Blind gudinne

Hanne Wilhelmsen #1

by Anne Holt

En narkotisert småforbryter blir funnet skutt. Få dager senere blir den dreptes advokat funnet myrdet. Politiet danner seg etterhvert et bilde av en helt uvanlig narkotikamafia, der personer fra samfunnets solside står bak. Handlingen i denne politiromanen er lagt til Oslo Politikammer og er den første romanen med Hanne Wilhelmsen.

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

309 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Anne 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.

Reviews

[Jim Fonseca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blind Goddess by Anne Holt

High-powered greedy lawyers are behind a lot of the drug trafficking in Oslo. So when a body turns up in a park, coincidentally discovered by a female lawyer, the murder suspect insists on having her as his lawyer so he can be sure she’s not involved in the corrupt lawyer ring (even though she is not a practicing criminal lawyer). The suspect dies in jail and other bodies start turning up. It turns out that even high-level government officials are involved in the corruption.



The evidence turns up coded telephone contact books and other encrypted logbooks. Someone keeps breaking into police office headquarters to steal evidence and notes.

This mystery novel, by one of the Scandinavian noir writers, is the first of what is now a 10-book series. The featured police detective is Hanne Wilhelmsen and the story is structured as a police procedural. Hanne has a female partner and she works on her pink Harley, skills that later turn out to be important to the story. The woman lawyer is almost as much of a main character as the detective. Even though the female lawyer is married, she has an affair with a long-time friend who is a male detective on the case.



There’s a just-in-the-nick-of-time ending. All-in-all it’s a good story, but with a bit of a slow start and a little slow in other places.

Photo of Oslo from traveler.com.au
Photo of the author from allenandunwin.com

[Kylie D · Rating 3 out of 5]

An ok book, though I found it hard to follow at times. It sometimes went into unnecessary detail, which tended to bog it down. I can usually read a book in a sitting or two, but this one took me five days, due to me finding excuses not to bother picking it up.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this first book featuring Police Detective 'Hanne Wilhelmsen', the investigator and her partner look into two murders.

*****

A young Dutchman is accused of killing a drug dealer in Oslo, Norway.....



…..and insists on being represented by Karen Borg, the lawyer who found the body.


However Borg is a civil, not criminal attorney, and defense lawyer Peter Strup tries to horn in on her client.



The Dutchman refuses to change lawyers though and exhibits fear of attorneys and lockup.

Soon afterwards another attorney, the disreputable Hansa Larsen, is shot to death. Police officers Håkon Sand and Hanne Wilhelmsen connect the murders of the drug dealer and shady lawyer.



Moreover, they find clues in the lawyer's house that lead them to suspect a huge drug-dealing conspiracy that involves lawyers and maybe even high government officials.

The police follow complex clues to unearth the culprits but have a very difficult time trying to bring them to justice. There's a lot of blather about the Norwegian court/justice system which slows down the story and the climax is very drawn out as well.



The book has some interesting characters/relationships that add to the story: married lawyer Karen and her friend Detective Håkon have a romantic attraction; Detective Hanne is gay and lives with her girlfriend. There's an intrepid reporter chasing after a scoop. And there are plenty of lawyers, good and bad. I thought it was just an average mystery/thriller.

You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot....

