De Katharinacode

William Wisting #12

by Jørn Lier Horst, Kim Snoeijing (Translator)

Het is weer de tijd van het jaar: voor de vierentwintigste keer pakt William Wisting het dossier van de verdwijning van Katharina Haugen. De zaak werd nooit opgelost en elke jaar belt Wisting met Katharina’s echtgenoot, Martin Haugen. Het terugkerende contact tussen de politieinspecteur en de weduwnaar is in de loop der jaren uitgegroeid tot een vriendschap. Maar dit jaar is het donker in Haugens huis als Wisting er aankomt. Haugen is spoorloos verdwenen.

Op dezelfde dag krijgt Wisting bezoek van Adrian Stiller, een jonge rechercheur van de afdeling Georganiseerde misdaad. Hij heeft een verband ontdekt tussen de verdwijning van Katharina en de zaak waar hij aan werkt. De samenwerking met de gecompliceerde Stiller blijkt een ware uitdaging voor de rustige, ervaren Wisting.

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

428 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 17, 2017

About the author

Jorn Lier Horst (born in Bamble, Telemark 1970) is a former Senior Investigating Officer at the Norwegian police force. He made his literary debut as a crime writer in 2004 and is considered one of the foremost Nordic crime writers.

His series of mystery novels starring chief inspector William Wisting provides a detailed and authentic insight into how criminal cases are investigated and how it affects those involved, whether private or professional. The books represent a simple and accurate picture of the modern Nordic societies and is characterized by political and social commentary subtext.

Reviews

[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every year on the 9th October Chief Inspector William Wisting carefully scrutinises the cold case files on Katharina Haugen. This is an unsolved missing person case that has come to haunt him. So here he is again 24 years later picking through the evidence, the witness statements, and the code that was discovered in Katharina’s home in her handwriting. Even expert code breakers have been unable to solve it.

Over the years, Wisting and Katharina’s husband Martin have become friends, but there’s still a reticence on Wisting’s part, something he can’t quite put his finger on, after all, Martin was cleared of any involvement in Katharina’s disappearance, being 8 hours away at work with colleagues confirming his attendance

Young, ambitious detective Adrian Stiller is brought in to investigate another cold case, the disappearance of a wealthy businessman’s daughter, just before Katharina went missing. Stiller believes Martin Haugen had something to do with it, and he hopes to link both cases to him.

There’s a problem though, because Martin Haugen has now gone missing too!

The author of The Katharina Code is a former Senior Investigating Officer with the Norwegian police force, so it goes without saying that this is a great police procedural.

The characters came fully fleshed, and I loved Wisting, loved the fact that even after 24 years he still hadn’t given up on this case, to give some closure to Katharina’s husband. The plot was well thought out with a great mystery at it’s heart, and quite honestly I was completely gripped! If (like me) you haven’t read Jørn Lier Horst, well what are you waiting for, such a great read!

* I was invited to read The Katharina Code by the publisher and have given an honest unbiased review in exchange *

[Paromjit · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Katharina Code by Jorn Lier Horst is a Norwegian cold case police procedural, a case where 24 years ago, Katharina Haugen disappeared into thin air in Kleiverveien. Detective William Wisting has never been able to let go of the case, and every year on the 11th October anniversary, he reaches for the case files to pore over them to see if anything can be done. He has developed a friendship over the years with Katharina's husband, Martin, who he visits on the day as well. Martin has never got over the loss of his wife. There are some odd anomalies that Wisting obsesses over, the chief being the paper on which Katharina wrote a series of numbers and letters, known as Katharina's code. This code has passed through numerous expert hands and no-one has been able to make head or tail of it. A suitcase packed with oddly precise clothing had been packed suggesting Katharina was planning to leave, but for where?

This year when Wisting visits Martin, he is not at home and appears to have gone missing. Oslo detective, ambitious, manipulative and insomniac Adrian Stiller is part of the cold case group in Kripos. Stiller wants Wisting's co-operation on an even older colder case, where 17 year old Nadia Krogh went missing, assumed to be abducted in 1987. New evidence has emerged that might possibly connect the Katharina and Nadia cases. He has identified Wisting as the man who can be the most helpful to him and Wisting agrees, driven by the potential to get to the truth of what happened in two mystifying cases. There is plenty of insight into Wisting's family life, his journalist daughter, Line with her baby daughter, Amalie, and his soldier son, Thomas, who is on leave and visiting. Stiller has got the media on side, having developed an indepth media strategy to help crack the case, and he has chosen Line to cover the investigation. Line is not privy to the new evidence that has re-opened the Nadia Krogh case but gets passionately involved with interviewing key individuals and putting out podcasts as well.

Unlike the repertoire of troubled detectives with messy personal lives that inhabit much of crime fiction, Wisting is a remarkably stable guy with a average and normal family life. Being a police officer is his life and he endeavours to find a central purpose in securing justice, and to this end, he is extremely focused and dogged in his determination, even as decades go by with no resolution. For me, I was particularly interested in his close and personal relationship with Martin Haugen that has grown through the years and which provides the main focus of this crime novel. I found this absorbing reading, it is less concerned with heavy dramatics and fast pacing, more about relationships and characters. Many thanks to Penguin Michael Joseph for an ARC.

[Louise Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twentyfour years ago, Katharina Haugen, went missing. She left behind her husband, Martin, and a mysterious string of numbers scribbled on a piece of paper. Every year on the 9th October, Cheif Inspector William Wistingtakes out the files to the case he was never able to solve. He stares at the codes he was never able to crack. He visits the husband he was never able to help.

This novel is set between the streets and the dark forests of Norway. It's been twenty four years since Katharina Haugen was reported missing. Cheif Inspector William Wistingtakes and his officers pulled out every stop to try and find her, but to no avail. Now her husnand is also missing. Adrian Stiller is convinced MARTIN is involved with the disappearance of another woman. Will Wisting ever solve the codes and find out just what happened to Katharina? You will have to read the book to find out!

This is a well written, fast paced read. This book had me gripped from the first few chapters. I had not heard of the author before I read the book so this is the first book I have read by him, but it won't be the last. Jorn Leir Hurst was a Senior Investigating Officer before he turned to writing. I do recommend this book.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Penguin UK - Michael Joseph and the author Jorn Lier Horst for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

William Wisting has been a cop for a long time. He loves his job but every year on a certain date, he thinks about the one that got away. It’s been 24 years now since Katharina Haugen disappeared & Wisting still has no idea what happened. HIs penance is an annual visit with her husband to shoot the breeze & talk about the case. But this year doesn’t go as planned. Martin Haugen is missing.

Which is ironic because he’s suddenly a popular guy. Wisting gets a call from Adrian Stiller who is with the newly formed cold case division of Kripos. He’s reopened an investigation into the 1987 kidnapping of a wealthy young woman. And he has reason to believe Martin was involved.

Suddenly, this is about much more than the mystery surrounding Kathatrina. As with previous books in the series, the author begins with a deceptively simple story then adds layers & twists until his poor MC is run ragged. Instead of relying on car chases & shootouts you get a bona fide thinking man’s mystery.

