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Hanne Wilhelmsen #9
Odd Numbers
When bombs explode at the Islamic Cooperation Council’s headquarters in Oslo, detective Hanne Wilhelmsen is on the case in the newest installment of the award-winning series from Norway’s bestselling crime writer Anne Holt—“the godmother of Norwegian crime fiction� (Jo Nesbo).
On an early April afternoon, a bomb goes off in the Islamic Cooperation Council’s offices in Oslo, killing twenty-three people. The Police and Security Service suspect an extremist organization to be responsible for the attack, a suspicion that grows stronger when threats of yet another, bigger explosion during the planned celebration of the Norwegian constitution reach the authorities.
After years on the outside, wheelchair-bound Hanne Wilhelmsen is back among the Oslo police as a special adviser on cold case investigations. She has no official ties to the Security Service in her new role, but is soon approached by her friend, Billy T., who fears his own son may be linked to the bombings. As she tries to help Billy reach out to his son, Hanne realizes that Oslo is up against forces far more terrible and menacing than ever before, and time is running out.
On an early April afternoon, a bomb goes off in the Islamic Cooperation Council’s offices in Oslo, killing twenty-three people. The Police and Security Service suspect an extremist organization to be responsible for the attack, a suspicion that grows stronger when threats of yet another, bigger explosion during the planned celebration of the Norwegian constitution reach the authorities.
After years on the outside, wheelchair-bound Hanne Wilhelmsen is back among the Oslo police as a special adviser on cold case investigations. She has no official ties to the Security Service in her new role, but is soon approached by her friend, Billy T., who fears his own son may be linked to the bombings. As she tries to help Billy reach out to his son, Hanne realizes that Oslo is up against forces far more terrible and menacing than ever before, and time is running out.
329 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2015
111 people are currently reading
861 people want to read
About the author
Anne Holt
77Ìýbooks632ÌýfollowersAnne Holt was born in Larvik, grew up in Lillestrøm and Tromsø, and moved to Oslo in 1978. She graduated with a law degree from the University of Bergen in 1986, and went on to work for The Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) and then the Oslo Police Department, earning her right to practice as a lawyer in Norway. In 1990 she returned to NRK, where she worked one year as a journalist and anchor woman for the news program Dagsrevyen.
Holt started her own law practice in 1994, and served as Minister of Justice in Cabinet Jagland for a short period from November 25, 1996 to February 4, 1997.
In 1993 Holt made her debut as a novelist with the crime novel Blind gudinne, featuring the lesbian police officer Hanne Wilhelmsen. The two novels Løvens gap (1997) and Uten ekko (2000) are co-authored with former state secretary Berit Reiss-Andersen.
Holt is one of the most successful crime novelists in Norway. She has been published in 25 countries.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
Holt started her own law practice in 1994, and served as Minister of Justice in Cabinet Jagland for a short period from November 25, 1996 to February 4, 1997.
In 1993 Holt made her debut as a novelist with the crime novel Blind gudinne, featuring the lesbian police officer Hanne Wilhelmsen. The two novels Løvens gap (1997) and Uten ekko (2000) are co-authored with former state secretary Berit Reiss-Andersen.
Holt is one of the most successful crime novelists in Norway. She has been published in 25 countries.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
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March 13, 2019
Quando ho iniziato a leggere la serie di Hanne Wilhelmsen (mi ero appena trasferita in un’altra città , compravo un libro alla settimana perché all’inizio conoscevo solo due colleghi e avevo in affitto un appartamento senza televisore) mi sembrava di avere a che fare con delle storie troppo indietro nel tempo. In un certo senso, leggevo i romanzi (i primi sono degli anni �90 e sono arrivati tradotti da noi dopo il boom del giallo scandinavo) e li trovavo invecchiati male.
Aggiungiamoci una protagonista che è alquanto antipatica, soprattutto all’inizio, e non nel senso buono. Ci sono eroi letterari fatti per essere antipatici. Ce ne sono di quelli che non ti dicono nulla.
Nonostante tutto, sono andata avanti nella serie (cosa che, per esempio, non ho fatto con la serie Vik&Stubø, sempre di Anne Holt, della quale ho letto i primi due romanzi, anche prima di attaccare con la saga Wilhelmsen e poi ho mollato) fino alla fine, perché tutto sommato, il plot dei gialli non mi dispiaceva.
Così, sono arrivata piuttosto serena fino alla penultima puntata della serie - l’ultimo libro sta già nel mio Kindle.
Chiusa l’ultima pagina della quale, mi sono accorta che in realtà , mi dispiacerà lasciarla. La realtà , è che i romanzi sono andati migliorando. La serie è andata crescendo. Mano a mano le vicende dei personaggi diventano meno fini a se stesse, a favore di una trama che diventa più ‘politica�. Nello stesso tempo, i personaggi arrivano ognuno più o meno alla fine delle proprie vicende personali.
La Minaccia prende di petto dei temi molto caldi. La scarsa memoria dei norvegesi, che si sono trovati ad affrontare la strage di Utøya, ma che non hanno fatto i conti con l’odio che si annida nelle nuove generazioni, come in quelle precedenti. Solo che se in passato l’intolleranza veniva vista male, se pubblicamente espressa, nel presente le convenzioni sociali prevedono un’esternazione dell’odio verso l’altro più o meno quotidiana e regolare. Il razzismo non è più uno stigma. A finire nel mirino dell’odio (dal punto di vista della trama), sono quelli che sono musulmani. Un attentato, rivendicato da una cellula della quale la polizia di Oslo non ha mai sentito parlare, ha fatto saltare in aria un centro culturale islamico di islamici che sembravano quasi più norvegesi dei norvegesi. Intanto Billy T. indaga per conto suo sul figlio Linus, che teme si sia cacciato in un grande guaio, e chiede aiuto ad Hanne Wilhelmsen, tornata in polizia come parte di una speciale squadra che avrà come compito quello di indagare su casi irrisolti, e a farle compagnia avrà un compagno di squadra particolare Henrik Holme. A un certo punto però, ognuno per conto suo, i tre personaggi si renderanno conto che i tre eventi apparentemente slegati, sono molto più legati di quello che sembra.
