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Konrad Sejer #6
Svarte sekunder
Helga Joner opplever alle foreldres mareritt. Datteren, Ida, snart ti år, skal bare en tur i kiosken for å kjøpe siste nummer av hestebladet, Wendy og Bugg for resten av pengene. Samme ettermiddag er Ida sporløst borte.
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First published January 1, 2002
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About the author
Karin Fossum
60 books1,138 followersKarin Fossum (née Mathisen) is a Norwegian author of crime fiction,often known there as the "Norwegian queen of crime". She lives in Oslo. Fossum was initially a poet, with her first collection published in 1974 when she was just 20. It won the Tarjei Vesaas' Debutant Prize. She is the author of the internationally successful Inspector Konrad Sejer series of crime novels, which have been translated into over 16 languages. She won the Glass key award for her novel "Don't Look Back", which also won the Riverton Prize, and she was shortlisted for the Crime Writers' Association Gold Dagger in 2005 for "Calling Out For You".
Series:
* Inspector Konrad Sejer
* Eddie Feber
Series:
* Inspector Konrad Sejer
* Eddie Feber
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 459 reviews
September 16, 2017
Black Seconds, is the sixth instalment in Karin Fossum’s outstanding series featuring Inspector Konrad Sejer and Jacob Skarre and begins with every parent’s worst nightmare: a missing child. Released in Norway in 2002 and only available in English translation in 2007, this novel is a police procedural, although its immense power stems from some breathtaking psychological insights and the compassion of the investigators. The crime itself is very simple, and sadly an everyday occurrence, yet Fossum’s sensitively observed and painstakingly precise recounting is heartfelt and truly compelling. The unhurried and measured pace of the novel means that Black Seconds will not appeal to readers who demand pulse-pounding action, especially since the perpetrator is fairly apparent from the early pages. In the novels of Karin Fossum, the crimes are never open and shut cases and assigning blame is not the sole focus. Her realistic characters are very much seen as a product of their circumstances, and empathetic and assured Inspector Konrad Sejer is a man who understands the futility of attempting to examine an event in isolation. For life is never so easy to unravel and Inspector Sejer recognises that sensitivity is needed as he gently probes and gives the involved parties an opportunity to speak, whilst never judging. Readily sympathising with predicaments that might not have been instigated by any malevolent intent and yet had hideously unfortunate repercussions, Inspector Konrad Sejer fosters a rapport with almost all of those he encounters in the course of his work.
Black Seconds focuses on the disappearance of angelic looking, cheerful and rather precocious nine-year-old, Ida Joner, as she counts down the days until her tenth birthday. She sets off on her distinctive yellow bicycle to buy a magazine and chewing gum and mother, Helga, watches her from the window as she turns left on route to town and Laila’s Kiosk. Ida’s mother, forty-nine-year-old Helga, is an nervous and overprotective parent and her beautiful daughter means everything to her. Helga’s anxiety at the void created by Ida leaving the house immediately sees the first prickles of fear settling in the pit of her stomach and long after Ida should have returned home she clings to a fragile hope. After pacing back and forth to the window, making plea bargains with God and promising to allow Ida the pet she craves if only she returns home safe and well, Helga finally has to acknowledge that Ida neither arrived at Laila’s Kiosk or has made it home safely. Calling first her sister, Ruth Rix, five-years her junior and a mother of two, and subsequently alerting the police, Fossum captures the harrowing search for Ida from the motivations of those that turn out for the search parties to the sudden implosion of a mother's world.
As the search labours onwards and days pass without any sign of Ida, Ruth is relieved of her obligations to watch over Helga by Ida’s father, Anders, and returns to her home and her eighteen-year-old son, Tom Erik (Tomme) and twelve-year-old daughter, Marion. However, Ruth is distracted by her son’s low mood, his reluctance to talk about Ida and his car prang on the very same night as her disappearance. The news that Willy Oterhals, an older boy with a disreputable past and suspected links to drug dealing intends to aid the repair of the dented and scratched Opel does nothing to stem her feeling of disquiet. Simultaneously, Fossum also introduces mentally handicapped Emil Johannes Mork, a fifty-two-year-old man whose gruff appearance, strange three-wheeled vehicle and stubborn refusal to engage in conversation beyond saying ‘no’ is well-known locally. Despite living on his own with his African grey parrot, Henry, Emil is marshalled by his seventy-three-year-old mother, Elsa, who cleans his home and handles matters that she feels are beyond his comprehension. As Sejer is losing hope of successful resolution, the discovery of Ida’s body dressed in a beautiful nightie and ensconced in a white duvet provides two vital clues that point the way forward. As Inspector Konrad Sejer refuses to automatically rush to assign the blame at the door of Emil, a man practically incapable of conveying his side of the story, his diligent observation of a community in shock reveals that there could be more to the situation than meets the eye.
Inspector Sejer is a earnest man with a lifetime of detective work behind him and he realises that rather than frightening or bullying suspects, there is a lot more to be said for reassuring and patient exchanges which can create a bond. Most importantly of all, he strives to understand the underlying reasons for a crime by placing himself in the situation of all the involved parties. His comprehension of how people can often act on impulse and subsequently be left in the awkward position of justifying their actions retrospectively is behind his humane approach to both Emil Johannes, his mother, Elsa, and Tomme Rix. Fossum’s powerful psychological character study show the burdens of guilt, the toll they can take on a person and the implications of a future bound in lies. For sensitive and thought-provoking police procedurals with an emphasis on the psychological insights, Fossum is in a class of her own! Black Seconds is another marvellous example of both her eloquence, the benefits of delving deeper into the origins of a realistic crime and the thought processes of a detective intent on understanding. Despite learning a great deal about Ida, readers never actually meet her but her presence looms over every moment of this heartbreaking and simply exquisite story.