Wisting is a great character. He’s a smart, decent man who genuinely wants justice for the victims who cross his path. He’s also remarkable in this genre for what he DOESN’T have…..no dark past, no drinking problem, no crazy ex-partner, no issues with superiors. And *gasp* colleagues like him. What a concept. Instead of being distracted by an MC’s personal foibles/drama, you get an intelligent police procedural that is all about the case.

Wisting is a widower with 2 grown children, both of whom feature in this outing. Daughter Line in particular becomes involved when she’s called upon to use for her skills as a journalist. But don’t mistake this for a sleepy cozy. There are numerous sources of tension that slowly amp up the pace as the story progresses. I worried that Line was perhaps a little too perceptive for her own good. And what is with that Stiller guy….is he purely the officious little git he seems or does he have a hidden agenda? Methinks we haven’t seen the last of him.

If you haven’t read previous books, no worries. This book stands well on its own. If you’re feeling like a little Nordic noir (or “pining for the fjords” for all you Monty Python fans), give this a try. There’s a reason this author has made it to book #12 & I look forward to meeting Wisting again.

[Magdalena aka A Bookaholic Swede · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read several books in the William Wisting series and I love it! If this is the first time you have ever heard of this series, then I encourage you to go out and find any books you can read. This series by Jørn Lier Horst is excellent and you can without any problem read any of the books as stand-alone.

THE KATHARINA CODE starts with William Wisting going through the Katharina investigation. He does it every year on the same day. The day Katarina disappeared. However, this year will prove to be a bit different. Katharina's husband Martin Haugan goes missing. Could there be a connection between Martin's disappearance and Katharina's?

I loved the beginning of the book. As a big cold case fan was this book thrilling to read. Especially when you start to get a feeling that all the pieces are starting to come together. Another thing that I love about this series that you also get William Wisting's Lina's POV. She's a journalist, and she too gets involved in working this case, although from a journalist POV and without knowing that her father is also working the case.

THE KATHARINA CODE is a fabulous book and I recommend it and the whole series warmly!

I want to thank Michael Joseph Books for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!

[Wilja Wiedenhöft · Rating 3 out of 5]

Norwegen Norwegen Norwegen. Es hätte so schön sein können aber atmosphärisch hatte der Krimi leider nichts zu bieten. Es zog sich doch eher eine ganze Weile, da der Star der Ermittlungen die Tochter von Wisting zu werden schien. Eigentlich ging es auch ausschließlich um die Ermittlungsarbeiten die mich nicht besonders fesseln konnten. Für Wisting stand ganz klar eine Person von Anfang an unter Verdacht und ich hatte die ganze Zeit das Bauchgefühl „so einfach kann es doch jetzt nicht sein“ Es war aber so einfach. Kein Twist, keine große Offenbarung, kein Detail, was übersehen wurde.....

[Alice-Elizabeth (Prolific Reader Alice) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Received a digital copy for review via NetGalley!

A missing persons case of a girl called Katharina has been unsolved for a total of twenty-four years. On the anniversary date of her disappearance, the chief inspector William Wisting revisits the files to see if he can find the missing pieces to the jigsaw. One strange clue does stand out: a code that no-one up until this point have been able to solve. When another woman goes missing, the hunt is on to crack the code and find the two missing people, the truth is out there! It was an interesting crime thriller that at some points did flow a little slowly for my liking. I struggled with character connection but did like the aspect with the code. There was also a storyline part of podcast recordings that were interesting to read. Overall, it was OK but felt there was a little something missing.

[Alex Cantone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chief Inspector William Wisting of the Telemark police has had a distinguished career. Yet he is haunted by a 24-year old mystery, the disappearance of Katharina Haugen, who left her home, flowers on a table, a coded message, a suitcase packed, and then vanished. The husband was questioned, and every year on the anniversary of her disappearance the two men meet up. Only this year Martin Haugen fails to meet their long-standing arrangement.

Enter Adrian Stiller, an ambitious young detective attached to the Cold Crimes Group in Oslo. Advances in DNA and fingerprinting point towards an earlier disappearance - that of Nadia Krogh, an apparent kidnapping victim, the ransom paid but never collected. It is sufficient grounds to reopen Norway’s most perplexing unsolved crime, and Stiller – known for his unorthodox methods – involves both Wisting and his journalist daughter, Line, in an elaborate scheme to get Haugen to confess.

He had been allocated a role he had no wish to assume. It was different from an interview room. There, you put all the facts on the table, but what Adrian Stiller was suggesting was some kind of undercover assignment that entailed misleading and deceiving someone he knew well. Someone who had almost become his friend.

Wisting’s daughter (on maternity leave), produces a pod cast of the disappearance, taping interviews with Nadia Krogh’s friends, the boyfriend at the time and everyone who played a role in her search, timed to air as the detective and suspect take off for a remote cabin for a weekend of fishing.

Haugen's cabin was primitive, with no running water or electricity. Water had to be fetched from a stream, and food had to be heated on a cast iron woodstove. Everything was demanding, but relaxing at the same time. You forgot all about time and gained some distance from what otherwise occupied your thoughts. However, this trip would be totally different…

This is a stylish, yet understated mystery. Author Jørn Lier Horst was a senior detective before he turned to writing, and the details show a master of his subject. Wisting is a kindly, honest man, a widower, close to his two grown children and dotes on his young grand-daughter. There is a growing tension but little violence as Wisting uncovers the truth, from visual clues littered throughout the narrative, seemingly irrelevant at the time.

I found it especially interesting that Norway, with its population of 5.3 million – places those convicted of (non-capital) offences – theft, embezzlement, tax evasion – on a waiting list, to be given a date/time and location of where they are to serve their prison sentences. Can’t see it working over here.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always had great admiration for Jørn Lier Horst and his William Wisting series. A Norwegian homicide detective, Wisting seems able to pace himself through his investigations while always extracting just what is needed at the right time to solve a case and bring the perpetrator to justice. However, there are those cases that slip through the fingers, such as the one of Katharina Haugen. Wisting has never been able to solve it, but pulls out the case files each year on the anniversary of her disappearance. Now twenty-four years on, Wisting goes through the same routine: examining case notes, photos, and trying to crack a scribbled code that she left on her table before disappearing. Part of the annual process is to visit her husband, Martin, who remains lost without his wife. However, Martin is nowhere to be found when Wisting visits this year, adding curiosity to the number of other emotions rushing through him. When a detective from Kripos, the Norwegian national police service, pays Wisting a visit, there is something interesting to share. Another mysterious cold case, the disappearance of teenager Nadia Krogh many years ago, has new life. Re-evaluating the ransom note left by her apparent captors shows fingerprints belonging to Martin Haugen. Could there be a link here? Wisting’s daughter, Line, has been itching to get back to work as a journalist, unable to make her maternity leave pass fast enough. With the Krogh case returning to prominence, Line begins a podcast related to the crime, seeking to eke out new details that could open the case wide open. With Kripos wanting to observe Martin Haugen for the time being, Wisting helps extract information from the man he has come to know over the past two decades, in hopes of solving both cases. However, nothing is quite as easy as it seems and Wisting will have to find a way to lure the killer out. A masterful branch-off of Horst’s work, this ‘sub-series’ could get really interesting as series fans get to see William Wisting in a new light. A must-read for series fans and those who love a good Scandinavian police procedural as ‘noir’ as they come!

