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Søren Marhauge #2
The Arc of the Swallow
Danish author S.J. Gazan established herself as an international talent to watch with her debut thriller novel, The Dinosaur Feather. In addition to being named "Crime Novel of the Decade" by the Danish Broadcasting Corporation, NPR's Maureen Corrigan called it her favorite mystery of 2013, and The Wall Street Journal's Tom Nolan placed it in his year-end top ten list.
Now, Gazan's much-anticipated follow-up is here, bringing back maverick policeman Soren Marhauge. In The Arc of the Swallow, a perilous investigation reveals a profit-motivated conspiracy involving the upper reaches of Big Pharma, government, and academia.
Biology Ph.D. candidate Marie Skov is devastated when, on the same day as her mother's death, her mentor Kristian Storm apparently kills himself. Storm had been facing academic dishonesty charges, as well as heated criticism of his research on a vaccine for African children--that suggested the vaccine was causing more harm than it was preventing.
Skov is skeptical that the death was a suicide. She knows Storm's research on the vaccine was sound, and learns that his on-site work in Guinea-Bissau was marred by intimidation, sabotaged data, and the suspicious death of another scientist. She also learns that in his final days, Storm felt he was being followed by a blue Ford with tinted windows.
Soon afterwards, a blue Ford with tinted windows parks across from Skov's home. The police have no interest in re-examining the official narrative. But Marhauge shares Skov's desire for answers, and defies his superiors to help her investigate. They receive unlikely help from a Nobel Prize-winning rival of Storm's, and find themselves on a perilous trail that leads to Big Pharma and the World Health Organization.
Interwoven in this thrilling storyline are deeply-moving portraits of Skov's troubled family and Marhauge's tenuous relationship with his girlfriend, another biologist. The result is a complex page-turner that establishes S.J. Gazan (herself a biologist) as a world-class author at the beginning of a formidable career.
Now, Gazan's much-anticipated follow-up is here, bringing back maverick policeman Soren Marhauge. In The Arc of the Swallow, a perilous investigation reveals a profit-motivated conspiracy involving the upper reaches of Big Pharma, government, and academia.
Biology Ph.D. candidate Marie Skov is devastated when, on the same day as her mother's death, her mentor Kristian Storm apparently kills himself. Storm had been facing academic dishonesty charges, as well as heated criticism of his research on a vaccine for African children--that suggested the vaccine was causing more harm than it was preventing.
Skov is skeptical that the death was a suicide. She knows Storm's research on the vaccine was sound, and learns that his on-site work in Guinea-Bissau was marred by intimidation, sabotaged data, and the suspicious death of another scientist. She also learns that in his final days, Storm felt he was being followed by a blue Ford with tinted windows.
Soon afterwards, a blue Ford with tinted windows parks across from Skov's home. The police have no interest in re-examining the official narrative. But Marhauge shares Skov's desire for answers, and defies his superiors to help her investigate. They receive unlikely help from a Nobel Prize-winning rival of Storm's, and find themselves on a perilous trail that leads to Big Pharma and the World Health Organization.
Interwoven in this thrilling storyline are deeply-moving portraits of Skov's troubled family and Marhauge's tenuous relationship with his girlfriend, another biologist. The result is a complex page-turner that establishes S.J. Gazan (herself a biologist) as a world-class author at the beginning of a formidable career.
480 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2013
34 people are currently reading
840 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 121 reviews
July 13, 2017
Sissel-Jo Gazan is back with another dark Scandinavian crime thriller sure to pique the interest of her fans and curious readers alike. Using her individual flavour, Gazan infuses a strong scientific aspect into the crime and the overall narrative, while not bogging the story down in either regard. Early in the narrative, the reader learns that the University of Copenhagen is abuzz when Immunology Professor Kristian Storm is found dead in his office, having apparently hanged himself. His most promising graduate student and research assistant, Marie Skov, is devastated and cannot fathom why he would take such drastic measures. Skov is, herself, dealing with a recent battle with breast cancer and the death of her mother, two significant events that weave their way through the story. After significant backstory, the reader better understands that Storm and Skov had been hard at work on some immunology research that had been highly controversial, in which they posit that the vaccines being given to African children have significant side effects and/or immunological deficiencies that can be attributed to higher death rates among the population, specifically in Guinea-Bissau. Additionally, someone in the highly-competitive research community flagged the research to a Danish scientific disciplinary board for review and potential sanctions, which was the basis for Skov’s dissertation. Meanwhile, the reader is reintroduced to Søren Marhauge, now a Deputy Chief Superintendent on Copenhagen’s Police Force. Tired of the bureaucratic red tape and wanting to focus on his relationship with his girlfriend and her daughter, Marhauge resigns to focus on his home life, However, when Anna (of acclaim in Gazan’s debut novel) returns home one day with news of the Storm suicide, Marhauge finds that he wants to continue sleuthing, if only a little. As the story progresses, Gazan explores more of the controversies that Storm found during his time in Guinea-Bissau and how the World Health Organization found the generalized comments highly problematic. Additionally, there is trouble brewing within Skov’s family, including a secret that had been covered up for almost three decades. Will Marhauge be able to find reason to contradict the determination that Storm took his own life in disgrace? How might Skov’s discovery of her own family’s drama shape the way she moves forward? Gazan seeks to address these and many other issues in her methodically well-paced story that forces the reader to pay close attention throughout. Not for the reader who loves a quick thrill ride, Gazan seeks to shake up the Scandinavian thriller genre by attracting those who are patient and pensive in equal measure.
