Victim by Jørn Lier Horst and Thomas Enger (tr. by Megan Turney) #BookReview #Extract #BlogTour

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Two years ago, Alexander Blix was the lead investigator in a missing person’s case where a young mother, Elisabeth Eie, had been kidnapped. The case came to a standstill when Blix’s own daughter was killed and he was arrested for avenging her. Blix is a now free man again, but Elisabeth’s kidnapper has found him, leaving evidence of her murder in Blix’s mailbox.

The police are unwilling to accept Blix’s help: Even if he was acquitted of his crime, his career in law enforcement is over. But Elisabeth’s murderer continues to pursue him, leading Blix to his new victims, while making it clear that he knows details from Blix’s private life that the former investigator has never shared with anyone…

Meanwhile, Emma Ramm has been contacted by a teenage girl, Carmen, whose stepfather has been arrested on suspicion of killing a childhood friend. But there is no body. Nor are there any other suspects…

Blix and Ramm can rely only on each other. And when Blix’s fingerprints are found on a child’s drawing at a crime scene, the present comes uncomfortably close to the past. A past where a victim has found their very own form of therapy. And it is clear that someone is watching…

Shocking, relentless and unbearably tense, Victim marks the return of the international bestselling, blockbuster Blix & Ramm series from two of Norway’s finest crime writers.

I read and reviewed Victim by Jørn Lier Horst and Thomas Enger back in August but when Anne Cater from Random Things Tours invited me to take part in the blog tour, I immediately accepted as I'll take any opportunity to recommend this fabulous book again!  This is one of my favourite reads this year, so I'm delighted to be able to share a short extract with you alongside my review. Many thanks to Orenda Books for sending me an advance digital copy of the book and to Anne for inviting me onto the tour.


Emma looked at her phone. A quick online search revealed that the number of the girl who had called her was registered to a Victoria Prytz. 


‘Whoa,’ Emma said out loud. 


The next moment, Terry sprang to life. Emma immediately understood why – Blix was walking up the hill towards them. Terry charged at him, hauling Emma up from the bench. She had to hold on tightly to the lead in order not to be dragged along the tarmac after him. 


Blix bent down as Terry jumped up at him, tail wagging back and forth. Leaping at his face, then back to the ground, doing a spin, before leaping up at Blix’s face again with an eager, soaking-wet tongue. Blix received the love, joy and the biggest welcome in the world with a gentle smile. 


‘Hi,’ he said to Emma when Terry finally finished the welcoming ritual. 


‘Hello.’ Emma released a heavy sigh. Blix, she saw, had even darker bags under his eyes than when she had seen him earlier that day. The skin beneath his chin looked flushed. 


‘How did it go?’ she asked. 

Blix looked around quickly. ‘You know that those sessions are confidential?’ 

‘Um,’ Emma said. ‘It’s only the psychologists who have to keep their traps shut. You, on the other hand, can run your mouth all you want. Especially to someone who’s looking after your dog.’ 


She winked, sent him a smile. Blix took the dog lead from her. Terry had calmed down a bit, was now preoccupied with an invisible trace of something along the edge of the tarmac. 


‘Everything go okay?’ he asked, nodding towards the dog. 

‘Yeah, all fine,’ Emma lied. ‘We’ve had a great time together.’ She tried not to roll her eyes. 


They walked down the hill, towards Jens Bjelkes gate.


‘What’re you up to for the rest of the day?’ she asked. 

He glanced up at the clouds. It wasn’t long before it would start raining again. ‘I’m … heading home, I think.’ He studied his surroundings. Followed a car with his eyes as it drove towards Sofienberg. 


‘I’ll walk with you.’ 


They continued towards Tøyengata. 


Emma thought of the young girl who had called her. Carmen, who by all accounts seemed to be the daughter of Victoria Prytz and therefore the stepdaughter of Oliver Krogh. Emma was about to tell Blix about the phone call, but could see that he was lost in his own thoughts. 


‘You’re not going to tell me then?’ she asked. 

‘About what?’ 

‘Um, hello?’ Emma said dejectedly. ‘You were there for three quarters of an hour.’ 

‘Yes, but … ’ 


He looked away. 


‘Have you heard of EMDR?’ he finally asked. 

‘What’s that, a new country in Eastern Europe?’ 


There, a slight movement in his smile lines. Emma almost felt like patting herself on the back. 


‘No, never heard of it,’ she said. ‘What is it?’ 

‘Just something,’ Blix said, shaking his head. 

‘Just something?’ 

‘Yeah, some … psychobabble nonsense. Nothing I’m going to try.’ 


But you still mentioned it, Emma thought.