Sullo sfondo, però, ci saranno altre domande alle quali sarà difficile trovare risposte. Per esempio, dove ha sbagliato un genitore poliziotto che si ritrova un figlio assassino e terrorista? Dove ha sbagliato una società che accetta senza fiatare manifestazioni d’odio a ogni angolo? Perché per essere accettati vogliamo essere simili alla maggioranza? Come si fa a spiegare a una bambina che è figlia di una donna turca e islamica e di una donna norvegese che non crede nell’esistenza di Dio quale sia la sua identità ? Fino a che punto accettiamo la diversità , anche quando questa viene da una persona che socialmente viene esattamente da dove arriviamo noi, ma è geneticamente magari un po� diversa, o è considerata ‘strana� perché soffre di una specie di sindrome simile alla Tourette ma forse nemmeno tanto?
Poi c’� anche il giallo. Che stavolta definirei molto maturo e ambizioso, nel modo più o meno articolato in cui cerca di dare delle risposte a queste domande. Anche il fatto che lasci in sospeso qualcosa, è stata una scelta giusta, in fondo sarebbe stato artificiale mettere tutta questa carne al fuoco e poi dare pillole esistenziali per rispondere a tutto.
Insomma, mi fa quasi un po� dispiacere, letto questo, pensare che il prossimo sia l’ultimo.
Mi fa venire voglia di riconsiderare persino la possibilità di riprendere in mano la serie Vik&Stubø, dove in effetti appare per la prima volta il personaggio di Holme. Magari pure loro col tempo sono migliorati. Chissà .
Aggiungiamoci una protagonista che è alquanto antipatica, soprattutto all’inizio, e non nel senso buono. Ci sono eroi letterari fatti per essere antipatici. Ce ne sono di quelli che non ti dicono nulla.
Nonostante tutto, sono andata avanti nella serie (cosa che, per esempio, non ho fatto con la serie Vik&Stubø, sempre di Anne Holt, della quale ho letto i primi due romanzi, anche prima di attaccare con la saga Wilhelmsen e poi ho mollato) fino alla fine, perché tutto sommato, il plot dei gialli non mi dispiaceva.
Così, sono arrivata piuttosto serena fino alla penultima puntata della serie - l’ultimo libro sta già nel mio Kindle.
Chiusa l’ultima pagina della quale, mi sono accorta che in realtà , mi dispiacerà lasciarla. La realtà , è che i romanzi sono andati migliorando. La serie è andata crescendo. Mano a mano le vicende dei personaggi diventano meno fini a se stesse, a favore di una trama che diventa più ‘politica�. Nello stesso tempo, i personaggi arrivano ognuno più o meno alla fine delle proprie vicende personali.
La Minaccia prende di petto dei temi molto caldi. La scarsa memoria dei norvegesi, che si sono trovati ad affrontare la strage di Utøya, ma che non hanno fatto i conti con l’odio che si annida nelle nuove generazioni, come in quelle precedenti. Solo che se in passato l’intolleranza veniva vista male, se pubblicamente espressa, nel presente le convenzioni sociali prevedono un’esternazione dell’odio verso l’altro più o meno quotidiana e regolare. Il razzismo non è più uno stigma. A finire nel mirino dell’odio (dal punto di vista della trama), sono quelli che sono musulmani. Un attentato, rivendicato da una cellula della quale la polizia di Oslo non ha mai sentito parlare, ha fatto saltare in aria un centro culturale islamico di islamici che sembravano quasi più norvegesi dei norvegesi. Intanto Billy T. indaga per conto suo sul figlio Linus, che teme si sia cacciato in un grande guaio, e chiede aiuto ad Hanne Wilhelmsen, tornata in polizia come parte di una speciale squadra che avrà come compito quello di indagare su casi irrisolti, e a farle compagnia avrà un compagno di squadra particolare Henrik Holme. A un certo punto però, ognuno per conto suo, i tre personaggi si renderanno conto che i tre eventi apparentemente slegati, sono molto più legati di quello che sembra.
Sullo sfondo, però, ci saranno altre domande alle quali sarà difficile trovare risposte. Per esempio, dove ha sbagliato un genitore poliziotto che si ritrova un figlio assassino e terrorista? Dove ha sbagliato una società che accetta senza fiatare manifestazioni d’odio a ogni angolo? Perché per essere accettati vogliamo essere simili alla maggioranza? Come si fa a spiegare a una bambina che è figlia di una donna turca e islamica e di una donna norvegese che non crede nell’esistenza di Dio quale sia la sua identità ? Fino a che punto accettiamo la diversità , anche quando questa viene da una persona che socialmente viene esattamente da dove arriviamo noi, ma è geneticamente magari un po� diversa, o è considerata ‘strana� perché soffre di una specie di sindrome simile alla Tourette ma forse nemmeno tanto?
Poi c’� anche il giallo. Che stavolta definirei molto maturo e ambizioso, nel modo più o meno articolato in cui cerca di dare delle risposte a queste domande. Anche il fatto che lasci in sospeso qualcosa, è stata una scelta giusta, in fondo sarebbe stato artificiale mettere tutta questa carne al fuoco e poi dare pillole esistenziali per rispondere a tutto.
Insomma, mi fa quasi un po� dispiacere, letto questo, pensare che il prossimo sia l’ultimo.
Mi fa venire voglia di riconsiderare persino la possibilità di riprendere in mano la serie Vik&Stubø, dove in effetti appare per la prima volta il personaggio di Holme. Magari pure loro col tempo sono migliorati. Chissà .
August 16, 2017
2.5 stars is being generous. After years of waiting, I am plainly disappointed.
