This Nordic noir thriller is so atmospheric. One of the reasons I love Nordic noir is just this, to feel swept into the landscape and culture. Alex Dahl, who is bicultural herself (half American half Norwegian), has created two protagonists here, one of whom is an American expat who has lived in Norway for years. The contrast between the two women is fascinating, and their likenesses may be even more compelling. I can't wait to read more by this author. Kathleen McInerney, one of my favorite audio narrators, was fabulous as the voice for Iselin. I read multiple thrillers each week and this one feels different, with material that is so evocative, and themes that I have not encountered in other books. I will be thinking about this for quite some time. Recommend!

The Heart Keeper by Alex Dahl is one of those books that hits you at the end and does not let go. Alison is the mother of Amalie who drowned. Alison is consumed with grief that won't let go. She has a hard time moving on because she feels guilty as her daughter died on her watch. They were at the beach, Amalie was in the water and Alison fell asleep so Amalie went too far out and no one saw her. So now that Amalie's organs have been donated, one of those recipients, Kaia, who had been very sick received the heart.

Alison's marriage to Sindre is disintegrating, they are both grieving in their own way. Sindre, a former soldier, is grieving in a different way than his wife. He appears to have PTSD from his service military service. With the help of her stepson Oliver, Alison is able to find Kaia and her mother Iselin. She has not been able to work due to her daughter's illness. Even after the surgery, Kaia still needs medical monitoring. There are certain things she is not allowed to do. Iselin has a younger sister who is a Dj in Paris.

Alison becomes obsessed with Kaia after meeting her. Her stepson, Oliver, was key to finding Kaia and her mother. He tells her that he has learned, in his class, about transplants and the phenomenon known as cellular memory. Alison is looking for any cellular memory and on the lookout for this phenomenon, like certain things she says, her movements that are similar to Amalie. Alison spends a lot of time with Kaia and Iselin, taking Kaia shopping, picking her up at school and even babysitting.

The story is told in alternating chapters, we learn more about Alison and her marriage to Sindre. As well as Iselin's life. A single mother, no father in the picture, who has lived 7 years for her only child. They lived in the same house for the whole time with a nosy landlady. By nosy I mean, her peeping in the windows and coming to conclusions as to why a young girl would scream out in the night with nightmares. Iselin, even after the surgery feels like she needs to 'hover' over her daughter. As she gets closer to Alison, she feels emboldened to do something with her life. She is an artist and with Alison's help, she starts getting orders for her paintings which helps her financially.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I enjoyed the style of writing, the psychological aspect of the story was done extremely well. I liked how Dahl was able to tell a story of such loss and the consequences of grief and how some characters in the book handled it but with a compassion that is endearing. At times dark and scary, I did not see the ending coming and I like that, it keeps the suspense alive until the end. I would highly recommend this novel to anyone but to the reader who enjoys a psychological thriller! ( )

“Hearts are wild creatures, that’s why our ribs are cages.”

The Heart Keeper by Alex Dahl is an intensely emotional story of grief, loss and hope.

Devastated by the accidental drowning death of her beloved six year old daughter, Alison reels brokenly between crippling emotional agony and a drug and alcohol induced stupor, unable to accept her loss. When her stepson raises the theory of cellular memory, which suggests that a transplanted organ retains some of the memories or personality traits of the donor that manifest in the recipient, Alison becomes obsessed with the idea that somewhere Amalie lives on...and she wants her back.

“I envision her heart beating in this moment, sutured in place in a little stranger’s chest. I see fresh, clean blood pumped out and around a young body, carrying miniscule particles of my own child. I stand up and press my face to the window. Out there, somewhere, her heart is beating.”

The narrative of The Heart Keeper moves between the first person perspectives of Alison, and Iselin, whose paths cross when Alison seeks out the recipient of her daughters heart, seven year old Kaia. At first Alison believes just a glimpse of her child’s ‘heart keeper’ will ease the ache, but it’s not enough, and she arranges a meeting with Iselin, ostensibly to commission some artwork, which simply feeds her obsession.

“I couldn’t have grasped, then, that it would grow bigger and sharper every day, that it would rot my heart, that it would devour everything that was once good,...”

Alison’s pain is so viscerally described by Dahl, the intensity is difficult to cope with at times. Her slow unraveling is utterly compelling, and though it’s known from the outset the direction the plot will take, Alison’s journey, her longing for her daughter, is what drives the story.

“You and her, you’re one and the same. I can’t believe I didn’t realize this before, that all of this time, you were right there.”

With richly drawn characters and raw emotive writing The Heart Keeper is an engrossing, poignant and heartrending story about death, and life. ( )

I liked this book. It does show the struggles that not only a mother but a family goes through when they experience the death of their child. Alison is was not only one that was hurting. Her husband was too.

Iselin was learning her to be a mother again (not a caretaker). Kaia was so sick before receiving her new heart. I liked Kaia. She is a sweetheart. Where Alison is concerned I understood where she was coming from regarding getting close to Kaia. Yet, at the same time I felt bad for Kaia. She was her own person but Alison was trying to turn her into her daughter.

While, I did like this book; I thought there were be more tense moments between Iselin and Alison. Even when Iselin learned who Alison was, she reacted but it seemed mild. In fact, the last third of the story seemed a bit rushed compared to the rest of the story. ( )

I was emotionally involved in this book from the beginning. It is difficult not to be. It involves emotional subjects. I have not read another book involving organ donation, and that made this story a first for me.

You can read what the book is about from the blurbs, but I need to tell you that it will make you feel. There are mothers, fathers, children, single parents, all going through the grieving process in one way or another. I did learn some new information involving transplants that I did not previously know.

The writing is great, the story follows through. There are those you root for and those you don't. There are secrets, lies, and a few surprises along the way. It addresses several subjects, and is interesting. I enjoyed the book.

I won this book on Goodreads and I want to thank Berkley Publishers and Goodreads. ( )