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A review by noveldeelights
Smoke Screen by Jørn Lier Horst, Thomas Enger
5.0
Smoke Screen is book two in the Blix & Ramm series, which is a collaboration between two of Norway’s most popular crime fiction writers. In my review of book one, Death Deserved, I called Thomas Enger and Jørn Lier Horst a dream team of crime writers and a force to be reckoned with. Bold statement but after reading Smoke Screen, my belief in those words has only been cemented even more firmly and the Blix & Ramm series is fast becoming one of the best crime fiction series out there.
It’s New Year’s Eve in Oslo. Revellers have gathered on the square by City Hall to ring in the new year. But the annual fireworks celebrations are rocked by an explosion and the city is put on high alert. One of the survivors is the mother of Patricia Smeplass, a two year old girl who was kidnapped ten years ago and never found. This renews interest in the case and Blix and Ramm set out to investigate. What happened to Patricia?
Tensely charged opening chapters pulled me in so hard that I already knew I wouldn’t be putting this book down until I reached the final page. And what a ride it was, yet again. The pace is so extremely spot-on, it felt as if I hadn’t drawn a single breath throughout the entire thing. Smoke Screen is full of surprises and I had many jaw-dropping “wait, what?” moments. Trying to figure things out became a real challenge. One I failed at miserably, in case you wondered.
A thrill a minute, Smoke Screen is full of suspense and intrigue. With a clever and intricate plot, plenty of twists and turns and a cast of engaging characters, there is a lot to keep you glued to the pages here. The relationship between Blix and Ramm might seem a little odd and it is definitely immensely complicated but it works like a charm. Theirs isn’t the typical investigative partnership. Both come at an investigation in different ways and discover different things. Kovic gets a little shove forward as well and a chance to shine, which I truly enjoyed.
The writing is just crazy good, you guys. It’s seamless, it flows, it draws you in and I’m completely unable to spot where Enger ends and Horst begins or the other way around. Which is at it should be. On top of that, I can see entire scenes play out right in front of my eyes. This series should be on tv. Netflix, take note!
Death Deserved blew me away. Smoke Screen blew me away even more. There are a lot of crime fiction series out there and it takes something special to stand out from the crowd. I firmly believe Enger and Horst are that something special, even though I can’t put my finger on what that actually is. Like I said, dream team.
It’s New Year’s Eve in Oslo. Revellers have gathered on the square by City Hall to ring in the new year. But the annual fireworks celebrations are rocked by an explosion and the city is put on high alert. One of the survivors is the mother of Patricia Smeplass, a two year old girl who was kidnapped ten years ago and never found. This renews interest in the case and Blix and Ramm set out to investigate. What happened to Patricia?
Tensely charged opening chapters pulled me in so hard that I already knew I wouldn’t be putting this book down until I reached the final page. And what a ride it was, yet again. The pace is so extremely spot-on, it felt as if I hadn’t drawn a single breath throughout the entire thing. Smoke Screen is full of surprises and I had many jaw-dropping “wait, what?” moments. Trying to figure things out became a real challenge. One I failed at miserably, in case you wondered.
A thrill a minute, Smoke Screen is full of suspense and intrigue. With a clever and intricate plot, plenty of twists and turns and a cast of engaging characters, there is a lot to keep you glued to the pages here. The relationship between Blix and Ramm might seem a little odd and it is definitely immensely complicated but it works like a charm. Theirs isn’t the typical investigative partnership. Both come at an investigation in different ways and discover different things. Kovic gets a little shove forward as well and a chance to shine, which I truly enjoyed.
The writing is just crazy good, you guys. It’s seamless, it flows, it draws you in and I’m completely unable to spot where Enger ends and Horst begins or the other way around. Which is at it should be. On top of that, I can see entire scenes play out right in front of my eyes. This series should be on tv. Netflix, take note!
Death Deserved blew me away. Smoke Screen blew me away even more. There are a lot of crime fiction series out there and it takes something special to stand out from the crowd. I firmly believe Enger and Horst are that something special, even though I can’t put my finger on what that actually is. Like I said, dream team.