What Dark Clouds Hide

Vik & Stubø #5

by Anne Holt, Anne Bruce (Translator)

On a summer's day, Johanne Vik arrives at the home of her friends Jon and Ellen Mohr and was greeted by a scene of devastation: their young son, left unattended, has tragically fallen to his death. Meanwhile, Oslo is under attack. An explosion has torn the city apart and newly qualified police officer Henrik Holme is the only one available to attend the Mohr household. As Holme investigates, he casts doubt on the claim that the death was a tragic accident and calls upon Johanne's profiling expertise to understand what really happened. But neither realise that those involved are determined to hide the truth - no matter what. Before the summer is over, more shocking deaths will occur...

Genres: Crime, Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Nordic Noir, Scandinavian Literature, Swedish Literature

318 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Anne Holt was born in Larvik, grew up in Lillestrøm and Tromsø, and moved to Oslo in 1978. She graduated with a law degree from the University of Bergen in 1986, and went on to work for The Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) and then the Oslo Police Department, earning her right to practice as a lawyer in Norway. In 1990 she returned to NRK, where she worked one year as a journalist and anchor woman for the news program Dagsrevyen.

Holt started her own law practice in 1994, and served as Minister of Justice in Cabinet Jagland for a short period from November 25, 1996 to February 4, 1997.

In 1993 Holt made her debut as a novelist with the crime novel Blind gudinne, featuring the lesbian police officer Hanne Wilhelmsen. The two novels Løvens gap (1997) and Uten ekko (2000) are co-authored with former state secretary Berit Reiss-Andersen.

Holt is one of the most successful crime novelists in Norway. She has been published in 25 countries.




Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Reviews

[Helen · Rating 2 out of 5]

A well-written interesting story until the ending. What a pointless, ridiculous thing to happen!!

[Anne Robinson · Rating 1 out of 5]

I cannot review this book without spoilers. Let me just say that I am highly disappointed with the author for ending her series in this way! I will not read any more books by her.

[Razvan Banciu · Rating 2 out of 5]

The perfect case in which a more than decent novel (a 3.5 stars indeed) is spoiled by a single sentence. The last one.
So, no wonder that I don't want to say anything else about this story...

[Jose Cepeda · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sad and terrible story. Well written and mostly a page-turner. In my opinion, the book deserved a more elaborate ending.

[Mariafrancesca di natura viperesca sta con gli ultimi della terra · Rating 1 out of 5]

La stelletta vale un giudizio morale.

Non solo nei confronti dell'autrice che è onesta - solitamete- scrittrice di gialli ma soprattutto su di me che l'ho letto e che ho usato il solito schema che si mette in moto in tali letture: chi è il colpevole?
La vittima conta pochissimo: è banale dirlo; non solo ma il rimarcarlo, quasi prendere le distanze dal volgo che invece ci inzuppa il biscotto, è osceno.

La Holt, di cui mi ero fatta un buona opinione per la sua storia sia politica sia personale, si è mostrata talmente cinica da dovermi indurre a chiudere il libro: cosa che non ho fatto, lasciando che i miei istinti voyeuristici si scatenassero.
L'argomento poteva essere affrontato come docufiction - vista anche la post fazione - ma non sicuramente come quelle pornografiche pseudoinchieste televisive sulle violenze ai minori in famiglia.
Ricordo un racconto di Cechov, poche pagine: una balia si occupa amorevolmente di un lattante che piange giorno e notte deprivandola del sonno. Alla fine devi rileggere per ben capire se lei l'avesse soffocato o meno tanta è la pietà dell'autore per la vittima e il carnefice.
Ecco: c'è modo modo, e sicuramente farne traccia per un giallo è "osceno", come dissi.

[Bruce Hatton · Rating 3 out of 5]

The final novel in this series centres around the sudden death of Sander Mohr; an 8-year-old boy with ADHD. Apparently, Sander died after falling from a step-ladder. Johanne Vik is a friend of the family and is visiting them soon after the accident occurs. On the same evening, a terrorist attack takes place in Oslo. With police forces stretched thin, investigating Sander’s death is left to a recently qualified officer called Henrik Holme.
Although naive and socially inept, Henrik is also very thorough and tenacious and determined to discover the truth behind Sander’s death. It is when he and Johanne eventually collaborate that the true cause begins to become clear, putting both their lives in danger.
Overall, this is a well constructed and thought-provoking story with a totally unexpected and shocking ending. Also, the character of Henrik Holme is one I hope returns in later books. However, I did feel that the novel was occasionally let down by poor translation.

