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Henning Juul #2

Fantoompijn

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Een veroordeelde moordenaar: Tori Pulli, een machtige figuur uit de onderwereld van Oslo, is schuldig bevonden aan moord.

Een los eindje: Pulli zoekt contact met Henning Juul. Hij beweert dat hij Henning kan helpen aan informatie over wie verantwoordelijk was voor de brand waarbij Jonas, de zesjarige zoon van Henning, werd gedood.

Een dubbele dreiging: de informatie van Pulli is niet alleen levensgevaarlijk voor hen beiden, maar ook voor anderen. De inzet is nog nooit zo hoog geweest. Wanhopig om ook zijn eigen zoektocht naar gerechtigheid voort te zetten, bevindt Henning zich op het spoor van twee moordenaars.

364 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

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About the author

Thomas Enger

29 books254 followers
Thomas Enger was born in Oslo in 1973, but grew up in Jessheim. He has an education in journalism, and has also studied sports and history. He worked at the Norwegian online newspaper Nettavisen for nine years.

He has composed music and written books since the age of 18. He is also working on a musical.

Enger's first book, Skinndød, was published in 2010. It is the first book in a series of at least six featuring crime journalist Henning Juul. The second installment, Fantomsmerte, was released in the fall of 2011; Blodtåke, the third book, is scheduled for a 2012 release.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 117 reviews
Profile Image for Crime by the Book.
192 reviews1,848 followers
January 8, 2017
This book completely hooked me. I read book 1 in the series, BURNED, a couple months ago and have been dying to know how the story continues ever since - and I'm SO glad I made time for PIERCED.

PIERCED is a gripping, addictive story of loyalty, loss, and revenge. It has all the qualities that made me love BURNED, but it shows a new assuredness and maturity in the author's writing. It's complex yet never tedious, gritty yet also emotional. It's an excellent 2nd installment in this series, and has earned me as a loyal series reader.

Read my full review at: http://crimebythebook.com/blog/2017/1...
Profile Image for Odette Brethouwer.
1,650 reviews293 followers
June 17, 2016
Just as the other book I've read by Thomas Enger, he is really good. The book feels like your average good Sandinavian thriller. Except the main character is a journalist that works closely with the police, while usually the main character works at the police. I don't know how realistic the work of the journalists is, but it didn;t bother me.

But the last part, the showdown, my gosh, genius plot! Love it, extra star because all the pieces fit toghether so nicely.
Profile Image for Laura  Wonderchick.
1,466 reviews166 followers
May 24, 2017
While I liked the first in this series, Burned, I liked this one even better. I'm glad that I'm late to the game on this series bc I'm just going to binge read it. It's that good.
Profile Image for Učitaj se! | Martina Štivičić.
739 reviews124 followers
July 26, 2015
Druga knjiga o Henningu Juulu još je zamršenija i napetija od prethodne. Ovdje se ne radi o samo jednom, već čak tri povezana slučaja ubojstva o kojima je detalje vrlo teško otkriti, bez da i sam stradaš u tom procesu. Henning, ipak, ne posustaje, a vodi ga želja za otkrićem onog tko je odgovoran za smrt njegovog sina.

Henningov kolega Iver u ovom romanu dobiva malo više prostora i, od osobe koju je Henning prije prezirao, postaje netko na koga se sada može osloniti i koga počinje cijeniti. Iver je logičan izbor osobe kojoj se Henning može obratiti za pomoć, jer slučaj na kojem radi je previše kompleksan i zamršen da bi sve detalje o njemu uspio otkriti sam, i još u kratkom roku.

Jedina stvar koja ne 'štima' kod ove knjige je njen naslov - 'Proboden' - koji je potpuno promašen, ali to je ono što se neizbježno dobije kod prijevoda tuđih prijevoda. Nitko tu nije proboden, ni u doslovnom, ni u prenesenom značenju, ali, s obzirom da je knjiga prevedena s engleskog, a engleski je naziv 'Pierced', za promašeni naslov možemo kriviti Engleze. Originalni naslov na norveškom je 'Fantomsmerte', što znači fantomska bol, i ima smisla jer se odnosi na činjenicu da Henningu nedostaje sin, neprestano i u tolikoj mjeri da se osjeća gotovo kao da su mu odrezali dio tijela za koji on još uvijek osjeća bol iako tog dijela više nema (što i sam Henning spomene u razgovoru sa svojom bivšom ženom).

