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Hanne Wilhelmsen #2
Salige er de som tørster
THE SECOND BOOK IN EDGAR-NOMINATED ANNE HOLT’S INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING MYSTERY SERIES FEATURING DETECTIVE HANNE WILHELMSEN, LAST SEEN IN BLIND GODDESS IT is only the beginning of May but in Oslo a brutal heat wave has coincided with an alarming increase in violent crime. In the latest instance, police investigator Hanne Wilhelmsen is sent to a macabre crime scene on the outskirts of town. An abandoned shed is covered in blood. On one wall an eight-digit number is written in blood. There is no body—nor any sign of a victim. Is it a kid’s prank or foul play? Is it even human blood?
As more bloody numbers are found in isolated locations throughout Oslo, Hanne’s colleague Håkon Sand makes a startling the digits correspond to the filing numbers of foreign immigrants. All are female, all are missing. Is there a serial killer on the loose in Oslo? How does the killer have access to immigrant data?
Meanwhile, as the trail heats up, the victim of a horrific unsolved rape case and her father have each decided to take justice into their own hands. Hanne and Håkon soon discover that they aren’t the only ones on the hunt for the killer.
As more bloody numbers are found in isolated locations throughout Oslo, Hanne’s colleague Håkon Sand makes a startling the digits correspond to the filing numbers of foreign immigrants. All are female, all are missing. Is there a serial killer on the loose in Oslo? How does the killer have access to immigrant data?
Meanwhile, as the trail heats up, the victim of a horrific unsolved rape case and her father have each decided to take justice into their own hands. Hanne and Håkon soon discover that they aren’t the only ones on the hunt for the killer.
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About the author
Anne Holt
58 books646 followersAnne Holt was born in Larvik, grew up in Lillestrøm and Tromsø, and moved to Oslo in 1978. She graduated with a law degree from the University of Bergen in 1986, and went on to work for The Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) and then the Oslo Police Department, earning her right to practice as a lawyer in Norway. In 1990 she returned to NRK, where she worked one year as a journalist and anchor woman for the news program Dagsrevyen.
Holt started her own law practice in 1994, and served as Minister of Justice in Cabinet Jagland for a short period from November 25, 1996 to February 4, 1997.
In 1993 Holt made her debut as a novelist with the crime novel Blind gudinne, featuring the lesbian police officer Hanne Wilhelmsen. The two novels Løvens gap (1997) and Uten ekko (2000) are co-authored with former state secretary Berit Reiss-Andersen.
Holt is one of the most successful crime novelists in Norway. She has been published in 25 countries.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Holt started her own law practice in 1994, and served as Minister of Justice in Cabinet Jagland for a short period from November 25, 1996 to February 4, 1997.
In 1993 Holt made her debut as a novelist with the crime novel Blind gudinne, featuring the lesbian police officer Hanne Wilhelmsen. The two novels Løvens gap (1997) and Uten ekko (2000) are co-authored with former state secretary Berit Reiss-Andersen.
Holt is one of the most successful crime novelists in Norway. She has been published in 25 countries.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 236 reviews
March 27, 2020
Anne Holt este o autoare cu reputatie internationala, asadar si asteptarile de la carte au fost mari.
Orice roman politist are la baza desfasurarea anchetei ce duce spre aflarea adevarului sau prinderea faptasului. Ori tocmai aici romanul este foarte slab. Astfel, dupa 150 de pagini citite nu se releva nimic in legatura cu ancheta, ba mai mult ne este povestita viata plina de drame personale a politistilor, programul lor incarcat despre care se plang in continuu, vremea din Oslo si alte detalii care nu tin de prinderea infractorului. La un moment dat devenisem ingrijorata, avand impresia ca nu-l vom mai prinde in romanul acesta. Parea ca este usor sa ucizi in Oslo cu asemenea politisti.
Insa, miraculos, ca o incercare disperata a autoarei, in doar cateva pagini (nici macar un capitol), brusc toata lumea afla identitatea faptasului si toti se pun pe urmele lui.
Cartea nu este rea in esenta dar cititorul imi imaginez ca nu doreste sa citeasca o drama ci un roman politist si ar fi interesat de evolutia progresiva a cazului.
Orice roman politist are la baza desfasurarea anchetei ce duce spre aflarea adevarului sau prinderea faptasului. Ori tocmai aici romanul este foarte slab. Astfel, dupa 150 de pagini citite nu se releva nimic in legatura cu ancheta, ba mai mult ne este povestita viata plina de drame personale a politistilor, programul lor incarcat despre care se plang in continuu, vremea din Oslo si alte detalii care nu tin de prinderea infractorului. La un moment dat devenisem ingrijorata, avand impresia ca nu-l vom mai prinde in romanul acesta. Parea ca este usor sa ucizi in Oslo cu asemenea politisti.
Insa, miraculos, ca o incercare disperata a autoarei, in doar cateva pagini (nici macar un capitol), brusc toata lumea afla identitatea faptasului si toti se pun pe urmele lui.
Cartea nu este rea in esenta dar cititorul imi imaginez ca nu doreste sa citeasca o drama ci un roman politist si ar fi interesat de evolutia progresiva a cazului.
February 5, 2017
This is the second novel in the DI Hanne Wilhelmsen series by Anne Holt and in my opinion is a marked improvement on the previous novel, feeling like more of the finished article and providing a uniquely Nordic snapshot of crime and just how it affects a cross-section of the population. The Blind Goddess, the first book which introduced thirty-four-year old Hanne was originally written in 1993 but defied its age. Blessed Are Those Who Thirst followed in 1994, and once again the novel remains as timely and realistic as ever, with the exception of Hanne's trusty golf-ball typewriter! This is a timeless case, focusing on the several related incidences, most notably the failure of a rape victim and her father to cross the unspoken silence and move on with their lives after a traumatic assault.
In the first novel I struggled to get a handle on the characterisation of Hanne, with glimpses of her life and personality distinctly muted and this left me feeling a little ambivalent and craving to know more about the woman behind the uniform, and thankfully, Anne Holt has done just that with this follow-up. Readers learn much more about Hanne in the second novel, from her relationship with her live-in partner of fifteen-years, Cecilie Vibe, through to her passion for her rose-pink Harley Davidson. Despite a close working relationship with police attorney Håkon Sand and drugs specialist Billy T., who both admire and respect Hanne, in The Blind Goddess she was loathe to let them see a glimpse into her personal life. Both of these characters featured in the first novel and made a significant impression and through Hanne's interaction and dialogue with each, it provided the only chance to get closer to her enigmatic presence. The rather thuggish appearance of Billy T. belies a sensitivity and perceptiveness that sees him raise the first tentative mention of Hanne's sexuality and an opportunity to cross a divide which has seen her keep her long term partnership a secret in her workplace.
With Oslo in the grip of a somewhat unexpected heatwave, the streets in May are always busy, with alcohol flowing freely and tempers fraying. Already desperately underfunded and under-resourced the detectives are wilting under their case loads. That there is neither the time or the budget to do justice and investigate every report to the degree necessary is a source of consternation to many in the ranks. With limited budgets and so many crimes not being investigated to their full potential, perpetrators know how to play the system and exploit the vulnerabilities presented. A series of what become termed as the "Saturday night massacres" sees consecutive Saturday nights bringing reports of a bloodbath at various isolated locations, from a woodshed to a parking lot. With walls, floors and ceilings covered, the litres of blood estimated to have been involved indicate several adults would have needed to be slaughtered. However, with no victim, the Oslo police have nothing to investigative with forensics reporting the presence of both human and animal blood. Increasingly intrigued by these ongoing massacres, a closer appraisal of the crime scene photos sees eight-digit numbers scratched into the blood streaks. A stroke of luck and the increasing toll of the immigration caseload sees Hanne and Håkon discover that these eight-digit numbers all correspond to recent female immigrants who have entered the country alone and have subsequently disappeared. As Hanne and Håkon consider just who would have access to this confidential data, the expected Saturday night bloodbath goes unreported only for the brutal rape of a young medical student, Kristine Håverstad, to occur in its place. Hanne suspects some connection between the series of bloodbaths and the rape as she goes hell for leather locating witnesses and tracking down a scared Iranian asylum seeker to make headway in the investigation. But with a father and daughter set on exacting their own revenge, it is a race against time.. Hanne's understanding of the emotions that drive a father to turn vigilante is well explored as she tries to warn the man off of a path which could cost him everything yet would still not eradicate his daughter's assault.