[Antonomasia · Rating 3 out of 5]

May as well finish a series, eh?
(I shouldn't really have read beyond the first book, but that was a while ago, I'd bought the others in bulk, and anyway I liked the third the best.)
Johanne still wishy-washy in 90% of scenes. (Again Holt shows straight women under grandmotherly age as a bit feeble, whereas the lesbian character is highly capable.)
Family / relationship scenes (yet somehow I'd forgotten this) still a mixture of peacefully bland / cloying likely to provoke a mixture of boredom/sadness/envy/*boak* in those whose lives aren't like that. And probably some of those in readers whose are but who prefer a harder, cynical edge or more stylish writing in their crime fiction. However, here they also serve another purpose as Johanne's basically happy family is counterpoint to the family in the horrific opening scene, in which the parents are two of her old school classmates.
Late spring - summer setting. Always a bonus to be reading one of these Nordics around the same time as it's set; feels right, less mental effort to feel the temperature.
Best thing about it is portrayal of the Breivik attacks as a background event that's so shocking it can't stay in the background: the way characters hear about them (I thought they were a different, fictional incident during the early reports, as people didn't yet understand what had happened); the way they took up all news time and 95% of police time; public outpourings of grief from people not involved and how this sparked cynicism in a minority, much like the aftermath of Princess Diana's death in 1997.
Also produces sense of world in chaos / pathetic fallacy mirroring dislocation of those associated with the central case.
Several characters who might be considered on the spectrum, more than usual - two quite badly affected; ties in with Holt's own adoptive kids as far as I can remember without looking it up.
So many of the characters are 43 that I started to think I was for a while too.
Lots of cliches whereby case solved by people not officially working on it. Christie-style denouement with everyone gathered for a lecture / showdown.
Translator adds odd bits of Scots, e.g. "hirpled".
One of the two strands I never got close to guessing and was quite impressed with (although due to repeated illness my processing speed is pretty impaired at the moment, struggling to stick with / properly take in the prose in Golden Hill) and the other was one of those "could have guessed at the beginning, then put it out of my mind" ones.
Ending provoked inappropriate hysterical laughter... okay partly me but it was so absurd and abrupt and unexpected but at least we know there definitely won't be another in the series now. The speed of it was bizarre because Johanne is usually so ponderous and empathic. But if someone died that way, then it would be that sudden. My guess is that Holt had trouble integrating the death into the plot, didn't know what to do with it afterwards, and may well have been tired of the character... I kind of was. I think Johanne Vik would have been a much better person to know than to read about. She was nice but really not exciting .
Seems like a new series is being potentially set up for Henrik Holm in Alesund after he's introduced in this book.

[Raluca Daniela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book with a gloomy mood, but the ending... wow. I guess there was some foreshadowing for how it would happen, but none for why. It totally broke the mood. It's like the hand of God got tired of the character and decided to eliminate her to move onto writing something else.

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

argh! This is good, really - the Breivik incident in 2011 happens on the same day as another death, apparently an accident, but was it?
The ending is horrible, though, and it's more or less impossible to say anything about it without giving too much away, so I'll leave it there.

[Sherry · Rating 4 out of 5]

found this book at her slow in the beginning. But it became more interesting as I read on. I had read all the other Adam Stubo and JohanneVik mysteries and enjoyed them. I also liked these two characters, their rapport and love for two children. This book was really Johannes story since Adam was involved in the attack on Oslo. She became involved in the death of this youngster involuntarily but kept being drawn in. The boy’s character was interesting, a child with personality and emotional problems,
Once I got half way through the story, I needed to keep reading. I had my own idea about guilt and innocence. I just finished the book and although I had gotten some correct, I hated the ending. I am actually angry about the ending. It was totally unexpected.

[61pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

A volte la scelta di un libro da leggere dipende anche dallo stato d'animo. In questo caso avevo bisogno di staccare da libri troppo pieni di problematiche psicologiche e ho pensato che un thriller avrebbe potuto essere la scelta giusta.. niente di più sbagliato! Le dinamiche sottese alle violenze nei confronti di minori, alla base di questo libro, non hanno sicuramente giovato al miglioramento del mio stato d'animo, anche se devo ammettere che il libro è ben scritto ed avvincente.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the last in the Series, I was both excited and reticent about this book .. the Series as a whole has been very hit and miss for me, with great highs of thrilling storylines and then too much mundane life is added. A very intriguing story to end with, a real who-done-it ?? Kept me guessing all the way through. The ending means there cannot be a return, but I would read a 'follow-up' ..

