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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
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.
The book begins with Veum meeting Mette’s mother 25 years after her daughter’s disappearance. She implores him to take a look into the case before the statute of limitations is up on the investigation. What ensues is a spellbinding narrative that pulls you in and doesn’t let you go.
There was nothing about this book I didn’t like. The location, the characters and the plot are so effortless that you just cannot stop reading once you start! I had no idea how I missed Gunnar Staalesen as an author before now as he writes my favourite genre, in my favourite climate, so it’s safe to say I am definitely a fan after reading Where Roses Never Die.
The subject matter of this book is a bit tough to read as a parent, as it’s genuinely one of your worst fears. The author has done a brilliant job of weaving together 25 years of history within the plot and its main players though. Varg Veum is a superb main character too! With echoes of Jo Nesbo’s Harry Hole, he is likeable but he is also a flawed and troubled investigator who is not without his own shortcomings.
Where Roses Never Die is an exceptionally plotted, well written and hauntingly evocative lesson in Norwegian crime writing. I experienced a wide range of emotions while reading it, and in the interest of full disclosure, this Ice Queen shed some tears reading it! I cannot recommend this book highly enough, and I am definitely going to be following Gunnar Staalesen’s writing after this!
As there is a deliciously dark twist in this book, I will not tarry long on the plot, but needless to say Staalesen once again employs his tactic of making the reader believe that what they are witnessing is a fairly simple investigation, in this case possible child abduction/murder and a jewellery store robbery. But nothing so straightforward my friends. Staalesen has a wonderful way of calmly exposing a very nasty underbelly to Veum’s investigation that will both unsettle and disturb you, all through a measured unfolding of Veum’s probing discoveries, and the exposure of his protagonist’s true nature and motivations. As you think that the investigation is going steadily in one direction, a follow up interview or a loose casual remark uncovers another dark thread for Veum to follow, and the innocent are not always as innocent as we believe. Staalesen’s plotting is consistently faultless and this book proves no exception. Question everything you think you know, and don’t be fooled, there are some rum characters in this one.
Staalesen is incredibly good at exposing the kinks in the psychological make-up and behaviour throughout his characterisation, from his dogged and haunted PI Veum , through the layers of deceit and misdirection that the surrounding cast of characters exhibit as he searches for truth and resolution. Veum is such a non-linear, unpredictable character and cleverly, the familiarity we think we have with him as readers is effectively warped in each book, as Staalesen seems to re-assess and redraw him slightly in each investigation, exposing different facets of the man both personally and professionally. The natural cynical humour, and determination to unsettle and irritate some of those he encounters remains a constant though, and I love the way that Staalesen extends this feature of Veum’s character to poke affectionate fun at the locale of Bergen and its inhabitants too. On a more serious note though, it is good to see Veum starting to recover from a significant loss in his life, and making a few tentative steps back to the realm of personal relationships, leaving the door open a gap for this emotional recovery to continue in the next book.
Once again, Staalesen has produced another impeccable slice of Nordic noir, that places him at the forefront of the Scandinavian crime writing community. With immaculate and controlled plotting, which throws up a number of dark surprises along the way to nicely unsettle the reader, and the engaging figure of Varg Veum at its centre, Where Roses Never Die is a more than satisfying addition to this excellent series. Highly recommended.
The book begins with Veum meeting Mette’s mother 25 years after her daughter’s disappearance. She implores him to take a look into the case before the statute of limitations is up on the investigation. What ensues is a spellbinding narrative that pulls you in and doesn’t let you go.
There was nothing about this book I didn’t like. The location, the characters and the plot are so effortless that you just cannot stop reading once you start! I had no idea how I missed Gunnar Staalesen as an author before now as he writes my favourite genre, in my favourite climate, so it’s safe to say I am definitely a fan after reading Where Roses Never Die.
The subject matter of this book is a bit tough to read as a parent, as it’s genuinely one of your worst fears. The author has done a brilliant job of weaving together 25 years of history within the plot and its main players though. Varg Veum is a superb main character too! With echoes of Jo Nesbo’s Harry Hole, he is likeable but he is also a flawed and troubled investigator who is not without his own shortcomings.
Where Roses Never Die is an exceptionally plotted, well written and hauntingly evocative lesson in Norwegian crime writing. I experienced a wide range of emotions while reading it, and in the interest of full disclosure, this Ice Queen shed some tears reading it! I cannot recommend this book highly enough, and I am definitely going to be following Gunnar Staalesen’s writing after this!
At the start of the story Private Investigator Veum is in a bad way. He gets through each day by drinking and has been funding his habit by taking on the cases he would prefer to shun. The arrival in his office of Maja Misvaer, whose three year old daughter, Mette, disappeared from outside their home almost twenty-five years ago, offers him a chink of light in a life that has been overcome by the darkness of memory and loss.
The book opens with a robbery in a jewellery store during which an apparently random passer by is shot and subsequently dies. The robbers make their getaway by boat and, three months later, with no leads to follow, the police have all but given up on solving the crime. Veum followed the case in the papers but pays it little attention until he discovers that the murdered man had lived in the same housing complex as the little girl, whose wherabouts he has been commissioned to find, at the time she disappeared.
Veum interviews the police officers who investigated the initial disappearance as well as all those who lived in the five houses built around the courtyard where Mette was last seen playing. He discovers that these families were close in an unexpected way. With dogged determination he circumvents their reluctance to talk and digs into their pasts, unearthing secrets they had held close for decades.
The writing makes much use of narrative alongside Veum’s musings on the case. The voice I was hearing in my head brought to mind TV cops from the 70s with the use of similes and Veum’s moralistic stance, somewhat hypocritical given his own past behaviour. The feminist in me bristled at some of the attitudes but they realistically evoke the time and place. Norway, with its dark weather and uncompromising landscape, reflect the protagonist.
The plot twists and turns around each new revelation offering the reader much to ponder. The events leading up to the denouement had me dreading what was to be revealed. Despite my apprehension I could not look away.
A tense, starkly captivating read this is a must for fans of Nordic Noir. Highly recommended to all who look for depth and tenebrosity in their crime fiction.
My copy of this book was provided gratis by the publisher, Orenda Books.