The final pages are worthy of Fossum, leaving so many more questions about how life moves on in the aftermath of a rape. Futility abounds, not in the least for DI Hanne Wilhelmsen as she sympathises with a family devastated by a rape and forced to seek their own recourse, frustrated by the failure of the authorities. In a similar way to the catch-22 take on the sculpture which adorns Håkon Sand's desk in The Blind Goddess, Lady Justice again reveals the flaws in the system once again. This moving second in the series displays that, once again, not everything is as cut and dried as the law may like it to be and the result is an inevitable loss to society. This second novel marks the start of Anne Bruce's translation on the series and notably feels a less cumbersome and clunky read than the first. This noticeably slimmer entry in the career of DI Hanne Wilhelmsen covers just over two-hundred pages in length, but whereas the first book limped to a close, Blessed Are Those Who Thirst quenches readers desire to not only see more of the woman behind the authoritative mask, but a chance to appreciate some of the more difficult conundrums faced by an authority hindered by reduced resources and underfunding.
Whereas in The Blind Goddess the emphasis centred on the hard-working and highly successful detective inspector Hanne Wilhelmsen, in this second book Anne Holt offers readers a glimpse of Hanne's quick and lively humour and managed to convey a more humane police officer. Her encouragement and patience with the red haired rookie police constable, Erik Henriksen, is heartwarming. Holt also provided more of an insight into her relationship with long-term partner, Cecile than in the first entry, touching on just how prickly a topic acknowledging her lesbianism and long term union is for Hanne in her workplace. Several notable events coincide at the end of the novel, with Håkon Sand facing fatherhood and the all too early demise of fifty-year-old Chief Inspector Hans Olav Kaldbakken after a career of thirty-years in the force spent with a chain smoking habit. With the chief inspector vacancy open, whether the indefatigable Hanne applies or not is unknown, but opening up about her personal life seems to lighten a load that was so apparent in the first novel of the series. Finally with her invitation to Billy T. for dinner it seems that Hanne is confident enough to show her true colours. This is a series I look toward continuing to read with well-realised characters and an appreciation for the limitations to the justice system. With Anne Holt's intimate knowledge of the police force, law and the justice systems in Norway, she offers a uniquely perceptive snapshot of the problems increasingly being faced.
In the first novel I struggled to get a handle on the characterisation of Hanne, with glimpses of her life and personality distinctly muted and this left me feeling a little ambivalent and craving to know more about the woman behind the uniform, and thankfully, Anne Holt has done just that with this follow-up. Readers learn much more about Hanne in the second novel, from her relationship with her live-in partner of fifteen-years, Cecilie Vibe, through to her passion for her rose-pink Harley Davidson. Despite a close working relationship with police attorney Håkon Sand and drugs specialist Billy T., who both admire and respect Hanne, in The Blind Goddess she was loathe to let them see a glimpse into her personal life. Both of these characters featured in the first novel and made a significant impression and through Hanne's interaction and dialogue with each, it provided the only chance to get closer to her enigmatic presence. The rather thuggish appearance of Billy T. belies a sensitivity and perceptiveness that sees him raise the first tentative mention of Hanne's sexuality and an opportunity to cross a divide which has seen her keep her long term partnership a secret in her workplace.
With Oslo in the grip of a somewhat unexpected heatwave, the streets in May are always busy, with alcohol flowing freely and tempers fraying. Already desperately underfunded and under-resourced the detectives are wilting under their case loads. That there is neither the time or the budget to do justice and investigate every report to the degree necessary is a source of consternation to many in the ranks. With limited budgets and so many crimes not being investigated to their full potential, perpetrators know how to play the system and exploit the vulnerabilities presented. A series of what become termed as the "Saturday night massacres" sees consecutive Saturday nights bringing reports of a bloodbath at various isolated locations, from a woodshed to a parking lot. With walls, floors and ceilings covered, the litres of blood estimated to have been involved indicate several adults would have needed to be slaughtered. However, with no victim, the Oslo police have nothing to investigative with forensics reporting the presence of both human and animal blood. Increasingly intrigued by these ongoing massacres, a closer appraisal of the crime scene photos sees eight-digit numbers scratched into the blood streaks. A stroke of luck and the increasing toll of the immigration caseload sees Hanne and Håkon discover that these eight-digit numbers all correspond to recent female immigrants who have entered the country alone and have subsequently disappeared. As Hanne and Håkon consider just who would have access to this confidential data, the expected Saturday night bloodbath goes unreported only for the brutal rape of a young medical student, Kristine Håverstad, to occur in its place. Hanne suspects some connection between the series of bloodbaths and the rape as she goes hell for leather locating witnesses and tracking down a scared Iranian asylum seeker to make headway in the investigation. But with a father and daughter set on exacting their own revenge, it is a race against time.. Hanne's understanding of the emotions that drive a father to turn vigilante is well explored as she tries to warn the man off of a path which could cost him everything yet would still not eradicate his daughter's assault.
The final pages are worthy of Fossum, leaving so many more questions about how life moves on in the aftermath of a rape. Futility abounds, not in the least for DI Hanne Wilhelmsen as she sympathises with a family devastated by a rape and forced to seek their own recourse, frustrated by the failure of the authorities. In a similar way to the catch-22 take on the sculpture which adorns Håkon Sand's desk in The Blind Goddess, Lady Justice again reveals the flaws in the system once again. This moving second in the series displays that, once again, not everything is as cut and dried as the law may like it to be and the result is an inevitable loss to society. This second novel marks the start of Anne Bruce's translation on the series and notably feels a less cumbersome and clunky read than the first. This noticeably slimmer entry in the career of DI Hanne Wilhelmsen covers just over two-hundred pages in length, but whereas the first book limped to a close, Blessed Are Those Who Thirst quenches readers desire to not only see more of the woman behind the authoritative mask, but a chance to appreciate some of the more difficult conundrums faced by an authority hindered by reduced resources and underfunding.
Whereas in The Blind Goddess the emphasis centred on the hard-working and highly successful detective inspector Hanne Wilhelmsen, in this second book Anne Holt offers readers a glimpse of Hanne's quick and lively humour and managed to convey a more humane police officer. Her encouragement and patience with the red haired rookie police constable, Erik Henriksen, is heartwarming. Holt also provided more of an insight into her relationship with long-term partner, Cecile than in the first entry, touching on just how prickly a topic acknowledging her lesbianism and long term union is for Hanne in her workplace. Several notable events coincide at the end of the novel, with Håkon Sand facing fatherhood and the all too early demise of fifty-year-old Chief Inspector Hans Olav Kaldbakken after a career of thirty-years in the force spent with a chain smoking habit. With the chief inspector vacancy open, whether the indefatigable Hanne applies or not is unknown, but opening up about her personal life seems to lighten a load that was so apparent in the first novel of the series. Finally with her invitation to Billy T. for dinner it seems that Hanne is confident enough to show her true colours. This is a series I look toward continuing to read with well-realised characters and an appreciation for the limitations to the justice system. With Anne Holt's intimate knowledge of the police force, law and the justice systems in Norway, she offers a uniquely perceptive snapshot of the problems increasingly being faced.
May 21, 2024
Decent is the proper word to describe this novel.
The plot is ok, there is some action too, the characters are credible. Speaking about the weaker points, I'm far from being a fan of Hanne's personal choices and the final has too many coincidental facts for my taste...
The plot is ok, there is some action too, the characters are credible. Speaking about the weaker points, I'm far from being a fan of Hanne's personal choices and the final has too many coincidental facts for my taste...
November 29, 2019
Sec și rece, așa cum văd eu majoritatea romanelor de acest gen din literatura nordică. Deși este destul de scurt, autoarea a tărăgănat povestea două treimi, iar în ultima s-a întâmplat toată acțiunea. Îmi place cum scrie autoarea, dar ăsta nu e printre cele mai bune romane ale ei. Cu toate astea, nu m-a plictisit pentru că nici nu mă așteptam la cine știe ce profunzime.
,,În plus, un rău cunoscut e mai suportabil."
,,În plus, un rău cunoscut e mai suportabil."