Black Seconds focuses on the disappearance of angelic looking, cheerful and rather precocious nine-year-old, Ida Joner, as she counts down the days until her tenth birthday. She sets off on her distinctive yellow bicycle to buy a magazine and chewing gum and mother, Helga, watches her from the window as she turns left on route to town and Laila’s Kiosk. Ida’s mother, forty-nine-year-old Helga, is an nervous and overprotective parent and her beautiful daughter means everything to her. Helga’s anxiety at the void created by Ida leaving the house immediately sees the first prickles of fear settling in the pit of her stomach and long after Ida should have returned home she clings to a fragile hope. After pacing back and forth to the window, making plea bargains with God and promising to allow Ida the pet she craves if only she returns home safe and well, Helga finally has to acknowledge that Ida neither arrived at Laila’s Kiosk or has made it home safely. Calling first her sister, Ruth Rix, five-years her junior and a mother of two, and subsequently alerting the police, Fossum captures the harrowing search for Ida from the motivations of those that turn out for the search parties to the sudden implosion of a mother's world.
As the search labours onwards and days pass without any sign of Ida, Ruth is relieved of her obligations to watch over Helga by Ida’s father, Anders, and returns to her home and her eighteen-year-old son, Tom Erik (Tomme) and twelve-year-old daughter, Marion. However, Ruth is distracted by her son’s low mood, his reluctance to talk about Ida and his car prang on the very same night as her disappearance. The news that Willy Oterhals, an older boy with a disreputable past and suspected links to drug dealing intends to aid the repair of the dented and scratched Opel does nothing to stem her feeling of disquiet. Simultaneously, Fossum also introduces mentally handicapped Emil Johannes Mork, a fifty-two-year-old man whose gruff appearance, strange three-wheeled vehicle and stubborn refusal to engage in conversation beyond saying ‘no’ is well-known locally. Despite living on his own with his African grey parrot, Henry, Emil is marshalled by his seventy-three-year-old mother, Elsa, who cleans his home and handles matters that she feels are beyond his comprehension. As Sejer is losing hope of successful resolution, the discovery of Ida’s body dressed in a beautiful nightie and ensconced in a white duvet provides two vital clues that point the way forward. As Inspector Konrad Sejer refuses to automatically rush to assign the blame at the door of Emil, a man practically incapable of conveying his side of the story, his diligent observation of a community in shock reveals that there could be more to the situation than meets the eye.
Inspector Sejer is a earnest man with a lifetime of detective work behind him and he realises that rather than frightening or bullying suspects, there is a lot more to be said for reassuring and patient exchanges which can create a bond. Most importantly of all, he strives to understand the underlying reasons for a crime by placing himself in the situation of all the involved parties. His comprehension of how people can often act on impulse and subsequently be left in the awkward position of justifying their actions retrospectively is behind his humane approach to both Emil Johannes, his mother, Elsa, and Tomme Rix. Fossum’s powerful psychological character study show the burdens of guilt, the toll they can take on a person and the implications of a future bound in lies. For sensitive and thought-provoking police procedurals with an emphasis on the psychological insights, Fossum is in a class of her own! Black Seconds is another marvellous example of both her eloquence, the benefits of delving deeper into the origins of a realistic crime and the thought processes of a detective intent on understanding. Despite learning a great deal about Ida, readers never actually meet her but her presence looms over every moment of this heartbreaking and simply exquisite story.
August 3, 2017
Karin Fossum knows well the edginess and anticipation her readers feel as they plunge into extraordinary crime. She drives them to continue reading. How and why did the event happen? Who did it? What are the inescapable feelings of the family and the accused?
Inspector Konrad Sejer continues to thrill me with his probing questions. Mild and assuming, he puts a subject at ease. He waits for them to fill the silence. Then, he pounces on their statements. Not proud, but correct and professional.
He's moralistic and will always tell the subject what they did was wrong. Not satisfied with a conviction, he wants only the truth. If not to settle the case, but to complete his searching curiosity. Something terribly wrong was done and there must be an answer.
Fossum equips Sejer with an intellect and ingenuity that are astounding in their simplicity. It's very satisfying reading another Fossum mystery and I look forward to reading more.
Inspector Konrad Sejer continues to thrill me with his probing questions. Mild and assuming, he puts a subject at ease. He waits for them to fill the silence. Then, he pounces on their statements. Not proud, but correct and professional.
He's moralistic and will always tell the subject what they did was wrong. Not satisfied with a conviction, he wants only the truth. If not to settle the case, but to complete his searching curiosity. Something terribly wrong was done and there must be an answer.
Fossum equips Sejer with an intellect and ingenuity that are astounding in their simplicity. It's very satisfying reading another Fossum mystery and I look forward to reading more.
