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Loner
Which is worse, trying to catch a cunning killer leaving decapitated women in the woods, or trying to tame an unconventional forensic psychiatrist that seems determined to go his own way? The Oslo autumn is creeping in with its cold spells and Homicide Detective Julia Ryland is feeling pretty content with her team of three, but when the FBI behavioral analyst, Alexander Smith, is thrust upon her, the crisp autumn air doesn't feel as refreshing anymore. A young Icelander is found dead, an arrow piercing his heart and the extensive list of his former lovers suggests that many long nights are ahead. The murdered lothario suddenly becomes the least of their problems as headless corpses start appearing in the woods, positioned in terrifying ways and on their bodies they find messages that don't seem to have any meaning at all. It’s all the best of Nordic Noir with a fresh contemporary slant, and I loved it. - Derek Farrell, Author of The Danny Bird Mysteries An atmospheric thriller with a heavy dose of humour that will have you laughing and full of suspense at the same time. The surprising plot developments made it impossible to put down! - Tara Sariban, Bloody Murder Podcast
258 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 29, 2018
19 people are currently reading
34 people want to read
About the author
Hildur Sif Thorarensen
4 books33 followersAn Author, Software Engineer and Medical Student currently living in Oslo, Norway.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
October 3, 2018
Book Reviewed by Cara on www.whisperingstories.com
Loner follows a criminal psychiatrist and his no nonsense partner from Homicide as they try to find the killer(s) of a recent murder. As the story develops more bodies begin to pile up. Our heroes are on borrowed time to solve the case before they strike again.
First of all, author Hildur Sif Thorarensen was very good at setting the scene; you could easily picture the surroundings whilst reading which helped bring you into the story, unfortunately I found the overall story to be quite slow. When you reflect back you realise that not much has actually happened.
When I finished the book I found myself wondering what the relevance was to some of the conversations included. The ending did not leave me satisfied, if anything it left me with many unanswered questions. I found the main character to be annoying and not very believable – for someone who apparently studied at Harvard, he came across a bit too childish within his profession.
Do not let my personal opinion put you off reading this book, someone with a different sense of humour to me may find delight in the main character and his antics just as the author intended.
The book is a quick read however I did not find myself gripped by the story or the characters therefore giving this story 2 stars.
Loner follows a criminal psychiatrist and his no nonsense partner from Homicide as they try to find the killer(s) of a recent murder. As the story develops more bodies begin to pile up. Our heroes are on borrowed time to solve the case before they strike again.
First of all, author Hildur Sif Thorarensen was very good at setting the scene; you could easily picture the surroundings whilst reading which helped bring you into the story, unfortunately I found the overall story to be quite slow. When you reflect back you realise that not much has actually happened.
When I finished the book I found myself wondering what the relevance was to some of the conversations included. The ending did not leave me satisfied, if anything it left me with many unanswered questions. I found the main character to be annoying and not very believable – for someone who apparently studied at Harvard, he came across a bit too childish within his profession.
Do not let my personal opinion put you off reading this book, someone with a different sense of humour to me may find delight in the main character and his antics just as the author intended.
The book is a quick read however I did not find myself gripped by the story or the characters therefore giving this story 2 stars.
July 28, 2018
The story kick starts with the murder of young boy being shot dead by an arrow right into his heart. This case goes into the hands of detective Julia and her team including Hercules and Eric. They were also joined by Alexander, a psychiatrist who was being offered a position in Oslo department of Criminal Investigation after his service in the states.
Where, there were no signs of the first killer, the plot twisted with the consecutive murders of three young women in a horrible fashion. So, the point was whether there was only one killer or there were two.
Loner, the title of the book very much gives the initial glimpse of a lunatic killer who must be a recluse or might be possessed with the serious obsession of killing. Well! yes, the book really offers a psychopath completely favouring the title.
Where murders were happening one after another, I was so much glued into the book and I was on the edge to know how the mystery would unfold.
