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Alexander Blix er en slagen mann. Etter å ha blitt dømt for å ha hevnet datterens død, er han plassert i et av landets høysikkerhetsfengsler. På innsiden utnytter de andre fangene enhver mulighet til å utfordre og fornedre den tidligere politietterforskeren. Det går tidvis hardt for seg.
På utsiden har gamle kollegaer satt i gang jakten på en fryktet drapsmann. Walter Kroos har rømt fra fengselet i Tyskland og har krysset grensene på vei nordover. Den eneste forbindelsen politiet har funnet til Norge er en medinnsatt på Blix sin avdeling. Nå ønsker de innsidehjelp fra politimannen.
Journalisten Emma Ramm er en av de få på Blix sin besøksliste. Hun blir hans allierte når Blix må koble tråder mellom fortid og nåtid, og mellom innsiden og utsiden av fengselsmurene. Sporene leder til Osen, en skogsbygd 15 mil nord for Oslo, hvor flere av innbyggerne bærer på dødelige hemmeligheter og sitter med dype arr.
På utsiden har gamle kollegaer satt i gang jakten på en fryktet drapsmann. Walter Kroos har rømt fra fengselet i Tyskland og har krysset grensene på vei nordover. Den eneste forbindelsen politiet har funnet til Norge er en medinnsatt på Blix sin avdeling. Nå ønsker de innsidehjelp fra politimannen.
Journalisten Emma Ramm er en av de få på Blix sin besøksliste. Hun blir hans allierte når Blix må koble tråder mellom fortid og nåtid, og mellom innsiden og utsiden av fengselsmurene. Sporene leder til Osen, en skogsbygd 15 mil nord for Oslo, hvor flere av innbyggerne bærer på dødelige hemmeligheter og sitter med dype arr.
398 pages, Hardcover
First published June 14, 2022
About the author
Jørn Lier Horst
104 books1,392 followersJorn Lier Horst (born in Bamble, Telemark 1970) is a former Senior Investigating Officer at the Norwegian police force. He made his literary debut as a crime writer in 2004 and is considered one of the foremost Nordic crime writers.
His series of mystery novels starring chief inspector William Wisting provides a detailed and authentic insight into how criminal cases are investigated and how it affects those involved, whether private or professional. The books represent a simple and accurate picture of the modern Nordic societies and is characterized by political and social commentary subtext.
His series of mystery novels starring chief inspector William Wisting provides a detailed and authentic insight into how criminal cases are investigated and how it affects those involved, whether private or professional. The books represent a simple and accurate picture of the modern Nordic societies and is characterized by political and social commentary subtext.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 108 reviews
March 4, 2024
Always happy to read another novel by Jørn Lier Horst, I have also come to enjoy his collaborative work alongside Thomas Enger. This series mixes a dark, Norwegian thriller with a great deal of action. There is a sharp contrast between the two styles, but they combine quite well, keeping the reader on their toes until the final reveal. The authors present a strong story and continue the themes found in past novels, providing something jilted and yet highly entertaining in equal measure.
Alexander Blix has reached a new low, one that is of his own doing. Jailed for taking retribution for his daughter’s death, Blix finds himself in one of Norway’s most secure prisons, surrounded by men who have committed similar crimes. As a former police investigator, Blix finds himself surrounded by the type of men he made a point of capturing, which only adds to the tension on the inside.
Norwegian police officials must continue on without Blix, searching for a terrifying German serial killer. Walter Kroos was able to break out of his confinement and is making his way north, with Norway on his radar. While Blix is still incarcerated, he may be able to help, as Kroos has an acquaintance living in the same prison block . Might the plan have been communicated through means yet unknown? It will be up to Blix to make some sense of this, while staying off the radar.
Blix relies on his friend, Emma Ramm, to keep his connection with the outside. A trained journalist with a penchant for asking the tough questions, Emma is one of the only people who visit Blix in prison. While they share struggles on both sides of the prison walls, Blix and Emma work on the Kroos case as well. It is then that a rural part of Norway might hold truths that explain Walter Kroos and his plan, as well as a dark secret that could tie the case together. A stunning read with a great ending, Horst and Enger dazzle once more.
The story takes on a life of its own under the oversight of Horst and Enger. These authors have shown their abilities in the past and I was fully committed from the opening pages. The narrative approach is dark and yet quickly adds in its intensity, providing a pace that cannot be stopped and with ideas that join along the way. The momentum gain helps keep the story humming, with themes and characters helping to fuel the great backstory that proves central to it all. The authors have crafted the two protagonists quite well, allowing them to develop alone and in unison with equal effectiveness. This is surely one of the key aspects of the story that attracts readers.
The plot is both elusive and in one’s face, with the various styles the authors use to develop their piece. There are moments when things are going in an entirely predictable way, but then a twist is tossed in and things shift in a new direction. Horst is an author I know well and I can see some of his writing style in the plot points, but Enger adds his own flavouring and provides a unique perspective for all to enjoy. I am eager to see where things are headed with this series.
The translation alone is worth mentioning. This novel may have originally been penned in Norwegian, but I could not tell by reading it. The writing is clear and seems it can easily be translated into another language without losing its impact. Praise for the translator for making this such a great reading experience, keeping this series edgy and addictive!
Kudos, Messrs. Horst and Enger, for another great piece in this series.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
Alexander Blix has reached a new low, one that is of his own doing. Jailed for taking retribution for his daughter’s death, Blix finds himself in one of Norway’s most secure prisons, surrounded by men who have committed similar crimes. As a former police investigator, Blix finds himself surrounded by the type of men he made a point of capturing, which only adds to the tension on the inside.
Norwegian police officials must continue on without Blix, searching for a terrifying German serial killer. Walter Kroos was able to break out of his confinement and is making his way north, with Norway on his radar. While Blix is still incarcerated, he may be able to help, as Kroos has an acquaintance living in the same prison block . Might the plan have been communicated through means yet unknown? It will be up to Blix to make some sense of this, while staying off the radar.
Blix relies on his friend, Emma Ramm, to keep his connection with the outside. A trained journalist with a penchant for asking the tough questions, Emma is one of the only people who visit Blix in prison. While they share struggles on both sides of the prison walls, Blix and Emma work on the Kroos case as well. It is then that a rural part of Norway might hold truths that explain Walter Kroos and his plan, as well as a dark secret that could tie the case together. A stunning read with a great ending, Horst and Enger dazzle once more.
The story takes on a life of its own under the oversight of Horst and Enger. These authors have shown their abilities in the past and I was fully committed from the opening pages. The narrative approach is dark and yet quickly adds in its intensity, providing a pace that cannot be stopped and with ideas that join along the way. The momentum gain helps keep the story humming, with themes and characters helping to fuel the great backstory that proves central to it all. The authors have crafted the two protagonists quite well, allowing them to develop alone and in unison with equal effectiveness. This is surely one of the key aspects of the story that attracts readers.
The plot is both elusive and in one’s face, with the various styles the authors use to develop their piece. There are moments when things are going in an entirely predictable way, but then a twist is tossed in and things shift in a new direction. Horst is an author I know well and I can see some of his writing style in the plot points, but Enger adds his own flavouring and provides a unique perspective for all to enjoy. I am eager to see where things are headed with this series.
The translation alone is worth mentioning. This novel may have originally been penned in Norwegian, but I could not tell by reading it. The writing is clear and seems it can easily be translated into another language without losing its impact. Praise for the translator for making this such a great reading experience, keeping this series edgy and addictive!
Kudos, Messrs. Horst and Enger, for another great piece in this series.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
October 7, 2023
In their fourth fruitful collaboration, Norwegian superstar crime writers Jorn Lier Horst and Thomas Enger remain faithful to the recipe that made Blix&Ramm series one of the most popular sagas in Nordic crime fiction. Combining various of the genre's most intriguing tropes with social awareness and fleshed out characterization, Stigma, is the most mature installation so far and the story is bound to entice both the authors' loyal fans and new readers searching for a hook. The narrative's s boldness is what struck me first, as in the opening pages we are witnessing the preparation and execution of a patricide by a son who seems to harbor a searing hatred for the man who gave him birth. The reason behind the crime is one of the several mysteries in a story that moves forward in a steady, measured pacing and delivers its twists gradually until the climax that is filled with suspenseful action. Blix and Ramm collaborate once again in order to solve a case that had its roots in the past, and the setting is a small, closed-knit community brimming with buried secrets and concealed resentment.
Alexander Blix is in a terrible predicament as a result of him killing the murderer of his beloved daughter, Iselin. He now serves a 12-year sentence in a Norwegian prison and his everyday reality consists of him struggling to keep his head above the water as his past as a police officer renders him a target for the other inmates. But there is one man who turns Blix's incarceration into a nightmare: Jarl Inge Ree, a hardened criminal and fearsome convict who never misses a chance to taunt and provoke Blix. Outside the prison's walls, another potentially ominous situation unfolds: Walter Kroos, a German citizen convicted of killing his parents escapes from prison and everything seems to indicate that he is heading to Norway. Kroos and Ree are linked since they met several years earlier in the little town of Osen and Gard Fosse, Blix's ex-boss, visits Alexander in prison and asks him to befriend Ree to extract information regarding Kroos. Emma Ramm covers Walter Kroos's case and herself travels to Osen to interview the people who met him during the summer of 2004.
Blix and Ramm are in contact through telephone calls as the former is confined within the prison's walls, and they exchange information. Emma informs Blix of her findings in Osen and Alexander tells her about the progress he made with approaching Ree. A case of rape that took place in Osen seems to be the key that unlocks the mystery of why Kroos is back in Norway after all those years, and Emma soon realizes that nobody in Osen is trustworthy. I can't tell more about the plot as it would spoil a thrilling ride, the only thing that I deem worthy of mentioning is that readers won't have to wait for the finale to reveal the truth as there are many twists and turns that begin at the midpoint.
Horst's professional experience as a police officer and Enger's past as an active journalist add credibility to both the characters of Blix and Ramm respectively while their teamwork turns out to be exemplary when it comes to structuring a captivating plotline. It makes me wonder how they pulled this off, as apart from spending a vast amount of time discussing their joint venture, they also had to synchronize their narrative scope. Readers who are familiar with Horst's Wisting series and Enger's Henning Juul novels know that their style is not easy to be reconciled, so that's one more reason to congratulate them for their achievement. I want to thank from the bottom of my heart Anne Cater and Orenda Books for providing me with a chance to participate in this blog tour.
Alexander Blix is in a terrible predicament as a result of him killing the murderer of his beloved daughter, Iselin. He now serves a 12-year sentence in a Norwegian prison and his everyday reality consists of him struggling to keep his head above the water as his past as a police officer renders him a target for the other inmates. But there is one man who turns Blix's incarceration into a nightmare: Jarl Inge Ree, a hardened criminal and fearsome convict who never misses a chance to taunt and provoke Blix. Outside the prison's walls, another potentially ominous situation unfolds: Walter Kroos, a German citizen convicted of killing his parents escapes from prison and everything seems to indicate that he is heading to Norway. Kroos and Ree are linked since they met several years earlier in the little town of Osen and Gard Fosse, Blix's ex-boss, visits Alexander in prison and asks him to befriend Ree to extract information regarding Kroos. Emma Ramm covers Walter Kroos's case and herself travels to Osen to interview the people who met him during the summer of 2004.
