My Name is Jensen

A Jensen Thriller #1

by Heidi Amsinck

Skyldig. Ét enkeltord på en tiggers papskilt. Og nu er han død, stukket ihjel på gaden i det vinterlige København, og den anden hjemløse fundet knivdræbt inden for kort tid. Dagbladets reporter Jensen snubler nærmest over liget indhyllet i sne på vej til redaktionen en tidlig morgen. Hjemvendt efter femten år i London har hun ikke længere det største netværk, og hun ringer til kriminalkommissær Henrik Jungersen, som hun engang har haft en intens affære med. Gamle følelser genoplives, og det samme gør gamle fortrydelser. Men det viser sig bare at være starten på Jensens problemer. Hendes chef, den legendariske chefredaktør Margrethe Skov, er stærkt utilfreds med, at Jensen ikke har brugt sit førstehåndskendskab til sagen til at få Dagbladet til at løbe med forsiden. Men Jensen vil hellere komme til bunds i, hvad er sket med den unge mand …

"Mit navn er Jensen" er første bind i en ny dansk krimiserie med reporter Jensen og København i hovedrollerne.

Genres: Crime, Thriller, Mystery, Fiction, Denmark, Book Club, Nordic Noir

391 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 5, 2021

About the author

Heidi Amsinck won the Danish Criminal Academy's Debut Award for My Name is Jensen (2021), the first book in a new series featuring Copenhagen reporter sleuth Jensen and her motley crew of helpers. She published her second Jensen novel, The Girl in Photo, in July 2022, and the third, Back from the Dead, in February 2024. A journalist by background, Heidi spent many years covering Britain for the Danish press, including a spell as London Correspondent for the broadsheet daily Jyllands-Posten. She has written numerous short stories for BBC Radio 4, such as the three-story sets Danish Noir, Copenhagen Confidential and Copenhagen Curios, all produced by Sweet Talk and featuring in her collection Last Train to Helsingør (2018). Heidi's work has been translated from the original English into Danish, German and Czech.

Reviews

[Rosh ~catching up slowly~ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sorry, but mine is an outlier opinion. This book left me feeling so meh that I'm not even in the mood to write a proper review.

Story:

Jensen, the star reporter of a top newspaper in Copenhagen, discovers a corpse on her way to work. It turns out to be the body of a homeless guy stabbed to death a few hours earlier. When Jensen gets in touch with her ex-lover, DI Henrik Jungerson, she finds out that there was another killing in a similar pattern a few weeks earlier. Is there a serial killer at large in one of the safest cities in the world?

What I liked about the book:
• Some of the secondary characters such as Gustav (Jensen's assistant), Liron the Coffee guy and Aziz the driver are really well-sketched.

• It integrates the bleak, cold Scandinavian landscape very well into the story.

• I couldn’t guess the killer. (This might also be because I was too bored to use my sleuthing skills.)

• It does fair justice to the noir genre. There are no clear rights and wrongs, and no delineated good or bad characters. The whole structure and the lead characters are as gray as the locale the story is set in.

• The cover is fantastic. 👀 (I’m trying really hard to think of positives!)


What I didn't like about the book:
• It's too slow and goes all over the place. There are too many crimes and hardly any investigators, one of whom is a journalist! It appears that one of the crimes sets the base for the next book in the series, and that is even more irritating, considering how much time is spent on the details of that crime within this book itself.

• Though the book is supposed to be a crime noir, there's hardly any thrill involved except for the finale. The focus is more on the noir and less on the crime.

• The lead characters aren't likeable for most of the plot duration. Jensen turns out to be a journalist who's more interested in solving the murders than in handling whatever work she was supposed to do. We keep hearing that she's a fabulous reporter but most of the story depicts her sleuthing skills than her journalistic prowess. Henrik Jungersen is a selfish, judgemental, adulterous jerk who is a good policeman and bad at everything else. I am okay with unlikeable characters if they are depicted in a more multi-faceted way or with some glimpse of their back story to know why they are how they are. Both are missing in this book.

• The book bites off more than it can chew. Within the guise of a murder investigation, there are political comments on the refugee crisis, the homeless and the ruling government. Add to this drug abuse and mental health issues and you have a virtual cornucopia of unrelated themes shoved together. While the political issues might resonate with Danish citizens, this stretched amalgamation killed the focus and pace of the narrative even more than is typical within noirs.


Overall, if you are looking for a slow-burn Scandinavian crime noir from Denmark, do give this a go. As most other readers still seemed to have liked this book, it might just be I who picked it up at the wrong time and was let down by my expectations.


Thank you to Muswell Press and NetGalley for the ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.



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[Liz Barnsley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adored this book.

A beautifully addictive piece of scandi noir with a really most excellent main protagonist in Jensen, darkly quirky, a journalist who's heart currently isnt in it but who after stumbling over a dead body cant seem to let it go.

With an excellent supporting cast, a clever and twisted plot that remains unpredictable throughout, My Name Is Jensen is absolutely superb. I'm not saying another thing I encourage you simply to trust me and add it to your certainly humongous to be read lists.

[8stitches 9lives · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Name is Jensen is a compelling slow-burning Scandinavian noir and the first instalment in a new crime thriller series featuring Viggo Jensen. Meet Jensen, a thirty-something female journalist who has recently returned to her native Copenhagen after her job working as a foreign correspondent in London for the last 15 years for newspaper Dagbladet has been cut, although she hasn't been let go from the company altogether due to editor Margrethe Skov trusting her eye for a good story. After the years spent in England, though, she is feeling a little like a fish out of water now that she is back in her hometown and her enthusiasm for writing seems to have waned. Whilst cycling through a snowy Copenhagen on her ride to work bright and early on a frigid Tuesday morning, she stumbles across the body of a young street beggar and homeless man near Magstræde with the word Guilty written on a cardboard sign on his chest. His head is turned towards the sky and his eye sockets filled with snow. Perhaps in his mid-twenties, but definitely younger than Jensen, it's clear he has been stabbed multiple times in the stomach.

