The Owl Always Hunts at Night

When a teenage girl is found dead in a forest clearing, in what appears to be a ritualistic killing, Holger Munch ( head of Oslo's homicide unit) and Detective Mia Krüger have virtually no forensic evidence from the crime scene to help with their inquiries.

Krüger has been signed off from work while receiving psychological assessment, but Munch brings her back in an unofficial deal to work this case – he believes that she can spot things that some would too easily overlook, that she somehow has instincts that others lack. Munch has his own issues, he's still obsessed with his ex-wife, and finds it impossible to move on. He's grumpy, overweight, completely unfit, and a chain smoker to boot.

This investigation isn't going to be solved any time soon – there are numerous suspects, with many false trails, and while the finger of suspicion is pointed, there is never quite enough evidence to bring about a conviction, until their hard work is eventually rewarded with the result they've been desperate to achieve.

I have to be honest and say that this was a particularly depressing cast of characters. We're used to reading about flawed/damaged detectives, but every single character appeared to have some psychological issue. That said, it was a compelling read. The plot was extremely complex, and included one really sick individual, but the narrative completely grips the reader. There was one sentence towards the end of the book that was in itself an absolute bombshell, but it was announced calmly and without any fanfare – so much so, that I had to read it again just to make sure that I'd read it correctly [a piece of genius in terms of writing].

Samuel Bjørk has created a dark and disturbing Nordic thriller, which (though not fast paced or action packed) still managed to fill the pages with a real chill factor, and a constant feeling of dread.

I would definitely recommend this one - whenever I put it down, I was impatient to get back to where I'd left off, but I believe that the main protagonist’s psychological issues may have been a tad overplayed.

Translated by Charlotte Barsland