Blix and Ramm are in contact through telephone calls as the former is confined within the prison's walls, and they exchange information. Emma informs Blix of her findings in Osen and Alexander tells her about the progress he made with approaching Ree. A case of rape that took place in Osen seems to be the key that unlocks the mystery of why Kroos is back in Norway after all those years, and Emma soon realizes that nobody in Osen is trustworthy. I can't tell more about the plot as it would spoil a thrilling ride, the only thing that I deem worthy of mentioning is that readers won't have to wait for the finale to reveal the truth as there are many twists and turns that begin at the midpoint.
Horst's professional experience as a police officer and Enger's past as an active journalist add credibility to both the characters of Blix and Ramm respectively while their teamwork turns out to be exemplary when it comes to structuring a captivating plotline. It makes me wonder how they pulled this off, as apart from spending a vast amount of time discussing their joint venture, they also had to synchronize their narrative scope. Readers who are familiar with Horst's Wisting series and Enger's Henning Juul novels know that their style is not easy to be reconciled, so that's one more reason to congratulate them for their achievement. I want to thank from the bottom of my heart Anne Cater and Orenda Books for providing me with a chance to participate in this blog tour.
June 5, 2023
Alexander Blix is een gebroken man. Sinds hij veroordeeld is voor het wreken van de dood van zijn dochter, zit hij vast in Noorwegens zwaarst bewaakte gevangenis. Daar benutten de andere gevangen elke gelegenheid om de voormalige politierechercheur uit te dagen en te vernederen. Daarbij wordt geweld niet geschuwd.
Blix’ voormalige collega’s zijn intussen op jacht naar een gevreesde moordenaar. Walter Kroos is in Duitsland ontsnapt uit de gevangenis en heeft de grenzen noordwaarts overgestoken. De enige connectie die de politie met Noorwegen heeft gevonden, is een medegevangene op de afdeling van Blix. Daarom wordt de oud-politieman ingeschakeld voor hulp van binnenuit.
Journalist Emma Ramm is een van de weinige personen op de bezoekerslijst van Blix. Als hij de lijntjes moet verbinden tussen heden en verleden, wordt ze zijn bondgenoot buiten de gevangenismuren. De sporen die ze vinden leiden naar Osen, een bosrijke nederzetting ten noorden van Oslo, waar verschillende inwoners dodelijke geheimen en diepe littekens met zich meedragen.
Dit boek had ik bij @sheila_hjv_inbooks gewonnen en daar was ik ontzettend blij mee! Van de vorige drie delen had ik namelijk enorm genoten, dus ik was heel erg benieuwd naar dit spannende vervolg.
'Stigma' begint met een proloog over Walter en dit riep vragen op. Vervolgens zijn er meerdere verhaallijnen. Zo lees je natuurlijk over Blix, die momenteel in de gevangenis zit. Ook lees je over Walter Kroos. Hij is een Duitse moordenaar en ontsnapt uit de gevangenis. Tenslotte lees je ook nog over journalist Emma Ramm. Zij probeert uit te zoeken waar Walter Kroos uithangt. Maar is dat wel zo verstandig?
Vooral de stukken over Walter Kroos vond ik erg interessant. Je leest namelijk veel meer over zijn verleden en over de gebeurtenissen die in de bewuste periode hebben plaatsgevonden. Hierdoor leer je dit personage steeds beter kennen.
De schrijfstijl van Horst en Enger is wederom erg vlot en ik vloog dan ook door het boek heen. Ik heb dan ook ontzettend genoten van 'Stigma'!
Beoordeling: 4,0 ⭐️
Blix’ voormalige collega’s zijn intussen op jacht naar een gevreesde moordenaar. Walter Kroos is in Duitsland ontsnapt uit de gevangenis en heeft de grenzen noordwaarts overgestoken. De enige connectie die de politie met Noorwegen heeft gevonden, is een medegevangene op de afdeling van Blix. Daarom wordt de oud-politieman ingeschakeld voor hulp van binnenuit.
Journalist Emma Ramm is een van de weinige personen op de bezoekerslijst van Blix. Als hij de lijntjes moet verbinden tussen heden en verleden, wordt ze zijn bondgenoot buiten de gevangenismuren. De sporen die ze vinden leiden naar Osen, een bosrijke nederzetting ten noorden van Oslo, waar verschillende inwoners dodelijke geheimen en diepe littekens met zich meedragen.
Dit boek had ik bij @sheila_hjv_inbooks gewonnen en daar was ik ontzettend blij mee! Van de vorige drie delen had ik namelijk enorm genoten, dus ik was heel erg benieuwd naar dit spannende vervolg.
'Stigma' begint met een proloog over Walter en dit riep vragen op. Vervolgens zijn er meerdere verhaallijnen. Zo lees je natuurlijk over Blix, die momenteel in de gevangenis zit. Ook lees je over Walter Kroos. Hij is een Duitse moordenaar en ontsnapt uit de gevangenis. Tenslotte lees je ook nog over journalist Emma Ramm. Zij probeert uit te zoeken waar Walter Kroos uithangt. Maar is dat wel zo verstandig?
Vooral de stukken over Walter Kroos vond ik erg interessant. Je leest namelijk veel meer over zijn verleden en over de gebeurtenissen die in de bewuste periode hebben plaatsgevonden. Hierdoor leer je dit personage steeds beter kennen.
De schrijfstijl van Horst en Enger is wederom erg vlot en ik vloog dan ook door het boek heen. Ik heb dan ook ontzettend genoten van 'Stigma'!
Beoordeling: 4,0 ⭐️
May 2, 2024
Finished reading: May 2nd 2024
“It was incredible how much dishonesty and concealment could destroy a life.”
REVIEW
May 24, 2023
Altijd een feest een nieuwe Horst & Enger. Ik geniet nu al vier boeken lang van hun schrijven want ja, ook dit boek was weer een heuse verwennerij om te lezen.
Blix zit in de gevangenis nadat hij de moordenaar van zijn dochter neerschoot. Wanneer de politie op zoek is naar een andere moordenaar kruist hun pad dat van Blix weer en wordt hij gevraagd om hun te helpen.
De schrijfstijl is vlot, zoals we gewend zijn van deze heren. Je vliegt doorheen het boek door die manier van schrijven en geen enkel moment kan je het verschil tussen beide auteurs hun schrijfstijl vinden.
Op een bepaald moment kon ik de puzzelstukjes al in elkaar passen maar het stoorde mij allerminst omdat de auteurs ervoor zorgen dat ik elke details van hoe, wat, waar en wanneer moest weten.
Stigma is weer een geweldig goed geschreven thriller en de manier waarop de auteur hun serie over Blix schrijven ligt mij perfect. Ik hoop op nog veel delen en liefst heel snel.
Blix zit in de gevangenis nadat hij de moordenaar van zijn dochter neerschoot. Wanneer de politie op zoek is naar een andere moordenaar kruist hun pad dat van Blix weer en wordt hij gevraagd om hun te helpen.
De schrijfstijl is vlot, zoals we gewend zijn van deze heren. Je vliegt doorheen het boek door die manier van schrijven en geen enkel moment kan je het verschil tussen beide auteurs hun schrijfstijl vinden.
Op een bepaald moment kon ik de puzzelstukjes al in elkaar passen maar het stoorde mij allerminst omdat de auteurs ervoor zorgen dat ik elke details van hoe, wat, waar en wanneer moest weten.
Stigma is weer een geweldig goed geschreven thriller en de manier waarop de auteur hun serie over Blix schrijven ligt mij perfect. Ik hoop op nog veel delen en liefst heel snel.
October 26, 2023
And so we come to Thomas Enger and Jørn Lier Horst’s latest collaboration, Stigma, the fourth of the series ( Death Deserved, Smoke Screen, Unhinged) featuring detective Alexander Blix and journalist Emma Ramm, and once again translated by Megan Turney. With one of the key character’s actually being imprisoned at the outset of the book, my little grey cells were set a-twitching at how this story could possibly play out…
As the book opens, Blix seems resigned to his fate, endeavouring to keep his head down and doing his time, despite the provocations of his fellow inmates, imprisoned as he has been for his involvement in the death of a man, who in turn had been responsible for the murder of Blix’s daughter. However, it soon becomes apparent that one cannot cage a tiger like Blix for too long, as he is far too valuable to the Norwegian police force to be incarcerated for such a long stretch. He is sequestered to help in the tracking down of Walter Kroos, an escaped murderer from Germany by dint of being imprisoned with a man who may be instrumental in tracking down Kroos who has made his way to Norway. The game is afoot and Blix is most definitely the man for the job. He once again joins forces with Emma Ramm, a headstrong and tenacious journalist to revisit a crime from the past, which is having unwelcoming reverberations in the present…
I think it can safely be said that I do have a fairly wide experience of reading Scandinavian crime fiction as a blogger, and as a judge for the Petrona Award ( which is awarded every year for Scandinavian crime fiction in translation). Both of these writers, whether writing together or as individuals, are consistently good, drawing on their previous careers as a police officer and a journalist, the finer details of which are always integral to their plots, and giving the reader a sense of authenticity in their writing. This is strongly in evidence again, as the factual details of police procedure, and the journalistic nous of the main characters, drive the story on in a compelling and enthralling manner, with adroitly placed moments of frustration and peril to keep the reader gripped.
The structure of the book, with the past narrative and the present, and the secrets and lies that gradually unfold is assuredly done, with a nice smattering of red herrings along the way to keep our dogged investigators, and us as readers, on our collective toes, which is always pleasing when reading crime fiction. I like the relationship between the two main protagonists very much too, which is a combination of collaboration and resistance. The authors’ control of pace and plotting is always spot on, and fortified by another sterling translation by Megan Turney, there is once again much to be appreciated here.
Overall I enjoyed this latest instalment very much, particularly by the ramifications of the events of the last book on Alexander Blix in particular. I am also intrigued by the ending of Stigma, which, with no spoilers, leaves our characters in a state of flux, and I’m incredibly curious to see how this will affect the plotline of the next in series. Hopefully we will not have to wait too long to find out.
A solid recommendation for this one.