She decides to call DI Henrik Jungerson, her married ex-lover who she has been avoiding since she got home, to report the body, and although the deaths of the homeless generally make newspaper headlines in the capital city of the country described as the happiest in the world, Jensen has no desire to report on or sensationalise it much to the chagrin of Margrethe. That said, she is interested in finding out who the young man was, what his story was, why he was living on the streets and why he was murdered in such a brutal and violent manner. Police begin to wonder, during their investigation, whether a killer is targeting homeless individuals as they connect it to another murder two weeks prior. As Jensen becomes almost obsessed with covertly investigating the case, the more she discovers the less sense it all makes to her. Then when a third murder occurs, the police realise they really do have a serial killer in their midst. This is a gripping and compulsively readable police procedural crime thriller set in the heart of Scandinavia, and I was almost instantaneously pulled into the story.

It is a beautifully constructed, propulsive read, rich with character, loaded with atmosphere and utterly entertaining. An absorbing start to what promises to be a stellar new crime series. With a complex plot ripe with clever twists, dizzying misdirection and slow-burning suspense, there is a captivating mystery at its heart and in many ways, protagonist Jensen is a fascinating, idiosyncratic yet enigmatic character who I can't wait to learn more about. Gritty, authentically portrayed noir laden with unexpected turns and the relationship and dynamic between her and Hendrik appears fraught with tension. I loved Jensen's real and raw nature, and although she comes off as a spiky cornucopia of contradictions very much inhabiting a male-dominated work sphere, many of the others characters are warm and more straightforwardly likeable. An exciting and engrossing novel that encompasses some important topical themes - mental health, drug abuse, homelessness and capitalism-induced poverty - and juggles several possible suspects as well as perfectly depicting time and place. Highly recommended.

[Srivalli (Semi-Hiatus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.3 Stars

Jensen is back home in Copenhagen and working as a journalist for Dagbladet. Her day starts with discovering a dead body that leads to more murders. She calls Henrik, the DI and her (ex) lover, to the crime scene.

The case is nowhere easy to solve, nor is Jensen’s sinking career and messed up life. Can she unravel the mystery and solve the mystery with or without Henrik’s help?

Will it save Jensen’s career? Is that what she wants? What makes the crime different from others? Is it a serial killer on a spree or someone with a motive?

*Unpopular Opinion*

The blurb and the cover were so good, I grabbed the book as soon as I saw a friend add it to her TBR. Since the book was less than 230 pages, I was confident about finishing it in a couple of days. There started my trouble. It took four days to finish the book. Yeah, that too when I’ve been on a reading high. I’ll keep my review brief and to the point.

What I like about the book:

• The structuring of the plotline. The elements are revealed in stages. There’s no information dump anywhere.
• Jensen is not an easy character to like, but she gets better in the second half. It’s not her prickly nature that was a problem, but her way of drifting through.
• Almost every character is flawed. I wished even Aziz had some kind of flaw. Maybe in the next book.
• No unexpected twists or pull the rug moments to shock the readers.
• A female sleuth in noir who isn’t simply a rehashed version of the traditional male detective.

What I wish could have been better:

• A little more about Jensen to understand her better. I realized that this is the first book in the series (and another case is left unsolved for the next book), but it’s hard to root for someone who doesn’t seem fully into her own story (the lead character).
• Too slow for a thriller or even suspense. Though there’s some sort of information or update in most scenes, the overall narrative dragged.
• Infidelity is something I don't really like. When the lead characters are part of it, it’s hard to empathize with their pain or conflict. I still admire Jensen for being so honest about it. And yeah, Henrik’s a jerk.
• I don’t prefer sweeping political statements in fiction unless they are very much necessary. Neither do I want to spend time researching the political scenario around the world nor wonder about the author’s inclinations.
• Jensen pretty much doesn't bother about the case allotted to her because she’s solving this one. And she makes a causal statement about a certain death at the end. It looked like not all deaths are equal (which is, of course, very true in this world).

To sum up, My Name is Jensen is perfect for readers who like slow-burn suspense that sets the stage for a series or at least a sequel (I wasn’t aware of it).

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Muswell Press and am voluntarily leaving a review.
#NetGalley #MyNameIsJensen

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was drawn in by the cover for this read and was curious about a Denmark mystery crime. The characters in this story were what I call realistic fiction writing. Their lives were messy and uncomfortable and real. The writer did a good job laying out the mystery and it wasn’t predictable but I had trouble with the MC. The closure of this case still made me uneasy and I guess I just wanted some pleasantness. Over all well done.
3.5⭐️
Thanks Muswell Press via NetGalley.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 rounded down

I had such high hopes for this book. It was very slow for the first half but the ending was good.

This follows Jensen, a report, who finds a boy dead on the streets of Copenhagen. She is given the opportunity to write the lead article but gives up the chance. Even though she’s not writing about the case she is still investigating. More murders start happening and things start happening around her. She needs to figure out who the murder is before she ends up next.

The second POV is Henrik, lead detective, who works mostly murder cases. He has a history with Jensen but won’t leave his wife so she gives him the brush off most of the time. He wants his cake and to eat it too.

The only good men in this story are Aziz and Liron. All the rest are married men looking for an affair.

[Jo Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve never really got into the whole scandi noir thing, so I can’t tell you how this compares in its genre. While I really enjoyed My Name Is Jensen, Jensens love interest Henrick turned my stomach and actually put me off the story, which was a shame as he’s essentially a side character.

I really enjoyed the fact that the story was so victim centric, the setting was great and I liked Jensen and her sidekick Gustaf a lot, the story was intriguing and desperately sad. As I say I hated Henrick and could’ve done with him being wiped out in the first few chapters. I assume that he’ll be prominent throughout the series and for that reason I probably won’t continue with it.