[Lynda Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would've been an easy 5* if it weren't for the fact that a character who started out as Helge suddenly changed into Helga for the rest of the story. I can't in all fairness award 5* when this happens as for me it's the greatest transgression I see an author ever make. They create these characters, they NEED to spell their names properly. It really shouldn't be hard to do though I see this occur way too often, even in bestsellers as this is.
I hate it's the last in this series although I always preferred Hanne's series myself (and I only have one of those remaining to read now, too)....I'm hoping she may commence a series featuring more of Henrik, who is introduced here, although I made his acquaintance in Offline, since these 2 series crossed over in publication dates, which was a pity. I've invested a lot of time in both Johanne and Hanne and I wasn't ready to let go of either person yet so it's a shame Ms Holt has ended both their series.
Sander's story was a sad one in this book and I hated the character of Tove Byfjord-she was a total bitch altogether and I had to laugh at the name Kasper Kaspersen, poor kid !! Farris got its customary product placement, of course. The only thing lost in translation for me was when Johanne asked Henrik his opinion about her dog, Jack, and he replied that "...I'd never dare to clap him." I don't understand this. Aside from this, Ms Bruce's translation was perfect as always. This one has a lovely cover as well. Sadly I knew the ending as it was referred to in Offline, so don't do as I did and read that one before this.
I've greatly enjoyed these stories, I must say, and hope it's not the last we've heard of Anne Holt.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

If the quality of a crime novel was determined by the surprise factor of the ending, this would be 5 stars easy. I mean... what the hell? I actually liked the case - it's horrible and sad and for once not too complicated. The horrible events of 2011 serve as a backdrop for an unusual investigation and cast a grey cloud of numb sadness over everything. But to use this as an ending for the entire series seems... a bit over the top even though I found it well executed.

One thing that was slightly annoying in all of these books is her tendency to "notice something very important" in the first few pages, which she only remembers right at the end to solve the mystery. This becomes gimmicky.

And can we talk about the fact that Yngvar Stubøs life just became even more ridiculously tragic? There is just too much terribleness in his life as it is. We don't get much from him during the entire book, and then this? Ouch.

As a matter of fact I feel as if Stubø/Vik deserve another book, just to digest this. Maybe it will come up in another series - I guess I'll just have to read them all.

[Danilo De rossi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Il senso di questo libro è tutto racchiuso in tre frasi della postfazione:

- "Gli abusi sui minori avvengono perché li permettiamo".
- "Perché non riusciamo a convincerci che possono esistere".
- "Perché la cosa più semplice è girarsi dall'altra parte".

Si tratta di un libro spietato, per certi versi agghiacciante, che inevitabilmente porta il lettore a provare sensazioni di fastidio per la sorte e il trattamento riservati al piccolo Sander. È un giallo molto ritmato, che si legge con interesse e piacere, sebbene in alcuni punti mi abbia fatto storcere un po' il naso, a partire dalla facilità con cui indagati e poliziotti si danno del tu. È un romanzo molto accattivante, che si chiude con un colpo di scena che mai mi sarei aspettato durante la lettura. Il consiglio che do a tutti è di non leggere l'ultima frase, se non quando si è arrivati alla fine.

[Miki Jacobs · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the last in this Vik/Stubo series. There is very little of Stubo in it.
The story starts with Johanne arriving at a friend's house for a party and discovering that their son has just died in a tragic accident. She leaves the room and calls the police and in that time the father has tided the room up. The Police send Henrik Holme, a newly qualified constable, to the scene as as a bomb has gone off in the city and the tragedy at Utoya has happened and everyone else is tied up with that. The is the reason we are given for the lack of Adam in this book. Holme investigates in a very slapdash manner as he is given no guidance and Johanne tries not to get involved. However, she is drawn in to a complex web.
Not the best book in this series and the ending comes very quick and feels like the author had decided that she had written enough.

[Alessandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tesissimo fino all’ultima riga. Tristissimo. Sullo sfondo di una strage atroce si dipana una vicenda familiare di una desolazione sconfortante, dove l’apparenza e il perbenismo la fanno da padroni, dove non ti puoi fidare di nessuno, dove le anime buone volano via, una a una.

[Jessy · Rating 4 out of 5]

muy bueno pero que onda con el final 😨

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5stars.
Did not see that coming. Total Game of Thrones ending!

