Not one but TWO internationally best selling authors come together to deliver the explosive Nordic Noir: Death Deserved.
Death Deserved – the blurb
Police officer Alexander Blix and celebrity blogger Emma Ramm join forces to track down a serial killer with a thirst for attention and high-profile murders, in the first episode of a gripping new Nordic Noir series…
Oslo, 2018. Former long-distance runner Sonja Nordstrøm never shows at the launch of her controversial autobiography, Always Number One. When celebrity blogger Emma Ramm visits Nordstrøm’s home later that day, she finds the door unlocked and signs of a struggle inside. A bib with the number ‘one’ has been pinned to the TV.
Police officer Alexander Blix is appointed to head up the missing-persons investigation, but he still bears the emotional scars of a hostage situation nineteen years earlier, when he killed the father of a five-year-old girl. Traces of Nordstrøm soon show up at different locations, but the appearance of the clues appear to be carefully calculated … evidence of a bigger picture that he’s just not seeing…
Blix and Ramm soon join forces, determined to find and stop a merciless killer with a flare for the dramatic, and thirst for attention.
Trouble is, he’s just got his first taste of it…
Double acts
I had read the very good Inborn by Thomas Enger last year but hadn’t come across Jorn Lier Horst. Research revealed he is the creator of William Wisting, the Norwegian detective who graced our screens in the New Year. Reading Death Deserved I could see similarities between Emma Ramm and Line, Wisting’s journalist daughter. Both women are determined, independent and capable. I really liked Emma and thought her pairing up with Blix worked really well.
Sometimes when a book is written by two people you can just tell. Death Deserved however really came across as a conjoined piece of writing. I don’t know how Enger and Horst split the writing but if it was chapter by chapter or Blix and Ramm I didn’t notice.
Twisting plot
My initial thoughts when reading the book was that the concept was a bit dated – a reality show that sounded very much like the now defunct Big Brother. Yet as the book developed and the plot twisted you realised you were reading a very well formed book. The murders were meticulous, the killer devious and the ending climactic. There was just the right amount of misdirection. I was convinced it was X, Y and Z at various different points and was wrong on all occasions. I loved the cyclical nature of the ending and Blix proved a worthy lead.
Avoiding cliches
The book could have fallen in to the crime thriller trap – Blix is divorced, estranged from his daughter and at odds with his superior. However Enger and Horst steered clear of this by giving us a reason for Blix’s difficult relationship with his boss. His ex-wife could even tolerate being in the same room as him! Police partner Kovic was a welcome addition who held her own amongst Blix and Ramm. All three could easily be built upon in future books and I note the book is referred to as the ‘Alexander Blix Book 1’ series.
Repeat performance
I’m pleased it’s a series as I will read book number two. Enger and Horst left Blix and Ramm with strong foundations and I’m looking forward to seeing what the next book brings.
My thanks go to Orenda Books via the Random Things Tours for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