Jørn Lier Horst is one of the great Scandinavian police procedural writers I have had the pleasure to read over the years. His stories are well-paced and develop effectively for the reader, while also adding wonderfully colourful characters and strong plots. As a protagonist, William Wisting proves to be both entertaining and effective in his delivery as a superior sleuth. While not published in English (yet!), the first part of the series is said to develop in such a way that the reader can see a strong husband and equal partner in a great marriage, something that is hinted at in each book that has been translated and acts as a lingering backstory. His wife gone and children grown, Wisting works hard to put his work at the forefront of his life, compartmentalising the past that can no longer be changed. Wisting’s development comes in the form of chasing the killers that lurk in the shadows, as well as living life as a grandfather and effective parental helper to his daughter, Line. Others within the story find a way to make their mark, keeping the reader highly entertained. There is much to say about them, as they not only shape the entire series, but what is sure to be this collection of revisited cold cases. New ideas injected into old cases alongside Wisting’s strong and demanding approach can only help things move along effectively. I am looking forward to seeing what Horst has to offer and how these new faces will change the dynamic of a strong series. The story here is one that is by no means unique, but works so very well. Looking well into the past, Wisting is forced to come to terms with the limits on his detective abilities with a case that has stumped him. Even with fresh eyes, there are sometimes limits to what can be accomplished, until a spark ignites the entire investigation. With new pathways and potentially new approaches to old cases, Wisting and the rest of the group can retake control and put things to bed once and for all. I am eager to see how this quartet of cold case novels works and whether it will be the swan song for William Wisting, or breathe new life into this well-established detective. Hints of his retirement are embedded within this piece, so it will be interesting to see what comes of it after all four cold case novels have been completed. With a mix of shorter and elongated chapters, Horst pulls the reader into the story and then teases them as the pace quickens, heading towards a high-paced finale when all is revealed. I have said it before and will do so again, Horst’s work is not lessened by a translation. The fluidity of the work is still strong and seems almost to have been penned in English. There is no jolt or loss of intensity when moving from Norwegian to English, at least not that I can tell. Bring on more for the reader, as the teaser chapters at the end of the book hint at more cold cases that bring fresh sleuthing to long forgotten motives!

Kudos, Mr. Horst, for another winner. I am excited to see where you take your readers and hope you can lure new fans into this long developing series.

Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/

A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

“The Katharine Code” is different from your typical Scandi crime novel and it’s focused more on the police procedures rather than being dark and brutal. The storyline involving two cold cases was interesting; I liked how two totally different disappearances of young women linked together at the end.

I must say I am a little bit disappointed with how the story progressed. The pace was a little too slow for my liking. I felt that the book was too long at the times and I was missing a twist of some sort or a turning point.

Although the plot was somewhat predictable I must say I enjoyed the book. If you are looking for a slow burning story on a “lighter” side (no gruesome murders or brutal killers) this is definitely a good one to grab.

[Athena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Αρκετά καλό. Το τέλος μου φάνηκε αναμενόμενο. Μου έλειψε η ανατροπή.

[Georgia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Δείτε επίσης και στο Chill and read

Πριν από 24 χρόνια, μια γυναίκα, η Καταρίνα, εξαφανίστηκε. Η υπόθεσή της δε λύθηκε ποτέ, παρά την προσπάθεια που κατέβαλε η αστυνομία και ειδικότερα ο επιθεωρητής Βίλιαμ Βίστιν. Κάθε χρόνο, στην «επέτειο» της εξαφάνισής της, ο Βίστιν επισκέπτεται το σύζυγο της Καταρίνα, τον άνθρωπο που δεν κατάφερε ποτέ να βοήθησε να βρει την ηρεμία που χρειαζόταν μέσα από την αλήθεια. Τον άνθρωπο που δεν μπόρεσε να βάλει ένα τέλος. Ο Βίστιν συχνά πυκνά διαβάζει και ξαναδιαβάζει τους φακέλους της υπόθεσης, τις καταθέσεις των μαρτύρων, τα στοιχεία που δεν κατάφεραν ποτέ να του δώσουν όσα χρειάζεται για να μάθει τι πραγματικά συνέβη. Και μαζί με όλα αυτά ένα είδος κώδικα, ένα χειρόγραφο σημείωμα που είχε αφήσει η Καταρίνα πίσω της με ένα άλυτο παζλ. Ένα παζλ που κάθε χρόνο προσπαθεί να λύσει.

Αυτή τη χρονιά, όταν πάει να επισκεφτεί το σύζυγο της Καταρίνα, δεν τον βρίσκει. Φαίνεται σαν να έχει πάνω από μια μέρα να πάει στο σπίτι του και από τη δουλειά του λένε στο Βίστιν ότι λείπει γιατί είναι άρρωστος. Τι να σημαίνει άραγε το γεγονός ότι εξαφανίστηκε κι αυτός έπειτα από τόσα χρόνια; Από ότι φαίνεται όμως δεν είναι ο μόνος που αγνοείται. Αγνοείται και άλλη μία γυναίκα. Μπορεί να συνδέονται αυτές οι δύο εξαφανίσεις; Και με ποιον τρόπο; Γνωρίζει καλά τον άνθρωπο που επισκεπτόταν τόσα χρόνια ή μήπως τελικά κάτι άλλο κρύβεται βαθιά στο παρελθόν; Αυτά είναι τα ερωτήματα που καλείται να λύσει ο Βίστιν με φόντο τα παγωμένα φιόρδ της Νορβηγίας.

Οι παλιές άλυτες υποθέσεις που ανακινούνται έχουν πάντα ένα ενδιαφέρουν, ειδικά όταν πολλά χρόνια μετά, νέα στοιχεία βγαίνουν στο φως και η αλήθεια αποκαλύπτεται. Έτσι έρχεται η δικαίωση για το θύμα, ή και τους συγγενείς του εν προκειμένω, αλλά και για τους αστυνομικούς που επιτέλους λύνουν ένα άλυτο μυστήριο.

Είναι αναζωογονητικό να βλέπεις έναν επιθεωρητή που δεν είναι ένας κατεστραμμένος άνθρωπος. Ο τύπος που ζει με κακό καφέ και αλκοόλ και βγάζε λαγούς από το καπέλο του. Προτιμώ να δω έναν πατέρα που αγαπάει τα παιδιά του, έστω και αν κάποιες φορές η δουλειά του θα πάρει το πάνω χέρι. Αυτές τις φορές όμως έχει έναν καλό λόγο. Το ένστικτο του Βίστιν τον κρατούσε πάντα σε επιφυλακή και το ίδιο γίνεται και σε αυτή την υπόθεση.

Η ανάγνωση του βιβλίου είναι απολαυστική. Η ροή των γεγονότων είναι αρκετά γρήγορη χωρίς ασυνέχειες ή κενά σημεία. Όλα τα στοιχεία έδεναν και ο τρόπος με τον οποίο γίνονται οι συνδέσεις ήταν ένα μείγμα εμπειρίας, ανάκλησης αναμνήσεων και μικρών συμπτώσεων. Όμως οι συμπτώσεις αυτές δεν ξενίζουν, καθώς προέρχονται από πράξεις που δικαιολογούνται κατά τη γνώμη μου. Ο ρυθμός του βιβλίου αλλά και η γραφή, όπως τη βλέπουμε από τη μετάφραση του Βαγγέλη Γιαννίση, το καθιστούν βιβλίο που διαβάζεται πολύ πολύ γρήγορα. Αν θέλετε ένα καθαρά αστυνομικό βιβλίο, προτιμήστε το!