January 16, 2015
I had begun reading mysteries in about 1970, but it was only in 1998, when I began rating them for my own amusement (being a computational mathematician I love numbers). I did not rate all of the mysteries that I read, but I did most of them. A few days ago I looked my ratings up, and found out that among about 1300 mysteries I have rated there are just two that have received the highest rating of 9.5 out of 10, in my scale. One of them is Karin Fossum's novel "Black Seconds" (published in 2002 in Norway), and the other is "The Chill" (1964) by Ross Macdonald. I read "Black Seconds" for the first time in 2009, when it was published in the U.S. and then copied my enthusiastic review from Amazon.com to Goodreads. Being a skeptic, I believe that people are constantly wrong and that I am wrong more often than others, so I decided yesterday to read the novel again to check the extraordinarily high rating.
I stubbornly stand by my opinion; this is probably the best mystery book I have read in my life. Most of you who have read it will certainly disagree with me. Yes, it is pretty good, well written, with realistic characters, but best mystery ever? Come on, don't be silly. Well, I will try to justify my outrageous claim.
I have read nine books by Ms. Fossum. She is the absolute master of psychological observation. The mother's terror when her daughter does not come home at expected time is described with clinical accuracy. The overpowering fear, the senseless seeking for reasons for hope, the deal making with God, with fate. Ida, the girl who disappears, has always dreamed about a pet. Her birthday is coming, and the mother said "no". Now, she promises to buy all sorts of pets, when Ida comes back. Can you imagine the pain of an almost 50-year-old, lonely woman, losing a beautiful, well-behaved 10-year old daughter who was the only thing for which her life was worth living? Now she is gone, forever. I believe most parents went through the hell of fear of losing a child when he or she is half an hour late. But in almost all cases the kids come back late.
The most beautiful, absolutely outstanding feature of Ms. Fossum's book is her compassion toward people. Weakness is the essence of the human nature; we are stupid, vain, self-centered, greedy for stuff and for power, insensitive to others' pain. Yet in "Black Seconds" the only person who is presented in negative light is not guilty of Ida's disappearance.
All characters in the novel are real people, they are not just the templates of the "murderers" and the "victims" or agents of the bad and the good as happens in most crime books. The only exception is, of course, Inspector Sejer. Police inspectors are human like all of us, meaning they exhibit all the negative traits of human nature. Mr. Sejer has too few of those, so maybe that is why I cannot assign the novel the rating of 10/10.
Furthermore, Ms. Fossum's novel, despite in fact being a police procedural, wonderfully slow, muted, and quiet one, is indeed a mystery. I mean we kind of know "who did it" from rather early in the text, and we are right. But not just quite right. I am unable to write any more on that topic, in order not to spoil the mystery. This "just not quite" is an extremely strong asset of "Black Seconds", if one reads mysteries for the "mystery". I do not care much about the "mystery factor", but here it is strongly present. And the method used by Inspector Sejer to finally understand what happened is refreshingly clever. Finally, don't miss the last paragraph of the novel!
Five stars.
---- The following is my review after 2009 reading ----
I have been reading mystery novels for over forty years, at a pace of about a hundred books a year. Karin Fossum's "Black Seconds" is her third book I read, and to me it is the best. I began with "When the Devil Holds the Candle" and I liked it. I loved "Don't Look Back", especially the masterful way the author teases the reader at the beginning, by way of a "false start". I found "Black Seconds" among the very best books I have ever read. Yes, it is a mystery, and it sort of keeps you guessing to the end, but that is not important at all. The psychological portraits of the characters are drawn so well that I felt I had known these people for years. The gentle "interrogations" towards the end of the book are reminiscent of Dostoyevski's "Crime and Punishment". There is not much action, but there is so much truth about people instead. Ms. Fossum writes extremely well, and the translator did a splendid job in managing not to spoil the dry, to-the-point style.
A piece of real literature.
I stubbornly stand by my opinion; this is probably the best mystery book I have read in my life. Most of you who have read it will certainly disagree with me. Yes, it is pretty good, well written, with realistic characters, but best mystery ever? Come on, don't be silly. Well, I will try to justify my outrageous claim.
I have read nine books by Ms. Fossum. She is the absolute master of psychological observation. The mother's terror when her daughter does not come home at expected time is described with clinical accuracy. The overpowering fear, the senseless seeking for reasons for hope, the deal making with God, with fate. Ida, the girl who disappears, has always dreamed about a pet. Her birthday is coming, and the mother said "no". Now, she promises to buy all sorts of pets, when Ida comes back. Can you imagine the pain of an almost 50-year-old, lonely woman, losing a beautiful, well-behaved 10-year old daughter who was the only thing for which her life was worth living? Now she is gone, forever. I believe most parents went through the hell of fear of losing a child when he or she is half an hour late. But in almost all cases the kids come back late.
The most beautiful, absolutely outstanding feature of Ms. Fossum's book is her compassion toward people. Weakness is the essence of the human nature; we are stupid, vain, self-centered, greedy for stuff and for power, insensitive to others' pain. Yet in "Black Seconds" the only person who is presented in negative light is not guilty of Ida's disappearance.
All characters in the novel are real people, they are not just the templates of the "murderers" and the "victims" or agents of the bad and the good as happens in most crime books. The only exception is, of course, Inspector Sejer. Police inspectors are human like all of us, meaning they exhibit all the negative traits of human nature. Mr. Sejer has too few of those, so maybe that is why I cannot assign the novel the rating of 10/10.
