A page-turner…
When twenty-one-year-old Julie Stender is found brutally murdered in her apartment, Copenhagen police detectives Jeppe Korner and Anette Werner are called to investigate the case. As detectives wade through the long list of suspects, the victim’s landlady Esther de Laurenti becomes their top suspect: it’s her unfinished manuscript from where the killer picked the intricate details while committing the crime. The case becomes complicated with everyone trying to hide something, including the victim’s family. As the pair wade through lies and deceits of the witnesses, the murderer is ready to strike again. Engberg is at the top of her game when it comes to her characterization. The constant bickering of the lead detectives may get tiring at times, but the reader will find them intriguing with their quirky ways. Esther gets lots of space in the narrative, and her character is sketched quite thoroughly. The other characters are equally deep and easy to connect to. North American readers will find the setting intriguing, as the mystery is set in Denmark with a strong sense of place.