Gazan is a new addition to my reading list, but I can see how she might appeal to a certain type of reader. Her work is detailed, at times too much so for my still-adapting mind, and seeks to slowly develop her story and characters. While Søren Marhauge and Anna are back, their development is not as central to the story’s main plot. It is of great interest to those who liked the first novel to see just how far they have progressed together, as well as how sturdy their relationship has become. Marie Skov and her family take centre stage in this novel, becoming complex characters, each with their own backstories. With a number of strong characters pushing the narrative forward, the premise of the book is again a highly interesting, yet academic, venture. To posit that vaccinations used on the African continent might prove more harmful than helpful is highly scandalous, at a time when such a great scientific breakthrough seems to have revolutionized pandemics. However, with large pharmaceutical companies making millions off the production of these serums, it is no wonder that Kristian Storm could be vilified for his hypothesis. Gazan pulls the reader throughout the discussion and tries to explain it in such a way that the story is not lost on the scientific amateur (among whom I could myself). She balances it well but does not skimp on the blunt conversations in the field, which educates the reader in a persuasive manner. There is much to be said of Gazan, who differs greatly from her Scandinavian counterparts, in this second novel. Her storytelling is superior and her ability to paint a dark story while not deterring readers is worth mention as well.
Kudos, Madam Gazan for showing that you are not a one-hit wonder. I hope you will keep writing and dazzling fans with your unique style and approach to non-English thrillers, whose translation still pack a significant punch.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
Gazan is a new addition to my reading list, but I can see how she might appeal to a certain type of reader. Her work is detailed, at times too much so for my still-adapting mind, and seeks to slowly develop her story and characters. While Søren Marhauge and Anna are back, their development is not as central to the story’s main plot. It is of great interest to those who liked the first novel to see just how far they have progressed together, as well as how sturdy their relationship has become. Marie Skov and her family take centre stage in this novel, becoming complex characters, each with their own backstories. With a number of strong characters pushing the narrative forward, the premise of the book is again a highly interesting, yet academic, venture. To posit that vaccinations used on the African continent might prove more harmful than helpful is highly scandalous, at a time when such a great scientific breakthrough seems to have revolutionized pandemics. However, with large pharmaceutical companies making millions off the production of these serums, it is no wonder that Kristian Storm could be vilified for his hypothesis. Gazan pulls the reader throughout the discussion and tries to explain it in such a way that the story is not lost on the scientific amateur (among whom I could myself). She balances it well but does not skimp on the blunt conversations in the field, which educates the reader in a persuasive manner. There is much to be said of Gazan, who differs greatly from her Scandinavian counterparts, in this second novel. Her storytelling is superior and her ability to paint a dark story while not deterring readers is worth mention as well.
Kudos, Madam Gazan for showing that you are not a one-hit wonder. I hope you will keep writing and dazzling fans with your unique style and approach to non-English thrillers, whose translation still pack a significant punch.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
September 2, 2013
Jeg var meget glad for denne bog. Den var umulig at holde pauser i, og det var hæsligt at læse den som jeg gjorde, et-to kapitler ad gangen, tilsendt i bidder fra forlaget. Men måske har dette netop gjort det endnu mere spændende?
Jeg var vild med personerne, Søren og Marie ikke mindst, og det var et første møde med Søren for mit vedkommende, da jeg endnu ikke havde læst Dinosaurens fjer.
Jeg var også vild med bogens opbygning, alle personbeskrivelserne, det tåkrummende familiedrama og spændingen, der heldigvis ikke var thriller-ish.
Men mest af alt var og er jeg stadig helt vild med baggrunden for at skrive bogen om netop dét emne. Vaccination af børn og det store problem i, at mange mange tusinde børn dør af netop de vacciner, der var meningen skulle redde dem.
Den holder med andre ord på alle fronter efter min beskedne mening.
Jeg var vild med personerne, Søren og Marie ikke mindst, og det var et første møde med Søren for mit vedkommende, da jeg endnu ikke havde læst Dinosaurens fjer.
Jeg var også vild med bogens opbygning, alle personbeskrivelserne, det tåkrummende familiedrama og spændingen, der heldigvis ikke var thriller-ish.
Men mest af alt var og er jeg stadig helt vild med baggrunden for at skrive bogen om netop dét emne. Vaccination af børn og det store problem i, at mange mange tusinde børn dør af netop de vacciner, der var meningen skulle redde dem.
Den holder med andre ord på alle fronter efter min beskedne mening.
March 26, 2024
En af de bøger, der ikke var muligt at slippe før sidste punktum. Jeg overvejede kort, om den kunne bære fem stjerner, men den lidt for hurtige slutning trak ned. Dog fortsat en af de bedste krimier til dato.
Hvad der i den grad trak op, var bogens troværdighed i forhold til casen vacciner og WHO’s til tider arrogante afvisninger af ny viden.
Sissel-Jo Gazan blev, som optakt til Svalens graf, kontaktet af Christine Stabell Benn, professor Statens Serum Institut, efter at hun havde læst ’Dinosaurens fjer’, der ligeledes blander naturvidenskab og fiktion.
Christine inviterede Sissel-Jo Gazan med til Guinea-bissau i Afrika, fordi Christines og en kollegas forskning i vacciner tydede på, at en bestemt vaccine medførte stærkt øget dødelighed her især blandt afrikanske piger. Dette til trods oplevede de to forskere, hvor vanskeligt det var, at trænge igennem til WHO med deres alarmerende resultater. En typisk - den lille mand imod systemet - historie. Christine Benn håbede, at dette kunne danne baggrund for endnu en videnskabelig krimi, mens hun ligeledes ønskede at skabe opmærksomhed omkring deres eget forskningsprojekt.
I krimien bliver vi også introduceret til problematikken omkring de tidsmæssige alt for korte forskningsbevillinger, som hindrer, at vi får de usikre, og måske på sigt banebrydende, forskningsresultater frem for de mulige - ved at satse på ‘sikre valg’.
Bjørn Lomborg og Milena Penkowa var med til at offentligheden herhjemme fik kendskab til Udvalgene vedrørende Videnskabelig Uredelighed (UVVU). Udvalget flettes ind i romanen, som et middel til at miskreditere forskerkolleger. En tænkt og helt ny vinkel, men alligevel skræmmende.
Alt dette får Sissel-Jo Gazan kogt sammen til en krimi, der foregår i såvel den akademiske og velstillede del af samfundet som blandt de mindre ressourcestærke, hvor bindeleddet bliver professor Storms forskningsassisten, Marie Skov.
Der tog Sissel-Jo Gazan fem år at skrive videnskabskrimien, hvilket måske skyldtes den grundige research. Oplysende var bogen i hvert fald.
Sissel-Jo Gazan er blevet en af mine absolut foretrukne nyere, danske krimiforfattere, hvor jeg heldigvis har tredje del i serien om politimanden Søren Marhauge og kæresten Anna Bella til gode. Men også i romangenren holder Sissel Jo-Gazan. Har hidtil kun læst Blækhat, som udløste max antal stjerner.
Hvad der i den grad trak op, var bogens troværdighed i forhold til casen vacciner og WHO’s til tider arrogante afvisninger af ny viden.
Sissel-Jo Gazan blev, som optakt til Svalens graf, kontaktet af Christine Stabell Benn, professor Statens Serum Institut, efter at hun havde læst ’Dinosaurens fjer’, der ligeledes blander naturvidenskab og fiktion.
Christine inviterede Sissel-Jo Gazan med til Guinea-bissau i Afrika, fordi Christines og en kollegas forskning i vacciner tydede på, at en bestemt vaccine medførte stærkt øget dødelighed her især blandt afrikanske piger. Dette til trods oplevede de to forskere, hvor vanskeligt det var, at trænge igennem til WHO med deres alarmerende resultater. En typisk - den lille mand imod systemet - historie. Christine Benn håbede, at dette kunne danne baggrund for endnu en videnskabelig krimi, mens hun ligeledes ønskede at skabe opmærksomhed omkring deres eget forskningsprojekt.