Even though the character of Alexander is very much portrayed alike Sherlock Holmes, it’s amusing to read about him and his actions will surely leave you grinning.
I personally love the character of Eric for his eccentric and entertaining behaviour. And the portrayal of other characters, Julia and Hercules were very much befitting.
The suspense with good portion of humour in the book made it a very enjoyable read.
Well! The book is first in the series of Oslo Mysteries and the second part will soon follow.
Why to read this book
Loner is a crime fiction set in Oslo, Norway and promises a thrilling narrative of serial murders. If you love crime thrillers based on serial killings, then this one is sure for you.
Where, there were no signs of the first killer, the plot twisted with the consecutive murders of three young women in a horrible fashion. So, the point was whether there was only one killer or there were two.
Loner, the title of the book very much gives the initial glimpse of a lunatic killer who must be a recluse or might be possessed with the serious obsession of killing. Well! yes, the book really offers a psychopath completely favouring the title.
Where murders were happening one after another, I was so much glued into the book and I was on the edge to know how the mystery would unfold.
Even though the character of Alexander is very much portrayed alike Sherlock Holmes, it’s amusing to read about him and his actions will surely leave you grinning.
I personally love the character of Eric for his eccentric and entertaining behaviour. And the portrayal of other characters, Julia and Hercules were very much befitting.
The suspense with good portion of humour in the book made it a very enjoyable read.
Well! The book is first in the series of Oslo Mysteries and the second part will soon follow.
Why to read this book
Loner is a crime fiction set in Oslo, Norway and promises a thrilling narrative of serial murders. If you love crime thrillers based on serial killings, then this one is sure for you.
September 16, 2018
I want to say well done on your first book it was very well written.
I found that the characters fit together very well.
it kept me on the edge of seat as Detective Julia Ryland and Police Psychoanalyst Alexander Smith are investigating the murders.
I started reading the book and couldn't put it down. It has lots of twists and turns.
Well done again looking forward to reading your next book.
I found that the characters fit together very well.
it kept me on the edge of seat as Detective Julia Ryland and Police Psychoanalyst Alexander Smith are investigating the murders.
I started reading the book and couldn't put it down. It has lots of twists and turns.
Well done again looking forward to reading your next book.
June 30, 2018
First off, I forgot I was reading a book. I literally fell into the story. The characters bring you into each scene with them. I felt as though I was in the story and I love it when that happens! The psychiatrist is hilarious, brilliant and even makes a butler joke. Julia is a bit of a stern lady, but will let a smile show through. The pace and plot have enough twists and turns to make you not want to put the book down. A most excellent read. I now have to wait for more and am anxious to see how the story develops.
June 8, 2018
This book is the first in what promises to be a satisfyingly complex and suspenseful police procedural. I developed a fondness for the characters and am looking forward to learning more about them and seeing their relationships develop as the series continues. It also made me want to visit Oslo. The murders in the story are grotesque and cruel. What could they possibly mean? What are the killer's motivations? By the end of the book, there are still questions about what happened in the past as well as what will happen next, and I'm really looking forward to the next book!
June 9, 2018
Lots of suspense and intrigue with a fine leavening of humour, it kept me enthralled all the way through. I am very much looking forward to the next book in the series. 5 stars…
September 11, 2018
Loner is an intriguing debut novel from author Hildur Sif Thorarensen. An Icelandic author living in and writing about Norway means that you get almost an outsiders view of the country, something which sits well with the character of Alexander, a Norwegian who had been living and working in America and picked up some less than colloquial traits along the way. It has a somewhat dark heart, the more macabre element of the central plot surrounding the abduction and murder of young women, all of whom are mutilated after death and left in a rather disturbing, and somewhat extreme fashion for the police to find. This contrasts against the murder which opens the book - a young man whose life is extinguished in an altogether unexpected way - death by arrow.
