When police investigator Sofia Kovic uncovers a startling connection between several Oslo murder cases, she attempts to contact her closest superior, Alexander Blix before involving anyone else in the department. But before Blix has time to return her call, Kovic is shot and killed in her own home – execution style. And in the apartment below, Blix’s daughter Iselin narrowly escapes becoming the killer’s next victim.
Four days later, Blix and online crime journalist Emma Ramm are locked inside an interrogation room, facing the National Criminal Investigation Service. Blix has shot and killed a man, and Ramm saw it all happen.
As Iselin’s life hangs in the balance, under-fire Blix no longer knows who he can trust … and he’s not even certain that he’s killed the right man…
Two of Nordic Noir’s most brilliant writers return with the explosive, staggeringly accomplished, emotive third instalment in the international, bestselling Blix & Ramm series … and it will take your breath away.
I am so thrilled to be sharing my ebook publication day review of Unhinged today. Huge thanks to Orenda Books for my advance copy of the book. Happy publication day to Thomas and Jørn!
Unhinged is the third book in Jørn Lier Horst and Thomas Enger's excellent series featuring an experienced detective, Alexander Blix and young news blogger, Emma Ramm, and while it's not necessary to have read the first two novels, I'd highly recommend that you do. I loved Death Deserved and Smoke Screen and it's a testament to their quality that despite having read several crime thrillers since, I can still readily recall the plot of both. However, Unhinged takes the series to the next level and won't just be a book I'll be recommending as often as possible in 2022; it's guaranteed a place on my all-time favourites list.
So why did I love it so much? I'm not sure I can do it justice but I'll try to sum up why it resonated so strongly with me. The novel opens with Blix on the other side of the interview table as he answers questions about how and why he came to shoot and kill a man. Much of the storyline then takes us back and forth, describing the inexorable course of events which lead to the terrible moments that will change Blix's life forever. By switching between a present where a grim Blix and uncertain Ramm disclose their respective roles in what occurred, and the events of just a few days ago where we observe what really happened, we begin to make assumptions and form theories about the dreadful events which resulted in Blix's daughter, Iselin becoming caught up in the horror.
This is a very personal case for Blix and it threatens to change his relationships with everybody in his life, including Emma. The pair have a unique bond due to their shared history but as the later chapters reveal the devastating repercussions, it becomes severely strained here. It's necessary and inevitable for a crime series to feature some form of conflict between its protagonists but it feels achingly authentic in Unhinged. Both Blix and Ramm make decisions which will haunt them but it's impossible not to empathise with them, even when it's horribly likely that they are making a mistake. They are desperate, broken, scared and angry and that's a potentially destructive combination which makes for compulsive, nail-biting reading.
The murder of Blix's colleague, Sofia Kovic is the catalyst for what follows and both he and Emma need to figure out why she was looking more closely at apparently unconnected cases. I managed to guess the perpetrator ahead of the investigation but I'm sure it's obvious that it didn't affect my enjoyment of the book in the slightest. Crime is more than the who, it's also the why and the dark recesses of a killer's mind are explored in Unhinged without resorting to gratuitous violence; this is a thoughtful and consequently deeply chilling examination of the motive behind murder.
However, the uncomfortable truth is that Blix has killed too and not just here; he has been responsible for the death of two people in the past too, including Emma's father. Those deaths were judged to have been justifiable but there's a huge question mark hanging over whether the same verdict will be reached this time. Blix clearly isn't a dangerous criminal, he's a man who has dedicated his life to helping others through their most trying times but doubts are gradually cast about his character. What really happened in the heat of the moment and why? Did the lines between being a police officer and a father become so blurred that any of the usual boundaries no longer applied? As Blix faces the consequences of his actions, unsure who he can still trust and with the bond he had with a regretful Emma seemingly irreparably damaged, she is left to investigate any hunches and potential leads alone. There's such a powerful, heartbreaking rawness to this story, the anguish of these characters becomes almost visceral; this one of those books you feel as much as read. The intricate, compelling plot allows the tense investigation and the poignant unravelling of lives torn apart by guilt and fury to be woven impeccably together and the first-class translation by Megan Turney ensures the sense of place is never lost while the narrative flows as smoothly as if it was originally written in English.
After spending much of the book either holding my breath or fighting back the tears, I was torn as I reached the end; almost too scared to know what would happen and yet unable to tear my eyes from the page. The stunning conclusion left me reeling but so too did the preceding pages, all of which thrilled, moved and shocked me as only most exceptional fiction can. If you've not yet discovered Blix & Ramm then make it your New Year resolution. I adored Unhinged more than I can put into words. Intense, dark, emotional and utterly outstanding!
Unhinged is published by Orenda Books and is available now in ebook. The paperback will be published on 17th February 2022. Purchase or pre-order directly from the Orenda website or from bookshop.org, Hive, Waterstones, Kobo and Amazon but please consider supporting independent bookshops whenever possible.
About the Authors
Thomas Enger
Jørn Lier Horst
About the Translator
Comments
Post a Comment