[Carolyn Walsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish to thank Netgalley and Simon & Schuster.ca for this much-appreciated ARC. It introduced me to a superb writer of this gripping, atmospheric, character-driven police procedural set in Norway. I don't know how I was unfamiliar with this author, but I was pleased he has other books to add to my reading list. There is no explicit violence, and shows a step-by-step procedure for solving a cold case; the storyline is spellbinding. This is a complex, multi-layered story, but easy to follow, and I found it fascinating. Jorn Lier Horst was a senior investigative officer and is now an award-winning crime writer whose stories have an air of authenticity. This book is certainly in the top league of Nordic Noir, with H. Mankell's Wallander and the earliest Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. The translation into English is impeccable. This book was reissued by Simon & Schuster.ca on January 21st, 2025.

I was pleased to learn that the author has other mysteries translated into English, and I can't wait to read more. The primary police officer is Chief Inspector William Wisting. He is a widower and a devoted family man with two adult children and a grandchild. Hew is remarkably well-adjusted, without the vices that plague and distract most fictional detectives. There is no secret dark past, no reliance on alcohol or other drugs, no troubled love life, no gambling problem. He has a positive outlook, with no stress from his bosses, and is well-liked among his colleagues. He is intelligent and dedicated to solving his cases.

One cold case remains unsolved after 24 years, and it has obsessed Wisting for all this time. It was the disappearance of Katharina Haugen. Wisting has brought the archived files home. Each year on the anniversary of her missing, he reviews all the evidence, witness statements, police reports, and photos, hoping to find a clue that has eluded him. Katharina left behind a suitcase packed with clothes. Was she planning to leave on her own? Was she kidnapped, murdered, or still alive? More puzzling was a code she left behind, consisting of scattered numbers and letters no experts could decrypt. Wisting feels that if he could interpret the code, he could close the case. He also visits the widower, Martin Haugen, on each anniversary. Martin was an early suspect, but an alibi proved he was eight hours away when his wife vanished. A neighbour, Vassvik, was believed to be the last to see her and was also an early suspect. Wisting and Marin have built a friendship over the years, but he is frustrated. He is no nearer to solving the case and cannot bring closure to the grieving husband.

An ambitious, manipulative young detective, Stiller, has arrived from Kripos, the Norway national police. A cold case department has recently opened its own cold case department. Stiller is assigned to the case of Nadia Krogh, a young woman who vanished before Katharina disappeared. She was believed to be kidnapped, and a note demanded ransom. The ransom was not collected, and Nadia was never found. A fingerprint belonging to Wisting's friend, the widower Martin, was found on the ransom note, and some other evidence pointed toward Katharina's husband. Has Martin deceived Wisting, or is he innocent? Stiller has now connected the cases of the two missing women.

Stiller manipulates Detective Wisting to use his friendship with Martin to entrap him with undisclosed information. He also sets up Wisting's daughter, Line, to interview anyone connected with Nadia and use her information for a Podcast to keep his reopened cases in the spotlight.

Will any connection be found between the two women in the cold cases? Will their mysterious disappearances finally be solved? Will the Katharina Code be of any help?

Highly recommended for fans of Nordic Noir, readers interested in procedures to solve cold cases or an intriguing, well-written mystery.

[Beate NerdLounge · Rating 3 out of 5]

3-3,5🌟
Schade, ich hab mir echt viel versprochen von dem Buch. Der Schreibstil hat mir auch gut gefallen, auch der Protagonist... aber die Handlung ist leider nur vor sich hin geplätschert...

[Catherine Vamianaki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Εξαιρετικό!!

[Yoda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Syns Jørn Lier Horst sine bøker er litt treige, foretrekker mer action, men overalt en god bok, godt skrevet.

[citesc_cu_sufletul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Katharina a dispărut în urmă cu 24 de ani, iar cazul nu a fost rezolvat nici până în prezent. În fiecare an, totuși, la aniversarea dispariției ei, inspectorul șef William Wisting îl vizitează pe soțul acesteia, Martin Haugen, chiar dacă nu i-a putut oferi niciodată o explicație a celor întâmplate. Cazul îl obsedează și recitește dosarele, cu speranța că poate le-a scăpat ceva și va găsi răspunsuri. Mai ales în codul pe care Katharina l-a scris înainte să dispară, cod pe care nu a reușit nimeni să-l descifreze. Totul se precipită în momentul în care apare un polițist de la Kripos, Adrian Stiller, care aduce o informație nouă, și anume aceea că există o legătură între dispariția Katharinei și a altei femei. Care este această legătură, vă las pe voi să descoperiți.

Chiar dacă nu m-a prins de la primele pagini și am pus-o pe pauză destul de mult timp (ca să citesc alte cărți care mi-au captat mai tare atenție) știam că va ajunge să-mi placă "Codul Katharina". Și așa s-a și întâmplat! La un moment dat, chiar nu o mai puteam lăsa din mână.

Capitolele sunt scurte și încărcate în detalii, dar Horst presară printre rânduri și "acel ceva", doza aia de suspans și de mister, indicii și dezvăluiri, care să te facă să vrei să mai citești un capitol și încă unul, până afli ce s-a întâmplat cu Katharina și cu cealaltă femeie.

Alt aspect care mi-a plăcut este acela că avem mai multe perspective: Wisting, Stiller și Line, fiica lui Wisting, care este jurnalistă și contribuie și ea la rezolvarea cazului. Recunosc că mi-ar fi plăcut să avem și perspectiva lui Martin Haugen și, de ce nu, și o perspectivă din trecut a Katharinei. Puțin dezamăgită de final, a fost cam pe repede-înainte, dar destul de imprevizibil.

"Codul Katharina" este primul volum din seria "Dosarele enigmatice", iar pe mine m-a cucerit ca și cititor! Cu siguranță vreau să mai citesc și alte cărți de-ale sale, în special "Omul cavernelor", cazul acesta fiind adus în discuție la un moment dat în carte. 👀

[Loredana Mariana Bublitchi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Au trecut 24 de ani de când Katharina Haugen a dispărut și an de an, de atunci, William Wisting îl vizitează pe soțul acesteia și recitește dosarele cazului. Simte că ceva i-a scăpat și-l macină acest lucru, mai ales că nu l-a putit ajuta în niciun fel pe soțul îndurerat. Asta până când apare un nou polițist, cu o nouă informație, care leagă cazul Katharinei cu al unei alte femei dispărute.

Un volum încărcat de detalii, dovezi care ascund un mister greu de descâlcit, un polițist dedicat muncii sale până-n punctul de obsesie și câteva piste demne de urmărit.

Am avut ceva dificultăți cu volumul, sincer, detaliile mă băgau în ceață complet și atât m-au sucit și răsucit, că nu mai știam ce e de capul meu. De-o parte era William cu cazul său, de cealaltă parte fiica sa, implicată în cel de-al doilea caz în calitate de jurnalistă, și-mi era greu să fac față atâtor informații dintr-o dată.