[tirill svaler]

plukket denne opp i en telefonkiosk — har ikke lest noen andre av disse bøkene, men synes denne var helt ok, forutsigbar, likevel typisk god regnværskrim, men den slutten der var veldig unødvendig og føltes som et tafatt forsøk på sjokkfaktor.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok, ultimul vol din serie inchide seria si eu pot spune linistita ca am dovedit-o. Cum am mai repetat si la vol 3 si 4, sunt dezamagita, dar asta pentru ca primele doua vol mi-au creat asteptari. Si n-am primit ce am sperat.
Un accident groaznic al singurului fiu al lui Ellen, (prietena lui Inger) in care copilul isi pierde viata, pare un inceput bun, dar nu pot sa spun ca m-a dat pe spate sau ca m-a tinut cu sufletul la gura. Este aceeasi vorbarie fara sens, ce mai mult m-a plictisit decat sa ma faca parte din poveste.
Plus ca nu mi-a placut cum a fost construita toata actiunea. Se tot face referire la atentatul din 2011, dar pe cuvant ca n-are nicio treaba cu povestea. Am citit carti scrise de autori norvegieni, si marea lor majoritate mi-au placut, dar asta nu stiu ce sa zic. Ar fi trebuit sa raman duologie. :))
Cred ca autoarea a vrut prin acest roman sa atraga atentia in privinta violentei asupra copiilor, dar nu a fost chiar cea mai inspirata in a o pune in pagina.
Alt lucru care m-a enervat a fost faptul ca se oprea investigarea cazului, pentru dramele din familia lui Inger... pai ori e thriller ori e drama story? Cred ca nici autoarea nu stie. In fine, numai primele 2 vol le recomand, restul sunt apa de ploaie. 3 stele

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Skyggedød. What Dark Clouds Hide. Vik/Stubo #5. ANNE HOLT 2012/2017.
Storyline is set in the real time of the awful mass murder in Norway. At that same time a young 8 year old boy dies in what seems to be a tragic accident at home. Johanne is a school friend of both parents. Adam is totally absorbed and very busy with the dramatic investigation of the crime shocking the nation and world, while the kids are away on holiday with Isak ..... Johanne gets drawn in by one after the other grand parent, colleague, police rookie that just feels there is something not right.....finally she tries to find the truth. How did the boy die, are there other crimes and is someone responsible? What is the full cost to those inside a relationship and those on the outside circle of so much deception and desperation!
This was a shocking ending....

[Katinka Bille · Rating 4 out of 5]

Min första bekantskap med Anne Holt. En ny favoritförfattare! Påminner kanske lite om Elizabeth George men inte så mångordig. Hennes karaktärer är fantastiska, hennes iakttagelser skarpa, stor igenkänning på små detaljer som gör människorna och miljöerna så trovärdiga. Inte en renodlad deckare, mera psykologisk spänning och komplicerade relationer. Jag kunde inte lägga ifrån mig boken trots att den innehåller väldigt lite traditionell spänning i form av tidspress, cliffhangers etc. Jag gillar också att hon inte frossar i våld, blod och sex. Det enda jag har emot boken är slutet. Det knockade mig, jag ville bara skrika neeeej!

[Wildrose71]

I honestly don't know how to rate this one! It is one of Holts best books, from the first page until... right before the end. So, I'd give it 5 stars until the last page but had I known the ending, I don't think I'd even read it!

[Nathalia · Rating 2 out of 5]

No tengo palabras para describie el final de todo WTF!!!

Realmente my rating sería 1.5
No puedo dejar de darle vuelta en la cabeza al final, de verdad me arruinó toda la serie de libros y por el momento no pienso leer nada más de Anne Holt (qué demonios pasaba por su cabeza)

[Birgit · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Scandinavian fiction. This book was excellent. It was easy to read and gave little away. The characters were all well developed and true to what you would expect. The best thing was that it wasn't until the very end that everything was resolved. Well worth a read.

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

The answer to this "mystery" was obvious from about page 10, and Anne Holt is clearly sick of Johanna Vik - there was something makeshift about the whole thing - but what a strange way to end the series.

[Ulrika Jonsson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ingen feelgood-bok direkt. Inte Holts bästa, men ändå läsvärd.

[Gretel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. I don't think I've ever been so shocked at a book's concluding sentence. A shocking end to an enjoyable and clever series.It's a shame the series isn't longer, because I still have questions.

[dedd · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story had promise and the issue covered in the plot is an important one. The ending is just terrible!