Furthermore, Ms. Fossum's novel, despite in fact being a police procedural, wonderfully slow, muted, and quiet one, is indeed a mystery. I mean we kind of know "who did it" from rather early in the text, and we are right. But not just quite right. I am unable to write any more on that topic, in order not to spoil the mystery. This "just not quite" is an extremely strong asset of "Black Seconds", if one reads mysteries for the "mystery". I do not care much about the "mystery factor", but here it is strongly present. And the method used by Inspector Sejer to finally understand what happened is refreshingly clever. Finally, don't miss the last paragraph of the novel!
Five stars.
---- The following is my review after 2009 reading ----
I have been reading mystery novels for over forty years, at a pace of about a hundred books a year. Karin Fossum's "Black Seconds" is her third book I read, and to me it is the best. I began with "When the Devil Holds the Candle" and I liked it. I loved "Don't Look Back", especially the masterful way the author teases the reader at the beginning, by way of a "false start". I found "Black Seconds" among the very best books I have ever read. Yes, it is a mystery, and it sort of keeps you guessing to the end, but that is not important at all. The psychological portraits of the characters are drawn so well that I felt I had known these people for years. The gentle "interrogations" towards the end of the book are reminiscent of Dostoyevski's "Crime and Punishment". There is not much action, but there is so much truth about people instead. Ms. Fossum writes extremely well, and the translator did a splendid job in managing not to spoil the dry, to-the-point style.
A piece of real literature.
October 11, 2017
Not all crimes are driven by malice and some of the best mysteries are not whodunnits but rather the how and why. This book crosses the 'T' on that. Inspecter Sejer with his calm and refined pursuit for the truth, than the criminal, is definitely one of the most charming fictional detectives.
Ida Joner, a young girl goes missing along with her bicycle, under the watchful eyes of her mother. Inspecter Sejjer knows when a young girl is kidnapped, the girl will turn up, dead or alive, very soon. However, when she does not turn up, despite a volunteer search it becomes a puzzle.
The fact that you get to see the plot into the who and what does not still solve the puzzle and therein lies the book's charm. The tension in the initial few pages after the kid goes missing is affecting and is a credit to the author. There were some parts which I felt were not linked back once the plot started developing, but then I am just being picky.
Loved the family/accused interrogations done by Sejer and Skarr - which seemed to have a basic care in the tone and non threatening. A clean police work that is equal parts methodical and clever.
Good non-gory mystery!
Ida Joner, a young girl goes missing along with her bicycle, under the watchful eyes of her mother. Inspecter Sejjer knows when a young girl is kidnapped, the girl will turn up, dead or alive, very soon. However, when she does not turn up, despite a volunteer search it becomes a puzzle.
The fact that you get to see the plot into the who and what does not still solve the puzzle and therein lies the book's charm. The tension in the initial few pages after the kid goes missing is affecting and is a credit to the author. There were some parts which I felt were not linked back once the plot started developing, but then I am just being picky.
Loved the family/accused interrogations done by Sejer and Skarr - which seemed to have a basic care in the tone and non threatening. A clean police work that is equal parts methodical and clever.
Good non-gory mystery!
January 3, 2021
This was the telling of a sad loss of life of a young girl and the challenging investigation conducted by Sejer that led to the truth. I usually avoid these, but wanted to try another Fossum.
Library Loan
Library Loan
March 16, 2017
Още една чудесна скандинавска книга!
Много ми хареса историята, атмосферата, героите....
Напоследък съм много чувствителна , когато чета или гледам филми за изчезнали малки деца и затова тази книга истински ме разтърси и я съ-преживях.
Не си спомням откога не съм чувствала истинска жал и съчувствие към някой герой, както това се случи в тази книга с един от героите - умствено изостанал мъж.
Типичното за скандинавските романи - социалният елемент - не липсваше и тук.
Изобщо, само суперлативи мога да к��жа за тази книга и да я препоръчам на всички любители на жанра!
******
До тук с положителните неща!
Сега искам да сложа една ОГРОМНА черна точна на изд.ЕМАС и по-точно на коректорите им!!!
Нео��яснимо ЗАЩО и необяснимо КАК към 240 стр. леонбергерът на главния инспектор Сайер от Колберг става Колбасар?!?!! А героинята Елса Морк - Елса Корк. Ако за кучето имам някакво предположение - куче-любител на колбаси или коректор по време на пости, то за Елса нямам обяснение.
Това е и причината да сложа 4* на книгата, която сама по себе си си е за пълни 5*!!
ЕМАС , вземете се в ръце, ако обичате!!! Кучетата може и да обичат колбаси, но това не означава да им променяте имената, нали така??!!! ЧЕРНА точка за вас , без колбас! Не го заслужавате!!! Или по-скоро заслужавате колбас, но от онези, соевите!!! :)))
Много ми хареса историята, атмосферата, героите....
Напоследък съм много чувствителна , когато чета или гледам филми за изчезнали малки деца и затова тази книга истински ме разтърси и я съ-преживях.
Не си спомням откога не съм чувствала истинска жал и съчувствие към някой герой, както това се случи в тази книга с един от героите - умствено изостанал мъж.
Типичното за скандинавските романи - социалният елемент - не липсваше и тук.
Изобщо, само суперлативи мога да к��жа за тази книга и да я препоръчам на всички любители на жанра!
******
До тук с положителните неща!
Сега искам да сложа една ОГРОМНА черна точна на изд.ЕМАС и по-точно на коректорите им!!!