The characters within this story are very diverse with some interesting pairings created by the author. First up you have the rather straight laced Detective Julia Ryland and enthusiastic and somewhat unconventional behavioural analyst Alexander Smith. Smith is the kind of character who says whatever is in his head, no matter how inappropriate it may be, the polar opposite of Julia who is far more reticent in communication. We learn a lot about Smith's background in this book, less so Julia whose emotional restraint isn't really explored. They are chalk and cheese, but do work as a pairing as is often the case. Alongside them are two other Detectives, Eric and Hercules, who are more the comic relief in an otherwise dark text. One is gay the other obsessed with one of the lab rats. Both a highly humorous to read.
With the two very different story threads it is sometimes hard to work out whether this is the work of one murderer or two. Certainly it is treated as two investigations but it can be hard to see how the two fit together. One investigation leads the detectives to Vampires and Wiccans and the whole idea of black magic, the other to a psychopath who is playing a game with the Detectives that only they know the rules to. We are spared any gratuitous details of the actual murders, but the after effects are clear enough for readers to understand what has gone on and there is enough told through the story to give a full picture of what happens to the poor victims.
The story is told in third person multiple present tense which is not a common writing style, or at least not in the books that I typically read. I will admit that this did throw me initially when reading it and it took me time to settle into the novel, particularly when points of view changed. I would say that there are also some turns of phrase that don't quite sit well in translation from the writer's native tongue to English which made some of the dialogue seem clumsy from time to time. That said, the story did flow well and kept me entertained and there were moments of tension littered throughout as we stood side by side with the killer and their victims, watching their every move and wondering if, just maybe, this poor woman could be the one to escape their clutches.
If you are expecting a nice neat ending, or this is what you like from your novels, then you may be disappointed. Both investigations are brought to a conclusion, cases closed. One is a little ... surprising. The second - well this is where things are less a closed book, the conclusion perhaps not being what you might expect and I'm not wholly convinced that motives were ever fully explained. The final chapter did make the book seem to end rather abruptly, something which I imagine may be explored in the follow up book. Needless to say it will be interesting to see where the author takes the characters next. Thorarensen is clearly not afraid to tackle the darker subjects, or to inject humour into the writing, so anything could happen.
The characters within this story are very diverse with some interesting pairings created by the author. First up you have the rather straight laced Detective Julia Ryland and enthusiastic and somewhat unconventional behavioural analyst Alexander Smith. Smith is the kind of character who says whatever is in his head, no matter how inappropriate it may be, the polar opposite of Julia who is far more reticent in communication. We learn a lot about Smith's background in this book, less so Julia whose emotional restraint isn't really explored. They are chalk and cheese, but do work as a pairing as is often the case. Alongside them are two other Detectives, Eric and Hercules, who are more the comic relief in an otherwise dark text. One is gay the other obsessed with one of the lab rats. Both a highly humorous to read.
With the two very different story threads it is sometimes hard to work out whether this is the work of one murderer or two. Certainly it is treated as two investigations but it can be hard to see how the two fit together. One investigation leads the detectives to Vampires and Wiccans and the whole idea of black magic, the other to a psychopath who is playing a game with the Detectives that only they know the rules to. We are spared any gratuitous details of the actual murders, but the after effects are clear enough for readers to understand what has gone on and there is enough told through the story to give a full picture of what happens to the poor victims.
The story is told in third person multiple present tense which is not a common writing style, or at least not in the books that I typically read. I will admit that this did throw me initially when reading it and it took me time to settle into the novel, particularly when points of view changed. I would say that there are also some turns of phrase that don't quite sit well in translation from the writer's native tongue to English which made some of the dialogue seem clumsy from time to time. That said, the story did flow well and kept me entertained and there were moments of tension littered throughout as we stood side by side with the killer and their victims, watching their every move and wondering if, just maybe, this poor woman could be the one to escape their clutches.
If you are expecting a nice neat ending, or this is what you like from your novels, then you may be disappointed. Both investigations are brought to a conclusion, cases closed. One is a little ... surprising. The second - well this is where things are less a closed book, the conclusion perhaps not being what you might expect and I'm not wholly convinced that motives were ever fully explained. The final chapter did make the book seem to end rather abruptly, something which I imagine may be explored in the follow up book. Needless to say it will be interesting to see where the author takes the characters next. Thorarensen is clearly not afraid to tackle the darker subjects, or to inject humour into the writing, so anything could happen.
