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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
When he is asked to try and find out what happened to Mette Misvær twenty-five years earlier he uses the case to try and get back on his feet, both emotionally and financially. The local police tolerate him and there is definitely bad feeling with at least one of them.
The case is all about uncovering secrets, and there are plenty of them. Some are seedy and Varg struggles to hide his disapproval. Some are devastating and cause more suffering when he forces memories to be discussed.
I loved Varg’s character. He was a morally strong, often cynical person who wasn’t afraid to speak his mind even if it meant getting hurt. All sides of society were present, the ones who were down on their luck and wanted to stay invisible and the ones who had no regard for anybody else. And all felt very believable.
I hope the earlier books will all be translated, at the moment there are three that have been. I would like to read them in order and get to know more about Varg.
Veum is an alcoholic that is struggling to function. When the mother of a girl who went missing years before comes in it gives Veum a purpose in life.
I really liked Veum, he is battling his own demons but he is someone that you want to cheer on and see him do well for himself. There are quite a few books out already featuring the character which I’m not quite hundred per cent if this is part of a series or a stand alone as I haven’t read any of the others but for me it certainly read easily as a stand alone.
As a parent, the thought of a young girl going missing from her own back garden was just awful. The not knowing of what has happened must be absolute torture and to be honest I didn’t know if knowing would be any better as I had lots of different ideas in my head as to what fate the girl had met and none of them were nice ones.
The story has plenty of twists and turns and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing how certain parts of the story all started falling into place. It’s almost like doing a jigsaw where your a bit bewildered as to what’s in front of you but the further to the finish you get, all the pieces start to finally fit.
Where Roses Never Die is a brilliant crime thriller which I absolutely loved. It reminded me slightly of an Agatha Christie novel, not with the main character but with the brilliance of how the whole plot had been written and how it had me totally clueless as to how everything fits together and to who is behind the disappearance of the young girl. Can’t recommend highly enough and this is one author whose books I will certainly be checking out and reading more of.
Many thanks to Karen at Orenda Books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
While the missing child storyline is nothing new, this one drew my attention for several reasons. One, it's an Orenda book and I have yet to read a book that Karen Sullivan has published that I haven't really enjoyed; two, the fact that this missing child case has been unsolved for 25 years and the statute of limitations is almost up made it feel more intense, like the clock really is ticking to find out and bring someone to justice; three, I've recently discovered I love Scandinavian crime novels for the dark, somewhat gloomy settings as well as the often dark, gloomy characters involved.
Put all that together with the beginning pages of the story and I was hooked. The book begins with the armed robbery of a jewelry store gone wrong when a passerby literally runs into the robbers and gets shot and killed. When said robbers basically vanish into thin air it's intriguing to say the least. The question will soon become, how, if at all does this seemingly random robbery tie in with a 25 year old missing child case?
From here we meet PI Varg Veum who's losing the battle with himself over continually draining his liquor (Aquavit) bottle while on the job. There's something tragic about Varg that made me really like him right off the bat. When the mother of Mette Misvoer, the little 3 year old girl who vanished from her front yard 25 years ago while playing in her sandbox pays Varg a visit you could feel his compassion coming through the pages and I immediately realized I was rooting for Varg to not only find the little girl but to save himself from the brink of what seemed like his own personal despair.
What follows is a story told in the style of traditional crime novels. By that I mean there's no fancy detective tricks, no unreliable narrator, no high speed car chases or shoot'em up filler scenes...this is a guy battling his own personal demons who employs old fashioned detective work to find the missing Mette. With his amusing verbal sparring with suspects, I really found Varg to be a realistic and plausible character. As for the pace of the novel, it's slow and steady (not in a bad way just in a methodical one) until about the last quarter when the puzzle pieces begin to fall and click into place and I was racing to the end to find out every last detail. Can I just say...I didn't see that ending coming! I had my theories but they always remained kind of fuzzy, I just couldn't figure it all out which is exactly how I like to feel when reading a mystery.
I do have to say that many of you may look this up on Goodreads or Amazon and see that this is Book 18 in the series. FEAR NOT friends because this can be read as a standalone and really the only thing I wanted more answers to involved what happened to Varg's love Karen which is what has led him to drown himself in Aquavit. So, with that said, I'll be going back and reading Book 17, We Shall Inherit The Wind. I'll also be eagerly awaiting Book 19, Wolves in the Dark, which will be published by Orenda this June!
While the missing child storyline is nothing new, this one drew my attention for several reasons. One, it's an Orenda book and I have yet to read a book that Karen Sullivan has published that I haven't really enjoyed; two, the fact that this missing child case has been unsolved for 25 years and the statute of limitations is almost up made it feel more intense, like the clock really is ticking to find out and bring someone to justice; three, I've recently discovered I love Scandinavian crime novels for the dark, somewhat gloomy settings as well as the often dark, gloomy characters involved.
Put all that together with the beginning pages of the story and I was hooked. The book begins with the armed robbery of a jewelry store gone wrong when a passerby literally runs into the robbers and gets shot and killed. When said robbers basically vanish into thin air it's intriguing to say the least. The question will soon become, how, if at all does this seemingly random robbery tie in with a 25 year old missing child case?