Review to follow.
OK, here it is. I was too disappointed, and bummed out on top of it, to react yesterday. I didn't know if I even wanted to bother describing this. Formerly, this WAS an author and a series I LOVED! Prior to this book, it was always a decent read. And at times an excellent one. Now? Not so much.
It's a politico verbiage treatise mixed with immense portions of Norwegian gloom, distrust, and in greater expansion, the eventual and common despair. With the cold case merely a far back third place to both the character developments and the primary "what is a Norwegian?" question. It stars an offspring of Billy T's in a lead role. In several regards it's just plain off putting, but no less so than in the factors of disaffection and rather unnatural (to me it is) appropriation of parenting skills and mindset that seems to be the norm toward those offspring who have passed their 18th birthdays in this setting. All of Norway?
But on top of the terrible word count to political stance and opinion, the progression is also wrong. There is no ending at all. And the middle is less about the prime players and more about a succession of comings and goings without an order of progression to most of the onus of the crimes or of the future dangers in specifics. Except, of course, the obvious true danger that the reader could figure out way before the seemingly idiotic and slow on the uptake police officials. Who are just obtuse and far beyond my most negative estimations of what a police department should entail and produce in work. Or HOW they would perform a policing service for any urban area.
The only redeeming quality that I found in this last #9 Hanne book was there is one excellent and fine drawn new center of interest in the police department- apart from the jokers in that overseeing above paragraph description of the police hierarchy of the "present". His name is Henrik. I would have quit the book about 1/2 way through if his character had not appeared. Every interesting section was in Henrik's mind and sensibilities. The big head and huge Adam's apple who was always the outsider and bullied. Is there going to be a new series about him? I certainly hope so. Also hoping if that's true, then Anne Holt loses most of the rest of the characters that she HASN'T already killed off or rendered throwaways in this one. Henrik does flesh out as real and he is an outsider to almost everything in this picture on top of it. Plus he is extremely smart coupled with knowing how to talk to those who are different as he is. Rare! And he is consistently overlooked and ignored, as well.
Because the "isolated and self-fixated within her own tiny world" Hanne has basically become a computer now, IMHO- she doesn't read real. How has she evolved since the 11 years just passed? Not in a decent or clear direction, IMHO. Just not a fan of how spiritless the result! And rigid too crossed with bitter. Ida is the only feature that made it readable- this 1/2 book long portion for any section located at "Hanne's place". Of course, it is high end everything, because her partner wife is humongous rich. How convenient! She truly has little impact to the narrative here on top of it. Except on her influence and mentoring of Henrik for any depth, she is clearly being closed as the central protagonist in Holt's writing; it clearly seems that way to me.
There may have been some big "troubles" or glitches in the translation for this one too? Just a guess. Some parts were obscure and ridiculous to read. I don't think English words connote the same essence to those in Norwegian on these politico subjects of identity loyalties and politics? Regardless, it was BAD- not a translation that was flowing read.
This entire book- it's "overview". It went way, way too wide- lost its focus by doing so. Between Norwegian politics, identity, and police procedure dirges, it becomes a slog for great numbers of pages. And we didn't need to read about Hanne's ice blue eyes more times than 10 times in 200 pages either. Or her proud hubris and genius IQ on computer skills for repetitive reminders.
Don't bother to read this one unless you love to hear more preaching to choirs, rants and call outs. And you idealize suicides and the despair of human existence in most real time senses of evaluations. Or if you despise books that have no endings of either summation or occurrence for the main protagonists.
Review to follow.
OK, here it is. I was too disappointed, and bummed out on top of it, to react yesterday. I didn't know if I even wanted to bother describing this. Formerly, this WAS an author and a series I LOVED! Prior to this book, it was always a decent read. And at times an excellent one. Now? Not so much.
It's a politico verbiage treatise mixed with immense portions of Norwegian gloom, distrust, and in greater expansion, the eventual and common despair. With the cold case merely a far back third place to both the character developments and the primary "what is a Norwegian?" question. It stars an offspring of Billy T's in a lead role. In several regards it's just plain off putting, but no less so than in the factors of disaffection and rather unnatural (to me it is) appropriation of parenting skills and mindset that seems to be the norm toward those offspring who have passed their 18th birthdays in this setting. All of Norway?
But on top of the terrible word count to political stance and opinion, the progression is also wrong. There is no ending at all. And the middle is less about the prime players and more about a succession of comings and goings without an order of progression to most of the onus of the crimes or of the future dangers in specifics. Except, of course, the obvious true danger that the reader could figure out way before the seemingly idiotic and slow on the uptake police officials. Who are just obtuse and far beyond my most negative estimations of what a police department should entail and produce in work. Or HOW they would perform a policing service for any urban area.
The only redeeming quality that I found in this last #9 Hanne book was there is one excellent and fine drawn new center of interest in the police department- apart from the jokers in that overseeing above paragraph description of the police hierarchy of the "present". His name is Henrik. I would have quit the book about 1/2 way through if his character had not appeared. Every interesting section was in Henrik's mind and sensibilities. The big head and huge Adam's apple who was always the outsider and bullied. Is there going to be a new series about him? I certainly hope so. Also hoping if that's true, then Anne Holt loses most of the rest of the characters that she HASN'T already killed off or rendered throwaways in this one. Henrik does flesh out as real and he is an outsider to almost everything in this picture on top of it. Plus he is extremely smart coupled with knowing how to talk to those who are different as he is. Rare! And he is consistently overlooked and ignored, as well.
Because the "isolated and self-fixated within her own tiny world" Hanne has basically become a computer now, IMHO- she doesn't read real. How has she evolved since the 11 years just passed? Not in a decent or clear direction, IMHO. Just not a fan of how spiritless the result! And rigid too crossed with bitter. Ida is the only feature that made it readable- this 1/2 book long portion for any section located at "Hanne's place". Of course, it is high end everything, because her partner wife is humongous rich. How convenient! She truly has little impact to the narrative here on top of it. Except on her influence and mentoring of Henrik for any depth, she is clearly being closed as the central protagonist in Holt's writing; it clearly seems that way to me.
