Kalde hjerter

Varg Veum #14

by Gunnar Staalesen

En frostkald januardag i Bergen oppsøkes Varg Veum av en prostituert kvinne. Hennes venninne Margrethe er forsvunnet. Ingen har sett henne på flere dager. Før hun forsvant, var det noe som plaget henne. Hun hadde avvist en kunde og kom skrekkslagen tilbake til strøket.Veum tar saken og konfronteres raskt med en brutal og ubehagelig virkelighet. Det tar ikke lange tiden før han kommer over det første liket. Og det blir ikke det siste. Saken fører Veum til et miljø der korrumpert idealisme har fått fatale følger. Under hver stein han løfter på ligger mørke hemmeligheter skjult. Det tegner seg til sist et mønster av skadeskutte mennesker, markstukne livsløp og hjerter som er blitt kalde lenge før tiden. Et mønster som er dødelig - for noen.

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

Audio CD

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Gunnar Staalesen is a Norwegian writer. Staalesen has a cand.philol degree from Universitetet i Bergen and he has worked at Den Nationale Scene, the main theater in Bergen.

Reviews

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent, understated series

[Kim Coenen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Na het lezen van Satellieten van de dood wilde ik zeker meer delen gaan lezen van deze spannende en goede politie thriller serie. Van Uitgeverij Marmer ontving ik een recensie-exemplaar van het nieuwste deel van deze serie. Ik vind dit deel echt een prachtige en uitnodigende cover hebbe, De kleuren geel/groen/blauw spreken me erg aan. Zeker in combinatie van de in sneeuw verhulde stad in het Noorse Bergen.

Varg Veum is een privédetective in het Noorse Bergen. Wanneer Veum een opdracht aanneemt, weet hij veelal meerdere lijken aan het licht te brengen. Dit tot groot ongenoegen van de politie. In de grijze, natte en koude januari meld Hege Jensen zich bij Veum, zij is een oud-klasgenoot van zijn zoon Thomas. Maggie is vermist en hoopt dat Veum Maggie kan opsporen. Net als Hege tippelt Maggie om haar verslaving te bekostigen. Dat is dan ook de reden waarom Hege met de vermissing niet naar de politie wil stappen. Varg Veum hult zich in het leven op straat, waarbij hij nietsontziende pooiers en gewetenloze drugsdealers treft. Ook onderzoekt hij Maggie's achtergrond, om hierin misschien aanknopingspunten te vinden. Hij spreekt buurtbewoners in de wijk waarin Maggie en hun gezin opgroeiden. Zij groeide op in een ontwricht gezin, waarbij de buurt het gezin onder hun hoede had genomen. Het buurtinitiatief pakte helaas niet zo mooi uit, zo blijkt als Varg Veum op het eerste lijk stuit.

Het verhaal is net als de eerdere delen van Varg Veum geschreven vanuit het ik-perspectief van Varg Veum, waardoor je, als lezer, weer helemaal in de huid kruipt van deze geweldige, scherpzinnige en goede privédetective. Ik vind het gaaf nu ik, meerdere delen van deze serie gelezen heb, dat Varg Veum steeds meer diepgang krijgt, maar dat ik ook het personage zie evolueren en groeien, met name in zijn scherpzinnigheid en manier van handelen. Ook de andere personages in het verhaal zijn goed neergezet zodat je er een goed beeld en gevoel bij krijgt.

Gunnar Staalesen heeft een vlotte, levendige en erg krachtige schrijfstijl. Hij weet perfect aan te voelen wanneer hij de verhaallijn moet versnellen, moet vertragen of in detail moet treden. Ook de krachtige en realistische dialogen maken het verhaal tot een heerlijk spannende en goede thriller.

Ik vind het bijzonder, hoe Gunnar Staalesen keer op keer een verrassende, originele en sterke verhaallijn weet neer te zetten, Het begint natuurlijk met de zaak, in dit geval een vermissing, waarbij de zaak en de verhaallijn geleidelijk aan steeds verder de diepte in gaat en zich verbreed. Doordat dit geleidelijk en goed gebeurt is het als lezer goed te volgen. Hierdoor weet Gunnar Staalesen ervoor te zorgen dat het verhaal goed in elkaar zit en de oplossing(en) van de zaken niet direct voor de hand liggen. Hierdoor blijft de thriller spannend en blijft het tot aan het plot een verrassing naar de ontknoping. Daarbij weet Gunnar Staalesen het verhaal goed en ook volledig af te ronden, zonder ontbrekende stukken.

