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Kaldan og Schäfer #2
Äppelmannen
En pojke har försvunnit spårlöst från sin skola och journalisten Heloise Kaldan beger sig till platsen för att ta reda på vad som har hänt. På skolgården möter hon sin vän Erik Schäfer som har hand om fallet. Ingen vet vad som hänt pojken men plötsligt dyker hans telefon upp. Det visar sig att han är besatt av pareidoli, det psykologiska fenomen som gör att man ser bilder av ansikten i slumpmässiga föremål. I pojkens telefon hittar de ett fotografi som fångar deras uppmärksamhet, en ladugårdsdörr som liknar ett ansikte. Kan det vara där pojken befinner sig?
Heloise beordras att släppa artikeln hon skriver på, en kontroversiell utredning av soldater med posttraumatiskt stressyndrom, för att istället rapportera om den försvunna pojken. När fallet börjar peka i riktning mot de traumatiserade soldaterna behöver Erik Heloises hjälp att lösa gåtan.
Har pojkens mamma alkoholproblem eller tar hon hjälp av spriten för att lindra ångesten efter sonens försvinnande? Och vem är Äppelmannen som barnen i skolan pratar om?
ANNE METTE HANCOCK är född i Gråsten i Danmark och har bott i både USA och Frankrike. Hon är utbildad journalist och bor idag i Köpenhamn med sin man och två barn. Hennes första bok, Likblomman, vann Danska Deckarakademins debutantpris och 2018 utsågs hon till Årets danska författare. Äppelmannen är den fristående uppföljaren om journalisten Heloise Kaldan och polismannen Erik Schäfer.
Heloise beordras att släppa artikeln hon skriver på, en kontroversiell utredning av soldater med posttraumatiskt stressyndrom, för att istället rapportera om den försvunna pojken. När fallet börjar peka i riktning mot de traumatiserade soldaterna behöver Erik Heloises hjälp att lösa gåtan.
Har pojkens mamma alkoholproblem eller tar hon hjälp av spriten för att lindra ångesten efter sonens försvinnande? Och vem är Äppelmannen som barnen i skolan pratar om?
ANNE METTE HANCOCK är född i Gråsten i Danmark och har bott i både USA och Frankrike. Hon är utbildad journalist och bor idag i Köpenhamn med sin man och två barn. Hennes första bok, Likblomman, vann Danska Deckarakademins debutantpris och 2018 utsågs hon till Årets danska författare. Äppelmannen är den fristående uppföljaren om journalisten Heloise Kaldan och polismannen Erik Schäfer.
1 pages, Hardcover
First published November 8, 2022
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November 14, 2022
The Collector: Kaldan and Scháfer Mystery Series, Book
Anne Mette Hancock (Author), Laura Jennings (Narrator)
You don't have to read the first book in the series to enjoy this second book but reading the first book can help you understand why journalist Heloise Kaldan thinks she has the right to browbeat everyone she knows about being honest. She is very hypocritical about this since she says and does things that aren't open and honest while still thinking everyone else should expose their inner life to the world regardless of how it might blow up their lives and the lives of others. Maybe I'm being hard on her but I couldn't help wishing she would back off on a lot of fronts.
Then there is her good friend Detective Erik Schäfer who went through a lot with her in the past. He's very by the book and pretty much lives his job while also devoting his heart and spare time to his wife. He can't help looking forward to retiring somewhere else though, giving this life up for something calmer, although whether he could really do that is up in the air.
A boy is missing and the case gets messier the farther it goes. Schäfer is the lead investigator and behind the scenes (and behind Schäfer's back) Kaldan is covering the case for her newspaper. She has several other things she is dealing with such as a relationship dilemma, nagging her lifelong best friend to the point that the friendship could implode, and sticking her nose into dangerous places. No one is perfect here and with the large cast of characters that we meet throughout the book there is no way I could guess what was going on. We don't even have the knowledge to figure out what is going on until it happens.
There is very much a small world feel here as we see how so many people are intertwined. With the story being a translation and with it located in Copenhagen it's hard for me to really understand how all the pieces can be so linked so I just go along and enjoy the story. This is very much a police procedural, complete with time spent at an autopsy table. So far, I've never been able to feel comfortable in this series and I don't think we are supposed to be comfortable. We are getting to see the darkest and most brutal corners of the world. A third book has already been published and I look forward to it being translated to English eventually. Laura Jennings narrates and I appreciate that the story is told in mostly unaccented English so it is easy for me to understand.
Publication: November 8, 2022
Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for this ARC.
Anne Mette Hancock (Author), Laura Jennings (Narrator)
You don't have to read the first book in the series to enjoy this second book but reading the first book can help you understand why journalist Heloise Kaldan thinks she has the right to browbeat everyone she knows about being honest. She is very hypocritical about this since she says and does things that aren't open and honest while still thinking everyone else should expose their inner life to the world regardless of how it might blow up their lives and the lives of others. Maybe I'm being hard on her but I couldn't help wishing she would back off on a lot of fronts.
Then there is her good friend Detective Erik Schäfer who went through a lot with her in the past. He's very by the book and pretty much lives his job while also devoting his heart and spare time to his wife. He can't help looking forward to retiring somewhere else though, giving this life up for something calmer, although whether he could really do that is up in the air.
A boy is missing and the case gets messier the farther it goes. Schäfer is the lead investigator and behind the scenes (and behind Schäfer's back) Kaldan is covering the case for her newspaper. She has several other things she is dealing with such as a relationship dilemma, nagging her lifelong best friend to the point that the friendship could implode, and sticking her nose into dangerous places. No one is perfect here and with the large cast of characters that we meet throughout the book there is no way I could guess what was going on. We don't even have the knowledge to figure out what is going on until it happens.
There is very much a small world feel here as we see how so many people are intertwined. With the story being a translation and with it located in Copenhagen it's hard for me to really understand how all the pieces can be so linked so I just go along and enjoy the story. This is very much a police procedural, complete with time spent at an autopsy table. So far, I've never been able to feel comfortable in this series and I don't think we are supposed to be comfortable. We are getting to see the darkest and most brutal corners of the world. A third book has already been published and I look forward to it being translated to English eventually. Laura Jennings narrates and I appreciate that the story is told in mostly unaccented English so it is easy for me to understand.
Publication: November 8, 2022
Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for this ARC.
June 17, 2022
Das war unglaublich spannend und mitreißend. Von Anfang bis Ende.
Dabei ist es eigentlich eher ruhig, nicht actionreich, aber die Atmosphäre des Thrillers geht unter die Haut.
Es wird ein Kind vermisst. Alles deutet darauf hin, dass der Junge tot sein muss...
Eine sehr spannungsgeladene Suche nach dem Kind und nach der Wahrheit und natürlich nach dem Täter...
Hat mir richtig gut gefallen.
Dabei ist es eigentlich eher ruhig, nicht actionreich, aber die Atmosphäre des Thrillers geht unter die Haut.
Es wird ein Kind vermisst. Alles deutet darauf hin, dass der Junge tot sein muss...
Eine sehr spannungsgeladene Suche nach dem Kind und nach der Wahrheit und natürlich nach dem Täter...
Hat mir richtig gut gefallen.
October 22, 2022
The Collector is the second in the Heloise Kalan and Eric Schafer series and it’s as good as the first. But don’t worry if you haven’t read the first, it can easily work as a stand-alone.
A young boy has gone missing and the search is on. The boy has a unique interest in pareidolia, or seeing faces in inanimate objects. The last person to see him was Heloise’s good friend, Gerda.
The story takes on the truth and our ability to trust others, even those closest to us. There’s a strong mix of Heloise’s personal life in this story, which worked very well. While I would characterize this as a police procedural, Heloise is actually a journalist. Eric is the investigator and their friendship provides the link.
I was engaged with this story from beginning to end. And that end! Wow, I did not see that one coming. While not fast paced, I found it hummed along and was believable from start to finish.
I’m not necessarily a big fan of the Nordic Noir genre. But this wasn’t overly dark. And Hancock gives us a good feel of the setting.
My thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for an advance copy of this book.
A young boy has gone missing and the search is on. The boy has a unique interest in pareidolia, or seeing faces in inanimate objects. The last person to see him was Heloise’s good friend, Gerda.