Bilo kako bilo, ova je knjiga napeta od početka do kraja, a zanimanje čitatelja održava želja za rješenjem slučaja slučaja na kojem Henning radi, kao i slučaja samog Henninga, koji se provlači kroz sve do sada objavljene romane o njemu. A iako je pomalo frustrirajuće u svakom romanu otkriti tek dijelić o tome što se dogodilo u noći požara u kojem je Henning stradao, to nas ujedno tjera i da sa sve većim nestrpljenjem iščekujemo sljedeći nastavak, kako bismo ga u trenu progutali.
Ja sam već nestrpljiva. :)

Duža recenzija je na FB stranici.
Profile Image for Hana Howard.
40 reviews1 follower
October 10, 2012
Pierced is a spectacularly plotted mystery novel with the author in full control. He adeptly leads the reader into a maze of suspenseful situations. Enger's capability in developing realistic characters and dialogue is similar in style to Steig Larsson's.

Investigating reporter Henning Juul is back to work for 123news, an on-line news site.
It’s been two years after the death of Juul’s son, killed in a fire that left Henning both physically and mentally scarred. The frustrations of not being able to remember the events two weeks prior to the fire adds to the plot and the reader’s interest. Henning feels strongly that this loss of memory is preventing him from investigating the reason for the fire and possibly who started it, because he does not have any facts of what was happening in his life or work prior to it. When he receives a call from Tore Pulli telling him he knows something about the fire but will only tell Juul in exchange for the reporter’s investigating skills, Juul apprehensively agrees.

Tore Pulli, claims he has been convicted for a murder he didn’t commit and wants Henning to help him find evidence he can present at his up and coming appeals hearing. Pulli is convinced that he was set-up and as a well-known underground ‘enforcer’ he has made plenty of enemies. At first he finds his task a bit repulsive, seeking to find evidence to clear Pulli, a man who made his living breaking jaws and other parts of the body for his bosses when their clients did not pay up. As his research into the murder proceeds, he finds that the evidence against Pulli lacks pertinent conclusive facts. The murder weapon was never found and given the timing of the police’s arrival it suggests that another person might have been involved.

Seeking a potential other person, Henning goes to the Fighting Fit gym, where two members have been murdered and encounters threats real and unreal. Enger deftly leads the reader into the Swedish world of body builders, bikers and bruisers as Pulli’s friends and enemies are introduced.

Intertwined in the background of Juul’s investigation, is the planning of another murder by Mjones an assassin who uses high tech technology methods to execute his plans. He ensnares the innocent bystander Thorleif, a cameraman to commit an act of murder. But who is to be the victim? Henning? This element of the plot creates action, contrasting the investigating procedures of Henning.

In contrast to these vile people we have Nansen, a former model of extreme beauty and the wife of Pulli, who whole-heartedly loves the man. Iver Gundersen, a co-worker at 123news and the man Henning’s ex-wife, Nora, is now living with. Unfortunately some of the twists and turns that the plot takes have unpleasant consequences for these characters.

I enjoyed this book very much. It’s the best Scandinavian mystery I have read since Larson’s series. Enger’s ability to create a plot taunt with suspense and tension makes for a page-turner. I especially liked that he does not indulge in the sadism that has marked so many current sophisticated mysteries that use ghoulish psychopaths torturing victims. Cheers for the author. I look forward to the sequel to Pierced.
Profile Image for Wendy Hines.
1,322 reviews266 followers
October 15, 2012
I read Burned and just loved it - Enger's first novel. You don't have to read it to read Pierced, but crime reporter Henning Juul is back. He's still grieving for his son, who died in a house fire and he wants to know who killed him. Investigators deemed it accident, and Juul can't live with the guilt if that is really the case. So, when he gets a call from a man in prison who says he has information, if he helps find out who framed him, he doesn't even blink. He just dives right into the investigation of Tore Pulli, who was convicted of a murder he says he didn't commit.

