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Kørner and Werner #3
The Butterfly House
Detectives Jeppe Kørner and Anette Werner race to solve a series of sordid murders linked to some of the most vulnerable patients in a Danish hospital in this sequel to the #1 international bestseller The Tenant that is “brimming with personality, eccentric characters, and plenty of mystery and intrigue” ( Crime by the Book ).
Hospitals are supposed to be places of healing. But in the coronary care unit at one of Copenhagen’s leading medical centers, a nurse fills a syringe with an overdose of heart medication and stealthily enters the room of an older male patient.
Six days earlier, a paperboy on his route in central Copenhagen stumbles upon a macabre the naked body of a dead woman, lying in a fountain with arms marked with small incisions. Cause of death? Exsanguination—the draining of all the blood in her body.
Copenhagen investigator Jeppe Kørner, recovering from a painful divorce and in the throes of a new relationship, takes on the case. His partner, Anette Werner, now on maternity leave after an unexpected pregnancy, is restless at home with a demanding newborn and an equally demanding husband. While Jeppe pounds the streets looking for answers, Anette decides to do a little freelance sleuthing. But operating on her own exposes her to dangers she can’t even begin to fathom.
As the “thrillingly nerve-racking” ( Shelf Awareness ) investigation ventures into dark corners, it uncovers the shockingly depraved greed that festers beneath the surface of caregiving institutions—and what Jeppe and Anette discover will turn their blood as cold as ice…
Hospitals are supposed to be places of healing. But in the coronary care unit at one of Copenhagen’s leading medical centers, a nurse fills a syringe with an overdose of heart medication and stealthily enters the room of an older male patient.
Six days earlier, a paperboy on his route in central Copenhagen stumbles upon a macabre the naked body of a dead woman, lying in a fountain with arms marked with small incisions. Cause of death? Exsanguination—the draining of all the blood in her body.
Copenhagen investigator Jeppe Kørner, recovering from a painful divorce and in the throes of a new relationship, takes on the case. His partner, Anette Werner, now on maternity leave after an unexpected pregnancy, is restless at home with a demanding newborn and an equally demanding husband. While Jeppe pounds the streets looking for answers, Anette decides to do a little freelance sleuthing. But operating on her own exposes her to dangers she can’t even begin to fathom.
As the “thrillingly nerve-racking” ( Shelf Awareness ) investigation ventures into dark corners, it uncovers the shockingly depraved greed that festers beneath the surface of caregiving institutions—and what Jeppe and Anette discover will turn their blood as cold as ice…
432 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2018
1059 people are currently reading
18749 people want to read
About the author
Katrine Engberg
17 books1,257 followersKatrine Engberg is a Danish crime fiction author and former choreographer, dancer, stage director and actor.
Her debut novel was the novel “Crocodile Guardian” otherwise known as “The Tenant” that she first published in 2016 to widespread popularity. The book became a massive hit among reviewers and readers and got several nominations for a range of prestigious awards. She followed it up with “Blood Moon” an excellent crime novel that the Copenhagen newspaper wrote that crime queens should be shaking in their boots at the upstart soon taking their place. The novel would earn her an author of the year nomination. She would then write her third novel in the series titled “Glasvinge,” which was also a huge success just like her previous two works. The third novel got a MARTHA award nomination in 2018 and 2019.
Katrine Engberg was brought up in Østerbro and still lives in the town with her husband and their child.
Her debut novel was the novel “Crocodile Guardian” otherwise known as “The Tenant” that she first published in 2016 to widespread popularity. The book became a massive hit among reviewers and readers and got several nominations for a range of prestigious awards. She followed it up with “Blood Moon” an excellent crime novel that the Copenhagen newspaper wrote that crime queens should be shaking in their boots at the upstart soon taking their place. The novel would earn her an author of the year nomination. She would then write her third novel in the series titled “Glasvinge,” which was also a huge success just like her previous two works. The third novel got a MARTHA award nomination in 2018 and 2019.
Katrine Engberg was brought up in Østerbro and still lives in the town with her husband and their child.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,180 reviews
January 11, 2023
Detectives Jeppe Kørner and Anette Werner are back, after the first book in this series, The Tenant. This makes two of the four books in the Scandinavian thriller series that have translated to English. I've gotten attached to Jeppe and Anette and don't want to give them up.
Jeppe, is now living with his mother for a few months, after he and his ex-wife finally sold their marital home. Mom has never let go of her child and even though he's now living in her apartment, she calls him eight to ten times a day, nags him about the exact way to squeeze out the dishwashing sponge, and stays up late until he comes in for the night. Those are just some of the things that make Jeppe so endearing to me. He's a lead detective, has men and women working under him, working hard to solve a horrendous murder, but lives with the guilt and annoyance of a nagging mother.
A body has been found in a fountain and the cause of death is exsanguination—the draining of all the blood in her body. The dozens of tiny cuts that drained the blood via her wrists and thigh were intended to cause a very slow and extremely painful death. This was a very methodical and calculated murder and even the fact that the body was placed in water must mean something. The murderer is definitely sending a message.
Anette is on maternity leave after delivering a baby girl, two and a half months ago. Despite never wanting children, at the age of forty four, Annette's "oops" baby has taken over her life. She feels like a bomb has gone off in her body, which no longer belongs to her. She's exhausted and the baby never quits crying. Her husband has adapted well to fatherhood and can't understand Annette's indifference to the baby. Annette listens to the police scanner she kept from her job and starts making fake runs to the store for diapers, when she is instead, doing her own covet investigation into the murder. But the murderer isn't finished and she's at risk attracting the murderer's attention.
Jeppe, saddled with a new but ancient, overweight, and slow partner, is now missing Anette for all the qualities about her that used to annoy him. As the story unfolds, we not only learn about Jeppe and Annette's thoughts and feelings but those of other characters. This is what I love about the author, Katrine Engberg's, work...she allows us to know each character, their thoughts and feelings, so that this world seems alive and real. I'm looking forward to someday getting to read the English translations of the next two books in this series because I'm hooked on this Copenhagen setting and the people that inhabit it.
Published January 5, 2021
Thank you to Gallery/Scout Press and NetGalley for this ARC.
Jeppe, is now living with his mother for a few months, after he and his ex-wife finally sold their marital home. Mom has never let go of her child and even though he's now living in her apartment, she calls him eight to ten times a day, nags him about the exact way to squeeze out the dishwashing sponge, and stays up late until he comes in for the night. Those are just some of the things that make Jeppe so endearing to me. He's a lead detective, has men and women working under him, working hard to solve a horrendous murder, but lives with the guilt and annoyance of a nagging mother.
A body has been found in a fountain and the cause of death is exsanguination—the draining of all the blood in her body. The dozens of tiny cuts that drained the blood via her wrists and thigh were intended to cause a very slow and extremely painful death. This was a very methodical and calculated murder and even the fact that the body was placed in water must mean something. The murderer is definitely sending a message.
Anette is on maternity leave after delivering a baby girl, two and a half months ago. Despite never wanting children, at the age of forty four, Annette's "oops" baby has taken over her life. She feels like a bomb has gone off in her body, which no longer belongs to her. She's exhausted and the baby never quits crying. Her husband has adapted well to fatherhood and can't understand Annette's indifference to the baby. Annette listens to the police scanner she kept from her job and starts making fake runs to the store for diapers, when she is instead, doing her own covet investigation into the murder. But the murderer isn't finished and she's at risk attracting the murderer's attention.
Jeppe, saddled with a new but ancient, overweight, and slow partner, is now missing Anette for all the qualities about her that used to annoy him. As the story unfolds, we not only learn about Jeppe and Annette's thoughts and feelings but those of other characters. This is what I love about the author, Katrine Engberg's, work...she allows us to know each character, their thoughts and feelings, so that this world seems alive and real. I'm looking forward to someday getting to read the English translations of the next two books in this series because I'm hooked on this Copenhagen setting and the people that inhabit it.
Published January 5, 2021
Thank you to Gallery/Scout Press and NetGalley for this ARC.
August 19, 2021
Well, this is another fast, my hands and nose glued to my e-reader so I skipped my meals and cooking chores which saved so many lives (stomach pumping can be painful b*tch) reading!
Normally I was planning to give 4 stars but I added half more star and rounded up to 5 because even though I enjoyed Tenant, I loved the second adventure of Korner and Werner so much more. It was smart, it was breathtaking, action packed, twisty, a great example of Scandinavian noir/ crime thriller.
Story starts as a paperboy finds a naked body of a dead woman lying in a fountain with arms filled with marks of small incisions. She is dead because of exsanguination which means all the blood of her body has been drained. And other bodies started to be found at fountains with the same cause of death. The victims are connected by a facility for young adult who is suffering from mental diseases named Butterfly House. Somebody is out there to punish the hospital crew and Jeppe Korner races against the time to find the perpetrator!