Koude harten is weer een nieuw deel in de Varg Veum politie thriller serie. De boeken zijn losstaand prima te lezen. Wel krijgt Varg Veum, de privédetective meer diepgang en inhoud als je meerdere boeken van deze serie leest. Het is vlot, levendig en krachtig geschreven. Het is een spannende thriller, die verrassend goed en sterk in elkaar zit. Naarmate de verhaallijn vordert wordt de verhaallijn breder en weet Gunnar Staalesen er verrassende wendingen en elementen in te stoppen. De zaak wordt volledig en goed opgelost. Ik kijk nu alweer uit naar een volgend deel van Varg Veum!

[Bruce Hatton · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is quite unusual for a Scandinavian crime novel to have a private detective as the central character. However, the Varg Veum series of novels are a rare and honourable exception. Varg himself is a very likeable character with an unswerving devotion to justice and a great line in humourous patter.
As with other books in the series, this one is set in the author's home town of Bergen and doesn't flinch from portraying the dark underbelly of life. Varg is hired to find a missing prostitute and his investigations uncover some sinister secrets involving drug smuggling and child abuse.
It's hard to believe that this is the 16th book in a (so far) 20 book series. It's set in 1997, was originally published in 2008, but not made available in English translation until 2016. As far as I can see, only 7 books in the series have been translated so far. I hope they all will be in the not too distant future.

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

'On the exterior, everything looked nice and proper, but who had any idea what corruption was hidden - not only behind these walls but any such walls anywhere in the world?'

Cold Hearts is an excellent crime read featuring Norwegian private investigator Varg Veum looking into the case of a missing woman in Bergen, and uncovering crimes as well as a dark history of sadness and a web of lies as his search develops.

I liked the opening chapter which gave a little background to Veum's life. Then we are taken back six months to a case involving a missing woman. Her friend Hege comes to him to ask him to help find her. Margrethe was a prostitute and, after turning away from a car one night, she was evidently very frightened. The woman who went in the car in her place returned injured. Margrethe's whereabouts are now unknown, and then shortly afterwards it is discovered that her brother Karl, who was in prison, is also missing.

The book has a great lead character in Veum, a former social worker who puts this background to good use here when it comes to understanding and handling dysfunctional families, and individuals who haven't had a great start in life and/or those whose lives have taken a bad path. He uses his experience to dig deep and unravel the murky secrets of the past and discover how they have influenced the present. I enjoyed his interactions with the police and others as he pursued the truth.

This is a well-plotted page-turner of a crime story with a firm sense of place. I really enjoyed the first-person narration by Veum; I liked getting to know his ways of thinking and his methods; when it comes to the investigation, he 'was impatient to get started. I knew from bitter experience that time was a thief. When you arrived where you wanted to go it was often too late.'

There's a dark tone to the tale, there is brutality, and there is a real feeling of sadness about the lives that some people endure and the bleaker aspects of society. Veum ponders '...what was it that caused lives to veer off in different directions? Was it possible to predict, or was it simply woven into your destiny from a very young age? Such fragile boundaries,...'

I am sometimes a little hesitant to read a novel that's part of a series when I haven't read the previous books. I found that despite not having read any other books in this series, I didn't have any problems enjoying this one or understanding anything.

I thought the translation by Don Bartlett was really well done and read well. I love the blue/turquoise tones of the cover, and the image fits the story. I really enjoyed reading this one, for me it was a really good introduction into what seems to be a strong detective series; I will definitely be looking out for more of this series now.

[Linda Branham · Rating 4 out of 5]

The main character is Varg Veum, a private eye and past child social worer. As the novel opens, Veum's financial status is so dismal that he has to take just about every case that comes his way.
A prostitute hires Veum to find her colleague, Margrethe Monsen - Maggi, who has disappeared. Veum is the sort of man who treats everyone the same until actions dictate otherwise, and he begins his search for the missing woman.

