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thechemicaldetective's review
4.0
I confess I don't normally read police procedurals, but Kjell was so charming at the Stockton leg of the Orenda tour (courtesy of Stockton Library and Drake Bookshop) that I thought I'd give this one a go.
So glad I did - it's a proper thriller.
My favourite scene is Lena's meeting with Bodil, when a bit of old fashioned shoe leather plodding results in a pivotal lead - but no spoilers here.
Nicely sexy, with strong women, bad boys and decent men. More Gunnastranda please, he's my favourite.
The ice swimming moments make great brackets. Leaves you tingling and satisfied.
I will definitely read more.
So glad I did - it's a proper thriller.
My favourite scene is Lena's meeting with Bodil, when a bit of old fashioned shoe leather plodding results in a pivotal lead - but no spoilers here.
Nicely sexy, with strong women, bad boys and decent men. More Gunnastranda please, he's my favourite.
The ice swimming moments make great brackets. Leaves you tingling and satisfied.
I will definitely read more.
btpbookclub's review against another edition
4.0
Two deaths. Two cases… But are they related and will the cases be solved?! The Ice Swimmer is written well, fast paced and had me hooked from the start! I enjoyed reading this story…
I found Lena to be a strong, determined main female character, who besides facing her own personal issues alongside a rocky love life does not give up to solve the case. Someone must know something about these deaths? But who is telling the truth and who is lying… A gripping story with an unexpected outcome. Highly recommend. I awarded a well deserved four stars. I look forward to reading more by this author in the future.
I found Lena to be a strong, determined main female character, who besides facing her own personal issues alongside a rocky love life does not give up to solve the case. Someone must know something about these deaths? But who is telling the truth and who is lying… A gripping story with an unexpected outcome. Highly recommend. I awarded a well deserved four stars. I look forward to reading more by this author in the future.
noveldeelights's review against another edition
4.0
All my reviews can be found on noveldeelights.com
3.5* --> 4*
Despite the fact Kjell Ola Dahl is known as one of the godfathers of Nordic Noir and that I’ve had Faithless on my bookshelf for aeons, this is the first book I’ve read by him. While it says The Ice Swimmer is the eighth book in the Oslo Detectives series, don’t let that put you off as this reads perfectly well as a stand-alone and I never really felt I was missing out on anything.
It’s a busy day in the city of Oslo. The body of a man is lifted from the freezing waters of the harbour and a young woman has apparently taken her own life by jumping in front of a train. Things aren’t quite what they seem though. Detective Lena Stigersand is in charge of the first investigation, while her colleague Gunnarstranda looks into the second one. But Lena has a whole lot of other issues to deal with.
The Ice Swimmer is a truly cleverly plotted police procedural. What looks like a simple drowning quickly turns into a murky tale full of lies, deceit and corruption. Not only does it involve a high ranking politician, it even looks like someone close to Lena may somehow be involved. And why does it seem like someone is following her?
I must say this thrilling investigation kept me guessing throughout and it was a true delight seeing various threads come together at one point. But I also really enjoyed the glimpses into the team’s personal lives and the realistic touches, like spending long hours of boring stake-outs in the freezing cold Oslo winter.
It’s easy to see why Kjell Ola Dahl is so highly regarded in this genre. Yes, I may have stumbled over the Norwegian names a few times or gotten some characters confused with others but that’s hardly the author’s fault and it didn’t ruin my enjoyment at all. If anything, it required me to focus that little bit harder. Which you’d think would have helped me solve the case, but no. The reveals left me completely blindsided.
The Ice Swimmer is a twisty and incredibly well written story, full of suspense and intrigue and it had me glued to the pages. Of course, I must also mention the seamless translation by Don Bartlett. If you’re a fan of the Nordic Noir genre, you will undoubtedly enjoy this latest addition to the Oslo Detectives series!