Best part of this book: the annoying, weird Anette Werner who is the champion to push the buttons of her partner and tortuously irritating him, enjoying her maternal leave (I’m taking back! She’s about to lose it, stuck between a Postpartum depression and boredom) So we don’t have to see her too much ( I have to confess, in the beginning of the first book, I hated the guts of her but slowly she got under my skin and at this second book her quirky antics won me over!)
And Jeppe Koper seems like recovered from his painful divorce, living with his mother and rejecting her controlling daily calls, forming relationship with Sara. Is he ready to take risks and commit with Sara, meeting with her two daughters? Well, he still emotionally struggles and the compelling case he investigates does not help him to think clearly about his own well being. He’s suffering from insomnia because of intense pressure! A vicious killer continues to threat a group of facility crew and the suspects with motives have concrete alibis.
And Annette skips her maternity duties to conduct her own investigation. Could she find something crucial Jeppe may have missed?
I liked the conclusion, the balanced pace, intriguing story development and it was also enjoyable to see Esther- landlord/ debut author from the first book Tenant ( she was interestingly connected with the suspects) !
As a great fan of Nordic, soul crushing, blood freezing, dazzling, dark noirs, this book fit so well with my expectations.
Special thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books / Scout Press for sharing this incredible Arc with me in exchange my honest review.
I cannot wait to read third book of Korner and Werner. I think I already got addicted to their dysfunctional, quirky and entertaining relationship.
Normally I was planning to give 4 stars but I added half more star and rounded up to 5 because even though I enjoyed Tenant, I loved the second adventure of Korner and Werner so much more. It was smart, it was breathtaking, action packed, twisty, a great example of Scandinavian noir/ crime thriller.
Story starts as a paperboy finds a naked body of a dead woman lying in a fountain with arms filled with marks of small incisions. She is dead because of exsanguination which means all the blood of her body has been drained. And other bodies started to be found at fountains with the same cause of death. The victims are connected by a facility for young adult who is suffering from mental diseases named Butterfly House. Somebody is out there to punish the hospital crew and Jeppe Korner races against the time to find the perpetrator!
Best part of this book: the annoying, weird Anette Werner who is the champion to push the buttons of her partner and tortuously irritating him, enjoying her maternal leave (I’m taking back! She’s about to lose it, stuck between a Postpartum depression and boredom) So we don’t have to see her too much ( I have to confess, in the beginning of the first book, I hated the guts of her but slowly she got under my skin and at this second book her quirky antics won me over!)
And Jeppe Koper seems like recovered from his painful divorce, living with his mother and rejecting her controlling daily calls, forming relationship with Sara. Is he ready to take risks and commit with Sara, meeting with her two daughters? Well, he still emotionally struggles and the compelling case he investigates does not help him to think clearly about his own well being. He’s suffering from insomnia because of intense pressure! A vicious killer continues to threat a group of facility crew and the suspects with motives have concrete alibis.
And Annette skips her maternity duties to conduct her own investigation. Could she find something crucial Jeppe may have missed?
I liked the conclusion, the balanced pace, intriguing story development and it was also enjoyable to see Esther- landlord/ debut author from the first book Tenant ( she was interestingly connected with the suspects) !
As a great fan of Nordic, soul crushing, blood freezing, dazzling, dark noirs, this book fit so well with my expectations.
Special thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books / Scout Press for sharing this incredible Arc with me in exchange my honest review.
I cannot wait to read third book of Korner and Werner. I think I already got addicted to their dysfunctional, quirky and entertaining relationship.
January 15, 2021
An angel of death is stalking the wards of a Copenhagen hospital, meanwhile a paperboy discovers a murdered middle aged woman dumped in a city fountain. More similar murders follow with the investigation led by Inspector Jeppe Kørner currently partnered with the somewhat plodding Inspector Falck while Anette Werner is on maternity leave. However, would this actually stop her getting involved? Of course not, she’s exhausted but bored and she cannot resist.
This is another excellent addition to the Kørner/Werner series and I like that some of the characters from The Tenant are included here such as the very likeable Esther de Laurenti. The detective duo are extremely good characters, they are well developed and interesting. I like the fact that we get into their lives too with Kørner moving on romantically and Werner’s struggles with new motherhood which makes them feel authentic. This is another good, gritty storyline as the murders are .... shall we settle for ‘creative’ and I find the inclusion of medical history in investigating the murder method especially intriguing. The murders seem to link to The Butterfly House, a former private residential treatment centre for children and teens with psychiatric issues. The inclusion of mental health as a theme is both interesting and very relevant. The plot is clever, with well connected threads and a fast pace which makes for gripping reading. There are plenty of twists, turns and several suspects which keeps you engaged until the end. The style is lively which maintains the focus and I like the occasional use of humour to lighten the dark. The setting in Copenhagen is great and there are some very good descriptions of the autumnal city which adds to the building atmosphere.
Overall, another well written and compelling novel from Katrine Engberg and I look forward to number three in the series with eager anticipation!
With thanks to NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton for the arc for an honest review.
This is another excellent addition to the Kørner/Werner series and I like that some of the characters from The Tenant are included here such as the very likeable Esther de Laurenti. The detective duo are extremely good characters, they are well developed and interesting. I like the fact that we get into their lives too with Kørner moving on romantically and Werner’s struggles with new motherhood which makes them feel authentic. This is another good, gritty storyline as the murders are .... shall we settle for ‘creative’ and I find the inclusion of medical history in investigating the murder method especially intriguing. The murders seem to link to The Butterfly House, a former private residential treatment centre for children and teens with psychiatric issues. The inclusion of mental health as a theme is both interesting and very relevant. The plot is clever, with well connected threads and a fast pace which makes for gripping reading. There are plenty of twists, turns and several suspects which keeps you engaged until the end. The style is lively which maintains the focus and I like the occasional use of humour to lighten the dark. The setting in Copenhagen is great and there are some very good descriptions of the autumnal city which adds to the building atmosphere.
Overall, another well written and compelling novel from Katrine Engberg and I look forward to number three in the series with eager anticipation!
With thanks to NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton for the arc for an honest review.
September 27, 2022
4.5⭐
“Remember, feelings are never simple. Revenge is inextricably linked to a bad conscience; guilt goes hand in hand with resentment at having felt pressured to do the thing one feels guilty about. A double-edged sword, which makes the bearer both victim and executioner.”
Three bodies are discovered floating in different fountains across downtown Copenhagen in quick succession. Autopsy reveals all the victims bled out from symmetrical wounds inflicted across their arms and legs- wounds caused by a mysterious weapon. As the narrative progresses, it is revealed that all three victims were connected through their association with “The Butterfly House “, a residential psychiatric facility for children and teenagers which closed down two years ago. Copenhagen homicide detectives Jeppe Korner and Torben Falck are assigned to the case. Korner’s partner, Annette Werner, on maternity leave and itching to resume active duty, adds to the efforts and conducts her own investigation based on information Korner shares with her. The team conducts a deep-dive investigation into the psychiatric facility- the administration, the patients, and the caregivers. It seems that quite a few of the people linked to the facility have both motive and opportunity. There was also a fair share of corruption, secrets and cover-ups within the internal workings of the facility. The investigators must determine whether anyone among the former patients and employees could be the killer and who could be a potential victim and in the process stop the killing spree before anyone else is murdered.
The Butterfly House is the third installment (second book translated in English) in Katrine Engberg’s crime thriller series featuring investigators Jeppe Korner and Anette Werner. I’m glad that I did not give up on this series after the first book which was an average read for me. With its crisp writing, fast-paced narrative and engaging mystery, The Butterfly House by Katrine Engberg is a smart, gripping Nordic noir that kept me guessing till the very end. The author explores the issue of treatment of mental health , unethical practices, insufficient funding of facilities and how patients are treated with negligence by people who are not professionally trained or qualified. There are quite a few characters to keep track of but given the clear and concise writing, it is not too difficult to do so. I also enjoyed the descriptions of downtown Copenhagen including the “underground” network. Parallel to the main plot is a nurse with links to the case, injecting an elderly patient with unauthorized medication with malicious intent in the cardiac care unit of a hospital. Another sub-plot with Esther De Laurenti (from the previous book, The Tenant) did not seem entirely necessary though it was great to catch up with her once again. Overall, I enjoyed this novel and look forward to reading the next book in the series.
“Remember, feelings are never simple. Revenge is inextricably linked to a bad conscience; guilt goes hand in hand with resentment at having felt pressured to do the thing one feels guilty about. A double-edged sword, which makes the bearer both victim and executioner.”
