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kay10's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death and Death
amanda071's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
biophile's review
Maybe just a bad translation, but I found this to be dull and uninspired...abandoned ship at the halfway point.
cc_1978's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.0
booksbybindu's review
5.0
What happens when you put two of Nordic Noirs bestselling authors together - well magic of course! This is the second instalment in the Blix and Ramm series and it was a belter! You can read this as a stand-alone quite easily though, as even though there are references to the first book it doesn’t take away from this one’s storyline. This book was so good it was hard to put down. The tension just built to a crescendo that it actually was uncomfortable as I just wanted to know what happened!
The book opens with Emma wanting to face her fears and she heads down into Oslo’s central square to see the fireworks ring in the changing of years. But whilst there she is caught in an explosion which injured and killed several people. Blix has offered to do the New Year’s shift but wishes he hadn’t as he was in the midst of it all when the explosion went off. He dives into the harbour to pull a woman out of the water. He soon realises that this woman is linked to the case he just can’t seem to forget, the kidnapping of baby Patricia ten years ago and who was never found. The woman is her mother.
‘Smoke Screen’ was a riveting read which enticed me from the start. It started with a literal bang and then continued to build up the tension with all the revelations and connections between the explosion and the kidnapping. Or was Blix just placing emphasis on these links as he is desperate to solve Patricia’s disappearance? I loved the father/daughter like relationship between Emma and Blix as it’s unusual in this genre, especially between a journalist and a police officer. I can’t wait to see how their connection develops further on in the series.
Although, I said at the beginning this falls into Nordic Noir, it’s not a gory book, it’s subtle in its use of violence. It has a reverence rather than an exploitation of the crimes. This enables the reader to allow their imagination to roam free and form their own mental images of the storyline. This book doesn’t need to shock as it’s beauty lies in the construction of its characters and its prose. It’s another hit for this crime duo.
The book opens with Emma wanting to face her fears and she heads down into Oslo’s central square to see the fireworks ring in the changing of years. But whilst there she is caught in an explosion which injured and killed several people. Blix has offered to do the New Year’s shift but wishes he hadn’t as he was in the midst of it all when the explosion went off. He dives into the harbour to pull a woman out of the water. He soon realises that this woman is linked to the case he just can’t seem to forget, the kidnapping of baby Patricia ten years ago and who was never found. The woman is her mother.
‘Smoke Screen’ was a riveting read which enticed me from the start. It started with a literal bang and then continued to build up the tension with all the revelations and connections between the explosion and the kidnapping. Or was Blix just placing emphasis on these links as he is desperate to solve Patricia’s disappearance? I loved the father/daughter like relationship between Emma and Blix as it’s unusual in this genre, especially between a journalist and a police officer. I can’t wait to see how their connection develops further on in the series.
Although, I said at the beginning this falls into Nordic Noir, it’s not a gory book, it’s subtle in its use of violence. It has a reverence rather than an exploitation of the crimes. This enables the reader to allow their imagination to roam free and form their own mental images of the storyline. This book doesn’t need to shock as it’s beauty lies in the construction of its characters and its prose. It’s another hit for this crime duo.
kellyvandamme's review
5.0
Smoke Screen is the second instalment in the Blix and Ramm series but you can easily jump in at this point if you missed the first one, Death Deserved, although I must warn you that you’ll want to go back once you’ve read this one, so you might as well start at the beginning (just saying).
New Year’s Eve 2018-2019. Emma Ramm is still reeling from the events in Death Deserved. She just wants to enjoy her job as the new crime reporter for news.no and her budding relationship, but she nonetheless forces herself to face her fears by going to the NYE fireworks at Oslo harbour, she’d been having an ominous feeling of impending catastrophe… And as such, facing her fears pretty much backfires when there’s a huge explosion at the stroke of midnight. Terrorism? A targeted attack? In any case, one of the victims appears to be the mother of Patricia Smeplass, a girl who went missing ten years earlier, and Alexander Blix’s largest and most frustrating case to date.
This explosion is only the tip of the iceberg Blix and Ramm will be uncovering throughout the pages of Smoke Screen. With every lead muddying the waters even more instead of giving them (and me!) some solace, I was on tenterhooks. I wanted to speedread my way through the last part, that’s how desperate I was to finally find out what was going on, to see the picture all the separate pieces made. I had to force myself to slow down, it’s much too good to rush!
