This 2nd mystery in a series by Danish author Katrine Engberg fits the genre of Scandinavian noir and certainly kept my interest throughout. A young woman, 21 year old Julie Stender, is found murdered and mutilated in the ground floor flat of a house owned by a retired academic Esther de Laurenti. The elderly man who found her, the tenant on the floor above, has a heart attack after discovering her body. The owner, who lives on the top floor is trying to write a murder mystery and it appears that the murderer has somehow managed to read her manuscript and duplicated many elements of the characters and plots.
Copenhagen police detectives Jeppe Kørner and Anette Wernerare assigned to the case and their relationship is a prominent element of the storyline. They are like "chalk and cheese" as the Brits would say, constantly rubbing each other the wrong way. Jeppe is divorced and had somewhat of a breakdown following his wife's leaving him; he still can't see a light at the end of the tunnel but is, nevertheless, back at work. Anette, on the other hand, is happily married and always jolly. Jeppe has become a scarecrow of a man, whereas Anette is always eating things that are bad for her.
Kirkus gives it a mixed but generally positive review, concluding "Overly familiar plot elements keep this from being a standout, and some twists require a significant suspension of disbelief, but Engberg’s fast-paced narrative is bolstered by an interesting and quirky cast as well as an intriguing setting. A bit over-the-top but still a lot of fun." Publishers Weekly likewise offers "The undertow from the overly ambitious plot drowns any sense of plausibility, but Engberg’s sparkling cast and palpable evocation of a society U.S. readers will find similar yet foreign keep the pages turning pleasurably."
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