Povestea este captivantă și intrigă prin personajele sale, chiar eram curioasă de deznodământ, dacă mi se confirmă bănuiala într-o anumită privință, însă tot am fost surprinsă de final, de o parte din el, căci aceea nu o intuisem așa.

Un prim volum dintr-o serie ce promit dosare enigmatice, care pun mintea la contribuție și surprind prin al lor deznodământ, deci aștept cu nerăbdare următorul volum din serie ☺️.

[Willemijn jufwillemijnopallstars · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goede Scandinavische thriller, geen probleem om bij dit deel in de William Wisting boeken te beginnen. De belangrijkste gebeurtenissen uit het verleden worden benoemd.

Verwacht geen actie scènes, maar echt speurwerk. Ik had het boek graag 5 sterren gegeven, maar aangezien er (voor mij) geen plotwendingen waren, zijn het er 4 geworden.

Het volgende deel heb ik al in huis gelukkig 😁

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chief Inspector William Wisting has a cold case which he has returned to often over twenty five years. Katharina Haugen went missing twenty four years ago and all she left behind was a suitcase being packed on her bed and a note with numbers on it. Wisting has called the Katharina Code.
This is the story of the friendship between Wisting and Katharina 's husband Martin and how they spent a weekend fishing and what revelations are finally revealed.
A slow start but the momentum was soon revved up. The game of cat and mouse between the two main characters was exciting and the investigator from Kripos was memorable and I am sure we have not heard the last of him. This is the first book I have read by this author and it will definitely not be the last. A good thriller.

[Γιώτα Παπαδημακοπούλου · Rating 4 out of 5]

Σε περίπτωση που δεν το έχετε καταλάβει, ζούμε το lockdown τύπου Inception -lockdown, νούμερο δεν θυμάμαι πόσο, μέσα σε lockdown, μέσα σε lockdown. Κάτι παρόμοιο ισχύει και με το νέο βιβλίο του Νορβηγού συγγραφέα Jorn Lier Horst, "Φάκελος Καταρίνα", το οποίο αποτελεί το δωδέκατο βιβλίο της σειράς των περιπετειών του Βίλιαν Βίστιν, αλλά και το πρώτο βιβλίο του κουαρτέτου "Ξεχασμένες υποθέσεις", που λαμβάνει χώρα στο ίδιο λογοτεχνικό σύμπαν, με την ίδια αισθητική και αφηγηματική διάθεση και πάνω απ' όλα με τον ίδιο κεντρικό ήρωα. Ουσιαστικά, έχουμε μια νέα σειρά μέσα σε μια ήδη υπάρχουσα σειρά, με τον Βίστιν ν' αποφασίζει να επικεντρώσει την προσοχή του στο να κλείσει κάποιες παλιές υποθέσεις, ώστε να μην έχει εκκρεμότητες, μια οπτική αρκετά ενδιαφέρουσα τολμώ να πω.

Έχουν περάσει είκοσι τέσσερα ολόκληρα χρόνια απ' όταν εξαφανίστηκε η γυναίκα του Μάρτιν, Καταρίνα, χωρίς ν' αφήσει κανένα απολύτως στοιχείο πίσω της. Ο Βίστιν προσπάθησε πολύ σκληρά ν' ανακαλύψει τι της συνέβη, όμως δεν τα κατάφερε, και έτσι κάθε χρόνο, στην "επέτειο" της εξαφάνισής της, επισκέπτεται τον σύζυγό της, τον οποίο δεν κατάφερε να βοηθήσει ν' αποβάλλει το βαρύ φορτίο που βρέθηκε ξαφνικά να κουβαλά στους ώμους του. Συνεχώς ανατρέχει πίσω στον φάκελο της υπόθεσης, με την ελπίδα πως θα καταφέρει να εντοπίσει αυτό το κάτι, αυτή τη μικρή λεπτομέρεια που θα του δώσει το πολυπόθητο στοιχείο που θα τον βοηθήσει να ανακαλύψει τι συνέβη, έστω και μετά από τόσα χρόνια, όμως μάταια. Μέχρι τη στιγμή, τουλάχιστον, που ξημερώνει μια "επέτειος" διαφορετική από τις προηγούμενες, που θ' αλλάξει τα πάντα.

Μια ακόμα γυναίκα εξαφανίζεται και ο Βίστιν δεν μπορεί να πιστέψει πως πρόκειται για σύμπτωση. Πολύ περισσότερο όταν μαζί με τη γυναίκα αυτή εξαφανίζεται και ο Μάρτιν. Το ερώτημα, τώρα, είναι το εξής: Υπάρχει κάποιος που επέστρεψε για να συνεχίσει το έργο του και εκείνος καλείται να τον προλάβει πριν να το ολοκληρώσει, σώζοντας παράλληλα τη ζωή του φίλου του, ή έχει βρεθεί άθελά του μπλεγμένος σε ένα "παιχνίδι" πολύ πιο επικίνδυνο απ' όσο φαίνεται κι απ' όσο μπορεί αρχικά να φανταστεί; Όσοι έχετε διαβάσει και τις προηγούμενες περιπέτειες του Βίστιν, θα ξέρετε πολύ καλά πως ποτέ τα πράγματα δεν είναι απλά για εκείνον και πως ο Horst λατρεύει να του βάζει συνεχώς εμπόδια και να τον φέρνει αντιμέτωπο με καταστάσεις που δοκιμάζουν τα όριά του.

Αυτό που αμφίβολα γνωρίζει πολύ καλά να κάνει, ο Horst, είναι το να δημιουργεί ατμόσφαιρα. Πραγματικά, τα βιβλία του είναι παράδειγμα προς μίμηση όσον αφορά τη Σκανδιναβική αστυνομική λογοτεχνία, τουλάχιστον ως προς την δημιουργία και διαχείριση αυτής. Ακόμα και στα βιβλία του που μου αρέσουν λιγότερο από άλλα, η άγρια αισθητική της αφήγησης και ο τρόπος με τον οποίο περιγράφονται και αποδίδονται οι φυσικοί χώροι που πλαισιώνουν το δράμα και τη δράση, είναι αρκετά για να σου παγώσουν το αίμα και να σου κόψουν την ανάσα, λες και βρίσκεται κι εσύ μαζί με τους ήρωές μας σε σκοτεινά και απειλητικά δάση, με τον κίνδυνο να παραμονεύει σε κάθε γωνιά και σε κάθε σκιά.