August 30, 2022
El inicio no estuvo mal, pero luego era como si la autora no supiera en qué quería centrarse. Aunque es la 2º parte de una saga, yo no he leído el 1º y os puedo asegurar que no he sentido que me haya perdido nada. Da la impresión de ser un libro totalmente autoconclusivo y los personajes son correctamente presentados.
Ahora bien, lo que falla es la trama. El comienzo capta la atención porque vemos a Hanne, la agente de policía protagonista, teniendo que acudir a investigar la aparición de cantidades ingentes de sangre en un sitio abandonado. Todo está cubierto de sangre, pero no hay ningún cadáver ni ninguna presunta víctima cerca. A esto hay que sumarle que también se ha utilizado la sangre para escribir unos números en las paredes, los cuales no parecen tener un significado lógico. ¿Suena intrigante, cierto? Pues bien, rápidamente todo se va al traste, ya que a Hanne y a la policía en general no le importa mucho el asunto. No sé cómo será el protocolo habitual en un caso así, pero me extraña que se dé por hecho que todo es una gamberrada y que no se agilicen los análisis de ADN para ver si la sangre es de origen animal o si es humana.
Sin venir mucho a cuento, luego nos centramos en una violación, y eso relega a lo de la sangre. Resultado: aunque se dé por hecho que ambas investigaciones acabarán fusionándose, ninguna está bien desarrollada y la policía no se esmera en exceso en recabar datos. La trama se desarrolla en Noruega y da la impresión de que la verdadera intención de la autora es hacer una crítica a los pocos recursos que tiene la policía, lo poco que se invierte en mejorar el sistema y la falta de personal. Y no es que yo vea mal que se quiera criticar esto, pero se recalca una y otra vez lo mismo. Eso y que en Noruega hace calor. Sí, así como leéis, no sé cuántas veces se repitió que las temperaturas allí ya no son tan frescas como antes y que el calor tiene cansada a la gente. Hasta me daba a mí calor de tanto leer que los personajes estaban asfixiados, pues se repetía cada pocas líneas y no pude evitar que mi hartazgo acabara elevando mi propia temperatura. Ah, y que la inmigración está mal considerada, eso también me quedó claro. No sé, de verdad, es que en más de una ocasión no podía evitar sentir que la autora quería criticar varios aspectos de su país y que la historia era una mera excusa para intentarnos colar todos esos reproches.
La trama avanza dando tumbos, la protagonista no tiene interés en nada y las pistas las consiguen otros personajes gracias a casualidades muy milagrosas. Lo único positivo es que el libro supera por poco las 200 páginas, así que no es complicado acabarlo relativamente rápido (aunque admito que me costaba encontrar ganas para seguir leyendo).
El desenlace es otro desastre. La figura del culpable está totalmente desdibujada y no acaba de tener sentido que rompiera su patrón de actuación en una ocasión. No conocemos sus auténticos motivos para actuar y quedan muchas preguntas en el aire. Para rematar, se mete una especie de toque de humor forzado que te deja con cara de “¿en serio? ¿os queréis dar una palmadita en la espalda por no haber hecho nada y que las cosas se hayan resuelto así?”.
No le doy la mínima puntuación por lo que me gustaron las primeras páginas, pero dudo que vuelva a leer pronto algo más de esta autora.
Ahora bien, lo que falla es la trama. El comienzo capta la atención porque vemos a Hanne, la agente de policía protagonista, teniendo que acudir a investigar la aparición de cantidades ingentes de sangre en un sitio abandonado. Todo está cubierto de sangre, pero no hay ningún cadáver ni ninguna presunta víctima cerca. A esto hay que sumarle que también se ha utilizado la sangre para escribir unos números en las paredes, los cuales no parecen tener un significado lógico. ¿Suena intrigante, cierto? Pues bien, rápidamente todo se va al traste, ya que a Hanne y a la policía en general no le importa mucho el asunto. No sé cómo será el protocolo habitual en un caso así, pero me extraña que se dé por hecho que todo es una gamberrada y que no se agilicen los análisis de ADN para ver si la sangre es de origen animal o si es humana.
Sin venir mucho a cuento, luego nos centramos en una violación, y eso relega a lo de la sangre. Resultado: aunque se dé por hecho que ambas investigaciones acabarán fusionándose, ninguna está bien desarrollada y la policía no se esmera en exceso en recabar datos. La trama se desarrolla en Noruega y da la impresión de que la verdadera intención de la autora es hacer una crítica a los pocos recursos que tiene la policía, lo poco que se invierte en mejorar el sistema y la falta de personal. Y no es que yo vea mal que se quiera criticar esto, pero se recalca una y otra vez lo mismo. Eso y que en Noruega hace calor. Sí, así como leéis, no sé cuántas veces se repitió que las temperaturas allí ya no son tan frescas como antes y que el calor tiene cansada a la gente. Hasta me daba a mí calor de tanto leer que los personajes estaban asfixiados, pues se repetía cada pocas líneas y no pude evitar que mi hartazgo acabara elevando mi propia temperatura. Ah, y que la inmigración está mal considerada, eso también me quedó claro. No sé, de verdad, es que en más de una ocasión no podía evitar sentir que la autora quería criticar varios aspectos de su país y que la historia era una mera excusa para intentarnos colar todos esos reproches.
La trama avanza dando tumbos, la protagonista no tiene interés en nada y las pistas las consiguen otros personajes gracias a casualidades muy milagrosas. Lo único positivo es que el libro supera por poco las 200 páginas, así que no es complicado acabarlo relativamente rápido (aunque admito que me costaba encontrar ganas para seguir leyendo).
El desenlace es otro desastre. La figura del culpable está totalmente desdibujada y no acaba de tener sentido que rompiera su patrón de actuación en una ocasión. No conocemos sus auténticos motivos para actuar y quedan muchas preguntas en el aire. Para rematar, se mete una especie de toque de humor forzado que te deja con cara de “¿en serio? ¿os queréis dar una palmadita en la espalda por no haber hecho nada y que las cosas se hayan resuelto así?”.
No le doy la mínima puntuación por lo que me gustaron las primeras páginas, pero dudo que vuelva a leer pronto algo más de esta autora.
December 26, 2019
Deși primul volum mi-a plăcut tare mult, acesta nu a reușit să mă captiveze vreun pic. L-am dus cu greu la final și m-a enervat continuu. Frate, n-a avut zvac si niciun chichirez... Muuuuulta vorbărie... Personajele (deși în mare parte aceleasi), acum mi s au parut imbecile. Poate n am avut eu starea necesară, nu stiu... cert este că nu m-a prins. Sincer la un moment dat ma intrebam daca e sigur scris de aceeasi autoare. Cum e posibil ca primul vol sa fie atat de bun si asta atat de slab? Este o parodie a cartilor politiste, zau... Nu va lasati inselati de descrierea de pe site-urile de carti, plotul suna bine, dar atat. Eu sigur nu voi mai continua seria... mi-a ajuns. 2 stele amarate.
December 1, 2013
Book Review
Second in this series, Blessed Are Those Who Thirst adds significantly to the characterization of female Inspector Hanne Wilhelmsen. In Blind Goddess we saw Hanna conflicted by her sexuality, well liked by her colleagues, not yet wholly original as a leading character. In this novel Hanna begins to take baby steps towards coming out of the closet with Holt firming up Hanna's character both on a personal and professional level.
It was so early not even the devil had managed to put on his shoes.
So begins Blessed Are Those Who Thirst as we enter the crime scene.
Recurring themes occur in Scandinavian crime fiction as proffered by most Nordic welfare states: foster care systems, immigration, political corruption, elevated drug use and organized crime. In this novel, Holt focuses her razor sharp lens on immigration. A cross between Jo Nesbo and Camilla Ceder, Holt fuses imaginative plot (Nesbo) with exquisite characterization (Ceder).
Immigration policy is proving problematic in Norway in that increasingly Nordic countries are targeted as a safe haven for terrorists and the criminal elements in that most do not require residency permits as long as migrants belong either to the European Union, Iceland and Liechtenstein or seek political asylum. The five largest immigrant groups in Norway are Polish, Swedish, Pakistani, Somali and Lithuanian.
with a careful focus on natural descriptions - the weather comes to the reader in the form of an unnatural Nordic heat wave that heats up human psyches - Holt fuses multiple plots that take her readers for a behind the scenes look at Norwegian migrant policies, rape, and government corruption all linked to a series of murders of female immigrants, mysteriously linked by a series of numbers, with Hanna Wilhelmsen at the helm of the investigation.