The narration was quite confusing in that the accents were all varying forms of London, which seemed a bad fit for a story set in Copenhagen.

2.5 🌟 rounded up.

Currently included with audible 🎧

[Jan-Joost · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super irritante hoofdpersonages die ook niet bepaald geloofwaardig zijn. Het was voor mij ook een beetje de vraag of dit nou cozy crime is of gewoon een Scandinavische thriller, echt geen idee??

Leest wel lekker weg, en ik had de moordenaar goed, dus toch 3 sterren voor de moeite

[Veronika Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Firstly let me say that I really enjoyed this book but I have one or two reservations. It took me a while to get into it but once I did, I found it really exciting.

However, I’m still not sure why everyone finds Jensen so attractive. She’s annoying and appears to have very little or no moral compass in her personal life – her relationship with Henrik plus some poor sod in London who she likes for his money. Or is that typical of journalists? I hope not.

Oh yes, Henrik. Uncouth, uneducated, untidy, rough and bald. What’s not to like? Ha! What is to like? Not a lot it would appear. I wouldn’t fancy him in the dark while wearing a blindfold. In fact the main Danish men in this story – Henrik, Ebsen, Christian – are all portrayed as womanisers – is that typical of Danish men? The nice ones are immigrants – Aziz, Liron. I once worked for a lady who had a butler called Aziz – brought back so many memories.

But back to the plot. Three bodies, no obvious links, or are their deaths political, designed to implicate the government because of cut backs? Or is there a serial killer on the loose, randomly picking off homeless people? I never believed the latter for a moment as it wouldn’t make such a good story. And then there are too many coincidences and Jensen, like me, doesn’t believe in coincidences. She just won’t let go. She’s like a terrier with a dead rabbit in its jaws. She’s determined to solve this, even if the police are getting nowhere.

Lots of twists and turns and some very exciting moments.

Many thanks to The Pigeonhole and my fellow Pigeons for making this such an enjoyable read.

[Catsbooksandcoffee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mit navn er Jensen er Heidis bidrag til Scandi Noir genren, og hun anvender på en god måde København som ramme for det intelligente plot. Med Jensen har hun skabt en fascinerende hovedperson, hvis blanding af fandenivoldsk opførsel og stædige natur gør hende til en perfekte journalist – hvilket hendes chef meget gerne havde set hende udnytte under denne sag.

Vi møder også en del andre karakterer, hvor Henrik i sagens natur er inddraget meget. Men nogle af bikaraktererne var næsten mere spændende end vores hovedperson. Specielt Gustav og Aziz fremstod realistiske og man kom hurtigt til at holde af dem. Ebsens flirten var til gengæld noget af det der fik denne læser til at trække på smilebåndet. Dynamikken i de forskellige forhold var noget at det der drev historien fremad.

Det er interessant at følge, hvordan Jensen får mistanke til mordene – om der mon kunne være politiske tanker bag. Har nogle uempatiske mennesker rent faktisk designet dette for at implicere regeringen? Jensen bliver besat af at efterforske sagen i det skjulte, men jo mere hun afdækker jo mindre giver det hele mening for hende.

Forfatteren bekymrer sig tydeligvis også om samfundets mere omfattende problemer. Dækket ind i mordefterforskningen finder vi politiske kommentarer til bl.a. flygtningekrisen, hjemløshed, mental sundhed og regeringen. Det tilføjer en tankevækkende dimension til historien, men det trækker desværre også bogens tempo ned.

Vi efterlades med nogle løse tråde, og det tyder på at Heidi allerede ved hvad seriens næste bind skal byde på. En god læseoplevelse og en spændende start på en ny krimiserie.

[Tripfiction · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thriller set in COPENHAGEN

Skydlig. ‘Guilty’ in Danish. The word is written on a piece of card in the possession of a young, homeless man whose body has been found. The discovery is made by journalist Jensen and even this isn’t a trigger to get her writing juices flowing. Her reporting competency has dried up for the moment, since her return from London. She is reluctant to report on what, essentially, is a terrific scoop but is motivated more to try and find out about the whys and wherefores behind this tragic event

Henrik, her former lover, is on the scene and becomes involved in his investigative capacity; of course there is unfinished business between them. He made an inept ending to their affair a while ago, yet she still feels the tremble of connection virtually every time they meet, her knees start to go weak.

Could this murder be linked to another one in the city?

The story is told in a crystal clear and approachable writing style and is really well put together. It is richly told, enhanced by credible, flesh and blood characters, although perhaps the relationship between Jensen and Henrik needed a little more background to be truly credible. The author clearly concerns herself with wider issues of homelessness and social injustices, which add a thoughtful dimension to the storyline. The clean lines of the eye catching cover reflect the content very well.

A good addition to the genre of Scandinoir. It is the first in the series.

[Sue Jenkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this with Pigeonhole over 10 days and found it a satisfying read on the whole. I was not particularly fond of the characters Jensen or Henrik but thought Gustav was very likeable. I felt sorry for Thomas, as he had been let down by numerous people before he was killed, and enjoyed the way people were trying to prove he was not guilty of killing his mother.

[Alastair · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heidi Amsinck was the worthy recipient of a sale as part of my push to read more fiction (over non-fiction) as well as checking out the (now probably a bit passé) Scandinavian trend of Nordic Noir. So there was a lot going for her debut novel My Name is Jensen before I even opened it up! That should probably highlight I am no expert in these types of books and might confuse novelty with cliché or stylistic edginess with tropes, meaning caution is in order perhaps with my enthusiastic 4 star score.

Caveats aside, the Copenhagen setting in which Jensen, the possibly autobiographical journalist-protagonist (recently returned from London, where Amsinck herself still lives having previously left the Danish capital), finds a dead body of a man holding the word 'guilty' and the cycle of suspects and surprises erupts from there.

Jensen is an engagingly complex mess of a character - who will resonate with many a thirty-something millennial. Her on-again-off-again lover DI Henrik Jungerson is a bit more thinly drawn - something of a gruff-but-brilliant police stereotype but with enough family baggage to make me give him a pass in the believability stakes. There are a few standout side characters, particularly the hapless but well-meaning Gustav, who bears a bit of a resemblance (aside from moral bankruptcy) to Cousin Greg from HBO's Succession.

The plot zips along at a ready pace and has a healthy number of plot twists. The chapters are, predictably, extremely short which promotes a general sense of racing to the conclusion. As someone much more familiar with reading lengthy non-fiction books with 40+ page chapters, this was a welcome change. While page-turning as a phenomenon is not something I'm particularly used to, this book certainly kept me coming back; and I'd have finished it much faster were I not reading David Chalmers work of philosophy Reality+ at the same time (for an exceptionally over-written review of which, see here; spoiler alert - it wasn't as enjoyable as this).

Overall, My Name is Jensen didn't surprise me in any shocking ways and I don't believe it will be revelatory from a character-building or dialogue perspective, but I found the plot rewarding and the cast well rounded. All in all, this has left me wanting more. Bring on the sequel and any further novels in the author's nascent 'Jensen Thriller' series.

[Pheadra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this though my online book club and congratulate the author or producing a series of books, in English, though this is not Heidi Amsinck's first language.
This is the first in the series about a flawed journalist in Copenhagen, who en route to work comes across a stabbed young man, holding a sign that reads 'Guilty'. This piques her interest and she takes photos of him but doesn't inform her editor, Margrethe, a hardened, wise woman that she has some evidence that might assist in solving the case of who the deceased was and why he was killed. Margrethe's nephew Gustav, is given to Jensen as an assistant.
The pace of the story was excellent and because of this I'd read the next book in the series though the style of writing and manner of expression takes some getting used to.
I personally don't mind flawed main characters but their redeeming qualities need to be overwhelmingly attractive in order to get the reader to root for them. Sadly, Jensen (and Hendrik her married love interest and chief investigating detective) failed to deliver on this front. Jensen came across as a slob, self-absorbed and reckless and Hendrik is a philandering, disloyal, careless representative of the law. I was more interested in Gustav's welfare than anyone else. For me there was no BIG reveals that weren't deduced by readers early on. We also never learned Jensen's first name. 4 Stars

[Fay Flude · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this trip to Copenhagen and the mercurial ways of journalist Jensen, a woman wondering why she has returned to her homeland when she has nowhere of her own to live, and in spite of being handed a brilliant job at Dagbladet, doesn't want to write a thing.
Enter on-off lover Henrik, an easy to dislike detective, married but always up to no good, tasked with a case that threatens to be unsolvable.
Jensen is involved in the case but still chooses not to write about it. Instead she carries on investigating behind the scenes, with the help of her boss's young nephew Gustav, whilst Henrik, official and up front seems to be lost in the blizzard.
I really enjoyed the way the two main characters were travelling in parallel lines and often intersecting with one another only to veer off suddenly in different directions.
The plot was absorbing, the sort that makes you want to know everything at once, whilst relishing the intrigue and mystery, trying to outsmart both Jensen and Henrik.
The descriptions of the places and the weather added a chilly atmospheric nuance to the investigations. We meet a host of supporting characters who have fascinating lives of their own, and whilst the motivations of Jensen and Henrik often left me reeling, it is the unusual dynamics in certain relationships which bring the novel alive and lend it some originality
This is a book I can definitely recommend and one I would have finished quite easily and quickly had I not been reading via the Pigeonhole serialisation.

[Lynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did enjoy this book but it took me a while to get over the feeling that it was written to a Scandi Noir formula - take a maverick journalist turned amateur detective (Jensen) unsuccessful in personal relationships, gets fired from Dagbladet, add some brooding Nordic winter gloom and snow etc. Henrick the lead detective and Jensen’s married on/off lover is a very unattractive person and by his own admission not as bright as the women in his life. Some of the other characters, Gustav a student intern foisted on Jensen by her boss and Aziz the refugee driver of a wealthy friend are more intriguing than the lead persons. It wasn’t that difficult to follow some of the clues to the identity of the murderer of three homeless people but there were enough questions remaining to keep the interest level up.
The ending was not a rushed afterthought as so often happens. A promising debut from Heidi Amsinck - impressively written in English, her second language.

[Matt Tyrrell-Byrne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this! Easy to read, adored the tiny chapter format, nice characters and an intriguing plot in my mind.

[Anette Knudsen (anettesbookshelf) · Rating 3 out of 5]

En ny krimiserie har således set dagens lys, men den foregår i en kold og mørk tid. Det er vinter. En snestorm hærger, og en tidlig morgen på vej til arbejde finder Jensen liget af en ung formodet hjemløs fyr, siddende på et trappetrin i Magstræde, næsten tildækket af sne.
Jensen, der netop er hjemvendt efter 15 år i London, er en yderst stædig og selvstændig reporter, der straks ringer direkte til kriminalkommissær Henrik Jungersen, som hun har haft en affære med gennem årene. Luften mellem de to er noget elektrisk, men Jungersen er gift og vil ikke skilles.
Selvom hun egentlig burde arbejde på en anden historie for Dagbladet, bliver hun ved med at udforske detaljerne omkring den unge fyrs skæbne, og undervejs bliver hun af chefen, den skrappe Margrethe Skov, også pålagt at være mentor for dennes skoletrætte nevø Gustav. Et skævt men nyttigt samarbejde, der pynter og løfter historien fremad. Faktisk har bogen flere interessante bi-karakterer, der bærer en stor del af fortællingens styrke.
Læs min fulde anmeldelse her - https://anettesbookshelf.dk/mit-navn-...