Enger has created a taut, striking novel that will leave fans satisfied, yet entreating for more. Juul is wary of Pulli, yet desperate for any information about that day his son died. He can't sleep - he sees his son and the horrible day in his dreams. But the deeper Juul investigates, the more intricate the weave of suspense. With an ingenious plot, a likable protagonist and clever writing, Pierced is a wonderful follow up to Burned, but can be read alone. Those that enjoy reading brilliant suspense novels should pick up Pierced!
Profile Image for Sonia Cristina.
2,072 reviews65 followers
August 11, 2021
Senti mais interesse na primeira metade do livro, depois já me foi difícil acompanhar os desenvolvimentos, em parte porque os nomes noruegueses são estranhos e confundia os personagens ou já não me lembrava quem eram e também porque houve partes em que a narrativa era mais especulação e hipóteses sobre o que se estava a passar no presente e o que teria acontecido no passado.

Chegando ao final, não tenho a certeza de ter percebido tudo, que é uma sensação terrível ao terminar um policial. No entanto, a identidade do assassino foi uma surpresa, nunca pensei naquela pessoa.

Profile Image for Janel.
511 reviews106 followers
January 19, 2018
I enjoyed this one considerably more than book 1: Burned. A good complex mystery and I like that Henning was portrayed as more determined than “broken”. And the mystery running throughout the series (who set the fire that killed Henning’s son) is slowly building, I’m eager to find the next puzzle piece in book 3: Scarred.

Overall, I felt the book was too long for the story told - for several chapters, I’d be fully engaged, and really enjoying all that’s happening, and then my interest would dip for several chapters. And this was the cycle for the entire book.

Now, having read books 1, 2, and 4 - book 4 is still my favourite of the series by far.
Profile Image for Gary.
2,816 reviews404 followers
July 28, 2015
The 2nd book in the Henning Juul series by Thomas Enger.
Two years after he lost his son in a fire, crime journalist Henning Juul starts working again. Emotionally speaking, he's shot down, but he tries to pick up the pieces of his life. However, to do so, he must get to the bottom of what really happened when his son died.
A very good series.
Profile Image for Sarah.
Author 9 books288 followers
July 31, 2012
The excellent debut novel by Thomas Enger, Burned, whetted my appetite for more and I was looking forward to reading the follow-up book Pierced. The tragedy that infuses the first book, the death in a fire of journalist Henning Juul’s son, provides the framework for the drama in book two.

Juul, a journalist employed by an on-line news site, receives a call from Tore Pulli, a prisoner who claims he has been convicted of a crime that he didn’t commit. Pulli is convinced that he was set-up and as a well-known underground ‘enforcer’ he has made plenty of enemies. He promises Juul that if he can find out who is responsible for his incarceration, he will give Juul vital information about the fire that killed his son. Juul therefore embarks on an investigation that takes him to the gym clubs and bars frequented by Oslo’s underground community.

Throughout the first book, there was an interesting tension in Juul’s reaction to his son’s death. On one hand he feels this overwhelming guilt that his son, who usually lived with Nora, Juul’s estranged wife, was present in the flat on the night of the fire and that he could’t save him. However, Juul is also convinced that, despite remembering little about the events leading up to the catastrophe, the fire was started deliberately. This tension continues to work well in Pierced as Juul tries to find a balance between his natural distrust of Pulli and his desperation to glean any information in relation to his son’s death.

Enger is at his best he describes the parent/child relationship. I find reading about Juul’s situation unbearably sad and his quest for some kind of closure of the incident is entirely believable, which is not always the case in other crime fiction novels. In Pierced, there is another parent/child relationship explored through the hapless Thorleif, a cameraman who is prevailed upon to commit an act of murder. Again, readers are likely to sympathise with Thorleif’s dilemma if not his choice.