Hanna's character is very solid in this second novel. Her fascination with her colleagues, her flashes of brilliance that seem to come at the most desperate of times, her relationship with her live-in partner, and her introspection of what it means to be a lesbian in a heterosexual police department make this a better novel that the first in this series. This change we see in Wilhemsen's character as the series progresses is what draws me to Holt's novels. To create tension outside the plot mechanism and involve readers in tension equally focused on characterization is a neat trick not easily reproduced.
It'll be interesting where Holt takes us in this regard for she forewarns us that this conflict belying Hanna's sexuality will resolve itself at some point forward:
Other reviews on mine in this series are:
Blind Goddess
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Series Review
Anne Holt
Anne Holt was born November 16, 1958. A Norwegian author and lawyer she has worked for the Oslo Police Department, practiced as a lawyer where she started her own law practice in 1994, served as Minister of Justice in Cabinet Jagland and subsequently resigned from that position for health reasons. Prior to this period, in 1990, she was employed by The Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) where she pursued journalism and was for a time anchor woman for the news program Dagsrevyen.
In 1993 she made her debut as a novelist with the crime novel Blind Goddess. As with many translated novels Holt was cursed with her series being published out of order. With a hands-off attitude towards her publishers, Anne Holt had to wait until her 8th novel in the series 1222 before reaching an English speaking audience (Amazon actually reported this as #1 in the series!). Blind Goddess was in this case the 2nd novel to be published into English.
Allying herself more along the lines of Jo Nesbo of whom she says: [He] is far more socially critical, realistic and ‘Scandinavian” in style: than say Stieg Larsson whom Holt considers straying into the fantastical and unbelievable, no matter how compelling as Lisbeth Sanders and the Millennium series may be to Holt. As with many Scandinavian writers Holt does not forget to pay homeage to two other authors:
Holt prefers to work on three series at a time. This seems fairly straightforward given that the starting point for Holt is always the story idea, which in turn gets populated by characters. Consequently, it doesn’t always follow that a story can be applied, for example, to the character of Anne Wilhelmsen and therefore is more applicable to a character in another series. For this reason, Holt usually has multiple crime series going on at any one time.
Having a story to tell is critical to Holt’s writing. The novels take place within a particular class of society: the wealthy, the highly educated who live in a social democratic welfare state. Norway is one of the richest nations in the region and was considered relatively safe until organized crime moved in peddling its inhumane wares and, sadly, when in 2011 terrorists converged on Oslo and brought Norway into the international spotlight killing nearly 100 people. Readers of my previous Scandinavian reviews will have undoubtedly noted references alluding to not only the Nordic crime writers’ predilection towards using the genre to expose social and political issues, but to take these issues and wrap them into a psychological narrative where the crime isn’t so much one of “who-dun-it” but more one of ”why the hell did this happen?”. Holt in particular is no exception.
Massacre at the executive government quarter of Norway
Though Holt considers herself a political person she makes it very clear that she is not a political writer. The genre, in her opinion, is not meant to provide political solutions but rather political issues are brought to light because in any crime you cannot truthfully explain it unless one casts a light on the society in which the crime takes place.
For Holt, there’s the plot and then comes the characterization and especially when constructing a series things can can get surprisingly complex in that her characters are dynamic (unlike Christie’s Hercule Poirot who never changes). Hanne Wilhelmsen grows and becomes more solid and believable as the series progresses in the same way that Harry Hole becomes more solid in Nesbo’s fabulous series. And the longer the series becomes the more difficult the task for Holt as she is limited by not letting Hanne become “out of character”, this while being caught up in a long evolution towards the later novels (in particular 1222 #8) in which Wilhelmsen emerges as quite compelling, a wholly original heroine. Holt says:
“I am convinced that crime fiction’s tremendous popularity in many parts of the world, despite the great diversity and variation in the field, is because it deals in universal themes.”
Universal themes are those that bind us all together and it cannot escape a reader’s mind that life and death are the axiomatic commonality that most affect us as human beings. Crime fiction is the perfect home for such universal themes. Holt’s challenge is to provide an insight into the drama of human interaction within a large and complex society and in the case of crime fiction within the darker side of that society. In this sense she again allies herself with the work of Jo Nesbo who encapsulates the very best of Norwegian crime fiction: and again as opposed to say Stieg Larsson whom she considers to be more of an americanized, more romanticized if not sensationalized writer with respect to the Swedish society he describes (though YellowBird Productions may have had a hand in this).
Second in this series, Blessed Are Those Who Thirst adds significantly to the characterization of female Inspector Hanne Wilhelmsen. In Blind Goddess we saw Hanna conflicted by her sexuality, well liked by her colleagues, not yet wholly original as a leading character. In this novel Hanna begins to take baby steps towards coming out of the closet with Holt firming up Hanna's character both on a personal and professional level.
It was so early not even the devil had managed to put on his shoes.
So begins Blessed Are Those Who Thirst as we enter the crime scene.
She [Hanna Wilhelmsen] was standing completely motionless, wondering what she should do. There was blood everywhere. On the floor. Across the walls. Even on the ceiling, dark spatters resembled the abstract pictures in some kind of psychological test.
Recurring themes occur in Scandinavian crime fiction as proffered by most Nordic welfare states: foster care systems, immigration, political corruption, elevated drug use and organized crime. In this novel, Holt focuses her razor sharp lens on immigration. A cross between Jo Nesbo and Camilla Ceder, Holt fuses imaginative plot (Nesbo) with exquisite characterization (Ceder).
Immigration policy is proving problematic in Norway in that increasingly Nordic countries are targeted as a safe haven for terrorists and the criminal elements in that most do not require residency permits as long as migrants belong either to the European Union, Iceland and Liechtenstein or seek political asylum. The five largest immigrant groups in Norway are Polish, Swedish, Pakistani, Somali and Lithuanian.
with a careful focus on natural descriptions - the weather comes to the reader in the form of an unnatural Nordic heat wave that heats up human psyches - Holt fuses multiple plots that take her readers for a behind the scenes look at Norwegian migrant policies, rape, and government corruption all linked to a series of murders of female immigrants, mysteriously linked by a series of numbers, with Hanna Wilhelmsen at the helm of the investigation.
Hanna's character is very solid in this second novel. Her fascination with her colleagues, her flashes of brilliance that seem to come at the most desperate of times, her relationship with her live-in partner, and her introspection of what it means to be a lesbian in a heterosexual police department make this a better novel that the first in this series. This change we see in Wilhemsen's character as the series progresses is what draws me to Holt's novels. To create tension outside the plot mechanism and involve readers in tension equally focused on characterization is a neat trick not easily reproduced.
It'll be interesting where Holt takes us in this regard for she forewarns us that this conflict belying Hanna's sexuality will resolve itself at some point forward:
"Hanne's sexual orientation is just one part of her," says the author. "She had more difficulties with it in the beginning of the series than most real lesbians have, so she cannot in any way be seen as a role model. I don't particularly believe in role models in real life, much less in fiction."
Other reviews on mine in this series are:
Blind Goddess
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Series Review
Anne Holt
Anne Holt was born November 16, 1958. A Norwegian author and lawyer she has worked for the Oslo Police Department, practiced as a lawyer where she started her own law practice in 1994, served as Minister of Justice in Cabinet Jagland and subsequently resigned from that position for health reasons. Prior to this period, in 1990, she was employed by The Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) where she pursued journalism and was for a time anchor woman for the news program Dagsrevyen.
In 1993 she made her debut as a novelist with the crime novel Blind Goddess. As with many translated novels Holt was cursed with her series being published out of order. With a hands-off attitude towards her publishers, Anne Holt had to wait until her 8th novel in the series 1222 before reaching an English speaking audience (Amazon actually reported this as #1 in the series!). Blind Goddess was in this case the 2nd novel to be published into English.