As the book opens, Blix seems resigned to his fate, endeavouring to keep his head down and doing his time, despite the provocations of his fellow inmates, imprisoned as he has been for his involvement in the death of a man, who in turn had been responsible for the murder of Blix’s daughter. However, it soon becomes apparent that one cannot cage a tiger like Blix for too long, as he is far too valuable to the Norwegian police force to be incarcerated for such a long stretch. He is sequestered to help in the tracking down of Walter Kroos, an escaped murderer from Germany by dint of being imprisoned with a man who may be instrumental in tracking down Kroos who has made his way to Norway. The game is afoot and Blix is most definitely the man for the job. He once again joins forces with Emma Ramm, a headstrong and tenacious journalist to revisit a crime from the past, which is having unwelcoming reverberations in the present…
I think it can safely be said that I do have a fairly wide experience of reading Scandinavian crime fiction as a blogger, and as a judge for the Petrona Award ( which is awarded every year for Scandinavian crime fiction in translation). Both of these writers, whether writing together or as individuals, are consistently good, drawing on their previous careers as a police officer and a journalist, the finer details of which are always integral to their plots, and giving the reader a sense of authenticity in their writing. This is strongly in evidence again, as the factual details of police procedure, and the journalistic nous of the main characters, drive the story on in a compelling and enthralling manner, with adroitly placed moments of frustration and peril to keep the reader gripped.
The structure of the book, with the past narrative and the present, and the secrets and lies that gradually unfold is assuredly done, with a nice smattering of red herrings along the way to keep our dogged investigators, and us as readers, on our collective toes, which is always pleasing when reading crime fiction. I like the relationship between the two main protagonists very much too, which is a combination of collaboration and resistance. The authors’ control of pace and plotting is always spot on, and fortified by another sterling translation by Megan Turney, there is once again much to be appreciated here.
Overall I enjoyed this latest instalment very much, particularly by the ramifications of the events of the last book on Alexander Blix in particular. I am also intrigued by the ending of Stigma, which, with no spoilers, leaves our characters in a state of flux, and I’m incredibly curious to see how this will affect the plotline of the next in series. Hopefully we will not have to wait too long to find out.
A solid recommendation for this one.
October 18, 2023
It was great catching up with the protagonists of this outstanding crime series for a fourth time.
In this instalment, Blix resides in one of Norway’s high-security prisons. He killed Timo Polmar, the man who murdered his daughter… Needless to say, prison is not a friendly place for a policeman, as he is incarcerated with some of the villains he arrested.
What could have caused Blix to break so many rules and jeopardize his career? He didn’t know the man he shot and is even uncertain he shot the right man.
Emma Ramm is devoted to her career as an investigative journalist, and in this book puts her own life in dire jeopardy.
The book covers some fascinating themes such as parental guilt, revenge, long-lasting psychic trauma, and grief.
I am eternally amazed when I learn that two authors have co-written a book. The fact that two minds can cause a seamless narrative is astounding. Add in the fact that this book is written by two authors AND is a translation, makes the achievement even more astounding.
Ingenious plotting, formidable tension, and great characterization mark this crime thriller as a worthy read. Relationships are shattered, and tested in the most profound ways. The denouement was tension filled with suspense made you catch your breath. The very end… well I’ll just say I CAN’T WAIT for the next book in this outstanding series.
“Stigma” is an absorbing and engrossing crime thriller that I can highly recommend to all fans of the genre. This series keeps getting better and better.
In this instalment, Blix resides in one of Norway’s high-security prisons. He killed Timo Polmar, the man who murdered his daughter… Needless to say, prison is not a friendly place for a policeman, as he is incarcerated with some of the villains he arrested.
What could have caused Blix to break so many rules and jeopardize his career? He didn’t know the man he shot and is even uncertain he shot the right man.
Emma Ramm is devoted to her career as an investigative journalist, and in this book puts her own life in dire jeopardy.
The book covers some fascinating themes such as parental guilt, revenge, long-lasting psychic trauma, and grief.
I am eternally amazed when I learn that two authors have co-written a book. The fact that two minds can cause a seamless narrative is astounding. Add in the fact that this book is written by two authors AND is a translation, makes the achievement even more astounding.
Ingenious plotting, formidable tension, and great characterization mark this crime thriller as a worthy read. Relationships are shattered, and tested in the most profound ways. The denouement was tension filled with suspense made you catch your breath. The very end… well I’ll just say I CAN’T WAIT for the next book in this outstanding series.
“Stigma” is an absorbing and engrossing crime thriller that I can highly recommend to all fans of the genre. This series keeps getting better and better.
December 28, 2022
Arr är en välskriven deckare med bra tempo. Horst och Enger är en duo som jag tycker skriver riktigt bra ihop. Arr är den fjärde delen i serien om Alexander Blix och Emma Ramm, och precis som de tre tidigare så lyckas författarna få ihop en spännande och tempofylld berättelse. När jag hade avslutat förra delen, Slagside, var jag inte säker på om det skulle bli fler delar, men lyckligtvis blev det så. Slagside var en mörk historia, och jag är förvånad över att tonen i Arr är betydligt ljusare även om det ligger en stor sorg i bakgrunden. Det är spännande och lättläst, och förhållandevis lite blodigt. Det här handlar mer om relationer och hemligheter, om ärr som gör skada psykologiskt.
Mysteriet är väl uppbyggt, och jag har inte alla delar klar för mig förrän mot slutet, även om jag misstänker en del. De relativt korta kapitlen med omväxlande perspektiv (inte bara Alexander och Emma) gör sitt till för att bygga upp spänning och tempo. Det finns vissa delar som känns orealistiska (mest i relationen mellan Samantha och Walter), men de stör inte så mycket.
En stor del varför jag tycker om den här serien är huvudkaraktärerna Alexander Blix och Emma Ramm. I Arr interagerar de mest på distans, men jag gillar deras relation till varandra och till andra. De är mänskliga och även om de fattar tokiga beslut ibland, så går de flesta att på något sätt begripa. Det är intressant att läsa om Blix i fängelset.
Jag har skrivit om de tre tidigare, Nullpunkt, Røykteppe och Slagside. De finns även utgivna på svenska. Kommer det fler delar i den här serien kommer jag definitivt att vilja läsa dem.
Betyg: 4
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Mysteriet är väl uppbyggt, och jag har inte alla delar klar för mig förrän mot slutet, även om jag misstänker en del. De relativt korta kapitlen med omväxlande perspektiv (inte bara Alexander och Emma) gör sitt till för att bygga upp spänning och tempo. Det finns vissa delar som känns orealistiska (mest i relationen mellan Samantha och Walter), men de stör inte så mycket.
En stor del varför jag tycker om den här serien är huvudkaraktärerna Alexander Blix och Emma Ramm. I Arr interagerar de mest på distans, men jag gillar deras relation till varandra och till andra. De är mänskliga och även om de fattar tokiga beslut ibland, så går de flesta att på något sätt begripa. Det är intressant att läsa om Blix i fängelset.
Jag har skrivit om de tre tidigare, Nullpunkt, Røykteppe och Slagside. De finns även utgivna på svenska. Kommer det fler delar i den här serien kommer jag definitivt att vilja läsa dem.
Betyg: 4
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May 12, 2023
Vond ik de eerste twee delen al goed, het derde deel liet me helemaal wel overdonderd vergezeld met buikpijn achter. En nu dan 'Stigma', het nieuwe vierde deel in de Blix & Ramm serie! Wat een fenomenale thiller van formaat. Wat een variatie in setting, in personages. Wat een plot, wat een schrijfstijl. Van begin tot eind spannend, intrigerend, verrassend, indrukwekkend. Wat een ijzersterk duo deze auteurs! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Karin - Samenlezenisleuker
❗️LET OP : de achterflap bevat een spoiler m.b.t. het vorige deel dus heb je 'Slagzij' nog niet gelezen, snor 'm van dit boek dan nog even niet op.
Karin - Samenlezenisleuker
❗️LET OP : de achterflap bevat een spoiler m.b.t. het vorige deel dus heb je 'Slagzij' nog niet gelezen, snor 'm van dit boek dan nog even niet op.
February 24, 2024
Ursprünglich waren die Romane um den Osloer Kriminalkommissar Alexander Blix und die junge Reporterin Emma Ramm wohl als Trilogie angelegt, offenbar hat der Erfolg der Bücher die beiden Autoren Thomas Enger und Jørn Lier Horst jedoch dazu veranlasst, die Reihe nochmal zu verlängern – dabei hätte das dramatische Ende des dritten Bandes eigentlich schon einen würdigen Abschluss der Geschichte(n) geliefert.
Eine Fortsetzung, die womöglich nicht geplant war
Nun geht es also mit “Blutnacht” doch noch einmal weiter und dieser vierte Band beginnt zudem mit einer besonderen Ausgangssituation, denn nach eben jenen verhängnisvollen Ereignissen des direkten Vorgängers “Bluttat” sitzt Alexander Blix mittlerweile im Gefängnis. Das stellt das Autorenduo vor eine gewisse Herausforderung, denn hinter schwedischen Gardinen ist der männliche Protagonist eigentlich weit davon entfernt, in bekannter Art und Weise in einem Kriminalfall zu ermitteln. Die Lösung von Enger und Lier Horst für dieses Problem ist die Flucht eines Mörders aus einem deutschen Gefängnis, der sich nach seinem Ausbruch offenbar in Richtung Norwegen abgesetzt hat – und in seiner Zelle Hinweise auf einen Mann hinterließ, der sich nun ausgerechnet mit Alexander Blix einen Gefängnistrakt teilt.
Ermittlungen aus der Gefängniszelle heraus
Das klingt zugegeben etwas weit hergeholt und man merkt dem anfänglichen Szenario schon an, dass die Geschichte um Blix und Ramm hier womöglich schon über ihr eigentlich angedachtes Ende hinausgeht und die Autoren sich nun aus dem vermeintlichen Trilogie-Finale wieder hinausmanövrieren müssen. Das gelingt den beiden auch durchaus passabel, insgesamt muss man aber schon konstatieren, dass “Blutnacht” der bisher schwächste Band der Reihe ist. Die Gefängnissituation ist zwar durchaus interessant, schränkt die Rolle des ehemaligen Kommissars aber zugleich auch stark ein und lässt hier keine wirklich komplexen Ermittlungen zu. Abgesehen von der ein oder anderen handfesten Auseinandersetzung wird in diesem Handlungsstrang auch eher wenig Spannung erzeugt.
Wie wurde der scheue Junge vom Campingplatz zum Mörder?
Die eigentliche Ermittlungsarbeit muss diesmal Emma Ramm alleine schultern, die als Alexanders verlängerter Arm in der Vergangenheit des entflohenen Mörders gräbt, um dessen Aufenthaltsort herauszufinden. Die Spur führt dabei früh zu einem Campingplatz an der norwegischen Westküste, wo sich in der Jugend des Mannes offenbar ein verhängnisvolles Drama abgespielt hat. Dieser Teil der Geschichte ist deutlich ereignisreicher, entwickelt sich aber auch weitestgehend vorhersehbar und hält kaum Überraschungen bereit.