He uncovers the dark side of Margrethe's family. Her father was a drunk and died in a fall down the stairs and her mother lives in solitude in an apathetic condition. Maggi's brother is in jail. The only one who seems to be living a normal life is the older sister

As Varg searches for Maggi, another young prostitute is killed - a girl that he just interviewed about Maggi. And this is where Varg becomes involved in complicated police business

[Glen Kizer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like this series of books. Mysteries set in Norway, I picked up the first of his books because the review I had read reminded me of the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. They are interesting and I enjoy listening to them. I have read three of them and they are all similar in tone and plot and characters but as a mystery series they are great. It makes me want to go to Bergen and walk the streets he talks about in the books. This book involves a prostitute hiring the lead character to find another prostitute who has gone missing and who happens to be her best friend. It is very much a Sam Spade Maltese Falcon kind of atmosphere through the whole series with the lead detective Varg Veum getting beat up and stumbling along but never taking his eye off of his task. He had worked in child welfare so a lot of the series and this book involves him rescuing or trying to rescue young people. He has written a lot of books and I would probably never read two in a row but I really like them. This book is not upbeat or happy or funny but it took me to the streets of Bergen Norway in a way that made me feel like I was there tagging along with the detective.

[ALEXA · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brrrrr! Frozen smiles and a chilly reception greet Norwegian private detective Varg Veum when he's hired to find missing prostitute Margrethe. I mean, who cares? Right? She's just a streetwalker, a stupid slut who doubtless "asked for it" by virtue (or rather, lack thereof) of her profession. At least that's the general attitude Veum encounters. But they don't mirror his own feelings -- especially when he realizes his client, also in the flesh business, used to date his son years earlier. Talk about an unpleasantly small world!

In Gunnar Staalesen's "Cold Hearts," it's not just the Norwegian winter that causes so many in this novel to have ice in their veins and not give a damn about a hooker. Until the first body shows up. (Note I said "first.") But the dead person is [italics] not [/italics] the missing Margrethe. Things warm up a bit as the bodies pile up -- and, still, none are the lost woman Veum was hired to find. And most of the deceased aren't from the red-light district either. Who the heck are all these dead people?

Veum often finds himself corpse-side, almost by accident. He didn't kill these people. But he's jaded enough from his profession to know coincidences usually aren't just a fluke. In fact, he's pretty dang sure this is fast becoming a fluke-less situation.

But what's the connection? Ah yes, one of the best questions in any good mystery novel. (And don't think for one second I'm going to give it away!)

The answer is so tangential, you won't see it coming anymore than detective Veum does. But I'll let you in on a clue or two: the best of intentions can become twisted so out of shape the original ideal is lost. And if lives are lost, too? Eh, crap happens to good and bad people alike. Right?

Some of the well-drawn men, women, and even children in this book turn cold to steel their hearts against emotional wounds. Others were probably born heartless bastards. Trying to figure out who's who is something Veum better figure out soon, as hearts also become cold when they stop beating -- like that of a nosy investigator.

[Thebooktrail · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book trail is excited to open up 2014 with a writer who is slowly being translated into English. A Norwegian crime writer who is extremely popular in his home country is gradually being introduced to the English speaking world and bringing the gritty streets of Norway and its underbelly to a whole new audience. Think you know Scandinavian crime fiction? Think again.

Story in a nutshell -

A prostitute is concerned about the disappearance of one of her friends, Margrethe, or Maggi as she is known. On the night she had disappeared, Maggi had refused a trick from a curb crawler and had fled the car in terror. Another prostitute who effectively takes her place is badly beaten up.

Varg is tasked with finding out what happened to her and who on earth was in that car. His background as a social worker has given him a lot of experience in dealing with families of difficult circumstances – Maggi’s brother who has been in prison for many years has also now disappeared. Then a prostitute ends up dead.

Varg must quickly unravel the past to find the answers.

Join us on the booktrail blogCome to Norway with the booktrail

[Jeanette · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a 2.5 star at best, and a 2 star for me. Only because the private detective was decent himself, and seemed an experienced former social worker who had some humorous thoughts did I continue to the end and not quit the book. The era is 1997 and records are just going to tech and he is NOT completely Internet savvy at all- early days for that- so control/alt/delete is his friend. This reminded me of a script for Law & Order Special Victims, only within Bergen, Norway. But these characters, other than the prime Veum are either flat or completely unlikeable, just mean or sad. I would not read another in this Staalesen series.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was actually the first book I read about the famous fictive private detective from my hometown. I saw the movies that came out when I was a teen, and I loved them. After reading this, I definitely have to read them all!