Three bodies are discovered floating in different fountains across downtown Copenhagen in quick succession. Autopsy reveals all the victims bled out from symmetrical wounds inflicted across their arms and legs- wounds caused by a mysterious weapon. As the narrative progresses, it is revealed that all three victims were connected through their association with “The Butterfly House “, a residential psychiatric facility for children and teenagers which closed down two years ago. Copenhagen homicide detectives Jeppe Korner and Torben Falck are assigned to the case. Korner’s partner, Annette Werner, on maternity leave and itching to resume active duty, adds to the efforts and conducts her own investigation based on information Korner shares with her. The team conducts a deep-dive investigation into the psychiatric facility- the administration, the patients, and the caregivers. It seems that quite a few of the people linked to the facility have both motive and opportunity. There was also a fair share of corruption, secrets and cover-ups within the internal workings of the facility. The investigators must determine whether anyone among the former patients and employees could be the killer and who could be a potential victim and in the process stop the killing spree before anyone else is murdered.
The Butterfly House is the third installment (second book translated in English) in Katrine Engberg’s crime thriller series featuring investigators Jeppe Korner and Anette Werner. I’m glad that I did not give up on this series after the first book which was an average read for me. With its crisp writing, fast-paced narrative and engaging mystery, The Butterfly House by Katrine Engberg is a smart, gripping Nordic noir that kept me guessing till the very end. The author explores the issue of treatment of mental health , unethical practices, insufficient funding of facilities and how patients are treated with negligence by people who are not professionally trained or qualified. There are quite a few characters to keep track of but given the clear and concise writing, it is not too difficult to do so. I also enjoyed the descriptions of downtown Copenhagen including the “underground” network. Parallel to the main plot is a nurse with links to the case, injecting an elderly patient with unauthorized medication with malicious intent in the cardiac care unit of a hospital. Another sub-plot with Esther De Laurenti (from the previous book, The Tenant) did not seem entirely necessary though it was great to catch up with her once again. Overall, I enjoyed this novel and look forward to reading the next book in the series.
October 28, 2023
Note: I received a free copy of this book. In exchange here is my honest review.
I wasn’t aware when I started this one, that it’s part of a series. 🤷🏼♀️ There we’re some references to people that were likely introduced in previous books… this was an okay serial killer detective story. 👍
Thank you @goodreads @katrineengberg and @simonandschuster #goodreadsgiveaway
I wasn’t aware when I started this one, that it’s part of a series. 🤷🏼♀️ There we’re some references to people that were likely introduced in previous books… this was an okay serial killer detective story. 👍
Thank you @goodreads @katrineengberg and @simonandschuster #goodreadsgiveaway
October 3, 2025
3.5
A woman’s body is found in a fountain in Copenhagen, drained of blood. But she is not the only victim. Soon, two more bodies are found, similarly mutilated.
Three victims in three days.
The detectives’ investigation leads to the discovery that the victims used to work at a psychiatric facility for teenagers called The Butterfly House.
What is the motive and could the police find the culprit before another life is taken?
A woman’s body is found in a fountain in Copenhagen, drained of blood. But she is not the only victim. Soon, two more bodies are found, similarly mutilated.
Three victims in three days.
The detectives’ investigation leads to the discovery that the victims used to work at a psychiatric facility for teenagers called The Butterfly House.
What is the motive and could the police find the culprit before another life is taken?
May 21, 2023
Recently finished and loved The Tennant, the first in the series. Copenhagen was calling so I jumped right back into the series. For some reason book two was not translated into English, so The Butterfly House is book 3. I loved that the characters were further along in their lives (homes, loves, families). It made for a very interesting read.
I don’t want to spoil anything so will be purposefully vague. Jeppe really grows and changes. Annette steals the show by tackling the investigation in her own unique way. I continue to love the supporting cast. I am a fan of CSI type shows, so I greatly enjoy the team and the forensic aspect of the story.
The Butterfly House is fast paced. A body a day-day after day! A serious serial killer. Several suspects. The author makes you question them all and the identity of every character mentioned. The Butterfly House does an amazing job describing the treatment of young people struggling with mental health and how it impacts families. We get in the head of patients, parents, and hospital workers.
Having recently read The Rose Code, I found the description of being committed (not by choice, but involuntarily) to a psyche hospital to being imprisoned or trapped very similar to the description in The Butterfly House. The Butterfly House explores many aspects of the topic of mental health: prescription drugs, over medication, how youth are treated, how they are transitioned to adult treatment centers, and what happens when they leave treatment centers.
A quote that captures the central theme is: “Psychiatric hospitals just didn’t have the resources to treat people; they were merely parking garages, where the sick were supposed to share the space with other sick, who weren’t getting the help they needed, either. Plenty of expertise and goodwill, but no time, no hands.”
There are other subplots in the novel. Another murderer, and the return of Esther! I love so much about this series. It has the grit of the Bosch books, but also the feeling of family in the Gamache books. I also discovered two different jazz groups from Denmark that I listened to which really added to my reading experience. Five glowing stars.
I don’t want to spoil anything so will be purposefully vague. Jeppe really grows and changes. Annette steals the show by tackling the investigation in her own unique way. I continue to love the supporting cast. I am a fan of CSI type shows, so I greatly enjoy the team and the forensic aspect of the story.
The Butterfly House is fast paced. A body a day-day after day! A serious serial killer. Several suspects. The author makes you question them all and the identity of every character mentioned. The Butterfly House does an amazing job describing the treatment of young people struggling with mental health and how it impacts families. We get in the head of patients, parents, and hospital workers.
Having recently read The Rose Code, I found the description of being committed (not by choice, but involuntarily) to a psyche hospital to being imprisoned or trapped very similar to the description in The Butterfly House. The Butterfly House explores many aspects of the topic of mental health: prescription drugs, over medication, how youth are treated, how they are transitioned to adult treatment centers, and what happens when they leave treatment centers.
A quote that captures the central theme is: “Psychiatric hospitals just didn’t have the resources to treat people; they were merely parking garages, where the sick were supposed to share the space with other sick, who weren’t getting the help they needed, either. Plenty of expertise and goodwill, but no time, no hands.”
There are other subplots in the novel. Another murderer, and the return of Esther! I love so much about this series. It has the grit of the Bosch books, but also the feeling of family in the Gamache books. I also discovered two different jazz groups from Denmark that I listened to which really added to my reading experience. Five glowing stars.
November 24, 2020
This is another book 2 in a series where I haven’t read the book 1 (it’s getting to be quite a habit) but it didn’t detract from the story at all. Jeppe Kørner has to work with a new partner as his usual partner, Annette Werner, is on maternity leave. After giving up on having children the 44 year old Annette has finally had a child and doesn’t know what hit her!
A body is found in a fountain, 12 little cuts on the wrists and groin are the only injuries and point to death by exsanguination. The victim worked at a hospital. The next day another body is found with the same pattern of cuts. The murder weapon is unusual, it turns out to be an historical bloodletting instrument called a scarificator. I looked it up, it is a strange thing indeed! It turns out that both of the victims used to work at a residential home for teenagers with mental health issues called Butterfly House so investigators focus their attention there. The home closed two years ago after the suicide of the one of the patients. Annette, craving distractions and adult stimulation also does some sleuthing on the sly on the pretext of going out for more nappies (diapers). She actually make some important breakthroughs but these lead her straight into the arms of danger.
There’s a lot going on in this book and the Butterfly House has quite a few secrets to give up yet. There was also a plot thread that ended up going nowhere so I don’t know why it was included except maybe as a red herring. The story was good but I found it to be a bit ‘busy’ and yet pedestrian at times. There were a lot of characters to keep track of. It will certainly appeal to fans of police procedurals as it covers the investigation really well and in a plausible way. Thanks to Edelweiss for my copy. My opinions are my own.
A body is found in a fountain, 12 little cuts on the wrists and groin are the only injuries and point to death by exsanguination. The victim worked at a hospital. The next day another body is found with the same pattern of cuts. The murder weapon is unusual, it turns out to be an historical bloodletting instrument called a scarificator. I looked it up, it is a strange thing indeed! It turns out that both of the victims used to work at a residential home for teenagers with mental health issues called Butterfly House so investigators focus their attention there. The home closed two years ago after the suicide of the one of the patients. Annette, craving distractions and adult stimulation also does some sleuthing on the sly on the pretext of going out for more nappies (diapers). She actually make some important breakthroughs but these lead her straight into the arms of danger.
