This is the first volume in the Selma Falck series and it grabbed me straight away.
Selma is a lawyer, but because she has done some crooked things and relieved clients, in particular Jan Morell, of money, she is now faced with nothing and fights to prevent charges being brought against her. Jan Morell gives her a chance, but in return she has to find out why Jan's daughter, a gifted cross-country skier, gave a positive doping test. Selma soon realises that things are going wrong in the Norwegian cross-country skiing association. What's more, well-known personalities (athletes, but also members of the association) are being found dead. Who is behind it all? Selma gets support from a sports journalist. While Morell was more of a hindrance at the beginning, he proves to be a help towards the end.
Grippingly written, with many twists and turns. I will definitely continue with this series. ( )

Anne Holt’s crime novels have been great reads over the decades, although the publishing of her books here in the states has been somewhat uneven. Sadly for us fans, she recently ended both her long-running Hanne Wilhelmsen series, and her Vik and Stubo series, both police procedurals. So, it was with both great curiosity and some trepidation I approached this new crime novel ….

[A Grave for Two] is a crime novel set around the Norwegian national sport of cross country skiing. A young, dynamic female skier is compromised when a banned substance is found in her residence. Her father hires Selma Flack, a talented lawyer who has bottomed out completely due to a gambling habit, to investigate (more or less against her will). When a young male elite skier is found dead under suspicious circumstances, the plot—as they say—thickens.

Selma, living temporarily in a dive funded by her new boss, reluctantly takes on the investigation independent of law enforcement, but when needed she consults her best friend, a homeless, mentally ill, drug addict and former cop; and also reciprocally exchanges information with a young news reporter. I’m not sure I completely believe in lawyers-as-action-heroes (though I’ve read quite a few novels featuring them), but Holt does a good job avoiding much mention of law enforcement, who we understand to be doing their own investigation of the other skier’s murder.

I found this 450-page novel tough to get into at first; I’m not a skier and know very little about the sport or the kind of organizations around team sports. I also had to reread some when I thought I’d lost the thread, but the cause of that could be more the times in which we are living in than the fault of the writing. I liked her Selma Flack though: brilliant, resourceful and tough, with a quite an Achilles heel; but then Holt has always been fab at writing women. Despite my trepidation and challenges, I ultimately found this complex novel to be a well-thought out, detailed, interesting and satisfying read. ( )

The first instalment in Anne Holt's new crime series featuring Selma Falck.

It is December 2017. In February 2018 the Winter Olympics will be held in PyeongChang in South Korea, and Norway is looking to confirm its position as top of the tree in cross country skiing. Hege Chin Morell is the key to this success, but now she has returned a positive test to a banned substance. Norway's team is yet to be finalised.

Selma Falck, once Norway's top lawyer, has become addicted to gambling. And worse, she has embezzled funds from her clients and particularly from Jan Morell. Now 50, Selma was also, in her day, a world class athlete. And she is also godmother to Norway's top male skier.

This novel features a very high level of complexity with several intersecting plot lines, plus a number of different narration techniques. To be honest, I found it pretty hard going, slow reading, for much of the time, but thankfully everything seemed to come together at the end. ( )

Mixed thoughts

It took me a while at first to get into ‘A grave for two’ Before reading this book I was aware that I’m not a fan of winter sports or detective/mystery novels, though I liked the cover and felt confident of the authors reputaion. It took me a while to really get into the book and begin to piece the plot together since theres a lot going on. The writing was good and able to keep me captivated, but at the same time, with this book being a slow burner it took so long to actually get into it, that by the time I did I wasn’t blown away, can’t say I’m glad I read ‘A grave for two’ nor can I see I’m disappointed I did. I probably wouldn’t recommend this book to a friend, mainly because it’s not as memorable as other books I have read. ( )

Selma Falck is a household name in Norway. Once an Olympian handball player, a general celebrity and chair of her own law-firm, Selma appears successful, happy and enviable. However, when a client discovers her worst secret, her house of cards collapses under its own weight. With a deal struck, Selma must uncover who is behind the possible sabotaging of the nation's best female cross-country skier, or lose everything she has ever worked for.

A twisting story of suspicion, revenge and fear, A Grave For Two weaves so many twisting threads that I found myself constantly flipping back to cross reference names and places. This Norwegian crime novel features fascinating characters and a lot of cross country skiing politics. The connections between the characters are intriguing, and the author does well to drag you into her tightening web.

The style is dark and a little grimy in it's honesty, something which seems to be popular in hardcore adult crime fiction. I physically gagged a few times, particularly in the chapter titled The Dough. I can see the appeal of unfiltered honest writing, but if you are looking for a fun escapist read to get you through the week, I don't think this is it. However, if you are looking for an intelligent read with relatable characters and a deeply screwed-up baddie, then this is the book for you.

A Grave For Two is not necessarily my cup of tea, but it was intriguing nonetheless. It takes some getting into, which may be a bit of an uphill struggle if you are as uninterested in the world of skiing as I am, but it's worthwhile for the final roundup of unveiled facts and characters confronted. ( )