[Tessa Nadir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anne Holt, pe langa faptul ca este scriitoare de romane politiste, a fost ministru al justitiei si avocat, lucruri care se reflecta pe tot parcursul romanelor sale.
"Zeita oarba" este primul roman din seria cu detectivul Hanne Wilhelmsen, serie ce a devenit bestseller international.
"Blind gudinne" debuteaza 'frumos', trebuie sa va marturisesc. O avem in prim plan pe avocata Karen Borg care descopera un cadavru pe malul unui rau in timp ce-si plimba cainele. Primul lucru pe care-l vede este ca acesta zace cu fata langa niste excremente de caine. Il ridica si observand ca are 3 gauri in piept il lasa sa cada inapoi pe jos, acesta aterizand cu fata in excremente. Vazand acest lucru lui Karen ii vine rau si cu toate ca are la dispozitie o zona intreaga unde sa se desfasoare, o face fix pe spatele mortului, improscandu-l cu mazarea de la cina (si contaminand probele). Aceste amanunte neplacute sunt tipic cartilor nordic-noir. Si iata ce 'pofta nebuna' iti face sa citesti in continuare!
In ceea ce priveste actiunea, dupa descoperirea cadavrului, politia aresteaza un tanar student olandez, insa acesta refuza sa vorbeasca pana cand Karen Borg ii preia cazul. El ii cere acesteia la modul disperat sa incerce sa-l protejeze. Curand insa mortul va fi identificat ca un fost traficant de droguri si in acel moment si avocatul acestuia va fi gasit impuscat.
Cand seria de crime continua frumoasa inspectoare Hanne Wilhelmsen si sarmantul procuror Hakon Sand trebuie sa investigheze cu maxim fler si inteligenta, pentru ca au de-a face cu o intreaga retea de traficanti de droguri.
Este un roman politist bun, intriga politista fiind bine sustinuta, interesanta si captivanta. Titlul face evident referire la zeita justitiei care este oarba.
Hanne este foarte simpatica, o politista buna, bataioasa si desteapta ce conduce o motocicleta Harley Davidson roz si este lesbiana. O veti indragi atat pe ea cat si pe colegul ei, Hakon.
In incheiere atasez cateva citate care mi s-au parut interesante, din sfera justitiei:
"Perfectiunea era scutul ei. Asa isi dorea ea sa fie si, din moment ce nu avea ambitia de a da din coate pentru a ajunge sus, fiind interesata doar sa faca treaba buna, nu existau nici gelozii si nici invidii care sa-i ameninte apararea."
"Karen credea ca judecatorii ar trebui sa ramana impartiali, iar prieteniile sa fie tinute in afara salii de judecata. Chiar si acum avea aceeasi parere idealista."
"Hanne Wilhelmsen avea aceeasi relatie cu politia pe care isi imagina in momentele ei de romantism, o avea un pescar cu marea. Era indisolubil legata de politie si nu se putea inchipui facand altceva."
"Lacomia este cel mai temut inamic al infractorilor. Moderatia este cheia succesului."
"Dar iti pot oferi un sfat prietenos: nu te baga in lucruri carora nu le poti face fata. Asta e valabil in toate aspectele vietii tale."
"O stea de serif si o palarie de cowboy ar fi fost o mult mai buna litera de lege decat 7 ani la Facultatea de Drept si 10 jurati batuti in cap. Inchizitia. Asta e ceea ce numesc eu proces adevarat - judecator, procuror si avocat, toti intr-unul singur. Atunci chiar se facea dreptate, nu era doar o trancaneala despre lege favorizand infractorii si gangsterii."

[Rachel (not currently receiving notifications) Hall · Rating 3 out of 5]

Police headquarters in Oslo on a Sunday morning in late September and attorney Håkon Sand has a hangover and custody cells that are full to bursting. After a busy night in Oslo which culminated in a report of a dead body found by commercial lawyer Karen Borg whilst out running, Sand is rushed off his feet. Soon after the report of the corpse a Dutch student is discovered sitting in the middle of the road covered in blood and the obvious connection is made between the corpse, identified as drug dealer Ludvig Sandersen, and the blood soaked student. Håkon Sand, police attorney is the man faced with the recalcitrant Dutch national, loathe to even give his name and it is a frustrated man who greets investigating detective, Hanne Wilhelmsen to see if she can fare any better on getting the man to open up.

As Hanne approaches the Dutchman in the custody cells and lays it on the table, telling him about the dead body found near the Aker river and what looks like an obvious connection, she is upfront and treats him with respect, even sharing her cigarettes. A simple blood match could add to his troubles and DI Hanne Wilhelmsen tells him that having a solicitor is advisable. Giving his name as Han van der Kerch, and admitting that he killed the man, he retains a reluctance to offer any form of defence. When Sand lets slip that it was a lawyer friend of his who came across the body, van der Kerch demands her as his legal representative. Karen Borg at the age of thirty-five is a very successful commercial lawyer, untested in the criminal field since passing her exams, albeit with excellence, eight years ago. Karen is intrigued enough to speak to the man and he offers the first clues as to his involvement in a drugs syndicate, of which he is merely at the bottom of the food chain and a small-time courier. With no knowledge of just whom is orchestrating the operation and rumours that some high-profile lawyers are involved, he is afraid for his life, explaining his fear of leaving the police HQ custody cells and entering prison, where the syndicate could pose a threat. Just five days later a shady lawyer by the name of Hans E Olsen who represented the deceased drug dealer on numerous occasions is discovered shot dead in his office and even the press are surmising on the connections between both the two murders and the bloodied Dutch student. Peter Strup, an eminent and suave criminal lawyer offers to take the case off Karen's hands on several occasions, which gives her more cause for concern as to just what she has stumbled over. Pretty soon the jitters are spreading, and it seems that Hanne Wilhelmsen and Håkon Sand can trust nobody when it starts to look like some of the people on their side of the law could be implicated.

