The Girl in the Ice

September 14, 2015
The discovery of a corpse in Greenland kicks off the hunt for a mass murderer in the dull second Konrad Simonsen thriller (after 2013’s The Hanging) from the Hammer brother-sister writing duo. The icy grave preserved Danish nurse Maryann Nygaard’s body for 25 years after her death in 1983; the MO suggests to Simonsen, a chief inspector in Copenhagen’s Homicide Division, that Maryann was killed by the same person who murdered Catherine Thomsen in 1997. Simon, who worked Catherine’s case, still feels responsible that her father, falsely accused, committed suicide. The new investigation focuses on Andreas Falkenborg, who, from the moment he’s introduced, is so obviously the culprit that much of the novel’s suspense dissipates. He has all the hallmarks of a deranged killer, from a troubled childhood to a penchant for stalking women, and the authors throw unnecessary barriers in front of Simonsen and his team in order to extend the chase, which turns into a tiresome cat and mouse game. Agent: Sofie Voller, Gyldendal (Denmark).

September 1, 2015

This follow-up to The Hanging is another Nordic tale that deals with dark, often uncomfortable topics that aren't for the faint of heart. Detective Chief Superintendent Simonsen and his squad are investigating the brutal murder of a long-missing woman. It's an unusual case as her body was found in an icecap in Greenland. But he soon realizes that she is not the only victim. The twisty plot leads the reader through the stories of the victims, the perpetrators, and Simonsen. Kidnappings, torture, and murder abound and political figures rank high on the list of suspects. VERDICT This police procedural by a Danish brother-and-sister writing team isn't always a smooth read; the sometimes awkward translation disrupts the flow. Some of Simonsen's actions aren't realistic for a man of his rank, and the ending feels rushed. If you like the thrillers of Anders Roslund and Borge Hellstrom or Mons Kallentoft, give the Hammer siblings a try.--Frances Thorsen, Chronicles of Crime Bookshop, Victoria, BC

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2015
A killer who preys on beautiful women faces off against a team of Danish investigators. Konrad Simonsen-variously referred to as "Simon," "Konrad," and "Simonsen"-is Copenhagen Homicide's Chief Inspector. When he's called in as he's about to leave on a rare holiday and asked to lead the investigation into the murder of a woman found frozen in the ice not far from the site of an American installation that has since been decommissioned, he and his partner, Arne Pedersen, realize they may have a serial killer on their hands. Maryann Nygaard has been dead since she disappeared back in 1983, but her body shares one odd trait with another dead woman: they both had their fingernails cut by the killer. Gathering his team-investigators Pauline Berg and the Countess-the Danish detectives soon connect Maryann's killing to the solved murder of Catherine Thomsen, who died in 1997 and whose father killed himself after being accused of her slaying. Filled with guilt and determined to find the culprit, Simonsen and his detectives soon settle on a suspect and begin to unravel his life. The Hammers, a brother-and-sister team, have created a universe populated by some of the least interesting and most wooden characters ever to lead a police investigation, and they toss in clumsy, often bizarre dialogue for good measure. Rather than showing a steadily progressing inquiry as a good police procedural should, their meandering investigation seems more like a series of lucky guesses and chance discoveries. The foreshadowing reads like padding, and the presence of a character known as "the Countess" on a modern-day police department is mystifying. Readers will care little whether or not the murderer is apprehended and even less about the team assembled to find him or her. Fans of Scandinavian noir won't find much to like about this jumbled entry in the field.

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