I krimien bliver vi også introduceret til problematikken omkring de tidsmæssige alt for korte forskningsbevillinger, som hindrer, at vi får de usikre, og måske på sigt banebrydende, forskningsresultater frem for de mulige - ved at satse på ‘sikre valg’.
Bjørn Lomborg og Milena Penkowa var med til at offentligheden herhjemme fik kendskab til Udvalgene vedrørende Videnskabelig Uredelighed (UVVU). Udvalget flettes ind i romanen, som et middel til at miskreditere forskerkolleger. En tænkt og helt ny vinkel, men alligevel skræmmende.
Alt dette får Sissel-Jo Gazan kogt sammen til en krimi, der foregår i såvel den akademiske og velstillede del af samfundet som blandt de mindre ressourcestærke, hvor bindeleddet bliver professor Storms forskningsassisten, Marie Skov.
Der tog Sissel-Jo Gazan fem år at skrive videnskabskrimien, hvilket måske skyldtes den grundige research. Oplysende var bogen i hvert fald.
Sissel-Jo Gazan er blevet en af mine absolut foretrukne nyere, danske krimiforfattere, hvor jeg heldigvis har tredje del i serien om politimanden Søren Marhauge og kæresten Anna Bella til gode. Men også i romangenren holder Sissel Jo-Gazan. Har hidtil kun læst Blækhat, som udløste max antal stjerner.
October 10, 2017
The author manages to weave together several plots (and advances one or two more) without it getting overly complicated. Interesting information about vaccines and why someone would be killed, trying to solve a mystery around them. It's a hefty book - and some of it could be edited out without impinging on the story. But a good read, nevertheless.
January 4, 2019
What a follow up! So much is going on in this book about our usual challenges of life and relationships without it crowding out the main plot - it’s pure genius. Not to mention you learn so much scientific information from this book too. Couldn’t put it down.
November 3, 2025
4,5 ⭐️
May 18, 2014
Letbenet femi-krimi om en videnskabsmands mistænkelige selvmord, proppet til randen med belejlige sammentræf
Kan det virkelig passe at politimandens kæreste for anden gang bliver involveret i drabsefterforskningen? Og kan det passe at videnskabsmandens assistent er del af en anden - helt urelateret - drabssag? En drabssag som igen trækker tråde til en mørk hemmelighed fra efterforskerens egen barndom?
Nej, det kan det selvfølgelig ikke, men det gør det ikke desto mindre i Svalens Graf. Hvis man kan slukke sin kritiske sans i et par timer, og tåler de sædvanlige klicheer (pligtopfyldende politimand med problemer i parforholdet), så kan Svalens Graf sagtens gå an.
Politifolkene er spektakulært inkompetente, men heldigvis er skurkene endnu dummere, og så bliver alle løse ender selvfølgelig samlet i en nydelig sløjfe til sidst.
Den største svaghed ved Svalens Graf er at den er helt blottet for spænding - du føler aldrig at hovedpersonerne er i nogen fare, og karaktertegningen er ikke stærk nok til at du for alvor kommer til at interessere dig for persongalleriet. Til gengæld skal SJG have ros for ikke at forfalde til splat og udpenslet vold.
Kan det virkelig passe at politimandens kæreste for anden gang bliver involveret i drabsefterforskningen? Og kan det passe at videnskabsmandens assistent er del af en anden - helt urelateret - drabssag? En drabssag som igen trækker tråde til en mørk hemmelighed fra efterforskerens egen barndom?
Nej, det kan det selvfølgelig ikke, men det gør det ikke desto mindre i Svalens Graf. Hvis man kan slukke sin kritiske sans i et par timer, og tåler de sædvanlige klicheer (pligtopfyldende politimand med problemer i parforholdet), så kan Svalens Graf sagtens gå an.
Politifolkene er spektakulært inkompetente, men heldigvis er skurkene endnu dummere, og så bliver alle løse ender selvfølgelig samlet i en nydelig sløjfe til sidst.
Den største svaghed ved Svalens Graf er at den er helt blottet for spænding - du føler aldrig at hovedpersonerne er i nogen fare, og karaktertegningen er ikke stærk nok til at du for alvor kommer til at interessere dig for persongalleriet. Til gengæld skal SJG have ros for ikke at forfalde til splat og udpenslet vold.