Many of the elements that I liked in Burned are present in Enger’s latest book – his description of the petty bureaucracies of the newsroom, Juul’s spiky and emotional relationship with his ex-wife, and his interesting interaction with different members of the Oslo police force. The book ends on a cliff-hanger and clearly Juul’s quest for truth will continue into the next book. I hope readers aren’t kept in suspense for too long as I think Juul as a character has plenty in him beyond the his personal tragedy and it would be nice to get some sort of resolution soon.

I thought Pierced was an excellent read and Enger is now a ‘must-buy’ author for me.
Profile Image for Michael.
Author 2 books95 followers
October 4, 2012
Investigative crime reporter Henning Juul gets a call at his office in Norway. Tore Pulli is in jail for murder and tells Henning that if he'll get the information about the person who framed him, he'll tell Henning what he knows about the fire that killed his six-year-old son.

This story follows "Burned" which was excellent.

Henning investigates the case for which Pulli was imprisoned and we follow a side story about a TV cameraman who is being manipulated by someone and if he doesn't do what this person says, the man will kill his girlfriend.

I became enthralled with the story immediately and felt that with the Norwegian setting and the news journalist, there were similarities to Steig Larsson's "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo."

The author is a skilled craftsman and gives us some surprises, excellent dialogue and vivid descriptions. The characters were excellently drawn and realistic and the conclusion was very satisfying.
Profile Image for Martin.
35 reviews28 followers
January 7, 2018
Pierced is the follow up to the excellent Burned, and this one is even better. Once again journalist Henning Juul, still haunted and traumatised by the death of his son in a fire that left him facially scarred and which he believes was started deliberately, is drawn into the murky Olso underworld searching for answers. Here Henning receives a call from a former enforcer Torre Pulli, promising Juul answers to how the fire started if he proves his innocence in the murder of another notorious underworld figure. Without giving too much away it's safe to say that things aren't as simple as that! Juul, though desperate to discover the truth, is also convinced that Pulli has been wrongly convicted and searches for the truth to how he was set up. Alongside Henning's search for answers is parallel plot of a hitman who needs to tidy up loose ends after a previous job is left unfinished. These two stories intersect at a crucial point that leaves poor old Juul wondering where to go next.

I admit that with both this and Burned it took me a while to get drawn into the story (I've no real idea why; I often experience this with books that I ultimately fall in love with. Stephen King is a great example of this for me: I often struggle with the first few chapters and then, glurk!, I'm hooked). Here though the short chapters, and Enger's narrative style, drive these books along at a great pace, sometimes leaving you breathless as events build to a head. They definitely leave you wanting more and I can't wait to read Scarred, book #3.

Pierced is part 2 of a series of 5 that really need to be read in order. Many books with a series long arc can be read out of order, but here the story of who started the fire that scarred Juul and claimed the life of his son Jonas are integral to his character and motivation. Does he find answers in Pierced? You'll have to read it to find out ;)

Recommended.
Profile Image for Ana Jembrek.
239 reviews180 followers
August 13, 2018
Opa! Ovaj serijal je stvarno sve bolji i bolji. Nakon pomalo mlakog, iako obećavajućeg prvog dijela serijala o Henning Juulu, moram priznati da je drugi opipljivo bolji. Priča je odlična, isprepliću se ubojstva, a uz to sve konačno se postavlja pitanje strašnog požara u kojem je Juulu poginuo sin, a on ostao unakažen. Da li se radilo o slučajnom požaru ili ga je netko podmetnuo? Stvari postaju osobne.

Strašno mi se dopada Juul kao glavni lik. Ima gotovo djetinju radoznalost i privlače ga zagonetke, a makar ponekad hoda po rubu zakona on je izuzetno moralan. Plus, baš je topla osoba. Zgodno je gledati kako okreće razgovore na svoj mlin, kako mu se zatvoreni ljudi i službenici otvaraju iako je novinar. Gotovo me podsjeća na legendarnog i briljantnog Columba. Kroz priču mu je i smisao za humor polako isplivao na površinu. Kako je priča odmicala dobila sam bolji uvid u osobu koja je Juul bio prije tragične nesreće i ta osoba mi se zbilja svidja.



Plus, velik dio snage romana je u Juulovim odnosima s ljudima oko sebe, osobito odnos s Iverom Gundersenom, kolegom novinarom koji trenutno živi s Norom, Henningovom bivšom ženom. Stvorila se tu jedna neočekivana pajdašija koja me baš razveselila.