There’s a lot going on in this book and the Butterfly House has quite a few secrets to give up yet. There was also a plot thread that ended up going nowhere so I don’t know why it was included except maybe as a red herring. The story was good but I found it to be a bit ‘busy’ and yet pedestrian at times. There were a lot of characters to keep track of. It will certainly appeal to fans of police procedurals as it covers the investigation really well and in a plausible way. Thanks to Edelweiss for my copy. My opinions are my own.
January 28, 2021
The Butterfly House by Katrine Engberg is the second instalment in the Detectives Korner and Werner series but it reads well as a standalone. In Copenhagen, a body is found submerged in a fountain and it has shockingly been drained of all of its blood. Exsanguination has been accomplished with the aid of an ancient tool. Before long, the same crime is repeated, leading Detective Jeppe Korner and his team to investigate what links the victims. And will there be more? Meanwhile, Detective Anette Werner, who is on maternity leave, takes it upon herself to attempt solving the crimes on her own. These characters are multi-faceted and their life stories become part of the novel. The plot is original and the clues are solid yet misleading, which is what makes for a great detective mystery. Copenhagen is at the forefront and acquaints the reader with this unique city. This was a dark and fascinating police procedural and I look forward to more books by Katrine Engberg. This is Scandinavian noir at its best. Highly recommended. Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada, NetGalley and the author for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 23, 2021
Three bodies are found in fountains on three consecutive days which brings Copenhagen police officer Jeppe a new and twisty case. His partner Anette is on maternity leave having given birth to a baby daughter. The three bodies will all be traced to the Butterfly House, a now defunct home for those with various mental issues.
This book highlights the often neglectful, unsuccessful treatment of the mentally ill. Often underfunded programs, few trustworthy institutions, choices, understaffed with unqualified people, provide few options. A good story but also some good characters with relateable outside lives. Anette bored with staying home does something rash, Jeppe trying to start a new relationship, all keeps the reader interested. The cases at time become confusing as there are many different threads, but this is a solid, balanced series. Looking forward to the next.
This book highlights the often neglectful, unsuccessful treatment of the mentally ill. Often underfunded programs, few trustworthy institutions, choices, understaffed with unqualified people, provide few options. A good story but also some good characters with relateable outside lives. Anette bored with staying home does something rash, Jeppe trying to start a new relationship, all keeps the reader interested. The cases at time become confusing as there are many different threads, but this is a solid, balanced series. Looking forward to the next.
November 24, 2020
This was a 4.5/5 star read for me - I thoroughly enjoyed this gripping Danish crime novel and its engaging, eccentric cast of characters! Full review to come!
February 15, 2021
Review published in: https://diagnosisbookaholic.blogspot....
If the other day I wrote about how I loved locked room murder mysteries today I'm writing about the other subgenre I'm completely obsessed with, Nordic Noir. It can be books, tv shows, music...if it comes from Scandinavia I'll probably like it!
The butterfly house is book 2 in the Korner and Werner series, follow up to The tenant, and a huge improvement in my opinion. I liked The tenant, but I LOVED The butterfly house. Maybe it was a translation issue (I read the first one in Spanish and this one in English), but I found that the author's writing style just went up several notches.
The series is set in Copenhagen, my lat trip before the pandemic started, so reading this made me also a bit nostalgic. I just love reading about places I've been and I can totally visualize in my head.
Both Jeppe and Anette are back, but she's on maternity leave and adjusting to her new situation, so they don't share much time together during the investigation, but the little time they had together was so nice to see them go back and forth. I like how there's no romantic interest between them, letting them deal with their own issues without that added tension that would only ballast the whole story. They're both really well developed characters and the writing shows that the author really knows them well already. It was also a nice surprise to meet back with Esther de Laurenti, one of the main characters from the previous book.
The murders revolve around the Butterfly House, a psychiatric care facility for teens. I found really interesting the depiction of both mental health workers and the patients in there, how suffering from mental health issues is still today an stigma and how sometimes those supposed to care and protect vulnerable people end up harming them more because of their own interests.
The M.O. was so original I had to immediately google the murder weapon. The lesson in History of the medicine and medical devices was truly fascinating.
The story moved at quite a fast pace with no shortage of leads and suspects that kept me guessing till the very end. Those last 50 pages were heart attack inducing and I just kept yelling at the book "who are you? WHO ARE YOU?" until the killer was revealed.
Fantastic addition to the series and a must read for all those Nordic crime fans like me.
If the other day I wrote about how I loved locked room murder mysteries today I'm writing about the other subgenre I'm completely obsessed with, Nordic Noir. It can be books, tv shows, music...if it comes from Scandinavia I'll probably like it!
The butterfly house is book 2 in the Korner and Werner series, follow up to The tenant, and a huge improvement in my opinion. I liked The tenant, but I LOVED The butterfly house. Maybe it was a translation issue (I read the first one in Spanish and this one in English), but I found that the author's writing style just went up several notches.
The series is set in Copenhagen, my lat trip before the pandemic started, so reading this made me also a bit nostalgic. I just love reading about places I've been and I can totally visualize in my head.
Both Jeppe and Anette are back, but she's on maternity leave and adjusting to her new situation, so they don't share much time together during the investigation, but the little time they had together was so nice to see them go back and forth. I like how there's no romantic interest between them, letting them deal with their own issues without that added tension that would only ballast the whole story. They're both really well developed characters and the writing shows that the author really knows them well already. It was also a nice surprise to meet back with Esther de Laurenti, one of the main characters from the previous book.
The murders revolve around the Butterfly House, a psychiatric care facility for teens. I found really interesting the depiction of both mental health workers and the patients in there, how suffering from mental health issues is still today an stigma and how sometimes those supposed to care and protect vulnerable people end up harming them more because of their own interests.
The M.O. was so original I had to immediately google the murder weapon. The lesson in History of the medicine and medical devices was truly fascinating.
The story moved at quite a fast pace with no shortage of leads and suspects that kept me guessing till the very end. Those last 50 pages were heart attack inducing and I just kept yelling at the book "who are you? WHO ARE YOU?" until the killer was revealed.
Fantastic addition to the series and a must read for all those Nordic crime fans like me.
September 5, 2021
I love discovering new authors, going blind on a book and being surprised.
This is the second book of a series and my first by this author.
The storyline is smart and very well developed and so are the characters.
The prologue starts on October 14, and the development starts in chronological order from October 10 to October 14, from chapter one until the end.
Although slow for most of the part, I was hooked and I did not want to let it go.
By the end it was pure adrenaline, but I thought that the conclusion was too fast, although brilliant.
Annette, one of the DI that was on maternity leave, received a terrific lecture from her husband.
This edition was translated from its original language, Swedish, and I think that the translator did a great job because I enjoyed the writing.
Now I’m looking forward to reading the first book, The Tenant, which has been sitting on my shelves since its release.
This is the second book of a series and my first by this author.
The storyline is smart and very well developed and so are the characters.
The prologue starts on October 14, and the development starts in chronological order from October 10 to October 14, from chapter one until the end.
Although slow for most of the part, I was hooked and I did not want to let it go.
By the end it was pure adrenaline, but I thought that the conclusion was too fast, although brilliant.
Annette, one of the DI that was on maternity leave, received a terrific lecture from her husband.
This edition was translated from its original language, Swedish, and I think that the translator did a great job because I enjoyed the writing.
Now I’m looking forward to reading the first book, The Tenant, which has been sitting on my shelves since its release.
March 10, 2021
4.5/5
You know that feeling when you start a series book, and you feel like you're missing something, but you aren't sure why? That is what happened to me with The Butterfly House by Katrine Engberg. I totally thought this was book 2 of the Korner and Werner series, but it is in fact book 3 and the publisher has decided to publish them out of order in the US. UGH! Even though I had to read this out of order and was very confused by some things with Anette, this was still an amazing book.
The Butterfly House is a deliciously dark, fast-paced police procedural that is bound to keep readers on their toes. I love Engberg's writing style and was very happy with the translation to English as well. I listened to the audiobook and loved our narrator, Graeme Malcolm. I always think audio adds something extra when it comes to these books set in other countries and it definitely did with this one. I was happy to get all the pronunciations again and Malcolm is just an all-around amazing narrator. There are actually a couple of different plot lines going on, and I enjoyed both the police case as well as our mysterious nurse who is OD'ing patients. I think the synopsis is a bit misleading since Anette is actually out on maternity leave and not actually working with Jeppe on the case, but she's definitely doing some police work of her own and I loved her for it. This book also brings back Ester which I'm thinking means she'll be in book 2 as well, but either way I hope she's in all of them. She's dealing with a big issue in The Butterfly House and I love that she's such a strong minor character in this series.