There is so much to admire in Victim, the fifth book in the excellent Blix and Ramm series – the multilayered plot is complemented by the superbly paced, rising sense of tension and the nuanced, thoughtful characterisation. Although it can be enjoyed as a standalone, I would seriously recommend reading the previous novels first to truly appreciate the emotional heft of this outstanding crime thriller. Alexander Blix and Emma Ramm have both experienced the worst that life can throw at a person, particularly Blix in recent years. He is a diminished man at the start of Victim; he might have been released from prison and exonerated of the crime which saw him incarcerated in Stigma but grief and guilt still bear heavily on him. He has also lost his job and perhaps worse, the respect of some of his former colleagues. Meanwhile, Emma is also questioning what lies ahead for her now she has made the decision to quit journalism. Their lives have been irrevocably intertwined since Emma's childhood but beyond that, they share an innate need to seek out the truth. 
Although they are investigating two separate cases, the similarities are unavoidable.  While missing and murdered women is an all-too familiar crime, Victim is given a fresh twist as Jørn Lier Horst and Thomas Enger explore a harrowing and often overlooked issue. As it becomes clear that Blix himself is irrevocably intertwined with the investigation into young mother, Elisabeth's murder, he is forced to re-examine his own past, in scenes which are deeply moving, He is, of course, still grieving for his daughter, Iselin and the compassionate portrayal of such a poignant subject is exemplary. From the moments where he is blindsided by the pain of his loss, to the gradual re-awakening of hope, Victim isn't just a compulsive mystery, it is also a masterclass in empathy.
The murderer seems intent on grabbing Blix's attention, with disturbing phone calls, grisly photos and perhaps most chillingly, by leaving a child's drawing at places where it can't be explained or ignored – particularly when it bears Blix's fingerprints. While he desperately tries to figure out what the clues he is being sent are pointing to, Emma has been asked to look into a case where it seems the police believe they have already arrested the killer, despite not yet having found Maria Norman's body. Although it seems as though almost everyone is convinced that Oliver Krogh is guilty, including his wife, Emma's journalistic instincts mean she continues investigating and uncovers some startling revelations.  The complexity of Victim is impressive; both cases are intricately plotted, suspenseful mysteries but Jørn Lier Horst and Thomas Enger keep the pace flowing effortlessly throughout.
The relationship between Blix and Emma has always been an integral part of this series but becomes particularly fascinating here. Where once, Blix assumed a fatherly role in her life, now she had become his mainstay and there are some beautifully affecting scenes between them. Blix also has two new significant relationships introduced during the course of Victim; I have no doubt that everybody will fall in love with Terry, while the gentle patience shown by Tomine, means I hope to see more of her character in the future. 
As the novel builds towards its shocking, dramatic conclusion, Blix and Ramm have to rely on one another more than ever and the tension becomes almost unbearable – I read with my heart pounding, almost too nervous to turn the page. Megan Turney's translation shouldn't go unmentioned either; she ensures none of the suspense or emotion of the original is lost.
Jørn Lier Horst and Thomas Enger's electrifying narrative is irresistible and Victim is another exceptional instalment in a series which consistently offers the very best in crime fiction. The piercingly honest exploration of some distressing, tragic topics is heartrending and yet ultimately it is a novel imbued with the promise of hope. Thrilling, emotive and completely unmissable, I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Follow the blog tour, details are below.

Victim was published by Orenda Books on 7th November 2024, it can be ordered from their website, further purchasing links can be found here.

About the Authors

Jørn Lier Horst

Jørn Lier Horst (b. 1970) has, with his award-winning novels about William Wisting, joined the elite of Nordic crime writers. Having worked as a head of investigations before becoming a full-time author, Horst brings a unique brand of suspense and realism to the table. Besides his novels for grown readers, Horst has gained recognition for his unparalleled ability to thrill even young readers with charming mysteries. His standing as the Norwegian king of crime fiction for all ages was cemented when he created the Detective Agency No. 2 and CLUE series, both the most popular children’s book series in their respective age categories. Jørn writes the international, bestselling Blix & Ramm series with Thomas Enger, and lives in Norway.

Thomas Enger
Thomas Enger is a former journalist. He made his debut with the crime novel Burned (Skinndød) in 2010, which became an international sensation before publication. Burned is the first in a series of five books about the journalist Henning Juul, which delves into the depths of Oslo’s underbelly, skewering the corridors of dirty politics and nailing the fast-moving world of 24-hour news. Rights to the series, which includes Cursed and Killed, have been sold to 28 countries to date. In 2013 Enger published his first book for young adults, a dark fantasy thriller called The Evil Legacy, for which he won the U-prize (best book Young Adult). Killer Instinct, another Young Adult suspense novel, was published in Norway in 2017, and formed the basis for his standalone thriller, Inborn, which was rewritten for the adult market in English, and shortlisted for the Petrona Award. Thomas also composes music, and he lives in a village outside of Oslo. He writes the international bestselling Blix & Ramm series with Jørn Lier Horst.

About the Translator
Megan Turney is originally from the West Midlands, and after having spent several years working back and forth between the UK and the Hardanger region of Norway, she is now based in Edinburgh, working as a commercial and literary translator and editor. She was the recipient of the National Centre for Writing’s 2019 Emerging Translator Mentorship in Norwegian, and is a published science fiction critic. She holds an MA (Hons) in Scandinavian Studies and English Literature from the University of Edinburgh, as well as an MA in Translation and Interpreting Studies from the University of Manchester.


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