Ukratko, ovaj serijal mi polako postaje onaj krimi serijal kojem ću se vraćati kad god se zaželim lagane napetice s likovima koje smatram prijateljima. Jedva čekam pročitati "Unakaženog", a bome i sve ostale u serijalu.
Profile Image for Mark.
370 reviews82 followers
October 21, 2019
The second instalment of Thomas Enger’s Henning Juul series, ‘Pierced’ is fast paced, multi layered and an easy, page turning thriller. I thoroughly enjoyed it and it maintained my interest readily. While it’s a stand alone story in its own right it continues to build on the underpinning story of the fire that killed Henning’s son, Jonas, and thickens the plot around this tragedy. Henning Juul is defined by this tragedy in so many ways and as the reader I continue to feel his pain and anguish, the scars of which he carries with him on a daily basis. He is a man consumed by his search for answers to that fire and this is the theme that binds all of the elements of this second story together.

I like the fact that Henning is a journalist as opposed to a detective. He employs his journalistic skills in a fact finding detective like manner which is refreshing. The fact that he’s not a blokes bloke but sits in side an emotional shell that is fragile resonates so beautifully with me.

During this book we are introduced to TV cameraman, Thorleif Brenden, who becomes pivotal as the story progresses. Thomas Enger develops his character skilfully and I could really sense the anguish, terror and horror that this man experiences.

The book ends with more questions and more clues regarding Jonas’ tragic death as Henning reverberates from the unfolding news. Book three in this series is an obvious must read for me...
Profile Image for Christine.
78 reviews1 follower
October 11, 2012
I should begin this by saying that I was lucky enough to receive a copy of this book through the Goodreads.com First Reads program.

Henning Juul is an investigative reporter in Oslo, Norway who is recovering from a fire that burned him and took the life of his son. He does not believe the fire was an accident, and is trying to find out who set it and why. While investigating the fire, he is contacted by a convicted murderer who promises to give Henning information on what happened the night of the fire if Henning will help prove his innocence.

Unfortunately I had trouble getting into this story at first. I read the first few chapters and then put it down for a week before picking it up again. I am glad that I got back to reading it because I really enjoyed this book. I think it would have been helpful to me to have read the previous book first so I could understand a bit better what happened to Henning and his son, and also understand the relationship between Henning and his ex-wife. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a mystery and/or international crime fiction with a solid plot and good character development.
Profile Image for Wim Krings.
16 reviews14 followers
July 27, 2013
In het eerste boek met Henning Juul begint hij met werken na een afwezigheid van twee jaar om de dood van zijn zoontje te verwerken. Hij geeft zichzelf de schuld van de dood na een brand in zijn flat. Ook in dit boek heeft hij er nog erg veel moeite mee. Dan vraagt een veroordeelde Tori Pulli om hem te helpen om te bewijzen dat hij onschuldig is. Als tegenprestatie krijgt hij dan informatie over de dood van zijn zoon na de brand.

Henning's beeld wordt daardoor weer volledig overhoop gegooid. Wat moet hij doen en tegen welke prijs?

Fantoompijn is weer goed opgebouwd net als zijn debuut: Schijndood. Zijn dilemma's worden goed naar voren gebracht en kan hij wel onvoorwaardelijk aan dit verzoek meewerken? Er zijn namelijk ook tegenstanders van formaat die hem tegenwerken. Het boek weet de spanning goed op te bouwen en er zal uiteraard wel een vervolg nog komen. Nu maar hopen dat Henning Juul ook eens een keer in wat rustiger vaarwater komt want het onderzoek vergt sowieso al veel van hem en dan de onzekerheid...
Profile Image for Linda   Branham.
1,815 reviews30 followers
May 10, 2015
2nd in series - the main character is Henning Juul - a crime journalist in Norway
Tore Pulle claims that he has been falsely accused of killing a man. Tore calls Henning from prison and tells him that he will give Henning information about the death of his son - if he will help him prove he is innocent of the murder he has been accused of