The story takes on the truth and our ability to trust others, even those closest to us. There’s a strong mix of Heloise’s personal life in this story, which worked very well. While I would characterize this as a police procedural, Heloise is actually a journalist. Eric is the investigator and their friendship provides the link.
I was engaged with this story from beginning to end. And that end! Wow, I did not see that one coming. While not fast paced, I found it hummed along and was believable from start to finish.
I’m not necessarily a big fan of the Nordic Noir genre. But this wasn’t overly dark. And Hancock gives us a good feel of the setting.
My thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for an advance copy of this book.
June 2, 2023
EXCERPT: He started walking down towards the car, but halfway down the earthworks he spotted something that made him slow his pace. He scrunched up his eyes and focused on the pedestrian bridge over the moat that surrounded the Citadel. Then he came to a complete stop. There was a figure standing in the middle of the bridge, almost camouflaged by the twilight, a hooded person wearing an orange backpack.
It was the strange, bent-over posture of the figure that made him slow down. But it was the child the person was holding that had made him stop.
A boy he estimated to be eight or nine years old hung limply over the side of the bridge while the person with the backpack held the fabric on the shoulders of the boy's down jacket. The person was yelling, but the wind snatched up the words, punching holes in them, so he couldn't hear what was being said.
He looked over at the car again and saw yet another insistent blink of the headlights. He needed to hurry now, but . . .
He looked down at the bridge again.
Then the figure let go of the boy.
ABOUT 'THE COLLECTOR': A boy has disappeared from his school. Heloise Kaldan heads over there to look into it. At the schoolyard she runs into her close friend Erik Schäfer, the outspoken investigator on this case. The boy, Lukas, doesn't show up, but his phone does. It reveals that Lukas is obsessed with pareidolia: the psychological phenomenon that makes us see faces in random things. One particular photo of a barn door that looks like a face catches their attention. Is this where Lukas is?
Heloise is ordered to drop her current article, a controversial investigation into soldiers with PTSD, to cover the story of the missing boy. But when things that point to the traumatized soldiers appear in Lukas' case, Schäfer will need Heloise's help making heads or tails of this enormous jumble of clues: Who is this "Apple Man" that the school children are talking about? Does Lukas' mother have a problem, or is she just soothing her anxiety with a cognac?
MY THOUGHTS: Anne Mette Hancock begins The Collector with a shocking bang - a young boy is dropped from a bridge by an unidentified person.
The story contains some interesting characters. Heloise sees herself as 'damaged goods' and so largely isolates herself from any sort of meaningful relationship, although she does have a soft spot for her friend Greta's eight year old daughter, Lulu. Detective Erik Schäfer is dedicated to his job, but not above dreaming of leaving the long dark Danish winters to live in the sun. Missing child Lukas has hidden depths. Everyone describes him as sensitive and happy, but there's more going on behind this facade than anyone realises.
The story is complex without being confusing and has quite a large cast of characters. At times it was hard to comprehend what some of the threads had to do with the main storyline, but in the end everything ties together. There are plenty of twists and I never had any idea who was responsible for Lukas' disappearance until it was revealed. I had focused my suspicions on someone else entirely!
The ending is brilliant!
Although The Collector is the second book in a series featuring investigative reporter Heloise Kaldan and Detective Erik Schäfer, it is easily read as a stand-alone.
I wanted a little more suspense than I got, but I get the feeling that something may well have been lost in translation, as so often happens. I am intrigued enough, however, to go in search of the first book featuring these friends, The Corpse Flower.
⭐⭐⭐.8
#TheCollector #NetGalley
I: @annemette.hancock @_swiftpress
T: @hancock_mette @SwiftPress
#contemporaryfiction #crime #detectivefiction #mystery #nordicnoir #policeprocedural
THE AUTHOR: Anne Mette Hancock is a bestselling mystery fiction author from Copenhagen, Denmark that is best known for the “Kaldan and Schafer Mystery” sereis of novels.
Anne was born in Grasten, a small town in Denmark but over the years she has lived in both France and the United States. In her young adult years, she went to Berlingske and Roskilde University where she studied journalism and history. Anne Mette makes her home in Copenhagen, where she lives with her two children.
She always wanted to become an author and made her debut in 2017.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Swift Press via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Collector by Anne Mette Hancock for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
It was the strange, bent-over posture of the figure that made him slow down. But it was the child the person was holding that had made him stop.
A boy he estimated to be eight or nine years old hung limply over the side of the bridge while the person with the backpack held the fabric on the shoulders of the boy's down jacket. The person was yelling, but the wind snatched up the words, punching holes in them, so he couldn't hear what was being said.
He looked over at the car again and saw yet another insistent blink of the headlights. He needed to hurry now, but . . .
He looked down at the bridge again.
Then the figure let go of the boy.
ABOUT 'THE COLLECTOR': A boy has disappeared from his school. Heloise Kaldan heads over there to look into it. At the schoolyard she runs into her close friend Erik Schäfer, the outspoken investigator on this case. The boy, Lukas, doesn't show up, but his phone does. It reveals that Lukas is obsessed with pareidolia: the psychological phenomenon that makes us see faces in random things. One particular photo of a barn door that looks like a face catches their attention. Is this where Lukas is?
Heloise is ordered to drop her current article, a controversial investigation into soldiers with PTSD, to cover the story of the missing boy. But when things that point to the traumatized soldiers appear in Lukas' case, Schäfer will need Heloise's help making heads or tails of this enormous jumble of clues: Who is this "Apple Man" that the school children are talking about? Does Lukas' mother have a problem, or is she just soothing her anxiety with a cognac?
MY THOUGHTS: Anne Mette Hancock begins The Collector with a shocking bang - a young boy is dropped from a bridge by an unidentified person.
The story contains some interesting characters. Heloise sees herself as 'damaged goods' and so largely isolates herself from any sort of meaningful relationship, although she does have a soft spot for her friend Greta's eight year old daughter, Lulu. Detective Erik Schäfer is dedicated to his job, but not above dreaming of leaving the long dark Danish winters to live in the sun. Missing child Lukas has hidden depths. Everyone describes him as sensitive and happy, but there's more going on behind this facade than anyone realises.
The story is complex without being confusing and has quite a large cast of characters. At times it was hard to comprehend what some of the threads had to do with the main storyline, but in the end everything ties together. There are plenty of twists and I never had any idea who was responsible for Lukas' disappearance until it was revealed. I had focused my suspicions on someone else entirely!
The ending is brilliant!
Although The Collector is the second book in a series featuring investigative reporter Heloise Kaldan and Detective Erik Schäfer, it is easily read as a stand-alone.
I wanted a little more suspense than I got, but I get the feeling that something may well have been lost in translation, as so often happens. I am intrigued enough, however, to go in search of the first book featuring these friends, The Corpse Flower.
⭐⭐⭐.8
#TheCollector #NetGalley
I: @annemette.hancock @_swiftpress
T: @hancock_mette @SwiftPress
#contemporaryfiction #crime #detectivefiction #mystery #nordicnoir #policeprocedural
THE AUTHOR: Anne Mette Hancock is a bestselling mystery fiction author from Copenhagen, Denmark that is best known for the “Kaldan and Schafer Mystery” sereis of novels.
Anne was born in Grasten, a small town in Denmark but over the years she has lived in both France and the United States. In her young adult years, she went to Berlingske and Roskilde University where she studied journalism and history. Anne Mette makes her home in Copenhagen, where she lives with her two children.
She always wanted to become an author and made her debut in 2017.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Swift Press via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Collector by Anne Mette Hancock for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
November 7, 2022
Kaldan and Schäfer #2
Journalist Heloise Kaldan attends an appointment with Doctor Bjerre when he receives an urgent call concerning his 10-year-old son Lukas who has been missing for the last eight hours. Lukas seems to have disappeared off the face of the earth. Erik Schäfer and his partner Lisa Augustin of the Violent Crimes Unit are sent to Nyholm school where Dr Bjerre has dropped Lukas that morning. The story unfolds via the alternating perspectives of Kaldan and Schäfer.
