the ending. As always, Gustav remains my favourite character.
Jensen is at a critical stage in her life and this case probably brings a lot of realisation and understanding on her part about what she needs to do in her life next. In that regard, it's a pivotal case for her. Her dogged determination and a continuous commitment to telling the truth with a lot of empathy makes her a formidable main character.
I want really good things to happen to Gustav. I would have liked to know a bit more about the perpetrators and their background and motivations. But once again we end on such a twist and I can't wait to read book 5 when that comes out.

Thank you to Netgalley, Muswell Press and Heidi for my e-ARC.

[Emma Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

❤️Blurb-
Matilde Clausen, 9, vanishes from a crowded playground in the middle of Copenhagen, triggering a frantic search across the city.
When a possible link emerges to the disappearance of Lea Høgh, 10, six years ago, DI Henrik Jungersen is thrown back into the nightmare that almost finished his career. Desperate for redemption, but barred from reopening the old case, Henrik turns to his estranged lover, Dagbladet chief crime reporter Jensen, for help. In denial about a big change approaching in her personal life, Jensen throws herself into an investigation reaching deep into Denmark’s underworld.
Will Henrik, Jensen and her troubled teenage apprentice Gustav manage to escape the darkness that threatens to engulf them, in time to solve the mystery?
What really happened to Lea? And where is Matild
💜 Review -
Out Of The Dark is the fourth book in a series but can also be read as a standalone. This book is so good, I couldn't put it down and kept reading until the end. There were so many twists and turns that it had me guessing until the end. Although the novel is quite dark and there are some sensitive subjects, they are handled with care. Overall, I found it very entertaining and would highly recommend it.
💝 Thank you to the author and publisher for my copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

[Nic S · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third Jensen book I've read (I read the first two but then missed the third) and it was like greeting old friends.

Although the story is set in Copenhagen, it doesn't feel inaccessible, and it's enjoyable reading about other countries and areas. The story itself was very good, tense and tightly woven, with lots of clues and red herrings that kept me guessing. I guessed some of the ending but not all of it.

My only quibbles were that the ending felt a little rushed and that Henrik is still so dense and refuses to listen to Jensen when she tells him things or to take her calls or reply to her when she messages. Obviously it's a plot device but it does make me scream at the book!

I want to know what happened in the third book so shall be downloading that one next to catch up.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read.

[Julie Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was privileged to be offered the opportunity to read this on NetGalley and loved every second of it! I have read the other books in the ‘Jensen’ series but I think this would work equally well as a standalone read. The author skilfully recaps the past without seeming to deviate at all from the plot line of this excellent book. Some people may find the theme of the case they are investigating difficult to read as it focuses on child sexual abuse but it is not unnecessarily portrayed or gratuitous.
The characters in the book feel realistically flawed and driven by a need to solve the case at all costs. They act impulsively but, at no point, are their actions unbelievable. The action moves forward at pace and rushes to an exciting ending. I could not put it down and cannot wait for the next instalment!

[Veronika Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was definitely the best of the four books so far. It was so exciting that I flew through the last chapters to find out what happened before going to dinner in our hotel. Then afterwards I read the last part again, just to be clear.

We still have most of the characters from the first three books – Jensen’s boss at Dagbladet, editor-in-chief Margrethe Skov, her teenage nephew Gustav (who’s gone back to school now), agoraphobic hacker Fie, and of course married cop, and Jensen’s ex-lover Henrik Jungerson. I love Jensen more and more with each book, in spite of her flaws, but then she accepts them. Not so much Henrik, but I think the description of him makes him sound really unattractive. It’s once again set in Copenhagen.

It’s real seat of your pants stuff – going from Jensen to Henrik and back and forth. We also meet a fascinating lady called Bodil Le Cour, who’s 83 and lives in a block of flats where she claims to have seen a murder. Except no-one believes her including the police, they think she is getting doddery. Doddery she is definitely not. Jensen believes her, but little does she know how complicated it’s all going to turn out to be. And a race against time.

An afterthought. If Jensen ever got married (doubtful), would she keep her last name (probably) because Jensen IS her last name, or change it? Then she could change her first name to Jensen by deed poll. Not sure why this bothers me, but it does!