There is a lot more focus on the cases than the character's lives in The Butterfly House and I love the way the author keeps you guessing. I had no idea what was going to happen and although our mysterious nurse isn't actually a mystery, I still couldn't wait to find out what would happen with that aspect. The reveal of the murderer was a big surprise, and I can't say I saw it coming at all. There are so many tense moments in this book, and it kept me listening for long periods of time. I finished in about 2 sittings, and if you're a fan of Nordic noir and police procedurals I highly recommend reading or listening to this one. But maybe wait until book 2 comes out so you don't miss anything as I did...
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
You know that feeling when you start a series book, and you feel like you're missing something, but you aren't sure why? That is what happened to me with The Butterfly House by Katrine Engberg. I totally thought this was book 2 of the Korner and Werner series, but it is in fact book 3 and the publisher has decided to publish them out of order in the US. UGH! Even though I had to read this out of order and was very confused by some things with Anette, this was still an amazing book.
The Butterfly House is a deliciously dark, fast-paced police procedural that is bound to keep readers on their toes. I love Engberg's writing style and was very happy with the translation to English as well. I listened to the audiobook and loved our narrator, Graeme Malcolm. I always think audio adds something extra when it comes to these books set in other countries and it definitely did with this one. I was happy to get all the pronunciations again and Malcolm is just an all-around amazing narrator. There are actually a couple of different plot lines going on, and I enjoyed both the police case as well as our mysterious nurse who is OD'ing patients. I think the synopsis is a bit misleading since Anette is actually out on maternity leave and not actually working with Jeppe on the case, but she's definitely doing some police work of her own and I loved her for it. This book also brings back Ester which I'm thinking means she'll be in book 2 as well, but either way I hope she's in all of them. She's dealing with a big issue in The Butterfly House and I love that she's such a strong minor character in this series.
There is a lot more focus on the cases than the character's lives in The Butterfly House and I love the way the author keeps you guessing. I had no idea what was going to happen and although our mysterious nurse isn't actually a mystery, I still couldn't wait to find out what would happen with that aspect. The reveal of the murderer was a big surprise, and I can't say I saw it coming at all. There are so many tense moments in this book, and it kept me listening for long periods of time. I finished in about 2 sittings, and if you're a fan of Nordic noir and police procedurals I highly recommend reading or listening to this one. But maybe wait until book 2 comes out so you don't miss anything as I did...
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
January 1, 2021
4.25 grisly stars
This is the second in the series and I liked the first one but this second one was more of a hit with me! Dark Nordic noir set in Copenhagen with Detectives Jeppe Korner and Anette Werner reunited in a way! Anette is on maternity leave and I thought it was so realistically portrayed. She’s desperately bored taking care of her daughter and secretly listens to the police scanner and is investigating cases when she is supposed to be picking up diapers. Striking out on her own is not always so smart though! There’s even the return of Esther de Laurenti from the first book.
Jeppe Korner is stuck living with his mother while he wraps up a divorce and saddled with an overweight partner until Werner returns to the force. He soon has some grisly murders to investigate. The victims have had all the blood drained from their bodies. The investigation is hitting all sorts of dead ends as more victims turn up.
At the heart of the story is a former home for mentally ill young people, The Butterfly House. The victims are all connected to the home and Korner is scrambling to figure it all out. It was interesting to read more about mental health treatment in Denmark and how it is a universal challenge no matter in what country you reside. Also true that these patients can be mistreated anywhere.
This one has some gruesome scenes and a powerhouse ending that had me wondering how it would all turn out! I see that there are three more installments in this series, but they haven’t been translated to English yet. I'll be watching for the new ones!
Thank you to Gallery/Scout Press and NetGalley for the complimentary copy of this one to read and review.
This is the second in the series and I liked the first one but this second one was more of a hit with me! Dark Nordic noir set in Copenhagen with Detectives Jeppe Korner and Anette Werner reunited in a way! Anette is on maternity leave and I thought it was so realistically portrayed. She’s desperately bored taking care of her daughter and secretly listens to the police scanner and is investigating cases when she is supposed to be picking up diapers. Striking out on her own is not always so smart though! There’s even the return of Esther de Laurenti from the first book.
Jeppe Korner is stuck living with his mother while he wraps up a divorce and saddled with an overweight partner until Werner returns to the force. He soon has some grisly murders to investigate. The victims have had all the blood drained from their bodies. The investigation is hitting all sorts of dead ends as more victims turn up.
At the heart of the story is a former home for mentally ill young people, The Butterfly House. The victims are all connected to the home and Korner is scrambling to figure it all out. It was interesting to read more about mental health treatment in Denmark and how it is a universal challenge no matter in what country you reside. Also true that these patients can be mistreated anywhere.
This one has some gruesome scenes and a powerhouse ending that had me wondering how it would all turn out! I see that there are three more installments in this series, but they haven’t been translated to English yet. I'll be watching for the new ones!
Thank you to Gallery/Scout Press and NetGalley for the complimentary copy of this one to read and review.
December 6, 2020
Copenhagen detectives Jeppe Kørner and Annette Werner are back in Katrine Engberg's follow up to The Tenant. This time, Werner is on maternity leave while Kørner and fill in partner Falck are left to investigate a series of murders where the victims are left drained of their blood in fountains around the city. Esther and Gregers from The Tenant also return and have a subplot as well as a nurse at the hospital who is intentionally overdosing patients.
The characters continue to be well developed as we further get to know them. The pacing is excellent, I was gripped from the first page and read this every chance I had. The plotting is excellent and I liked how Engberg used the weather to increase that hopeless feeling you get as you read. She also does amazing with describing Copenhagen and making the reader wish to visit there. This is a fantastic entry in the series and I hope the rest of the series gets translated in to English.
Thank you to Gallery/Scout Press, author Katrine Engberg, and NetGalley for gifting me a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
The characters continue to be well developed as we further get to know them. The pacing is excellent, I was gripped from the first page and read this every chance I had. The plotting is excellent and I liked how Engberg used the weather to increase that hopeless feeling you get as you read. She also does amazing with describing Copenhagen and making the reader wish to visit there. This is a fantastic entry in the series and I hope the rest of the series gets translated in to English.
Thank you to Gallery/Scout Press, author Katrine Engberg, and NetGalley for gifting me a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
December 12, 2020
Somehow Goodreads insists that I've read this book two times already. Well, that isn't true for now, but I'd love to re-read this book sometime. It's only a few months ago I've read The Tenant, and in my review I said I would like to read more about Jeppe and Annette.
My wish was fulfilled soon and the first thing I noticed was that The Butterfly House was a worthy successor of The Tenant. Very worthy.
Jeppe and Annette are still colleagues, although officially not working together due to the fact that Annette finally gave in and decided to stay at home with her daughter. That is to say... more often than not she has to rush out 'to get nappies' to come back without the nappies but with a new clue in the case Jeppe and his new partner are handling.
There is a lot going on in this story; I liked the story as such because it had a good plot and interesting characters - not to mention a whole new way of killing people. What's more, the characters of Jeppe, Annette and even Esther are more drawn out, there is more flow in the story and from the start I was more drawn in then when reading The Tenant.
We still don't know why Jeppe and Annette do not like each other much, but now there are no longer working closely together, they seem better partners somehow. They have both turned a new leave in their lives - with less whining and more thinking.
I'm now even more looking forward to read more books in this series.
Thanks to Edelweiss for this digital review copy.
My wish was fulfilled soon and the first thing I noticed was that The Butterfly House was a worthy successor of The Tenant. Very worthy.
Jeppe and Annette are still colleagues, although officially not working together due to the fact that Annette finally gave in and decided to stay at home with her daughter. That is to say... more often than not she has to rush out 'to get nappies' to come back without the nappies but with a new clue in the case Jeppe and his new partner are handling.
There is a lot going on in this story; I liked the story as such because it had a good plot and interesting characters - not to mention a whole new way of killing people. What's more, the characters of Jeppe, Annette and even Esther are more drawn out, there is more flow in the story and from the start I was more drawn in then when reading The Tenant.
We still don't know why Jeppe and Annette do not like each other much, but now there are no longer working closely together, they seem better partners somehow. They have both turned a new leave in their lives - with less whining and more thinking.
I'm now even more looking forward to read more books in this series.
Thanks to Edelweiss for this digital review copy.
December 17, 2020
I usually stop a series when I don't love the first installment, but there's something about Katrine Engberg's
The Butterfly House
that spoke to me. Whether it be the beautiful cover, the synopsis involving a defunct home for the mentally disabled, or just pure interest in giving a popular author another try, who knows! This review will be quick...
