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caseythecanadianlesbrarian's review against another edition
4.0
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).
deniqd's review against another edition
1.0
I don't know how to start describing how much I disliked this book, there is actually nothing I enjoyed about it other than it's short and even that could have been made better by making it even shorter, as there are many sentences and even paragraphs that aren't needed and feel as if they were thrown in there to make the word count larger: starting with all the mentions and descriptions about the weather (and there are many and have nothing to do with the story!) and ending with sentences such as 'The bedroom was located where bedrooms usually are'... I mean, what the actual fuck?!
Then we have the characters: a lesbian policewoman who has been living with her partner for 15 years but nobody knows about it, I repeat, NOBODY!, not a single member of her family or friends know that she is a lesbian... 15 years! Next, Kristine, the rape victim and Finn, her dad, who decide to take matters in their own hands, no, no, no!
Finally, the translation was painful to read: I don't speak Norwegian so I can't really compare it to the original but it just felt too literal and unnatural, for example: 'It was raining cats and dogs. Not to mention elephants and minke whales'... what the what?
I felt cheated with this book as the comments on the jacket compare Anne Holt with Agatha Christie and, I'm sorry but no... just NO!
Then we have the characters: a lesbian policewoman who has been living with her partner for 15 years but nobody knows about it, I repeat, NOBODY!, not a single member of her family or friends know that she is a lesbian... 15 years! Next, Kristine, the rape victim and Finn, her dad, who decide to take matters in their own hands
Spoiler
when they find out where the rapist lives...Finally, the translation was painful to read: I don't speak Norwegian so I can't really compare it to the original but it just felt too literal and unnatural, for example: 'It was raining cats and dogs. Not to mention elephants and minke whales'... what the what?
I felt cheated with this book as the comments on the jacket compare Anne Holt with Agatha Christie and, I'm sorry but no... just NO!
maryqueenofbooks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
jennoctavia's review against another edition
1.0
The story flow was written better than the first book but it could have been better.
The characters are not well developed, hope I can get to know them better in the next book.
The characters are not well developed, hope I can get to know them better in the next book.
epictetsocrate's review against another edition
3.0
Era atât de devreme, încât nici diavolul nu-și încălțase încă potcoavele ca să umble prin lume. La apus, cerul etala acea culoare intensă cu care numai un cer scandinav, primăvara, e binecuvântat – albastru-regal la orizont și mai deschis spre meridian, înainte de a se dizolva într-un roz ca puful de eider, acolo unde soarele încă lenevea la răsărit. Aerul era înviorător, netulburat de ivirea zorilor, cu acea uluitoare transparență pe care o au diminețile însorite de primăvară la aproape șaizeci de grade latitudine nordică. Deși temperatura rămânea în cifre unice, totul sugera că avea să fie o altă zi călduroasă de mai în Oslo.
Inspectoarea de poliție Hanne Wilhelmsen nu se gândea la vreme. Stătea complet nemișcată, întrebându-se ce ar trebui să facă. Era sânge peste tot. Pe podea. Pe pereți. Chiar și pe tavan, în stropi negri care semănau cu desenele abstracte din testele acelea psihologice. Își lăsă capul într-o parte și studie o pată aflată drept deasupra ei. Arăta ca un taur purpuriu cu trei coarne și cu picioarele din spate diforme. Stătea nemișcată – un semn de indecizie, dar și un indiciu al fricii sale de a nu aluneca pe podeaua năclăită.
— Nu atinge! avertiză ea brusc când un coleg mai tânăr, care avea părul de aceeași culoare cu a sângelui, dădu să pună degetul pe unul din pereți.
Inspectoarea de poliție Hanne Wilhelmsen nu se gândea la vreme. Stătea complet nemișcată, întrebându-se ce ar trebui să facă. Era sânge peste tot. Pe podea. Pe pereți. Chiar și pe tavan, în stropi negri care semănau cu desenele abstracte din testele acelea psihologice. Își lăsă capul într-o parte și studie o pată aflată drept deasupra ei. Arăta ca un taur purpuriu cu trei coarne și cu picioarele din spate diforme. Stătea nemișcată – un semn de indecizie, dar și un indiciu al fricii sale de a nu aluneca pe podeaua năclăită.
— Nu atinge! avertiză ea brusc când un coleg mai tânăr, care avea părul de aceeași culoare cu a sângelui, dădu să pună degetul pe unul din pereți.
jlmb's review against another edition
2.0
Meh. I went to the library & checked out the first two books in this series based on the Jo Nesbo blurb on the front of the books. I don't think I'll be reading any more of them. The main characters are ok, I guess. I don't get why Hanne is so freaked out over hiding the fact she is gay - the author never explains it. The book is set in the 1990's, not the 1950s. It seems like a mountain being made out of a molehill.
The mystery/crime starts off strong but then fizzles out. There are several unexplained elements. It's like the author got sick of writing the book and just quit. What was the killer's motivation? Why did he set up the blood rooms? What was the point? How did he actually do it? Who were the other 3 victims? Why would he rape the one Norwegian victim - it doesn't mesh with his overall plan? Why couldn't the Norwegian victim & her dad talk about anything? Why not plan revenge together? What does the title of the book refer to? Seriously, I could go on & on.
The one interesting bit of the book was learning about how rapes are investigated and prosecuted in Norway - at least how they were twenty years ago. Man, I sure hope it's improved since then. The cops were very lackadaisical about the whole thing - "Oh rapes, they are so hard to investigate." Really? With dna & fingerprints & hair & a living victim able to tell you details about the crime? It seems like murder is a much harder crime to investigate. And everyone kept saying rapists get like a year in jail, if that. Huh. Not that the USA does a bang up job of prosecuting rape but I'm pretty sure some sentences are longer than a year. What got to me the most was when one cop mentions how the rape at the beginning of the book was not a "self-inflicted" rape. Say what??? That means a rape where the woman "deserved" it because of where she was or how she was dressed or whether she was drunk. WOW. I mean, obviously that blaming the victim happens here too but the term "self-inflicted" really stood out to me.
On the whole, not a total waste of time but very *shrugs shoulders* eh.
The mystery/crime starts off strong but then fizzles out. There are several unexplained elements. It's like the author got sick of writing the book and just quit. What was the killer's motivation? Why did he set up the blood rooms? What was the point? How did he actually do it? Who were the other 3 victims? Why would he rape the one Norwegian victim - it doesn't mesh with his overall plan? Why couldn't the Norwegian victim & her dad talk about anything? Why not plan revenge together? What does the title of the book refer to? Seriously, I could go on & on.
The one interesting bit of the book was learning about how rapes are investigated and prosecuted in Norway - at least how they were twenty years ago. Man, I sure hope it's improved since then. The cops were very lackadaisical about the whole thing - "Oh rapes, they are so hard to investigate." Really? With dna & fingerprints & hair & a living victim able to tell you details about the crime? It seems like murder is a much harder crime to investigate. And everyone kept saying rapists get like a year in jail, if that. Huh. Not that the USA does a bang up job of prosecuting rape but I'm pretty sure some sentences are longer than a year. What got to me the most was when one cop mentions how the rape at the beginning of the book was not a "self-inflicted" rape. Say what??? That means a rape where the woman "deserved" it because of where she was or how she was dressed or whether she was drunk. WOW. I mean, obviously that blaming the victim happens here too but the term "self-inflicted" really stood out to me.
On the whole, not a total waste of time but very *shrugs shoulders* eh.
jennyanydots's review against another edition
4.0
2nd book in this Norwegian detective series. I find Hanne a really enjoyable lead, and like the plotting of the mystery element.