3.5* --> 4*
Despite the fact Kjell Ola Dahl is known as one of the godfathers of Nordic Noir and that I’ve had Faithless on my bookshelf for aeons, this is the first book I’ve read by him. While it says The Ice Swimmer is the eighth book in the Oslo Detectives series, don’t let that put you off as this reads perfectly well as a stand-alone and I never really felt I was missing out on anything.
It’s a busy day in the city of Oslo. The body of a man is lifted from the freezing waters of the harbour and a young woman has apparently taken her own life by jumping in front of a train. Things aren’t quite what they seem though. Detective Lena Stigersand is in charge of the first investigation, while her colleague Gunnarstranda looks into the second one. But Lena has a whole lot of other issues to deal with.
The Ice Swimmer is a truly cleverly plotted police procedural. What looks like a simple drowning quickly turns into a murky tale full of lies, deceit and corruption. Not only does it involve a high ranking politician, it even looks like someone close to Lena may somehow be involved. And why does it seem like someone is following her?
I must say this thrilling investigation kept me guessing throughout and it was a true delight seeing various threads come together at one point. But I also really enjoyed the glimpses into the team’s personal lives and the realistic touches, like spending long hours of boring stake-outs in the freezing cold Oslo winter.
It’s easy to see why Kjell Ola Dahl is so highly regarded in this genre. Yes, I may have stumbled over the Norwegian names a few times or gotten some characters confused with others but that’s hardly the author’s fault and it didn’t ruin my enjoyment at all. If anything, it required me to focus that little bit harder. Which you’d think would have helped me solve the case, but no. The reveals left me completely blindsided.
The Ice Swimmer is a twisty and incredibly well written story, full of suspense and intrigue and it had me glued to the pages. Of course, I must also mention the seamless translation by Don Bartlett. If you’re a fan of the Nordic Noir genre, you will undoubtedly enjoy this latest addition to the Oslo Detectives series!
thebooktrail88's review against another edition
5.0
This is a twisty tale!
Two deaths in a short space of time from when the novel opens and then bam sham a lam, things get very murky indeed.
The novel opens when someone is being chased through the metro station and she heads into a tunnel.....then a body is fished from the waters within yards of Oslo's City Hall
Who is involved in these murders, why is the City Hall location important and does Oslo have an underbelly that is gradually getting darker and darker? Tunnels, black holes, icy waters...what on earth is happening in Oslo?
A damn fine novel that's what. Smooth translation too. Drink it up like a the full bodied taste fest it is.
Full review to come for the tour - but put this on your Nordic list right now
Two deaths in a short space of time from when the novel opens and then bam sham a lam, things get very murky indeed.
The novel opens when someone is being chased through the metro station and she heads into a tunnel.....then a body is fished from the waters within yards of Oslo's City Hall
Who is involved in these murders, why is the City Hall location important and does Oslo have an underbelly that is gradually getting darker and darker? Tunnels, black holes, icy waters...what on earth is happening in Oslo?
A damn fine novel that's what. Smooth translation too. Drink it up like a the full bodied taste fest it is.
Full review to come for the tour - but put this on your Nordic list right now
steph1rothwell's review against another edition
4.0
With thanks to the publisher for the copy received.
As soon as I started reading The Ice Swimmer I felt like was in the company of old friends.I had only met the characters once previously, in Faithless, but Lena, Gunnarstranda and Frølich are so easy to know and like. Probably because they are shown as normal people who have everyday issues.
Lena is the lead character again on the two cases that are being investigated. She is a brilliant and dedicated officer but her personal life is a disaster and she now also has had devastating news about her health. Even though the team are close they don’t discuss personal issues and she is dealing with the situation on her own. Frølich has a smaller role in this novel but he is a character who nobody can control, no longer a member of the police but Lena and Gunnarstranda still include him when they feel he can help. It would be foolish to underestimate his worth.
They are up against the worst type of people. Influential politicians who have enough power and wealth to halt any investigation into their lives and also the media. Who are capable of inventing a story and causing trouble if they want to. There is also unwelcome interference from other security forces which is upsetting for Lena.