In the next installment of the Korner and Werner series, the Copenhagen police department uncover a dead body in a town fountain, drained of blood and cut in mysterious places as if the killer wanted the body to suffer. This sadistic killer is at large with no leads, so Jeppe Korner is placed on the case. Worried about his partner Anette Werner on maternity leave, can Jeppe actually solve the case? The story takes the Copenhagen police department into the underworld of the city and through the world of healthcare corruption. Again, if you love Lars Kepler novels, you'll love The Butterfly House !
Without spilling anymore tea, let me do a quick comparison to its predecessor, so you know how I'm feeling about this book. All my issues with The Tenant have been completely thrown out the window. In The Tenant, my main issues were that Jeppe Korner and Anette Werner were extremely forgettable. I believe the author definitely grew these characters in this installment, and although I still enjoyed the other characters presented in this book more than them, I do believe that they are more personable and relatable. We still have a wall up in front of us when it comes to Jeppe, but Anette's personality really shined in this book. I feel as if Katrine Engberg used the "Law and Order SVU" approach, where we got more information as the book went along, just like how the show rarely touched on personal issues in the earlier seasons. Weird analogy, but that's how I feel. The Butterfly House is definitely a slower paced novel, but overall a much stronger installment. I really was intrigued throughout the entire narrative and was actually hoodwinked at the end. I know that Katrine Engberg has been writing this series for few years now and I hope we can get book 3 soon! I'm on board to see what's next!
In the next installment of the Korner and Werner series, the Copenhagen police department uncover a dead body in a town fountain, drained of blood and cut in mysterious places as if the killer wanted the body to suffer. This sadistic killer is at large with no leads, so Jeppe Korner is placed on the case. Worried about his partner Anette Werner on maternity leave, can Jeppe actually solve the case? The story takes the Copenhagen police department into the underworld of the city and through the world of healthcare corruption. Again, if you love Lars Kepler novels, you'll love The Butterfly House !
Without spilling anymore tea, let me do a quick comparison to its predecessor, so you know how I'm feeling about this book. All my issues with The Tenant have been completely thrown out the window. In The Tenant, my main issues were that Jeppe Korner and Anette Werner were extremely forgettable. I believe the author definitely grew these characters in this installment, and although I still enjoyed the other characters presented in this book more than them, I do believe that they are more personable and relatable. We still have a wall up in front of us when it comes to Jeppe, but Anette's personality really shined in this book. I feel as if Katrine Engberg used the "Law and Order SVU" approach, where we got more information as the book went along, just like how the show rarely touched on personal issues in the earlier seasons. Weird analogy, but that's how I feel. The Butterfly House is definitely a slower paced novel, but overall a much stronger installment. I really was intrigued throughout the entire narrative and was actually hoodwinked at the end. I know that Katrine Engberg has been writing this series for few years now and I hope we can get book 3 soon! I'm on board to see what's next!
January 4, 2021
I am a huge fan of Katrine Engberg’s books and The Butterfly House is no exception! Thank you to Gallery Books and Scout Press for the ARC! I love the characters of Jeppe Korner and Annette Werner and I’m happy to see they were both in the middle of this Scandinavian crime fiction!
This book was about a serial killer murdering people and leaving them bloodless in fountains around the city. Korner and his team take the case, and even though Werner is on maternity leave, she wants to help as well. Korner begins to track down this mysterious killer, finding more bodies and less answers along the way. There is one big connection between the victims, leaving Korner with a growing suspect pool for him to narrow down.
Thoughts: I loved how the characters developed in this book. They are so interesting to read about and I felt like I got to know them a lot more in this story. I loved how atmospheric the setting was and how I could imagine myself in Copenhagen, even though I haven’t been yet. I enjoyed this book more than The Tenant and really enjoyed the fast-paced rush of looking for a serial killer compared with the police procedural aspects.
This book really delved into the topic of mental health and the way healthcare professionals are overworked and understaffed. It looked at our mental health system and the way that it can be easy for people to slip through the cracks and not get the care they need. I loved how the book built on itself, explored an interesting cast of characters, and had a great twist. 4.5 for the second story in this series. I can’t wait for more!
This book was about a serial killer murdering people and leaving them bloodless in fountains around the city. Korner and his team take the case, and even though Werner is on maternity leave, she wants to help as well. Korner begins to track down this mysterious killer, finding more bodies and less answers along the way. There is one big connection between the victims, leaving Korner with a growing suspect pool for him to narrow down.
Thoughts: I loved how the characters developed in this book. They are so interesting to read about and I felt like I got to know them a lot more in this story. I loved how atmospheric the setting was and how I could imagine myself in Copenhagen, even though I haven’t been yet. I enjoyed this book more than The Tenant and really enjoyed the fast-paced rush of looking for a serial killer compared with the police procedural aspects.
This book really delved into the topic of mental health and the way healthcare professionals are overworked and understaffed. It looked at our mental health system and the way that it can be easy for people to slip through the cracks and not get the care they need. I loved how the book built on itself, explored an interesting cast of characters, and had a great twist. 4.5 for the second story in this series. I can’t wait for more!
January 15, 2021
Korner & Werner #2
Hospitals are suposed to be places of healing. ut in the coronary unit at one of Copenhagen's leading medical centers, a nurse fills a syringe with an overdose of heart medication and enter the room of an older male patient.
Six days earlier, a paperboy on his route in central Copenhagen stumbles upon a naked body of a dead woman, lying in a fountain. Her arms are marked with small incisions. There was no blood left in her body.
Detectives Jeppe Korner and Anette Werner are back investigating. A sociopath is on the loose. They're draining blood from their victims by using a medieval device that was used to treat illness. There's plenty of suspectds to choose from in this steady paced read. The story takes a look at the menal health system and how under staffed and over worked hey can be. The twists just kept coming. I thought i had it all worked out, but i was weong. This book does reas well as a standalone.
I would like to thank #NetGalley, #Hodder&Stoughton and the author #KatrineEndberg for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Hospitals are suposed to be places of healing. ut in the coronary unit at one of Copenhagen's leading medical centers, a nurse fills a syringe with an overdose of heart medication and enter the room of an older male patient.
Six days earlier, a paperboy on his route in central Copenhagen stumbles upon a naked body of a dead woman, lying in a fountain. Her arms are marked with small incisions. There was no blood left in her body.
Detectives Jeppe Korner and Anette Werner are back investigating. A sociopath is on the loose. They're draining blood from their victims by using a medieval device that was used to treat illness. There's plenty of suspectds to choose from in this steady paced read. The story takes a look at the menal health system and how under staffed and over worked hey can be. The twists just kept coming. I thought i had it all worked out, but i was weong. This book does reas well as a standalone.
I would like to thank #NetGalley, #Hodder&Stoughton and the author #KatrineEndberg for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 5, 2021
I really enjoyed this author’s “The Tenant” which I read last year. However, this novel is even better. With rich characterization, a beguiling story-line, and a stunning setting, this crime thriller/police procedural was a fine start to this year’s reading.
It spoke to many of societies problems without being preachy about it. Mainly it highlighted how mentally ill youth are treated. Medical ethics was also a theme that ran through the story.
This police procedural gave as much weight to the personal back-stories of the main, recurring characters as it did to the crime featured in the book. This is something that I really appreciate in a crime novel.
Fast-paced, and with a compelling plot, this Danish crime thriller will be sure to be enjoyed by many readers of the genre. Highly recommended!
It spoke to many of societies problems without being preachy about it. Mainly it highlighted how mentally ill youth are treated. Medical ethics was also a theme that ran through the story.
This police procedural gave as much weight to the personal back-stories of the main, recurring characters as it did to the crime featured in the book. This is something that I really appreciate in a crime novel.
Fast-paced, and with a compelling plot, this Danish crime thriller will be sure to be enjoyed by many readers of the genre. Highly recommended!
April 25, 2022
THE BUTTERFLY HOUSE is supposedly Book #2 in Katrine Engberg’s Korner/Werner series. As soon as I started it, I felt there was I was something missing. Anette Werner has just given birth to a baby girl; at the end of Book #1, “The Tenant”, she wasn’t even pregnant. Jeppe Korner is in a relationship with his co-worker, Sara Saidani; at the end of Book #1, his divorce had disrupted his ability to initiate sexual relationships, and he was addicted to OxyContin. The OxyContin addiction isn’t even mentioned in THE BUTTERFLY HOUSE, although Jeppe has taken up smoking again.
I did some sleuthing, and discovered that although the publisher of the English version identifies THE BUTTERFLY HOUSE as Book #2 in the series, the Danish publisher identifies it as Book #3. We are missing a year from the lives of our valiant warriors. In Danish, Book #2 is titled “Blodmane”. Although the synopsis and most of the reviews of Blodmane are in Danish, there were a couple of reviews in English, and one said: However there were sentences and words used, which made me really uncomfortable to read and are considered hurtful.”