Der bisher schwächste Band der Reihe
Das mag nun insgesamt sehr negativ klingen, ist aber zu gewissen Teilen auch Meckern auf hohem Niveau, da man von Thomas Enger und Jørn Lier Horst im Allgemeinen und speziell auch von den drei ersten Bänden eigentlich mehr Nervenkitzel gewohnt ist. Nichtsdestotrotz ist der Roman immer noch unterhaltsam geschrieben und lässt sich mit den kurzen Kapiteln und schnellen Szenenwechseln auch leicht “weglesen”. Im Vergleich zu den ersten drei Fällen für Alexander Blix und Emma Ramm fällt “Blutnacht” aber spürbar etwas ab und kann das hohe Niveau der Vorgänger nicht ganz halten.
Eine Fortsetzung, die womöglich nicht geplant war
Nun geht es also mit “Blutnacht” doch noch einmal weiter und dieser vierte Band beginnt zudem mit einer besonderen Ausgangssituation, denn nach eben jenen verhängnisvollen Ereignissen des direkten Vorgängers “Bluttat” sitzt Alexander Blix mittlerweile im Gefängnis. Das stellt das Autorenduo vor eine gewisse Herausforderung, denn hinter schwedischen Gardinen ist der männliche Protagonist eigentlich weit davon entfernt, in bekannter Art und Weise in einem Kriminalfall zu ermitteln. Die Lösung von Enger und Lier Horst für dieses Problem ist die Flucht eines Mörders aus einem deutschen Gefängnis, der sich nach seinem Ausbruch offenbar in Richtung Norwegen abgesetzt hat – und in seiner Zelle Hinweise auf einen Mann hinterließ, der sich nun ausgerechnet mit Alexander Blix einen Gefängnistrakt teilt.
Ermittlungen aus der Gefängniszelle heraus
Das klingt zugegeben etwas weit hergeholt und man merkt dem anfänglichen Szenario schon an, dass die Geschichte um Blix und Ramm hier womöglich schon über ihr eigentlich angedachtes Ende hinausgeht und die Autoren sich nun aus dem vermeintlichen Trilogie-Finale wieder hinausmanövrieren müssen. Das gelingt den beiden auch durchaus passabel, insgesamt muss man aber schon konstatieren, dass “Blutnacht” der bisher schwächste Band der Reihe ist. Die Gefängnissituation ist zwar durchaus interessant, schränkt die Rolle des ehemaligen Kommissars aber zugleich auch stark ein und lässt hier keine wirklich komplexen Ermittlungen zu. Abgesehen von der ein oder anderen handfesten Auseinandersetzung wird in diesem Handlungsstrang auch eher wenig Spannung erzeugt.
Wie wurde der scheue Junge vom Campingplatz zum Mörder?
Die eigentliche Ermittlungsarbeit muss diesmal Emma Ramm alleine schultern, die als Alexanders verlängerter Arm in der Vergangenheit des entflohenen Mörders gräbt, um dessen Aufenthaltsort herauszufinden. Die Spur führt dabei früh zu einem Campingplatz an der norwegischen Westküste, wo sich in der Jugend des Mannes offenbar ein verhängnisvolles Drama abgespielt hat. Dieser Teil der Geschichte ist deutlich ereignisreicher, entwickelt sich aber auch weitestgehend vorhersehbar und hält kaum Überraschungen bereit.
Der bisher schwächste Band der Reihe
Das mag nun insgesamt sehr negativ klingen, ist aber zu gewissen Teilen auch Meckern auf hohem Niveau, da man von Thomas Enger und Jørn Lier Horst im Allgemeinen und speziell auch von den drei ersten Bänden eigentlich mehr Nervenkitzel gewohnt ist. Nichtsdestotrotz ist der Roman immer noch unterhaltsam geschrieben und lässt sich mit den kurzen Kapiteln und schnellen Szenenwechseln auch leicht “weglesen”. Im Vergleich zu den ersten drei Fällen für Alexander Blix und Emma Ramm fällt “Blutnacht” aber spürbar etwas ab und kann das hohe Niveau der Vorgänger nicht ganz halten.
May 28, 2023
Geweldig weer!
March 2, 2024
4,5 ⭐️
February 21, 2024
Bokanmeldelse:
Ligger nok på rundt 29 grader celsius. Foreløpig UV-indeks er 4, men ryktene sier 7 mellom 12:29 og 14:28. Prioritert solfaktor 30 på alle kroppens deler hittil. Fortsatt litt solbrent på kassa, men ingen flass. Muttern har gjentatte ganger kommet med det berømte sitatet: «Nå tror jeg ikke du skal sole deg noe mer, Esten. Du er rød på kassa». Blir like irritert hver gang,m. Menmen. Noen må jo være solbrente og? Eller hva, mor?
Tanken om aftersun har streifet meg et par-tre ganger, men ikke prioritert de 100 meterne til supermarkedet. Får da være grenser for hvor langt det skal være nødvendig å gå? Foresten en skikkelig god proteinshake her, 27 g p. Greit å dunke innpå etter en økt.
Bra bok. Legges på 4 stjerner. Begrunnelse: Det kæn ælltids bli bære.
- G
Ligger nok på rundt 29 grader celsius. Foreløpig UV-indeks er 4, men ryktene sier 7 mellom 12:29 og 14:28. Prioritert solfaktor 30 på alle kroppens deler hittil. Fortsatt litt solbrent på kassa, men ingen flass. Muttern har gjentatte ganger kommet med det berømte sitatet: «Nå tror jeg ikke du skal sole deg noe mer, Esten. Du er rød på kassa». Blir like irritert hver gang,m. Menmen. Noen må jo være solbrente og? Eller hva, mor?
Tanken om aftersun har streifet meg et par-tre ganger, men ikke prioritert de 100 meterne til supermarkedet. Får da være grenser for hvor langt det skal være nødvendig å gå? Foresten en skikkelig god proteinshake her, 27 g p. Greit å dunke innpå etter en økt.
Bra bok. Legges på 4 stjerner. Begrunnelse: Det kæn ælltids bli bære.
- G
October 24, 2023
This is the 4th in the Blix and Ramm series, and therefore there is a LOT of background to both characters, my own opinion is that the books do need to be read in order, as this will then give you the full picture.
We meet Alexander Blix, currently in prison, The ex-police Investigator is there because he murdered his daughter's killer ( as I said a HUGE background story!) Being an ex-cop in a Norweigian Prison isn't easy for Blix, but he is so broken he feels he has nothing left to live for and is numb to everything around him. Meanwhile, his only real ally, is Emma Ramm, the journalist who has been with him throughout his darkest of days and indeed has suffered herself, They make an unlikely pair but both being damaged means they have bonded well over the years.
Blix's former colleagues are chasing an escaped prisoner on the outside and after finding a connection with Blix in Prison, they enlist his help with Emma Ramm's investigative journalism skills, they both begin to piece together a disastrous set of events, and secrets that bring them both closer to danger and also the residents of a small woodland community. What entails is a race against time that leaves Blix with some tough choices.
As always, with the Blix and Ramm series the writing is sublime, how Jorn Lier Horst and Thomas Enger have created two such enduring and emotive characters is a testament to their gifted writing skills. The police procedural aspect of Stigma and the attention to detail is forcefully realistic. I love Alexander Blix, he is such a great Detective whose life has been decimated by loss, and the way his personality shines through this series of novels is fabulous. The pacy story will have you gripped and on the edge of your seat, which builds to an explosive climax. And the journalist Emma Ramm, is a fiesty and dogged reporter, whose own back story is interlinked in each of the novels in the series, and she plays a huge part in Stigma...but I cannot say anymore!
If you have never read any Nordic Crime Fiction, then I urge you to read Stigma and the whole Blix and Ramm series, each novel is a work of art, written with intelligence and emotion. Stigma can even at times feel a little claustrophobic, especially the prison cell setting.
A huge 5 star read from me, I tried to pace myself and read Stigma slowly as I never went to finish these novels.....well it didn't happen and now I have to wait another year to find out what happens next to Blix and Ramm!
We meet Alexander Blix, currently in prison, The ex-police Investigator is there because he murdered his daughter's killer ( as I said a HUGE background story!) Being an ex-cop in a Norweigian Prison isn't easy for Blix, but he is so broken he feels he has nothing left to live for and is numb to everything around him. Meanwhile, his only real ally, is Emma Ramm, the journalist who has been with him throughout his darkest of days and indeed has suffered herself, They make an unlikely pair but both being damaged means they have bonded well over the years.
Blix's former colleagues are chasing an escaped prisoner on the outside and after finding a connection with Blix in Prison, they enlist his help with Emma Ramm's investigative journalism skills, they both begin to piece together a disastrous set of events, and secrets that bring them both closer to danger and also the residents of a small woodland community. What entails is a race against time that leaves Blix with some tough choices.
As always, with the Blix and Ramm series the writing is sublime, how Jorn Lier Horst and Thomas Enger have created two such enduring and emotive characters is a testament to their gifted writing skills. The police procedural aspect of Stigma and the attention to detail is forcefully realistic. I love Alexander Blix, he is such a great Detective whose life has been decimated by loss, and the way his personality shines through this series of novels is fabulous. The pacy story will have you gripped and on the edge of your seat, which builds to an explosive climax. And the journalist Emma Ramm, is a fiesty and dogged reporter, whose own back story is interlinked in each of the novels in the series, and she plays a huge part in Stigma...but I cannot say anymore!
If you have never read any Nordic Crime Fiction, then I urge you to read Stigma and the whole Blix and Ramm series, each novel is a work of art, written with intelligence and emotion. Stigma can even at times feel a little claustrophobic, especially the prison cell setting.
A huge 5 star read from me, I tried to pace myself and read Stigma slowly as I never went to finish these novels.....well it didn't happen and now I have to wait another year to find out what happens next to Blix and Ramm!
October 29, 2023
Stigma is the fourth instalment in the Blix and Ramm series by the Nordic Noir dream team Enger & Horst, and their magnificent translator Megan Turney. Time really does fly when you’re having fun! I’d say it could be read as a standalone if you really want to, but this series is truly fantastic so I would advise to just start at the beginning.
Stigma differs from its predecessors in that we start off with one of our two protagonists incarcerated following the events of the last book. You can put a police officer in prison, but he never really stops being a police officer, so before long, Blix is up to his eyeballs in an investigation, or two, or three. Or are these all connected and is this just one big jumble of an investigation waiting for Blix and Ramm to unravel?
Like with the earlier books in this series, I fell for Stigma hook, line and sinker. I was almost literally glued to my Kobo, having to force myself to put it down and get some sleep. I did work out a few things but that never impacted my enjoyment, nor the adrenalin I felt racing through my body, cos for every reveal I saw coming, there was one that caught me by surprise.
Stigma has a strong sense of setting. I thoroughly enjoyed the prison scenes, I do love a prison setting. For one, it’s about as locked-room as you can get, and secondly, in this case, it was fascinating to follow Blix as he’s trying to find his feet in this hostile environment. Meanwhile, Emma Ramm’s part of the story takes care of the atmospheric, quite moody Nordic setting I’ve come to expect from this writer’s duo. A small Norwegian village with a forest and a lake, a dark history and a missing person, I mean, sign me up any day of the week!