This is another fascinating cleverly connected and predictable plot with an ending I definitely don’t see coming! One of the most intriguing aspects which does focus the police investigation is Lukas’s obsession with pareidolia which is seeing faces and objects such as in a barn door, one of the last pictures he posted. This is very much a theme, what exactly have people seen? Does Kaldan really recognise the door as she believes? Are the things people have seen real or are they illusions? It mirrors what Schäfer is trying to do in the investigation too when he tries to extract patterns in an ever deepening mystery. There are possible connections to soldiers suffering PTSD and to Afghanistan but how is this connected to Lukas?
The characterisation of the two lead protagonists is excellent. Schäfer is methodical yet intuitive, Heloise struggles with a number of issues but Schäfer really gets her and I like the relationship between them.
The atmosphere the author creates is also very good, Copenhagen is utilised well and you feel as if you are there. You feel the chill too of a very cold winter which highlights the chill of the plot.
However, we do get a lot of superfluous detail which detracts from the excellent plot and it’s not the best translation in the world either with a number of clunky phrasings. I’m not entirely sure why it’s called The Collector either, does it refer to Lukas collection of pareidolia??
Overall though, it is a real page turner despite the above reservations and the short short chapters keep the focus as does the brisk pace. If you like Scandi Noir then this is definitely one for you.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Swift Press for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
Journalist Heloise Kaldan attends an appointment with Doctor Bjerre when he receives an urgent call concerning his 10-year-old son Lukas who has been missing for the last eight hours. Lukas seems to have disappeared off the face of the earth. Erik Schäfer and his partner Lisa Augustin of the Violent Crimes Unit are sent to Nyholm school where Dr Bjerre has dropped Lukas that morning. The story unfolds via the alternating perspectives of Kaldan and Schäfer.
This is another fascinating cleverly connected and predictable plot with an ending I definitely don’t see coming! One of the most intriguing aspects which does focus the police investigation is Lukas’s obsession with pareidolia which is seeing faces and objects such as in a barn door, one of the last pictures he posted. This is very much a theme, what exactly have people seen? Does Kaldan really recognise the door as she believes? Are the things people have seen real or are they illusions? It mirrors what Schäfer is trying to do in the investigation too when he tries to extract patterns in an ever deepening mystery. There are possible connections to soldiers suffering PTSD and to Afghanistan but how is this connected to Lukas?
The characterisation of the two lead protagonists is excellent. Schäfer is methodical yet intuitive, Heloise struggles with a number of issues but Schäfer really gets her and I like the relationship between them.
The atmosphere the author creates is also very good, Copenhagen is utilised well and you feel as if you are there. You feel the chill too of a very cold winter which highlights the chill of the plot.
However, we do get a lot of superfluous detail which detracts from the excellent plot and it’s not the best translation in the world either with a number of clunky phrasings. I’m not entirely sure why it’s called The Collector either, does it refer to Lukas collection of pareidolia??
Overall though, it is a real page turner despite the above reservations and the short short chapters keep the focus as does the brisk pace. If you like Scandi Noir then this is definitely one for you.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Swift Press for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
November 4, 2022
A witness reports seeing ten-year-old Lukas entering his school in Copenhagen and it's not until the end of the school day that people realize he hasn't been seen since. Lukas has pareidolia, a psychological phenomenon that causes him to see faces in random things. Heloise Kaldan, a journalist, and Erik Schafer, a police detective, are both investigating the disappearance although for different reasons.
The main characters are much more relaxed and likeable than in the first book and I really enjoyed reading this one. Detective Schafer made me laugh out loud a few times, especially when he was describing some of the characters at the school near the beginning. I'm not sure he was being politically correct but it made me laugh. Like the first book, this was translated from the Danish which resulted in some odd wording; at least I assume it was the translation unless the Danish actually say a person's hands are yellow with cold! Heloise (the "h" is still silent!) and Erik are good friends and the banter between them is charming without any hint of romance, more like a father-daughter relationship. The chapters are a nice length and the ending was a bit of a shock.
It's not necessary to have read the first book, The Corpse Flower, as this one reads well as a standalone. I'll be anxiously awaiting translation of the 3rd book in this series.
My sincere thanks to Dulce Botello of Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley for the widget. All opinions expressed are my own.
Publication Date: November 8, 2022
The main characters are much more relaxed and likeable than in the first book and I really enjoyed reading this one. Detective Schafer made me laugh out loud a few times, especially when he was describing some of the characters at the school near the beginning. I'm not sure he was being politically correct but it made me laugh. Like the first book, this was translated from the Danish which resulted in some odd wording; at least I assume it was the translation unless the Danish actually say a person's hands are yellow with cold! Heloise (the "h" is still silent!) and Erik are good friends and the banter between them is charming without any hint of romance, more like a father-daughter relationship. The chapters are a nice length and the ending was a bit of a shock.
It's not necessary to have read the first book, The Corpse Flower, as this one reads well as a standalone. I'll be anxiously awaiting translation of the 3rd book in this series.
My sincere thanks to Dulce Botello of Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley for the widget. All opinions expressed are my own.
Publication Date: November 8, 2022
August 4, 2022
Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for an egalley in exchange for an honest review.
The second in a series starring Danish detectives Kaldan and Schafer, the novel begins with the disappearance of a young school child and one thing is for sure, many people are keeping secrets.
I felt that this remained a very slow burn of a novel even though I read the majority of the novel in one sitting. There was a little too much purple prose in some chapters and I really felt the novel worked best when it was just focused on the investigation. There was a lot of sub stories that ran alongside the mystery and I felt some ran perpendicular to a child's disappearance. I felt some of the relationships between characters was a bit strange. Yet I ask myself if it is a translation issue or the fact that I didn't read book one?
All in all, an okay book but not my favorite.
Goodreads review published 03/08/22
Expected Publication Date 08/11/22
TheCollector #NetGalley
The second in a series starring Danish detectives Kaldan and Schafer, the novel begins with the disappearance of a young school child and one thing is for sure, many people are keeping secrets.
I felt that this remained a very slow burn of a novel even though I read the majority of the novel in one sitting. There was a little too much purple prose in some chapters and I really felt the novel worked best when it was just focused on the investigation. There was a lot of sub stories that ran alongside the mystery and I felt some ran perpendicular to a child's disappearance. I felt some of the relationships between characters was a bit strange. Yet I ask myself if it is a translation issue or the fact that I didn't read book one?
All in all, an okay book but not my favorite.
Goodreads review published 03/08/22
Expected Publication Date 08/11/22
TheCollector #NetGalley
June 13, 2022
2 stars, granted on the fact that it is a fast paced and easy read.
There are several things that made me downgrade my rating:
* The characters were absolutely not likeable. I don't mind some nasty villains, and even my favorite policewoman, Vera, is also rather irascible and stubborn, but here the characters don't have any traits to redeem themselves. Schaffer the policeman in charge is macho and has very preconceived notions: a male teacher with some makeup: SUSPECT ! A male aid crying in public: SUSPECT ! A gazelle like woman looking like a supermodel: TO BE INTERVIEWED ! Really? It's 2022 guys ! His counterpart in the form of a journalist (who didn't write a word during the whole book) is Heloise who is just whining about her private life all the way through.
* The whole story revolves around a handful of characters who all know each other in some way: the detective and the journalist are besties, so are the journalist and the main witness. The journalist is with the father when he receives the call that his boy is missing. There are more links that I will pass in order to avoid spoilers.
* There are issues that gave me pause and even wanted me to stop reading: up to three times patient - doctor confidentiality is broken, with devastating consequences. Schaffer is not the only one who shows signs of prejudice and preconceived notions, there is a multitude of references to race, gender or social status that are off putting. The themes of domestic abuse, alcoholism, abortion, refugees or poverty are all handled in a detached and very stereotypical way.
* And then there is also some strange structure in sentences and vocabulary, which I think is a result of the translation. Also, I have no clue as to what the title is referring to.
I would certainly recommend this book to readers who enjoy a fast paced thriller with twists and turns, but unfortunately it wasn't for me.