Horst and Enger are definitely the king and emperor of short and snappy – and highly addictive – chapters. Even at the beginning, when I was intrigued but things had not quite heated up so much that I was desperate for answers, I couldn’t stop turning the pages. Switching from Emma’s POV to Blix’s I was always eager for more and by the time I’d reached the fifty page mark, I was 100% addicted.
I have to say, the Blix and Ramm series is rapidly becoming my favourite Nordic Noir series to date, no mean feat, as I’ve become quite fond of the genre over the last couple of years and I have quite the list to compare it to. Then again, what can you expect when two Nordic Noir masters join forces? Excellence, that’s what, and that, in a word, is just what Smoke Screen offers.
Besides the intricately woven and highly entertaining plots, I also enjoy their characterisations. I hugely admire Emma. She lost both parents at a very young age, she has an illness that caused her to lose all her hair, so she’s been through the wringer already and you’d forgive her gladly if she were to have a breakdown now, in the face of yet more adversity. But she doesn’t. Broken and fragile though she might be, she picks up the pieces and gets on with things, nipping all moaning, what ifs or coulda woulda shouldas in the bud, which makes her such a strong, and somehow very real, female lead.
Beautifully atmospheric in its icy Norwegian setting, Smoke Screen is a mesmerising tale, an intricate and intelligent yet high-octane story, and highly recommended to fans of the Nordic Noir genre, and lovers of thrillers alike.
New Year’s Eve 2018-2019. Emma Ramm is still reeling from the events in Death Deserved. She just wants to enjoy her job as the new crime reporter for news.no and her budding relationship, but she nonetheless forces herself to face her fears by going to the NYE fireworks at Oslo harbour, she’d been having an ominous feeling of impending catastrophe… And as such, facing her fears pretty much backfires when there’s a huge explosion at the stroke of midnight. Terrorism? A targeted attack? In any case, one of the victims appears to be the mother of Patricia Smeplass, a girl who went missing ten years earlier, and Alexander Blix’s largest and most frustrating case to date.
This explosion is only the tip of the iceberg Blix and Ramm will be uncovering throughout the pages of Smoke Screen. With every lead muddying the waters even more instead of giving them (and me!) some solace, I was on tenterhooks. I wanted to speedread my way through the last part, that’s how desperate I was to finally find out what was going on, to see the picture all the separate pieces made. I had to force myself to slow down, it’s much too good to rush!
Horst and Enger are definitely the king and emperor of short and snappy – and highly addictive – chapters. Even at the beginning, when I was intrigued but things had not quite heated up so much that I was desperate for answers, I couldn’t stop turning the pages. Switching from Emma’s POV to Blix’s I was always eager for more and by the time I’d reached the fifty page mark, I was 100% addicted.
I have to say, the Blix and Ramm series is rapidly becoming my favourite Nordic Noir series to date, no mean feat, as I’ve become quite fond of the genre over the last couple of years and I have quite the list to compare it to. Then again, what can you expect when two Nordic Noir masters join forces? Excellence, that’s what, and that, in a word, is just what Smoke Screen offers.
Besides the intricately woven and highly entertaining plots, I also enjoy their characterisations. I hugely admire Emma. She lost both parents at a very young age, she has an illness that caused her to lose all her hair, so she’s been through the wringer already and you’d forgive her gladly if she were to have a breakdown now, in the face of yet more adversity. But she doesn’t. Broken and fragile though she might be, she picks up the pieces and gets on with things, nipping all moaning, what ifs or coulda woulda shouldas in the bud, which makes her such a strong, and somehow very real, female lead.
Beautifully atmospheric in its icy Norwegian setting, Smoke Screen is a mesmerising tale, an intricate and intelligent yet high-octane story, and highly recommended to fans of the Nordic Noir genre, and lovers of thrillers alike.
btpbookclub's review
4.0
Book two in the brilliant Alexander Blix and Emma Ramm series. This had me hooked it's a current crime that also connects to one years back! Took me a while to understand it all and it's a major woah! Why would they do that? Unexpected outcome. Shocking. Twisted but also clever... Or so they thought.
I still loved Emma's character in this book. She's a journalist but also a very clever and at times one step ahead of the police woman. Determined. Strong. Brave. She wants answers as much as the police do. However, in this book things get personal for her with the loss of a loved one as a result. It's an addictive read. I wanted answers myself. Very clever plot with an ending that makes you want more... A huge explosive ending. I loved it all. A well deserved four stars from me. Highly recommend. I cannot wait to see what lies ahead for this series. Exciting.