Stigma was everything I expected it to be, and that’s saying something: my expectations never really were all that realistic. It was an action-packed and suspenseful ride, atmospheric and fast-paced, and I can’t wait to find out what happens next (that epilogue is just mean!). Stigma confirms this series top spot in my Nordic ranking, which, again, is saying something cos I’m a huge Nordic literature fan! I can only agree with Will Dean: this is contemporary Scandinavian fiction at its best. Highly recommended.
Stigma differs from its predecessors in that we start off with one of our two protagonists incarcerated following the events of the last book. You can put a police officer in prison, but he never really stops being a police officer, so before long, Blix is up to his eyeballs in an investigation, or two, or three. Or are these all connected and is this just one big jumble of an investigation waiting for Blix and Ramm to unravel?
Like with the earlier books in this series, I fell for Stigma hook, line and sinker. I was almost literally glued to my Kobo, having to force myself to put it down and get some sleep. I did work out a few things but that never impacted my enjoyment, nor the adrenalin I felt racing through my body, cos for every reveal I saw coming, there was one that caught me by surprise.
Stigma has a strong sense of setting. I thoroughly enjoyed the prison scenes, I do love a prison setting. For one, it’s about as locked-room as you can get, and secondly, in this case, it was fascinating to follow Blix as he’s trying to find his feet in this hostile environment. Meanwhile, Emma Ramm’s part of the story takes care of the atmospheric, quite moody Nordic setting I’ve come to expect from this writer’s duo. A small Norwegian village with a forest and a lake, a dark history and a missing person, I mean, sign me up any day of the week!
Stigma was everything I expected it to be, and that’s saying something: my expectations never really were all that realistic. It was an action-packed and suspenseful ride, atmospheric and fast-paced, and I can’t wait to find out what happens next (that epilogue is just mean!). Stigma confirms this series top spot in my Nordic ranking, which, again, is saying something cos I’m a huge Nordic literature fan! I can only agree with Will Dean: this is contemporary Scandinavian fiction at its best. Highly recommended.
June 15, 2023
Denne krimromanen har endt opp bakerst i lesebunken gang på gang, helt til jeg nå måtte lese den (ny Horst/Enger kommer denne uka). Grunnen til den stadige utsettelsen er like enkel som den er banal … Jeg er ingen fan av spenningsomaner med handling fra innsiden av et fengsel. De er svært ofte forutsigbare og ensformige til det kjedsommelige. En hel bok med Alexander Blix bak murene … jeg orker det bare ikke, tenkte jeg. Det viste seg å være en tabbe! Dette er nemlig IKKE en bok om en sonende Blix. (Heldigvis😬) Eller jo, eller nei … Eller er det egentlig det?
Ja, Blix er i fengsel, og soner straffen for å ha drept datterens drapsmann i forrige bok, og ja … vi får de forutsigbare plottwistene med slosshanene, skulingen, den interne maktkampen, veltede frokosttallerker, overdoser med adrenalin, og alfahannene som gjør opp seg i mellom. I tillegg til den sedvanlige dosen med livsviktig info som trenger å komme til dem på utsiden, og som Blix må lirke ut av sin nemesis. Hvorfor er jeg så begeistret da?
Jo, fordi dette okkuperer bare en fjerdedel av boka, og kommer i små porsjoner spredd utover i boka. Hovedhandlingen med journalisten Emma Ramm, og hennes jakt på den tyske dobbeltdrapsmannen Walter, er såpass veldreid, spennende, interessant og gåtefull at det gjør ikke noe at Blix og hans fengselsopphold får en birolle. Her er det mørke familiehemmeligheter, unnlatelsessynder, tapte drømmer, gammelt hat, udødelig kjærlighet og såpass mange skjeletter i skapet at en faktisk hører bein og knokler skrangle gjennom boksidene. Dette var en skikkelig opptur, et friskt pust, og jeg gleder meg stort til «Offer» som daler ned i butikkhyllene neste uke.
Ja, Blix er i fengsel, og soner straffen for å ha drept datterens drapsmann i forrige bok, og ja … vi får de forutsigbare plottwistene med slosshanene, skulingen, den interne maktkampen, veltede frokosttallerker, overdoser med adrenalin, og alfahannene som gjør opp seg i mellom. I tillegg til den sedvanlige dosen med livsviktig info som trenger å komme til dem på utsiden, og som Blix må lirke ut av sin nemesis. Hvorfor er jeg så begeistret da?
Jo, fordi dette okkuperer bare en fjerdedel av boka, og kommer i små porsjoner spredd utover i boka. Hovedhandlingen med journalisten Emma Ramm, og hennes jakt på den tyske dobbeltdrapsmannen Walter, er såpass veldreid, spennende, interessant og gåtefull at det gjør ikke noe at Blix og hans fengselsopphold får en birolle. Her er det mørke familiehemmeligheter, unnlatelsessynder, tapte drømmer, gammelt hat, udødelig kjærlighet og såpass mange skjeletter i skapet at en faktisk hører bein og knokler skrangle gjennom boksidene. Dette var en skikkelig opptur, et friskt pust, og jeg gleder meg stort til «Offer» som daler ned i butikkhyllene neste uke.
October 23, 2023
Stigma is the tense new novel in the Blix and Ramm series by Thomas Enger and Jorn Lier Horst, and this is one of my favourite series in the crime fiction market right now. Following on from what happened in the previous book in the series, Blix is still in prison, still reeling from past events, after he went after his daughter’s killer. And it isn’t good news if you’re a former police officer, and you get a prison sentence. You know instantly you’ll be a target for your fellow inmates. He and Emma have both gone through a lot in this series. Word gets to Blix that convicted killer, Walter Kroos, has escaped from a German prison, and Blix’s friend, journalist Emma Ramm, is on the case trying to locate him, and the pair once again team up, as it is revealed that Walter may be heading to Norway.
Thomas Enger and Jorn Lier Horst have created a really intriguing case with Walter Kroos. There is a lot of history here and it is horrific to read about. As they revisit the past, I sort of found myself feeling sorry for Walter. You can see he is a little bit of an outsider, but he soon finds himself head over heels in love with a young girl called Samantha, who is tipped to become a big star. He meets Samantha when his family visits a campsite in Norway for a holiday. But this is where things start to go wrong for Walter, and you can begin to see the person who he becomes today.
It is really interesting to see how Emma and Blix go about their investigation to track Walter down, particularly as Blix is in prison, and this adds to the tension, even more so as Blix shouldn’t be getting involved in this case, and this could make his position even more precarious. It could also make his situation worse with both the police and his fellow inmates. It is so interesting to see how Blix goes about trying to get answers as to where Walter might be. The danger also increases for Emma, the closer she gets to finding out where Walter is, and it seems that there is far more going on here than what first meets the eye. It becomes Emma’s mission to find out the truth, despite the threat of danger.
It is a smooth flow with the transition between Emma’s point of view and Blix’s, and the chapters told from each of their perspectives, keeps the pace flying forward. I wanted to know what they were both going to do next to track down Walter.
Once again Thomas Enger and Jorn Lier Horst have come up with an exciting, and an exhilarating read for this series. I really do not know where this series is going to go next with that ending, and I hope it means there is another book to come. I highly, highly recommend this series if you haven’t had the chance to read it yet.
Thomas Enger and Jorn Lier Horst have created a really intriguing case with Walter Kroos. There is a lot of history here and it is horrific to read about. As they revisit the past, I sort of found myself feeling sorry for Walter. You can see he is a little bit of an outsider, but he soon finds himself head over heels in love with a young girl called Samantha, who is tipped to become a big star. He meets Samantha when his family visits a campsite in Norway for a holiday. But this is where things start to go wrong for Walter, and you can begin to see the person who he becomes today.
It is really interesting to see how Emma and Blix go about their investigation to track Walter down, particularly as Blix is in prison, and this adds to the tension, even more so as Blix shouldn’t be getting involved in this case, and this could make his position even more precarious. It could also make his situation worse with both the police and his fellow inmates. It is so interesting to see how Blix goes about trying to get answers as to where Walter might be. The danger also increases for Emma, the closer she gets to finding out where Walter is, and it seems that there is far more going on here than what first meets the eye. It becomes Emma’s mission to find out the truth, despite the threat of danger.
It is a smooth flow with the transition between Emma’s point of view and Blix’s, and the chapters told from each of their perspectives, keeps the pace flying forward. I wanted to know what they were both going to do next to track down Walter.
Once again Thomas Enger and Jorn Lier Horst have come up with an exciting, and an exhilarating read for this series. I really do not know where this series is going to go next with that ending, and I hope it means there is another book to come. I highly, highly recommend this series if you haven’t had the chance to read it yet.
June 21, 2024
Gefangen
Alexander Blix ist in Haft, weil er unter unklaren Umständen im Dienst jemanden getötet hat. Als (ehemaliger) Polizist hat er nicht den besten Stand. Dennoch bekommt er mit dem Mithäftling Jarl Inge, der kurz vor der Entlassung steht, etwas näheren Kontakt. Derweil recherchiert die Journalistin Emma Ramm über den Ausbruch eines in Deutschland inhaftierten Menschen, der nach seinem Ausbruch anscheinend auf dem Weg nach Norwegen ist. Offensichtlich ist sein Ziel derselbe Ort, aus dem auch Jarl Inge stammt. Kann das ein Zufall sein? Alexander Blix und Emma Ramm müssen ihre Kräfte bündeln.
In diesem vierten Auftritt müssen Blix und Ramm in ungewöhnlichen Umgebungen agieren. Blix ist wegen der früheren Ereignisse in Hauft und Emma, die immer dicht dran sein will, ist für ihre Recherche aufs Land gefahren. Zum Glück hat Blix die Erlaubnis zu telefonieren, so das er sich Mit Emma austauschen kann. Wieso zieht es den Ausbrecher überhaupt nach Norwegen? Möglicherweise an einen recht abgelegenen Ort. Und was will Blix aus Jarl Inge herausholen? Überhaupt muss Blix sich mit Menschen beschäftigen, die er sonst nur von der anderen Seite des Gitters kannte.
Im Zusammenhang mit dem vorherigen Band betrachtet, wirkt es so, als sei die Handlung nur deshalb so konstruiert worden, damit Blix zu dieser Zeit im Gefängnis sein kann, um für einen Ermittlungsansatz präsent zu sein. Dafür wurde ein recht hoher Preis bezahlt, der einen die Reihe doch weniger mögen lässt. Auch der Handlungsstrang um Emma könnte als hölzern empfunden werden. Es werden Gefahren heraufbeschworen, die keine sind, um dann möglicherweise echte Gefahren zu harmlos erscheinen zu lassen. Zwar wird der Fortgang der Geschichte routiniert spannend beschrieben, doch insgesamt findet man mitunter nicht den richtigen Zugang zum Geschehen. Klar gibt es Opfer, die lange Zeit unter den Folgen leiden, aber auch in Norwegen sollte es möglich sein, Hilfe zu finden, auch wenn die Familie ihren Pflichten zur Hilfeleistung nicht nachkommt. Gut sind allerdings die Irreführungen, die das Autorenduo ihren Lesern unterbreitet. Vielleicht hat die Reihe ihren Zenith ein wenig überschritten, dennoch ein fesselnder Thriller, der kurzweilige Lektüre bietet.