Many thanks to @annecater for inviting me to be part of #RandomThingsTours

[Lisa reads alot Hamer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hadn’t read the previous 3 books but I have now purchased them to read as I really enjoyed this book.

A great Nordic noir crime book, thrilling and full of suspense.
The characters are great and I felt I got to know them well in just this one book, Gustav is great I loved his cheeky humour.
A detective DI Henrik Jungersen works with a crime journalist Jenson and you could feel a real connection between them, the case is that of a missing girl and even with dealing with a difficult subject the writing was sensitive.
I was completely hooked from the start and with great twists and turns I was fully invested in this read.
I cannot wait for book 5 but will read the previous ones to keep me going till then 😃

Thank you @randomthingstours @muswellpress and @heidiamsinck for having me on the tour and for a copy of the ebook

#outofthedark #booktour #noircrimefiction #bookstagram

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn’t sure I would like this book when I started reading. Yes, it’s a new Scandinavian series that I just came across, so that was a plus. I found myself not relating to the characters at first and I believe that was because this book was #4 in the series. I just didn’t know the backstory of those involved. But, the story itself, was good if a little choppy and kept my interest going. Although the subject matter is dark, the ending may surprise you.

I plan on reading the rest of the series. Recommended!

[Kelly Hollingworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not a genre of book I usually reach for and I am not familiar with Scandi noir style books. I absolutely loved this! Set in Copenhagen, 9 year old Matilde goes missing and the hunt is on to find her. She is not the first young girl to go missing in the area, is there a link? This is a dark book with dark sensitive themes which held my attention until the very end. My favourite character was the apprentice Gustav. This is book four in the series and I have not read the others but I would note that it reads well as a standalone. That said, I am compelled to seek out the first three.

[Sonja Charters · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read Back From The Dead by this author last year, I was excited to see this new release for book 4 of the Jensen Thriller Series.

Sadly, I still haven't caught up with the first 2 books in the series, but knew that I'd have a good enough context and character knowledge to be able to enjoy this read now too!

 

I found it really easy to fall straight back into this read, even though it's been over a year, it was almost as if I'd never left and I was drawn into the storyline right from the start.

 

When a new case for DI Henrik draws the investigation back to a traumatic previous case, he calls on ex-lover Jensen to help out with the investigation.

 

I don't know whether it was the familiarity with the characters or that the case was less political this time, but I think I enjoyed this book even more than the last.

 

The character development revealed more to me than I'd previously gleaned and it was great to see more of the working relationship and personalities of our main characters.

 

This case was another complex one for us all to get our heads around but it kept me gripped to the end.

With the descriptive writing transporting us right into the thick of it, we race towards the conclusion together.

 

Can't wait to see what might be in store for us all in the next book.

Looking forward to it already.

 

 

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good, entertaining and a lot of action! I also like the characters, particularly Gustav and Fie. I enjoyed roaming the streets of Copenhagen, a city I love! For me, this is the best Jensen thriller because it kept me on the edge of my seat all through my reading!
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.

[Vikki Heywood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Utterly gripping page turner. Dealing with contemporary issues in a moving and compassionate way. Great characters whose journey challenges them and the reader to solve the interweaving twists and turns in time to rescue a missing child, or perhaps children. Can be read as part of a series or stand alone. Though the subject matter tough, I really enjoyed it.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ooh Jensen is back in this 4th much darker novel, well plotted and as intriguing as ever, with Copenhagen feeling very much like an extra character. This feels very much like a book for the fans as it tantalises you with extra information. 5* from me

[Laura Spira · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another competent thriller from this author in her series about reporter Jensen. But I think she's probably reached the limit of my interest: Jensen's on-off relationship with the troubled detective has become boring.

[Paddy · Rating 3 out of 5]

AUDIOBOOK Dragged on a bit and was quite predictable. Perfect for Netflix!

[Mati Mini Books Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great 5 stars read! This is the fourth book of the crime series set in Copenhagen featuring journalist Jensen and detective Henrik.
A child abducted from a playground, a non stop search that brings back a cold case, lots of twists and high tension moments, a great great book! Loved it!