Unhinged by Jorn Lier Horst & Thomas Enger
His colleague is dead. His daughter may be next. It’s time to do things his way...
Two of Nordic Noir’s most accomplished writers return with the explosive, staggeringly complex and unbearably emotive third instalment in the international bestselling Blix & Ramm series.
When police investigator Sofia Kovic uncovers a startling connection between several Oslo cases, she attempts to contact her closest superior, Alexander Blix, before involving anyone else in the department. But before Blix has time to return her call, Kovic is shot and killed in her own home – execution style. And in the apartment below, Blix’s daughter Iselin narrowly escapes becoming the killer’s next victim.
Four days later, Blix and online crime journalist Emma Ramm are locked inside an interrogation room, facing the National Criminal Investigation Service. Blix has shot and killed a man, and Ramm saw it all happen.
As Iselin’s life hangs in the balance, under-fire Blix no longer knows who he can trust, and he’s not even certain that he’s killed the right man...
About the authors
Jørn Lier Horst and Thomas Enger are the internationally bestselling Norwegian authors of the William Wisting and Henning Juul series respectively. A former investigator in the Norwegian police, Horst imbues all his works with an unparalleled realism and suspense. Thomas Enger is a journalist-turned-author whose trademark has become a darkly gritty voice paired with key social messages and tight plotting. Besides writing fiction for both adults and young adults, Enger also works as a music composer. Death Deserved was Jørn Lier Horst & Thomas Enger’s first co-written thriller, closely followed by Smoke Screen, and the series has sold more than two million copies worldwide, outselling Jo Nesbo in their native Norway, Sweden and Germany.
@LierHorst @EngerThomas.
Review
‘Unhinged’ is a triumph. It's tautly written, plotted brilliantly and isn't afraid of pulling some punches. Writing of this standard doesn’t come along very often as it was sublimely composed and congratulations to the translator Megan Turney for this brilliant transition to English. I have still not recovered from devouring this brilliant addition to the Blix series, I am bereft. I am devastated and ravenous for more…there better be more coming!
Blix is giving a lecture about grief when his phone starts to vibrate in his pocket. He ignores it and carries on with his lecture. He sees missed calls from his colleague Kovic and also from his daughter. But in the moments between those calls and finishing the lecture Kovic has been murdered and Iselin who lives with her narrowly escapes with her life!
This is the third instalment in this series and normally I would say it can be picked up as a standalone but I think reading the previous two books would be beneficial. Yes, it certainly can be read and appreciated on it's own but I honestly think the whole series is worth the effort! You have two writers, Jorn Lier Horst and Thomas Enger, who are both at the top of their game and it shows! I love both their works but something magical happens when they come together. I can promise that this book is going to be in my top ten for 2022 as it's standard is way above most crime fiction.
As I said above this book pulls some punches and the reader is challenged from the get-go. We were only just getting to know Kovic and suddenly she has been executed and there aren't many leads to go on. Plus, Blix’s daughter narrowly escaped. What follows is a character-driven narrative that focuses on Blix and his thoughts, actions, despair and desperation come to the fore. What happens in this book will change his life forever and will haunt me for a long time. This was a dark tale with consequences for the main player's Blix and Emma the young reporter he has such a complex relationship with. I could wax lyrical about ‘Unhinged’ but it would lead to far too many spoilers and this deserves to be loved without knowing too much! However, if you have read then I'm certainly up for some chat about it.
I have no hesitation in recommending this book, it deserves all the praise it will undoubtedly receive. Simply stunning.