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March 7, 2024The fact that 'Svalens Graf' (read in Danish, but published in English* in the US this month) is a mystery is a point against it in my mind, because I don't usually read mysteries. And I found it very hard to get engaged in this one, with its mix of crime fiction and science. It was also difficult to keep all the characters straight, although those who have read Gazan's award-winning murder mystery about scientists researching dinosaurs will apparently recognize some of them from that book. However once I got about 1/3 of the way into it, I got engaged in some threads of the story and wanted to see how the came together. (If I wasn't reading this novel for my Danish book club I would not have stayed with it that far, I must admit). The heart of the mystery is based on a research project in Africa that the author, herself a biologist has personal involvement in, so the scientific parts of the book are more credible in many cases than the plot devices.
Please note that I do not use the star rating system, so this review should not be ranked as a zero.
*The Arc of the Swallow
Please note that I do not use the star rating system, so this review should not be ranked as a zero.
*The Arc of the Swallow
September 15, 2016
Sissel-Jo Gazan's 2nd mystery, The Arc of the Swallow is very disappointing. She tackles an important subject, the side effects of vaccines. She weaves this subject into an interesting murder mystery--the suicide of the scientist studying the effect of vaccines on mortality rates of children in Africa, but then adds to it so many additional stories and mysteries, the main mystery loses its importance. There is the mysterious death of Joan Skov, an elderly woman who never got over the death of her young son, there are her three daughters, one of whom, Marie, works with the dead scientist and is found ill with cancer and whose husband leaves her, there is the likable detective on the case who has an annoying girlfriend whose lifestyle causes him to be distracted from the case, he also has problems with the head of his crime task force, and so on. Too much is going on, the book is too long, the translation from Danish is at times clumsy. Too bad. Gazan should have remembered: Keep it simple.
July 31, 2022
Hold da helt op en spændende krimi! Jeg var fuldstændig fanget og kunne slet ikke slippe den igen, jeg måtte hele tiden bare lige lytte lidt mere.
Det er den måde vi lære personerne og deres historie at kende, der gør bogen interessant for mig. Hovedpersonerne Anna Bella og Søren er bare så almindelige og elskelige. Det gør ikke noget hvis forfatteren lader det blive ved disse to bøger, men hvis der kommer flere i serien vil jeg helt sikkert læse med igen.
Bogen er lyttet hos Mofibo og den gør sig rigtig godt som lydbog.
Det er den måde vi lære personerne og deres historie at kende, der gør bogen interessant for mig. Hovedpersonerne Anna Bella og Søren er bare så almindelige og elskelige. Det gør ikke noget hvis forfatteren lader det blive ved disse to bøger, men hvis der kommer flere i serien vil jeg helt sikkert læse med igen.
Bogen er lyttet hos Mofibo og den gør sig rigtig godt som lydbog.
July 26, 2014
Jeg har det meget blandet med Svalens Graf. På den ene side var jeg godt underholdt af bogen, på den anden side synes jeg, at det var for meget med to store sidehistorier i bogen.
Jeg var dybt optaget af videnskabskrimidelen i bogen. Jeg synes, det var meget interessant at følge diskussionen om vacciner, der var i bogen. Affæren om familien Skov var en kende malplaceret, og jeg synes, der fyldte for meget.
Men som nævnt var bogen underholdende og god til sommerferien.
Jeg var dybt optaget af videnskabskrimidelen i bogen. Jeg synes, det var meget interessant at følge diskussionen om vacciner, der var i bogen. Affæren om familien Skov var en kende malplaceret, og jeg synes, der fyldte for meget.
Men som nævnt var bogen underholdende og god til sommerferien.
March 26, 2018
Hvis jeg skal læse en krimi, så synes jeg Sissel-Jo Gazan byder fornuftigt ind. Jeg er aldrig helt oppe og ringe over denne genre, da jeg klart mangler noget litterært. Tilgengæld var det let og hyggeligt at læse Svalens graf, og det er jo også en kvalitet, at man rent faktisk godt kan slappe af i selskab med en bog uden at kede sig. Jeg vil klart anbefale, at man læser Dinousaurens fjer forinden grundet persongengangere og det videnskabelig plot.
