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bookph1le's review against another edition
4.0
If you're a fan of Stieg Larsson, or if you enjoyed The Killing, I think this book would appeal to you. It has that same dark, realistic, and gritty feel to it. Along with the murder, there is a lot of human drama surrounding the characters, and it was one of those books that I just didn't want to put down. More complete review to come.
Full review:
The description of this book made me a bit wary, because I'm not a big fan of spy novels or big books about terrorism. I'm more interested in novels that explore the psyche of crime, and I was glad to find that this was ultimately what I got out of this novel. I haven't read The Boy in the Suitcase--yet--so this was my first experience with these authors, and it just left me eager to read more of their work. Minor spoilers to follow.
The blurb makes this book sound like it's about Nina Borg and it is, but she's only one of a cast of very intriguing and compelling characters. The action of the story unfolds in the telling of the stories of various characters, and culminates when their stories intersect. I thought that all of the characters were compelling, but for very different reasons, and so I enjoyed the multiple narrative threads. Each character has a distinctive voice, and all of them are very well done, so I was invested in what happened to them.
I think my favorite character was Sandor, and I thought his story was probably the most tragic--though, let's be clear, this book is not short on tragedy. Sandor is forced to straddle two worlds and, as a consequence, he never really belongs to either of them. Though I found him a moral character, there's no real reward for his morality, and it was pretty devastating to watch the world for which he fought so hard slowly begin to crumble beneath his feet. Sandor is the very definition of a victim of circumstances, and it was a frustrating, authentic point to the novel.
Nina is also a very well-done character, and I couldn't help but think of the excellent show The Killing as I read. Both of stories involve women who are drawn into an obsession to right a wrong. Both of them are incapable of noticing that their world is imploding around them as they sink deeper and deeper into their obsessions. Really, the worst thing about this is that Nina is doing the right thing, but in doing the right thing, she risks her own happiness and peace of mind.
This is really the striking thing about this novel, the way it explores the gritty reality of how, in trying to do what's right, people can ultimately end up with shattered lives. It's a very gritty reality that makes for a read that's compelling but not always very uplifting. I enjoy this kind of writing, though, because it shows just how wide-reaching and devastating the effects of a crime can be, in some of the most unexpected ways.
The only downside to the book is that I figured out pretty early one what was going on with the mysterious retrieval from the former Soviet hospital. Because it was pretty obvious, I didn't think it was really necessary for the authors to obfuscate what was going on. In some ways, it was a little detrimental to the narrative flow to try to maintain this cloak of secrecy over something that seemed pretty obvious to me.
Another possible downside is the way the story is structured. Because it's obvious how all but one of the characters is tied to the story, it's obvious that there must be a way that character will ultimately tie into the story. I didn't mind this all that much, as it did add an extra layer to the mystery and it was a twist that ultimately surprised me.
Ultimately, I found this an excellent page-turner, but one that had compelling characters, which is exactly what I look for when I'm in the mood for a good crime novel.
Full review:
The description of this book made me a bit wary, because I'm not a big fan of spy novels or big books about terrorism. I'm more interested in novels that explore the psyche of crime, and I was glad to find that this was ultimately what I got out of this novel. I haven't read The Boy in the Suitcase--yet--so this was my first experience with these authors, and it just left me eager to read more of their work. Minor spoilers to follow.
The blurb makes this book sound like it's about Nina Borg and it is, but she's only one of a cast of very intriguing and compelling characters. The action of the story unfolds in the telling of the stories of various characters, and culminates when their stories intersect. I thought that all of the characters were compelling, but for very different reasons, and so I enjoyed the multiple narrative threads. Each character has a distinctive voice, and all of them are very well done, so I was invested in what happened to them.
I think my favorite character was Sandor, and I thought his story was probably the most tragic--though, let's be clear, this book is not short on tragedy. Sandor is forced to straddle two worlds and, as a consequence, he never really belongs to either of them. Though I found him a moral character, there's no real reward for his morality, and it was pretty devastating to watch the world for which he fought so hard slowly begin to crumble beneath his feet. Sandor is the very definition of a victim of circumstances, and it was a frustrating, authentic point to the novel.
Nina is also a very well-done character, and I couldn't help but think of the excellent show The Killing as I read. Both of stories involve women who are drawn into an obsession to right a wrong. Both of them are incapable of noticing that their world is imploding around them as they sink deeper and deeper into their obsessions. Really, the worst thing about this is that Nina is doing the right thing, but in doing the right thing, she risks her own happiness and peace of mind.
This is really the striking thing about this novel, the way it explores the gritty reality of how, in trying to do what's right, people can ultimately end up with shattered lives. It's a very gritty reality that makes for a read that's compelling but not always very uplifting. I enjoy this kind of writing, though, because it shows just how wide-reaching and devastating the effects of a crime can be, in some of the most unexpected ways.
The only downside to the book is that I figured out pretty early one what was going on with the mysterious retrieval from the former Soviet hospital. Because it was pretty obvious, I didn't think it was really necessary for the authors to obfuscate what was going on. In some ways, it was a little detrimental to the narrative flow to try to maintain this cloak of secrecy over something that seemed pretty obvious to me.
Another possible downside is the way the story is structured. Because it's obvious how all but one of the characters is tied to the story, it's obvious that there must be a way that character will ultimately tie into the story. I didn't mind this all that much, as it did add an extra layer to the mystery and it was a twist that ultimately surprised me.
Ultimately, I found this an excellent page-turner, but one that had compelling characters, which is exactly what I look for when I'm in the mood for a good crime novel.
juniperusxx's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
3.0
Tämä oli turhan toiminnallinen kirja minun makuuni, mutta pidin sen uusista elementeistä - radioaktiivinen säteily kauhun aiheuttajana ja Tanskaan tulleet unkarilaiset romanit eivät ole ihan tyypillisiä juttuja dekkareissa. Henkilöhahmoja oli vähän liikaa, mutta siihen nähden juonen kyydissä pysyi aika helposti. Oli kyllä epäreilua tanskalaiskirjailijoilta, että suomalainen roisto, Tommi, oli tehty niin ällöttäväksi hahmoksi!
alittleoverdue's review against another edition
3.0
Not as good as first one in the series, but still a good read. I know I'll be reading the next one.
sandin954's review against another edition
3.0
Nurse Nina Borg gets caught up in an international incident while trying to provide a bit of medical care to some Gypsy illegals. More of an issue book with a bit of suspense and violence and though Nina is not the most likable character I do admire her willingness to always try and help the less fortunate.
erburnside's review against another edition
1.0
Hated it. It was a mystery but it read more like a drama. At no point was I excited or enthralled. Kept reading because I wanted it to get better. It didn't. Second disappointing Kaaberbol novel. Never again.
robbin123's review against another edition
3.0
Good but not great, hard to figure out the multiple characters, I kept a venn diagram, of sorts.
michhxox's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
leavingsealevel's review against another edition
2.0
Meh. I think this is the end of our acquaintance, Nina Borg. You kind of annoy me.
attytheresa's review against another edition
4.0
Definitely my favorite of the Nina Borg series so far - I have read the first three but out of order. A page turner which, like [b:The Boy in the Suitcase|10776592|The Boy in the Suitcase (Nina Borg, #1)|Lene Kaaberbøl|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1320545877s/10776592.jpg|15688402], ended in an unexpected place. It was also prescient in that the treatment of immigrants and gypsies and their children in both Hungary and Denmark that underpin this story reflect the current US Executive Office policies roiling us today. Downright depressing in fact.
I read this as my book with 2 authors for Pop Sugar 2018 Reading Challenge. Also fit 2018 ATY #set in a country I'd like to visit but have never been to (2 actually - Hungary and Denmark).
I read this as my book with 2 authors for Pop Sugar 2018 Reading Challenge. Also fit 2018 ATY #set in a country I'd like to visit but have never been to (2 actually - Hungary and Denmark).