A dead woman, strangled and covered in plastic, is found in a cemetery. Just days earlier the woman had received a flower, a photo of herself, and a nonsensical note. With neither clue nor motive, Detective Inspector Irene Huss and her colleagues in the Violent Crimes Unit in Göteborg, Sweden, have nothing to go on, and when similar murders occur, they are all desperate for a lead to find this killer.
While all this is going on, strange things are happening at Irene's own home. Items are moved, things are damaged, and she receives a threatening package with no return address. Is Irene on the killer's list, or is she just being paranoid?
Helene Tursten's latest Irene Huss mystery is even leaner and meaner than previous novels. While changes continue to occur in the lives of empty nesters Irene and Krister, Irene is under a very real-- and very creepy-- threat. When no connections are found between the victims, it is steady, dogged police work that wins the day. Never give up. Keep knocking on doors. Keep asking questions. Keep going over and over the evidence for that one tiny clue that will break things wide open. There's something to be said for police officers in crime fiction who are lavishly endowed with intuition, but I also admire a never-say-die attitude and plenty of hard work.
Tursten does an excellent job of ratcheting up the suspense in this very enjoyable police procedural, and Irene Huss continues to be one of my favorite characters. The author also addresses a couple of points that drive me crazy not only in crime fiction and film but in real life. Whether in a vehicle or on foot, you should always have good knowledge of your surroundings. Know the neighborhood in which you live. Don't travel the streets wearing earbuds or with your face buried in a cell phone. And for crying out loud, close your curtains when it gets dark! Don't provide any- and everyone with something they can't resist watching. I learned the hard way: no matter how uninteresting you may feel yourself to be, there is always someone who finds you fascinating. Tursten is well aware of these things, and she's used them to write an exciting tale that can make your skin crawl.
Who Watcheth by Helene Tursten
Translated from the Swedish by Marlaine Delargy
Translated from the Swedish by Marlaine Delargy
ISBN: 9781616954048
Soho Crime © 2016
Hardcover, 304 pages
Police Procedural, #9 Detective Inspector Irene Huss
Rating: A-
Source: the publisher
Ah, Helene Tursten! I really like her work, too, Cathy - a lot. I think Irene Huss is a very well-drawn character, and I like the setting of this series, too. I feel bad because I've not kept up with it quite as much as I should. But this does sound great.
ReplyDeleteIt is very good, Margot.
DeleteI do like this series and Irene Huss is an excellent character. I'm glad to see a positive review of this new book and it's going on my TBR list.
ReplyDeleteDon't know if you're seen the TV episodes with Angela Kovac as Irene Huss? They're all good except the first episode. Kovac is excellent.
There were a few times when she ventures out on her own without a partner or other back-up which is annoying, but other times the team rises to the occasion.
Irene and her team need a new head of department.
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