Αφήνοντας πίσω μας την αισθητική του βιβλίου και τη διάθεση που αυτό που δημιουργεί, ας μιλήσουμε λίγο για την πλοκή, που όπως ήδη ανέφερα, έχει ένα πολύ ενδιαφέρον πυρήνα, που δεν είναι άλλος απ' αυτόν μιας άλυτης υπόθεσης, πόσο μάλλον όταν αυτή μοιάζει να επαναλαμβάνεται είκοσι τέσσερα ολόκληρα χρόνια μετά. Προσωπικά είμαι λάτρης των ιστοριών που δεν έχει βρεθεί ακόμα η απάντηση εκείνη που θα οδηγήσει στη λύση του μυστηρίου τους, γιατί θεωρώ πως είναι πολύ πιο δύσκολο να λύσεις μια υπόθεση όπου τα ίχνη του δράστη έχουν σβήσει με το πέρασμα των χρόνων, παρά μιας υπόθεσης που αφορά το σήμερα, άρα μπορεί κανείς να προλάβει καταστάσεις αν ακολουθήσει τη σωστή πορεία των ενδείξεων που έχει στη διάθεσή του -ενώ και τα μέσα που έχει στη διάθεσή του για να τον βοηθήσουν είναι σαφώς ανώτερα, άρα "παίζει μπάλα" με άλλα δεδομένα. Και αυτή είναι μια πολύ ωραία αντίθεση ανάμεσα στο παρελθόν και στο παρόν και από μόνη της μας δίνει πολύ ισχυρές απαντήσεις σε καίρια ερωτήματα.

Όπως έχουμε ξανασχολιάσει στο παρελθόν, ο Βίστιν είναι από τους πιο γήινους και ρεαλιστικούς κεντρικούς χαρακτήρες σε αστυνομική σειρά. Έχει τα φυσιολογικά προβλήματα που έχουμε όλοι οι άνθρωποι, έχει μια ζωή με τις όποιες εντάσεις της, αλλά πάντα μέσα σε φυσιολογικά πλαίσια, φαντάζει οικείος και προσιτός, ένας άνθρωπος που θα μπορούσαμε να στραφούμε σε αυτόν για βοήθεια και να τον εμπιστευτούμε. Μπορεί να μην έχει την γοητεία του "προβληματικού", αλλά παρέχει μια ασφάλεια που οι άλλοι δεν μπορούν. Όσον αφορά την αρχή αυτού του νέου κουαρτέτου, σίγουρα είναι ενδιαφέρουσα, κρατάει το ενδιαφέρον σου μέχρι τέλους -κι ας απουσίαζε η κορύφωση που περίμενα-, έχει κάποιες ανατροπές που καταφέρνουν να σε ιντριγκάρουν, και σίγουρα είναι μια σειρά με πολύ ενδιαφέρουσες προοπτικές για το μέλλον.

[Tiana Hadnt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ordinarily I don’t have a problem with slow paced novels. I love intricate character work and as long as said characters are interesting and there’s the little dangling carrot of something slowly being revealed, I’m good to go. Add that to a cold case mystery, and you basically have catnip for me.

On paper, this book is everything I look for. Every year, on October 9, Detective Wisting visits Martin Haugen, whose wife went missing 24 years ago and was never found. It’s the case Wisting can’t let go of, and he’s gone so far as to take the archived evidence boxes to his house. Every year he combs through, hoping to find a clue hidden in the depths. Meanwhile Adrien Stiller, of the newly formed Cold Case department, is looking into the disappearance of a teenage girl that occurred not too long before Katharina Haugen’s disappearance, and he thinks he has proof to link Martin to this second crime. He used Wisting’s daughter, and investigative journalist, to put media spotlight back on this reopened case, and he wants Wisting to use his friendship with Martin to get the evidence he needs. Is Martin Haugen a murderer, or a kidnapper, or a bereaved husband? And where are these two females? Are the dead or alive?

Sounds AMAZING on paper. But the execution left a lot to be desired. From the beginning, they tell you where they’re trying to go, and they never veer off from that. This is not a twisty-turny novel, and they telegraph how things will go very early on. That’s a problem, because it removes all suspense. You keep reading in the hopes that you’ll be shocked and amazed by them end, but there are no surprises here. It does exactly what it says it will do. And in this case, it’s a bad decision.

The relationships between the character are interesting. Wisting and Martin Haugen carry this novel, and I feel they do it well. The other characters are a waste of space. His journalist daughter, Line, has her own story line involving Stiller’s investigation into the slightly older case, and it goes absolutely nowhere. She doesn’t learn anything that is in any way crucial to the investigation and you end up feeling like her parts were a waste of space.

Then there are character actions. The reasons behind these crimes is ridiculous. I’ve read plenty of mysteries with similar crimes where the reasons for them at least made sense. These didn’t seem all that believable, particularly in one instance that I won’t say for fear of spoilers. The police actions are also extremely problematic. What Stiller is asking Wisting to do is basically entrapment, which is at best unethical and at worst illegal. Stiller himself does things that seem to scream sociopath to me and really should have been fired for the things he does. Wisting’s actions are completely contrary to the relationships that he is supposed to have, both with Stiller and with Haugen. They were supposed to be friends, but I swear Wisting was almost bipolar in his switches between friend and cop, in a way that also wasn’t believable. He’s been visiting this man for over twenty years, on the anniversary of Katharina’s going missing and at other times. And yet he just goes along with this plan like he has no options.

Overall, I was disappointed. It could have been a really good examination of human nature and why people do certain things. It could have been a really well handled cold case, with deeper insight into the people who went missing and more interactions between the actual police and the suspects, or the missing ladies’ families. It could have been a fascinating psychological study of fear and irrationality and guilt and anger. It could have been a slow breaking of a relationship between friends.

But it wasn’t any of those things. It was mediocre, drawn out, strangely plotted, and a letdown. I really wish we could have seen more genuine interaction between Wisting and Martin Haugen. Their conversations and scenes together were great, but they could have had so much more weight if we’d had some flashbacks of them developing this friendship over the years. Then we could have watched the repercussions as Wisting deals with the fact that his friend, whom he s always thought innocent, might be hiding something from him. It gets three stars for those scenes alone, but I won’t be continuing with the series.

[Craig Sisterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The hard-drinking, pensive, lone wolf Nordic detective tiptoes the line between trope and cliche, but Norwegian policeman turned award-winning crime writer Jørn Lier Horst steers clear with his family man William Wisting, who refreshingly has a rather more content and positive outlook on life despite the dark deeds he investigates. A widower who is now a grandfather, Wisting has for many years been hauling out old files every October. A case unclosed, unsolved: the bizarre disappearance of Katharina Haugen, who vanished many years ago, leaving behind only a cryptic note.

Predictably, Katharina's husband Martin was a suspect, but he had been working far away, and over the years the bereaved husband had become friendly acquaintances with Wisting. When Martin disappears on the anniversary, and an ambitious younger colleague is parachuted into Wisting's patch with new evidence about another long-missing woman, the Wisting is plunged into a testing case.

And a tricky personal position, where he has to keep secrets from those closest to him.

The twelfth in Horst's award-winning series (the seventh to be translated into English) adroitly blends personal and police procedural, with a really strong sense of authenticity flowing through its pages.

Horst takes us inside the kind of case that can niggle at a long-time detective, the burr under the saddle of their career that they can't let go even as the years pass. For Wisting, that case is the Katharina Haugen disappearance. Why can't he work out what the series of numbers and letters mean on the note left behind. Why can't he make sense of Katharina's actions leading up to her disappearance? What is he missing, what remains hidden or overlooked that could solve the case?

There's a wintry chill rising from the pages in what is an absorbing, fascinating tale from a talented storyteller. THE KATHARINA CODE would be a very good read for long-time fans as well as those new to the world of Chief Inspector William Wisting.

