I have lately found myself quite interested in reading books by Nordic authors. Since I'm Swedish is this perhaps not that strange, but I have previously not read that much Nordic crime books. I have just preferred American och British authors. Faithless intrigued me with its stunning cover and interesting blurb so I couldn't resist agreeing to do this blog tour. And, I'm glad I joined in because Faithless is really good.

This book starts off with a simple arrest of a woman who leaves a house of a suspect that Frølich is staking out. She has drugs on her, but she denies that it's hers. What Inspector Frank Frølich didn't know at the time was that the woman is the fiance of a man that was once his best friend. He only finds this a little later one at the birthday party for the friend. Then, she ends up dead. What happened? Who killed her? Frølich and his colleague Gunnarstranda has to unravel this mystery. And, then Gunnarstranda finds a body while investigating the case. Has the killer struck again?

Faithless is one of those books that hooks you from the start, the writing pulls you in and the story keeps your interest up all the way until the end. There are interesting side stories in the book as well, like the disappearance of a foreign student that Frølich is quite obsessed to find. And, then there is the murder of a girl that happened years ago, could that murder have connections to this case?

All and all is this book terrific. The book different stories, different cases that all interested me, and I found myself quite liking both Frølich and Gunnarstranda. The ending left me wanting the next book, a bit of a cliffhanger situation that made me wonder what will happen next...

I want to thank Orenda books for providing me with a free copy for an honest review! ( )

Faithless is a newly translated book in the Oslo Detectives series featuring Frank Frølich and Inspector Gunnarstranda. Frølich has been invited to a school friend’s 40th birthday party. He has not seen his friend for some twenty years, but he goes anyway and discovers his old friend’s fiancée Veronika is the woman he just arrested for cocaine possession. The party is great fun, but when he is called out to his next murder case, the fiancée is the murder victim. Clearly he must tread carefully in this investigation.

There are too many connections on this case. Veronika is suspected of working with their original investigative target, Kadir Zahid who they wish was the murdered, too bad he has their own investigators for an alibi. Then there is the possible gang of thieves who seem to be robbing Veronika’s clients. There is a stalker, her fiancé of course, and then to complicate everything, a possible serial killer connection is made with a similar murder of a victim who resembled Veronika.

They manage to rule out the stalker when Gunnarstranda finds him dead. But they still have far too many suspects, including a psychologist who connects to all three victims. Team member Lena Stigersand risks far too much pursuing a private investigation and Frølich reaches too far when he finally figures out the last piece of the puzzle. These are detectives who care deeply and risk much while Gunnarstranda struggles to provide inspiration, mentorship, and restraint.

I liked Faithless a lot. It’s fair, we learn what the detectives learn when they learn it and yet it’s complex enough we aren’t rolling our eyes, begging them to put two and two together. Their leaps of logic happen in time with or even before my own. That makes me happy. The characters are complex individuals, but they are not filled out with the kinds of quirks that become tedious when repeated in book after book.

This is a Scandinavian mystery in the best sense, with professional cops who don’t fantasize about being Dirty Harry. Even when the detective color outside the lines, there is a respect for the lines and they suffer consequences and disapproval rather than glad-handed praise from people who think bullying is bravery and brutality is strength. Folks who like law-breaking, violent thugs for their police will be disappointed, even though there is some extrajudicial action.

I admire K. O. Dahl and look forward to more in the series.

Faithless will be released September 1st. I received an e-galley from the publisher through NetGalley.

Other English translations of books by K. O. Dahl are The Fourth Man, The Man in the Window, The Last Fix, and Lethal Investments.

Faithless at Orenda Books
Kiel Ola Dahl author site

https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpress.com/2017/08/04/9781495627873/ ( )

This psychologically complex police procedural from Norway is advertised as part of a series, but at present there is only one entry available in English. I hope that more get translated soon! The plot is compelling, and the characters are well developed. One of the police investigators has a connection to the victim, a device that often gets in the way in detective stories, straining plausibility. A rather grim read, but an excellent thriller. ( )

Faithless – a Nordic Noir Classic

Faithless from the Godfather of Norwegian Crime thrillers, Kjell Ola Dahl, and since his debut back in 1993, one of the most respected writers of Nordic Noir. Like all his previous books, Faithless is a mixture of police procedure and psychological thriller that will keep you gripped from the beginning to the end. There is a complexity in the characterisation of the thriller that keeps you guessing throughout, even though at time the lead detectives seem somewhat like the odd couple.

Frank Frolich is working a missing person case, a young woman has gone missing, while on a summer course at the University. At first everything seems like a dead end until he is called out to a dead body. The body of the women is wrapped up and naked in plastic sheeting, but even more shocking is that Frolich knows the victim. Meanwhile his colleague, Gunnarstranda is investigating a similar crime up in northern Norway.

While the body count is going up, the weird psychologist who has a thing for his female patients, nobody takes Frolich’s search for Rosalind M'Taya seriously, other than Frolich. Is it a comment on the underlying Nordic racist thought and actions of our Scandinavian neighbours? Whereas the blonde beautiful woman has the team gripped, even if she does mix in shady circles of immigrants who are part of a crime ring.

What Kjell Ola Dahl has delivered is a dark, brooding and chilling thriller, where the atmosphere drips from the pages, and it is easy to see why he is an award-winning author. Don Bartlett’s translation is second to none, and has lost none of the eerie Nordic Noir feel of the book from the original. Kjell Ola Dahl packs more in to the 262 pages than some authors can in over 400 pages, this truly is a gripping thriller. ( )

Detective Frank Frølich is in a bit of a spot. A few days ago he arrested a woman after finding cocaine in her purse. That night he attended a birthday party for old school chum Karl Anders where he met Karl’s new fiancée, Veronika Undset….yup, the woman he arrested. Well, that was awkward.

Unfortunately, the next time they meet is after her horribly beaten body is pulled from a dumpster. Frank is uneasy about having personal ties to a murder investigation & requests to be left off the case. Even though they hadn’t spoken for years before the party, he knows Karl will be front & centre as a suspect. Besides, he has another case that needs attention. Rosalind M’Taya is a beautiful, young exchange student who came to study in Oslo for the summer & promptly disappeared. When Frank finds all her belongings still in her room, he knows she didn’t leave willingly.

Inspector Gunnarstranda needs all hands on deck & denies Frank’s request. Another body has been found & the victim had ties to Veronika. And so they begin the process of picking apart her life, gathering an odd assortment of suspects as they dig.

This is a fast paced procedural that definitely qualifies as Nordic Noir. As Frank & Gunnarstranda follow separate lines of investigation, they both encounter people who are shifty, scary and/or crazy. Early on there are hints something happened between Frank & Karl when they were teenagers that led to them drifting apart. As the story progresses, Frank has to come to terms with the event & his role in how it all played out.

Along with the cast of suspects, we also meet other members of the police & forensic units. Personal details & glimpses of their private lives help flesh out the characters. But it’s Frank we get to know best as he works the murder case & continues his hunt for Rosalind. He’s a smart cop & complex man who is forced to confront past mistakes & fears. He may not like what he finds & although both cases are solved the results take their toll, personally & professionally.

Many Scandinavian thrillers are very different stylistically from their typical American cousins. There’s no spoon feeding here. Not everything is spelled out & some questions go unanswered. And just as you reach the end….well, turns out the author kept a few zingers in reserve.

It’s my first time reading this author & although I found 5 books listed as part of the Oslo Detectives series, I was unable to determine where this one fit in. As usual, Don Bartlett has done a stellar translation & I look forward to catching up with Frank & Gunnarstranda in the next one. ( )