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Compellingly compulsive reading, with such atmosphere and sense of place I felt like I’d been on a trip to beautiful Copenhagen itself. This new edition to the Scandi Noir genre has found a very special place in my heart. I can’t wait for the next chapter in Jensen & Henrick’s exploits. Fabulous characterisation and development of plot Heidi. Each character is so well written and perfectly presented that you feel like you know them. They say the sign of a good book is that when it’s finished you feel like you’ve lost a good friend. I feel that here, but with this being a debut I feel like this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship. I implore other readers to pick Heidi Amsinck’s book up. I myself I am going to pick up a copy of “The last train to Helsinger” and look up her BBC radio 4 stories which are set in Danish Noir, Copenhagen Confidential & Copenhagen Curios. Jensen will return this year ! Can’t wait!

[Leona · Rating 1 out of 5]

Gave up on this one wasn’t for me. To slow and hard to keep track of the characters.

[Lida Wengel]

God Københavner-krimi. Spændende hovedpersoner. Er du til Lone Theils og Faber & Pedersen, kan du også lide denne. Forventer en 2’er om Jensen 🤩

[Mary Picken · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really did enjoy this engaging Scandi Noir crime novel, set in Copenhagen. Heidi Amseck, who has written her book in English despite being a native Dane, has given us a fabulous character in Jensen, a journalist.

Well, I say a journalist, but the truth is that she’s not really sure that’s what she wants to do any more. Recently returned to Copenhagen from London where her job as Foreign Correspondent for Dagbladet has been axed, she is hanging on to a job at the paper by the skin of her teeth.

Like all papers, hers has gone through massive cutbacks and it is only because her Editor, Margrethe values her nose for a story that she is still working. So when she comes across the dead body of a young man her editor is mightily fed up that she shows no inclination to report on the story. For all that, though, Jensen is drawn to discover who the young man was, what led him to be on the streets of the city in the middle of winter and why he was stabbed so brutally.

His is not the first dead body to be found murdered on the streets and the police believe it’s possible that someone is targeting the homeless. Though she has no inclination to write up the story, she can’t leave it alone. Even when her editor hands her a different story on a plate her lack of enthusiasm to follow it up is palpable and she is casual in her approach to this new lead, preferring to look deeper into the case of the murdered man.

It is partly guilt that drives her. She had seen him the night before and walked past him, thinking he was another homeless man on the streets, but knowing that she failed to stop and talk to him or suggest ways that he could find refuge on a bitter evening when the snow was falling is eating at her.

The more she looks into his death, the more things don’t add up though and soon she is conducting her own investigation in parallel with the police enquiry. That in itself is a little tricky because she has something of a chequered history with D.I. Henrik Jungersen the lead Police Detective on the case and relationship is a touch volatile to say the least.

Heidi Amsinck clearly has a knack for creating interesting and warm characters and these populate this book in a way that makes you want to know more about them. I hope they will return because they make for an excellent ensemble cast.

Jensen is a fascinating character whose blend of spikiness, stubborn nature and devil-may-care behaviour makes her the perfect journalist. While she is not a crusader for justice in the mould of her editor, she does, in her own way, care about what has happened to the dead young man and that motivates her.

Jensen also has an interesting relationship with a prominent Danish politician, Ebsen whose irrepressible flirting made me smile and whose driver Aziz is loyal to his core. Margarethe’s nephew, Gustav is foisted on Jensen and though he irks her no end, he will eventually prove himself to be an invaluable ally. I think I’d kill to have a Liron in my life, too!

With two different cases to pursue, Jensen finds she is not short of suspects as the body count begins to pile up. Playing her Detective like a fiddle, she gets some information from him, and extracts more from those she interviews, building up a picture of who this man was, where he came from and ultimately what led him to be on the streets that night.

But the journey to get there is riddled with false leads and a number of suspects, and it is hard to see quite where this trail is leading. But a breakthrough comes when we understand the enormity of who this young man is and what has happened to him. It is down to Jensen’s dogged and unwavering commitment to get to the truth that answers are forthcoming, but that persistence will put not only her, but others in danger, too.

Amsinck has carefully set this novel to encompass some big themes and in these pages you will find not just a compelling and propulsive mystery, but some contemporary considerations of the state of homelessness in Denmark’s major city; problems with drug dealing, mental health and the widening economic gap between the haves and the have nots.

There are unsolved threads left in this book which gives me hope that there’s another book in the pipeline. I certainly hope so.

Verdict: A thoroughly enjoyable Scandi Noir novel with great characters and a clever, twisty and propulsive plot. Amsinck writes engagingly with characters you really warm to and Jensen is an excellent protagonist about whom there is clearly a lot more to learn. The sense of place is so well done and you feel you could be walking the streets of Copenhagen, not to mention all the lovely places to have coffee and cake.. I could really smell that cardamom coffee, too! Highly recommended

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am finding myself increasingly drawn to Scandi noir and so when offered the opportunity to read this new title from Heidi Amsinck I was more than happy. I'll be honest, despite knowing a few people who hail from Denmark, it's not a country I know a lot about or one I've read a lot of literature from so I welcomed the opportunity to try something a little new. What I found with My Name is Jensen is a slow burning novel which piqued my interest from the start and maintained its mystery and misdirection right to the end.

This is the story of journalist, Jensen, who discovers the body of a young man whilst on her daily ride into work. Although as a journalist you'd expect her interest to be triggered by the murder, she is reluctant to report on the story itself, her focus falling more on the victim and the whys and wherefores of how he came to be living, and dying, on the streets in the midst of a snowstorm. The more she learns, the less it all makes sense and the more Jensen, and by default, me as reader, gets drawn into the story. And this is no straightforward story, the author turning the tables on what you might first believe is happening, certainly leaving a very perplexing trail of bodies across the city to keep the local police well and truly baffled.