Alexander Blix ist in Haft, weil er unter unklaren Umständen im Dienst jemanden getötet hat. Als (ehemaliger) Polizist hat er nicht den besten Stand. Dennoch bekommt er mit dem Mithäftling Jarl Inge, der kurz vor der Entlassung steht, etwas näheren Kontakt. Derweil recherchiert die Journalistin Emma Ramm über den Ausbruch eines in Deutschland inhaftierten Menschen, der nach seinem Ausbruch anscheinend auf dem Weg nach Norwegen ist. Offensichtlich ist sein Ziel derselbe Ort, aus dem auch Jarl Inge stammt. Kann das ein Zufall sein? Alexander Blix und Emma Ramm müssen ihre Kräfte bündeln.
In diesem vierten Auftritt müssen Blix und Ramm in ungewöhnlichen Umgebungen agieren. Blix ist wegen der früheren Ereignisse in Hauft und Emma, die immer dicht dran sein will, ist für ihre Recherche aufs Land gefahren. Zum Glück hat Blix die Erlaubnis zu telefonieren, so das er sich Mit Emma austauschen kann. Wieso zieht es den Ausbrecher überhaupt nach Norwegen? Möglicherweise an einen recht abgelegenen Ort. Und was will Blix aus Jarl Inge herausholen? Überhaupt muss Blix sich mit Menschen beschäftigen, die er sonst nur von der anderen Seite des Gitters kannte.
Im Zusammenhang mit dem vorherigen Band betrachtet, wirkt es so, als sei die Handlung nur deshalb so konstruiert worden, damit Blix zu dieser Zeit im Gefängnis sein kann, um für einen Ermittlungsansatz präsent zu sein. Dafür wurde ein recht hoher Preis bezahlt, der einen die Reihe doch weniger mögen lässt. Auch der Handlungsstrang um Emma könnte als hölzern empfunden werden. Es werden Gefahren heraufbeschworen, die keine sind, um dann möglicherweise echte Gefahren zu harmlos erscheinen zu lassen. Zwar wird der Fortgang der Geschichte routiniert spannend beschrieben, doch insgesamt findet man mitunter nicht den richtigen Zugang zum Geschehen. Klar gibt es Opfer, die lange Zeit unter den Folgen leiden, aber auch in Norwegen sollte es möglich sein, Hilfe zu finden, auch wenn die Familie ihren Pflichten zur Hilfeleistung nicht nachkommt. Gut sind allerdings die Irreführungen, die das Autorenduo ihren Lesern unterbreitet. Vielleicht hat die Reihe ihren Zenith ein wenig überschritten, dennoch ein fesselnder Thriller, der kurzweilige Lektüre bietet.
October 24, 2023
This is the fourth book in the Blix and Ramm series, however it can be enjoyed as a stand-alone novel.
Alexander Blix, a former police officer, is a broken man. He’s currently serving a prison sentence for murdering his daughter’s killer.
Life inside the prison isn’t easy for Blix, because of his former profession. He recognises some of the inmates as the ones he had arrested in his previous life.
He gets a lot of angst from one inmate, Jarl Inge Ree, who wishes to be the top dog in the facility.
Blix’s former boss reaches out to him and informs him that a dangerous criminal, Walter Kroos, escaped from a German prison. It is believed that Kroos is on his way to Norway.
Emma Ramm, a journalist and Blix’s friend, is the only person to visit him in prison. He enlists her help to find more information about Walter Kroos and his link to Norway.
Why would a German national be on his way to Norway?
The answer lies in the past…
I loved this book! I was so engrossed with the dual timeline, particularly when it mentioned the past.
I was glued to my seat trying to piece together Samantha and Walter’s history and how it all tied together to what was happening in the present.
It’s a dark story with a difficult theme of how a past occurrence can shape one’s future. Very powerful.
I definitely recommend this book.
Alexander Blix, a former police officer, is a broken man. He’s currently serving a prison sentence for murdering his daughter’s killer.
Life inside the prison isn’t easy for Blix, because of his former profession. He recognises some of the inmates as the ones he had arrested in his previous life.
He gets a lot of angst from one inmate, Jarl Inge Ree, who wishes to be the top dog in the facility.
Blix’s former boss reaches out to him and informs him that a dangerous criminal, Walter Kroos, escaped from a German prison. It is believed that Kroos is on his way to Norway.
Emma Ramm, a journalist and Blix’s friend, is the only person to visit him in prison. He enlists her help to find more information about Walter Kroos and his link to Norway.
Why would a German national be on his way to Norway?
The answer lies in the past…
I loved this book! I was so engrossed with the dual timeline, particularly when it mentioned the past.
I was glued to my seat trying to piece together Samantha and Walter’s history and how it all tied together to what was happening in the present.
It’s a dark story with a difficult theme of how a past occurrence can shape one’s future. Very powerful.
I definitely recommend this book.
September 16, 2023
Dit boek is het vervolg op Slagzij, dat met een enorme cliffhanger stopte. Altijd jammer dat je het boek al een tijdje geleden hebt gelezen en je in je geheugen moet graven om de draad te vinden. Maar de Blix&Ramm Thrillers zitten zo goed in elkaar dat je dat erbij neemt.
Alexander Blix zit in de gevangenis voor het doden van de moordenaar van zijn dochter. Een levensgevaarlijke situatie voor een flik onder gevangenen.
De moordenaar Walter Kroos is in Duitsland ontsnapt uit de gevangenis en heeft de grens naar Noorwegen overgestoken. Hij zou een contact in de gevangenis hebben en Blix krijgt de opdracht meer over die persoon te wete te komen.
Journaliste Emma Ramm houdt contact met Blix en spoort op eigen houtje Kroos op , een levensgevaarlijke situatie. Het spoor leidt naar Osen, een bosrijke nederzetting ten noorden van Oslo, waar verschillende inwoners duidelijk geheimen met zich meedragen?
De proloog neemt je onmiddellijk mee maar het wordt pas later duidelijk wie de twee bellers waren. Spannend en het zit knap in elkaar. De ontknoping is misschien wat te snel afgehaspeld.
Alexander Blix zit in de gevangenis voor het doden van de moordenaar van zijn dochter. Een levensgevaarlijke situatie voor een flik onder gevangenen.
De moordenaar Walter Kroos is in Duitsland ontsnapt uit de gevangenis en heeft de grens naar Noorwegen overgestoken. Hij zou een contact in de gevangenis hebben en Blix krijgt de opdracht meer over die persoon te wete te komen.
Journaliste Emma Ramm houdt contact met Blix en spoort op eigen houtje Kroos op , een levensgevaarlijke situatie. Het spoor leidt naar Osen, een bosrijke nederzetting ten noorden van Oslo, waar verschillende inwoners duidelijk geheimen met zich meedragen?
De proloog neemt je onmiddellijk mee maar het wordt pas later duidelijk wie de twee bellers waren. Spannend en het zit knap in elkaar. De ontknoping is misschien wat te snel afgehaspeld.
December 5, 2023
The wonderful life of Blix and Emma continues in this fourth book.
Blix is incarcerated and Emma is using her journalistic abilities on a story that unpacks another, more tragic, horrific and sad tale set in a quiet village where everybody knows your business.
Fabulously paced to keep you going - I was up til the early hours to finish this.
I am so looking forward to the next ten books!
Blix is incarcerated and Emma is using her journalistic abilities on a story that unpacks another, more tragic, horrific and sad tale set in a quiet village where everybody knows your business.
Fabulously paced to keep you going - I was up til the early hours to finish this.
I am so looking forward to the next ten books!
August 5, 2023
3,5/5
April 19, 2024
Spannend... und richtig gut, dass Blix im Vordergrund steht - da fällt die ab und an nervige Journalistin weniger auf ;)
Insgesamt passen alle Teile (1 bis 5 nun gelesen) gelungen zusammen.
Insgesamt passen alle Teile (1 bis 5 nun gelesen) gelungen zusammen.
September 9, 2023
These writers really do like to make things difficult for their characters. I mean, nothing can really eclipse the personal loss experienced by Emma Ramm and Alexander Blix over the last two novels. Fans will know what I mean - those two were real knife in the guts moments that totally knocked us all for six - readers and characters alike. But still ... It's fair to say that life has continued on a downward spiral for Blix, his career, understandably, in tatters, and as for Emma ... Well she's starting to wonder about her career and life choices too.
I really enjoyed this book. I love catching up with these characters and although things are very different this time around, Blix somewhat subdued even by his own standards, there is just something completely irresistible about the pairing. And there is something equally irresistible, and enthralling about this story too. A convicted murderer, escaped from a German prison, thought to be on his way north to Norway. We get to witness his crime, his actions played out on the page quite cleverly by the authors, but it is the why which remains a mystery. And how this ties him to Norway, or even why his escape should be of interest to Blix, given his current circumstances, is also somewhat of a mystery. It all soon becomes clear, but by this point I was completely hooked either way. And what an intriguing premise too. Just how does a former Detective manage to help in the search for a missing convict from his new found position behind bars?
If you were in any doubt that this whole scenario could work, fear not. These are two very accomplished authors here and they manage to make this whole story not only plausible but completely compelling too. Using Blix's position as a prisoner and fellow inmate to someone who may have links to the missing man, and allowing Emma the freedom to visit the town where they believe he may be headed, serves to give us two very different perspectives on the same investigation, both laced with tension and jeopardy. After all, a former Cop in prison is hardly high on the list of confessional partners for their fellow prisoners, and the price of gaining that crucial knowledge is less than. palatable. As for Emma, it's fair to say that there are few people in Osen who want to help her rake through the town's past either. The odds are stacked against them both, and you can feel the trepidation, and the fear, build with each turn of the page.
The authors move the story, and readers, back and forth through time with ease, slowly revealing the shocking events from the past that have come to direct the present. As always the transition between points of view is seamless, and I am always in awe at the way in which the fluidity of the action and the narrative voice continues from scene to scene. Their ability to create setting and character is superb. Whether stalking through the corridors of the prison, or stepping over the roots, flora and fauna of Osen's forest, I really felt like I was there right in the thick of the action with out two protagonists. As for character, be it Blix and Ramm, or the new faces that we meet with each investigation, the pair manager to given them such life and authenticity that we quickly get to know them and become invested in their fates - be they good or bad in nature.