Нео��яснимо ЗАЩО и необяснимо КАК към 240 стр. леонбергерът на главния инспектор Сайер от Колберг става Колбасар?!?!! А героинята Елса Морк - Елса Корк. Ако за кучето имам някакво предположение - куче-любител на колбаси или коректор по време на пости, то за Елса нямам обяснение.
Това е и причината да сложа 4* на книгата, която сама по себе си си е за пълни 5*!!
ЕМАС , вземете се в ръце, ако обичате!!! Кучетата може и да обичат колбаси, но това не означава да им променяте имената, нали така??!!! ЧЕРНА точка за вас , без колбас! Не го заслужавате!!! Или по-скоро заслужавате колбас, но от онези, соевите!!! :)))
May 28, 2012
This is a wonderful series. I've read two others but didn't realize that ALL of Fossum's books are now available on Kindle through my local library. Wow, I am going to start from the beginning and read them all.
Ida, a beautiful, precocious, daring only child, turns up missing. Two threads are developed, one of which leads to the killer, in an unpredictable way. It may seem strange to comment on the COLOR of a police procedural, but the use of color in this book is striking and significant - a yellow bicycle, a red feather from an African grey parrot. I think these colors stand out because the prevailing colors of Norway in these books are shades of black-white-grey. Ida is a colorful character and these colors are associated with her, whereas those surrounding her are less vivid. Interesting in their own way, but less vivid. We never actually SEE or hear Ida speak, we see her only through the eyes of others.
Inspector Sejer is incredibly patient with those he interviews, and the way he relates to the near-autistic 52-year-old man is creative and productive. Fossum's depiction of this character is masterful and quite moving - the scene of his struggle to speak, which he can only do when near a waterfall that drowns out his sound, is unforgettable.
She's a masterful writer.
Ida, a beautiful, precocious, daring only child, turns up missing. Two threads are developed, one of which leads to the killer, in an unpredictable way. It may seem strange to comment on the COLOR of a police procedural, but the use of color in this book is striking and significant - a yellow bicycle, a red feather from an African grey parrot. I think these colors stand out because the prevailing colors of Norway in these books are shades of black-white-grey. Ida is a colorful character and these colors are associated with her, whereas those surrounding her are less vivid. Interesting in their own way, but less vivid. We never actually SEE or hear Ida speak, we see her only through the eyes of others.
Inspector Sejer is incredibly patient with those he interviews, and the way he relates to the near-autistic 52-year-old man is creative and productive. Fossum's depiction of this character is masterful and quite moving - the scene of his struggle to speak, which he can only do when near a waterfall that drowns out his sound, is unforgettable.
She's a masterful writer.
January 9, 2018
To date I have enjoyed the Inspector Sejer series. Unfortunately the plot of this one, involving the disappearance of of young girl, was very similar to a previous story and very transparent. As soon as Tomme and Willy started to work on the car it was evident what had happened. Quite believable characters but the books do portrait Norway as dark and the people dour.
Could easily have thrown this one down. 2 stars only
Could easily have thrown this one down. 2 stars only
December 25, 2017
It's wonderful how kind the detectives are. But Fossum seems to have forgotten that police procedurals have at their core a mystery. This is not so much a who-done-it as a when-will-the-police-realize-it.
July 31, 2021
My second KF book and both books were read out of order. This certainly for me, made no difference whatsoever to the flow of the book. In fact you learn very little about the private life of the detective, instead, much more about the other main characters.
The only thing I didn't enjoy was the short description of animal cruelty. Yes, I know this is fiction but I still hate reading about it.
A great read and I will eventually try to get round to reading the rest in this series.
Easy to read and very believable
The only thing I didn't enjoy was the short description of animal cruelty. Yes, I know this is fiction but I still hate reading about it.
A great read and I will eventually try to get round to reading the rest in this series.
Easy to read and very believable
February 9, 2019
A young girl goes missing and Inspector Sejer is assigned the case. Definitely not a high octane thriller but a well written, though with an understated style, tale of suspense set in Norway.
September 15, 2017
Creepy is an understatement when talking about Karin Fossum's detective series featuring Inspector Konrad Sejer and his colleague Jacob Skarre. In "Black Seconds," readers get a glimpse into a dark world not too many authors can create as powerful and troubling as Fossum.
From the beginning of the series in "Don't Look Back" until now in "Black Seconds," Fossum knows how to create a believable and realistic sketch of her characters and their aging lives. As evidence, Konrad Sejer is not the same man we have seen in "Don't Look Back" or even in "The Indian Bride." He is more vulnerable, in private and in public life. Behind closed doors, we see his beloved dog Kollberg struggle with the aging process. He can hardly walk anymore, or find his cozy surroundings comfortable. Late one night, while Sejer comes home from work, he sits in his favorite chair by the window and stares across the room at his dog, who walks in circles a few times until he collapses on the floor. His hind legs hit the floor first, then his paws, and finally his heavy head falls in front of him. It is too difficult for Sejer to look his dog in the eyes.
At work, Sejer deals with a case that he finds most puzzling to date. As he interviews Emil Mork and his mother, Elsa, Sejer discovers how rewarding and debilitating his line of work really is. At one point in the novel when Sejer questions Elsa about her son's anger management problems, Sejer is seen as weak and scared for the first time. He sees Kollberg in her story, I think, and takes her confession personally.