April 17, 2016
Loved it. I love her books - the characters are totally absorbing
May 22, 2020
S.I. Guzan’s first novel was about dinosaurs and delved deeply into paleontology for its background. She goes scientific again in her second book, this one. This time the sciences are immunology and epidemiology, specifically, the function of vaccines in underdeveloped countries. There is some evidence, apparently, that the DTP vaccine for youngsters has some unspecified side effects that can be fatal. There is a vaccine against measles, for example, that seems to DECREASE infant mortality. The controversy serves as the center to this murder mystery. Biology candidate Marie Skov is the protagonist as she aligns with her mentor, Kristian Storm. After years in Guinea-Bissau, studying the vaccines, Storm returns to Stockholm and is promptly found, strung up in his office. The official verdict is a suspicious “suicide,” but Skov and detective Søren Marhauge suspect it was murder. Søren has recently resigned in disgust from the police force because of horrible management and a distaste for paperwork that keeps him from investigating events such as the apparent suicide. Skov is diagnosed with breast cancer, has a mastectomy, and proceeds with her studies, albeit weakened by the disease and the effects of the surgery. The pharmaceutical industry comes under some scrutiny as well for their part in the controversy concerning the vaccines. Jesper, Marie’s physician husband, impatient with her dedication to her work rather than him and their two children, becomes distanced and, eventually, the two split, leaving Marie to start an affair with Tim Simonson of Guinea-Bissau, one of the researchers and also a disciple of Storm. Skov’s two sisters, the uptight Julie and the tattooed and riddled with punctures Lea, fight over the conduct of Frank, their father who is a drunk, and Joan, their mother, who sinks into depression and eventually dies a suspicious death herself. In the middle off all the mayhem around them, the characters find the answers to most of their questions and Marie ends up with a very unlikely boyfriend as Søren solves his own domestic problems with Anna, his wife. Gazan handles most of this rollicking group well for 7/8 of the novel but the ending seems rushed and a trifle frantic to me. I loved the scientific dispute at the heart of the novel but it does tend to get lost in the domestic travails of its secondary characters and Marie herself. A hefty read at 566 pages, scientifically-minded readers may enjoy this more than pure mystery readers, but it’s a decent yarn.
November 30, 2022
2.5 ⭐
Esta es tu novela si te gustan más los culebrones que las investigaciones. Un misterio que podría ser de lo más interesante y que afecta a investigadores daneses, niños en África y vacunas de la OMS ,se diluye en las historias personales de todos los implicados. Mi novia no me quiere, mi marido me engaña, el padre de mi hijastra se la va a llevar, los vecinos de mi infancia eran no sé qué y mi hija come y duerme y juega y se viste y va a la guardería y así cuatrocientas páginas. Encima, de todos estos personajes, no he logrado empatizar con ninguno ni hay uno solo que me caiga bien.
En fin, que no.
👍 El caso principal, con las implicaciones internacionales, es muy interesante.
👎 Demasiados culebrones familiares.
👎 Las historias están demasiado entrelazadas, no resulta creíble que todos se conozcan, hayan sido vecinos o trabajado juntos o...
👎 "Negro como la noche", "blanco como la nieve". ¿En serio?
Esta es tu novela si te gustan más los culebrones que las investigaciones. Un misterio que podría ser de lo más interesante y que afecta a investigadores daneses, niños en África y vacunas de la OMS ,se diluye en las historias personales de todos los implicados. Mi novia no me quiere, mi marido me engaña, el padre de mi hijastra se la va a llevar, los vecinos de mi infancia eran no sé qué y mi hija come y duerme y juega y se viste y va a la guardería y así cuatrocientas páginas. Encima, de todos estos personajes, no he logrado empatizar con ninguno ni hay uno solo que me caiga bien.
En fin, que no.
👍 El caso principal, con las implicaciones internacionales, es muy interesante.
👎 Demasiados culebrones familiares.
👎 Las historias están demasiado entrelazadas, no resulta creíble que todos se conozcan, hayan sido vecinos o trabajado juntos o...
👎 "Negro como la noche", "blanco como la nieve". ¿En serio?
August 4, 2020
I don't usually read reviews for books, but I had such high hopes for this one. Reading the summary I was expecting the next Girl with a Dragon Tattoo, instead I was reading two basically unrelated stories in one book.
There was the main murder in the Immunology Department, and then the side plot of the Skov family. Those are only the two main ones. There were side plots for each of the family members and Soren's own family drama and that of his friend. Overall, there was a lot going on, but I could've done without most of it. The first 200 pages was all mostly background information that could have been cut to be honest.
Overall, the book was well written and I enjoyed the concept of the storyline, but there were too many unrelated stories which took away from it.
There was the main murder in the Immunology Department, and then the side plot of the Skov family. Those are only the two main ones. There were side plots for each of the family members and Soren's own family drama and that of his friend. Overall, there was a lot going on, but I could've done without most of it. The first 200 pages was all mostly background information that could have been cut to be honest.