Seeking the potential "other person" who actually committed the murder, Henning goes to the Fighting Fit gym, where Tore and the murder victim both were members. There had also been a previous murder of another member of Fighting Fit Gym

It is a very complicated case - with more murders occurring. Are these murders connected to the death of his son? In trying to find the answers,he initiates the help of another journalist, Iver, the man his ex-wife is now dating.We learn much more about the characters of these people in the novel

Ready for Scarred - the 3rd book in the series :)
Profile Image for Barbpie.
1,121 reviews12 followers
October 6, 2012
Scarred investigative reporter Henning Juul, who was unable to save his son Jonah from a fire in the first in this series, Burned, is back. Henning thinks he may have a lead on who started the fire that killed Jonah. And although he has reconciled somewhat with his ex-wife Nora, she is still sleeping with his snarky colleague Ivar. His mom still uses him as a liquor and grocery delivery service. His sister shuns both of them. on the positive side, Henning is earning a few brownie points at work--the online news site 123news--coming up with a couple of scoops, using his secret online police mole and his connections with some hard core skinhead types. Henning eventually solves a series of murders by deciphering some very unorthodox clues, the likes of which I’ve never read before. But sadly, he still doesn’t know who set the fire.
Profile Image for ???!!!.
192 reviews
August 18, 2016
Finally a novel that's worth taking the best novel of my summer 2016 position. The pace is taut, intense with logical investigative procedures. Reminded me of Jo Nesbo sometimes. Characters fully developed though, perhaps I read this book first instead of the first in the series, I'm not so sure about other minor characters. I will definitely check out his other books.

Some of the confusion in reading translated novels is that I never know the gender of the name until I see the his/her indication and then I often mixed it up.
Profile Image for Jakub.
755 reviews70 followers
July 20, 2012
Very high quality once more. I was hooked from start to finish. This was partly due to the set up from the previous part but not only. Thomas Enger manages to evoke strong emotions and makes the reader feel close to the far from perfect protagonist. And once more the ending has a hint that makes me crave for the next one.
Profile Image for Conny.
1,105 reviews34 followers
September 21, 2012
I was a First Read winner of this book and I really liked it a lot. It had a great plot line and engaging characters and kept me at the edge of my seat until the last page. I now want to read the first book of the series and can't wait to see how the story will develop further. I definitely recommend this book to anybody who enjoys a great suspense novel with plenty of pulse pounding action.
Profile Image for Vanessa Aizenberg.
83 reviews8 followers
June 1, 2017
I really like this series and Henning Juul the main character
He is so different because he is a journalist, and I just think he's awesome I also feel really sorry for him because of what happened to his son I don't give a want to give away any spoilers but it is an awesome book this is the second one in the series and I will be continuing on
Profile Image for Susan.
152 reviews10 followers
July 18, 2016
Really enjoying this series, like the character of Henning Juul, different from usual police procedurals/detective crime fiction. Hope the author will continue, even after resolving the thread that dominates Juul's life.
Profile Image for Yvonne (It's All About Books).
2,383 reviews303 followers
January 17, 2022

Finished January 16th 2022


"For most people two years is an eternity of moments and memories stacked on top of each other. For him it's no time at all."