I still loved Emma's character in this book. She's a journalist but also a very clever and at times one step ahead of the police woman. Determined. Strong. Brave. She wants answers as much as the police do. However, in this book things get personal for her with the loss of a loved one as a result. It's an addictive read. I wanted answers myself. Very clever plot with an ending that makes you want more... A huge explosive ending. I loved it all. A well deserved four stars from me. Highly recommend. I cannot wait to see what lies ahead for this series. Exciting.
kazza27's review
5.0
The second in the series for two of Norway ‘s bestselling authors, I had not read book one in the Blix and Ramm series and this did not detract from my enjoyment of the book at all, and I will be definitely adding it to my TBR pile.
A gripping book with a dramatic beginning, when Emma Ramm is caught up in a bomb blast on New Year’s Eve she is devastated to find out that her boyfriend Kasper was also there and he sadly didn’t make it.
Also there is Alexander Blix, Blix and Emma have a history, he was the police officer who shot her father after he had killed her mother. She is now a journalist and her and Blix’s paths have crossed before and here she is again. At the scene Blix rescues a woman from the water who has been injured the woman is identified as Ruth-Kristine Smeplass mother of a little girl Patricia who disappeared nearly ten years ago.
Emma decides to try and find out more and goes looking for an man Sophus Ahlander who is suspected of knowing Ruth-Kristine does he know more ? He attacks her and ends up in custody.
Meanwhile in prison is Patricia’s father Christer Storm Isaksen who receives a photograph of a young girl who he is convinced is Patricia, a twist happens which completely changes the direction of the investigation and the police have to apologise for their mistake. When searching the cabin belonging to Ahlander they find something that could reopen the investigation of Patricia’s disappearance.
I was immediately invested in this story, from the explosion to the cold case kidnapping of Patricia and the bomber. Are they all connected or is it just coincidence? I really enjoyed the fast pace of the story and the unexpected twists, and events that lead to the shocking and compelling conclusion.
Emma does not allow herself to grieve but throws herself into the investigation instead as it is easier than dealing with the loss of Kasper and I really liked her tenacity and strength. Blix is calm and methodical and I enjoyed following the procedural side of the case and following the details really drew me into the story further. He has been dogged by this case for years and will it finally be solved ?
Another fantastic book from Orenda, and the further the story developed the more I needed to keep reading, the tension and anxiety was palpable and it is really emotional at times too. This is a 5 star thriller, a remarkable read, which surprised me again and again and I loved it ! I can’t wait for book three…..
Thank you to Anne Cater for my invitation to the tour and to Orenda for my e copy of the book in return for a fair and honest review.
A gripping book with a dramatic beginning, when Emma Ramm is caught up in a bomb blast on New Year’s Eve she is devastated to find out that her boyfriend Kasper was also there and he sadly didn’t make it.
Also there is Alexander Blix, Blix and Emma have a history, he was the police officer who shot her father after he had killed her mother. She is now a journalist and her and Blix’s paths have crossed before and here she is again. At the scene Blix rescues a woman from the water who has been injured the woman is identified as Ruth-Kristine Smeplass mother of a little girl Patricia who disappeared nearly ten years ago.
Emma decides to try and find out more and goes looking for an man Sophus Ahlander who is suspected of knowing Ruth-Kristine does he know more ? He attacks her and ends up in custody.
Meanwhile in prison is Patricia’s father Christer Storm Isaksen who receives a photograph of a young girl who he is convinced is Patricia, a twist happens which completely changes the direction of the investigation and the police have to apologise for their mistake. When searching the cabin belonging to Ahlander they find something that could reopen the investigation of Patricia’s disappearance.
I was immediately invested in this story, from the explosion to the cold case kidnapping of Patricia and the bomber. Are they all connected or is it just coincidence? I really enjoyed the fast pace of the story and the unexpected twists, and events that lead to the shocking and compelling conclusion.
Emma does not allow herself to grieve but throws herself into the investigation instead as it is easier than dealing with the loss of Kasper and I really liked her tenacity and strength. Blix is calm and methodical and I enjoyed following the procedural side of the case and following the details really drew me into the story further. He has been dogged by this case for years and will it finally be solved ?
Another fantastic book from Orenda, and the further the story developed the more I needed to keep reading, the tension and anxiety was palpable and it is really emotional at times too. This is a 5 star thriller, a remarkable read, which surprised me again and again and I loved it ! I can’t wait for book three…..
Thank you to Anne Cater for my invitation to the tour and to Orenda for my e copy of the book in return for a fair and honest review.