Overall, the book was well written and I enjoyed the concept of the storyline, but there were too many unrelated stories which took away from it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 7, 2025
Overordnet set er dette et utroligt spændende plot. Jeg elsker, at det er en international forbrydelse, som langsomt trævles op. Og temaet om hvad mennesker er villige til at gøre for penge, uanet hvem det går ud over, er eviggyldigt - her er det dog særligt ondt, fordi taberne er børn.
Der er dog et punkt i starten af bogen, hvor plottet stort set går i stå, og man kunne fristes til at stoppe læsningen. Lad være med det. Når plottet kommer ud af dødvandet, stiger spændingskurven markant, og forbrydelserne tager form.
Jeg elsker desuden persongallariet i denne bog. Hovedpersonerne er almindelige og elskelige. De har fejl, gør tåbelige ting og lever generelt set deres liv, hvilket giver bogen et ekstra lag, som jeg virkelig holder af.
Anbefales til alle læsere af videnskabskrimier.
Der er dog et punkt i starten af bogen, hvor plottet stort set går i stå, og man kunne fristes til at stoppe læsningen. Lad være med det. Når plottet kommer ud af dødvandet, stiger spændingskurven markant, og forbrydelserne tager form.
Jeg elsker desuden persongallariet i denne bog. Hovedpersonerne er almindelige og elskelige. De har fejl, gør tåbelige ting og lever generelt set deres liv, hvilket giver bogen et ekstra lag, som jeg virkelig holder af.
Anbefales til alle læsere af videnskabskrimier.
January 6, 2018
I was hesitant to pick this book up due to its monstrous size. Now that I’ve finished it in 2 sittings I’m glad I gave it a go. Since Stieg Larsson I’ve started to notice Scandinavian crime novels and there really are many good writers from that region. The Arc of the swallow for me was a brilliant book not because of the plot (which is good too, kept me pondering till late) but how intimately the author describes a dysfunctional family and several dysfunctional relationships. Each characters were multi-layered and nearly everyone has psychological issues which Gazan reveals bit by bit alongside with the unraveling of the crime(s).
March 1, 2018
Denne bog var lige mig.
Den var saglig, faglig, underholdende, god, og jeg blev bare suget ind i den som sjældent.
Mindre interessant blev den ikke af at læse sidste sides henvisninger.
En virkelig god læseoplevelse - det må jeg sige.
Update: 1. marts 2018
Downgrade fra 5-->4 stjerner.
Bliver sgu lidt småirriteret over dels en specifik handling af Anna Bella, som jeg synes er dybt utroværdig at en veluddannet mor, samlevende med en politimand ville gøre - den synes jeg var unødvendig at tilføje - måske prikker den til mine egne fordomme?. Ligeledes af et par af Maria Skovs handlinger, som jeg ikke synes helt hænger sammen med det indre billede jeg ellers får af figuren.
Den var saglig, faglig, underholdende, god, og jeg blev bare suget ind i den som sjældent.
Mindre interessant blev den ikke af at læse sidste sides henvisninger.
En virkelig god læseoplevelse - det må jeg sige.
Update: 1. marts 2018
Downgrade fra 5-->4 stjerner.
Bliver sgu lidt småirriteret over dels en specifik handling af Anna Bella, som jeg synes er dybt utroværdig at en veluddannet mor, samlevende med en politimand ville gøre - den synes jeg var unødvendig at tilføje - måske prikker den til mine egne fordomme?. Ligeledes af et par af Maria Skovs handlinger, som jeg ikke synes helt hænger sammen med det indre billede jeg ellers får af figuren.
January 4, 2020
Jeg læste Svalens Grad af Sissel Jo Gazan, som en selvvalgt roman i forbindelse med skolearbejde, i et forsøg på at udvide mit genrekendskab. Jeg har altid elsket at læse fantasy, og en naturvidenskabelig krimi er ikke ligefrem nede af min boldgade.
Der var elementer af Svalens Graf, som jeg nød at læse, men for det meste synes jeg, at den var lang. En mærkelig kombination af for mange detaljer og unødvendigt forskudte tidslinjer gjorde min oplevelse af bogen dårlig.
Når det er sagt, synes jeg både dialog og personkarakteristik er velskrevet, og jeg er sikker på at Sissel er en fantastisk forfatter, hvis man foretrækker krimier som denne, fremfor tunge fantasybøger som jeg gør.
Der var elementer af Svalens Graf, som jeg nød at læse, men for det meste synes jeg, at den var lang. En mærkelig kombination af for mange detaljer og unødvendigt forskudte tidslinjer gjorde min oplevelse af bogen dårlig.
