The Water's Edge

This is a thoroughly creepy mystery and not one for people who can't read books about children who are killed. For a married couple (who have their own problems, which are explored in the novel and have a stunningly creepy ending), out for their Sunday walk in a woodsy area, find the body of a seven-year-old boy, and he isn't wearing his shorts. On their way into the woods, they had seen a man who acted suspiciously and got into a white car. Of course, they call the police, and when Inspector Sejer and his sidekick Jacob Skarre show up, the husband is in his element, radiating importance because he can tell the police about how they found the boy and the suspicious man. He in fact becomes obsessed with the case. Then a morbidly obese show more ten-year-old goes missing. Sejer and Skarre investigate, thinking the same man is involved in both cases. Fossum takes the reader inside the heads of the pedophile, the mothers of both boys, and the wife who found the first boy. Of course, eventually Sejer get his man, and in his skillful way gets him to confess to the rape and death of the first boy, but he steadfastly denies killing the second boy. What happened to him is eventually revealed and is truly ghastly. Fossum is an incredible writer, and I will go on reading this series, but this mystery truly creeped me out. show less

One of the things that I particularly love about really good crime fiction is the way that it highlights the human condition - warts and all. The thing I particularly love about Karin Fossum's books is the way that she explores the notion of the sad, the stupid, the moments in which things go awry. To my mind, there's something profoundly more sobering about the notion of momentary mistake or misjudgement - rather than the automatic presumption of evil.

THE WATER'S EDGE tackles the difficult subject of the death of a child (and the disappearance of another). When Reinhardt and Kristine Ris briefly pass an agitated man at the start of one of their regular walks, they have no idea that they will need to remember that man, his appearance, show more his state of mind and his vehicle. They only realise that after they discover the body of a young boy in the woods, and Inspector Sejer starts asking a lot of questions. The circumstances of the boy's death appear to be indicating a dreadful fate for the little boy, although the exact cause of death remains a mystery for quite a while. Sejer's investigation takes on an even more sinister overtone when a second little boy disappears.

Whilst the death of the little boy and the search for his attacker is paramount to Sejer, there's some interesting psychological exploration going on in THE WATER'S EDGE. Reinhardt and Kristine's marriage is a fragile affair to start off with, although Reinhardt's bull-headed stubbornness and self-involvement means he probably had no idea that Kristine has been having second thoughts about the relationship for a long time. As Reinhardt's voyeuristic reaction to the discover of the little boy becomes more and more extreme, it simply confirms for Kristine that her marriage has been a mistake. Add to that Reinhardt's refusal to have children and Kristine's increasing yearning for a child, and this is a relationship which is destined for problems. The portrayal of the affects of the boy's death in such a personal thing as the relationship of the hapless discoverers of the body poignantly draws a picture of how profound and unexpected the affects of murder can be.

The other side of the story - the perpetrator is equally telling. As strange as this may seem, there's some room for compassion for the perpetrator of these acts - these moments of misjudgement. Lifelong damage, instant mistakes, the sad, the pathetic, the inexcusable, the stupid, the unwittingly cruel, shame and personal loathing. It applies equally to the death of a poor little boy, his body laid out with some care and reverence in the woods, as it does to another little boy - overweight, over-indulged, different, ashamed and shamed against, who has gone missing. show less

Karin Fossum’s Inspector Sejer mysteries are usually well-crafted page-turners. The Water’s Edge is less suspenseful than previous books, but is overwhelmingly creepy. Sejer and his partner Jacob Skarre are called to investigate a child’s disappearance, and find the child has been killed by a pedophile. A couple out for a walk discover the crime, shortly after seeing a suspicious person leaving the scene. There’s little question he is the perpetrator. Sejer and Skarre have in-depth conversations about pedophilia, Fossum takes us into the mind of the perpetrator, and to be honest it was almost too much to take. I missed the scenes from previous books where Sejer is at home hanging out with his dog or his girlfriend, which provide show more both insight to the character and relief from the details of the crime. I’ll give Fossum props for a solid story, but am glad to put this one behind me. show less

The Water’s Edge by Norwegian author Karin Fossum is the 7th book in her Inspector Sejer series of crime thrillers. This one locks you immediately as the body of a 10 year old boy is found in the woods and Inspector Sejer and his partner, Jakob Skarre are the officers in charge of the hunt for a pedophile.