There may have been some big "troubles" or glitches in the translation for this one too? Just a guess. Some parts were obscure and ridiculous to read. I don't think English words connote the same essence to those in Norwegian on these politico subjects of identity loyalties and politics? Regardless, it was BAD- not a translation that was flowing read.
This entire book- it's "overview". It went way, way too wide- lost its focus by doing so. Between Norwegian politics, identity, and police procedure dirges, it becomes a slog for great numbers of pages. And we didn't need to read about Hanne's ice blue eyes more times than 10 times in 200 pages either. Or her proud hubris and genius IQ on computer skills for repetitive reminders.
Don't bother to read this one unless you love to hear more preaching to choirs, rants and call outs. And you idealize suicides and the despair of human existence in most real time senses of evaluations. Or if you despise books that have no endings of either summation or occurrence for the main protagonists.
May 4, 2017
I received this book free from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Painful! This is a crime and police procedural novel set in Norway. Or maybe it is a melodrama set in Norway. It might be a thriller about Islamic terrorism in Norway. But it could also be a narrative about Norwegian politics, or a comment about the problem of Muslims immigrating into European countries � like Norway. Oh, wait! It is all of the above. Maybe that’s why reading it was such a painful experience for me. The plot moves slowly, and it is difficult to follow.
The book is suffused with Norwegian politics. Perhaps it is because the author, herself, is a politician, herself, but at times it reads like the written version of an American soap opera. The story gets off to a slow start, and by midway, it hasn’t picked up much speed. Detective consultant Hanne Wilhelmsen has begun to work with the Oslo Police Department to solve cold cases. She is a former police detective who was shot in the line of duty and has become confined to a wheelchair. She has been assigned a young, new detective to assist her. They begin to make progress on the case of a seventeen year-old girl who has been missing for eighteen years, but the focus of the story keeps shifting back to the terrorist attacks that have killed and injured many people (primarily Muslims) in Oslo. Also in sharp focus in the story is the state of relations between native Norwegians and Muslim immigrants who are hated by the extreme right wing of Norway’s political activists. For an American reader like me, this became more than a little boring. The plot is way too convoluted. When I put the book down, I found that it was difficult to pick back up again. But your tastes might be different than mine. If you like stories like these, then by all means read this book.
It has been my observation that the best literary works that have been translated into English from the languages in which they were originally written are the ones that have been translated by somebody with writing skills. I’m not sure that was the case with this book. The translation might have been accurate, but the result certainly wasn’t what one would expect in a well-written English-language novel. In many places, the book’s dialogue and narrative seem stilted. A good translation should be indistinguishable from one that was originally written in the language into which it has been subsequently translated. Such translations might be difficult to accomplish, but it can be (and has been) done. It is difficult to believe that the most popular crime writer in Norway wouldn’t have done a better job with this book, unless the fault lies with the translation.
Near the very beginning of the book the author presents us with a brief adjunct to the story by telling us about a racing pigeon that gets attacked and killed by a sparrow hawk. I suppose this is supposed to be some kind of metaphor, but for what is not clear. Then, at about 25% of the way into the book, through the literary device of having the chief of police and a couple of other officials watch a TV presentation by a local leader, we are treated to a long discourse on Islam, and on being a Muslim who has immigrated into Norway. Is isn’t clear why we readers had to know all of this in order to understand the story. I found it to be boring!
By 30% in, the story is more like a melodrama or soap opera than a police procedural and crime novel. We learn more than we care to know about family relationships. We learn in great detail just how incompetent the Norwegian police and military can be. We find out how family ties are more important to some people than the saving of lives, including the lives of children, by telling the truth to prevent a deadly terrorist attack. We are told all sorts of irrelevant facts, such as that Deputy Police Chief Håkon Sand stops suddenly at red traffic lights when he is driving Police Chief Silje Sørensen through Oslo, or that his snuff juice runs down the corners of his mouth when he fails to spit it out when he should. The book appears to have been padded with a lot of irrelevant minutiae. Who cares?
The police in this novel are reminiscent of the Keystone Kops. Even after Chief Sorensen has hired Hanne as a special consultant, and even after Hanne has solved an eighteen year-old cold case in just a few days, Chief Sorensen declines to accept a warning telephone call from her on National Day (May 17th) while marching blissfully into a potential terrorist attack. How stupid can you get? Hire a consultant, and then don’t accept calls from that consultant? Really??
I’m not sure that this novel will have a lot of appeal to most American or Canadian readers. It might be very appealing to Scandinavian readers, but Americans and Canadians just don’t seem to be that fascinated by politics, and certainly we do not have the same Muslim immigration problems in North America that many European countries are currently experiencing.
The pace picks up about three-quarters of the way through the book, but it is still a chaotic plot and the ending is highly unsatisfying. Loose ends abound, and the author makes no attempt to tie them up. I did not enjoy this book, and I would not recommend it to others.
Painful! This is a crime and police procedural novel set in Norway. Or maybe it is a melodrama set in Norway. It might be a thriller about Islamic terrorism in Norway. But it could also be a narrative about Norwegian politics, or a comment about the problem of Muslims immigrating into European countries � like Norway. Oh, wait! It is all of the above. Maybe that’s why reading it was such a painful experience for me. The plot moves slowly, and it is difficult to follow.