Blodmane appears to involve one of Jeppe’s closest friends, who is gay. He plays a supportive role in “The Tenant” but only briefly appears in THE BUTTERFLY HOUSE and seems to have left Copenhagen. The author, Engberg, is not anti-LGBTQ. This is obvious from the two books I have read. But possibly she created a character who was — probably a villain who used hurtful words. One of Engberg’s strengths is her ability to show us the world that her characters experience, and so see their suffering (or their delusions). So, because she felt that she needed to write those hurtful words to help us understand the pain they caused, the PC Police have decided that we’ll not be allowed to read “Blodmane” in English.
I thought that THE BUTTERFLY HOUSE was much better than “The Tenant”, the first book I read in this series. (Three stars for “The Tenant” and 4.5 stars for this one.) The author wrote better — used a smoother prose structure. She also changed POVs more often. I found these POV changes easy to follow, and they gave me greater insight into the minds of more characters. In “The Tenant”, we primarily saw the world through Jeppe’s eyes; I wrote in my review for that book that I didn’t get much of a feeling for Anette’s nature. In THE BUTTERFLY HOUSE, Anette’s likes/dislikes, her feelings, and especially her stubbornness strongly comes through.
“There are two kinds of people, those who eat to live and those who live to eat…..Anette pushed what was left of the factory-breaded chicken breast around on her plate. You truly don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone.”
”Childbearing machine, milk cow. When would her body start feeling like her own again?”
“If the bigwigs knew she was heading out by herself to do some investigating in the middle of her maternity leave, she would be suspended on the spot. Luckily they did not.”
We also enter the POVs of three despicable characters — psychiatrist Peter Demant, nurse Trine Bremen, and social worker Simon Hartvig. We know that all are hiding secrets, all are guilty of something, but we don’t know what these secrets entail (although readers may suspect, from the prologue, that Trine is the nurse who is killing patients). Any one of them could be the serial killer that Jeppe and his colleagues are working so hard to catch, but there are a few other suspects on the horizon as well.
The story describes a world where psychologically damaged youth are further damaged by the greedy and selfish. Where the so-called care workers of mentally ill youth, are even more unstable than the youth they are caring for. Where the psychiatrist is probably a psychopath.
So, the book deals with serious problems, but this seriousness is broken up a bit by humorous tidbits.
Jeppe: “A murderer on a cargo bike, only in Denmark!”
The narrative also takes a side trip with Esther de Laurenti, who was a main character in “The Tenant”. This side trip ends up going nowhere, but given the author’s predilection for bringing back characters in subsequent books, I wouldn’t be surprised if Alain/Adam returns.
And, Esther thought … Someday he will make a good story.
This was a fast-paced, action-packed, twisty story that still allowed us to get to know a multitude of characters, their thoughts and feelings. I loved it.
I did some sleuthing, and discovered that although the publisher of the English version identifies THE BUTTERFLY HOUSE as Book #2 in the series, the Danish publisher identifies it as Book #3. We are missing a year from the lives of our valiant warriors. In Danish, Book #2 is titled “Blodmane”. Although the synopsis and most of the reviews of Blodmane are in Danish, there were a couple of reviews in English, and one said: However there were sentences and words used, which made me really uncomfortable to read and are considered hurtful.”
Blodmane appears to involve one of Jeppe’s closest friends, who is gay. He plays a supportive role in “The Tenant” but only briefly appears in THE BUTTERFLY HOUSE and seems to have left Copenhagen. The author, Engberg, is not anti-LGBTQ. This is obvious from the two books I have read. But possibly she created a character who was — probably a villain who used hurtful words. One of Engberg’s strengths is her ability to show us the world that her characters experience, and so see their suffering (or their delusions). So, because she felt that she needed to write those hurtful words to help us understand the pain they caused, the PC Police have decided that we’ll not be allowed to read “Blodmane” in English.
I thought that THE BUTTERFLY HOUSE was much better than “The Tenant”, the first book I read in this series. (Three stars for “The Tenant” and 4.5 stars for this one.) The author wrote better — used a smoother prose structure. She also changed POVs more often. I found these POV changes easy to follow, and they gave me greater insight into the minds of more characters. In “The Tenant”, we primarily saw the world through Jeppe’s eyes; I wrote in my review for that book that I didn’t get much of a feeling for Anette’s nature. In THE BUTTERFLY HOUSE, Anette’s likes/dislikes, her feelings, and especially her stubbornness strongly comes through.
“There are two kinds of people, those who eat to live and those who live to eat…..Anette pushed what was left of the factory-breaded chicken breast around on her plate. You truly don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone.”
”Childbearing machine, milk cow. When would her body start feeling like her own again?”
“If the bigwigs knew she was heading out by herself to do some investigating in the middle of her maternity leave, she would be suspended on the spot. Luckily they did not.”
We also enter the POVs of three despicable characters — psychiatrist Peter Demant, nurse Trine Bremen, and social worker Simon Hartvig. We know that all are hiding secrets, all are guilty of something, but we don’t know what these secrets entail (although readers may suspect, from the prologue, that Trine is the nurse who is killing patients). Any one of them could be the serial killer that Jeppe and his colleagues are working so hard to catch, but there are a few other suspects on the horizon as well.
The story describes a world where psychologically damaged youth are further damaged by the greedy and selfish. Where the so-called care workers of mentally ill youth, are even more unstable than the youth they are caring for. Where the psychiatrist is probably a psychopath.
So, the book deals with serious problems, but this seriousness is broken up a bit by humorous tidbits.
Jeppe: “A murderer on a cargo bike, only in Denmark!”
The narrative also takes a side trip with Esther de Laurenti, who was a main character in “The Tenant”. This side trip ends up going nowhere, but given the author’s predilection for bringing back characters in subsequent books, I wouldn’t be surprised if Alain/Adam returns.
And, Esther thought … Someday he will make a good story.
This was a fast-paced, action-packed, twisty story that still allowed us to get to know a multitude of characters, their thoughts and feelings. I loved it.
January 21, 2025
This is the second book in the series, the second that was translated anyway. The series is about two Copenhagen detectives, Jeppe Korner and Anette Werner, who normally work together as partners. Interestingly enough, in this story, Anette is on maternity leave, but she can't keep away from the investigation into an ongoing murder case--although it places her in danger. A good fast-paced police procedural, it's a good example of Nordic noir. There are a number of twists and turns and a whole lot of threads to follow. It might have been helpful if I had read the first book, "The Tenant," first! But, then, I usually can't figure out whodunit!
I especially liked the setting of Copenhagen. It's a beautiful city, even with bad weather. Reading this book reminded me of the trip I took there more than a decade ago. And the best thing about the city are the people who live there--the Danes. Because this book brought back so many good memories, I have to give it at least 4 stars. I'll give it 4.5 rounding up to 5.
Thanks to Scout Press for gifting me a copy of the book. The opinions expressed are my own.
I especially liked the setting of Copenhagen. It's a beautiful city, even with bad weather. Reading this book reminded me of the trip I took there more than a decade ago. And the best thing about the city are the people who live there--the Danes. Because this book brought back so many good memories, I have to give it at least 4 stars. I'll give it 4.5 rounding up to 5.
Thanks to Scout Press for gifting me a copy of the book. The opinions expressed are my own.
September 20, 2021
The Butterfly House is set in Copenhagen. Readers get a good sense of the place immediately when it is determined that the killer transports victims in a cargo bike.
Engberg has drawn and developed engaging, humane characters, all with problems which they address by the end of the book. So there are several character arcs, not just one. She keeps the mystery going with plenty of asides and red herrings.
Her take on the restlessness of a new mother to be back on the job (and her lack of sleep) is true-to-life; her descriptions of the former troubled residents of The Butterfly House are sympathetic.
For those who have been to Copenhagen/Denmark, The Butterfly House expertly draws the setting of this unique city-state.
I am looking forward to Engberg's next book, due out in February 2022.
Highly recommended.
Engberg has drawn and developed engaging, humane characters, all with problems which they address by the end of the book. So there are several character arcs, not just one. She keeps the mystery going with plenty of asides and red herrings.
Her take on the restlessness of a new mother to be back on the job (and her lack of sleep) is true-to-life; her descriptions of the former troubled residents of The Butterfly House are sympathetic.
For those who have been to Copenhagen/Denmark, The Butterfly House expertly draws the setting of this unique city-state.
I am looking forward to Engberg's next book, due out in February 2022.
Highly recommended.
