Karin Fossum

Incredibly lean, pitch black riff on Misery and The Girl Next Door. Bleaaaaak crime novel which the detective wanders in and out of, providing only occasional reprieves from a real all time bummer of a series of events. Impeccably written, psychologically rich, read like a modern horror classic in the guise of a crime novel. Was able to be read in isolation of any of the other books in the series too, though I'm def gonna go back to the beginning and see what else Fossum has to offer.

The 11th Inspector Sejer novel from Karin Fossum, specialising again in the why of a crime. Why in this instance is a series of very big questions. Why did a young toddler end up dead in a pond near his house? Why did nobody think that secure fencing would be necessary for any child that age so close to water? Why is it particularly noteworthy that Tommy is a healthy boy, who happens to have Down's Syndrome? Why is his mother behaving so weirdly, and more to the point is she a spoilt show more princess or a bit odd? Why do Sejer and Skarre think there's something odd about this death and what can they do about that suspicion with very little evidence?

Fossum often tackles difficult subjects and this is not the first time she's put characters with Down's Syndrome in the forefront of consideration. Whilst she uses this as a way of exploring reactions and expectations it's not disrespectful, opportunistic or uninformed, but it is pointed and thought-provoking. Even more chillingly in THE DROWNED BOY as the parents of young Tommy, Carmen and Nicolai, are very young. The reader is left wondering if they are too young to be parents at all, let alone to a disabled child, or has age less to do with it than just being dysfunctional people. Certainly Carmen seems way too narcissistic to possibly care for anybody but herself. Nicolai on the other hand seems brittle, young, overwhelmed and despite trying to parent, ineffectual and ephemeral.

In contrast to this young couple, and her rather controlling, domineering father, Sejer is the epitome of calm, kind and thoughtful. Struggling with the need to address a health condition of his own, there's something about the reactions to Tommy's death that worries him from the start. In his normal manner he doesn't take those concerns up front to the possible suspects, instead gently digs away, prodding and searching for an explanation.

Readers who are passionately addicted to investigation and closure in their crime fiction may find Fossum's books tough reading. Because they look deep into the human psyche, they aren't about the how or even necessarily the who, although the truth is eventually revealed, as are some further shocks and sad outcomes. Not that the reveal is necessarily because of just good investigative techniques, but rather the way that people react to pressure and the spotlight.

Why would a young Down's Syndrome boy drown, naked in a pond near his home on a hot summer's day and how will his short life and that death affect those around him? There's no question that anybody is going to get away with anything in THE DROWNED BOY, but the why remains the focus, and all the more heart-rendering as a result.

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When Gunder Jomann's bride, Poona, arrives to Norway from India and an accident keeps Gunder from picking her up at the airport, unfortunate circumstances lead Poona into the hands of a brutal murderer and the tiny town of Elvestad becomes a beehive of suspicion and gossip. This mystery starts off more like an emotional tale of loneliness and love before turning into a story about pain and loss with a hint of redemption and possibly some happiness, or at least peace, at the end. This is my show more first Fossum, but her perceptive characterizations made me immediately fond of Gunder and Poona, Inspector Sejer, and, of course, Sejer's wonderful canine friend, Kollberg. I will absolutely be reading more of this series. Beware that there is no neat wrap-up at the end of this and it is rather frustrating, although, as sometimes happens in good stories, the ending instead veers toward real life rather than fictional convention. To make up for it on some level, the overall story gets to have an oddly happy ending - whether it's enough has to be left up to the individual reader. show less

Conrad Sejer and his young sidekick Skarre are called to a small community to find a missing child, but instead the child finds a dead teenager. As usual, Fossum strips away the layers of social convention surrounding the characters with a delicate touch, showing that things are never what they seem and that nobody is immune from evil. Fossum doesn't 'do' suspense like other writers. She just lets it emerge as she quietly goes about her archaeology, brushing away the mystery until the truth show more is showing, like bones. And she doesn't let you leave the story congratulating yourself that justice has been done and order has been restored. She gives any comfort you might be feeling a sharp tug in the last pages, leaving the reader a little off-balance. show less