The book is suffused with Norwegian politics. Perhaps it is because the author, herself, is a politician, herself, but at times it reads like the written version of an American soap opera. The story gets off to a slow start, and by midway, it hasn’t picked up much speed. Detective consultant Hanne Wilhelmsen has begun to work with the Oslo Police Department to solve cold cases. She is a former police detective who was shot in the line of duty and has become confined to a wheelchair. She has been assigned a young, new detective to assist her. They begin to make progress on the case of a seventeen year-old girl who has been missing for eighteen years, but the focus of the story keeps shifting back to the terrorist attacks that have killed and injured many people (primarily Muslims) in Oslo. Also in sharp focus in the story is the state of relations between native Norwegians and Muslim immigrants who are hated by the extreme right wing of Norway’s political activists. For an American reader like me, this became more than a little boring. The plot is way too convoluted. When I put the book down, I found that it was difficult to pick back up again. But your tastes might be different than mine. If you like stories like these, then by all means read this book.
It has been my observation that the best literary works that have been translated into English from the languages in which they were originally written are the ones that have been translated by somebody with writing skills. I’m not sure that was the case with this book. The translation might have been accurate, but the result certainly wasn’t what one would expect in a well-written English-language novel. In many places, the book’s dialogue and narrative seem stilted. A good translation should be indistinguishable from one that was originally written in the language into which it has been subsequently translated. Such translations might be difficult to accomplish, but it can be (and has been) done. It is difficult to believe that the most popular crime writer in Norway wouldn’t have done a better job with this book, unless the fault lies with the translation.
Near the very beginning of the book the author presents us with a brief adjunct to the story by telling us about a racing pigeon that gets attacked and killed by a sparrow hawk. I suppose this is supposed to be some kind of metaphor, but for what is not clear. Then, at about 25% of the way into the book, through the literary device of having the chief of police and a couple of other officials watch a TV presentation by a local leader, we are treated to a long discourse on Islam, and on being a Muslim who has immigrated into Norway. Is isn’t clear why we readers had to know all of this in order to understand the story. I found it to be boring!
By 30% in, the story is more like a melodrama or soap opera than a police procedural and crime novel. We learn more than we care to know about family relationships. We learn in great detail just how incompetent the Norwegian police and military can be. We find out how family ties are more important to some people than the saving of lives, including the lives of children, by telling the truth to prevent a deadly terrorist attack. We are told all sorts of irrelevant facts, such as that Deputy Police Chief Håkon Sand stops suddenly at red traffic lights when he is driving Police Chief Silje Sørensen through Oslo, or that his snuff juice runs down the corners of his mouth when he fails to spit it out when he should. The book appears to have been padded with a lot of irrelevant minutiae. Who cares?
The police in this novel are reminiscent of the Keystone Kops. Even after Chief Sorensen has hired Hanne as a special consultant, and even after Hanne has solved an eighteen year-old cold case in just a few days, Chief Sorensen declines to accept a warning telephone call from her on National Day (May 17th) while marching blissfully into a potential terrorist attack. How stupid can you get? Hire a consultant, and then don’t accept calls from that consultant? Really??
I’m not sure that this novel will have a lot of appeal to most American or Canadian readers. It might be very appealing to Scandinavian readers, but Americans and Canadians just don’t seem to be that fascinated by politics, and certainly we do not have the same Muslim immigration problems in North America that many European countries are currently experiencing.
The pace picks up about three-quarters of the way through the book, but it is still a chaotic plot and the ending is highly unsatisfying. Loose ends abound, and the author makes no attempt to tie them up. I did not enjoy this book, and I would not recommend it to others.
January 27, 2019
Hanne Wilhelmsen (wheelchair-bound for eleven years, but still as sharp-witted and sharp-tongued as ever) has agreed to work with Oslo Police on cold cases. Specifically, the disappearance of a teenage girl back in 1996. Assigned to assist her is Henrick Holme; a welcome return for the strange but endearing young police officer who made his debut in What Dark Clouds Hide.
Meanwhile, Oslo is reeling from a bomb attack on a moderate Islamic centre and the authorities are unsure whether the perpetrators are jihadists or neo-Nazis. Hanne’s former colleague Billy T. fears that his son Linus could be involved. Then there is a second bombing and the discovery of a dismembered corpse.
The narrative frequently switches between Hanne and Henrick’s cold case investigation, the Oslo police reaction to the bombings and Billy’s attempts to find the truth about Linus. Occasionally the narratives bleed into each other, suggesting all three cases are linked.
This is an expertly constructed novel, taking an informed and balanced viewpoint between the conflicting issues of immigration and the alarming rise of right-wing extremism. Eventually, all the main threads merge into a thrilling climax at a 17th May National Day parade.
Perhaps, most of all, I enjoyed the collaboration and developing relationship between Hanne and Henrick.
Meanwhile, Oslo is reeling from a bomb attack on a moderate Islamic centre and the authorities are unsure whether the perpetrators are jihadists or neo-Nazis. Hanne’s former colleague Billy T. fears that his son Linus could be involved. Then there is a second bombing and the discovery of a dismembered corpse.
The narrative frequently switches between Hanne and Henrick’s cold case investigation, the Oslo police reaction to the bombings and Billy’s attempts to find the truth about Linus. Occasionally the narratives bleed into each other, suggesting all three cases are linked.
This is an expertly constructed novel, taking an informed and balanced viewpoint between the conflicting issues of immigration and the alarming rise of right-wing extremism. Eventually, all the main threads merge into a thrilling climax at a 17th May National Day parade.
Perhaps, most of all, I enjoyed the collaboration and developing relationship between Hanne and Henrick.
December 15, 2021
This is book nine of the ten in Anne Holt’s Hanne Wihelmsen series and one of the better ones in my opinion.
The story has two main threads. Hanne returning to the police after an absence of 11 years, to review cold cases, is set against a backdrop of terrorist bombings in Oslo.
Whilst the storylines are interesting, particularly the cold case one, it is Hanne’s complex character and her ongoing and long standing relationship with ex-colleague Billy T that lift it up a level. Their relationship has gone through many phases throughout the series and I wouldn’t want to reveal too much other than to say they had drifted apart, almost to the point of no return, at the start of the book. In addition a new, very different, character, Henrik Holme, is introduced. Along with Anne Holt’s other main characters he is cleverly portrayed. He’s very geeky, ugly, nervous, bordering on having an obsessive disorder and it was impossible not to want him to succeed.