From here we meet PI Varg Veum who's losing the battle with himself over continually draining his liquor (Aquavit) bottle while on the job. There's something tragic about Varg that made me really like him right off the bat. When the mother of Mette Misvoer, the little 3 year old girl who vanished from her front yard 25 years ago while playing in her sandbox pays Varg a visit you could feel his compassion coming through the pages and I immediately realized I was rooting for Varg to not only find the little girl but to save himself from the brink of what seemed like his own personal despair.
What follows is a story told in the style of traditional crime novels. By that I mean there's no fancy detective tricks, no unreliable narrator, no high speed car chases or shoot'em up filler scenes...this is a guy battling his own personal demons who employs old fashioned detective work to find the missing Mette. With his amusing verbal sparring with suspects, I really found Varg to be a realistic and plausible character. As for the pace of the novel, it's slow and steady (not in a bad way just in a methodical one) until about the last quarter when the puzzle pieces begin to fall and click into place and I was racing to the end to find out every last detail. Can I just say...I didn't see that ending coming! I had my theories but they always remained kind of fuzzy, I just couldn't figure it all out which is exactly how I like to feel when reading a mystery.
I do have to say that many of you may look this up on Goodreads or Amazon and see that this is Book 18 in the series. FEAR NOT friends because this can be read as a standalone and really the only thing I wanted more answers to involved what happened to Varg's love Karen which is what has led him to drown himself in Aquavit. So, with that said, I'll be going back and reading Book 17, We Shall Inherit The Wind. I'll also be eagerly awaiting Book 19, Wolves in the Dark, which will be published by Orenda this June!
In September 1977, three year old Mette Misvaer disappears without trace from the sandpit outside her family home. In a last ditch attempt before the statue of limitations comes into force, Mette's mother hires Varg in a desperate plea to find out what actually happened to her twenty five years ago. Can Varg break through the secrets and lies that have stayed hidden for so long and can he discover the truth behind Mette's disappearance. As a mother myself, the storyline is one you most fear as a parent but it was handled diplomatically without distressing the reader.
Three years after the death of his long term girlfriend, Varg is still a broken-hearted mess, reliant on alcohol and the odd P.I. job to pay the bills. Flawed, but very likeable I couldn't help but fall in love with his character and his perseverance in getting to the truth and breaking people down to reveal their innermost secrets.
It did take me a while to get used to the characters names and how they all fitted into the story but once I did the story flowed seamlessly at a steady pace, thick with intrigue and was very easy to follow.
Written by hugely talented Gunnar Staalesen and expertly translated by Don Bartlett I can't recommend this book enough, a shocking, outstanding plot that's traditional and classic and keeps the reader guessing till the very end. LOVED it!!
5 stars.
Sometimes, all you need is a good one whodunit in the form of a cold case and an investigation done the good old way.
The title attracted me first. Where Roses Never Die; poetic, tragic, and beautiful. Then the cover made me quiver with its cold colors. The mix definitely catches the eye and intrigues.
That's what the book is about: an intrigue. Poor Mette disappeared from a sandpit decades ago and as the case is about to get closed for good, her mother needs answers. PI are usually interesting to follow, and Varg Veum is definitely one of my favorites now. Yes, he has issues. Yes, he has a heavy background, but his way of thinking and his reactions make him so authentic. He is no super-hero or anti-hero, he is a scarred man with a long past and bills to pay. From the start, I felt comfortable with him. My only complaint is that Where Roses Never Die is the 18th book in a series so there are holes in Veum's story that get mentioned in the story with no explanation, which is very frustrating when you like a character and enjoy having all the answers! This did not prevent me from falling for the guy and root for him, though! I only wished all books had been translated to meet Veum at the beginning of his journey and go all the way through, but it seems only a few stories are available in English.
I liked that the police were involved, but only at the outskirts of the investigation. They weren't just missing, this added to the frightening realism of the story. PI often are retired cops and their links in the force is always useful to solve cases. Between the police's help, sometimes granted, sometimes forced, and the good old work of questioning, Veum digs up more than he expected and what seemed to be a simple missing-child case turns into a Desperate Housewives-like tower of secrets and a dangerous game of guessing. The “neighborood” of the disappearance of the child gave me such a strong claustrophobic feeling I promised myself to never let anyone make me settle in such a place! Thankfully, we also get to travel and see more of the country. I must say I am beginning to really like the cold!
“Nothing is more fatal to a marriage than something both partners know, but neither will talk about.”
With its seemingly easy investigation, Where Roses Never Die surprised me with an easy-flowing writing and more twists that I was hoping for! Layers are added faster than lies leave lips and the list of suspects gives you enough to work with to keep you wondering until the shocking end. And I mean it, shocking end. Where Roses Never Die is a Classic Crime story with a big C: a story that plays with your mind in the best way possible! I know I often make classic rhyme with boring but this time I mean it as a compliment: every key element of the true crime book is here, ready to satisfy even the most seasoned crime readers!
I would like to thank Karen Sullivan for providing me with a copy of this book. This review is my unbiased thank you to her and the author.