Hanne Wilhelmsen is a woman known as the consummate professional, respected by colleagues and superiors alike and regarded as an honest and hard-working officer with a intuitive flair. Living with her female partner in a committed relationship, of which her colleagues remain in the dark, she is an aloof presence for some but an amiable colleague when it comes to working in close contact with her. I did find myself wanting to know more about her character, and aside from a great rapport with Billy T and Sand in the office, there was little colour regarding her personality. For instance, it took until over half way through for Holt to mention Hanne's beloved bright pink Harley-Davidson. I would therefore have appreciated a more well rounded depiction of the lead characters work/life balance. Although I appreciate that Hanne is the main character, I look forward to seeing Håkon Sand, Billy T and Karen Borg appearing in future novels of this series in some capacity.

I must say that on a number of instances I did feel like this tale was a little contrived, from the immediate suspicions about the connections between the matters, to the convenient pieces of evidence that are rapidly discovered and the behaviour of the naive journalist who seamlessly breaks into a lawyers office. It wasn't so much piecing the clues together as being handled them on a plate! The coded notes were found easily and in general there seemed to be plenty of fortuitous finds. Blind Goddess is an ambitious case, perhaps a little far-fetched, but this is a series with plenty of promise and one I shall endeavour to follow. Hopefully continuing instalments will fill out the character of Hanne and her lover in further depth, thus offering a better understanding of what drives this intelligent and highly capable woman.

Having read the first of the Vik and Stubo series, which I found a fluid read, this translation by Tom Geddes seemed a little more stifled, causing me to pause on several occasions. At several points I also found myself wanting further clarity on judicial matters arising from intricacies and differences in the UK legal system and the Norwegian. Notably, references to the "hit" squad that Billy T is part of brings to mind a team of officers devoted to monitoring the drugs scene, deterring dealers and monitoring supply. Portrayed as a rather boorish bunch of men, clad in scruffy attire to fit with the scene they seem to present an imposing prospect to officers who stray onto their territory. I cannot think of a corresponding UK arm of law enforcement that handles this apart from the drugs squad, and so would have appreciated further clarity.

It was only when I stopped to ponder that this novel was originally written in 1993 that a few of the observations and slightly odd turns of phase became more understandable. As a lesbian police officer with a distinct wall of silence between her professional and private life, rumours surrounding Hanne's sexuality were countered by virtue of her being an attractive woman, who opts for wearing a skirt when she is shackled into uniform. Likewise, a female doctor friend who she has been seen with is similarly feminine, and the attitude seems to be that a lesbian without dungarees and cropped hair is impossible! On other occasions I was surprised when distinctions between races of characters were pointed out, seeming somewhat inappropriate, "...the light was so strong that even the Pakistani shopkeepers looked pale...". Translated out of order, this novel appeared in English after the eighth outing for Hanne Wilhelmsen which explained some of these occurrences in a time before immigration was not so widespread.

There is little mention of technology in this investigation and knowing the period when this was written explained the IBM golf-ball typewriter and distinct lack of mobile phones. However, other than these points, there was little about this enthralling tale which made it feel dated. Interaction between colleagues, complete with the necessary gallows humour seemed remarkably unchanged. The ease of access both to Oslo police HQ and the custody cells seems more plausible in an age when security was less of a focus and this explains the assault on Hanne and how a lawyer visiting another client had unrestricted access to suspects in the custody cells. Karen Borg, hailing from Bergen, compares the area that she now resides in to her home territory and highlights the cameras and surveillance of the sophisticated local intelligence services, which all adds to the period feel.

At about three-quarters of the way through when the case is presented to a judge, I did find myself getting a little bogged down by the legal landscape and references to articles of the Penal Code, not enough to have trouble understanding the gist of the case though. I think that a fairly sizeable chunk of this court detail could have been omitted to make for a snappier novel and keep the reader more involved. The title is cleverly derived from an early reference in the novel to a statue of the Roman goddess of justice, Lady Justitia, located on the police commissioner's desk. Sand asks the commissioner why the statue has a blindfold over one of her eyes, only for the commissioner to reply, "She mustn't let herself be influenced by either side. She has to exercise blind justice, impartially." Given that this case is one which sends shockwaves through some of those at the highest echelons of power in the legal world, from lawyers to Special Branch officers, this is most definitely true.

Although it sounds like I have picked up on quite a few issues with Blind Goddess, it was thoroughly enjoyable and made for a compelling read. I do intend to return to DI Hanne Wilhelmsen in the not too distant future and already have the next two novels in the series awaiting me.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this a few years ago, but I am now bringing this review to Goodreads. Blind Goddess is the first book in Edgar-nominated Anne Holt's international bestselling mystery series featuring detective Hanne Wilhelmsen.

This tale felt a little contrived... from the immediate suspicions about the connections between important matters, to the convenient pieces of evidence that are suddenly discovered, to the behavior of naive journalist who seamlessly breaks into a lawyers office.

It wasn't so much piecing the clues together as being handed to investigators on a plate!

I found the plot to be melodramatic and yet SLOW. I actually skimmed some pages to just get on with things.

And yet, I can't say I disliked the characters--sometimes they were interesting and fun in and of themselves.

But it is not a good sign when you find yourself saying to a book, "NO! Make the copies NOW! Don't leave the originals on your DESK, for crying out loud!"

So it's a mixed bag,and seemed thrown together, but I haven't given up on Anne Holt yet. This is the first in the series, so maybe just maybe, there is the possibility it will get better?

[Antonomasia]

[3.5] The first book in the Hanne Wilhelmsen series, but due to English language publishers' annoying habit of publishing translated crime fiction out of sequence, not my first acquaintance with the Norwegian detective. And how different she is from the slightly butch, relatably grumpy and independent, injured-in-the-line-of-duty character of 1222 (book 8) and cameos in Holt's Vik & Stubo series.

In this book, it's the early 90s, and along with chain-smoking whilst driving, gay people being scrupulously not out at work is still a common phenomenon in one of the world's most liberal countries. Hanne makes an effort to look very feminine at all times (as does her secret partner, a doctor), she's a star at work because she knows she has to be one of the best so that any rumours about her sexuality don't matter. And she has a pink Harley Davidson. I'm not sure I'd have taken such an instant liking to this [understandably] more goody-goody, people-pleasing Hanne, as I did to the grouch of 1222, but she still has a few of those maverick traits that few fictional detectives go without; the persistence - and, more idiosyncratically, a penchant for biking without wearing a helmet.

She also gets no more page time than a few other characters, including straight lawyer Karen Borg, and police attorney Håkon, a dogged but not especially bright chap who essentially ends up as Hanne's sidekick. If a reader picked up this book without knowing it was the start of Hanne's series, it might not be that obvious who the main character was, evidently signally Holt's own caution in writing about a lesbian lead for a mainstream audience nearly 25 years ago.

I'd been frustrated by clunky writing / translation in some of Holt's Vik & Stubo books, but The Blind Goddess had what I mostly want from genre crime: writing that communicates without style being noticeable. Doubts were instead of the "would that person really do that?" sort, or the occasional expositionary conversation happening well after characters would have actually told each other that information.

This is the 6th Anne Holt book I've read and various tics were apparent here just as they were in those published later. Occasional endearing anthropomorphisings of inanimate objects described, which always make me smile, (e.g. a gate that isn't sure if it wants to let people in), and a straight woman ending up as a bit of a damsel in distress (someone might want to pick faults with that, but I can never be bothered). You get to a point where you just like an author, even if they may not be to many of yours friends' tastes, and that's that.

It was a surprising and feminist inclusion to hear a supporting middle aged female character in a senior job reflect on menopause symptoms, something which is still often invisible in many fictional portrayals of women of that age. (Something that will doubtless change in the coming years, as the current crop of literary authors whose writing forefronts female experience hit their late forties and fifies.) And yet again I am puzzled by the comments one sees on GR and elsewhere that it's impossible to find crime fiction that doesn't focus on sexual murders of women; this is about a drugs gang (I know, something that's actually bread and butter to real police,shocking - only this is one involving corrupt elites, classic Nordic Noir theme) - I do think those readers are either choosing the wrong books, or reading crime in very high volumes that make it unavoidable not to encounter some storylines you don't like. And just in case those points makes the book sound a little too worthy, there is also a stonking chase and showdown in the last quarter.

[Jaksen · Rating 2 out of 5]

A dnf but two-thirds in...yawn.

A dry, tedious, uninteresting read. A young man admits to a gruesome murder, then sits in a jail cell refusing to talk. Another young man commits suicide in prison. He didn't say much either. There's a code, of sorts, linking them, and a corrupt lawyer - or group of them - silently selling drugs and ya know...

The three majors who are investigating this? They're all rather dull and when I'm reading my mind CONSTANTLY wanders. (A wandering mind is not a good thing while reading.) I actually didn't like to read this and kept saying, can I start something else? No, no, this has got to get better.

It didn't. I put this book to bed, then went to bed myself.

Two stars.

[Harry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review

The first in this series, Blind Goddess shows us a young, passionate female Inspector Hanne Wilhelmsen guided by a seeming unfailing gut instinct that often steels into her mind like a car crash. Conflicted by her sexuality, well liked by her colleagues, not yet wholly original as a leading character but certainly believable, Hanne consequently unravels an Oslo conspiracy involving drugs, murder, and government corruption when in opening a man is found sitting quietly in the road, his clothes covered in a waterfall of blood, without ID, and apparently in cognizant of his precarious position obstructing traffic.

So begins Blind Goddess.

”With his unmarked blue epaulettes lacking even a single stripe as insurance against all the vilest jobs, he was terrified of so much possibly HIV-infected blood. Protected by rubber gloves, he pulled the open leather jacket of the arrested man. Only then did he see that his T-shirt had originally been white. His denim jeans were covered in blood too, and he had a general air of self-neglect.”

Holt lives in a world between Camilla Ceder whose psychological insight into Scandinavian characters takes precedence over complex plot and Jo Nesbo whose complex plots are fused perfectly with psychological motivation. Blind Goddess is an intricate novel that exposes a triumvirate of story lines focused on Norway’s Justice System, Criminal Organizations, and Oslo’s Police Department, each with a leading character to drive the intricate story home.

Though primarily taking place in and around Oslo and as is typical of her Swedish counterparts, Holt seems to hold both a fascination for the urbane and the natural beauty of her country. Urban settings overwhelm this novel but sporadically we’re taken out into the country. In one example, a man takes it upon himself to retrieve a briefcase hidden at the bottom of a frozen well in the middle of Winter and what follows is as captivating as any anxious scene ought to be. In another example, this one in an urban setting, Holt casts her character’s eyes at the sky:

”It seemed as caught out by the sudden cold as the motorists on Geitemyrsveien, sliding into one another on their fully inflated summer tires. The sky looked low. Only the church spires, the high one at Uranienborg and two shorter ones not so far away, were preventing it from total collapse.”

Identifying with her readers is a Holt specialty. Who has not experienced that impending feeling of doom as the sky hangs a bit too low for comfort? But, hang on, there’s more…

As the first in a series, Anne Holt begins her story with a lesbian protagonist. In this regard, she says:

“Human psychology is a complex phenomenon, which can be roughly divided into two categories: the universally human that is basic for each individual, regardless of where you come from, and the attitudes and behavior patterns that reflect the community you are a part of.”

Being an author and belonging to the latter category it is quite natural that Holt created a lesbian protagonist as this reflects the author’s own sexuality and the community in which she lives. But - perhaps taking a page from Val McDermid who upon beginning her career and writing with a focus on lesbian characters and as a result found herself relegated to what at the time was a niche market with limited sales and only upon starting a series that featured a heterosexual couple (the highly popular Wire in the Blood series with Tony Hill and DCI Carol Jordan) finding herself a much wider audience - it is that we find Holt keeping this aspect of Hanna’s character on the back burner.

"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."

And yet there is something subversive in the lesbian character of Hanne Wilhelmsen, at least in this, the opening to the series where Holt alludes to Hanne’s ”difficulties”. The novel’s focus is primarily on heterosexual characters which is further elaborated on by the character of police lawyer Håkon Sand who is clearly enamored and attracted to Hanne Wilhelmsen, a development that leaves open the idea that options exist for either character: Hanna Wilhelmsen as the impeccable, more than capable if not steely sleuth and Håkon Sand a submissive man, evasive and tenderized like a fine steak who makes do with what he can’t have by involving himself with Karen Borg: the third in a triptych of triangular characters.

Blind Goddess is an allusion to Lady Justice and appropriately concerns itself with the Norwegian legal system, it’s failures and fallacies if not its corruption.

--------------------------------------------------------------------
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).

[Razvan Banciu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anne Holt is a lady with a certain potential, but somehow manages to spoil all her good deeds, as her choices are not (at least, it's my opinion) the proper ones. Hanne could be more sympathetic and colourful, Håkon Sand deserves a better fate during the series, not to mention the American-style of almost all the novels, somehow unsuited to a country like Norway.

