Published by Sandstone Press, 15 May 2014.
ISBN: 978-1-908737-64-9
Seventeen years ago, William Westing led the investigation into the
kidnap and murder of teenager Cecilia Linde.
Now the perpetrator’s lawyer is alleging that the evidence was
falsified, and the media are baying for his blood. Meanwhile, his journalist
daughter, Line, is investigating an apparently unrelated street murder.
This was a stunner of a good
read. It was wonderfully clear, with
complete chapters of narration centred on either William or Line, so that you
got a good chunk of each story before catching up on the other one, and you
never had to stop to remind yourself who this character was. The father-daughter relationship was a
positive one, and both were likeable characters: Wisting, the experienced,
honest cop and Line, the determined journalist.
Wisting’s part of the story gave a real feel of how policing in Norway
worked (Horst is a retired senior policeman), and Line could push the boundaries
her father couldn’t cross. The plot was
elegantly crafted, with fair clueing to the least-likely suspect in the final
unmasking. Although there were
unpleasant aspects to the plot, it was more like a cosy than a Scandi noir,
with police procedure and suspect interviews balanced among action sections.
This is the third of the
Wisting series to be translated, and although it’s a stand-alone, you might
like to start with Dregs (sixth in
the series), then Closed for Winter. Highly recommended.
------
Reviewer: Marsali
Taylor
Jørn Lier Horst was born 27 February 1970, Telematk, Norway. He worked
at Larvik from 1995-2013 becoming a
Senior Investigating Officer. He made his debut in 2004 with the crime novel Key
Witness, based on a true murder story. The detective character in his
novels is William Wisting.
Marsali Taylor grew up near Edinburgh, and came to Shetland as a
newly-qualified teacher. She is currently a part-time teacher on Shetland's
scenic west side, living with her husband and two Shetland ponies. Marsali is a
qualified STGA tourist-guide who is fascinated by history, and has published
plays in Shetland's distinctive dialect, as well as a history of women's
suffrage in Shetland. She's also a keen sailor who enjoys exploring in her own
8m yacht, and an active member of her local drama group. Marsali also does a regular monthly column
for the Mystery People e-zine.
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