A sincere thanks to NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books and the author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
There are several things that made me downgrade my rating:
* The characters were absolutely not likeable. I don't mind some nasty villains, and even my favorite policewoman, Vera, is also rather irascible and stubborn, but here the characters don't have any traits to redeem themselves. Schaffer the policeman in charge is macho and has very preconceived notions: a male teacher with some makeup: SUSPECT ! A male aid crying in public: SUSPECT ! A gazelle like woman looking like a supermodel: TO BE INTERVIEWED ! Really? It's 2022 guys ! His counterpart in the form of a journalist (who didn't write a word during the whole book) is Heloise who is just whining about her private life all the way through.
* The whole story revolves around a handful of characters who all know each other in some way: the detective and the journalist are besties, so are the journalist and the main witness. The journalist is with the father when he receives the call that his boy is missing. There are more links that I will pass in order to avoid spoilers.
* There are issues that gave me pause and even wanted me to stop reading: up to three times patient - doctor confidentiality is broken, with devastating consequences. Schaffer is not the only one who shows signs of prejudice and preconceived notions, there is a multitude of references to race, gender or social status that are off putting. The themes of domestic abuse, alcoholism, abortion, refugees or poverty are all handled in a detached and very stereotypical way.
* And then there is also some strange structure in sentences and vocabulary, which I think is a result of the translation. Also, I have no clue as to what the title is referring to.
I would certainly recommend this book to readers who enjoy a fast paced thriller with twists and turns, but unfortunately it wasn't for me.
A sincere thanks to NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books and the author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
March 25, 2022
I was so into this book that I couldn't put it down. The characters in the story kept me so interested due to the twists and turns. I was praying for the little boy the whole time. I seriously thought it was one person, then turned out it was someone else I never suspected. I loved how this story played out. The last page SHOOK me to my core! Crazy how it all turned out. Loved this and how the tension built up page by page!
This ARC was given to me from NetGalley and the publishers to read/review plus give my personal opinions on this book. All statements above are my own and based solely on my own opinions after reading the book.
This ARC was given to me from NetGalley and the publishers to read/review plus give my personal opinions on this book. All statements above are my own and based solely on my own opinions after reading the book.
November 4, 2022
4.5 rounded up.
This is a sequel to her earlier book, The Corpse Flower (a very unfortunate title but it simply referred to large stinky flower that only flowers every few years). But I digress, this story brings back the two major protagonists from the previous book - investigative journalist Heloise Kaldan and police officer Erik Shäfer. They are both working on the same case from different angles.
A 10 year old boy, Lukas Bjerre, has gone missing. His father took him to school in the morning and waved him goodbye but he was not in any of his classes and he wasn’t reported as missing until the roll call at the end of the day. The next day the boy’s jacket was found under the ice in a frozen lake but there was no sign of the body. Also eventually found was his backpack and other belongings but there was no sign of the boy.
This was a perplexing dilemma for the police and clues were thin on the ground. The story was full of misdirection and unreliable narrators. Nothing was as it seemed. I certainly couldn’t pick whodunit!
Heloise worked her own angles on this one and Schäfer worked the usual police following the evidence lines of inquiry until eventually the horrible truth was revealed.
The ending was quite ambiguous and quite abrupt. It makes more sense now that I realise there a third book to come. Hopefully it will be translated soon as I am really enjoying this Nordic noir series. Many thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the much appreciated arc which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly.
This is a sequel to her earlier book, The Corpse Flower (a very unfortunate title but it simply referred to large stinky flower that only flowers every few years). But I digress, this story brings back the two major protagonists from the previous book - investigative journalist Heloise Kaldan and police officer Erik Shäfer. They are both working on the same case from different angles.
A 10 year old boy, Lukas Bjerre, has gone missing. His father took him to school in the morning and waved him goodbye but he was not in any of his classes and he wasn’t reported as missing until the roll call at the end of the day. The next day the boy’s jacket was found under the ice in a frozen lake but there was no sign of the body. Also eventually found was his backpack and other belongings but there was no sign of the boy.
This was a perplexing dilemma for the police and clues were thin on the ground. The story was full of misdirection and unreliable narrators. Nothing was as it seemed. I certainly couldn’t pick whodunit!
Heloise worked her own angles on this one and Schäfer worked the usual police following the evidence lines of inquiry until eventually the horrible truth was revealed.
The ending was quite ambiguous and quite abrupt. It makes more sense now that I realise there a third book to come. Hopefully it will be translated soon as I am really enjoying this Nordic noir series. Many thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the much appreciated arc which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly.
August 4, 2022
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: November 8, 2022
Anne Mette Hancock brings her Danish detective series, Kaldan and Schafer (first seen in the first novel, “The Corpse Flower"), back for a second time with the second novel, “The Collector”.
A ten year old boy disappears from his school in the middle of the day, vanishing without a trace. No one saw the boy being taken, and everyone who knows him swears he is compliant, sweet and loving. When detective Eric Schafer is called to the scene, the boys’ jean jacket is found submerged in a frozen lake, covered in the blood of a war veteran; a war veteran whose dead body was also just discovered. As Schafer scrambles to uncover the connection, investigative journalist Heloise Kaldan is desperate to break the case open, regardless of the consequences.
Hancock’s series is different from other police procedural novels in that the lead protagonists are friends, working in two entirely separate fields, and are not detective partners. Schafer is a detective, sure, but Kaldan is a journalist, and the two are connected by a long-time friendship. Schafer is in a long-term, committed marriage, and Kaldan is involved as well, so there are no obvious romantic intentions between the two, which is refreshing in this genre.
The chapters are short and tantalizing, making the novel a quick page-turner. There is no shortage of drama either; with dysfunctional relationships, addiction and pareidolia (a phenomenon where sufferers see faces in inanimate things) at its centre. Hancock’s characters are well developed, and there are enough background players to make the final whodunit completely unexpected.
Set against the freezing backdrop of a Danish winter, “The Collector” is sure to give you chills.
Expected publication date: November 8, 2022
Anne Mette Hancock brings her Danish detective series, Kaldan and Schafer (first seen in the first novel, “The Corpse Flower"), back for a second time with the second novel, “The Collector”.
A ten year old boy disappears from his school in the middle of the day, vanishing without a trace. No one saw the boy being taken, and everyone who knows him swears he is compliant, sweet and loving. When detective Eric Schafer is called to the scene, the boys’ jean jacket is found submerged in a frozen lake, covered in the blood of a war veteran; a war veteran whose dead body was also just discovered. As Schafer scrambles to uncover the connection, investigative journalist Heloise Kaldan is desperate to break the case open, regardless of the consequences.
Hancock’s series is different from other police procedural novels in that the lead protagonists are friends, working in two entirely separate fields, and are not detective partners. Schafer is a detective, sure, but Kaldan is a journalist, and the two are connected by a long-time friendship. Schafer is in a long-term, committed marriage, and Kaldan is involved as well, so there are no obvious romantic intentions between the two, which is refreshing in this genre.
The chapters are short and tantalizing, making the novel a quick page-turner. There is no shortage of drama either; with dysfunctional relationships, addiction and pareidolia (a phenomenon where sufferers see faces in inanimate things) at its centre. Hancock’s characters are well developed, and there are enough background players to make the final whodunit completely unexpected.
Set against the freezing backdrop of a Danish winter, “The Collector” is sure to give you chills.
October 9, 2022
First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Anne Mette Hancock, and Crooked Lane Books for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.
After her series debut piqued my interest, I returned for another ARC by Anne Mette Hancock. A Danish psychological thriller, the story works in ways that force me to look outside my traditional expectations for novels in the genre. Full of local flavouring, Hancock develops a piece that is sure to intrigue many readers, though I am not sure if the original Danish was more impactful from a linguistic point of view.
After the disappearance of a young boy from his school, the authorities in Copenhagen are on high alert. Lukas was gifted in ways that exceeded academia; he obsessed over pareidolia, where one sees faces in inanimate objects. After scouring Lukas’ possessions, they discover a photo of a barn door with what could be a face in the shadows. Might this be a clue to his whereabouts? Journalist Heloise Kaldan thinks that she might be able to help, but struggles with locating the source of the barn.