I won't lie, Jensen is not an easy character to get to know, or like. She's very complex, spiky almost and it took time to settle into my stride reading the book. She has all the determination and stubbornness of a great protagonist, and her instincts are largely proven to be spot on, but she is quite cool, almost aloof, and not someone it is easy to warm to. And yet she seems most popular amongst the male population, perhaps because she is seen as the slightly (or often completely) unattainable woman in their lives. There is a strong chemistry between Jensen and Detective Henrik who is investigating the murders, but nothing in their relationship is straightforward and it adds a kind of conflict to a story which is already keeping readers on edge.

There is a certain amount of tension which is maintained throughout the novel, a sense of threat which bubbles along under the surface of the main story. We are drip fed a number of suspects, all of whom have reason to dislike at least one of the victims, but all of whom seem to have unshakeable alibis. I had guessed part way through the story as to where this was likely to lead, a suspicion which was proven true by the end but I was still intrigued by the story, more so from around the halfway point when we knew a lot more about the first victim and the pool of suspects. A bit like Jensen, the more i read, the more I wanted to know about the first victim, Thomas, knowing that his story, as tragic as it appeared, was likely the key to everything. And the author has done a great job of making him appear a very sympathetic victim, making the reader invested in him, no matter what we learn about him along the way.

From a character perspective, the author has done a great job in surrounding the perhaps less lovable Jensen with people who made me smile. Aziz, although the strong silent type himself, was someone I took to pretty quickly and, in spite of their unhealthy obsession with Jensen, Henrik and Esben kept me invested in their parts of the story. Gustav, as an initial thorn in Jensen's side eventually comes into his own in the way only the youth of today can (how old do I sound?). And I just wish I had a coffee making Liron in my life ...

This is a very traditional feeling thriller with a real mystery at its heart. There is a subplot which never gets resolved and leaves the impression that there is still more to come from Jensen. And I'm glad about that. She may not be the warmest hero in modern fiction, but Jensen has a grit which makes her intriguing and unpredictable to go on a journey, with and lord knows what she'll lead us all into next.

[Paterson Loarn · Rating 4 out of 5]

On a Copenhagen street corner a murder victim lies buried in snow. Jensen, a newspaper reporter, stumbles on the body on her way to work. She is horrified to recognise the corpse as the young man she saw sitting alone on the pavement the night before. If she had stopped to help him find shelter from a blizzard, he would not have been stabbed to death. Overwhelmed by guilt, she sets out to discover his identity and track down the murderer. Jensen is determined to discover why, on the last night of his short life, the boy was holding a piece of cardboard bearing the single word ‘GUILTY’.

My Name is Jensen is a classic scandi noir novel with a strong emphasis on contemporary issues. Soon after the murder of the boy known as Casper, three more rough sleepers are found stabbed to death in Copenhagen. D.I. Henrik Jungersen, who is Jensen’s married lover, leads the police team on the case. At first everyone assumes the murders are the work of a serial killer who hates homeless people, but Jensen takes an open-minded approach to the investigation. As she uncovers information about Casper’s past, she is constantly forced to change tack in order to follow up new leads. A journey begun in the frozen city takes her to wide-ranging locations: a home for disturbed youths, a dental surgery, a seaside retreat in the off-season, a commune in the country. For a long time neither Jensen nor Henrik can crack the mystery, because all the characters they investigate have rock-solid alibis.

The greatest strength of Heidi Amsinck’s first novel is her many-faceted cast, who will make a firm basis for a series. Jensen herself comes across as a talented and caring young woman who has temporarily lost her way in her career. She returned from London to Copenhagen to work as a special reporter for Maegrethe, the tough newspaper editor who was her first mentor, but so far the move is not working out for either woman. Jensen’s stubborn and reckless personality combined with her deep concern for the underdog make her a brilliant investigative journalist, but she has very little support in her personal life. She is trying to end her relationship with Henrik, who adores her but is even more devoted to his children. A platonic (on Jensen’s side at least) friendship with Ebsen, a powerful politician, offers her protection from the wicked outside world in the form of free accommodation and the loan of Aziz, a loyal bodyguard. Gustav, Margrethe’s problem teenage nephew, is dumped on Jensen for work experience, and turns out to be a mixed blessing. Of all the interesting personalities Amsinck has created, my favourite is a ‘firmly analogue’ retired reporter who inhabits the basement of the newspaper offices. Henning’s long memory and old-school filing system play a part in Jensen’s project.

Amsinck’s pared-down journalistic style of writing conveys the pathos and pain of murder scenes without resorting to bloodthirsty details. Her chapters are short, which moves the story briskly along. The life and death of the young boy Jensen finds dead in the street are presented sympathetically enough to engage the sympathy of the most hard-bitten reader. The conclusion of My Name Is Jensen is satisfying and believable. I was left with only one question in my mind. Even canny Margrethe first employed Jensen on a hunch, without any qualifications. What exactly is the quality this young woman has that convinces everyone, from a senior politician to a street coffee seller, to trust her utterly? Perhaps I will get my answer from the next book in the series.
Paterson Loarn

[Linda Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finding a homeless person stabbed to death is just the start of Jensen’s problems.

I had absolutely no idea what to expect when I picked up My Name is Jensen, but what I found was a gripping, fast paced thriller with the potential for a series that I cannot wait to read.

My Name is Jensen is incredibly well crafted. The writing is varied with a range of sentence structure that I found utterly compelling because it pulled me in completely, especially when blended with naturalistic dialogue and a real sense of place in Copenhagen. The snowy weather adds to the atmosphere so that My Name is Jensen deserves a place with the best of Scandi Noir writing. Add in short, pacey chapters and there’s a real thrill in reading this book.