And a final curiosity: how stupid (even idiot, if you ask me!) can you be, as, losing one of your boots in the hands of a police officer, you keep the other one!?!

[Pippa D · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really good series of books. I read the nine that have been translated into English in the last two weeks, and have started on her next series.

This series is definitely Scandi Noir, as it has that dark and brooding feel about it, and the crimes stand out in a society that is generally peaceful, functional and respectful. The series has less gore than most, and Holt quietly refrains from wallowing in the sadism of so many other crime novels. It is more a brooding thriller genre of crime fiction, rather than the sadistic horror that seems to be so common.

That said, the series also fits comfortably in the hard boiled detective genre too. The main character, Hanne Wilhelmsen, is the best detective in the Olso Police, but she is known to be odd. They know she is one of the really great detectives, but she often works better alone, is really grumpy, and is very difficult to work with.

Hanne is also a very closeted lesbian. She is deeply in the closet due to her internalised homophobia, not because of a lack of support from those currently around her. And it bugs the hell out of her long term partner, who is a doctor full of warmth and compassion.

Hanne's best friend is a huge bloke of 6"7' who works in the drug squad, and has spent so long hanging out with criminals that he really doesn't fit well into the confines of the police. But he too is a gem of a character. A bloke who really likes women, has 5 kids to 5 women, sees the kids regularly and just adores them all. There are so many other wonderful characters in the series too. Holt peppers her books with clever, human characters who inhabit the world with gusto.

Holt writes mostly from the perspective of the police, so the stories function as whodunnits, but she also briefly adds in the views of various people connected with the plot. This gives the books a little more flavour, and gives us a different perspective on the action.

What is also striking about Holt's work, is that she manages to find stories, and characters, who add a really strong social element to the work. It isn't just that the drug addicts are bad, or that the prostitutes are sad, or any of the standard stereotypes, but that Holt manages to give even the minor characters an empathetic place in her constructed world.

I highly recommend this series. There are ten in total, and nine have been translated into English so far. Rug yourself up and dig in.

[Karen Gygli · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm giving this book three stars, but there were times while reading it that I was frustrated with it. I was disappointed with this after reading 1222. Hanne is in this mystery as well, but we see her as a cop, before she was injured and paralyzed. A drug dealer is found dead, and a Dutch vagrant in Oslo is arrested because he is sitting in the middle of a busy street. He only demands that Karen Berg, a corporate attorney, become his defense attorney. Otherwise, he remains silent. This thing is BIG, I tell you! It could go all the way to the GOVERNMENT! I found the plot to be melodramatic and yet SLOW. I actually skimmed some pages to just get on with things. And yet, I can't say I disliked the characters--sometimes they were interesting and fun in and of themselves. But it is not a good sign when you find yourself saying to a book, "NO! Make the copies NOW! Don't leave the originals on your DESK, for crying out loud!" So it's a mixed bag,and seemed thrown together, but I haven't given up on Anne Holt yet.

[CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was just the kind of audiobook that I was looking for, although it wasn't exactly what I expected. It's interesting to see the start of this series, published first in the 90s, whose star became lesbian Norwegian detective Hanne Wilhelmsen.

This first installment doesn't devote any more page time to her than to her boss and an important lawyer (both straight), which seems to me a precaution at that time to prevent the book being "too gay." Publishing has come a long way since then.

A solid mystery I definitely intend to keep going with! I also appreciated how sometimes brutally honest about the characters the author was and that the crimes didn't have anything to do with sexual violence.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

I recently read 1222, the first to be translated (from the Norwegian) of Holt's Hanne Wilhelmsen series. Blind Goddess, the next to be translated, is actually the first in that series (it was first published in 1993); there are six other novels between Blind Goddess and 1222.

And in the intervening twenty years the central character, Hanne, has changed really beyond recognition, as has the style of fiction. 1222 is a traditional mystery in which a murderer's at loose among the passengers of a crashed train who're stranded in a remote, snowbound hotel; the Hanne who solves the case is an ex-cop now confined to a wheelchair because paralyzed from the waist down -- a condition that gives her a delightfully misanthropic view of the world and just about everyone in it. She is the first-person narrator. In Blind Goddess, by contrast, the narration is in the third person with Hanne as just one of the main foci, the other being her ad hoc cop partner, lawyer Hakon Sand; Hanne's legs work just fine (which hasn't stopped the publisher from using a "follow that wheelchair" review quote on the cover), and she's no sourer than anyone else in her profession. And, although it's not really a procedural, it's definitely more in that vein than along the Christie-ish lines of 1222.