The terrorist bombings and how they brought out latent racism and panic in the general population was very well done. Particularly so when characters we get to know, and like, in the story begin to be influenced.
The story ends with much unresolved and it’s not clear if this is deliberate or is to be concluded in the final book in the series. I’m guessing the former but whichever I am very much looking forward to reading it.
The story has two main threads. Hanne returning to the police after an absence of 11 years, to review cold cases, is set against a backdrop of terrorist bombings in Oslo.
Whilst the storylines are interesting, particularly the cold case one, it is Hanne’s complex character and her ongoing and long standing relationship with ex-colleague Billy T that lift it up a level. Their relationship has gone through many phases throughout the series and I wouldn’t want to reveal too much other than to say they had drifted apart, almost to the point of no return, at the start of the book. In addition a new, very different, character, Henrik Holme, is introduced. Along with Anne Holt’s other main characters he is cleverly portrayed. He’s very geeky, ugly, nervous, bordering on having an obsessive disorder and it was impossible not to want him to succeed.
The terrorist bombings and how they brought out latent racism and panic in the general population was very well done. Particularly so when characters we get to know, and like, in the story begin to be influenced.
The story ends with much unresolved and it’s not clear if this is deliberate or is to be concluded in the final book in the series. I’m guessing the former but whichever I am very much looking forward to reading it.
January 2, 2025
Nå har denne serien tatt litt fart, vi er plutselig i 2016 og i teknologiens verden. Den handler om terror, tics, tuba og trommer. Hovedpersonen blir enda mer sær, det trodde jeg ikke var mulig, og vi får møte ny karakter (rar fyr han også) og noen gamle dauer (rip)
November 6, 2024
Håller på att beta av ett antal måste- deckare så här i sluter av läsåret.
Anne Holt alltid läsvärd. Hon har skapat ett intressant persongalleri och är en bra samhällsdebattör. Och nu vet jag vad som hände med Billy T�
Anne Holt alltid läsvärd. Hon har skapat ett intressant persongalleri och är en bra samhällsdebattör. Och nu vet jag vad som hände med Billy T�
November 15, 2023
Review of Offline by Anne Holt has just been published at:
A long time overdue to read this from the godmother of modern Norwegian crime fiction - who certainly knows how to produce well written, atmospheric character driven crime fiction which tackles important questions along the way.
A long time overdue to read this from the godmother of modern Norwegian crime fiction - who certainly knows how to produce well written, atmospheric character driven crime fiction which tackles important questions along the way.
January 30, 2018
The last couple of Hanne Wilhelmsen books were not all that good, and I was bummed that a favorite character's creator seemed to be losing her steam. Holt comes roaring back with this one - compelling characters, all of whom have developed (not always in happy ways), a well-told story, equal parts sad, and fun, and a rich treatment of how terrorism infects culture. Bravo! I heard this is the last Hanne Wilhelmsen in the series; pray it ain't so!
April 8, 2018
If you've read any of Anne Holt's books, you'll be familiar with the setting, Oslo, and her two series, featuring Hanne and Johannes. This is one of her best. I enjoyed the compelling nature of the unfolding plot. Henry is a great additional character, a member of the police force in Oslo, he's odd, as he acknowledges. Here he's working with grumpy hermit Hanne on a cold case which develops into an urgent need to prevent more terrorism. A clever look at a new angle on this topic.
October 11, 2021
Oh no. No, no, no! Since I mistakenly read the last book already, this seems to be my final encounter with a new Wilhelmsen Case. I do love the introduction of Henrik, who really adds to the social fabric of the narrative. Billy T., whose downfall we had to witness since his falling out with Hanne, reaches new heights of despair and broke my heart. Their relationship is very well handled in this novel, and I enjoyed Hannes reflection on it a lot.
The plot itself clearly is heavily influenced by current debates of Norwegian (and, really, European) politics. It may not be the most subtle, but it works and kept me engaged all throughout the book. I am a bit ambivalent with the ending: on the one hand side, I love the abruptness of it, the ongoing suspense after the last sentence - on the other, I would have loved to get more info on it. Especially since I already know that the following novels does give a bit of context, but not too much.
All in all I had a blast and really like the constellation of relationships starting in this book. Sad to know it all has to end soon.
The plot itself clearly is heavily influenced by current debates of Norwegian (and, really, European) politics. It may not be the most subtle, but it works and kept me engaged all throughout the book. I am a bit ambivalent with the ending: on the one hand side, I love the abruptness of it, the ongoing suspense after the last sentence - on the other, I would have loved to get more info on it. Especially since I already know that the following novels does give a bit of context, but not too much.
All in all I had a blast and really like the constellation of relationships starting in this book. Sad to know it all has to end soon.
June 29, 2017
Great as usual. This book was a bit disconcerting for me though. I was hoping that the racism that we are experiencing in America - was confined to America. This book shows that it is more of a global phenomenon. Which really upsets me. I read a book - non-fiction - several years ago that said that as climate change and population growth continues - and resources become more scarce - that we would see an increase in this behavior and feeling. It seems to be actually playing out now... worldwide.
So as you can see, this novel is about Hanne and Billy-T - and a new character Henrick. As Henrick and Hanne work on a cold case - they discover information that leads to terrorism that is occuring in Norway.. hatreds and racism brewing beneath the surface. Couldn;t put it down
So as you can see, this novel is about Hanne and Billy-T - and a new character Henrick. As Henrick and Hanne work on a cold case - they discover information that leads to terrorism that is occuring in Norway.. hatreds and racism brewing beneath the surface. Couldn;t put it down
January 13, 2021
Anne Holt sliter visst med hvordan man avslutter bøker. Og serier. Og ikke minst karakterer. Jeg skal lese den siste boka om Hanne siden dette var en serie jeg elsket starten på back in the day, men jeg kommer ikke til å begynne på noen av de nye seriene. Jeg er rett og slett ganske skuffa. Holt nyter visst å torturere karakterene sine med billige vendinger, jo mer kjente og kjære desto bedre. Men her fører det ikke til bedre bøker, det er bare et enkelt grep for å vrenge følelser ut av leseren når man har gått tom for evner og inspirasjon.