“Reached via email from the home she shares in Oslo with her partner and daughter, Holt says her publishers made the decision to translate the books out of order.” - Laura DeMarco, The Plain Dealer
Allying herself more along the lines of Jo Nesbo of whom she says: [He] is far more socially critical, realistic and ‘Scandinavian” in style: than say Stieg Larsson whom Holt considers straying into the fantastical and unbelievable, no matter how compelling as Lisbeth Sanders and the Millennium series may be to Holt. As with many Scandinavian writers Holt does not forget to pay homeage to two other authors:
“I don’t think any of the most popular crime writers in Scandinavia today can evade affinity with Sjowall and Wahloo, who wrote their Martin Beck series between 1965 and 1975. That duo in many ways founded what is now often - somewhat imprecisely - called ‘Scandinavian socially realistic and socially critical crime novel.’”
Holt prefers to work on three series at a time. This seems fairly straightforward given that the starting point for Holt is always the story idea, which in turn gets populated by characters. Consequently, it doesn’t always follow that a story can be applied, for example, to the character of Anne Wilhelmsen and therefore is more applicable to a character in another series. For this reason, Holt usually has multiple crime series going on at any one time.
Having a story to tell is critical to Holt’s writing. The novels take place within a particular class of society: the wealthy, the highly educated who live in a social democratic welfare state. Norway is one of the richest nations in the region and was considered relatively safe until organized crime moved in peddling its inhumane wares and, sadly, when in 2011 terrorists converged on Oslo and brought Norway into the international spotlight killing nearly 100 people. Readers of my previous Scandinavian reviews will have undoubtedly noted references alluding to not only the Nordic crime writers’ predilection towards using the genre to expose social and political issues, but to take these issues and wrap them into a psychological narrative where the crime isn’t so much one of “who-dun-it” but more one of ”why the hell did this happen?”. Holt in particular is no exception.
Massacre at the executive government quarter of Norway
”Increased globalization and extreme developments in communication bring us all closer, and at an ever-faster pace.” Says Holt. “On the other hand, there is an increased polarization because of this situation, both religiously and politically. The literature of a country will - and should - inevitably reflect this.”
Though Holt considers herself a political person she makes it very clear that she is not a political writer. The genre, in her opinion, is not meant to provide political solutions but rather political issues are brought to light because in any crime you cannot truthfully explain it unless one casts a light on the society in which the crime takes place.
For Holt, there’s the plot and then comes the characterization and especially when constructing a series things can can get surprisingly complex in that her characters are dynamic (unlike Christie’s Hercule Poirot who never changes). Hanne Wilhelmsen grows and becomes more solid and believable as the series progresses in the same way that Harry Hole becomes more solid in Nesbo’s fabulous series. And the longer the series becomes the more difficult the task for Holt as she is limited by not letting Hanne become “out of character”, this while being caught up in a long evolution towards the later novels (in particular 1222 #8) in which Wilhelmsen emerges as quite compelling, a wholly original heroine. Holt says:
“I am convinced that crime fiction’s tremendous popularity in many parts of the world, despite the great diversity and variation in the field, is because it deals in universal themes.”
Universal themes are those that bind us all together and it cannot escape a reader’s mind that life and death are the axiomatic commonality that most affect us as human beings. Crime fiction is the perfect home for such universal themes. Holt’s challenge is to provide an insight into the drama of human interaction within a large and complex society and in the case of crime fiction within the darker side of that society. In this sense she again allies herself with the work of Jo Nesbo who encapsulates the very best of Norwegian crime fiction: and again as opposed to say Stieg Larsson whom she considers to be more of an americanized, more romanticized if not sensationalized writer with respect to the Swedish society he describes (though YellowBird Productions may have had a hand in this).
December 12, 2012
I first 'discovered Anne Holt when I read the Edgar nominated 1222 featuring recurring protagonist Hanne Wilhelmsen last year. (and loved it!)
Holt is a Norwegian author and started the Hanne series in 1993. Holt has worked for the Oslo P.D., as a lawyer and a journalist and news anchor as well. This extensive background has added much authenticity to this crime series. The first books featuring Hanne are just being released to North American markets this year. Blessed Are Those Who Thirst is the second in the series.
Oslo Detective Inspector Hanne Wilhelmsen and her colleagues are sweating it out - both figuratively and literally. Oslo is in the middle of a heat wave and crime rate is rising with the thermometer. Hanne is called out to investigate an abandoned shed - covered in blood with a series of cryptic number written on the wall. There's no body and until testing is carried out, no indication it is human blood. Hanne's caseload increases when she is given another crime to investigate - that of a brutal rape. But the rape clearance rate in Norway is appalling. And the victim and her father are aware of that....Then another blood soaked scene and set of numbers is discovered....
I was so enamoured of the middle aged Hanne in 1222 that it was a bit of a shock to encounter a young Hanne. But I enjoyed seeing the beginnings of this character - her interactions with fellow cops, her complicated relationship with her sexuality and her partner. Her initial enthusiasm has not been replaced by the cynicism that will come by 1222. What hasn't changed is Hanne's pursuit of the truth, her keen sense of observation and her dedication to justice.
Holt has two story lines running perpendicular - that of Hanne's investigation and personal life and that of the rape victim and her father. Both are intriguing. but also handled with thoughtful introspection. Holt successfully combines credible plotting with an engaging lead as well as some social commentary to produce an excellent read. I did find the translation a little stilted, but it certainly didn't detract from my enjoyment.
Now, normally I won't go back to the beginning of a series if I've read the latest. In Holt's case, I will be making an exception. I'm quite taken with this series and will be watching for the next release.
Holt is a Norwegian author and started the Hanne series in 1993. Holt has worked for the Oslo P.D., as a lawyer and a journalist and news anchor as well. This extensive background has added much authenticity to this crime series. The first books featuring Hanne are just being released to North American markets this year. Blessed Are Those Who Thirst is the second in the series.
Oslo Detective Inspector Hanne Wilhelmsen and her colleagues are sweating it out - both figuratively and literally. Oslo is in the middle of a heat wave and crime rate is rising with the thermometer. Hanne is called out to investigate an abandoned shed - covered in blood with a series of cryptic number written on the wall. There's no body and until testing is carried out, no indication it is human blood. Hanne's caseload increases when she is given another crime to investigate - that of a brutal rape. But the rape clearance rate in Norway is appalling. And the victim and her father are aware of that....Then another blood soaked scene and set of numbers is discovered....
I was so enamoured of the middle aged Hanne in 1222 that it was a bit of a shock to encounter a young Hanne. But I enjoyed seeing the beginnings of this character - her interactions with fellow cops, her complicated relationship with her sexuality and her partner. Her initial enthusiasm has not been replaced by the cynicism that will come by 1222. What hasn't changed is Hanne's pursuit of the truth, her keen sense of observation and her dedication to justice.
Holt has two story lines running perpendicular - that of Hanne's investigation and personal life and that of the rape victim and her father. Both are intriguing. but also handled with thoughtful introspection. Holt successfully combines credible plotting with an engaging lead as well as some social commentary to produce an excellent read. I did find the translation a little stilted, but it certainly didn't detract from my enjoyment.
Now, normally I won't go back to the beginning of a series if I've read the latest. In Holt's case, I will be making an exception. I'm quite taken with this series and will be watching for the next release.
July 18, 2018
The subject of this 2nd installment is more disturbing than the 1st, but I liked this one even more. You get to see more into Hanne's personality and her struggle with internalized homophobia, plus Billy T, her awesome colleague who hints that he knows she's gay & is cool with it! The bad guy in this one is a serial rapist/murderer, so definite content warning for that, but I did like how the novel dealt with the issues surrounding sexual assault (in particular, addressing the (racist) assumption that brown immigrant men are more likely to be offenders than white Norwegians and victim-blaming).
September 23, 2024
Denne var braaaaa ass, litt brutal men veldig girlboss hovedkarakter! var vanskelig å skulle lese pensum når denne boken var veldig altoppslukende
Nå skal jeg lese bok nummer 1, jeg har blitt fan av Anne Holt
Nå skal jeg lese bok nummer 1, jeg har blitt fan av Anne Holt
July 3, 2020
Hanne Wilhelmsen proves to be an even more intriguing character in the second case. Brilliant, beautiful and secretly gay, her personality develops through her relationships with her colleagues who are also convincingly multidimensional. The case is interesting but also hard to read - especially the relatively vivid description of a rape comes unexpected. But it isn't exploitative and creates an understanding of the victims experience. It also doesn't hurt that Holt has intimate knowledge of the justice system and is able to showcase the reality and the restrictions of police work - and police men.
