“Norway’s Queen of Crime” but this is only the second to be published over here. Strangely there is no “feel” of Norway in this cracking psychological thriller; it’s very Ruth Rendellesque. An intriguing story of disturbed minds, dysfunctional families and reluctant robbers. There is much to unravel and despite the almost inevitable conclusion, it still came as a surprise. It’s a real page-turner.
Inspector Sejer is hard at work again, investigating the brutal murder of a woman who lived alone in the middle of the woods. The chief suspect is another loner, a schizophrenic recently escaped from a mental institution. The only witness is a twelve-year-old boy, overweight, obsessed with archery, and a resident at a home for delinquents. When a demented man robs a nearby bank and accidentally takes the suspect hostage, the three misfits are drawn into an uneasy alliance.
Shrewdly, patiently, as is his way, Inspector Sejer confronts a case where the strangeness of the crime is matched only by the strangeness of the criminals, and where small-town prejudices warp every piece of information he tries to collect. Fossum once again provides extraordinary insight into marginalized lives and richly evokes the atmosphere she captured so brilliantly in Don't Look Back.