P.S. Find more of my reviews here.
Profile Image for Darlene.
732 reviews6 followers
March 31, 2019
Book two in the Juul Henning series, and it was fabulous, so fabulous that I immediately requested book three in the series. Two years have passed since Hennings son was killed in a fire at their flat. Henning has, for the most part blamed himself, (as has his ex wife). But deep down he has suspected it was arson, no proof, just a gut feeling. In this book he receives a call from Tore Pulli who is in prison for murder, a murder for which Tore swears he was framed. Tore asks for Henning’s help and in return Tore will tell him who started the fire.
But Henning must do his investigating before Tore will share his information.
A lot of characters to keep track of in here, I had to go back more than once to remind myself who a character was.
I highly recommend this series, but do start with book one, Burned. In Burned you learn who Henning is and his state of mind after the fire.
Profile Image for Željko Erceg.
Author 3 books88 followers
August 26, 2021
Nedavno pročitah zajednički roman Engera i Horsta (Odbrojavanje) pa se upitah zašto sam ja prestao čitati samostalne Engerove romane odmah nakon prvoga? Nakon 100 stranica sam se sjetio zašto i ostavio knjigu. U međuvremenu pročitah neke druge, pa rekoh - ajmo probati do kraja. Jedva. Sve ono što spočitavam nekim domaćim autorima našlo se i ovdje, prazni odlomci, nebitno razvlačenje pojedinih situacija i skoro pa prepisivanje američkih krimi serija. Uz razliku što je Enger ipak pametno u sve to unio brojna norveška imena i nazive, pa zvuči "skandinavski". Daleko je ovo od Larsa, Nesboa i ostalih i doista ne razumijem taj pokušaj svrstavanja Engera uz elitu. Odgledani i prežvakani TV thriller, koji se nažalost i nastavlja.
Profile Image for Sebastian.
681 reviews69 followers
August 5, 2019
Auch zwei Jahre nachdem sein Sohn Jonas bei einem schrecklichen Wohnungsbrand ums Leben kann, hat der norwegische Journalist Henning Juul von der Online-Zeitung „123nyheter“ die Tragödie immer noch nicht wirklich verarbeitet. Zwar steht er nach einer zweijährigen Pause nun wieder mitten im Berufsleben, doch der Brand beschäftigt ihn nach wie vor jeden Tag. Henning ist davon überzeugt, dass Jonas nicht bei einem Unfalls ums Leben kam, sondern dass das Feuer gezielt gelegt wurde, um den Journalisten selbst zu treffen. Als der Journalist dann überraschend einen Anruf aus dem Osloer Gefängnis erhält, sieht er sich in seiner Theorie bestätigt: Der wegen Mordes verurteilte Häftling Tore Pulli gibt an, wichtige Hinweise über den Brand liefern zu können. Um diese jedoch zu erhalten, müsse Juul Pullis eigenen Fall noch einmal neu aufrollen, denn dieser behauptet nach wie vor, den ihm zu Last gelegten Mord nicht begangen zu haben…

Henning Juuls Suche nach der Wahrheit geht weiter

„Vergiftet“ ist der zweite Kriminalroman des Norwegers Thomas Enger um den Journalisten Henning Juul und obwohl das Buch eine weitestgehend eigenständige Geschichte bietet, kann es in diesem Fall nicht schaden, auch den Vorgänger „Sterblich“ gelesen zu haben. Denn bereits im Auftaktband der Reihe spielte die persönliche Tragödie Juuls eine wichtige Rolle, schilderte er doch, wie der Journalist zwei Jahre nach dem Feuertod seines kleinen Sohnes wieder zurück ins Leben gefunden und seine Tätigkeit als Reporter wieder aufgenommen hat. Die Depression ist also inzwischen weitestgehend überstanden und „Vergiftet“ wirkt bei weitem nicht so schwermütig wie Engers Debüt, trotzdem schwebt der Fall Jonas Juul nach wie vor über dem Geschehen und wird vom Autor immer wieder geschickt in den Vordergrund geholt, um zusätzliche Spannung aufzubauen.

Juuls Deal mit einem Sträfling – Täuschung oder echte Spur?

Die Ausgangssituation in zweiten Juul-Krimi ist simpel: Henning soll einem angeblich zu Unrecht verurteilten Mörder helfen, seine Unschuld zu beweisen und erhält im Gegenzug Informationen über den Tod seines Sohnes. Natürlich ist sich Juul bewusst, dass Tore Pulli Jonas möglicherweise nur als Lockmittel einsetzt, um sich selbst einen Vorteil zu verschaffen, doch Henning klammert sich in dieser Angelegenheit an jeden noch so dünnen Strohhalm, um endlich die erhoffte Aufklärung über die schreckliche Nacht vor zwei Jahren zu erhalten. Und als Juul dann auch noch bei ersten Nachforschungen herausfindet, dass der Fall Pulli tatsächlich einige Ungereimtheiten aufweist, ist schließlich auch sein journalistischer Ehrgeiz geweckt.