Norwegian crime series seem so different to other crime fiction. I’ve never read any other that has me googling food and I find it astonishing that a country can have extremely cold temperatures and still function.
This series is now one of my favourite from Orenda and I’m looking forward to more.
clair_82's review against another edition
3.0
The Ice Swimmer opens with someone trying to escape someone on the metro – we don’t know who these people are or why they are in this position but what is clear is that the woman does not want to be caught.
We are then transported to the streets of Oslo where a body is being removed from the water – what appears to be a simple drowning soon turns into a sinister investigation for the Oslo Detectives.
This is the 8th book in the series and the second I have read but it can most definitely be read as a stand-alone.
This book certainly keeps its reader on their toes with the cleverly plotted investigation full of threads that eventually come together for both the reader and the police. There is also an interesting angle to this book as we also get to know Detective Lena Stigersand and privy to the challenges she’s having personally alongside the challenging investigation she has.
This is a slower pace of thriller but is full of leads and red herrings. Kjell Ola Dahl writes wonderfully and it’s clear why he is regarded so highly within the genre of Nordic noir.
We are then transported to the streets of Oslo where a body is being removed from the water – what appears to be a simple drowning soon turns into a sinister investigation for the Oslo Detectives.
This is the 8th book in the series and the second I have read but it can most definitely be read as a stand-alone.
This book certainly keeps its reader on their toes with the cleverly plotted investigation full of threads that eventually come together for both the reader and the police. There is also an interesting angle to this book as we also get to know Detective Lena Stigersand and privy to the challenges she’s having personally alongside the challenging investigation she has.
This is a slower pace of thriller but is full of leads and red herrings. Kjell Ola Dahl writes wonderfully and it’s clear why he is regarded so highly within the genre of Nordic noir.
karlou's review against another edition
5.0
Two tragic deaths just before Christmas seem to be grim but unconnected and simple cases for Detective Lena Stigersand and Inspector Gunnarstranda to investigate. Lena is called to the drowning of a young man in Oslo Harbour - probably as a result of an alcohol fuelled accident after a night out, and Gunnarstranda's case seems even more straightforward after a homeless drug addict throws herself in front of a train. However, the evidence doesn't match the hypotheses and before long they realise that both deaths seem to be more sinister - and that their cases may have more in common than just the date of death.
Though the intricacies of the investigations are utterly intriguing, character development is equally engrossing as Kjell Ola Dahl allows space in the novel to reveal more about their personal and inner lives. Indeed there is a whole page dedicated to Gunnarstranda's recipe for fish soup; it has nothing to do whatsoever with the investigation but gives us an insight into the sort of man he is, and how his meticulous preparation of soup is mirrored by his scrupulous attitude to police work. The Ice Swimmer is really Lena Stigersand's book however, as most of the events unfold from her perspective as her professional and private lives collide. She is clearly a perceptive and dedicated officer but her concerns about her health and her tentative relationship with journalist, Steffen Gjerstad means her focus becomes torn. The emotional demands of the case are shown to have a real impact on Lena as she tries to discover who can be trusted when she uncovers shady political dealings, and it is through her that the impact of police work on the mental health of officers is explored.
The slower pace means the plot is allowed to evolve gradually and though the story is a contemporary one, the timeless quality to the narrative meant this was a book I wanted to truly appreciate by losing myself in it for a few hours rather than racing to the end. There is an evocative richness to Kjell Ola Dahl's writing as his detailed descriptions evoke the chill of the Oslo streets and the tangled lives of the characters in the book. The Ice Swimmer is imbued with a real sense of the subtle melancholy that effects many of us during the long winter months. This isn't a book about the triumphant capture of a murderer, it's about the dogged determination for some justice to be served while recognising a system which protects some more than others.
The complexities of the plot may demand the reader's full attention but in return they are rewarded with an engrossing and beautifully crafted novel. Praise too for Don Bartlett's translation which ensures the prose flows naturally throughout. Intricate, intelligent and suspenseful, The Ice Swimmer is everything I love about Nordic Noir and it is a book that captivated me from the very first page through to the startling finale. Highly recommended.