The end of the story is Fossum at her best with the writings of nature and the human condition. Wonderful and haunting at the same time. I look forward to more Inspector Sejer and Skarre mysteries and hope we get a better look at Skarre's personality and private life. I really like these characters and pray we get more cases soon.
From the beginning of the series in "Don't Look Back" until now in "Black Seconds," Fossum knows how to create a believable and realistic sketch of her characters and their aging lives. As evidence, Konrad Sejer is not the same man we have seen in "Don't Look Back" or even in "The Indian Bride." He is more vulnerable, in private and in public life. Behind closed doors, we see his beloved dog Kollberg struggle with the aging process. He can hardly walk anymore, or find his cozy surroundings comfortable. Late one night, while Sejer comes home from work, he sits in his favorite chair by the window and stares across the room at his dog, who walks in circles a few times until he collapses on the floor. His hind legs hit the floor first, then his paws, and finally his heavy head falls in front of him. It is too difficult for Sejer to look his dog in the eyes.
At work, Sejer deals with a case that he finds most puzzling to date. As he interviews Emil Mork and his mother, Elsa, Sejer discovers how rewarding and debilitating his line of work really is. At one point in the novel when Sejer questions Elsa about her son's anger management problems, Sejer is seen as weak and scared for the first time. He sees Kollberg in her story, I think, and takes her confession personally.
The end of the story is Fossum at her best with the writings of nature and the human condition. Wonderful and haunting at the same time. I look forward to more Inspector Sejer and Skarre mysteries and hope we get a better look at Skarre's personality and private life. I really like these characters and pray we get more cases soon.
February 5, 2009
My objection to this book has nothing to do with the subject matter (I read a lot of really dark crime novels) and everything to do with the shoddy police work. What was actually a really obvious solution, as improbable and absurdly coincidental as it was, remained obscured until the end because the cops just didn't ask the right questions, the obvious questions to ask. It's several days into a child's disappearance before you bother to find out why her parents are divorced? You can't know that's irrelevant until you solve the mystery. I had high hopes for this book, given the "Norwegian Queen of Crime" hype, and I was pretty disappointed. It did make me want to be a cop though, just because I would be better at it than these clowns.
June 9, 2010
I plan on giving all of my Karin Fossum reviews the same statement because I don't even want the hint of a spoiler on this woman's fantastic work. Fossum's writing gave me my love of Scandanavian mystery writers and I seek those writings out. Hands down,though, Fossum's work is the best I have come across so far.
February 8, 2023
Though the writing is classy, with that understated tone of suspense, the plot of this one seemed too simple and I guessed the sequence of events early on. I like Karin Fossum's books, but I think there are certainly better ones in this series (her standalones were good). Perhaps the title was picked from thin air, since it wasn't mentioned anywhere in the story.
February 11, 2016
Desde el tercer capítulo sabía lo que había pasado,todo!!! Totalmente defraudada con esta novela,más cuando Fossum es de mis autores nórdicos favoritos. Leed a Karin Fossum,pero no este título.
October 30, 2011
A common problem in mystery books seems to be that the true killer comes out of nowhere. Particularly in Agatha Christie books, red herrings are scattered all over the place, and the real killer always seems to be the most implausible person. Black Seconds, however, went too far in the other direction, in my opinion.
The first half of the book is concerned with Ida, an almost-ten-year-old girl who suddenly disappears one day. The second half deals with what happens after they find her.
I really enjoyed (though perhaps that's not the right word to use) the first part. Ida is just a normal, vivacious young girl, and the details of how her mother, father, her relatives, her Norwegian town, and the police deal with her disappearance. It seemed heartrendingly real to me, their reactions, their fears, and their helplessness because they didn't have a body. And despite how unlikely it is for any missing child to turn up alive and well after a day, I wanted her to, for this story to have a happy ending.
Here there be spoilers. You have been warned.
The first half of the book is concerned with Ida, an almost-ten-year-old girl who suddenly disappears one day. The second half deals with what happens after they find her.
I really enjoyed (though perhaps that's not the right word to use) the first part. Ida is just a normal, vivacious young girl, and the details of how her mother, father, her relatives, her Norwegian town, and the police deal with her disappearance. It seemed heartrendingly real to me, their reactions, their fears, and their helplessness because they didn't have a body. And despite how unlikely it is for any missing child to turn up alive and well after a day, I wanted her to, for this story to have a happy ending.
Here there be spoilers. You have been warned.
July 14, 2017
The more I read Karin Fossom, the more I am appreciating what she does with her writing. Wonderful psychological insight into even the smallest characters, through the protagonist's eyes of Konrad Sejer--a detective with old-fashioned sensibilities. A young girl goes missing. Everyone in the small town assumes she's dead, and how it affects the families and inhabitants, even down to their pets.
November 16, 2021
Heel mooi geschreven, maar ook heel voorspelbaar
January 22, 2020
El otro día hablaba con una amiga sobre la diferencia entre intriga y suspense y le ponía de ejemplo a Hitchcock, reconocido maestro en lo segundo. Para crear suspense, el director, mostraba a sus espectadores una bomba con una cuenta atrás debajo de una mesa donde los protagonistas se disponían a cenar. Entonces empezaba la acción: el espectador sabía que aquello estallaría y sabía cuándo, los protagonistas, no... ¿qué pasará?