October 10, 2021
Чудесен трилър! Още от първата книга, "Наемателката", ми беше направило впечатление, че това е едно много интересна авторка. Сега впечатленията ми се затвърдиха. Историите , които разказва, са интересни, напрегнати, премерено-жестоки, абе супер са!
February 29, 2024
The Butterfly House is the second book in the Korner and Werner series to be translated into English, and I was very excited to read it after I loved the first installment, The Tenant.
However, this one didn't quite live up to the greatness of the first.
While I still adored the setting - Engberg has really nailed delivering a concrete sense of place and unique atmosphere that infuses the entire novel - and the protagonists - Jeppe and Anette are easy to root for - the mystery itself wasn't quite as well constructed as I had come to expect.
First of all, there's a lot going on. While complexity isn't a bad thing, in and of itself, the book didn't manage to tie in all loose threads in a satisfying way. The ending wasn't a complete disappointment by any means, but I did wish for a bit more from a few of the side plots.
Secondly, I didn't love how the mentally ill were portrayed here. The leading players in the investigation are the healthcare workers and patients at a residential mental health program for teens. While the author adds a note at the end making her respect for healthcare workers clear, there is no corresponding note reminding readers that mental illness is not one-to-one with violence and that the mentally ill deserve respect and care, not fear. While I doubt the author was trying to harm an already marginalized community with this story, there is already so much stigma associated with mental illness, especially those that are psychotic in nature or personality disorders, that I believe the portrayals in this book could reinforce stereotypes its readers might already hold in this area. This, on its own, has brought my rating from a middle-of-the-road 3 stars to 2.
I hope the other two books in the series are translated, as I would like to read them. Hopefully, they are more similar to The Tenant than to this one!
Trigger/Content Warnings: murder, blood, medical malpractice, medical experimentation, confinement, eating disorders, self-harm, suicide, harmful portrayal of mental illness
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However, this one didn't quite live up to the greatness of the first.
While I still adored the setting - Engberg has really nailed delivering a concrete sense of place and unique atmosphere that infuses the entire novel - and the protagonists - Jeppe and Anette are easy to root for - the mystery itself wasn't quite as well constructed as I had come to expect.
First of all, there's a lot going on. While complexity isn't a bad thing, in and of itself, the book didn't manage to tie in all loose threads in a satisfying way. The ending wasn't a complete disappointment by any means, but I did wish for a bit more from a few of the side plots.
Secondly, I didn't love how the mentally ill were portrayed here. The leading players in the investigation are the healthcare workers and patients at a residential mental health program for teens. While the author adds a note at the end making her respect for healthcare workers clear, there is no corresponding note reminding readers that mental illness is not one-to-one with violence and that the mentally ill deserve respect and care, not fear. While I doubt the author was trying to harm an already marginalized community with this story, there is already so much stigma associated with mental illness, especially those that are psychotic in nature or personality disorders, that I believe the portrayals in this book could reinforce stereotypes its readers might already hold in this area. This, on its own, has brought my rating from a middle-of-the-road 3 stars to 2.
I hope the other two books in the series are translated, as I would like to read them. Hopefully, they are more similar to The Tenant than to this one!
Trigger/Content Warnings: murder, blood, medical malpractice, medical experimentation, confinement, eating disorders, self-harm, suicide, harmful portrayal of mental illness
You can find me on...
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You can join our book club over on Patreon...
PBB Book Club
May 8, 2023
This book bothers me, for reasons that have nothing to do with the writing or the plot.
Spoil alert:In the acknowledgements the author says, and here comes the spoil, that the book is written in honour of all those who work for the health services, the equivalent in Denmark to the NHS in the UK, but all the bad people in the book all work in the ….guess where, none of them seem to be heroic or act in any heroic way. Whereas the the real heroes are, and that is consistent with the genre and the previous books, the two main characters and others within the police force.
The book was hard to read, seemed all too plausible that young psychiatric patients would suffer the way they did in the book.
Spoil alert:In the acknowledgements the author says, and here comes the spoil, that the book is written in honour of all those who work for the health services, the equivalent in Denmark to the NHS in the UK, but all the bad people in the book all work in the ….guess where, none of them seem to be heroic or act in any heroic way. Whereas the the real heroes are, and that is consistent with the genre and the previous books, the two main characters and others within the police force.
The book was hard to read, seemed all too plausible that young psychiatric patients would suffer the way they did in the book.
February 26, 2021
No está mal, pero me ha sobrado medio libro.
April 29, 2022
I feel the same about this book as I do the first in the series, “The Tenant”… also just an average mystery.
I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it. I always feel like the author doesn’t know how they want to end the story so it just kind of dies off…
3 ⭐️.
Note: If you choose to read these stories I recommend the physical version rather than the audio. I had a much more difficult time with the audio on this one ( versus reading the first one in print) because the chapters and perspectives run into one another and aren’t all separated by number.
I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it. I always feel like the author doesn’t know how they want to end the story so it just kind of dies off…
3 ⭐️.
Note: If you choose to read these stories I recommend the physical version rather than the audio. I had a much more difficult time with the audio on this one ( versus reading the first one in print) because the chapters and perspectives run into one another and aren’t all separated by number.
February 24, 2023
Vienoje Kopenhagos ligoninėje, budinti slaugytoja prisitraukė švirkštą su mirtina doze vaistų ir įžengė į senyvo paciento palatą..
Po savaitės viename iš centrinėje gatvėje esančių fontanų randamas buvusios psichiatrijos klinikos darbuotojos kūnas su keistomis pjautinėmis žaizdomis. Šios bylos tyrimo vairą į savo rankas perima tyrėjas Jepė Kiorneris. Paaiškėja, jog aukos nužudomos be galo žiauriu būdu - visiškai nuleidžiant kraują.
Tuo pat metu jo porininkė Anetė Verner ant rankų sūpuoja savo pirmagimę. Atrodo, jog nieko neturėtų trūkti ir pilnatvė - ranka pasiekiama.. Tačiau moteris niekaip negali pamiršti darbo policijoje ir jos mintys vis dažniau krypsta į tyrimą, negu dukros priežiūrą. Anetė į tyrimą įsisuka taip, jog net nenujaučia apie šalia tykantį pavojų..
Kuomet esi perskaitęs daug detektyvinių knygų, kiekvieną kartą atrasti kažką kitokio ir tikrai įtraukiančio darosi vis sunkiau. Tad ši knyga pateko į tą viduriuką, kur nebuvo nei labai blogai, nei labai gerai. Tiesiog niekuo neišsiskiriantis skandinavų detektyvas. Nei vienam iš veikėjų nepajutau prielankumo, galbūt tik Anetės patiriami gyvenimai gimus kūdikiui, pasirodė kažkiek artimi ir man pačiai.
Šioje istorijoje man norėsi šiek tiek daugiau veiksmo, nes knyga pasirodė truputį monotoniška. Tad tai dar vienas detektyvas, kurį perskaičius tikrai gana greitai ir pamiršiu. Tiesa, verta pagirti šios knygos viršelį. Jis labai dailus 🥰
Po savaitės viename iš centrinėje gatvėje esančių fontanų randamas buvusios psichiatrijos klinikos darbuotojos kūnas su keistomis pjautinėmis žaizdomis. Šios bylos tyrimo vairą į savo rankas perima tyrėjas Jepė Kiorneris. Paaiškėja, jog aukos nužudomos be galo žiauriu būdu - visiškai nuleidžiant kraują.
Tuo pat metu jo porininkė Anetė Verner ant rankų sūpuoja savo pirmagimę. Atrodo, jog nieko neturėtų trūkti ir pilnatvė - ranka pasiekiama.. Tačiau moteris niekaip negali pamiršti darbo policijoje ir jos mintys vis dažniau krypsta į tyrimą, negu dukros priežiūrą. Anetė į tyrimą įsisuka taip, jog net nenujaučia apie šalia tykantį pavojų..
Kuomet esi perskaitęs daug detektyvinių knygų, kiekvieną kartą atrasti kažką kitokio ir tikrai įtraukiančio darosi vis sunkiau. Tad ši knyga pateko į tą viduriuką, kur nebuvo nei labai blogai, nei labai gerai. Tiesiog niekuo neišsiskiriantis skandinavų detektyvas. Nei vienam iš veikėjų nepajutau prielankumo, galbūt tik Anetės patiriami gyvenimai gimus kūdikiui, pasirodė kažkiek artimi ir man pačiai.
Šioje istorijoje man norėsi šiek tiek daugiau veiksmo, nes knyga pasirodė truputį monotoniška. Tad tai dar vienas detektyvas, kurį perskaičius tikrai gana greitai ir pamiršiu. Tiesa, verta pagirti šios knygos viršelį. Jis labai dailus 🥰
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