Though the intricacies of the investigations are utterly intriguing, character development is equally engrossing as Kjell Ola Dahl allows space in the novel to reveal more about their personal and inner lives. Indeed there is a whole page dedicated to Gunnarstranda's recipe for fish soup; it has nothing to do whatsoever with the investigation but gives us an insight into the sort of man he is, and how his meticulous preparation of soup is mirrored by his scrupulous attitude to police work. The Ice Swimmer is really Lena Stigersand's book however, as most of the events unfold from her perspective as her professional and private lives collide. She is clearly a perceptive and dedicated officer but her concerns about her health and her tentative relationship with journalist, Steffen Gjerstad means her focus becomes torn. The emotional demands of the case are shown to have a real impact on Lena as she tries to discover who can be trusted when she uncovers shady political dealings, and it is through her that the impact of police work on the mental health of officers is explored.
The slower pace means the plot is allowed to evolve gradually and though the story is a contemporary one, the timeless quality to the narrative meant this was a book I wanted to truly appreciate by losing myself in it for a few hours rather than racing to the end. There is an evocative richness to Kjell Ola Dahl's writing as his detailed descriptions evoke the chill of the Oslo streets and the tangled lives of the characters in the book. The Ice Swimmer is imbued with a real sense of the subtle melancholy that effects many of us during the long winter months. This isn't a book about the triumphant capture of a murderer, it's about the dogged determination for some justice to be served while recognising a system which protects some more than others.
The complexities of the plot may demand the reader's full attention but in return they are rewarded with an engrossing and beautifully crafted novel. Praise too for Don Bartlett's translation which ensures the prose flows naturally throughout. Intricate, intelligent and suspenseful, The Ice Swimmer is everything I love about Nordic Noir and it is a book that captivated me from the very first page through to the startling finale. Highly recommended.
jess_reads_books's review against another edition
4.0
A dead man has been found floating in the freezing waters of Oslo Harbor. There are no signs of foul play. The death looks like an intoxicated man who fell into the water and couldn't get out.
A woman throws herself in front of a metro train. CCTV footage reveals that she was being chased by a mysterious hooded man. Did she really commit suicide or was she pushed?
Oslo detective, Lena Stigerstand is put in charge of the drowning case. She quickly finds herself involved in the workings of local politics and Norway's secret services in connection with this death. To make matters more intense, Lena's personal life has taken crazy turn, after crazy turn. She has a new boyfriend who isn't quite what he seems, a stalker, and a cancer scare. With the help of her trusted colleagues in the Oslo police department Lena will hunt for the answers that draw these two seemingly unrelated cases together. Can she track the killer before they strike again?
Last year I started my journey in to reading more Nordic noir. When I was researching where to start Kjell Ola Dahl's name was one that kept popping up, so when Orenda reached out to me about participating in the blog tour for Dahl's latest installment in his Oslo Detective series I jumped at the chance! Despite this being the eighth book in a long standing series I felt like I was able to follow along without any issues. I got a feel for the trust between colleagues, which I'm sure has been built up over the last seven books, without feeling like I was missing pieces to the puzzle. I think my favorite part of this book, aside from the fascinating case, was Lena Stigerstand. The world of Lena is turned on it's side and then flipped again and again in this book and yet somehow she remains a pure badass detective. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a multi-layered crime fiction story with strong detectives leading the case. I'm looking forward to picking up some other editions in this series and getting to know these detectives a bit more in the future!
Thank you so much to Orenda Book and Kjell Ola Dahl for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to the fabulous Anne Cater for setting up another #teamorenda tour full of fantastic bloggers! Please be sure to check out the rest of the blogs showcasing this book on its blog tour!
A woman throws herself in front of a metro train. CCTV footage reveals that she was being chased by a mysterious hooded man. Did she really commit suicide or was she pushed?
