Anna Johannsen

Death in remote Northern Freisland!

A solid, enjoyable, Scandi noir read! Detective Lena Lorenzen is called out to the suicide of a fourteen-year-old girl on the small island of Föhrn part of the North Frisian islands. An area Lena is very aware of, an island she grew up on and left long ago.
It's the beginning of her leave. Six days she was going to spend with Erck. A relationship that's only be rekindled for a few weeks after a fourteen year break. A call from her boss Detective show more Superintendent Warnke puts paid to that. Warnke has asked for a favor. The girl was a member of a strictly devout free church that the rest of community views as a cult and has little time for.
On the surface Maria Logener death is a suicide. Something bothers Lena about it and she has a forensic team flown over with autopsy findings fast tracked. That suicide is a murder.
Meanwhile on the personal level Lena is having trouble with committing long term to Erck. And then when additional members are added to the investigation from the mainland, a former officer Lena met at a conference and had a one night stand with, turns up as part of the team. Complications indeed!
A death has occurred. The religious group Maria was part of is unhelpfully set against any outsiders, the rest of the island community are starting to feel their reservations about the group are justified and things could go very badly very quickly.
Apart from the ugly circumstances around Maria's death, also exposed are the community's prejudices, bullying, and less than stellar police work.

An Amazon UK ARC via NetGalley show less

A well written or should that be translated novel. Engaging from first to last page, a modern day but somewhat old fashioned Police procedural, in as much as only one body to investigate. Set in the North Frisian islands, atmospheric clever descriptive intelligent with a terrific cast of characters, especially our smart brave feisty heroine.
WARNING : Story does involve investigation of child abuse and while not graphic could not be to some readers taste.

Recommended

***** My first thanks must go to translator Lisa Reinhardt because I don't read German and would have missed out on this excellent procedural! DI Lorenzen of the CID is ordered to bring DS Grasmann with her to her home town to investigate a murder that had seemed like natural causes when it happened two weeks ago. She thinks that the assignment is a bit dodgy and lined up some colleagues to give a surreptitious hand if needed. The due diligence is assisted by a few sneaky tricks covered show more later by admissible means. Excellent read with twists and red herrings dealing with sensitive subjects and some personal interactions with friends from the past.
I requested and received a free ebook copy via NetGalley. Thank you! show less

The body of Hein Bohlen,a social educator and the director of a local children's home,is found dead in a beach chair on Amrum, a small island of the coast of North Germany. At first site it looks as if the man has died of a heart attack.,but his wife has doubts and demands a post mortem where poison is suspected but not confirmed. DI Lena Lorenzen and sergeant Johann Grassman are sent to this beautiful island to investigate this death. They both realise that not everything is as it should be show more and that the alleged victim and other inhabitants have some very disturbing secrets indeed...

This is a very pleasant mystery situated on the gorgeous island of Amrum but perhaps the end was a bit too predictable.

Still,this is the first in the series,in English at least, and I will definitely try another one. show less