[Booklunatic · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5 Sterne

Dieser Krimi gehört nicht zu der besonders rasanten Sorte und nimmt zu Beginn auch eher gemächlich an Fahrt auf, dennoch habe ich ihn richtig gern gelesen. Cold Cases finde ich generell sehr spannend und als Leser ermittelt man hier quasi in Echtzeit mit. Zudem sind die ermittelnden Hauptpersonen, der Polizist Wisting und seine Tochter Line, die Journalistin, enorm sympathisch. Wer es also eher etwas unblutiger, gemütlicher und dennoch spannend mag, ist hier gut bedient.

[Maureen Grigsby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Had a hard time putting this one down. Nordic noir but not graphically violent.

[Χρύσα Βασιλείου · Rating 3 out of 5]

Το Φάκελος Καταρίνα αποτελεί τη δωδέκατη -σύμφωνα με την πρωτότυπη χρονολογική σειρά- περιπέτεια του επιθεωρητή Βίλιαμ Βίστιν, αλλά και την πρώτη ενασχόλησή του με μια από τις αποκαλούμενες «ξεχασμένες υποθέσεις», δηλαδή παλιές ανεξιχνίαστες υποθέσεις που παραμένουν στα αρχεία της αστυνομίας.

Είκοσι τέσσερα χρόνια πριν, η Καταρίνα Χάουγκεν εξαφανίστηκε. Η υπόθεση αυτή δεν εξιχνιάστηκε ποτέ: δεν βρέθηκε ούτε η ίδια ζωντανή ούτε το πτώμα της. Ο Βίστιν, που ποτέ δεν κατάφερε να ξεχάσει τη συγκεκριμένη υπόθεση, κάθε χρόνο στην «επέτειο» της εξαφάνισής της επισκέπτεται τον άντρα της και περνάει τη μέρα μαζί του. Νιώθει ότι είναι το ελάχιστο που μπορεί να κάνει για εκείνον, αφού δεν κατάφερε να του προσφέρει τη γαλήνη τού να γνωρίζει τι απέγινε η γυναίκα του. Επίσης, δεν σταματά να ξαναεξετάζει κάθε τόσο τους φακέλους με τα στοιχεία της υπόθεσης, ελπίζοντας να ανακαλύψει κάτι που του διέφυγε όλες τις προηγούμενες φορές – μάταια όμως.
Αυτή τη χρονιά, τα πράγματα είναι διαφορετικά. Πρώτον, όταν επισκέπτεται τον σύζυγο της Καταρίνα, ανακαλύπτει ότι έχει εξαφανιστεί κι εκείνος. Ο Βίστιν δεν ξέρει αν αποφάσισε μόνος του να φύγει χωρίς να ειδοποιήσει κανέναν ή αν συνέβη κάτι άλλο. Και δεύτερον, ένας ερευνητής της Kripos έρχεται στο τμήμα και δηλώνει πως ερευνά την εξαφάνιση μιας άλλης γυναίκας, λίγο πριν από αυτήν της Καταρίνα, για την οποία ίσως ευθύνεται ο σύζυγος της δεύτερης. Είναι σίγουρος πως υπάρχει σχέση ανάμεσα στις δύο υποθέσεις και ζητά τη συνεργασία του Βίστιν. Εκείνος κλονίζεται. Είναι δυνατόν το περιβόητο ένστικτό του να τον «πρόδωσε» και να μην κατάλαβε ότι ο άνθρωπος που έβλεπε πλέον ως φίλο και είχε αναπτύξει ιδιαίτερη σχέση μαζί του ήταν ο υπαίτιος για τον φόνο της γυναίκας του – και ίσως όχι μόνο;
Με την αφοσίωση που επιδεικνύει σε κάθε υπόθεσή του και με την πολύχρονη εμπειρία του, ο Βίστιν είναι πιο αποφασισμένος από ποτέ να λύσει τον γρίφο της εξαφάνισης της Καταρίνα, που τον στοιχειώνει για παραπάνω από είκοσι χρόνια. Και ταυτόχρονα να ανακαλύψει τι απέγινε τελικά ο σύζυγός της, αλλά και τον πραγματικό ένοχο για την εξαφάνιση της άλλης γυναίκας. Έτσι, μελετά εκ νέου τον φάκελο της υπόθεσης, και ιδιαίτερα ένα χειρόγραφο σημείωμα που άφησε πίσω της η Καταρίνα και μοιάζει με κώδικα. Θα μπορέσει τελικά να τον αποκρυπτογραφήσει και θα είναι αυτός το στοιχείο που θα τον βοηθήσει να βρει τις απαντήσεις που ψάχνει;

Στην αστυνομική λογοτεχνία, οι παλιές ανεξιχνίαστες υποθέσεις έχουν το δικό τους ενδιαφέρον. Κουβαλούν ένα άρωμα παρελθόντος, η έρευνα πραγματοποιήθηκε κάτω από διαφορετικές συνθήκες, κάποιοι από τους εμπλεκόμενους πιθανόν δεν βρίσκονται πια στη ζωή, οι ίδιοι οι πρωταγωνιστές ήταν άλλοι άνθρωποι: πιο άπειροι, πιο αθώοι, πιο ανυποψίαστοι… Κι έτσι, κάθε φορά που ένας συγγραφέας «ανοίγει» ξανά μια τέτοια υπόθεση σε κάποιο βιβλίο του, καλείται και ο ίδιος να τη χειριστεί σε δύο επίπεδα, αλλά και ο αναγνώστης να τη διαβάσει έχοντας στο μυαλό του τις συνθήκες του τότε και του τώρα. Και όσο έρχονται στο φως νέα στοιχεία, που εξετάζονται πια κάτω α��ό ένα διαφορετικό πρίσμα, τόσο αυξάνεται το ενδιαφέρον. Έτσι κι εδώ, όπου ο έμπειρος επιθεωρητής Βίστιν… ξεσκονίζει μια υπόθεση από το παρελθόν, αναγκάζεται εκ των πραγμάτων να δουλέψει με τρόπο διαφορετικό απ’ ό,τι αν αντιμετώπιζε μια «φρέσκια», σύγχρονη υπόθεση.
Η πλοκή διαθέτει δράση και τις απαιτούμενες ανατροπές που διατηρούν το αναγνωστικό ενδιαφέρον ζωντανό, όμως οι ρυθμοί δεν είναι τόσο έντονοι συγκριτικά με άλλα βιβλία του ίδιου ή άλλων συγγραφέων. Γιατί, όπως ήδη ειπώθηκε, αυτή η υπόθεση διαφέρει από τις άλλες. Η έρευνα οφείλει να είναι πιο ενδοσκοπική, πιο προσεκτική, με νέα όμως ματιά. Πρέπει να βρεθούν τα στοιχεία που συνδέουν τις υποθέσεις, που θα καταφέρουν να «δέσουν» τον ένοχο. Ουσιαστικά, το ζητούμενο εδώ δεν είναι η αποκάλυψη της ταυτότητας του δράστη -που μάλλον δεν προκαλεί έκπληξη σε κανέναν, τελικά- αλλά η διαδικασία που ακολουθήθηκε μέχρι να βρεθούν τα στοιχεία που αποδεικνύουν την ενοχή του.
Αν η αστυνομική έρευνα καλύπτει ένα μεγάλο κομμάτι του βιβλίου, ένα άλλο -εξίσου σημαντικό και αποκαλυπτικό- καλύπτουν τα ψυχογραφήματα των ηρώων και οι σχέσεις που αναπτύσσονται μεταξύ τους. Η σχέση πατέρα-παιδιού ανάμεσα στον Βίστιν και τα παιδιά του, η σχέση αστυνομικού-θύματος ανάμεσα στον Βίστιν και τον σύζυγο της Καταρίνα, η σχέση έμπειρου επιθεωρητή-λιγότερου έμπειρου μα παθιασμένου ερευνητή ανάμεσα στον Βίστιν και τον απεσταλμένο της Kripos. Σχέσεις διαφορετικές μεταξύ τους, με άλλο υπόβαθρο και εξέλιξη η καθεμία, που όμως είναι όλες τους δομημένες με τρόπο που μαρτυρά το ταλέντο του συγγραφέα στο πλάσιμό τους. Πράγματι, η μεμονωμένη σκιαγράφηση της προσωπικότητας του καθενός από αυτούς έχει ως αποτέλεσμα χαρακτήρες ολοκληρωμένους, ανθρώπινους, ρεαλιστικούς, με ένα βάθος που φτάνει μέχρι το κέντρο της ψυχής τους, με ύπαρξη και συνείδηση, που καλούνται όχι μόνο να φέρουν εις πέρας τον ρόλο που έχει στον καθέναν ανατεθεί σε ό,τι αφορά την υπόθεση, αλλά και να ζουν την κάθε μέρα και τις προκλήσεις που η ζωή φέρνει στον δρόμο τους.
Η επίλυση των υποθέσεων δεν θα κλείσει απλώς τους αντίστοιχους φακέλους στα αρχεία της αστυνομίας, αλλά θα φέρει και στον καθέναν απ’ όσους εμπλέκονται σε αυτές την κάθαρση. Τη δικαίωση για τους αστυνομικούς που αφιέρωσαν χρόνο στην έρευνα, για τα θύματα, αλλά και για τους συγγενείς που έμειναν πίσω και που πάντα αποτελούν και οι ίδιοι θύματα, περισσότερο αφανή αλλά καταδικασμένα να υποφέρουν μέσα στην άγνοια για την τύχη του αγαπημένου τους προσώπου. Κάτι που είναι εξίσου τραγικό, τελικά, όσο και η ίδια η απεχθής πράξη του δολοφόνου.