As you might expect, Holt's writing is far less confident in the earlier book, and there are some parts of the tale that seem unduly long. The tale itself concerns a couple of murders that lead Hanne, Hakon and their colleagues to the conclusion that a major mafia involving some of Norway's legal profession is making a financial killing by importing hard drugs, and that the corruption may extend right up into senior levels of the government. Where the book's weakest is in giving us an impression of the full scale of the corruption -- we're told that lots of shysters are involved, but we see just three crooked lawyers and their actions don't seem to leave much room in the mafia's structure for anyone else but gofers. Furthermore, while we're told that some of the ill gotten gains are being used by the government to fund black ops (sort of), we never get any sense of just quite what all this involves.

So, yes, the book has its unsatisfying aspects. All of those, though, can be forgiven for the last sixty or so pages of the book, which offer us an extended, multi-stranded high-voltage action sequence in which several times we have to reassess what's we'd previously thought; plus a denouement of the ratiocination element of the tale that involves Biggles -- yep, Captain James Bigglesworth, none other.

So, a bit of a curate's egg, but (I think) certainly worth one's time. I've no doubt I'll read other Holt novels if they pass my way.

Oh, and the cover blurb manages to get both first and second names of one of the characters wrong. These young people today they just have no idea I tell you tch tch now where did I leave my glasses.

[Mal Warwick · Rating 2 out of 5]

Blind Goddess is the first of nine entries to date in Anne Holt’s series of detective novels featuring Oslo Detective Inspector Hanne Wilhelmsen. I don’t plan to read any of the rest of them.

When Jo Nesbø proclaimed Holt “the godmother of modern Norwegian crime fiction,” he was surely referring to the Norwegian editions. Apparently, they’ve lost a lot in translation. A lot. While Holt gets high marks for a gripping plot in this murder mystery, she falls down in almost every other respect.

A poor example of Norwegian crime fiction

First, the writing style is as flat as it could be. It’s hard to understand how she could be considered an accomplished professional writer, much less the godmother.

Second, Holt overuses coincidence and misdirection to confuse the reader and obscure the resolution of her plot until the very end of the book. When I read a story—yes, even a detective novel—I don’t want to stumble on every other page on the hidden identity of a character. She uses proper names rarely, and only about a few of her characters.

Third, the device used to resolve the mystery in Blind Goddess is hard to believe. I won’t reveal it here, just in case you may be planning to read the novel yourself. But you can be assured that I was shaking my head in disbelief when I arrived at the book’s conclusion. Clearly, I was mystified by the plot because the resolution was so unlikely.

About the author

All this is a pity. I would have expected a lot more from Anne Holt, not just because of Jo Nesbø’s endorsement but because of her own life story. Her background includes training and practice as a lawyer, two years with the Oslo Police Department, and service as Minister of Justice for two years. She must have learned a lot from all that experience. Too bad it wasn’t well reflected in her novel.

[Terri · Rating 2 out of 5]

An attorney is called in to represent a young Dutchman found in the streets covered in blood after a man is murdered. Håkon Sand and Hanne Wilhelmsen are the officers investigating, and they find more murders and crimes leading to a drug ring with suspects in high places. I liked the book at first, really caught my attention, but it couldn't hold it. Maybe I didn't care for the characters that much overall, maybe it was pacing. I really can't put my finger on it, but I struggled to finish it.

[Eti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Отдавна не ми се беше случвало да попадна на скандинавски трилър с толкова много гледни точки 😵 Но историята е достатъчно интересна да задържи вниманието на читателя.

[Stef Rozitis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was unpretentious and solid. I want to say as little as possible about the who-dun-it aspect as that would be a spoiler but it was well plotted and reasonably well explained at the end. The detectives are both likeable and fleshed out enough without us having too many messy emotions (come to think of it there WERE some messy emotions but they were not written in a sloppy way so didn't irritate me).

I was always going to like the lgbt aspect. It was actually quite subtly done, a background detail that could easily be ignored if the reader wanted to (detectives' love-lives should always happen neatly in the background I think). There was quite a lot of horrible violence, but it was not lingered over nor were the crime scenes. The writing was brisk and the movement always forward. I would usually not cope with this amount of violence so the writing there really was good.

I enjoyed the Norwegian setting.

There are thing I was less thrilled about but to discuss them would involve spoilers. On the whole though I found the characters and plot worth pursuing. The book was 340 pages but felt like less as it kept me turning pages thinking "one more chapter" and reluctant to stop reading (that happens to me less and less as I get older, but this one did).