Oslo detective, Lena Stigerstand is put in charge of the drowning case. She quickly finds herself involved in the workings of local politics and Norway's secret services in connection with this death. To make matters more intense, Lena's personal life has taken crazy turn, after crazy turn. She has a new boyfriend who isn't quite what he seems, a stalker, and a cancer scare. With the help of her trusted colleagues in the Oslo police department Lena will hunt for the answers that draw these two seemingly unrelated cases together. Can she track the killer before they strike again?
Last year I started my journey in to reading more Nordic noir. When I was researching where to start Kjell Ola Dahl's name was one that kept popping up, so when Orenda reached out to me about participating in the blog tour for Dahl's latest installment in his Oslo Detective series I jumped at the chance! Despite this being the eighth book in a long standing series I felt like I was able to follow along without any issues. I got a feel for the trust between colleagues, which I'm sure has been built up over the last seven books, without feeling like I was missing pieces to the puzzle. I think my favorite part of this book, aside from the fascinating case, was Lena Stigerstand. The world of Lena is turned on it's side and then flipped again and again in this book and yet somehow she remains a pure badass detective. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a multi-layered crime fiction story with strong detectives leading the case. I'm looking forward to picking up some other editions in this series and getting to know these detectives a bit more in the future!
Thank you so much to Orenda Book and Kjell Ola Dahl for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to the fabulous Anne Cater for setting up another #teamorenda tour full of fantastic bloggers! Please be sure to check out the rest of the blogs showcasing this book on its blog tour!
sarahwithersblogs's review
4.0
This book was received from the publisher in return for an honest review
The Ice Swimmer is the latest in the Oslo Detectives series by Kjell Ola Dahl to be translated into English. The first time this series came to my attention was when Orenda Books approached me and asked if I’d like to take part in the blog tour for The Ice Swimmer, although I’ve read some Nordic Noir previously.
The Ice Swimmer begins with two seemingly unconnected cases, the suspected suicide of a drug user who is hit by a subway train – although the reader is treated to a little more information than the police to begin with – and the potential accidental death of a civil servant found drowned off City Hall Quay.
Whilst originally treated as two separate cases by the Oslo Police when a man is shot having given Gunnarstranda a reason for Nina’s death it becomes clear that her death was no suicide, and Sveinung Adeler’s fall was no drunken accident but an intentional act. Throw into the mix a couple of powerful politicians and possible links to terrorism and Lena Stigersand and Gunnarstranda have their work cut out to convince their boss that the cases truly are connected, that this is a line of inquiry they should be following, and to find the evidence they need to see it through.
It took me a little while to get fully immersed in the plot, I found maybe the first 50 pages slow going but once I’d gotten that far and threads starting coming together I found the story really picked up for me and I very quickly went from being easily distracted by an email coming through or a Facebook notification to being completely hooked and wanting to know the outcome.
I think part of what took me so long to get into the story may have been the setting – There’s certainly nothing wrong with the setting at all, and Oslo is very well described in the book I just don’t know it at all myself. I guess it’s a personal thing, I simply find it easier to immerse myself in a story when it’s set in Edinburgh or London, amongst places and I know and streets I’ve walked, I guess it just makes it easier to create the accompanying images in my head.
I think the other thing that I probably struggled with at the beginning was the characters – again there’s nothing I found particularly troublesome about them, it was more about keeping track of who was who, particularly within the police force. I think at least part of the reason for that was I’ve come into the Oslo Detective series quite a few books in and I imagine that most of the characters are already pretty well established and easily identified by those who have been reading Kjell’s books from the beginning. As I continued reading the characters began to separate for me and I found it easier to keep track of who was who and what they were doing in relation to the case. I think it helped me that the plot felt like it narrowed its focus to two key detectives – Gunnarstranda and Stigersand, while the other detectives played more of a background role.
The Ice Swimmer worked perfectly well as a standalone novel, but as I was reading I felt the fact I’d not read the previous books in the series more keenly than some other books I’ve picked up mid series. I definitely felt that the characters had history that I was unaware of, it didn’t really affect the plot directly, but I felt there were little hints at a past event, or something that had affected the relationship between two characters that I was unaware of.
