Monday, November 26, 2012

Blessed Are Those Who Thirst-Anne Holt; Anne Bruce (translator)

Blessed Are Those Who Thirst


Anne Holt; Anne Bruce (translator)

Scribner, Dec 18 2012, $15.00

ISBN 9781451634785



Oslo Detective Inspector Hanne Wilhelmsen hides her relationship with her live-in lover Cecilie from the brass to the consternation of her significant other. At the same time she leads a homicide investigation in which every Saturday night eight digits written in blood on walls in rooms soaked in blood but with no corpses appear in various places in the city.



She and police attorney HÃ¥kon Sand struggle to figure out what the numbers represent and whether a serial killer is on a killing spree in Oslo. That is until Sand concludes the numbers are the formal government database assigned to individual foreign immigrants. The pair realizes all are females and missing and to get the numbers implies government insider. Wilhelmsen also works a serial rape case unaware that a victim Kristine and her father have plans to avenge the violent assault.



The latest Wilhelmsen Norwegian police procedural (see 1222 and The Blind Goddess) is a strong investigative thriller that focuses on the resentment towards immigrants. Both cases are strong especially the anti-immigration fervor while the protagonist’s personal life is rocky. Readers will appreciate this deep Norwegian Noir.



Harriet Klausner

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