by Ørjan Karlsson (T. Ian Giles)
SYNOPSIS
In Norway’s frozen north, it’s not just secrets that are buried…
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.
But events take a dramatic turn when another woman disappears in similar circumstances – this time on the island of Røst, miles off the Norwegian 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…
REVIEW
It's early January and I've already found a book which I'm sure will be a contender for my Top 10 of 2025, I was completely absorbed by this thrilling police procedural - the first in a new series featuring Jakob Weber (Chief Investigator of Nordland Police), as the main protagonist.
What struck me straight away were the gorgeous, detailed and unusual descriptions of the landscapes and surroundings of Bodø in Northern Norway. There were so many references to the colours, nature and landmarks, and this felt to me like an intentional contrast to the brutal nature of the crimes being investigated, because let me tell you, this story went dark!
When you pick up a Nordic Noir novel, it's inevitable that the story will feature some kind of graphic crime or incident, but some take this a step further than others and Into Thin Air was definitely one of those. The crimes being investigated by the police were harrowing, especially as we got to experience some of this through the eyes of the missing girls. Additionally, the personal issues that some of the team of police detectives were facing alongside their work just added to the bleak nature of the story. I won't go into too much detail because I don't want to include any spoilers, but this is all before we even begin to discuss the revelations at the end of the book as the perpetrator is revealed!
As a self-professed Scandophile, it was so interesting to also get read a little about Northern Norway during the war, with the mention of the Bremnes Fort etc. This part of history isn’t something you are taught about or hear mentioned generally. Plus, what a genius move to add in a reference to Norway's most famous police detective, Harry Hole - just brilliant!
Knowing that a few of my favourite Sandi Crime series are coming to an end this year with the final books on the horizon, I am so thrilled that I've discovered The Arctic Mysteries and can't wait to find out what crimes Jakob and his new partner Noora Yun Sande will be investigating in Book 2.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR / TRANSLATOR
Ørjan N. Karlsson grew up in Bodø. A sociologist by trade, he received officer training in the army and has taken part in overseas missions. He has worked in the Defence Ministry and is now a departmental manager in the Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection. He has written a large number of thrillers, sci-fi novels and crime novels for adults.
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.
Thanks to Anne Cater - @RandomTTours, Ørjan Karlsson - @orjankarlsson, and Orenda Books - @OrendaBooks for the opportunity to read and review
Fiction: Police Procedural / Nordic Noir
Publisher: Orenda Books
ISBN: 978-1916788503
Pages: 300pp
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