Would I Recommend?
I can sometimes be a little wary about translated fiction, does a translated book read as well as it does in its original language? I wonder if we’re missing little subtleties or are there some bits that just don’t translate well from the original language. In the past I’ve found them to be a little hit and miss – fortunately for me The Ice Swimmer fell into the former category. For me although it took a little time to get going it was definitely worth persevering through, suddenly little things started coming together and the plot really took off. Over the years Nordic Noir has become such a celebrated sub genre within crime fiction in the UK and The Ice Swimmer sits comfortably in there with some other great reads. I’d definitely recommend picking it up! I’ll be investigating some of the earlier books in the series.
The Ice Swimmer is the latest in the Oslo Detectives series by Kjell Ola Dahl to be translated into English. The first time this series came to my attention was when Orenda Books approached me and asked if I’d like to take part in the blog tour for The Ice Swimmer, although I’ve read some Nordic Noir previously.
The Ice Swimmer begins with two seemingly unconnected cases, the suspected suicide of a drug user who is hit by a subway train – although the reader is treated to a little more information than the police to begin with – and the potential accidental death of a civil servant found drowned off City Hall Quay.
Whilst originally treated as two separate cases by the Oslo Police when a man is shot having given Gunnarstranda a reason for Nina’s death it becomes clear that her death was no suicide, and Sveinung Adeler’s fall was no drunken accident but an intentional act. Throw into the mix a couple of powerful politicians and possible links to terrorism and Lena Stigersand and Gunnarstranda have their work cut out to convince their boss that the cases truly are connected, that this is a line of inquiry they should be following, and to find the evidence they need to see it through.
It took me a little while to get fully immersed in the plot, I found maybe the first 50 pages slow going but once I’d gotten that far and threads starting coming together I found the story really picked up for me and I very quickly went from being easily distracted by an email coming through or a Facebook notification to being completely hooked and wanting to know the outcome.
I think part of what took me so long to get into the story may have been the setting – There’s certainly nothing wrong with the setting at all, and Oslo is very well described in the book I just don’t know it at all myself. I guess it’s a personal thing, I simply find it easier to immerse myself in a story when it’s set in Edinburgh or London, amongst places and I know and streets I’ve walked, I guess it just makes it easier to create the accompanying images in my head.
I think the other thing that I probably struggled with at the beginning was the characters – again there’s nothing I found particularly troublesome about them, it was more about keeping track of who was who, particularly within the police force. I think at least part of the reason for that was I’ve come into the Oslo Detective series quite a few books in and I imagine that most of the characters are already pretty well established and easily identified by those who have been reading Kjell’s books from the beginning. As I continued reading the characters began to separate for me and I found it easier to keep track of who was who and what they were doing in relation to the case. I think it helped me that the plot felt like it narrowed its focus to two key detectives – Gunnarstranda and Stigersand, while the other detectives played more of a background role.
The Ice Swimmer worked perfectly well as a standalone novel, but as I was reading I felt the fact I’d not read the previous books in the series more keenly than some other books I’ve picked up mid series. I definitely felt that the characters had history that I was unaware of, it didn’t really affect the plot directly, but I felt there were little hints at a past event, or something that had affected the relationship between two characters that I was unaware of.
Would I Recommend?
I can sometimes be a little wary about translated fiction, does a translated book read as well as it does in its original language? I wonder if we’re missing little subtleties or are there some bits that just don’t translate well from the original language. In the past I’ve found them to be a little hit and miss – fortunately for me The Ice Swimmer fell into the former category. For me although it took a little time to get going it was definitely worth persevering through, suddenly little things started coming together and the plot really took off. Over the years Nordic Noir has become such a celebrated sub genre within crime fiction in the UK and The Ice Swimmer sits comfortably in there with some other great reads. I’d definitely recommend picking it up! I’ll be investigating some of the earlier books in the series.
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