This is a case founded on shocking secrets, with the true motivations of the characters kept very carefully hidden until the crucial time. Whilst it was possible to second guess part of the story, it really was only part, and the are some very unexpected confessions to be heard. It makes for uncomfortable reading at times. It is also a story that is laced with unease. We know far more than our protagonists about certain elements of what is going on, creating some real edge of the seat moments where you get the feeling anything could happen, and none of it would be good. Definitely towards the as we build towards the almost inevitable conclusion to the story, the pace starts to pick up and the situation, for one of our heroes at least, is pretty dire and perhaps beyond salvation.
And those final pages ... That teasing, maybe hopeful, maybe not ending that the authors have left us with. I should really hate the pair of them for it, especially after last time, but I just can't. The books are too good, the stories too alluring. They give me everything I want in a book - mystery, tension and action. With Stigma, they have delivered an original story, backed up by authentic and sympathetic characters that I have really grown to care about. Loving this series more with each book. Definitely recommended.
I really enjoyed this book. I love catching up with these characters and although things are very different this time around, Blix somewhat subdued even by his own standards, there is just something completely irresistible about the pairing. And there is something equally irresistible, and enthralling about this story too. A convicted murderer, escaped from a German prison, thought to be on his way north to Norway. We get to witness his crime, his actions played out on the page quite cleverly by the authors, but it is the why which remains a mystery. And how this ties him to Norway, or even why his escape should be of interest to Blix, given his current circumstances, is also somewhat of a mystery. It all soon becomes clear, but by this point I was completely hooked either way. And what an intriguing premise too. Just how does a former Detective manage to help in the search for a missing convict from his new found position behind bars?
If you were in any doubt that this whole scenario could work, fear not. These are two very accomplished authors here and they manage to make this whole story not only plausible but completely compelling too. Using Blix's position as a prisoner and fellow inmate to someone who may have links to the missing man, and allowing Emma the freedom to visit the town where they believe he may be headed, serves to give us two very different perspectives on the same investigation, both laced with tension and jeopardy. After all, a former Cop in prison is hardly high on the list of confessional partners for their fellow prisoners, and the price of gaining that crucial knowledge is less than. palatable. As for Emma, it's fair to say that there are few people in Osen who want to help her rake through the town's past either. The odds are stacked against them both, and you can feel the trepidation, and the fear, build with each turn of the page.
The authors move the story, and readers, back and forth through time with ease, slowly revealing the shocking events from the past that have come to direct the present. As always the transition between points of view is seamless, and I am always in awe at the way in which the fluidity of the action and the narrative voice continues from scene to scene. Their ability to create setting and character is superb. Whether stalking through the corridors of the prison, or stepping over the roots, flora and fauna of Osen's forest, I really felt like I was there right in the thick of the action with out two protagonists. As for character, be it Blix and Ramm, or the new faces that we meet with each investigation, the pair manager to given them such life and authenticity that we quickly get to know them and become invested in their fates - be they good or bad in nature.
This is a case founded on shocking secrets, with the true motivations of the characters kept very carefully hidden until the crucial time. Whilst it was possible to second guess part of the story, it really was only part, and the are some very unexpected confessions to be heard. It makes for uncomfortable reading at times. It is also a story that is laced with unease. We know far more than our protagonists about certain elements of what is going on, creating some real edge of the seat moments where you get the feeling anything could happen, and none of it would be good. Definitely towards the as we build towards the almost inevitable conclusion to the story, the pace starts to pick up and the situation, for one of our heroes at least, is pretty dire and perhaps beyond salvation.
And those final pages ... That teasing, maybe hopeful, maybe not ending that the authors have left us with. I should really hate the pair of them for it, especially after last time, but I just can't. The books are too good, the stories too alluring. They give me everything I want in a book - mystery, tension and action. With Stigma, they have delivered an original story, backed up by authentic and sympathetic characters that I have really grown to care about. Loving this series more with each book. Definitely recommended.
October 3, 2022
En av de bedre Lier Horst og Engerbøkene. Noe langt midtparti, men spennende avslutning.
July 23, 2023
I finished this book in only three days. Couldn’t stop reading! Loved it and can’t wait for the next book in the series.
August 4, 2024
Liked the book and the characters. Lost the review.
September 8, 2023
Bývalý policajt vo väzení. Novinárka, ktorá sa pustila po stope dvojnásobného nemeckého vraha. A celý čas počujete hrkotať kosti...až začnú kostlivci vypadávať zo skrine. A spôsobujú problémy, tajomstvá vychádzajú na povrch a ľudia zomierajú...
Výborne vystavané tajomstvo, ktoré siaha roky dozadu a ktoré zanechalo na mnohých jazvy...a tie sa niekedy hoja naozaj ťažko. Mimoriadne obľúbená severská séria, ktorú predali Nóri už do 18 krajín a darí sa im najmä v Nemecku, Holandsku, či Poľsku. Jazvy je štvrtá časť prípadov inšpektora Alexandra Blixa a novinárky Emmy Rammovej.
„Nič nie je jednoduché,“ povedala. „Nie jednoduché žiť s jazvami, ktoré sú zaryté hlboko pod kožou. Ale snažím sa, robím, čo sa dá.“
Jazvy je skvelá severská detektívka dvoch špičkových autorov. Obaja majú na konte viacero úspešných bestsellerov. Jorn Lier Horst sériu s Williamom Wistingom a Thomas Enger s novinárom Henningom Juulom, ktorý stratil pri požiari syna a vracia sa do internetových novín.
Autori spojili sily a evidentne sa pri písaní bavili. Je to premyslené, majú výborné dialógy, ktoré veľa vysvetľujú a posúvajú vás ďalej v príbehu aj v samotnom pátraní. A hoci tam nenájdete toľko napätia, či akčných scén, budete si príbeh vychutnávať.
Je pravdou, že v druhej polovici je to najmä o skladaní mozaiky, rozhovory vám všeličo osvetľujú, skladáte si indície a pre niektorých čitateľov to môže byť zdĺhavé. Ak teda čakajú veľa akcie...no inak je to výborne vystavané a každý rozhovor má svoj zmysel.
No a nakoniec sa všetko uzavrie, všetky tajomstvá vyjdú na povrch a bude tam aj akcia, pri ktorej pôjde o život obom naším hrdinom. A verte, že je to parádne podané, na pár stranách, pri ktorých nebudete ani dýchať.
Jazvy, to je ten typ severskej detektívky, kde netreba brutalitu, potoky krvi, akciu a drsnosť... Ak máte radi postupné vyšetrovanie, krok za krokom, hľadanie stôp, spájanie indícií, rozhovory s možnými svedkami...začítajte sa do tejto novinky a nebudete ľutovať.
Ako viete, spojenie Blixa a Emmy siaha až do dávnej minulosti. Blix totiž zachránil Emmu pred smrťou, keď ju ohrozoval jej vlastný otec. Krátko predtým zabil svoju manželku a bol rozhodnutí zabiť aj svoju dcéru.
Práve táto dvojica je veľmi sympatická, ich vzťah akoby otca s dcérou, čo dodáva príbehom iskru a emócie.
Možno sa chcel s niekým stretnúť alebo sa s niekým rozlúčiť – s umierajúcim príbuzným... alebo starou láskou. Možno túžil dokonať niečo, čo začal, dotiahnuť to do konca. Ale ani jedna z jeho teórií sa mu nepozdávala do takej miery, že by si ju poznačil. Zabubnoval si ceruzkou o zuby a potom ju znova pritisol k papieru. V tomto bol dobrý. Vedel uvažovať a tvoriť teórie. Podľa neho jediné, čo by takto živilo plán úteku, bola nenávisť a intenzívna túžba po pomste.
Výborne vystavané tajomstvo, ktoré siaha roky dozadu a ktoré zanechalo na mnohých jazvy...a tie sa niekedy hoja naozaj ťažko. Mimoriadne obľúbená severská séria, ktorú predali Nóri už do 18 krajín a darí sa im najmä v Nemecku, Holandsku, či Poľsku. Jazvy je štvrtá časť prípadov inšpektora Alexandra Blixa a novinárky Emmy Rammovej.
„Nič nie je jednoduché,“ povedala. „Nie jednoduché žiť s jazvami, ktoré sú zaryté hlboko pod kožou. Ale snažím sa, robím, čo sa dá.“
Jazvy je skvelá severská detektívka dvoch špičkových autorov. Obaja majú na konte viacero úspešných bestsellerov. Jorn Lier Horst sériu s Williamom Wistingom a Thomas Enger s novinárom Henningom Juulom, ktorý stratil pri požiari syna a vracia sa do internetových novín.
Autori spojili sily a evidentne sa pri písaní bavili. Je to premyslené, majú výborné dialógy, ktoré veľa vysvetľujú a posúvajú vás ďalej v príbehu aj v samotnom pátraní. A hoci tam nenájdete toľko napätia, či akčných scén, budete si príbeh vychutnávať.
Je pravdou, že v druhej polovici je to najmä o skladaní mozaiky, rozhovory vám všeličo osvetľujú, skladáte si indície a pre niektorých čitateľov to môže byť zdĺhavé. Ak teda čakajú veľa akcie...no inak je to výborne vystavané a každý rozhovor má svoj zmysel.
No a nakoniec sa všetko uzavrie, všetky tajomstvá vyjdú na povrch a bude tam aj akcia, pri ktorej pôjde o život obom naším hrdinom. A verte, že je to parádne podané, na pár stranách, pri ktorých nebudete ani dýchať.
Jazvy, to je ten typ severskej detektívky, kde netreba brutalitu, potoky krvi, akciu a drsnosť... Ak máte radi postupné vyšetrovanie, krok za krokom, hľadanie stôp, spájanie indícií, rozhovory s možnými svedkami...začítajte sa do tejto novinky a nebudete ľutovať.
Ako viete, spojenie Blixa a Emmy siaha až do dávnej minulosti. Blix totiž zachránil Emmu pred smrťou, keď ju ohrozoval jej vlastný otec. Krátko predtým zabil svoju manželku a bol rozhodnutí zabiť aj svoju dcéru.
Práve táto dvojica je veľmi sympatická, ich vzťah akoby otca s dcérou, čo dodáva príbehom iskru a emócie.
Možno sa chcel s niekým stretnúť alebo sa s niekým rozlúčiť – s umierajúcim príbuzným... alebo starou láskou. Možno túžil dokonať niečo, čo začal, dotiahnuť to do konca. Ale ani jedna z jeho teórií sa mu nepozdávala do takej miery, že by si ju poznačil. Zabubnoval si ceruzkou o zuby a potom ju znova pritisol k papieru. V tomto bol dobrý. Vedel uvažovať a tvoriť teórie. Podľa neho jediné, čo by takto živilo plán úteku, bola nenávisť a intenzívna túžba po pomste.
June 18, 2023
Jørn Lier Horst & Thomas Enger - Stigma
Het 4e deel in de populaire Noorse thrillerserie met rechercheur Blix en journaliste Ramm in de hoofdrol.