August 14, 2018
Despite its title, Loner, Hildur Sif Thorarensen’s first novel in a planned Oslo Mysteries series, is full of unlikely pairings and teamwork devoted to solving a series of complex murder cases.
The plot starts as a jumble of seemingly unconnected scenes: a man collapses in an Oslo neighborhood, Alexander, a criminal psychiatrist, moves back to Oslo from the States to be near his ailing mother, a mentally ill woman visits the Tromsø police about her missing daughter, a girl wakes up in a cabin in the woods outside Norway’s capital and two missionaries proselytize at an apartment. As suspenseful and tantalizing as detective work, the pieces come together bit by bit, through unexpected twists and turns.
A serial killer is at large in the relatively peaceful country, but humor keeps the spirit of the book buoyant. Alexander is a quirky, clumsy main character into video games and travel. In contrast to his elegant and reserved partner, Julia, he blurts and sputters and makes people laugh. Their colleagues Eric and Hercules are also opposites: one brawny and brash, the other gay and proper. They manage to get along as well as Abbott and Costello. The police force finds itself investigating martial arts masters, Jehovah Witnesses, Wiccans, and archers in their chase for the the psychopathic killer, leading to entertainingly awkward encounters between different strata of society.
Translated from Norwegian, the language is at times stilted or unexpected. Phrases like “he… saunters toward the kitchen in an awkward sort of dancing step,” and “he leans up against a stack of outer garments” might be worded differently by a native speaker, adding to the overall effect of the book – to enter a completely foreign realm, be it a criminal mind, a counter culture or the masterful puzzle of a murder mystery.
Alongside the chilling tactics of the elusive murderer, Thorarensen’s crime thriller is a funny cliffhanger that belongs in the ranks of other well known Nordic Noir books of late.
The plot starts as a jumble of seemingly unconnected scenes: a man collapses in an Oslo neighborhood, Alexander, a criminal psychiatrist, moves back to Oslo from the States to be near his ailing mother, a mentally ill woman visits the Tromsø police about her missing daughter, a girl wakes up in a cabin in the woods outside Norway’s capital and two missionaries proselytize at an apartment. As suspenseful and tantalizing as detective work, the pieces come together bit by bit, through unexpected twists and turns.
A serial killer is at large in the relatively peaceful country, but humor keeps the spirit of the book buoyant. Alexander is a quirky, clumsy main character into video games and travel. In contrast to his elegant and reserved partner, Julia, he blurts and sputters and makes people laugh. Their colleagues Eric and Hercules are also opposites: one brawny and brash, the other gay and proper. They manage to get along as well as Abbott and Costello. The police force finds itself investigating martial arts masters, Jehovah Witnesses, Wiccans, and archers in their chase for the the psychopathic killer, leading to entertainingly awkward encounters between different strata of society.
Translated from Norwegian, the language is at times stilted or unexpected. Phrases like “he… saunters toward the kitchen in an awkward sort of dancing step,” and “he leans up against a stack of outer garments” might be worded differently by a native speaker, adding to the overall effect of the book – to enter a completely foreign realm, be it a criminal mind, a counter culture or the masterful puzzle of a murder mystery.
Alongside the chilling tactics of the elusive murderer, Thorarensen’s crime thriller is a funny cliffhanger that belongs in the ranks of other well known Nordic Noir books of late.
July 25, 2018
Loner is a Nordic noir mystery set in Oslo, Norway which tells the story of several murders which Detective Julia Ryland and Police Psychoanalyst Alexander Smith are investigating. It begins with the murder of an Icelandic playboy, shot in the heart with an arrow and quickly follows with the gruesome decapitation murders of three young women. Julia and Alexander, along with their detective team, Eric and Hercules, follow the clues to determine whether all of these murders are related or the work of two different murderers stalking victims in their city. The chase takes them through the modern world of online dating and the archaic world of magic and mysticism.