La intriga, por el contrario, muestra lo mismo o casi al espectador/lector sin desvelar la conclusión hasta el final: Se ha escrito un crimen/intriga-Colombo/suspense.
Me decepciona mucho más la intriga que el suspense (aunque también puede decepcionar el suspense). Y lo hace porque, en muchas ocasiones, el asesino de la intriga es o inverosimil o irrelevante en la trama.
Y eso sucede en Segundos negros, pretende ser una intriga y se queda en nada. Porque uno, no lo consigue (el lector sabe quién es el asesino desde bien pronto) y dos, cuando el lector descubre quién es, el suspense se desinfla y aparece el tedio.
Es por eso que molesta que las editoriales se gasten dinero en traducir un texto para aprovechar una ola comercial (autores nórdicos en este caso), en lugar de arriesgar por otros textos sin traducción pero de desconocidos...
Esta novela no la leáis...
La intriga, por el contrario, muestra lo mismo o casi al espectador/lector sin desvelar la conclusión hasta el final: Se ha escrito un crimen/intriga-Colombo/suspense.
Me decepciona mucho más la intriga que el suspense (aunque también puede decepcionar el suspense). Y lo hace porque, en muchas ocasiones, el asesino de la intriga es o inverosimil o irrelevante en la trama.
Y eso sucede en Segundos negros, pretende ser una intriga y se queda en nada. Porque uno, no lo consigue (el lector sabe quién es el asesino desde bien pronto) y dos, cuando el lector descubre quién es, el suspense se desinfla y aparece el tedio.
Es por eso que molesta que las editoriales se gasten dinero en traducir un texto para aprovechar una ola comercial (autores nórdicos en este caso), en lugar de arriesgar por otros textos sin traducción pero de desconocidos...
Esta novela no la leáis...
March 13, 2019
I don't think I got anything out of reading this book. Perhaps it was the translation or it could have just been Fossum's style, but the writing didn't work for me. It felt awkward and stilted throughout the book. None of the characters felt like real people, a lot of the time their emotions seemed painted on rather than genuine, and their behavior rarely seemed to fit the circumstances.
Plus it was painfully predictable. I realized the ending on page six. Literally page six. I kept hoping there was going to be a different twist or something more, but it was literally just the incredibly basic story I predicted. And it seemed ridiculous that none of the cops realized it sooner.
I literally kept forgetting that I was reading this book even though it only took me a day and a half to get through.
Plus it was painfully predictable. I realized the ending on page six. Literally page six. I kept hoping there was going to be a different twist or something more, but it was literally just the incredibly basic story I predicted. And it seemed ridiculous that none of the cops realized it sooner.
I literally kept forgetting that I was reading this book even though it only took me a day and a half to get through.
June 22, 2012
This is the second Karin Fossum book I've read (I'm on a Scandinavian crime fiction reading jag right now). One thing I notice about her style is that it's an emotional drama disguised as a mystery/crime. Karin Fossum tells the story about a little girl who disappears while off riding her bike on her way to a store - every parent's nightmare. The emotion that grips all the characters as the story develops gives them fullness and depth, and makes for compelling reading. If you are expecting police procedural scenes, there's a number of them, but there is more emotional action than there is hunting for fugitives. In that, it's quite successful. Does this bear reading again? Yes.
July 26, 2022
Comparado con el resto de la saga, este libro es la alegría de la huerta.
Sólo muere algún inocente de más, de una forma tan injusta que se te retuercen las entrañas, algún que otro no inocente que no obstante no merecía morir... aparte de la víctima del caso.
Y bueno... la vida de todos los implicados y no tan implicados queda destrozada hasta el tuétano de forma deprimente, claro. Eso es marca de la casa, no hay forma de evitarlo.
Pero teniendo en cuenta que todo se resuelve y el "malo" paga, casi hay que dar las gracias. Es toda una concesión al lector.
Sólo muere algún inocente de más, de una forma tan injusta que se te retuercen las entrañas, algún que otro no inocente que no obstante no merecía morir... aparte de la víctima del caso.
Y bueno... la vida de todos los implicados y no tan implicados queda destrozada hasta el tuétano de forma deprimente, claro. Eso es marca de la casa, no hay forma de evitarlo.
Pero teniendo en cuenta que todo se resuelve y el "malo" paga, casi hay que dar las gracias. Es toda una concesión al lector.
May 1, 2019
This was a really good book. I liked the writing style and really enjoyed all the characters. I figured out what happened to Ida pretty early on, but that didn't diminish the fun of watching the story unfold. This is the sixth book in the Konrad Sejer detective series. So far I have only read book 3, He Who Fears the Wolf, and this one. I enjoyed this book even more than the other one. This is a series I would like to continue reading.
December 15, 2014
Another good read by ms Fossum with a missing child as the focus of the crime but with the twists and turns that accompany her stories. Once again detective Sejer solves the crime and this time we get a better look at him and a good glimpse of his psyche. I did enjoy this one.
October 24, 2020
gemakkelijk toegankelijk boek. Mooie profielschetsen en nodige spanning.
Ik wil daardoor wel verder Scandinavische thrillers lezen.
Ik wil daardoor wel verder Scandinavische thrillers lezen.
January 15, 2021
I gialli di Karin Fossum mi hanno sempre fatto una grande impressione perché non parlano di spregiudicati uomini di affari e mogli gelose, eredità milionarie, o serial killer impegnati nello schifare i lettori il più possibile con modus operanti sempre più orribili.
I gialli di Karin Fossum sono fin troppo vicini alla realtà. Parlano di famiglie disfunzionali, bambini che spariscono dopo una passeggiata in bicicletta, di come a volte, una serie di fortuite coincidenze possono cambiare la vita di una persona per sempre.
Sono libri quasi corali, dove l'ispettore Sejer e il suo sottoposto Skarre sono più co-protagonisti, accanto alle famiglie delle vittime e alle persone che in un modo o nell'altro, si trovano coinvolte nel delitto e nelle sue diramazioni.
E' forse per questo che li centellino, fin ora sono tra i pochi gialli che tendo a ricordare anche a distanza di tempo, pur con un senso di vago disagio, perché a volte sono così "vicini".
Letto per le sfide
1. Scaffali traboccanti 2021: (5/20)
2. Randomly 2021: (5/10)
3. Alphabet 2021 per Un libro di un autore il cui cognome inizi per F
4. Babele 2021: modalità difficile (3/15)
I gialli di Karin Fossum sono fin troppo vicini alla realtà. Parlano di famiglie disfunzionali, bambini che spariscono dopo una passeggiata in bicicletta, di come a volte, una serie di fortuite coincidenze possono cambiare la vita di una persona per sempre.
Sono libri quasi corali, dove l'ispettore Sejer e il suo sottoposto Skarre sono più co-protagonisti, accanto alle famiglie delle vittime e alle persone che in un modo o nell'altro, si trovano coinvolte nel delitto e nelle sue diramazioni.
E' forse per questo che li centellino, fin ora sono tra i pochi gialli che tendo a ricordare anche a distanza di tempo, pur con un senso di vago disagio, perché a volte sono così "vicini".
Letto per le sfide
1. Scaffali traboccanti 2021: (5/20)
2. Randomly 2021: (5/10)
3. Alphabet 2021 per Un libro di un autore il cui cognome inizi per F
4. Babele 2021: modalità difficile (3/15)
December 7, 2018
3.5/5 This was my 3rd book by the author and finally this one was a good mystery worth a read. A 10-year old girl disappears and again there is somebody with a mental illness in the picture like "Dont Look Back". But this time the girl doesnt return.
Inspector Sejer and his colleague Skarre diligently investigate and finally reach the conclusion by some thoughtful questioning and police work. While the readers can guess most of the "who","what" and "how" early, watching the policemen reach there was still interesting.
The policemen are likeable characters and in all the Fossum books, the perpetrators are not hardened criminals or evil. She brings out the humanity of the perpetrator very well and you almost feel sorry for the circumstances that led to the crime. In that sense, the books are realistic and relatable.
But, as I commented recently, my respect for Agatha Christie has gone up. In the 200-300 page detective crime fiction, she is matchless. Taking a break from this series for now.
Inspector Sejer and his colleague Skarre diligently investigate and finally reach the conclusion by some thoughtful questioning and police work. While the readers can guess most of the "who","what" and "how" early, watching the policemen reach there was still interesting.
The policemen are likeable characters and in all the Fossum books, the perpetrators are not hardened criminals or evil. She brings out the humanity of the perpetrator very well and you almost feel sorry for the circumstances that led to the crime. In that sense, the books are realistic and relatable.
But, as I commented recently, my respect for Agatha Christie has gone up. In the 200-300 page detective crime fiction, she is matchless. Taking a break from this series for now.
August 20, 2020
I had read two Norwegian noir fiction by Samuel Bjork, back to back before picking up Black Seconds, again a Norwegian Thriller. Yet, this was different and kept me hooked till the end.
It starts with Ida Joner a chirpy ten year old girl, who has gone missing. She had just ventured on a short trip to the neighbourhood store to buy some candies. Helga Honer, her divorced mother, who has anxiety disorder, reaches out to her sister, estranged husband and the police for help.
With the characters being not so complicated( like the way they are generally in this genre, some of them being extremely psychotic or violent etc), the tale jostles within the few surrounding areas of the suspected characters in this sleepy suburb. The pain of loosing someone so young makes the novel poignant.. Rarely we get to read a thriller these days, which is in kind of a classical mode, working more on the emotional tensions of those who are affected and the anguish of the distraught mother worded together so well.
It starts with Ida Joner a chirpy ten year old girl, who has gone missing. She had just ventured on a short trip to the neighbourhood store to buy some candies. Helga Honer, her divorced mother, who has anxiety disorder, reaches out to her sister, estranged husband and the police for help.
With the characters being not so complicated( like the way they are generally in this genre, some of them being extremely psychotic or violent etc), the tale jostles within the few surrounding areas of the suspected characters in this sleepy suburb. The pain of loosing someone so young makes the novel poignant.. Rarely we get to read a thriller these days, which is in kind of a classical mode, working more on the emotional tensions of those who are affected and the anguish of the distraught mother worded together so well.
November 20, 2020
This is my first time reading this author. I thought it was well-written and I really liked the detectives. This mystery had a lot of clues that pointed to what actually happened, so the ending wasn't too much of a surprise. I didn't care though, because the methods and procedures of the case were handled well. The interview with Emil was fantastic! I taught special education for years, and specialized in children with Autism and Autism Spectrum Disorders. Many of my students were nonverbal, and I have used such techniques with them. It was an unexpected pleasure to see something like this handled so well in a police procedural. I will definitely read more in this series.
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