After the grisly discovery of Lukas’ jacket, the forensics points to a former soldier with a mountain of issues all his own. Could Thomas Strand have abducted Lukas for some twisted reason? What was the endgame in all of this and how did it all take place? While Heloise Kaldan works with the authorities, including Detective Erik Schäfer, little comes together, However, once Strand is found executed in his apartment, the case takes on deeper and more sinister panic.
A missing child, an executed soldier with mental health issues, and this lingering pareidolia. How did it all come together so swiftly? While Schäfer and Kaldan try to piece it all together, they have some personal demons that must come to the surface or risk ruing their ability to successfully manage the case. In a gripping piece that has moments where the reader will surely gasp aloud, Hancock creates a chilling tale with a tense ending for all to enjoy!
While I do read a number of Scandinavian thrillers, I would not call myself an expert, That said, I know what I like and which books I am happy to push to the side. Anne Mette Hancock has all the ingredients for a strong piece, though there were times I felt it lacking. I contemplated what it could be and wonde if the translation was not as crisp as I would have liked. I know that with many books that face the translation mountain, I cannot tell where the seams are located. However, with this one, they were all too apparent, leaving things slightly jilted.
The key to a strong thriller is to begin with a bang. Hancock does that with the disappearance of a young child, as well as some of the subplots related to the protagonists. She pulls the reader in and uses her narrative abilities to build on the story from there. Once things are strong from a foundational point of view, Hancock is able to incorporate strong characters and key plot twists to keep the story moving. I felt as though I were on the streets of Copenhagen throughout and never left the scene of the crime, which exemplifies Hancock’s abilities. I am eager to see if there will be more to this series, which I may give one more chance, as the translation proves a yoke to my overall enjoyment.
Kudos, Madam Hancock, for another intriguing piece. I am curious where things are headed now.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
After her series debut piqued my interest, I returned for another ARC by Anne Mette Hancock. A Danish psychological thriller, the story works in ways that force me to look outside my traditional expectations for novels in the genre. Full of local flavouring, Hancock develops a piece that is sure to intrigue many readers, though I am not sure if the original Danish was more impactful from a linguistic point of view.
After the disappearance of a young boy from his school, the authorities in Copenhagen are on high alert. Lukas was gifted in ways that exceeded academia; he obsessed over pareidolia, where one sees faces in inanimate objects. After scouring Lukas’ possessions, they discover a photo of a barn door with what could be a face in the shadows. Might this be a clue to his whereabouts? Journalist Heloise Kaldan thinks that she might be able to help, but struggles with locating the source of the barn.
After the grisly discovery of Lukas’ jacket, the forensics points to a former soldier with a mountain of issues all his own. Could Thomas Strand have abducted Lukas for some twisted reason? What was the endgame in all of this and how did it all take place? While Heloise Kaldan works with the authorities, including Detective Erik Schäfer, little comes together, However, once Strand is found executed in his apartment, the case takes on deeper and more sinister panic.
A missing child, an executed soldier with mental health issues, and this lingering pareidolia. How did it all come together so swiftly? While Schäfer and Kaldan try to piece it all together, they have some personal demons that must come to the surface or risk ruing their ability to successfully manage the case. In a gripping piece that has moments where the reader will surely gasp aloud, Hancock creates a chilling tale with a tense ending for all to enjoy!
While I do read a number of Scandinavian thrillers, I would not call myself an expert, That said, I know what I like and which books I am happy to push to the side. Anne Mette Hancock has all the ingredients for a strong piece, though there were times I felt it lacking. I contemplated what it could be and wonde if the translation was not as crisp as I would have liked. I know that with many books that face the translation mountain, I cannot tell where the seams are located. However, with this one, they were all too apparent, leaving things slightly jilted.
The key to a strong thriller is to begin with a bang. Hancock does that with the disappearance of a young child, as well as some of the subplots related to the protagonists. She pulls the reader in and uses her narrative abilities to build on the story from there. Once things are strong from a foundational point of view, Hancock is able to incorporate strong characters and key plot twists to keep the story moving. I felt as though I were on the streets of Copenhagen throughout and never left the scene of the crime, which exemplifies Hancock’s abilities. I am eager to see if there will be more to this series, which I may give one more chance, as the translation proves a yoke to my overall enjoyment.
Kudos, Madam Hancock, for another intriguing piece. I am curious where things are headed now.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
November 8, 2022
This is the second book in the Kaldan and Shafer series and I was happy to pick it up because I had read and enjoyed the first book, The Corpse Flower in 2021. This is another good Nordic thriller. Kaldan is a journalist working for a newspaper and Shafer is a Danish detective. They get involved in the case of a young boy who disappeared after entering his school. The investigation gets messy and has intriguing avenues to follow.
I like the characters and enjoyed the investigation. This book can easily be read as a standalone. There was good tension buildup and the plot moved well. There are some difficult situations and a surprise end. I look forward to the third book being translated.
Thanks to Crooked Lane Books through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on November 8, 2022.
I like the characters and enjoyed the investigation. This book can easily be read as a standalone. There was good tension buildup and the plot moved well. There are some difficult situations and a surprise end. I look forward to the third book being translated.
Thanks to Crooked Lane Books through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on November 8, 2022.
July 15, 2023
I’m a little freaked. I added this to my tbr because this dude I was sitting next on a plane recommended it as his favorite book. I hope he was joking... I mean, it's a good book, but why is it your favorite?? Yikes, the only other option is he’s a psycho. 😐
This is a good book on the misogynistic take “She’s not like other girls.”
And cataloging women as “dirty/whores” or “good/respectable girls” which low and behold, leads to violence against women!
Crazy that he never views himself in a bad light, ever. He justified his actions at every turn “I'm sure other men wouldn’t have the self-control I had in that situation,” while he’s quite literally KIDNAPPED A WOMAN IN HIS BASEMENT. It’s so chilling to hear his retelling of events. I kept getting flashbacks of YOU because it’s so similar at the end. He continues to have an internal battle to always to blame the victim or reasoning behind his actions. She left me no choice! Like, yeah right buddy.
As a reader, you're set up to know the outcome because of his offhand comments. But it didn’t make it any less suspenseful. I liked the dual pov where it switched halfway through, with the abducter trying to “take control of the situation” and the victims torturous ordeal trying to find a way out. Though some of her diary logs and flashbacks felt a little dull in the second half with stories of GP, this much older man she tried to date. Overall I don’t think I’ll forget this story anytime soon. It’s so bleak and psychologically fascinating.
This is a good book on the misogynistic take “She’s not like other girls.”
And cataloging women as “dirty/whores” or “good/respectable girls” which low and behold, leads to violence against women!
Crazy that he never views himself in a bad light, ever. He justified his actions at every turn “I'm sure other men wouldn’t have the self-control I had in that situation,” while he’s quite literally KIDNAPPED A WOMAN IN HIS BASEMENT. It’s so chilling to hear his retelling of events. I kept getting flashbacks of YOU because it’s so similar at the end. He continues to have an internal battle to always to blame the victim or reasoning behind his actions. She left me no choice! Like, yeah right buddy.
As a reader, you're set up to know the outcome because of his offhand comments. But it didn’t make it any less suspenseful. I liked the dual pov where it switched halfway through, with the abducter trying to “take control of the situation” and the victims torturous ordeal trying to find a way out. Though some of her diary logs and flashbacks felt a little dull in the second half with stories of GP, this much older man she tried to date. Overall I don’t think I’ll forget this story anytime soon. It’s so bleak and psychologically fascinating.
August 16, 2021
The premise was intruging and so was the book it self. It was a very fast read as I needed to know what was going to happen. Haven't read the first book or the other book in the series but I will definitely pick them up sometime, hopefully soon
December 17, 2022
This is a strong second installment in what promises to be a terrific series. The little boy who's gone missing experiences pareidolia (according to Merriam-Webster, "the tendency to perceive a specific, often meaningful image in a random or ambiguous visual pattern"); in his case, he sees faces in objects like barn doors and lunchboxes. This psychological phenomenon ripples out through the novel (every character, to varying degrees, has a tendency to see what isn't there), and becomes a kind of commentary on the genre itself: isn't every mystery--and maybe human behavior itself--shaped by our misperceptions?