The first thing I noticed is that the book is super easy to read - I finished it in less than a day. It's also in Varg's POV, which isn't that common. I loved the entire thing. The mystery and how everyone is connected (but not in a way that you would expect), the humor and sarcasm, and all the descriptions of my hometown.

So if you want to get into scandinavian crime, I definitely recommend this! And like most, you don't really have to read them in order.

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this Staalesen book better that the previous ones I have read. I have liked all the Varg Veum books I have read so far, but have felt them a little slow and occasionally unfocuused. But all have reminded me of Ross MacDonald, especially in their continual use of the “sins of the father” idea - the motive for the crimes lies deep in the past. Cold Hearts is no exception, but this time I fellt the story kept moving and eacn new revelation was adequately prepared. I also liked that the ending was not too pat and more realistic than many private eye novles in that there appeared to be both hope and menance moving forward for all involved.

[VMom · Rating 2 out of 5]

I felt like I should have enjoyed this more than I did but it just didn't grab me.
The frequent shilling for social services also had my eyes rolling.

[Ken Fredette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked the story. Gunnar Staalesen's Varg Veum series is fraught with a lot of nasty characters going after Varg constantly.

[Mike Cuthbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Staalesen is perhaps the most American, stylistically, of the Nordic Noir writers save for Jo Nesbø. His detective, Varg Veum, is middle-aged, cynical but open to romance if it is easy and non-demanding. His deductive skills are excellent as they have to be since he is a private detective, relying on past friendships among the cops to keep him informed of necessary developments in his cases. This case puts Veum in the red-light district of Bergen, Norway. His chore is to find a missing hooker, Margrethe Monsen. His client is a hooker herself so Veum is surrounded by temptation but resists, largely because the hookers are all about the same age as his son, Thomas! Much violence is done to the ladies of Bergen’s night, and Veum is visited by several of the thugs that beat up the girls. He persists, nevertheless, and gets deeply involved in the Monsen family as well. Margrethe has a brother, KG, who escapes from prison just before his sentence for assault is up. Both of them go after a stash of cocaine valued at a million and a half dollars. They are also both handicapped by the earlier ministrations of a mysterious committee of neighbors, allegedly organized to protect them and advance their educations, but which develops as a more sinister group. Veum is a bit of a wise-ass, which gets him into trouble occasionally, but which also adds to the flavor of his character. This is a swift, efficient and entertaining read, beset only by the Scandinavian mystery writers’ habit of listing in detail each and every turn a walker or automobile has to take to get to a given destination. When the destinations are in Norwegian, it is particularly sticky to navigate for the American reader. Certainly worth a read, as are the other Staalesen efforts.

[Jerry Peace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love this book, though I read it rather than listened. Tight noir with a wonderful detective that steers clear of almost all of his history and personal life. Scandinavian crime novels are perhaps the best being written. This private detective, Varg Veum, is in the Philip Marlowe tradition of gathering information, culling the truth primarily through asking questions and asking questions and asking questions. I will be reading more of these novels. Oh, and they're, and Varg, are funny. Just a couple of examples: "We each ordered a salad with tea and behaved by and large like Spinsters Anonymous on a day out: Go wild and don't spare the Thousand Island dressing." And after a source claims he has neither the time nor the inclination to worry about his co-workers' personal lives, Veum replies, "Well...Give my best regards to the Good Samaritan, if you should bump into him in the lift or wherever." OK, the humor won't bust your gut like Lewis Black, but I would have been proud to have coined each and every one of them. But before you get too sanguine, I'll leave with with this stark truism from Staalesen- "It was the weakest who had to suffer most. The strongest always had right on their side."