I very much enjoyed Hildur Sif Thorarensen's debut novel. She tackles the very dark and brooding genre of Nordic Noir with originality and humor. Her characters are quirky, but accomplished. Alexander Smith is a highly successful psychoanalyst, who has a childlike, innocent quality and is a bit accident-prone. Julia Ryland is the sober, no-nonsense police detective who is forced to work with Alexander and is not amused with his bumbling antics. Eric is a detective on the rise, with a psychic grandmother who thinks she has solved the case with her seances. Eric's partner, Hercules is a stereo-typical gay man, who is also a competent and respected policeman. Hildur presents an interesting character development, with just enough backstory to introduce her cast. She leaves enough mystery about them to entice the reader to continue to pursue further editions of the series.
These characters are thrust into a hunt for a psychopath not often seen in their Nordic country. The twists and turns of the investigation present a page-turning thriller that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat in the hopes that the police will prevail in their attempt to capture the killer or killers.
I very much enjoyed Hildur Sif Thorarensen's debut novel. She tackles the very dark and brooding genre of Nordic Noir with originality and humor. Her characters are quirky, but accomplished. Alexander Smith is a highly successful psychoanalyst, who has a childlike, innocent quality and is a bit accident-prone. Julia Ryland is the sober, no-nonsense police detective who is forced to work with Alexander and is not amused with his bumbling antics. Eric is a detective on the rise, with a psychic grandmother who thinks she has solved the case with her seances. Eric's partner, Hercules is a stereo-typical gay man, who is also a competent and respected policeman. Hildur presents an interesting character development, with just enough backstory to introduce her cast. She leaves enough mystery about them to entice the reader to continue to pursue further editions of the series.
These characters are thrust into a hunt for a psychopath not often seen in their Nordic country. The twists and turns of the investigation present a page-turning thriller that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat in the hopes that the police will prevail in their attempt to capture the killer or killers.
July 21, 2018
A great suspense
I always enjoy a great thriller, and especially ones that are dedicated to the hunt for serial killers. I really enjoyed this story, as it had great characters, and there was a balance of contrast of the characters. They weren't all one note, or a stereotype of what they had to be, they were individual, and written as such. I like how they played off each other, and even when there was some disgruntlement, they had chemistry. The story was well-written, and it led the reader in on the investigation. I liked the story, and it had some twists and unpredictability. All in all, a good read. I look forward to more stories from this new author.
I always enjoy a great thriller, and especially ones that are dedicated to the hunt for serial killers. I really enjoyed this story, as it had great characters, and there was a balance of contrast of the characters. They weren't all one note, or a stereotype of what they had to be, they were individual, and written as such. I like how they played off each other, and even when there was some disgruntlement, they had chemistry. The story was well-written, and it led the reader in on the investigation. I liked the story, and it had some twists and unpredictability. All in all, a good read. I look forward to more stories from this new author.
July 25, 2018
I have now read both the Icelandic and the English version of the book.
Firstly, I find that the author catches your attention from the first scene. She has a good sense of narrative and is able to paint a clear and enticing picture. I feel like the detail descriptions captivate the readers attention and locks them into the story.
There are many original elements in the story, e.g. the mormons and the girl who believes she is a vampire. I feel like they make the story more interesting and give it some colour.
I would recommend it for anyone interested in crime novels, particularly scandi noir, especially if you are interested in discovering a new, up and coming author.
Firstly, I find that the author catches your attention from the first scene. She has a good sense of narrative and is able to paint a clear and enticing picture. I feel like the detail descriptions captivate the readers attention and locks them into the story.
There are many original elements in the story, e.g. the mormons and the girl who believes she is a vampire. I feel like they make the story more interesting and give it some colour.
I would recommend it for anyone interested in crime novels, particularly scandi noir, especially if you are interested in discovering a new, up and coming author.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 28, 2018
Such loveable characters intertwined in a plot within a plot...Just who is the culprit? Who owns the poisoned mind that can plan murder in such a gruesome manner?
