When nineteen-year-old Iselin Hanssen disappears during a run in a popular hiking area in Bodø, northern Norway, suspicion quickly falls on her boyfriend.
For investigator Jakob Weber, the case seems clear-cut, almost unexceptional, even though there is some suggestion that Iselin lived parts of her life beneath the radar of both family and friends.
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But events take a dramatic turn when another woman disappears in similar circumstances – this time on the island of Røst, a hundred kilometres off the coast, in the wild ocean. Rumours that a killer is on the loose begin to spread, terrifying the local population and leading to wild conspiracies. But then Jakob discovers that this isn’t the first time that young women have vanished without a trace in the region, and it becomes clear that someone is hiding something … and another
murderous spree may have just begun…
My Review
I hope this is the start of a new series as I am obsessed! I just looked it up and there is a book 2 though I can’t see a translation yet.
There are so many crime thrillers out there, but this is up at the top with the best. Because it’s Scandi Noir, it’s gritty and dangerous, and there are so many twists and turns that will leave you breathless. All the way through you’ll be thinking – it’s him, no it’s not, it’s someone else, then back and forth. Red herring after red herring.
The main characters – Jakob Weber (and Garm the Jack Russell), Amman, Fine and Noora are brilliantly written, as are the potential villains. Even some of those who may or may not be the killer are awful, with no respect for women. They form part of the sub-plot, and I feel they will be further progressed as the series continues.
There are some who might find certain aspects of the finale a bit over the top, but I loved it. I never expected it. It was brilliant.
I have to admit that I love Nordic Noir best of all the Scandis – there is something so atmospheric about the settings, that only Icelandic Noir comes close to. One of my favourite books of the year so far.
Many thanks to @annecater for inviting me to be part of #RandomThingsTours
About the Author
Ørjan Karlsson grew up in Bodø, a town north of the Arctic Circle. He holds a master’s degree in sociology and received officer training in the army. He has participated in international missions
for the EU, UN, and NATO, and has worked for the Norwegian Ministry of Defence and the Directorate for Civil Protection. Ørjan has written a large number of thrillers, sci-fi novels and
crime novels for adults, including an acclaimed thriller series featuring Major Frank Halvorsen and Lieutenant Ida Vinterdal of the Norwegian special forces. Up in Thin Air, the first book in the Jakob Weber series, is his sixteenth novel.
Follow Ørjan on X @orjankarlsson, Instagram @orjan_nk and facebook.com/orjan.karlsson.
About the Translator
Ian Giles has a PhD in Scandinavian literature from the University of Edinburgh. Past translations include novels by crime and thriller luminaries such as Arne Dahl, Carin Gerhardsen, Michael Katz Krefeld, David Lagercrantz, Camilla Läckberg and Gustaf Skördeman. His translation of Andreas Norman’s Into a Raging Blaze was shortlisted for the 2015 CWA International Dagger.