[Mike Cuthbert · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was not my favorite Nordic Noir for several reasons: the plot moves very slowly. Varg Veum, the PI, is a wise-cracking character, much like modern American PI’s, but his character is not filled out very well. He does nothing much but doggedly pursue his assignment which, in this case, is to locate a missing Bergen, Norway, hooker named Margrethe and her brother. Margrethe is the main target, KG, as he’s called, is a convict who has conveniently left prison on a pass and stayed out. There are purported visits to the dark underworld of the Bergen hookers but it is like most others in the world and really unnotable. Veum pursues the usual suspects, gets the usual beat-down, runs into the international drug trade and tracks missing brother and sister to the very end, sort of making friends with another hooker on the way, but not really. There is also the obligatory hooker scene in which Veum is offered all the goods but refuses them so she can get a good night’s sleep. Ho-hum. The cracks are sometimes OK, often not and that slow pace bogs this down. I have one more of his in the “to read” list but do not anticipate it with pleasure.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not going to lie, I'm a little sad that I've caught up on all of the Varg Veum books now. I do need to give a little shout out to Colin Mace who has been the narrator for much of my journey as, like with the Orenda Books titles, I've actually listened to as much as read the books. Excellent narration that really brings the character of Varg to life, capturing his turmoil and his determination, as well as his fears, perfectly.

Once again we see Varg being engaged in a case that your average Private Investigator would turn away from - the disappearance of a local sex worker. Some would argue that it's almost an occupational hazard, the inherent risk that they are exposed to, and therefore there is possibly little case to answer, but Varg has an unexpected personal link to this case, and when he starts to dig a little deeper it is clear that this is exactly the kind of case you would expect for find him knee deep in.

The story follows on quite quickly from the events in the previous book, Consorts of Death, so it is easy to understand Varg's apprehension. But this is more than a simple missing persons case and his investigations take him back into Margrethe's dark and complex past, a complicated and tragic childhood that impacted not only her but her siblings. Gunnar Staalesen deftly explores the whole history of a community who were determined to offer their very unique kind of help to the three children and the way in which that informs their futures. It is not always easy to read, the implications of the narrative quite clear, and as much as I expected a little of what came to pass, it was still shocking, the ultimate discovery one which took me by surprise. It is sensitively and not gratuitously handled, but there is no escaping the darker side of this story and also the sadness that accompanies it.

Now being a story involving prostitution, the book draws readers into some pretty murky circles, and the threat which is ever present to Vary and those who he approaches for help adds a layer of tension and jeopardy to an already dark tale. I wouldn't have blamed Varg for walking away, he's given plenty of reasons to do just that, but then that is what makes him such a great and loveable character. His sense of right and wrong is always greater than his sense of fear or, seemingly, self preservation. He's a very lucky guy sometimes, but he really does sail close to the wind and I imagine it would be very hard for him to get life insurance ....

Gunnar Staalesen has created such a brilliant character in Varg - a blend of social justice warrior and world weary cynicism - and I really look forward to each new story. He is a man with real heart who you want to see succeed, even if not all of his stories can have a happy ending. In fact there is an almost inherent sense of tragedy about the books sometimes that I felt like I was steeling myself for bad news from the start. Another fab read in a series I really enjoy. Although, as well as he describes the surroundings and creates an ultimate sense of place, I'm not convinced he's really sold me on a visit to Bergen any time soon ... Too dangerous!😳

[Bud Mallar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just like these.

For those of you who have read about the sexist attitudes of the author and our hero Varg, and the author's tendency to describe everything at least twice, and the ad naseum commentary of our hero, I think this one was toned down a bit.

For those of you who don't know, these are not police procedural whodunits, but bad stuff done by evil people and investigated by our hero Varg as a private investigator.

Now, there is some argument you should start with book 1, but, as much trouble as I went to to find the publication date order translated to English, I think you can start anywhere and figure things out.

This whodunit wasn't a pleasant story, nor were most of the characters likeable. But our hero did talk and question and wonder out loud (occasionally) until he tripped across the, well, whodunit.

They are short and good and different and fun reads.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars - read this on a backpacking trip so I stuck with it. I quite liked the main character, its nice to have a character who has such an "ethical" standpoint. That being said, the story never really took off. The bits with the pimps seemed a bit unbelievable (why didn't they just kill him?) and the perpetrator seemed obvious from early on. It was overall quite a depressing atmosphere and story. However, I'd give the author another read to see what he does with a different story. It was interesting getting the background and image of Bergen, though it was clear this book was written long ago (frequent references to the internet's early days), which is distracting instead of timeless.

[Stuart McMillan · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, I came to this book with no preconceptions, not having read any of the preceding novels and not knowing anything about Varg Veum.

To be frank, I found no real spark here to differentiate Varg from any number of used-up, down-at-heel and broken PIs that I might read about anywhere in the constellation of similar individuals.

