Henning Juul sits in a boat on a dark lake. A man with a gun sits opposite him. At the man’s feet is a body that will be soon be dumped into the water. Henning knows that the same fate awaits him. And he knows that it’s his own fault. Who started the fire that killed Henning’s young son? How is his sister, Trine, involved? Most importantly, who can be trusted? Packed with tension and unexpected twists, Killed is the long-waited finale of the internationally renowned series featuring conflicted, disillusioned but always dogged crime reporter Henning Juul, and one of the most chilling, dark and moving crime thrillers you may ever read.

I received a free copy of this book courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Here on Books and Beyond Reviews, I’ve read and reviewed a lot of crime thrillers. So you might think by now that perhaps I have tired of this genre by now. That’s not the case, though I do feel like my expectations for a thriller have risen. So when I was offered the opportunity to join a blog tour for Norwegian crime thriller, Killed, I was thrilled to give it a shot.

Killed follows Henning Juul, a man seeking answers as to who caused the death of his son, bringing more trouble upon himself as he goes. The story starts with Henning staring down the final moments of his life, accepting the inevitable. The opening casts a dark cloud over the book, that only deepens as the story unfolds.

Many of the thrillers I have read recently tend to be fast-paced, high-octane books with a lot of action. Killed follows what appears to be the basis for many Scandinavian noir books and films. Though I must confess this is a judgement made without any personal experience until now. It is slow, methodical and dark. The story progresses, but rather than with a frenetic pace, it does so with a steady flow from one theory, one lead, to the next.

I really enjoyed the Killed. It moved at a more sedate pace than I have become accustomed to but Enger still manages to ratchet up the tension, building a sense of impending tragedy. The threat throughout feels real and the book moves along towards a well-crafted ending. I will be looking out for further Scandinavian noir to add to my growing list of books to read.

My rating: