Suspense set in OSLO

17th February 2025

Death Deserved by Jørn Lier Horst and Thomas Enger, suspense set in OSLO.

Translated by Anne Bruce.

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So far there are 5 novels in the Blix and Ramm series and this is the very first outing for police officer Alexander Blix and blogger/reporter Emma Ramm. I have read a couple in the series, so it has been really rather nice to see the first steps as the two start working together on cases. Each novel can be read as a standalone.

The novel opens with the traumatic event that has plagued Alexander Blix for the past couple of decades.

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Then, in present day 2018, a former long-distance runner, Sonja Nordstrøm, just turned 50, is publishing her controversial autobiography. She is due to appear on a morning TV show. The taxi arrives to bring her to the studio, but she fails to appear. Emma Ramm is already on the case as it passes into police hands.

We are also introduced to Blix’s daughter who comes to play a significant role later in the series – currently she is appearing in a reality TV show, about which Blix has significant doubts. We gain a glimpse into their relationship which develops as the series moves on.

Clues relating to Nordstrøm’s disappearance begin to turn up but for the investigation team, it is a real struggle to align the various elements. It then becomes apparent that there may be a rather unusual serial killer active in the city….

The writing duo work so well together, the story is told engagingly and seamlessly in short chapters, with a good sense of pace. A really promising start to the series (and I should know, I have read a couple further down the line and have found them to be extremely readable!).

Tina for the TripFiction Team

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