The scenario is kinda-sorta believable (an addict prostitute promising money to look for a missing friend) but does require a proper suspension of disbelief, especially as we explore some of the later antics.

It was fun while it lasted, but I don't think I will be spending too much more fun with Varg when I have better broken down detectives from the likes of Rankin, Oswald to continue exploring.

[Klr · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this English but couldn’t find it on goodreads. Another solid good Varg Veum novel. 3 siblings who suffer from alcoholic, violent, incompetent parenting followed by guardians who are cruel and corrupt. Add drugs and poverty.

“…in a strange way I felt as if I had been forgiven, as if it were me standing there representing all guardians from the dawn of time until today. And perhaps I was. Perhaps we were all accomplices, every last bastard who hadn’t opened their eyes in time. Perhaps we were all carrying around our generation’s guilt towards the weakest, the youngest and those with least protection.”

[hugo van der wildt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Een leuke kaft over de plaats waar alles gebeurd.
De titel past bij het verhaal.
Een verhaal waar onze maatschappij gebuikt ondergaat.
Het maatschappelijk probleem van drugs, verdwijningen en moorden.
Een cocktail dat veel gebruikt is in thriller als ook in deze waar Varg, privé detective, een persoon moet zoeken die verdwenen is in de wereld van de prostitutie.
Hij stelt veel vragen links en rechts om zo een netwerk bloot te leggen en verschillende links te leggen tussen verschillende feiten.
Zo vallen de puzzelstukjes op hun plaats en kunnen verschillende daders gevat worden, ieder op zijn eigen werkterrein.
Zeer spannend vaf het begin tot het einde.
Zeer zeker een aanrader.

[Louise Fincham · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Staalesen’s writing. Where else in the middle of a murder investigation do you find writing like this “I strolled towards the gate. On the frozen lawn lay the dark green petals of autumn’s last roses. They reminded me of hearts. Fallen, stunted hearts, on the road to death and decay”? He is truly a master of lyrical prose. His plots are always brilliant, and most of all I love his hero Varg Veum, compassionate without being prissy, a witty dry sense of humour. I cannot find enough of these books translated into English fast enough. Highly recommended.

[David C Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good. A PI’s search for a missing prostitute uncovers a mare’s nest of a dysfunctional family, abused children and a revenge plot gone wrong. Aside from the crimes themselves, the moral lesson is the endless attraction of abusing your power over the weak. The ending is realistic as justice is only incomplete.
Some of the writing was a bit stilted and I wondered about the translation; also some local idioms and references could have been made clearer.

[Shannon M (Canada) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first chapter of this book is confusing unless you have read the previous one in the series — “The Consorts of Death”. “Cold Hearts” provides the missing ending for that previous book. Once that first chapter is out of the way, the story begins moving quickly. Although the characters are different, the theme is similar to The Consorts of Death, namely how poor parenting (actual parents and substitute parents) can destroy their adult children. There are the usual plot twists and turns found in most of the Staalesen books. I particularly like his characterization. Each book has unique characters.

[Stephen M. Soiffer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Staalesen Success

Staalesen's Varg Veum novels are a voyage - often through the seamy underbelly of Norwegian society. It is always to a moral end, in a noirish sort of way. Along the way, you are treated to the musings of a master. Veum's case here is about sexual abuse of children and their disastrous transition to damaged adulthood. Sounds cliched, but in Staalesen's hands it is well worth the voyage.

[Priscilla Alexander · Rating 4 out of 5]

Complicated

In this book, the author continues his examination of sex work, here less volitional and more controlled than in the last book. I like this series for its view of Bergen, Norway. We in America tend to think of the Nordic countries as being the same, but of course there are differences. Well worth reading.

[Marissa Morrison · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story intrigued me until I came to realize that almost every character was more like a rabid dog than a human. I have rarely encountered this much depravity in a mystery, and it's all the more shocking because I picture Norwegians as exceedingly peaceful and law-abiding.

[Tbfrank · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another in the series that also made it to the screen. Everything you expect of gritty Norwegian noir, drugs, prostitution, incest, murder. Probably of more interest to those who know Bergen and recognize the place and street names. Fine work by the translator.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this in English. fun to read literature set in places I have visited. this was set in Bergen, Norway.