I loved the plot. The times and dates in My Name is Jensen give an immediacy that elevates the tension, and events come with great pace. It thoroughly appealed to me that the murders have sufficient detail to engage the reader without extraneous gore because Heidi Amsinck has the skill to move and entertain without resorting to shock tactics.

Whilst there is a conventional police investigation in My Name is Jensen as the body count increases, what I enjoyed so much was journalist Jensen’s parallel efforts to find out what is going on. As the exciting story unfolds, we come to know Jensen really well, to the extent that it is difficult to accept she’s a fictional character. I loved the fact she is only known as Jensen. There’s no diluting of her identity, but rather the creation of an intriguing person who is fascinating. I wanted – and want – to know more about her. She’s the perfect combination of feisty and vulnerable, careful and reckless, stubborn and caring so that her personality leaps from the page. Similarly, the supporting cast of characters like Henrik, Gustav and Margrethe are people I really want to meet again. I’m not usually interested in investing in a series as there are always so many books to read and so little time in which to do it, but Heidi Amsinck has created a set of people I care about and want to meet again as soon as possible. The frisson of sexual tension between Jensen and Henrik adds another layer of interest, but never over dominates the story so that their relationship feels vivid and natural.

The themes that slip beneath the surface of the narrative too are recognisable and thought provoking. Relationships at many levels from marital to professional, including friendship and family, afford the reader personal or vicarious hooks into the story, but Heidi Amsinck doesn’t shy away from bigger themes too such as the plight of the homeless, mental health, immigration, the power of money and status and so on, so that whilst I felt I’d been brilliantly entertained by My Name is Jensen, I also felt I’d been given an intelligent, considered and high quality story too.

I thought My Name is Jensen was an absolute cracker of a thriller. I was desperate to see how the story would be resolved but simultaneously didn’t want it to end because I was enjoying it so much. I fear it might be a quiet book as it comes from a smaller independent publisher, but I think My Name is Jensen shouldn’t be missed. I’m very much looking forward to more from Heidi Amsinck – and Jensen.

[Susi Aly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Durch Zufall bin ich auf „Schneeflockengrab “ von Heidi Amsinck gestoßen. Es ist der erste Band rund um die Journalistin Jensen.
Auch wenn ich zu dänischen Thrillern ein eher durchwachsenes Verhältnis habe, so klang der Klappentext einfach zu gut, als dass ich es nicht probiert hätte.

Der Schreibstil der Autorin ist sehr einnehmend und fesselnd.
Die Atmosphäre sehr düster und beklemmend.
Im Fokus hierbei stehen Jensen und Henrik.
Jensen war mir sehr sympathisch.
Sie sticht mit ihrer impulsiven und knallharten Art deutlich heraus. Sie macht ihr eigenes Ding und lässt sich nur selten etwas vorschreiben. Wodurch sie das ein oder andere Mal ordentlich aneckt und für Konflikte sorgt.
Henrik hat mir auch sehr gut gefallen, auch wenn man bei ihm das Gefühl hat, dass er nie weiß, was er will und buchstäblich gefangen in seinem Leben ist.
Auch die Nebencharaktere verstehen Eindruck zu machen. Sie sind authentisch, ich hatte jedoch deutlich Probleme, eine Verbindung zu Ihnen aufzubauen.

Der Einstieg fiel mir eigentlich leicht.
Dazu muss ich sagen, hat dieser Thriller eine sehr trockene und ruhige Art an sich, wodurch es mir deutlich schwerer fiel, am Ball zu bleiben.
Der Kriminalfall dagegen mutet erstmal sehr unspektakulär an. Gerade der erste Teil der Handlung hatte für mich deutliche Längen. Ich hatte das Gefühl, mich überhaupt nicht von der Stelle zu bewegen.
Die Ermittlungen traten jedoch auf der Stelle und man kam nicht wirklich voran.
Was total schade war. Denn der Fall ist äußerst brisant und interessant.
Dabei fördert die Autorin im Laufe der Handlung eine Komplexität zutage, die mich deutlich überrascht hat.
Dabei gibt es nicht nur gezielte Manipulationen, sondern auch Hintergründe, die mich deutlich erschüttert und dem Fall eine dramatische Wende beschert haben.
Besonders was sich hinter der Fassade abspielte, war vom menschlichen Aspekt her kaum zu ertragen.
Tragisch, unfassbar und einfach schockierend.
Im zweiten Teil wurde das Tempo etwas besser, trotzdem gab es immer noch die ein oder andere Länge.
Mir waren es letztendlich zu viele Details, das hätte man deutlich kürzen können. Ohne dass dabei die psychologischen Aspekte verloren gegangen wären.
Insgesamt ein guter Auftakt, trotz einiger Defizite. Zudem bleibt der Täter bis zum Schluss im Dunkeln.

Fazit:
Der Auftakt rund um die Journalistin Jensen glänzt nicht unbedingt durch Tempo oder Emotionen.
Es ist gefährlich ruhig, sehr detailliert, wodurch man einen langen Atem braucht.
Abzüglich dessen hat Heidi Amsinck hier eine grandiose Story zu Papier gebracht, die Dramatik, als auch Tragik im Gepäck hat und gerade vom menschlichen Aspekt her sehr erschütternd ist.
Die Charaktere berühren zwar nicht emotional so sehr, die Story dafür umso mehr.

[Andrew Nattrass · Rating 5 out of 5]

My name is Jensen is book one of a new series from the brilliantly talented Heidi Amsinck.