This story has in depth characterization,humour and a very dark side. Very hard to put down. *****
This story has in depth characterization,humour and a very dark side. Very hard to put down. *****
August 21, 2018
Well all I can say after picking up this novel and not being able to put it down, is that I am A BIG FAN of Nordic Noir and of course the author herself!
I felt the writing was fresh and I loved how humour was peppered throughout to balance out the bleak nature of the land as well as the crimes being committed.
Usually within a police procedural novel, I find a lack of connection with the characters themselves, but that was not the case with this book. There were some moments especially between two of the characters: Eric and Hercules which literally made me chuckle.
I felt myself completely enveloped within the story and therefore time just flew by as I read the book from beginning to end (even forgetting I had let the dog outside until a bark brought me back from the suspense binding me to the pages)!
I look forward to the next book in the Oslo Mysteries!
*I received a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review*
I felt the writing was fresh and I loved how humour was peppered throughout to balance out the bleak nature of the land as well as the crimes being committed.
Usually within a police procedural novel, I find a lack of connection with the characters themselves, but that was not the case with this book. There were some moments especially between two of the characters: Eric and Hercules which literally made me chuckle.
I felt myself completely enveloped within the story and therefore time just flew by as I read the book from beginning to end (even forgetting I had let the dog outside until a bark brought me back from the suspense binding me to the pages)!
I look forward to the next book in the Oslo Mysteries!
*I received a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review*
September 24, 2018
I jumped at the chance to read and review Loner by Hildur Sif Thorarensen. I do enjoy a slice of Nordic Noir and Loner promised that with humour as well.
Loner is the first in Thorarensen’s Oslo Mysteries and it follows Detective Julia Ryland of the Oslo police department and her colleague, criminal psychiatrist, Alexander Smith. This first book starts with the body of a young Icelandic man being found and escalates when the bodies of young women start to be discovered.
The prologue is really nicely written with oodles of atmosphere and it totally draws you in. It perfectly sets up the first murder and the setting and had me keen to read more. The prologue demonstrates that Thorarensen has real potential as a writer.
From the prologue Loner became like no other crime novel I have read before. It is full of quirky characters who deviate from your usual crime book. They behave in ways that you don’t normally see in police procedurals and I can imagine that some readers may find this aggravating. With the exception of Julia Ryland, none of the characters seem to behave in a ‘typical’ way giving the sense that they don’t take the whole thing seriously and they do come across as infantile. The author has intentionally added the humour to Loner, and while I have enjoyed humorous crime novels in the past, the humour in this one wasn’t my cup of tea. My sense of humour tends to be more on the dark side and so this doesn’t mean that others will not enjoy it. I did, however, wonder at times if something had been lost in the translation. For me, the characterisation let it down a little as I struggled to take them seriously.
I really enjoyed the crimes – that sounds so wrong, but you know what I mean – and where it took the characters and the twists are well-plotted and surprising. I certainly didn’t predict where it was going. Loner is the first in a series and while part of the story was concluded there are other parts that are not, so don’t go into this book expecting it to be all tied up at the end.
The antagonist makes for an interesting character and the themes around him are ones I really liked. Thorarensen uses religion and psychology to give the added chill factor to Loner.
If you are after a change from your usual crime fiction novel and you like quirky give Loner a try. I have to say it didn’t blow me away and as stated I wonder if something was a little lost in the translation. It will be interesting to see how Thorarensen develops her writing and the characters in the next book in the series.
Loner is the first in Thorarensen’s Oslo Mysteries and it follows Detective Julia Ryland of the Oslo police department and her colleague, criminal psychiatrist, Alexander Smith. This first book starts with the body of a young Icelandic man being found and escalates when the bodies of young women start to be discovered.
The prologue is really nicely written with oodles of atmosphere and it totally draws you in. It perfectly sets up the first murder and the setting and had me keen to read more. The prologue demonstrates that Thorarensen has real potential as a writer.