The only thing missing for me is a better understanding of the criminal mind. Why the perpetrator does what he does isn't explored. In fact, his motives are so inconsequential that his identity means nothing to the novel. Maybe this is intentional, shifting the focus on those who are victimized - but it seemed to be the weakest link in this story.
The only thing missing for me is a better understanding of the criminal mind. Why the perpetrator does what he does isn't explored. In fact, his motives are so inconsequential that his identity means nothing to the novel. Maybe this is intentional, shifting the focus on those who are victimized - but it seemed to be the weakest link in this story.
July 24, 2020
Un interessante romanzo sul tema della "giustizia". Qui Hanne deve fare i conti col suo imbarazzo riguardo la sua vita privata e una corsa contro il tempo per evitare degli omicidi che si ripetono con regolarità il sabato. Un imprevisto capitato all'assassino permetterà di risolvere il caso.
January 10, 2025
In una Oslo oppressa da un caldo feroce (il romanzo è stato scritto nel 1994, non oggi), avvengono una serie di stupri. Le indagini vengono affidate ad Hanne Wilhemsen, poliziotta capace ma oberata di lavoro.
Il tema del romanzo è il bisogno profondo della vittima di ottenere giustizia, di sentirsi ricompensata per un dolore immeritato.
Il tema del romanzo è il bisogno profondo della vittima di ottenere giustizia, di sentirsi ricompensata per un dolore immeritato.
February 18, 2016
A crime wave in Oslo...
There seems to be a crime wave going on in the heat of the Oslo summer, and Detective Inspector Hanne Wilhelmsen and her colleagues are feeling the strain. There's been a spate of rapes, and though many of them are 'self-inflicted', as Hanne's boss charmingly puts it – i.e., date rapes – one is different. A stranger invades a young girl's flat and the rape is particularly violent and degrading. Meantime, some practical joker is spending Saturday evenings creating what look like blood-soaked crime scenes around the town, but with no bodies. Hanne's not convinced it is a joker though...
Hanne is a likeable detective - functional, hard-working, relates well to the people in her team. Her private life is stable, though she's hiding her long-term gay relationship from her colleagues and family – the book was only written a couple of decades ago, but oddly that strand already feels outdated, and rather clichéd. This means she doesn't socialise much with the team, so in some ways she's a bit isolated, though not a traditional loner. And she has a good friend in her colleague Billy T, who maybe knows her even better than she thinks.
Both strands of the plot – the rape and the Saturday night “massacres” - are interesting and Holt is excellent at setting the scene. The description of the rape is graphic without being gratuitous, but for my taste there's too much dwelling on the despair of the rape victim and her father in the aftermath. My views on misery-fests are well known to anyone who reads my reviews, but I do read crime primarily as entertainment and sometimes the voyeuristic wallowing becomes a bit much. However, the characterisation of both victim and father is very well done and their actions are for the most part believable.
Holt gets off to a great start, letting us know enough about the recurring characters to make this work fine as a standalone, and introducing the two major plot-lines nice and early so that the reader is hooked. And the ending takes on aspects of the thriller. It goes pretty far over the credibility line in places - one of these ones where you feel if people would just have a quick conversation a lot of angst could be avoided - but the quality of the writing carries it.
The major problem with the book is the tricky middle. For long stretches of time the police don't actually seem to do anything much, while constantly complaining of overwork. Can it really take three weeks to determine whether the blood left in the “massacre” scenes is human? And while they wait for results they do nothing else to try to find out who might be behind it. Is it really credible that the rape victim's father is able to find clues about the rape that the police missed, by merely questioning neighbours? If so, the competence of Hanne and her team can't be terribly high. Even I might have thought to ask if anyone had seen a strange car around the neighbourhood on the night in question. The overwork excuse is dragged out to cover every lapse that is required to allow the plot to develop into a thriller, but that leaves credibility as the major victim.
All this lack of investigation allows plenty of time for personal relationship stuff, though – most of which I could cheerfully have lived without, but that's just personal preference. And then when Holt finally moves towards the denouement she does so by having Hanne have a couple of those brilliant moments of inspired guesswork, based on pretty much nothing, so beloved of the fictional detective.
This is the second book in the successful Hanne Wilhelmsen series, which now stands at nine, though I think only eight have been translated into English so far. As so often, I jumped into the middle of this series with the third book, Death of the Demon , which I thoroughly enjoyed. This one didn't impress me quite so much, but its problems are of the kind that often infect authors' early books. On the whole, they were outweighed by the strengths – the quality of the writing enhanced by a good translation from Anne Bruce, the excellent characterisation, and the basic idea behind the plot, even if the execution of it wasn't quite as good. And knowing that by the time of Death of the Demon, Holt was more in control of her plotting and pacing means this is a series I will look forward to returning to in the future. 3½ stars for me, so rounded up.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
There seems to be a crime wave going on in the heat of the Oslo summer, and Detective Inspector Hanne Wilhelmsen and her colleagues are feeling the strain. There's been a spate of rapes, and though many of them are 'self-inflicted', as Hanne's boss charmingly puts it – i.e., date rapes – one is different. A stranger invades a young girl's flat and the rape is particularly violent and degrading. Meantime, some practical joker is spending Saturday evenings creating what look like blood-soaked crime scenes around the town, but with no bodies. Hanne's not convinced it is a joker though...
Hanne is a likeable detective - functional, hard-working, relates well to the people in her team. Her private life is stable, though she's hiding her long-term gay relationship from her colleagues and family – the book was only written a couple of decades ago, but oddly that strand already feels outdated, and rather clichéd. This means she doesn't socialise much with the team, so in some ways she's a bit isolated, though not a traditional loner. And she has a good friend in her colleague Billy T, who maybe knows her even better than she thinks.
Both strands of the plot – the rape and the Saturday night “massacres” - are interesting and Holt is excellent at setting the scene. The description of the rape is graphic without being gratuitous, but for my taste there's too much dwelling on the despair of the rape victim and her father in the aftermath. My views on misery-fests are well known to anyone who reads my reviews, but I do read crime primarily as entertainment and sometimes the voyeuristic wallowing becomes a bit much. However, the characterisation of both victim and father is very well done and their actions are for the most part believable.
Holt gets off to a great start, letting us know enough about the recurring characters to make this work fine as a standalone, and introducing the two major plot-lines nice and early so that the reader is hooked. And the ending takes on aspects of the thriller. It goes pretty far over the credibility line in places - one of these ones where you feel if people would just have a quick conversation a lot of angst could be avoided - but the quality of the writing carries it.
The major problem with the book is the tricky middle. For long stretches of time the police don't actually seem to do anything much, while constantly complaining of overwork. Can it really take three weeks to determine whether the blood left in the “massacre” scenes is human? And while they wait for results they do nothing else to try to find out who might be behind it. Is it really credible that the rape victim's father is able to find clues about the rape that the police missed, by merely questioning neighbours? If so, the competence of Hanne and her team can't be terribly high. Even I might have thought to ask if anyone had seen a strange car around the neighbourhood on the night in question. The overwork excuse is dragged out to cover every lapse that is required to allow the plot to develop into a thriller, but that leaves credibility as the major victim.
All this lack of investigation allows plenty of time for personal relationship stuff, though – most of which I could cheerfully have lived without, but that's just personal preference. And then when Holt finally moves towards the denouement she does so by having Hanne have a couple of those brilliant moments of inspired guesswork, based on pretty much nothing, so beloved of the fictional detective.
This is the second book in the successful Hanne Wilhelmsen series, which now stands at nine, though I think only eight have been translated into English so far. As so often, I jumped into the middle of this series with the third book, Death of the Demon , which I thoroughly enjoyed. This one didn't impress me quite so much, but its problems are of the kind that often infect authors' early books. On the whole, they were outweighed by the strengths – the quality of the writing enhanced by a good translation from Anne Bruce, the excellent characterisation, and the basic idea behind the plot, even if the execution of it wasn't quite as good. And knowing that by the time of Death of the Demon, Holt was more in control of her plotting and pacing means this is a series I will look forward to returning to in the future. 3½ stars for me, so rounded up.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
January 6, 2017
As a fan of Nordic-noirs & having heard good things about this author, I was expecting to enjoy this Norwegian thriller, but sadly I can't say I was over impressed with this book. The story deals with two investigations, a vicious rape & a number of apparently brutal murders - lots of blood, no bodies. The rape story was by far the more credible of the two & I was quite convinced by the actions of the poor girl who was raped & her fathers. The murders though, not so convincing. The problem for me was the culprit & his/her (don't want to give anything away!) reasons were poor & while things were tied up, it just wasn't in a very satisfactory way ....in fact, I finished the book a day or two ago & have just had to flick back & just check the culprit was who I thought!
Another criticism I have is I just don't understand what the author is trying to say about Hanne. I have no problem whatsoever with her being a lesbian...I either like & believe in a character or I don't, doesn't matter whether they're male or female, gay or straight, white, brown or sky-blue pink with polka dots....but I found the author seemed to create the old & thankfully now out-dated stereotype of a lesbian, as a butch hairy-legged motor-biker, then tries to turn it around by counteracting it with something to supposedly prove her femininity like she maybe a biker but her Harley's pink - (*rolls eyes*) & as for this comment...
"With a stolen glance, Hakon ascertained that she didn't shave her legs"...Shock horror!!!! but don't worry because he goes on..."It was okay, as she had only some light, soft, feminine down that made her look even lovelier than if her legs had been shiny" Seriously?
I don't know whether this has lost something in translation or to be fair it's just dated (it was written over 20 years ago) whatever, it's certainly irritated me & I don't think I'll be reading anymore in the series.
Another criticism I have is I just don't understand what the author is trying to say about Hanne. I have no problem whatsoever with her being a lesbian...I either like & believe in a character or I don't, doesn't matter whether they're male or female, gay or straight, white, brown or sky-blue pink with polka dots....but I found the author seemed to create the old & thankfully now out-dated stereotype of a lesbian, as a butch hairy-legged motor-biker, then tries to turn it around by counteracting it with something to supposedly prove her femininity like she maybe a biker but her Harley's pink - (*rolls eyes*) & as for this comment...
"With a stolen glance, Hakon ascertained that she didn't shave her legs"...Shock horror!!!! but don't worry because he goes on..."It was okay, as she had only some light, soft, feminine down that made her look even lovelier than if her legs had been shiny" Seriously?
I don't know whether this has lost something in translation or to be fair it's just dated (it was written over 20 years ago) whatever, it's certainly irritated me & I don't think I'll be reading anymore in the series.
October 5, 2017
El inicio del libro es aburrido, creo que en particular es la escritura de la autora lo que no terminó de gustarme.
La trama no tiene nada que te enganche de verdad, algo que es primordial en este tipo de historias, solo hacía el final sucede algo interesante y aún así siento que muchas cosas quedan en el aire, es decir, sin resolver.
La trama no tiene nada que te enganche de verdad, algo que es primordial en este tipo de historias, solo hacía el final sucede algo interesante y aún así siento que muchas cosas quedan en el aire, es decir, sin resolver.
September 9, 2014
Primo libro della Holt: la storia non mi ha particolarmente catturata. Quando si avvicina la fine dell'inchiesta, gli accadimenti si fanno frenetici e a te scappa uno sbadiglio... bè, non è un buon segno ;)
Read
November 19, 2024Thoroughly enjoying these crime novels set in Norway.
November 19, 2023
Romanzo del 1994, edito in Italia da Einaudi nel 2010 e recuperato da me in un mercatino a ottobre del 2023. Quindi abbastanza datato.
La Holt ha due filoni di romanzi gialli, quelli con protagonisti Johanne Vik e Yngvar Stubø (di cui avevo letto La paura), e quelli con protagonista l'ispettrice Hanne Wilhelmsen. Questo libro appartiene al secondo filone.
Nonostante non avessi letto gli altri libri della serie non ho avuto la sensazione che mi mancasse qualche pezzo e sono riuscita a seguire la storia.
La vicenda riguarda il ritrovamento, per diversi sabati di fila, di enormi imbrattamenti di sangue in luoghi piuttosto appartati. Come secondo filone c'è quello degli stupri e in particolare quello di una giovane donna assalita in casa propria. Hanne ci metterà un bel po' di tempo a capire che le due vicende sono collegate e, nel mentre, la vittima dello stupro e suo padre decidono di farsi giustizia da soli. L'uno all'insaputa dell'altra, si mettono a indagare per conto proprio e giungono ad identificare lo stupratore ben prima della polizia...
Un romanzo che si lascia leggere, ma non particolarmente entusiasmante.
La Holt ha due filoni di romanzi gialli, quelli con protagonisti Johanne Vik e Yngvar Stubø (di cui avevo letto La paura), e quelli con protagonista l'ispettrice Hanne Wilhelmsen. Questo libro appartiene al secondo filone.
Nonostante non avessi letto gli altri libri della serie non ho avuto la sensazione che mi mancasse qualche pezzo e sono riuscita a seguire la storia.
La vicenda riguarda il ritrovamento, per diversi sabati di fila, di enormi imbrattamenti di sangue in luoghi piuttosto appartati. Come secondo filone c'è quello degli stupri e in particolare quello di una giovane donna assalita in casa propria. Hanne ci metterà un bel po' di tempo a capire che le due vicende sono collegate e, nel mentre, la vittima dello stupro e suo padre decidono di farsi giustizia da soli. L'uno all'insaputa dell'altra, si mettono a indagare per conto proprio e giungono ad identificare lo stupratore ben prima della polizia...
Un romanzo che si lascia leggere, ma non particolarmente entusiasmante.
July 2, 2024
3,5⭐️ - Bardzo fajny kryminał. Na prawde sie nie spodziewalam czegos takiego. I juz na pewno nie spodziewalam sie reprezentacji wlw ktora swoja droga byla bardzo fajna i naturalnie zostala wprowadzona bez jakis wiekszych halo czy cos w tym stylu. Takze to mega na plus. Tylko ze niby wszystko fajnie z ta wlw ale cos tu mi nie pasowalo z tym Billym T co sie tak kleil do niej i ona z jakiegos powodu troche tez do niego. No nwm. Ale ogolnie cala ksiazka napisana calkiem fajnie, zagadka byla ciekawa. Chociaz mam pewien zarzut bo w sumie malo bylo stosunkowo opisu jakby jakos tej sytuacji co sie dziala w sensie tutaj tych sobotnich masakr. Byly one tylko jakby napomkniete i glownie skupilysmy sie na gwalcie, co tez bylo straszne i ciekawe ale jednak bylam ciekawa o co z tym biega i itp. Bo w sumie nie wiemy finalnie ile osob zginelo, kto zginal i itp. Zostalo to sprzatniete pod dywan (UWAGA SPOILER!!) po tym jak sprawca umarl i nic nam nie wytlumaczono takze troszke slabo. Ale po za tym git. Dodatkowy plus to takie w sumie pokazanie Norwegii i jej kultury troche w tej ksiazce. Bardzo fajnie. I podwojnie fajnie mi sie to czytalo bedac w Norwegii 🥰
September 28, 2019
Detective Hanne investigates an increasingly bleak crime wave as Oslo endures a hot spring. At first the protagonist is rather enigmatic, but I enjoyed getting a peek into her private life with long suffering partner Cecile and a few police colleagues were good supporting characters. Rape and its aftermath are unflinchingly depicted. I was surprised by the identity of the killer and the ending was unconventional, yet perfectly fitting for the story.
November 29, 2019
Voiam mai mult. In 260 de pagini ni se prezintă incompetența poliției din Oslo și, oricât de mult iubesc romanele polițiste scrise de nordici, Anne Holt a dat-o în bară rău. Un tată disperat devine mai abil decât o inspectoare, care, după părerea mea, era parcă în altă lume. In ultimele 30-40 de pagini, află identitatea criminalului, asta cu ajutorul altui personaj, o iraniană. Dumnezeu știe de ce a ales abordarea asta, în care toți se învârt în jurul cozii, iar dreptatea este oferită într-un mod violent, deloc convingător.
December 28, 2019
These books get better and better
November 1, 2020
A decent police procedural set in Oslo, mainly concerned with a rape case and mysterious bloody scenes. I read the first in this series a while ago and will read the next one soon.