But what I appreciate most about this novel is the ending. In a genre that lives or dies by the big twist, it isn't easy to bring a plot to a conclusion that feels believable AND surprising. Hancock does that, and even throws in a little bonus twist that had me sitting straight up in bed at 3 in the morning. Kudos!
But what I appreciate most about this novel is the ending. In a genre that lives or dies by the big twist, it isn't easy to bring a plot to a conclusion that feels believable AND surprising. Hancock does that, and even throws in a little bonus twist that had me sitting straight up in bed at 3 in the morning. Kudos!
November 11, 2021
"Investigativ-Journalistin Heloise Kaldan hat gerade eine Recherche zu traumatisierten Soldaten begonnen, als sie eine persönliche Entscheidung treffen muss über Leben und Zukunft. Noch bevor sie irgendetwas tun kann, erfährt sie vom Verschwinden eines zehnjährigen Jungen. Vor Ort trifft Heloise ihren guten Freund Kommissar Erik Schäfer, der in dem Fall ermittelt. Die Spuren zu dem Jungen – Lukas – sind verwirrend, nichts passt zusammen. Heloise versucht, Erik Schäfer zu helfen, das entscheidende Muster zu erkennen. Und begegnet ihren innersten Dämonen."
Die Geschichte fängt direkt spannend an und der Leser wird mit einigen Dingen konfrontiert, die ich aber nicht näher erläutern werde (Spoiler und so).
Es liest sich gut und die Geschichte entwickelt sich zu einem Pageturner. Teilweise rückt jedoch die Haupthandlung in den Hintergrund, da das Privatleben von Erik und Heloise, besonders bei Heloise, ziemlich beleuchtet wird. Ich fand es zwar interessant und dadurch lernt man die Beiden auch besser kennen, dennoch war es stellenweise etwas zu viel des Guten. Erik Schäfer ist ein sehr symphatischer Charakter, aber in diesem Band fand ich Heloise teilweise sehr anstrengend und unsymphatisch. Leider. Manchmal musste ich mich echt fragen: Was stimmt nicht mit ihr? Man kann sich viel einreden, wenn der Tag lang ist. Auch ihr Verhalten und ihre Beweggründe konnte ich nicht immer nachvollziehen.
Der Fall an sich war schlüssig und gut gemacht, aber ich finde eher, dass die ganze Geschichte eher einem Krimi zu zuordnen ist, anstatt zu einem Thriller. Dies tut dem Ganzen keinen Abbruch, aber wollte ich mal gesagt haben.
Insgesamt konnte mich die Geschichte unterhalten und ich habe diese auch gerne gelesen und deshalb kann ich das Buch auch als lesenswert einordnen.
Die Geschichte fängt direkt spannend an und der Leser wird mit einigen Dingen konfrontiert, die ich aber nicht näher erläutern werde (Spoiler und so).
Es liest sich gut und die Geschichte entwickelt sich zu einem Pageturner. Teilweise rückt jedoch die Haupthandlung in den Hintergrund, da das Privatleben von Erik und Heloise, besonders bei Heloise, ziemlich beleuchtet wird. Ich fand es zwar interessant und dadurch lernt man die Beiden auch besser kennen, dennoch war es stellenweise etwas zu viel des Guten. Erik Schäfer ist ein sehr symphatischer Charakter, aber in diesem Band fand ich Heloise teilweise sehr anstrengend und unsymphatisch. Leider. Manchmal musste ich mich echt fragen: Was stimmt nicht mit ihr? Man kann sich viel einreden, wenn der Tag lang ist. Auch ihr Verhalten und ihre Beweggründe konnte ich nicht immer nachvollziehen.
Der Fall an sich war schlüssig und gut gemacht, aber ich finde eher, dass die ganze Geschichte eher einem Krimi zu zuordnen ist, anstatt zu einem Thriller. Dies tut dem Ganzen keinen Abbruch, aber wollte ich mal gesagt haben.
Insgesamt konnte mich die Geschichte unterhalten und ich habe diese auch gerne gelesen und deshalb kann ich das Buch auch als lesenswert einordnen.
March 28, 2022
I am a big fan of Scandi noir (thanks to Jo Nesbo) and this didn’t disappoint.
A fast paced and thrilling story about a missing 10 year old boy, this is a real page Turner that saw me reading late into the night.
Easily worthy of 4 stars ⭐️
A fast paced and thrilling story about a missing 10 year old boy, this is a real page Turner that saw me reading late into the night.
Easily worthy of 4 stars ⭐️
March 22, 2023
I have no idea why I waited so long to read the second book in the Kaldan and Schafer series, especially after I read and loved The Corpse Flower so much. I'm glad I finally got to The Collector because I ended up loving it just as much as book 1. I love the way Anne Mette Hancock writes, and she has a great talent for sucking the reader into her stories and making them not want to put the book down. After listening to The Corpse Flower right before it, I listened to this in one sitting, and I was thrilled that it was the same narrator, Laura Jennings. While the quality of the audio was a little off for this book, I still loved Jennings's narration and would listen to it again for sure.
While book 1 had more of a focus on Kaldan, this installment focused more on the investigation through Schafer's viewpoint, and I don't think you would actually have to read The Corpse Flower prior to The Collector since they are basically unrelated besides the characters. However, I love having character backstories and it was helpful to a certain extent so I would still recommend reading in order. The last chapter of this book was wild and a little heartbreaking and will probably be a little tough for some readers. I loved the mystery and had no idea where it was going to go which was a win, and I was just happy to be back in this world.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
While book 1 had more of a focus on Kaldan, this installment focused more on the investigation through Schafer's viewpoint, and I don't think you would actually have to read The Corpse Flower prior to The Collector since they are basically unrelated besides the characters. However, I love having character backstories and it was helpful to a certain extent so I would still recommend reading in order. The last chapter of this book was wild and a little heartbreaking and will probably be a little tough for some readers. I loved the mystery and had no idea where it was going to go which was a win, and I was just happy to be back in this world.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
September 12, 2022
A team of detectives and a journalist both searching for the boy who disappeared. The investigations run parallel, each finding different clues that eventually bring the story to a chilling finale. A well written, fast paced, exciting read set in realistic surroundings.
Thank you Netgalley and Anne Mette Hancock for the ARC.
Thank you Netgalley and Anne Mette Hancock for the ARC.
June 12, 2023
After reading her first book The Corpse Flower I was really hoping for more of the same. I was so disappointed. It was so slow but I persevered and it did get better but I must admit it was hard going. I really hope that her next book is better.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.
July 8, 2025
Klasičen skandinavski krimič, ki zna držati pozornost do konca.
May 26, 2024
Started, stopped at chapter 12.
Began again yesterday from the start and finished today.
I initially stopped reading as I wasn’t in the best place to read another story where a child goes missing.
I returned to start again as my head was in a better place and this is my second book by this author and I respect her integrity.
Great location; a police procedural set in Denmark, with the added twist of an investigative journalist.
When a young lad goes missing after his father drops him off at school, (his absence is not discovered until he fails to show at the after school club), the Police already feel they have lost valuable time. Initial enquiries throw up a number of leads and people of interest but truth be told there is more going on here than just a child abduction.
The characters are believable and the interactions within the story maintain interest and weave an intriguing mystery. Certainly. as is the expectation with good scandi noir there are a number of set piece action sequences where you have your heart in your mouth. Moments of tension are dramatically written and underline that this is a well crafted thriller.
I also valued the literary skills which enable the novelist to expand across a number of situations, elements of trust. As a human value this is explored, finitely within a number of relationships and interactions. I find it a real bonus when you can mine such treasures within a book.
Elsewhere there are issues around immigration, nationalism, alcoholism and justified violence within the text and character choices. Other great set pieces involve the expected autopsy and the criminal psychologist’s interpretations of a perpetrator cv.
I was pleased to see the subject of PTSD being introduced and attributed with careful brush strokes rather than graffitied across the pages and not taken seriously.
Over and above all these addition qualities which enhance the story, this is fundamentally a police procedural detailing a parent’s worst nightmare. But is the writer’s skill rather than just the horrific plot line that makes this a must read crime thriller.
Began again yesterday from the start and finished today.
I initially stopped reading as I wasn’t in the best place to read another story where a child goes missing.