From the prologue Loner became like no other crime novel I have read before. It is full of quirky characters who deviate from your usual crime book. They behave in ways that you don’t normally see in police procedurals and I can imagine that some readers may find this aggravating. With the exception of Julia Ryland, none of the characters seem to behave in a ‘typical’ way giving the sense that they don’t take the whole thing seriously and they do come across as infantile. The author has intentionally added the humour to Loner, and while I have enjoyed humorous crime novels in the past, the humour in this one wasn’t my cup of tea. My sense of humour tends to be more on the dark side and so this doesn’t mean that others will not enjoy it. I did, however, wonder at times if something had been lost in the translation. For me, the characterisation let it down a little as I struggled to take them seriously.
I really enjoyed the crimes – that sounds so wrong, but you know what I mean – and where it took the characters and the twists are well-plotted and surprising. I certainly didn’t predict where it was going. Loner is the first in a series and while part of the story was concluded there are other parts that are not, so don’t go into this book expecting it to be all tied up at the end.
The antagonist makes for an interesting character and the themes around him are ones I really liked. Thorarensen uses religion and psychology to give the added chill factor to Loner.
If you are after a change from your usual crime fiction novel and you like quirky give Loner a try. I have to say it didn’t blow me away and as stated I wonder if something was a little lost in the translation. It will be interesting to see how Thorarensen develops her writing and the characters in the next book in the series.
July 7, 2018
This book annoyed me for 2 reasons, but even as I write this I can think of another.
Firstly the characters, especially the main male character seem unrealistic and just annoying. You wonder how this man-child got his degree or got in the FBI.
Secondly, for a book set in Oslo it could be anywhere. A lot of the characters have Anglicised names, not necessarily the author’s fault, maybe it’s the translation. So we get Julia, Eric, Jonathan, etc. There’s no sense of place. Apart from the 4 main investigators there’s no sense that they work within a wider team. Compare and contrast with authors such asLouise Penny, Fred Vargas or Giles Blunt giving you whole worlds.
Thirdly, just when the author has got you interested in the plot the book stops. It feels like only half a book and ends so abruptly I actually thought my kindle was faulty. Overall, I don’t think I care enough to read any future books by this author or find out how this book finishes.
Firstly the characters, especially the main male character seem unrealistic and just annoying. You wonder how this man-child got his degree or got in the FBI.
Secondly, for a book set in Oslo it could be anywhere. A lot of the characters have Anglicised names, not necessarily the author’s fault, maybe it’s the translation. So we get Julia, Eric, Jonathan, etc. There’s no sense of place. Apart from the 4 main investigators there’s no sense that they work within a wider team. Compare and contrast with authors such asLouise Penny, Fred Vargas or Giles Blunt giving you whole worlds.
Thirdly, just when the author has got you interested in the plot the book stops. It feels like only half a book and ends so abruptly I actually thought my kindle was faulty. Overall, I don’t think I care enough to read any future books by this author or find out how this book finishes.
July 19, 2018
I was pulled into this by an ad on Facebook. I love Nordic detective stories and the ad looked interesting. “Loner” is a first novel by a young woman in Oslo.
Not horrible...it attempts dark comedy, police procedural, foreshadowing in a mixed bag of styles. The story of, of course, a serial killer rolls out slowly at first and picking up steam to the startling conclusion..I won’t give it away.
Decent first effort.
Two and a half jimmys out of five.
Not horrible...it attempts dark comedy, police procedural, foreshadowing in a mixed bag of styles. The story of, of course, a serial killer rolls out slowly at first and picking up steam to the startling conclusion..I won’t give it away.
Decent first effort.
Two and a half jimmys out of five.
August 22, 2018
I did not love the translation of this book.
October 27, 2018
Awful
An idea not so bad but the text is awful - superficial, strange and just didn’t feel right. Can’t recommend.
An idea not so bad but the text is awful - superficial, strange and just didn’t feel right. Can’t recommend.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews