"Set in Norway, secrets are exposed as an investigation into a missing woman settles into a dark and penetrating read."
Foreboding and chilling, this dramatic family tale creeps into your awareness and causes doubt and questions to multiply. When a tenant of a house in Bergan, Norway goes missing, owner and landlord Nina starts her own investigation. This is a novel to read slowly, to allow the words to sink in, so you can appreciate the pattern and movement. Agnes Ravatn (and translator Rose Hedger) have teamed up again after their award winning The Bird Tribunal. They have the ability to create one heck of an unsettling atmosphere, and this isn’t a comfortable read. The characters are flawed, feel so very real, and at times made me wince. Short abrupt sentences, the lack of quotation marks, and a marked jagged boundary between chapters creates a decided edge. Layers of unease built as I questioned everyone and everything, and the ending when it comes feels inevitable and perfect. Blanketed in an ominous sheet of tension, The Seven Doors is an intriguing, compelling and penetrating read.
| Primary Genre | Family Drama |
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Twists and turns right to the end. I absolutely loved this book.
The Seven Doors is the story of Nina, a university professor, who finds out that the tenant from one of her properties has gone missing, only a few days after an awkward encounter with Nina and her daughter. Feeling guilty, Nina starts to investigate the disappearance herself and things start to get a little too close to home.
I absolutely loved this book. It's written in a style that makes it easy to just keep reading, very much one of those books where you say to yourself 'oh just one more chapter' and then end up reading the whole thing. It has lots of twists and misdirection, especially the second half which I ended up speeding through to find out what had happened.... Read Full Review
A real life Greek tragedy for a professional Norwegian family with a breathtaking conclusion.
Professor of Literature Nina Wisløff is in the throes of a midlife crisis largely brought on by the compulsory purchase and imminent demolition of her childhood home in Bergen. Her work feels immaterial, her husband, Mads, is a busy doctor and member of the local council and she has a difficult relationship with her abrasive adult daughter, Ingeborg. Mads owns a house nearby that he inherited from his aunt and Ingeborg takes it upon herself to pay a visit to the young single mother tenant, Mari Nilsen, and announce her own plans to move in, much to Nina’s chagrin.... Read Full Review
A single mother disappears in Bergen leaving behind her young son. Nina investigates to find out why, not realising the impact the truth will have on her own family.
The Seven Doors is translated from the Norwegian and is another great offering from the scandinoir camp. Reflecting in detail the ordinary life of an extended family, well off, professional people whose lives are turned upside down by deceit and lies.
Nina, a professor at a local University, turns investigator when a tenant disappears leaving a young son behind.
A great storyline with a steady pace which belies the emotion that is stirred up by Nina’s investigations. Characterisation especially of the females is well rounded and the plot reveals itself gradually.... Read Full Review