As their hunt begins another boy goes missing from the small town making everyone extremely nervous and suspicious. The author puts us in the mind of the criminal, but although he is to be pitied, I was too disgusted to have any sympathy to spare. And while this was a good read, it certainly won’t go down as a favorite, as I found there was too much dialogue between Sejer and Skarre about the nature and causes of paedophilia. But show more overall the author produced an intelligent story that focuses on many side characters and how abuse can affect one. show less

If one didn't know better, one would assume from reading Fossum's crime mysteries, that murderers and paedophiles run amok in Norway.

A couple, taking their weekly Sunday walk through Linde Forest, are brushed past by a man stumbling through the woods and later discover the body of a 7 year old boy under a tree, clad only in his t-shirt. The couple alert the police and provide a description of the man they saw as well as the car they saw him get into. As Inspector Sejer and Jacob Skarre begin their inquiries, they discover that a white car has been noticed by the children at a school to be slowly driving past every time the children are let out at the end of the school day. Notices are sent to parents to pick their children up rather show more than letting them make their own way home until the killer is found.

In the course of their investigation, another child goes missing, and the pressure to find the killer mounts for Inspector Sejer.

Without many clues to go on, except the DNA from semen from the dead boy, Inspector Sejer's investigation proceeds frustratingly slowly. They research paedophilia and consider previously convicted child sex offenders in the area.
In the meantime, the relationship between the couple who found the dead boy starts to undergo a change.

Fossum has great talent in subtly weaving in shorter intrigues about other characters without losing focus on the main plot and story. In this book, there is an unexpected twist at the end, making it a very satisfying read. show less

At times grotesque, sickening and terrifying, this is also beautifully written, compassionate and deeply insightful into so many human conditions and circumstances. I often think it's the gaps in Fossum's spare prose that evokes the body of her stories. She is masterful in both the creation and execution of her stories.

Review: The Water’s Edge by Karin Fossum.

Some of Karin Fossum’s books are intense and intriguing because they include as much detail in the portrayals of her villains and their protagonists. Besides being a mystery/suspense story the author deeply explored psychological dimension and complex interplay of human relationships and motivations whether it’s the perpetrator or the police. Fossum tackles two perspectives: an intense exploration of pedophilia and what helpful scientific information on the problem and the nature of an adult relationship and how children pay the price. She also integrates the disparate elements of her story, balancing the police investigation with the personal tragedies and internal struggles of the various show more characters, even the murderer whose vicious past at the hands of an abusive mother has contributed to what he has become.

The victim, young Jonas Lowe slept over a friend’s house, not far from his home, and the next morning he was walking home and disappeared…. In a small Norwegian town a ten year old boy was found dead in a remote park by a couple who were out walking on a Sunday afternoon. They saw a man walking away from the area just before discovering the little boy. The couple, Kristine and Reinhardt Ris had different reactions when stumbling upon the murder scene. Kristine urges her husband to call the police, but instead Reinhardt rushes and starts taking pictures with his cell phone of the lifeless body. Kristine feels agonizing saddened by the tragedy and mourns for the child with emptiness within herself, where as her husband develops a morbid fascination of the crime. This seemed to put a wedge in their marriage because Kristine couldn’t understand his behavior. When another child goes missing Reinhardt is captivated and obsessed with the new case….

The police were called and Konrad Sejer and his partner Jacob Skarre worked frantically trying to figure out the motivations behind pedophilia, and eliminating suspects as time was of the essences. Both Sejar and Skarre have a long and deep discussion about what drives a person to prey on a child because it happens often. In the meantime, the perpetrator struggles with his own guilt and feelings of being wronged. I think the author dug more deeply into the psychological aspect of the issue to get more information out to the reader. The investigation goes on with aggressive behavior, especially when the other boy hasn’t been found for some time. Fossum adds some twist and turns to the story that heightens the story to a new dimension following another path to the end….. show less