I returned to start again as my head was in a better place and this is my second book by this author and I respect her integrity.
Great location; a police procedural set in Denmark, with the added twist of an investigative journalist.
When a young lad goes missing after his father drops him off at school, (his absence is not discovered until he fails to show at the after school club), the Police already feel they have lost valuable time. Initial enquiries throw up a number of leads and people of interest but truth be told there is more going on here than just a child abduction.
The characters are believable and the interactions within the story maintain interest and weave an intriguing mystery. Certainly. as is the expectation with good scandi noir there are a number of set piece action sequences where you have your heart in your mouth. Moments of tension are dramatically written and underline that this is a well crafted thriller.
I also valued the literary skills which enable the novelist to expand across a number of situations, elements of trust. As a human value this is explored, finitely within a number of relationships and interactions. I find it a real bonus when you can mine such treasures within a book.
Elsewhere there are issues around immigration, nationalism, alcoholism and justified violence within the text and character choices. Other great set pieces involve the expected autopsy and the criminal psychologist’s interpretations of a perpetrator cv.
I was pleased to see the subject of PTSD being introduced and attributed with careful brush strokes rather than graffitied across the pages and not taken seriously.
Over and above all these addition qualities which enhance the story, this is fundamentally a police procedural detailing a parent’s worst nightmare. But is the writer’s skill rather than just the horrific plot line that makes this a must read crime thriller.
October 8, 2022
I absolutely loved the Corpse Flower when I read it last year, and I was happy to see that The Collector brings back the characters from that book. This was a really addictive read, I ended up staying awake until midnight to finish it. As with the Corpse Flower, there is so much going on all the time, and we have chapters from different characters points of view. It is another dark crime fiction book, and this crime lover could not get enough.
This time we see journalist Heloise and Detective Schafer working together to find a missing child. Lukas is only 10 and disappears from the school gate. And nobody saw a thing. Soon, the boy's jacket is found in a park with blood on it. The race is on to find Lukas alive.
There are some triggering subjects covered in The Collector. Themes of PTSD, childhood abuse and a lot more, but I don't want to give anything away.
Another great Nordic Noir read, and I hope we see more from these characters again. 4.5 stars
Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. Published November 8th.
This time we see journalist Heloise and Detective Schafer working together to find a missing child. Lukas is only 10 and disappears from the school gate. And nobody saw a thing. Soon, the boy's jacket is found in a park with blood on it. The race is on to find Lukas alive.
There are some triggering subjects covered in The Collector. Themes of PTSD, childhood abuse and a lot more, but I don't want to give anything away.
Another great Nordic Noir read, and I hope we see more from these characters again. 4.5 stars
Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. Published November 8th.
April 13, 2022
a very fast and great read, I read it in one sitting and I was happy to do so. great twists and such breath taking events. I liked it very much, couldn't even guess who was behind everything. well written characters and a great story, I can't wait to read the rest of the series.
July 23, 2022
A boy goes missing and the police are trying to find out what happend. He seems like a happy child from a happy family but the detectives are not convinced.. Then, his school backpack is found, but not the boy. Nice, I did not expect at the ending.
January 2, 2025
Engaging story and a nice quick read. I enjoyed this as much as I did the authors first book 'The Corpse Flower'. Towards the end of the book, I was a little dismayed about the way it appeared to be ending. Plus, there was some misdirection regarding another death by natural means and a sort of unrelated murder. I also felt that there was too much about the boy and his family not explained. It's like she ran out of the will to wrap all that up nicely. I will admit that the very end of the book had a nice little twist to it. Very nice.
October 22, 2021
Nach "Leichenblume" folgt nun der zweite Band rund um die Investigativ Journalistin Heloise Kaldan und Kommissar Erik Schäfer.
Auch diesmal ist der Start in die Geschichte direkt. Im Prolog beobachtet ein Unbekannter, wie jemand einen leblosen Körper über ein Brückengeländer hebt und diesen in den Fluss fallen lässt. So ist man von den ersten Seiten an gefeselt und rätselt, was sich hier wohl ereignet hat.
Kurze Zeit später wird der 10jährige Lukas Bjerre vermisst. Heloise befindet sich gerade beim Arzt, als der Gynäkologe einen Anruf von der Polizei erhält, dass sein Sohn spurlos verschwunden ist. Heloises Interesse ist geweckt. Durch ihre Freundin Gerda Bendix, eine Militärpsychologin, kommt sie noch näher an den Fall heran, denn Gerdas Tochter Lulu ist eine Schulkameradin des verschwundenen Lukas. Vor der Schule trifft sie auch auf Erik Schäfer, der im Fall ermittelt....
Nach einem verhältnismäßig ruhigen Einstieg, gewinnt die Handlung im weiteren Verlauf zunehmend an Fahrt. Anne Mette Hancock führt außerdem zu Beginn jede Menge Figuren ein. Man lernt die Eltern des Jungen, einige Lehrer und Erzieher kennen, Eltern von Mitschüler und einem Verkäufer im Supermarkt...
Die Autorin legt gekonnt viele Fährten und gibt jede Menge Raum für Spekulationen. So wächst auch die Zahl der Verdächtigen. Der Polizei hingegen läuft die Zeit davon, denn die meisten Informationen können nur mühsam zusammengetragen werden oder führen ins Leere. Sie treten und bei den winterlichen Temperaturen in Dänemark scheint es unmöglich den Jungen noch lebend zu finden.
In diesem zweiten Band bekommt auch Heloises Privatleben etwas mehr Raum. Sie steht vor einer schweren Entscheidung und weiß nicht, was sie tun soll. Dabei hat sie nicht immer meine Sympathie gewonnen. Auch nach diesem zweiten Band bin ich unschlüssig, ob ich die Journalistin mag oder nicht.
Die Zusammenarbeit zwischen Heloise und Schäfer bleibt eher im Hintergrund, denn eigentlich hätte Schäfer zur Auflösung Heloise nicht wirklich gebraucht. Das Zusammenspiel der beiden hat mir etwas gefehlt, denn beide versuchen eher im Alleingang den Fall zu lösen.
Ein weiteres Thema sind traumatisierte Kriegsheimkehrer, die in Afghanistan stationiert waren.
Die Autorin hat auch in diesem Fall wieder eine nicht alltäglich "Besonderheit" herausgepickt. War es im ersten Band "Amorphophallus titanum", die Leichenblume, die einen sehr speziellen Geruch verströmt, ist es diesmal die "Pareidolie", ein Phänomen in Mustern Gesichter zu erkennen. Das gefällt mir wirklich gut, denn viele Thriller haben nicht mehr viel Neues zu bieten.
Alle Protagonisten wirken durchwegs authentisch. Der Thriller ist kurzweilig und vielschichtig. Die unterschwellige Spannung baut sich immer mehr auf. Das Ende schockiert, ist aber in sich stimmig. Nun bin ich schon auf den dritten Fall gespannt, der am 26. Januar erscheinen wird.
Fazit:
Auch der zweite Band um die Journalistin Heloise Kaldan und Kommissar Erik Schäfer hat mir wieder gut gefallen. Die Autorin setzt gekonnt falsche Fährten und hält damit die Spannung aufrecht. Ebenso hat sie sich auch diesmal wieder einem ungewöhnlichen Thema gewidmet. Ich bin nun schon sehr auf den dritten Band der Reihe gespannt.
Auch diesmal ist der Start in die Geschichte direkt. Im Prolog beobachtet ein Unbekannter, wie jemand einen leblosen Körper über ein Brückengeländer hebt und diesen in den Fluss fallen lässt. So ist man von den ersten Seiten an gefeselt und rätselt, was sich hier wohl ereignet hat.
Kurze Zeit später wird der 10jährige Lukas Bjerre vermisst. Heloise befindet sich gerade beim Arzt, als der Gynäkologe einen Anruf von der Polizei erhält, dass sein Sohn spurlos verschwunden ist. Heloises Interesse ist geweckt. Durch ihre Freundin Gerda Bendix, eine Militärpsychologin, kommt sie noch näher an den Fall heran, denn Gerdas Tochter Lulu ist eine Schulkameradin des verschwundenen Lukas. Vor der Schule trifft sie auch auf Erik Schäfer, der im Fall ermittelt....