Når det er sagt, synes jeg både dialog og personkarakteristik er velskrevet, og jeg er sikker på at Sissel er en fantastisk forfatter, hvis man foretrækker krimier som denne, fremfor tunge fantasybøger som jeg gør.
July 3, 2017
Moderat spændende krimi med videnskabeligt indhold. Det er fedt med en krimi, der foregår i videnskabelige kredse, men hold fast hvor er dialogen underlig.
For eksempel siger hovedpersonen på et tidspunkt at noget "rider ham som en mare".
Hvem taler sådan?
Det skyldes ikke, at jeg ikke nyder gode gamle danske udtryk - men der er simpelthen for meget af det. Som Kristeligt Dagblads anmelder også undrer sig over: Giver det mening at bruge det sjældne danske adjektiv "olm" 4 gange på 150 sider?
Men nuvel, man læser vel ikke krimier for dialogens eller sprogets skyld.
For eksempel siger hovedpersonen på et tidspunkt at noget "rider ham som en mare".
Hvem taler sådan?
Det skyldes ikke, at jeg ikke nyder gode gamle danske udtryk - men der er simpelthen for meget af det. Som Kristeligt Dagblads anmelder også undrer sig over: Giver det mening at bruge det sjældne danske adjektiv "olm" 4 gange på 150 sider?
Men nuvel, man læser vel ikke krimier for dialogens eller sprogets skyld.
July 27, 2020
An excellent example of how to tell a story!! Other authors should be compelled to read this and learn how to weave, introduce, excite, query, fascinate and end!!!
My first encounter with Sissel-Jo GAZAN but certainly will not be the last.
I really have no more to add here, my adjectives about tell it as it is, except to say she has a rare talent for keeping the main theme going all through her novel, whilst at the same time introducing sub-plots that have the reader wondering..............
I as usual listened to this and would highly recommend.
My first encounter with Sissel-Jo GAZAN but certainly will not be the last.
I really have no more to add here, my adjectives about tell it as it is, except to say she has a rare talent for keeping the main theme going all through her novel, whilst at the same time introducing sub-plots that have the reader wondering..............
I as usual listened to this and would highly recommend.
March 10, 2021
I really, really like this series. Unfortunately the series consists of only 2 books. Come on, Sissel-Jo Gazan, write some more! I need to know what happens with Soren and Anna! The setting in the scientific world is fascinating, Arc of the Swallow even more than the Dinosaur Feather. This one is particularly relevant today because it centers on vaccinations. I don't even know if nonspecific effects (NSEs) are a thing...ok I just looked it up and they are. Wow. Please Ms Gazan, give us some more mysteries with these character set in the world of academic science!
September 14, 2018
What a book!! The science was fascinating and the murder mystery so engaging I couldn’t stop reading. There was a bit too much backstory, (I feel like Goldilocks: one book has too much, another book has too little; I’m never satisfied!!) but, I did feel like I really got to know the characters, and the book allowed us to explore more than one case being handled by the main detective, which was a cool thread that doesn’t always happen in a murder mystery.
February 12, 2022
Et stærkt persongalleri og en tiltagende spændende historie, som man efterhånden ikke kunne lægge fra sig. Stor var min skuffelse over afsnittet, hvor mordet bliver oprullet. Det var for mig et antiklimaks. Der blev dog samlet op på det hele, så den del af historien gav en mening. Ellers en fantastisk spændende bog ikke mindst forskermiljøet.
April 18, 2022
Fast paced but it did get a little tedious. The timeline was a little off put by such long individual character chapters that would then backtrack to show what everyone else was up to. Some moments definitely felt overly-translated. Overall both an interesting detective story as well as engaging character arcs.
November 13, 2025
3.5. i think i picked this up randomly at the library and somehow read the whole thing in blurred a day and a bit. i don’t even think i liked it very much overall, i just really liked marie’s sister and wanted to know more about her life. would’ve paid good money to throw a brick at a few of the men in this book.
December 23, 2022
I really felt the author tried to weave 2 plots that albeit were interlinked in the book but the level of skill required was a bit beyond her experience. Sorry that sounds convoluted but the book was convoluted. Trying to develop characters at the same time made it a little bitty at places.
January 31, 2024
Den har nogle fine øjeblikke, men jeg er generelt bare træt af ulykkelige ægteskaber og usunde forhold. Det kan godt være at jeg er naiv, men det burde da være muligt at have bare et sundt forhold i et persongalleri så stort! Også selvom det er en krimi bog...
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