Spannend, aber sehr komplex

Wie schon der Vorgänger bietet auch „Vergiftet“ wieder spannende und intelligente Krimi-Unterhaltung, die allerdings auch ihren Preis hat. Um seiner Geschichte die nötige Glaubwürdigkeit zu verschaffen, spinnt Thomas Enger ein sehr komplexes Netz mit unzähligen Nebencharakteren und vielen kleinen Nebenplots, über das man schnell den Überblick verlieren kann – zumal es die oft schwierigen norwegischen Namen der deutschen Leserschaft auch nicht gerade einfacher machen. Enger verlangt einem beim Lesen die volle Aufmerksamkeit ab, belohnt dies dann aber durch einen wirklich clever konstruierten Krimiplot, der nicht nur packend ist, sondern auch jederzeit authentisch wirkt. Dass sich Henning Juul bei seinen Ermittlungen dann auch noch in einem äußerst zwielichtigen Milieu bestehend aus skrupellosen Geldeintreibern und gewissenlosen Schlägern bewegen muss, setzt dabei zusätzliche Reizpunkte.

Gelungene Fortsetzung der Krimireihe

Eine kleine Warnung zum Schluss: Das Lesen des deutschen Klappentextes sollte man nach Möglichkeit vermeiden, denn hier wird leider wieder einmal eine wichtige Wendung vorweggenommen, die eigentlich erst in der zweiten Romanhälfte vollzogen wird. Zudem sei noch einmal darauf hingewiesen, dass die Bücher der Henning-Juul-Reihe zum Teil auch eine Art Fortsetzungsromane sind und es dadurch durchaus vorkommen kann, dass nicht alle Fragen innerhalb dieses einen Buches beantwortet werden – wer eine lückenlose Aufklärung aller Handlungsstränge erwartet, könnte hier enttäuscht werden. Ich aber bin mit „Vergiftet“ endgültig zum Fan des glaubwürdigen, cleveren und sympathischen Journalisten Henning Juul geworden, bei dem Thomas Enger die persönliche Tragödie wohldosiert und spannungsfördernd einsetzt, sodass diese nicht durch die in nordischen Krimis oft erlebten Abstürze der Ermittlerfiguren langweilt.

Fazit:
Cleverer Journalismus-Krimi mit komplexem, aber raffiniertem Plot und einer spannenden und glaubwürdigen Hauptfigur.
Profile Image for Miss Clara.
80 reviews26 followers
February 7, 2017
It was a slow read. Not because it's dragging but the timing of reading this book was just off.
Anyway, let's go back.

4 stars. I took out one star because the title of book isn't much a big deal. In my opinion.

There's actually 2 stories. One is about the fire that killed Juul's son. The other is about the Tore Pulli's upcoming hearing.

What I love about the book:
1. How the ball got rolling. Well, Tore Pulli had an Ace up his sleeves: how the fire came about. With that knowledge, it fueled Juul to pickup Tore's case.
2. Thorlief's heightened fear. And I was with him in his fear. At first it was not his life he feared for, but for his girlfriend and his child. It was the perfect blackmail.
3. Thorlief ran away like an expert. It rattled the nerves of the blackmailers. A loose end. On the loose. Thorlief smarted them. A triumphant goal.. for a while.
4.
5.
6. Hanging ending. With a name. A question pops up in my head: Why?

Profile Image for Between The Pages (Gemma M) .
1,250 reviews25 followers
February 20, 2018
Pierced is book number two in the Henning Juul series and the heat is on full in this story! Plenty of deaths throughout, mysteries and an unexpected outcome and shocker of an ending!

While yet again a part of the story has already been spoilt for me as I read book five first it still had plenty to keep my interested and hooked throughout. Who really set up Tore Pulli? And who really killed Jocke Brolenius? It will be the last person you ever expected! Brilliant. Well written story and plot.

Pierced is fast paced, contains short chapters and will have you suspecting EVERYONE and doubting yourself over and over. I am really loving and enjoying this series, very impressed. I wonder what lies ahead for Henning in book number three… A series I will be sad to complete. Highly recommend! But please read them in order!!!!
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