Publisher's Weekly Review
A sympathetic lead distinguishes Holt's second novel featuring Oslo's Det. Insp. Hanne Wilhelmsen (after The Blind Goddess). Hanne has been keeping her relationship with her female lover a secret, a choice that creates tension between the two women. Professionally, the inspector must deal with the person who's leaving rooms drenched with blood every Saturday night, but without traces of an actual body, as well as a series of rapes. Evocative descriptive prose is a plus ("In the west, the heavens showed that intense hue only a Scandinavian sky in springtime is blessed with-royal blue on the horizon and lighter toward the meridian, before dissolving into a pink eiderdown where the sun was still lying lazily in the east"). Holt made her U.S. debut in 2011 with the eighth book in the series, 1222, which was an Edgar finalist. (Dec.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
*Starred Review* This second U.S. release in the Hanne Wilhelmsen series, (following Blind Goddess, 2012) is a starkly realistic glimpse of Norwegian policing filtered through Hanne's self-deprecating narration and Holt's savvy use of environment as catalyst. In 1994, Hanne is a star police investigator slogging through the unbearable combination of heat and crime waves assaulting Oslo. Hanne's share of the mountainous caseloads includes the brutal rape of a young medical student and the apparent mystery of blood-doused outbuildings throughout the city, which could indicate violence or just vandalism. Rapes, Hanne acknowledges, are the toughest crimes to solve, and she's fairly pessimistic about her handful of weak leads. Fighting powerlessness, the victim and her father strike back with their own parallel investigations that overtake Hanne's when she becomes distracted by the constant demands of hiding her sexual orientation and stonewalling those who dare to care for her. Before Hanne can regroup, the vandalized sheds are linked to a series of missing female immigrants, and the two cases begin dueling for resolution. Holt pokes at brittle, surprisingly vulnerable Hanne with an unrelenting combination of humidity, impossible cases, and love until she evolves a bit, professionally and personally. The straightforward, gritty gumshoe approach offers a perfect entry point into Scandinavian crime and will be a sure pleasure for police-procedural fans who read everything from Slaughter to Nesbo.--Tran, Christine Copyright 2010 Booklist
Library Journal Review
In the second book (after Blind Goddess) in the popular Norwegian series now being translated and introduced in the United States, DI HanneWilhelmsen and colleagues investigate a series of bloody crime scenes in Oslo that are mysteriously devoid of victims. The only connection seems to be eight-digit numbers etched in the blood at each location. As crime statistics and temperatures soar, Hanne also investigates the rape of a young medical student, while the victim and her father secretly embark on their own parallel hunt. Hanne's character simultaneously struggles with internal demons, hiding her closeted lesbian lifestyle and live-in lover from her cohorts at the Oslo Police Station. Will Hanne locate the serial killer whose victims seem to disappear into thin air? Will she catch the rapist before the young victim and her father inflict justice? Will her colleagues uncover her deeply hidden secrets? Verdict It's obvious why the Hanne Wilhelmsen series has gained popularity among Scandinavian crime enthusiasts. Holt's tightly wound suspense plots and quirky, likeable protagonist are a breath of fresh air. Her latest thriller will quench her parched fans' thirst.-Mary Todd Chesnut, Northern Kentucky Univ. Lib., Highland Heights (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