September 17, 2020
Intenso e con un ritmo forsennato. La minaccia è rappresentata da una serie di attentati dinamitardi apparentemente compiuti da un gruppo estremista musulmano. Hanne, anche grazie a una serie di fortunate coincidenze ì, scoprirà che non è così. In parallelo, assistiamo al disfacimento fisico e non solo di Billy T.: suo figlio Linus può essere coinvolto in questa storia così sconvolgente? Anne Holt scrive un romanzo magistrale per la sua attualità .
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 11, 2019
It took me a while to get into this book, but I'm glad I persevered because I ended up really enjoying it. The author, Anne Holt, writes from several viewpoints and uses a word in the last sentence to start another passage from a different viewpoint in that first sentence. The story is very political, but I enjoyed reading about the politics in a different country. The ending is open, but it works for me.
June 3, 2019
The best Hannah Willhemsen novel yet; a real edge of the seat thriller. Clearly written in the shadow of the Anders Brevik attacks on Oslo, the author has taken us to the next attack. While there's plenty of the personal life and the ideosyncracies of the main characters it's not so over the top to be distracting as it was in some previous books where you wonder how such disfunciontal characters can accomplish anything. Note that the English translation of this book I read had the title Odd Numbers; not sure if other editions are titled differently.
October 18, 2018
I thought this was fantastic, one of my series favourites for sure.....and it leaves you hanging so be warned !! However, if you're reading this 9th instalment in the series I'm pretty sure you'll be purchasing number 10, too, as I just did, so I didn't mind that. Something mentioned at the end of 1222 wasn't revisited in this story so perhaps that will crop up in book 10. At present it's the last in the Hanne series and I'll be bereft, then.
I was NOT impressed that this story featured a bloody great spoiler about Johanne Vik from her other series, now referred to as Modus since it was televised. That disappointed me as I recently bought book number 5 in that series but I guess I should've got to that one first. I'm pretty sure one of those books had a spoiler about THIS series once, too. However, the publisher releases them all in a very peculiar order over here so I may not have been able to avoid them.....
This story suddenly jumps forward a decade from where we left Hanne in 1222 and I was greatly saddened to see her great relationship with Billy T is in tatters pretty much. I've always really liked their friendship so I think it was a great shame. I got quite annoyed at the way Hanne treated him in this instalment, she came across as a bitch, which I considered uncalled-for and needless. It was nice to meet Henrik, however. He's another interesting character and quite similar to Hanne in a lot of ways so they were bound to hit it off.
Lots of this story had my blood boiling, I must say, as it's extremely topical regarding the Muslim threat these days. It was quite fascinating to read how similar things are in Norway to here, which I hadn't expected. I laughed to myself at the observation of the Islamic Council there using slippery language.....and cringed upon reading Mohammed is one of the most popular names in Norway, too.
There were the odd mistakes.....offwhen needed a space yet off end didn't and neither did milli meters !! I fact was written instead of in fact but that was it.....so pretty sterling presentation.
I smiled to see Farris Mineral Water getting its customary mention, though I was concerned it wasn't coming since it didn't crop up till I was 75% done !! I was fascinated to read a mention of rules regarding the flying of their Norwegian flags over there. I had no idea they had laws like curfews on flying them. No idea why, though !
I'm looking forward to book 10, though in a bittersweet way since it may be the real end of this tremendous series of books.
I was NOT impressed that this story featured a bloody great spoiler about Johanne Vik from her other series, now referred to as Modus since it was televised. That disappointed me as I recently bought book number 5 in that series but I guess I should've got to that one first. I'm pretty sure one of those books had a spoiler about THIS series once, too. However, the publisher releases them all in a very peculiar order over here so I may not have been able to avoid them.....
This story suddenly jumps forward a decade from where we left Hanne in 1222 and I was greatly saddened to see her great relationship with Billy T is in tatters pretty much. I've always really liked their friendship so I think it was a great shame. I got quite annoyed at the way Hanne treated him in this instalment, she came across as a bitch, which I considered uncalled-for and needless. It was nice to meet Henrik, however. He's another interesting character and quite similar to Hanne in a lot of ways so they were bound to hit it off.
Lots of this story had my blood boiling, I must say, as it's extremely topical regarding the Muslim threat these days. It was quite fascinating to read how similar things are in Norway to here, which I hadn't expected. I laughed to myself at the observation of the Islamic Council there using slippery language.....and cringed upon reading Mohammed is one of the most popular names in Norway, too.
There were the odd mistakes.....offwhen needed a space yet off end didn't and neither did milli meters !! I fact was written instead of in fact but that was it.....so pretty sterling presentation.
I smiled to see Farris Mineral Water getting its customary mention, though I was concerned it wasn't coming since it didn't crop up till I was 75% done !! I was fascinated to read a mention of rules regarding the flying of their Norwegian flags over there. I had no idea they had laws like curfews on flying them. No idea why, though !
I'm looking forward to book 10, though in a bittersweet way since it may be the real end of this tremendous series of books.
June 21, 2017
Offline. Aka Odd Numbers. Hanne Wilhelmsen series. Nr 9. Anne Holt. 5/5+
This sequel to Anne Holt's bestseller 1222 - and penultimate novel in the Hanne Wilhelmsen series reads beautifully and the title(s) becomes quite evident as one reads! This is such a timely, well crafted novel about the current wave of the darkest aspects of our world, extremism in all its forms! The bombs going off in Oslo are well described and makes one consider through the writer's perfect pacing those around the city experiencing the acts to those inside the terror and those trying to stop it. What leads to these acts that are currently plaguing us around Europe!
