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nuria_reads's review
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
karlou's review
5.0
After last year's historical spy thriller, The Courier, Kjell Ola Dahl returns to his Oslo Detectives series with Sister, a story which is rooted in the some of the pressing social challenges affecting many countries besides just Norway. Having loved the previous novel, The Ice Swimmer, I was really looking forward to reading Sister; although a long-running series, each can be easily enjoyed as standalones so newcomers needn't be concerned about beginning here.
The book has a rather romantic opening when Frank Frølich, working on a routine case as a private investigator, meets a woman, Matilde in a café with whom he has an instant rapport. They embark on a relationship but when she asks him to help a friend, he finds himself immersed in a complicated investigation which results in him being at odds with his former colleagues in the police force, including his old partner Gunnarstranda. He reluctantly agrees to try to locate Sheyma, the older sister of a young asylum seeker, Aisha but knowing how many families have become fragmented through immigration and fearing the worst may have occurred to a female refugee who reportedly travelled alone means he is doesn't expect to be able to provide any good news - particularly as Aisha's refugee status has been denied and she is due to be deported imminently.
With very little to go on, other than a photograph, Frølich is surprised when a possible small breakthrough brings an unexpected lead to his door. Fredrik Andersen is a writer whose latest book is about immigration and people smuggling but rather than providing information as to Sheyma's whereabouts, he warns the detective off then surprises him with an offer of his own. This becomes a recurring occurrence throughout the book and it's fascinating to see how Frølich becomes torn by the various requests placed upon him.
What begins as a likely hopeless missing person case becomes much more sinister when the death toll begins to rise and as well as the links to illegal immigration, Frank also finds himself looking into an old tragedy involving a ferry which caught fire killing over a hundred passengers on board. There is some significant criticism of the police here, Kjell Ola Dahl certainly doesn't hold back when it comes to examining the times where they are at fault; their harsh treatment of asylum seekers, their reluctance or refusal to look beyond the simple explanation into a death and perhaps most damningly, there is a suggestion of corruption due to their willingness to protect certain groups above others.
Frølich is such an intriguing character and I was constantly riveted by his story. He is working as as a private investigator after being suspended from the police but I can't help but wonder whether he will decide he prefers being on the outside having been exposed to the institutional darkness within. He realises that the police, politicians and press are intrinsically connected and though they may claim to hold one another to account, the truth is murkier and they actually conspire to protect one another to maintain the staus quo.
Although some of the subject matter is typically bleak, the Norwegian summer setting lends a lighter feel to the novel, especially in many of the scenes with Matilde and there are some lovely touches of humour - including an awkward conversation Frank has with a very candid gynaecologist... Far from detracting from the serious topics, this lightness ensures the contrast with darker sides of society seems all the more shocking. Frølich is a very human detective; he is a tenacious investigator who becomes progressively preoccupied with uncovering the truth but he doesn't eagerly put himself into dangerous situations and indeed his terror is almost palpable at times. Sister is uncomfortably convincing and a large part of that comes from the very real man at the heart of the story - he is entirely believable and so it follows that what he discovers also becomes only too credible.
With writing this compelling it really isn't surprising to know that Kjell Ola Dahl is considered one of the godfathers of Nordic Noir; the complex, skilfully crafted narrative piercingly explores contemporary social issues and as always praise should also go to Don Bartlett's excellent translation. Sister is gripping, immersive storytelling of highest calibre, I thoroughly recommend it.
The book has a rather romantic opening when Frank Frølich, working on a routine case as a private investigator, meets a woman, Matilde in a café with whom he has an instant rapport. They embark on a relationship but when she asks him to help a friend, he finds himself immersed in a complicated investigation which results in him being at odds with his former colleagues in the police force, including his old partner Gunnarstranda. He reluctantly agrees to try to locate Sheyma, the older sister of a young asylum seeker, Aisha but knowing how many families have become fragmented through immigration and fearing the worst may have occurred to a female refugee who reportedly travelled alone means he is doesn't expect to be able to provide any good news - particularly as Aisha's refugee status has been denied and she is due to be deported imminently.
With very little to go on, other than a photograph, Frølich is surprised when a possible small breakthrough brings an unexpected lead to his door. Fredrik Andersen is a writer whose latest book is about immigration and people smuggling but rather than providing information as to Sheyma's whereabouts, he warns the detective off then surprises him with an offer of his own. This becomes a recurring occurrence throughout the book and it's fascinating to see how Frølich becomes torn by the various requests placed upon him.
What begins as a likely hopeless missing person case becomes much more sinister when the death toll begins to rise and as well as the links to illegal immigration, Frank also finds himself looking into an old tragedy involving a ferry which caught fire killing over a hundred passengers on board. There is some significant criticism of the police here, Kjell Ola Dahl certainly doesn't hold back when it comes to examining the times where they are at fault; their harsh treatment of asylum seekers, their reluctance or refusal to look beyond the simple explanation into a death and perhaps most damningly, there is a suggestion of corruption due to their willingness to protect certain groups above others.
Frølich is such an intriguing character and I was constantly riveted by his story. He is working as as a private investigator after being suspended from the police but I can't help but wonder whether he will decide he prefers being on the outside having been exposed to the institutional darkness within. He realises that the police, politicians and press are intrinsically connected and though they may claim to hold one another to account, the truth is murkier and they actually conspire to protect one another to maintain the staus quo.
Although some of the subject matter is typically bleak, the Norwegian summer setting lends a lighter feel to the novel, especially in many of the scenes with Matilde and there are some lovely touches of humour - including an awkward conversation Frank has with a very candid gynaecologist... Far from detracting from the serious topics, this lightness ensures the contrast with darker sides of society seems all the more shocking. Frølich is a very human detective; he is a tenacious investigator who becomes progressively preoccupied with uncovering the truth but he doesn't eagerly put himself into dangerous situations and indeed his terror is almost palpable at times. Sister is uncomfortably convincing and a large part of that comes from the very real man at the heart of the story - he is entirely believable and so it follows that what he discovers also becomes only too credible.
With writing this compelling it really isn't surprising to know that Kjell Ola Dahl is considered one of the godfathers of Nordic Noir; the complex, skilfully crafted narrative piercingly explores contemporary social issues and as always praise should also go to Don Bartlett's excellent translation. Sister is gripping, immersive storytelling of highest calibre, I thoroughly recommend it.
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