For some reason I am not sure whether I want to read the next in the series or not. Perhaps I better try it and see.

[Georgiana 1792 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un giallo nordico classico, forse un po' datato - visto che è stata scritto nel 1993 - e che per questo motivo mi è sembrato meno originale di altri romanzi di questo filone. Un po' fiacco, noioso e prevedibile, non riesco a capire se a causa dello stile della Holt o se perché nel frattempo sono stati scritti gialli molto più incalzanti. Non so, dunque, se continuerò con la serie che vede come protagonisti Hanne Wilhelmsen e Håkon Sand, o se privilegerò serie di gialli nordici che mi sconfinferano di più.

[Emily · Rating 1 out of 5]

quit. It just didn't grab me. and life is too short to read things you're not interested in...

[Griselda Belba · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lakmia,mendoi ai. Lakmia është miku më i mirë i krimit. Po u përmbajte,je në rrugën drejt suksesit.

[Ken Fredette · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like Anne Holt a lot. This book had murder and then another murder then another my head was spinning. Affairs and friendships were around. She had everything. Will definitely read her again. This was the 1st book in the series and it has Karen Borg, Håkon Sand, Hanne Wilhemsen, and Billy T as the good guys.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

First book in the Norwegian police crime series featuring D.I. Hanne Wilhelmsen - pretty good storyline but not over-convinced by the characters in this one; may be down to the translation but I'm not as gripped by the central characters as I am in other Scandi-crime series that I read. Still a good and pretty exciting read - 7/10.

[Sheila Samuelson · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Plot was good as well as the characters BUT I felt like the author took forever to tell the actually story.

She kept explaining the story but it never seemed to pick up for me so that's why I rated it 2 stars!! I wanted to love this book but it just didn't come there for me.

[Sylvia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Muy buen manejado el suspenso en esta obra de Anne Holt.
Aunque en algunas partes me parecía algo repetitivo, creo que fue muy bien llevada la historia, y sobre todo, los personajes.
En momentos la sentí también algo lenta, pero el final me gustó y me dejó con ganas de leer más de esta saga.

[Alia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bad coffee, bureaucracy, pink Harleys and murder.
Blind goddess by Anne Holt.

This was an uneven experience.
The translation felt awkward. A very subjective aspect is that I don’t like localized Spanish (the edition was in Spanish from Spain, hostias!), that is totally on me, but I found context inaccuracies and some debatable choices, nothing too bad, but it can muddy the reading. Other reviewers shared comments about translation issues in other editions and languages, so it could be a general editing issue. Also a couple of minor details (race and class comments) that could be attributed to the date it was written, not like we would expect nowadays.

About the plot, it has its ups and downs. I am sure I will forget the plot in 3 days (better write fast here!): murder, drugs, police, more murder, generic shady characters… nothing out of the ordinary. It is a procedural noir, so lots of pushing papers, running to the judge, grab that bulky typewriter! It wasn’t a fast reading for me, at times it was too much procedure, a bit forcing its own mystery, some not very convincing connections made by the police and questionable plot points. The book´s strength relies on the characters: they glue very well all that police and paper-pushing heavy-lifting, their interactions were very well drawn, work and personal aspects balanced with ease.

Overall, it was an entertaining read.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

My method of listening to audio while occasionally following on an ebook served me well on this book set in Norway. It’s the only way I could keep the characters straight—their names sounded so similar to me. Quite a good plot that kept me on edge hoping things would not turn out as they appeared to be. Hanne Wilhelmsen has written more books, but my library only has a couple of them in audio. Still I will read them. I liked the writing and characters

[Doug Dosdall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good thriller. Feels rather dated of course with all the faxes and hardly any cell phones but the lack of instant info probably makes the suspense easier to write. Tons of detail which seems to be a feature of Scandinavian crime fiction, that can be a little wearing at times. 3.5 stars

[Alessandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Primo romanzo che leggo di questa autrice e ammetto che mi è piaciuto molto: trama non troppo intricata, personaggi che coinvolgono immediatamente e in più scorrevole e scritto bene. Consigliato.

[Eivor · Rating 3 out of 5]

«Måtehold er nøkkelen til suksess.»

«Det er pinlig og sitte stum, i en lydløs telefon.»

«Det er lov å ta snareveier, men det er aldri lov å jukse.»

«Ansiktet så ut som et omvendt japansk flagg.»