July 25, 2022
Bienaventurados los sedientos
Una historia de novela negra bastante peculiar.
En Oslo el verano promete ser largo y caluroso. Las elevadas temperaturas han sorprendido a los noruegos; entre ellos a Hanne Wilhelmsen, que ha sido enviada a investigar un macabro escenario criminal; una caseta abandonada en los arrabales de Oslo regada literalmente de sangre. En una de las paredes destacan ocho dígitos escritos también en sangre. No hay rastros de la víctimas. Aunque tampoco es seguro que haya una víctima humana hasta que se verifique la precedencia de los fluidos.
Una semana más tarde, también un domingo, se reproduce la misma escena sangrienta, está vez en un parking.Y de nuevo, los ocho dígitos, y sin cuerpo ni testigos, ni motivo aparente. A Wilhelmsen le interesa el tema, pero no tiene de dónde agarrarse. Además hay otro caso que ocupa su agenda estos días: una violación. Curiosamente ésta ha coincidido en un domingo en el que no se ha repetido los desagradables episodios anteriores. Pero Annie no es la única interesada en el caso, el padre de la chica violada está dispuesto a todo para dar con el culpable.
Una historia que me deja con emociones encontradas, por un lado está la parte bien desarrollada de la policía de Oslo, su funcionamiento, los problemas a los que se enfrentan como corporación, desde lo administrativo, de estructura, recursos y actividades policiales, que deja entre ver qué ya no alcanza a día de hoy, a cubrir las necesidades de la sociedad, y por otra, la forma en que realizan su trabajo los policías, en mi opinión la primera parte está bien fundamentada y sólida, pero la segunda se quedó corta, pues lejos de desarrollar el personaje de la investigadora Annie en el ámbito de la investigación, metidos usados, sagacidad, inteligencia, instinto etc, no se hace, solo se dan pequeñas pinceladas del potencial del personaje, que en mi opinión no me deja satisfecho, pues esperaba más en ese punto; ahora bien, el libro empieza de forma agradable, pues las descripciones de los lugares donde se hayan esas escenas llenas de sangre y el incógnito de desconocer a qué se refieren esos números encontrados en la escena del crimen te enganchan de inmediato, más sin embargo, ese hilo de la historia nunca se desarrolla, pues nunca conocernos el porqué de dichas escenas, lo que nos lleva irremediablemente a desconocer el móvil del "malo de la película" pues la historia por razones que desconozco, se desvía de ese objetivo y le da más fuerza al otro caso que la investigadora tiene entre manos: la violación de una joven, y es ha través de la investigación de ese evento que nuestra protagonista logra "resolver" el misterio.
Personalmente me hubiera gustado que el personaje del antagonista hubiera sido mayormente explotado, conocerlo más, sus motivaciones, su psicología criminal etcétera, más sin embargo eso no ocurre, lo que es una pena.
Pues llegamos a conocer personalmente a nuestra heroína en la personal e íntimamente, sus relaciones, miedos y deseos, incluso también de algunos de los personajes secundarios logramos entenderlos, pero no del asesino, lo que me dejó con una sensación de que la novela pudo ser mucho mejor, dejando en todo caso una serie de dudas, la cuáles, me gustaría pensar que la autora pretende desarrollarlas en una siguiente entrega, pues hay que recordar que está historia es parte de una saga de la aventuras de nuestra protagonista.
En fin, una historia rara, que no me terminó de convencer, sin que llegue a ser una mala novela, ni mucho menos; con sus buenas cosas pero que se queda corta.
Título: Bienaventurados los sedientos
Autor: Anne Holt
Editorial: Roca Editorial
Título Original: Salinge er de som tørster
Páginas: 216
Pasta blanda
Primera Edición: 1994
#bienaventuradoslossedientos
#anneholt
#rocaeditorial
#thrillerysuspense
Una historia de novela negra bastante peculiar.
En Oslo el verano promete ser largo y caluroso. Las elevadas temperaturas han sorprendido a los noruegos; entre ellos a Hanne Wilhelmsen, que ha sido enviada a investigar un macabro escenario criminal; una caseta abandonada en los arrabales de Oslo regada literalmente de sangre. En una de las paredes destacan ocho dígitos escritos también en sangre. No hay rastros de la víctimas. Aunque tampoco es seguro que haya una víctima humana hasta que se verifique la precedencia de los fluidos.
Una semana más tarde, también un domingo, se reproduce la misma escena sangrienta, está vez en un parking.Y de nuevo, los ocho dígitos, y sin cuerpo ni testigos, ni motivo aparente. A Wilhelmsen le interesa el tema, pero no tiene de dónde agarrarse. Además hay otro caso que ocupa su agenda estos días: una violación. Curiosamente ésta ha coincidido en un domingo en el que no se ha repetido los desagradables episodios anteriores. Pero Annie no es la única interesada en el caso, el padre de la chica violada está dispuesto a todo para dar con el culpable.
Una historia que me deja con emociones encontradas, por un lado está la parte bien desarrollada de la policía de Oslo, su funcionamiento, los problemas a los que se enfrentan como corporación, desde lo administrativo, de estructura, recursos y actividades policiales, que deja entre ver qué ya no alcanza a día de hoy, a cubrir las necesidades de la sociedad, y por otra, la forma en que realizan su trabajo los policías, en mi opinión la primera parte está bien fundamentada y sólida, pero la segunda se quedó corta, pues lejos de desarrollar el personaje de la investigadora Annie en el ámbito de la investigación, metidos usados, sagacidad, inteligencia, instinto etc, no se hace, solo se dan pequeñas pinceladas del potencial del personaje, que en mi opinión no me deja satisfecho, pues esperaba más en ese punto; ahora bien, el libro empieza de forma agradable, pues las descripciones de los lugares donde se hayan esas escenas llenas de sangre y el incógnito de desconocer a qué se refieren esos números encontrados en la escena del crimen te enganchan de inmediato, más sin embargo, ese hilo de la historia nunca se desarrolla, pues nunca conocernos el porqué de dichas escenas, lo que nos lleva irremediablemente a desconocer el móvil del "malo de la película" pues la historia por razones que desconozco, se desvía de ese objetivo y le da más fuerza al otro caso que la investigadora tiene entre manos: la violación de una joven, y es ha través de la investigación de ese evento que nuestra protagonista logra "resolver" el misterio.
Personalmente me hubiera gustado que el personaje del antagonista hubiera sido mayormente explotado, conocerlo más, sus motivaciones, su psicología criminal etcétera, más sin embargo eso no ocurre, lo que es una pena.
Pues llegamos a conocer personalmente a nuestra heroína en la personal e íntimamente, sus relaciones, miedos y deseos, incluso también de algunos de los personajes secundarios logramos entenderlos, pero no del asesino, lo que me dejó con una sensación de que la novela pudo ser mucho mejor, dejando en todo caso una serie de dudas, la cuáles, me gustaría pensar que la autora pretende desarrollarlas en una siguiente entrega, pues hay que recordar que está historia es parte de una saga de la aventuras de nuestra protagonista.
En fin, una historia rara, que no me terminó de convencer, sin que llegue a ser una mala novela, ni mucho menos; con sus buenas cosas pero que se queda corta.
Título: Bienaventurados los sedientos
Autor: Anne Holt
Editorial: Roca Editorial
Título Original: Salinge er de som tørster
Páginas: 216
Pasta blanda
Primera Edición: 1994
#bienaventuradoslossedientos
#anneholt
#rocaeditorial
#thrillerysuspense
August 14, 2022
Aburrido
April 26, 2019
The second in my newly found Norwegian detective series by Anne Holt. We follow Detective Inspector Hanne Wilhelmsen and he fellows trough an Oslo heat wave. There is a serial killer on the loose as well has the investigation of a horrible rape and assault.
These procedurals take deliberate pace through the week of both investigations. Wilhelmsen has a couple of skeletons and quirks that make for a couple of twists.
So far so good with this series. One request for all authors describing cities...would a map hurt?
Three and a half jimmys out of five.
These procedurals take deliberate pace through the week of both investigations. Wilhelmsen has a couple of skeletons and quirks that make for a couple of twists.
So far so good with this series. One request for all authors describing cities...would a map hurt?
Three and a half jimmys out of five.
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