Anders dan anders begin ik mijn recensie deze keer niet met de achterflap van het boek. Naar mijn inziens bevat het een te grote spoiler en laat ik de lezer er liever zelf achterkomen waarom Blix in dit boek geen rechercheur in functie meer is.
In dit deel is een Duitse moordenaar ontsnapt uit de gevangenis en onderweg naar Noorwegen. Het is aan de oud collega's van Blix om te ontdekken wat hij daar komt doen en wat de connectie is. Emma kan niet zitten toekijken en start haar eigen onderzoek waarvan ze verslag uitbrengt aan Blix. Ze volgt het spoor naar Osen waar enkele bewoners zwijgen over hun gezamenlijke verleden.
"Stigma" komt heel origineel uit de hoek door de ervaren Blix op non-actief te zetten en Emma op de voorgrond te plaatsen. Als jonge journaliste staat ze haar mannetje in het harde wereldje en durft ze de vragen te stellen die niet beantwoord willen worden.
Ze brengt zichzelf in gevaar door op haar gevoel af te gaan. Zal Blix er in slagen haar op tijd te vinden en te doen wat hij al eerder deed .. Emma redden uit de handen van een moordenaar.
De verhaallijn van de moordenaar zelf gaf je een duidelijke inkijk in zijn jeugd en hoe hij geworden is wat hij vandaag de dag is. Een getroebleerde jongen die door zijn vader steeds genegeerd werd tot de stoppen bij hem doorsloegen.
Na een lange tijd zonder een nieuwe release was ik dan ook heel tevreden dat er een nieuw deel verscheen. Beide heren weten hun personages en plot zo te construeren dat er steeds een bestseller uit voort vloeit. Een sterk samenwerkingsverband waarbij je niet kan zeggen dat dit boek door 2 auteurs werd geschreven. Als je het mij vraagt worden ze samen één en stapt de ene in de huid van Blix en de andere in Ramm. Het boek ademt ervaren schrijfwerk.
Voor veel lezers zijn Blix & Ramm vaste vrienden geworden in het Scandi genre en dat is voor mij niet anders.
🌟🌟🌟🌟
Bedankt @standaarduitgeverij en @awbruna voor het recensie exemplaar.
Het 4e deel in de populaire Noorse thrillerserie met rechercheur Blix en journaliste Ramm in de hoofdrol.
Anders dan anders begin ik mijn recensie deze keer niet met de achterflap van het boek. Naar mijn inziens bevat het een te grote spoiler en laat ik de lezer er liever zelf achterkomen waarom Blix in dit boek geen rechercheur in functie meer is.
In dit deel is een Duitse moordenaar ontsnapt uit de gevangenis en onderweg naar Noorwegen. Het is aan de oud collega's van Blix om te ontdekken wat hij daar komt doen en wat de connectie is. Emma kan niet zitten toekijken en start haar eigen onderzoek waarvan ze verslag uitbrengt aan Blix. Ze volgt het spoor naar Osen waar enkele bewoners zwijgen over hun gezamenlijke verleden.
"Stigma" komt heel origineel uit de hoek door de ervaren Blix op non-actief te zetten en Emma op de voorgrond te plaatsen. Als jonge journaliste staat ze haar mannetje in het harde wereldje en durft ze de vragen te stellen die niet beantwoord willen worden.
Ze brengt zichzelf in gevaar door op haar gevoel af te gaan. Zal Blix er in slagen haar op tijd te vinden en te doen wat hij al eerder deed .. Emma redden uit de handen van een moordenaar.
De verhaallijn van de moordenaar zelf gaf je een duidelijke inkijk in zijn jeugd en hoe hij geworden is wat hij vandaag de dag is. Een getroebleerde jongen die door zijn vader steeds genegeerd werd tot de stoppen bij hem doorsloegen.
Na een lange tijd zonder een nieuwe release was ik dan ook heel tevreden dat er een nieuw deel verscheen. Beide heren weten hun personages en plot zo te construeren dat er steeds een bestseller uit voort vloeit. Een sterk samenwerkingsverband waarbij je niet kan zeggen dat dit boek door 2 auteurs werd geschreven. Als je het mij vraagt worden ze samen één en stapt de ene in de huid van Blix en de andere in Ramm. Het boek ademt ervaren schrijfwerk.
Voor veel lezers zijn Blix & Ramm vaste vrienden geworden in het Scandi genre en dat is voor mij niet anders.
🌟🌟🌟🌟
Bedankt @standaarduitgeverij en @awbruna voor het recensie exemplaar.
October 23, 2023
Stigma is the fourth book in the reliably excellent Blix and Ramm series, co-authored by Jørn Lier Horst and Thomas Enger. It can be read as a standalone, however, I would strongly recommend reading at least the previous novel, Unhinged and ideally the whole series, if you can. The powerfully moving ongoing story arc can be easily understood but the emotional resonance will obviously be felt more deeply by those who are familiar with these characters.
I loved Unhinged, it was one of my favourite reads last year and I've been eagerly awaiting this next instalment in the series. I wasn't disappointed; the alchemy between these two writers is as strong as ever and Stigma is everything I hope for whenever I open a new book. The beautifully structured narrative mostly follows Alexander Blix as he negotiates life as an incarcerated police officer and Emma Ramm, whose journalistic instincts are tempered by her previous experiences, but readers also bear witness to the perspective of other characters – in the past and well as the present. The result is an increasingly tense, complex thriller which teems with confrontations and revelations.
Blix is, understandably, a diminished man here; he is serving a prison sentence which finds him locked up with criminals who relish making life uncomfortable for him. This is most notably true of Jarl Inge Rees who is at the top of the prison's hierarchy and whose constant intimidation and humiliation of Blix threatens to escalate into actual violence. These taut scenes highlight just how far Blix has fallen but this grieving, guilt-ridden man is forced to react on occasion and consequently, the request that he should attempt to form some kind of bond with Rees is intriguing.
The opening of Stigma features a brutal murder and it later transpires it is even more tragic than it first appears. The perpetrator, Walter Kroos is a fascinating character whose devastating history lies at the heart of this compelling mystery. After his escape from prison in Germany, it quickly becomes clear that he is headed for Norway and that he is somehow linked to Rees. Blix is restricted in what he can do to investigate Rees and while his years of experience lead to one particularly nerve-racking scene, for the most part it's Emma Ramm who becomes his conduit on the outside. Although Blix has obviously undergone a deeply traumatic, life-changing ordeal, Emma also suffers from the weight of what occurred before and there's an interesting juxtaposition between her natural inquisitiveness and her growing need to reassess her life.
When she travels to Osen and begins to piece together the terrible events of the past, it becomes evident that Stigma is a poignantly perceptive exploration of the decisions and mistakes which end up having a cataclysmic effect on people's lives. Whether it's Blix, Ramm or the small group of people who know at least part of what took place on a campsite in Osen years ago, this is a story filled with terrible regret and a desire to rectify those wrongs. However, this need proves to burn dangerously in some and Stigma is a compulsively opaque thriller. There are shocking revelations throughout the novel and the twists and turns of the plot are riveting – the small town setting and closely linked community lends itself perfectly to a mystery brimming with dark secrets. Some difficult topics are examined here but although the subject matter is upsetting and challenging, it is reflected upon with sensitivity and understanding and the title is particularly apt.
Stigma is everything I'm looking for in crime fiction; the sense of place is excellent, the characterisation nuanced and believable and the pacy, dynamic storyline is superbly suspenseful. However, what really elevates this novel – and indeed series – from great to exceptional is the potently empathetic, perceptive writing. The collaboration between Jørn Lier Horst and Thomas Enger is exemplary; it's impossible to figure out who wrote which parts. High praise must also be given to Megan Turney's seamless translation which captures all the atmosphere, tension and emotions of this outstanding thriller. Stigma is a darkly compulsive, exciting and thought-provoking triumph – I cannot recommend it highly enough!
I loved Unhinged, it was one of my favourite reads last year and I've been eagerly awaiting this next instalment in the series. I wasn't disappointed; the alchemy between these two writers is as strong as ever and Stigma is everything I hope for whenever I open a new book. The beautifully structured narrative mostly follows Alexander Blix as he negotiates life as an incarcerated police officer and Emma Ramm, whose journalistic instincts are tempered by her previous experiences, but readers also bear witness to the perspective of other characters – in the past and well as the present. The result is an increasingly tense, complex thriller which teems with confrontations and revelations.
Blix is, understandably, a diminished man here; he is serving a prison sentence which finds him locked up with criminals who relish making life uncomfortable for him. This is most notably true of Jarl Inge Rees who is at the top of the prison's hierarchy and whose constant intimidation and humiliation of Blix threatens to escalate into actual violence. These taut scenes highlight just how far Blix has fallen but this grieving, guilt-ridden man is forced to react on occasion and consequently, the request that he should attempt to form some kind of bond with Rees is intriguing.
The opening of Stigma features a brutal murder and it later transpires it is even more tragic than it first appears. The perpetrator, Walter Kroos is a fascinating character whose devastating history lies at the heart of this compelling mystery. After his escape from prison in Germany, it quickly becomes clear that he is headed for Norway and that he is somehow linked to Rees. Blix is restricted in what he can do to investigate Rees and while his years of experience lead to one particularly nerve-racking scene, for the most part it's Emma Ramm who becomes his conduit on the outside. Although Blix has obviously undergone a deeply traumatic, life-changing ordeal, Emma also suffers from the weight of what occurred before and there's an interesting juxtaposition between her natural inquisitiveness and her growing need to reassess her life.
When she travels to Osen and begins to piece together the terrible events of the past, it becomes evident that Stigma is a poignantly perceptive exploration of the decisions and mistakes which end up having a cataclysmic effect on people's lives. Whether it's Blix, Ramm or the small group of people who know at least part of what took place on a campsite in Osen years ago, this is a story filled with terrible regret and a desire to rectify those wrongs. However, this need proves to burn dangerously in some and Stigma is a compulsively opaque thriller. There are shocking revelations throughout the novel and the twists and turns of the plot are riveting – the small town setting and closely linked community lends itself perfectly to a mystery brimming with dark secrets. Some difficult topics are examined here but although the subject matter is upsetting and challenging, it is reflected upon with sensitivity and understanding and the title is particularly apt.
Stigma is everything I'm looking for in crime fiction; the sense of place is excellent, the characterisation nuanced and believable and the pacy, dynamic storyline is superbly suspenseful. However, what really elevates this novel – and indeed series – from great to exceptional is the potently empathetic, perceptive writing. The collaboration between Jørn Lier Horst and Thomas Enger is exemplary; it's impossible to figure out who wrote which parts. High praise must also be given to Megan Turney's seamless translation which captures all the atmosphere, tension and emotions of this outstanding thriller. Stigma is a darkly compulsive, exciting and thought-provoking triumph – I cannot recommend it highly enough!
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