Part of a series but a stand-alone police procedural with elements of the psychological thriller.

Translation by Don Bartlett.

 

Detective Frank Frølich from Violent Crime and Sexual Offences has been interviewing Veronika Undset on a routine case. He likes her, and it turns out she’s getting married to an old friend of his. She’s in trouble after being linked to thefts, although it’s a work associate of hers that’s the main person of interest. The fact his work and private life seem to be overlapping is no great worry, until Veronika is found dead, wrapped in plastic.

 

Meanwhile, in a different case handled by fellow Oslo detective Gunnarstranda, a young woman from Uganda has gone missing. She’s in Norway to study, but where is she? The hunt is soon on to find and save her before it’s too late.

 

The under pressure characters are well developed, perhaps helped by this being book seven in the series, but even those appearing for the first time are multi-dimensional. It’s also well-plotted; a procedural that combines different cases, including a cold case, linking them suitably and cleverly. The pace is handled with care, adding tension and building suspense, and just when you think you know it all, there is a final surprise you won’t have anticipated. Whilst it’s hardly a treadmill of action, it’s build ups make the book’s key moments more powerful.

 

There is violence, including murder and abuse, as well as the often appearing crimes of drugs and sexual exploitation. The power of family ties, betrayal and its flipside loyalty are explored.

 

The presence of Lena Stigersand add a different outlook and not just a gender difference. She is an independent thinker, prepared to go behind a colleague’s back if needs be. The book opens with rumours of her involvement in a damaging and doomed relationship, with a married copper.

 

This book may well stay with you beyond its reading. It shows how innocent people can easily become a threat to the guilty, putting themselves in danger. The fact that this could happen to anyone is chilling.

 

A final word for Frølich. He’s steadfast, stubborn grump: old school scepticism particularly of modern technology. And yet he’s good fun. A nice balance. It’s also a nice metaphor for his state that Frølich has to go underground to help solve the mystery.