Death Deserved

The detective and the celebrity blogger. Together, can they catch a serial killer?

'Death Deserved', the first collaboration between two well established authors of Nordic Noir, Jorn Lier Horst and Thomas Enger, is a brilliantly engaging tale of a police man hunt that seeks to apprehend a flamboyant serial killer who's determined to manipulate the media and has a dramatic finale planned.

-- What's it about? --

When a former long-distance runner fails to show up to the launch of her own autobiography, celebrity blogger Emma Ramm decides to investigate. The front door is unlocked, there are signs of a struggle - and a bib with a #1 is pinned to the TV.

Alexander Blix, a police officer who has spent the last twenty years haunted by a hostage show more situation that went badly wrong, is allocated to lead the missing persons inquiry. Soon, the runner's belongings start appearing incongruously at other crime scenes, forcing Blix to concede that there's a bigger picture he's not seeing.

Between them, can Ramm and Blix pool their resources to stop a killer who's so effectively conducting the media's attention?

-- What's it like? --

Fabulous. From the opening scene, which establishes Blix as impulsive and generous, we can't help but like the main characters and feel for them. Blix's guilt and Ramm's anxiety are established swiftly, though the reasons for these heavy feelings come clear gradually. I was genuinely interested in reading about these characters - and finding out more about the killer's motivations!

Equally, the plotting is compelling. I loved the way the crime scenes linked together and the developing sense of the serial killer as puppet master or conductor, orchestrating his crimes with forethought and controlling their presentation. I was reminded of celebrity chefs who may serve particular dishes with carefully curated music or specially adapted lighting. Increasingly, Blix is forced to operate under time pressure and without sufficient rest, as the killer's schedule intensifies, forcing the reader to wonder whether there will be a repeat of the Teisen Tragedy.

The relationship between Blix and Ramm is an interesting one and I like that the possibility of romance is excluded - this is a more father / daughter relationship. As Ramm moves (apparently seamlessly!) from celebrity blogger to crime reporter, Blix is under pressure from his boss to withhold any new case developments from the press. Ramm, of course, perceives equal pressure from her boss to be the first to publish new information!

-- Final thoughts --

This is a thoroughly modern and enjoyable police procedural with sympathetic characters and a cracking pace. I liked the uncertainty around who the killer actually was, though I did spend a third of the book wishing the otherwise very perceptive Blix would realise that a certain other character's current choices would make them a perfect potential target for the killer!

Enger's background in journalism and Horst's background in investigative policing has created the perfect team for writing highly engaging crime fiction and I am already looking forward to finding out what Blix and Ramm are tasked with investigating next.

Many thanks to Anne Cater and Orenda Books for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review and a spot on the blog tour. show less

This is the start of your new Nordic Noir obsession!

Two of Norways best loved crime writers come together to create something extremely special and bring us the unique due that is Blix and Ramm. With a crack hot double team and a hunt for a serial killer that has a flair for the dramatic, this book will have you racing through the pages as fast as the body count increases!

This is the first book of a new series featuring Blix and Ramm, who are now one of my favourite duo’s, and judging from this one it is going to be nothing short of outstanding!

When former athlete, turn novelist, Sonja Nordstrom fails to attend the high-profile launch of her much-anticipated autobiography, Blix finds himself heading up the missing persons show more investigation, which soon escalates as more high profile people go missing or turn up dead. What started off as a missing person investigation soon turns into the hunt for a serial killer.

Emma Ramm is a celebrity blogger, writing pieces for a online news company so when it comes to her attention that Sonja didn’t show up to her mornings appointments she decides to show up at the celebrities house and it is from there she knows something isn’t right. With signs of a struggle taking place inside the front door of Sonja’s house, Emma phones the police and this is where the unlikely duo meet.

As they are both looking into and covering the same cases they slowly begin to trust each other and it is whilst sharing that a piece of the puzzle falls into place, but now, can they pull together to stop this killer before any more lives are lost and before the killer reaches his finale?

Packed to the brim with some really great, memorable characters, extremely clever plot lines, twists and turns, this is set to be the start of something spectacular!

Crime fiction, police procedurals readers are going to love this book and even if you have not been a fan of foreign crime fiction before, I urge you to give this one ago – you won’t be disappointed, it is one of my favourite books so far this year. show less

Vorab: Ich habe nicht das Buch gelesen, sondern das Hörbuch gehört, in dem das gesamte Buch gelesen wurde.

Der Sprecher in Hörbuch hat absolt hervorragende Arbeit geleistet, aber ich denke, dass es nicht nur daran lag, dass ich die Geschichte absolut spannend fand. Von der ersten bis zur letzten Minute wurde einem nicht langweilig und ich war erst recht begeistert, als ich entdeckt habe, dass dies der Auftakt zu einer Serie ist. Ich kann es kaum erwarten, den nächsten Band zu hören oder zu lesen.

Für Krimi-Fans absolut empfehlenswert!