Blessed Are Those Who Thirst

I first 'discovered Anne Holt when I read the Edgar nominated 1222 featuring recurring protagonist Hanne Wilhelmsen last year. (and loved it!)

Holt is a Norwegian author and started the Hanne series in 1993. Holt has worked for the Oslo P.D., as a lawyer and a journalist and news anchor as well. This extensive background has added much authenticity to this crime series. The first books featuring Hanne are just being released to North American markets this year. Blessed Are Those Who Thirst is the second in the series.

Oslo Detective Inspector Hanne Wilhelmsen and her colleagues are sweating it out - both figuratively and literally. Oslo is in the middle of a heat wave and crime rate is rising with the thermometer. Hanne is called out to show more investigate an abandoned shed - covered in blood with a series of cryptic number written on the wall. There's no body and until testing is carried out, no indication it is human blood. Hanne's caseload increases when she is given another crime to investigate - that of a brutal rape. But the rape clearance rate in Norway is appalling. And the victim and her father are aware of that....Then another blood soaked scene and set of numbers is discovered....

I was so enamoured of the middle aged Hanne in 1222 that it was a bit of a shock to encounter a young Hanne. But I enjoyed seeing the beginnings of this character - her interactions with fellow cops, her complicated relationship with her sexuality and her partner. Her initial enthusiasm has not been replaced by the cynicism that will come by 1222. What hasn't changed is Hanne's pursuit of the truth, her keen sense of observation and her dedication to justice.

Holt has two story lines running perpendicular - that of Hanne's investigation and personal life and that of the rape victim and her father. Both are intriguing. but also handled with thoughtful introspection. Holt successfully combines credible plotting with an engaging lead, as well as some social commentary, to produce an excellent read. I did find the translation a little stilted, but it certainly didn't detract from my enjoyment.

Now, normally I won't go back to the beginning of a series if I've read the latest. In Holt's case, I will be making an exception. I'm quite taken with this series and will be watching for the next release. show less

Number Two in a strong series, and one that lives up to the promise of the series opener. This is the second novel in Anne Holt's Hanne Wilhelmsen series. Hanne is a detective on the Oslo police force, definitely overworked but still a very good and a very dedicated cop. This novel begins with a series of "pranks" -- empty spaces drenched with blood -- but soon escalates into a matter of rape and murder. Background conditions add to the pressure, with Oslo in the middle of a heatwave, and police budgets under super-tight controld The cops are focussed on the murders rather than the rape, but the rape victim becomes a central character in the novel, which raises important questions about whether or not rapists are adequately pursued and show more fnished. The novel also examines the issue of vengeance, in a nuanced and complex way. Meanwhile, Hanne's relationship with her femaie partner -- who would like Hanne to be a little less uptight about keeping her private life private -- is an endearing subsidiary theme. There are eight novels (according to Wikipedia) in the series: that leaves me six to go. show less

Detective Hanne Wilhelmsen is overwhelmed. The Oslo police are underfunded and overworked, and the summer is hot. Rapes are on the rise, and a strange scene awaits Hanne on a call. An abandoned shed covered in blood. It looks like several people died there, but there are no bodies. There is one thing: a number painted on a wall in blood. It must mean something but what?

While Hanne is trying to make sense of this scene, that may not even be a crime scene, she is assigned a rape case. A young woman, Kristine, is attacked brutally in her apartment. The attack is so horrific that Hanne can't get it out of her mind. It rises to the top, and somehow she makes a connection between the bloody scenes and this one particular rape. Of course there show more is no evidence of a connection, only an analysis of the available facts.

The rape victim and her father are overcome by the incident. Kristine moves into her father's home, not knowing if she will ever return to her apartment. She can't work, can't move on. Her father is, if anything, in worse condition. The two of them, separately, become fixated on finding the rapist.

Hanne, supported when possible by police attorney (I imagine similar to an assistant DA in the US) Hakon Sand, tries to overcome her own exhaustion and her own personal trials to solve this case. show less

Immer am Wochenende tauchen deutliche Spuren von blutigen Gewaltverbrechen auf, doch vorerst fehlen die Opfer – bis sie gefunden und als junge Ausländerinnen identifiziert werden, über deren Aufenthalt nur die Fremdenpolizei informiert war. Als eines Tages die Studentin Kristine vergewaltigt wird, scheint die Theorie vom fremdenhassenden Mörder hinfällig. Müssen Hanne Wilhelmsen und ihr Kollege Håkon Sand mit ihren Ermittlungen von vorn beginnen? Doch da ist auch noch Kristines Vater, der zum Äußersten bereit ist …

this series definitely scratches the nordic noir itch... though i have not yet been wowed through the first two books (i was led to believe i'd be wowed! heh!), i am finding them interesting and atmospheric.

Hanne Wilhelmsen is my new guilty pleasure - wonderful addition to the Scandinavian detective series library.

My blog post about this book is at this link.