Nach einem verhältnismäßig ruhigen Einstieg, gewinnt die Handlung im weiteren Verlauf zunehmend an Fahrt. Anne Mette Hancock führt außerdem zu Beginn jede Menge Figuren ein. Man lernt die Eltern des Jungen, einige Lehrer und Erzieher kennen, Eltern von Mitschüler und einem Verkäufer im Supermarkt...
Die Autorin legt gekonnt viele Fährten und gibt jede Menge Raum für Spekulationen. So wächst auch die Zahl der Verdächtigen. Der Polizei hingegen läuft die Zeit davon, denn die meisten Informationen können nur mühsam zusammengetragen werden oder führen ins Leere. Sie treten und bei den winterlichen Temperaturen in Dänemark scheint es unmöglich den Jungen noch lebend zu finden.
In diesem zweiten Band bekommt auch Heloises Privatleben etwas mehr Raum. Sie steht vor einer schweren Entscheidung und weiß nicht, was sie tun soll. Dabei hat sie nicht immer meine Sympathie gewonnen. Auch nach diesem zweiten Band bin ich unschlüssig, ob ich die Journalistin mag oder nicht.
Die Zusammenarbeit zwischen Heloise und Schäfer bleibt eher im Hintergrund, denn eigentlich hätte Schäfer zur Auflösung Heloise nicht wirklich gebraucht. Das Zusammenspiel der beiden hat mir etwas gefehlt, denn beide versuchen eher im Alleingang den Fall zu lösen.
Ein weiteres Thema sind traumatisierte Kriegsheimkehrer, die in Afghanistan stationiert waren.
Die Autorin hat auch in diesem Fall wieder eine nicht alltäglich "Besonderheit" herausgepickt. War es im ersten Band "Amorphophallus titanum", die Leichenblume, die einen sehr speziellen Geruch verströmt, ist es diesmal die "Pareidolie", ein Phänomen in Mustern Gesichter zu erkennen. Das gefällt mir wirklich gut, denn viele Thriller haben nicht mehr viel Neues zu bieten.
Alle Protagonisten wirken durchwegs authentisch. Der Thriller ist kurzweilig und vielschichtig. Die unterschwellige Spannung baut sich immer mehr auf. Das Ende schockiert, ist aber in sich stimmig. Nun bin ich schon auf den dritten Fall gespannt, der am 26. Januar erscheinen wird.
Fazit:
Auch der zweite Band um die Journalistin Heloise Kaldan und Kommissar Erik Schäfer hat mir wieder gut gefallen. Die Autorin setzt gekonnt falsche Fährten und hält damit die Spannung aufrecht. Ebenso hat sie sich auch diesmal wieder einem ungewöhnlichen Thema gewidmet. Ich bin nun schon sehr auf den dritten Band der Reihe gespannt.
March 31, 2020
4,5-5
At synliggøre uligheder i samfund og kulturen, styrker bogens opgave, som formidling af litteratur.
Om bogen synliggøre det i kritisk blik til hvordan vi vil se på tingene eller ej, kan være op til tolkning
Merceds-snittet formår at skabe en kobling mellem vores samfund og den samfund der bliver afspejlet i bogen og samtid stille spørgmål ved om der er noget rigtig og forket samt hvilken vinkel vi som mennesker kan se på tingene.
Finn Weinrich need some love!
At synliggøre uligheder i samfund og kulturen, styrker bogens opgave, som formidling af litteratur.
Om bogen synliggøre det i kritisk blik til hvordan vi vil se på tingene eller ej, kan være op til tolkning
Merceds-snittet formår at skabe en kobling mellem vores samfund og den samfund der bliver afspejlet i bogen og samtid stille spørgmål ved om der er noget rigtig og forket samt hvilken vinkel vi som mennesker kan se på tingene.
Finn Weinrich need some love!
July 27, 2021
Die Investigativ-Journalistin Heloise Kaldan ist in ein berufliches Tief geraten. Unter immer weniger Enthüllungs-Artikeln steht ihr Name allein und das Angebot ihres Chefs, ein breiteres Themen-Spektrum zu bearbeiten, scheint nur die sinkende Qualität ihrer Artikel zu bemänteln. Spätestens als Heloise entdeckt, dass sie schwanger ist, muss sie sich mit ihrem Partner Martin über beider Zukunftspläne auseinandersetzen. Die Wege Heloises und des erfahrenen Kriminalkommissars Erik Schäfer kreuzen sich (wie bereits im ersten Band der Serie), als an einem schneidend kalten Februartag der 10-jährige Lukas Bjerre vermisst wird. In Sichtweite des Kopenhagener Kastells entwickelt Hancock ein dichtes Beziehungs-Netz, das Opfer, Verdächtige, Ermittler und weitere Personen verbindet. Lukas ist der Sohn von Heloises Hausarzt und zugleich Schulkamerad von Lulu, der Tochter der Militärpsychologin Gerda Bendix. Gerda, eng mit Heloise befreundet, therapiert traumatisierte Ex-Soldaten und dient der Journalistin als Informantin. Durch die Freundschaft der Frauen ist Heloise nun im Fall Lukas meist schneller informiert als die Polizei. Ermittler und Kriminaltechniker arbeiten praktisch Tag und Nacht, weil der Junge in der Kälte kaum Überlebenschancen hat. Zwischen sonderbarer Unkenntnis der Eltern Bjerre über ihren Sohn und Berichte über einen geheimnisvollen Unbekannten, der Kindern nachstellen sollt, tappt die Kriminalpolizei weitgehend im Dunkeln.
Als ein Erwachsener ermordet wird, findet die Polizei zwar Beweismittel für eine Verbindung zwischen dem Vermisstenfall und Personen, die im Afghanistan-Krieg eingesetzt waren, aber ihr fehlt lange Zeit ein verbindendes Mosaiksteinchen. Schäfer, der im eisigkalten Dänemark mal wieder frustriert vom dauerhaften Leben in der Karibik träumt, wird schließlich darauf gestoßen, dass Zeugen und Ermittler bisher nur gesehen haben, was sie sehen wollten. Dass die Profilerin Michala ihrem Ex-Kollegen die Augen öffnete, wird ihn besonders frustrieren; denn Schäfer hält es für einen unverzeihlichen Fehler, dass die Polizei Michala in ein Leben als Freiberuflerin ziehen ließ.
Die Welt des Enthüllungsjournalismus, der Umgang des Landes mit seinen traumatisierten Kriegsrückkehrern, Heloises besondere Situation und Erwachsene, die Kindern nicht genau genug zuhören, verdichtet Anne Mette Hancock auf spannende, einfühlsame und dabei glaubwürdige Weise. Die zahlreichen Bündnisse ihrer Figuren lassen Kopenhagen unterhalb des Kastells wie eine Kleinstadt wirken, in der dann doch nicht jeder jeden gekannt hat.
Als ein Erwachsener ermordet wird, findet die Polizei zwar Beweismittel für eine Verbindung zwischen dem Vermisstenfall und Personen, die im Afghanistan-Krieg eingesetzt waren, aber ihr fehlt lange Zeit ein verbindendes Mosaiksteinchen. Schäfer, der im eisigkalten Dänemark mal wieder frustriert vom dauerhaften Leben in der Karibik träumt, wird schließlich darauf gestoßen, dass Zeugen und Ermittler bisher nur gesehen haben, was sie sehen wollten. Dass die Profilerin Michala ihrem Ex-Kollegen die Augen öffnete, wird ihn besonders frustrieren; denn Schäfer hält es für einen unverzeihlichen Fehler, dass die Polizei Michala in ein Leben als Freiberuflerin ziehen ließ.
Die Welt des Enthüllungsjournalismus, der Umgang des Landes mit seinen traumatisierten Kriegsrückkehrern, Heloises besondere Situation und Erwachsene, die Kindern nicht genau genug zuhören, verdichtet Anne Mette Hancock auf spannende, einfühlsame und dabei glaubwürdige Weise. Die zahlreichen Bündnisse ihrer Figuren lassen Kopenhagen unterhalb des Kastells wie eine Kleinstadt wirken, in der dann doch nicht jeder jeden gekannt hat.
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