Η άποψή μου για το βιβλίο και στο site "τοβιβλίο.net" και τον παρακάτω σύνδεσμο: Φάκελος Καταρίνα

[Judith van Wijk · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Hoewel het verhaal zelf interessant was, was dit niet het spannendste deel van de reeks.

[Agnese Liberte (agneseizmekle) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rāms un tāds kā drusku paredzams skandināvu detektīvs ar siltu pēcsajūtu.
Tomēr šī nebūt nav Čeringema. Romāna darbība notiek Norvēģijas mežu ieskautos ciematos, ko savieno šoseja E18. Detektīvlīnijas pamatā ir kāds “cold case” jeb sens neatrisināts noziegums – sievietes vārdā Katarīna pēkšņa pazušana pirms daudziem gadiem. Viņa atstājusi uz gultas sakravātu koferi, uz galda dīvainu zīmīti ar ciparu kodu un pazudusi bez pēdām. Izmeklētājs Villiams Vistings jau gadiem cenšas atklāt Katarīnas atstāto kodu, līdz kādu dienu šī lieta pēkšņi tiek saistīta ar kādas citas jaunas sievietes nozušanu un izmeklēšana atsākas.
Raits stāstījums, īsas nodaļas, kas neļauj atslābt - man bija ļoti grūti nolikt šo grāmatu pirms miega. Sistemātiska un loģiska izmeklēšana, nekādu asins peļķu, vardarbības un šausmu. Vien daži līķi, kā jau kriminālromānā pieklājas. Tā kā romāna noziegumi notikuši senā pagātnē, tā galvenie varoņi ir “cilvēki labākajos gados”, bet stāstījums piepildīts ar nostaļģiskām izjūtām par to, kas bijis, par skaisto un par zaudēto. Forši.
Ļoti ceru, ka zvaigzne ar šo iesākusi un savedīs kārtībā haotisko tulkojumu sēriju, jo kopumā par Villiamu Vistingu Horsts izdevis 18 grāmatas. Jērns Līers Horsts ir viens no populārākajiem norvēģu autoriem, pirms pievērsies rakstniecībai, strādājis par vecāko izmeklētāju. Interesanti, ka Vistinga sērijas pirmā grāmata balstīta uz viņa pieredzētiem notikumiem.
4 grāmatas līdz šim tulkotas latviski apgādā “Jumava”:
“Ziemā slēgts” – 7. daļa
“Medību suņi” – 8. daļa
“Alu cilvēks” – 9. daļa
“Likteņa cilpa” – 10. daļa
11. oriģināli izdotā “Når Det Mørkner” ir sērijas 0. grāmata, kam seko zvaigznes tulkotā
12. daļa – “Katarīnas kods”.

[Elaine Mullane || Elaine and the Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm having a moment with Nordic Noir at the moment and am taking recommendations!

The Katharina Code is a suspenseful cold case thriller set in the dark forests of Norway. Katharina Haugen haunts Chief Inspector William Wisting. She disappeared twenty-four years before our novel opens, leaving behind her husband, Martin, and a seemingly random string of numbers scribbled on a piece of paper.

Every year on 9th October, Wisting takes out the case file, hoping to finally get a break in the case he couldn't solve. On the same day every year, he visits Katharina's husband, feeling guilty for not being able to help. But then Martin goes missing and is tied to the disappearance of a girl in Oslo, and suddenly we are drawn into a game of cat and mouse where is uncertain whether Wisting is chasing a dangerous man or a grief-stricken husband who is unwilling to let his wife go.

The pace of this thriller lagged a little for me in places but I do believe that is down to the book being more character driven and concerned with the character's relationships than it is with pace and dramatics. I liked Wisting and was particularly interested in his relationship with Martin Haugen. A good, solid read. 3.5 stars.

[Ioana · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Codul Katharina" de Jørn Lier Horst (traducere de Ivona Berceanu) este un nordic noir cu o anchetă polițistă ce se desfășoară lent, dar bine, unde fiecare detaliu își are locul lui bine stabilit și unde atmosfera își mulează presiunea în funcție de tensiunea fiecărui moment.
În urmă cu 24 de ani Katharina Haugen a dispărut. An de an, inspectorul șef William Wisting îi vizitează soțul, pe Martin Haugen, chiar dacă nu vine cu niciun fel de veste nouă. Detectivul nu renunță, citește dosarele mereu, acest caz obsedându-l de atâta amar de vreme. Însă anul acesta Martin nu e de găsit. La acest fapt se adaugă și noile dovezi ce leagă cazul Katharina de cazul unei alte dispariții de demult.
Mai multe despre carte am scris într-un articol publicat pe blog.
https://ciobanuldeazi.home.blog/2024/...

„ - Aș fi putut fi polițist la rutieră. Dar asta este ceea ce mi-am dorit. Am vrut să încerc să înțeleg ceea ce pare de neînțeles. Cum poate o ființă umană să ia viața alteia.„