Jensen has just recently returned home to Copenhagen. Heading into work in the snow she’s spots The body of a young man lying dead in the snow with a sign and on that sign is one word that word GUILTY! He had been stabbed multiple times.
This is the second killing in recent weeks so is there someone out there targeting homeless people??
Jensen found the man and being the reporter that she is she is determined to find out who he is and what his story is and who killed him.
Jensen’s boss is not all that impressed with her work rate so gives the dead body case to one of her colleagues and hands Jensen What is in her eyes a far less interesting story and on top of that tells Jensen that her nephew is going to be her assistant and is not open for discussion..
On top of this Jensen has this tension filled connection with the main detective leading the enquiry. She will not let it go and she will get to the truth no matter what the cost may be to herself and the people around her even though she has been told by the detective to leave the job to him and keep her nose out.

A third body is found dead so is this a serial killer or are there multiple murderers on the streets of Copenhagen?
The fourth body is then found who was connected to one of the previous victims is there is now a link and is it just the one killer on the streets. The killer knows where Jensen is living and the more she investigates the murders the more threatening the killer becomes. Can our top reporter get to the truth can she unveil the murderer and can the police catch them in time before there are more dead bodies??
A totally captivating main character with a fantastically put together cast built around her. This was an audiobook that I raced through in two days as I was instantly hooked.. I needed to get to the truth but at the same time did not want the book to end…
I am so excited to know that there are going to be more books in this series…
Would also like to say that I very much enjoyed the audio books narration!!
Jensen A captivating character!
Heidi Amsinck A wonderful storyteller!
Brilliant!!!

[Lynsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘My Name is Jensen’ is a brilliantly compelling debut from Heidi Amsinck. This book was a slow-burning narrative, but with a complex plot with numerous twists and turns. It is an example of Nordic Noir at its finest. Simply put I adored this book.

Jensen has just returned to Copenhagen after being a correspondent in London for numerous years. But she has lost her mojo and hasn’t written an article in weeks. On her way to work she comes across a homeless young man who has perished in the snowstorm from the previous day. What is weird though is he was holding a card which only had one word written on it - Guilty! This encourages Jensen to find out more about the man and how he ended up on the streets. She soons find connected murders, estranged families and much more! She also is given an intern in the shape of her boss’s nephew and initiates contact with one of her exes DI Jungerson, who just happens to be running the case.

Jensen is a character that you will fall in love with straight from the get go. She is spunky, fiery, passionate, loyal, nosey, excellent at her job and highly intelligent but also useless at her personal life with no home, hardly hanging on to her job and don't even start with her love life! I love her paired up with the nephew Gustav as they really bounced off each other! I certainly hope this is a relationship which develops further.

Copenhagen almost felt like a character and who doesn't love a book when it comes with a map. It's definitely the place I am visiting first after I'm allowed out the country again! This book was brilliantly plotted, rich with character and emotion, and was so captivating I devoured it in two sittings. Amsinck tackles some big themes in her work - homelessness, mental health, social service procurement and the government in general and they fitted seamlessly into the plot.

I thoroughly enjoyed this exciting debut! If you pick it up please let me know your thoughts.

[Susanne Wiinberg - Bogglæde · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jensen, en kvindelig journalist er vendt tilbage efter 15 år i London. På redaktionen i København har hun endnu ikke rigtig leveret det store til avisen og det hjælper ikke, da hun en aften ser en hjemløs mand sidde udenfor, imens en af de værste snestorme trækker over Danmark. Dagen efter, da hun køre på arbejde finder hun den unge mand død. Ikke, fordi han er frosset ihjel, men med adskillige knivstik. Nøjagtig på samme måde som en anden
hjemløs mand er fundet myrdet 14 dage forinden.

Hun ønsker ikke at dække historien og får udleveret en anden opgave, men alligevel kan hun ikke rigtig give slip på den unge mand, hun fandt stukket ihjel. Samtidig bliver hun “børnepasser” for chefens 16-årige nevø og ikke mindst bliver gamle følelser genoplivet til den gifte kriminalkommissær Henrik Jungersen.

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Så er først bind i den ny krimiserie af Heidi Amsinck skudt i gang på dansk. Dejligt der
kommer mere af Jensen og denne serie, for…

Journalist Jensen er på alle måder en elskelig karakter, som er troværdig. Skønt med en kvinde, i stedet for alle de mænd i disse roller. Men selvom det er en kvindelig
hovedkarakter, så kommer hun ud for lige så mange problemer og tingene er ikke blevet gjort nemmere for hende.

‘Mit navn er Jensen’ køre frem i et stille tempo. Hvilket giver mulighed for at komme under huden på de forskellige karakter, der alle mere eller mindre har kanter.
Samtidig er krimien yderst velskrevet og letlæselig.

Anbefaling til alle, der ønsker en krimi, der har et lækkert plot, som ikke lige er til at
gennemskue.

En god krimi (serie) som jeg tror kommer til at vokse i styrke.

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Reklame - Anmeldereksemplar modtaget.

[Laura Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a different sort of story as the main investigator was a journalist, Jensen (only one name, we never learn her first name, which adds intrigue to this character straight away as many initially think Jensen is male), who works as at Dagbladet, a large newspaper suffering difficult times. The setting of Copenhagen is well done, you can really imagine it from how it is described.
On their way to work, Jensen discovers what appears to be a homeless young man, stabbed to death in a doorway. This begins her investigation into who they might be and why was he stabbed? Is there a serial killer targeting Copenhagen's homeless or is there a darker reason for the killings?
I found Jensen a sometimes annoying character, e.g. not really thinking things through and making situations worse. She clearly has deep-seated issues, which hopefully will be explored in subsequent books in the series. One of the main issues is her relationships with men, her on/off affair with Hendrik (the Detective that also so happened to be put in charge of the case) caused great frustration for both characters and myself (felt like slapping Hendrik at various times).
One character I really liked was Gustav, the wayward nephew of her editor, who had been placed with Jensen, a bit like an apprentice, he was refreshing and I hope to see more of him in future books.
I look forward to reading the next book, which was teased at the end of this one.
With thanks to the author and the Pigeonhole for the opportunity to read.