There is no doubt why Jo Nesbo describes this writer as the best, she has an incredible way of writing situations, characters, motivations and outcomes that truly weave and connect. It was a delight to see the construction as it built through various smaller seeming storylines, that then as you read, weave together to make a motive and consequence but leaving the door wide open for more.....
How I wish this writer wrote more like this and sad to see almost the end of this great series, as I found the Vik/Stubo series just okay., while this series has been full of fascinating and different personalities that manage to complement each other and she then introduces new to the mix, in this case Hendrik.
Truly GOOD READING.....
This sequel to Anne Holt's bestseller 1222 - and penultimate novel in the Hanne Wilhelmsen series reads beautifully and the title(s) becomes quite evident as one reads! This is such a timely, well crafted novel about the current wave of the darkest aspects of our world, extremism in all its forms! The bombs going off in Oslo are well described and makes one consider through the writer's perfect pacing those around the city experiencing the acts to those inside the terror and those trying to stop it. What leads to these acts that are currently plaguing us around Europe!
There is no doubt why Jo Nesbo describes this writer as the best, she has an incredible way of writing situations, characters, motivations and outcomes that truly weave and connect. It was a delight to see the construction as it built through various smaller seeming storylines, that then as you read, weave together to make a motive and consequence but leaving the door wide open for more.....
How I wish this writer wrote more like this and sad to see almost the end of this great series, as I found the Vik/Stubo series just okay., while this series has been full of fascinating and different personalities that manage to complement each other and she then introduces new to the mix, in this case Hendrik.
Truly GOOD READING.....
July 1, 2017
#9 in the Hanne Wilhelmsen series by Anne Holt set is Oslo, Norway.
This is a powerful book delving in to the difficult issues about far right politics and Muslim immigrants, the things that are currently all over the news here and abroad. The title of the book should have remained 'Offline' as it was when originally published. It's precisely at the heart of the book's plot. The book is also spoken of as the penultimate entry to the Hanne Wilhelmsen series, which is a sad thought indeed, but given the outcomes of this story, understandable that only one more completes the cycle. So much is in play throughout the book that at one point I thought I'd lost my grip on the storyline.... But though it is a complicated story, with so many moving parts, and things both joyous and difficult to take, it is Hanne as she is to her core. Billy T plays a large part in the story as does Henrik Holme, an 'odd' young policeman who is assigned to work with Hanne on some cold cases. I will miss these characters when the series ends. Very much.
The Mystery Book Group read the first in the series, Blind Goddess, in July 2012. I have really enjoyed the relationships among the various characters, especially between Hanne and Billy T. Also, the landscape and character of Norway is an strong element in the books.
This is a powerful book delving in to the difficult issues about far right politics and Muslim immigrants, the things that are currently all over the news here and abroad. The title of the book should have remained 'Offline' as it was when originally published. It's precisely at the heart of the book's plot. The book is also spoken of as the penultimate entry to the Hanne Wilhelmsen series, which is a sad thought indeed, but given the outcomes of this story, understandable that only one more completes the cycle. So much is in play throughout the book that at one point I thought I'd lost my grip on the storyline.... But though it is a complicated story, with so many moving parts, and things both joyous and difficult to take, it is Hanne as she is to her core. Billy T plays a large part in the story as does Henrik Holme, an 'odd' young policeman who is assigned to work with Hanne on some cold cases. I will miss these characters when the series ends. Very much.
The Mystery Book Group read the first in the series, Blind Goddess, in July 2012. I have really enjoyed the relationships among the various characters, especially between Hanne and Billy T. Also, the landscape and character of Norway is an strong element in the books.
July 15, 2017
Like fellow Norwegian crime writer Jo Nesbo and his Harry Hole character, Anne Holt has her own.
Her name is Hanne Wilhelmsen, and Offline is the middle story of a trilogy based on her role aligned to the Oslo police. Hanne has been away from the crime team since she was badly injured on the job and she is now in a wheelchair. Along with a seemingly clumsy young detective she is tasked to follow up a cold case involving a young woman who mysteriously disappeared some years earlier.
While Hanne and her rookie detective Henrik start working together Oslo literally explodes as a series of bomb blasts rock the city. Newly appointed Chief of Police Silje Sorensen and her team are at their wits end trying to find the perpetrators which seem to suggest a Muslim background, although the first bombing resulted in a number of deaths and injuries to their community.
Another thread of this highly absorbing story involves Billy T, Hanne's former partner, who is seriously concerned about the actions of his son Linus.
All of the disparate aspects of the story weave together towards a surprising and enthralling finale. The only problem is that Anne Holt has cunningly left things up in the air, poised to be continued in the sequel and final chapter in this trilogy.
Her name is Hanne Wilhelmsen, and Offline is the middle story of a trilogy based on her role aligned to the Oslo police. Hanne has been away from the crime team since she was badly injured on the job and she is now in a wheelchair. Along with a seemingly clumsy young detective she is tasked to follow up a cold case involving a young woman who mysteriously disappeared some years earlier.
While Hanne and her rookie detective Henrik start working together Oslo literally explodes as a series of bomb blasts rock the city. Newly appointed Chief of Police Silje Sorensen and her team are at their wits end trying to find the perpetrators which seem to suggest a Muslim background, although the first bombing resulted in a number of deaths and injuries to their community.
Another thread of this highly absorbing story involves Billy T, Hanne's former partner, who is seriously concerned about the actions of his son Linus.
All of the disparate aspects of the story weave together towards a surprising and enthralling finale. The only problem is that Anne Holt has cunningly left things up in the air, poised to be continued in the sequel and final chapter in this trilogy.
July 22, 2017
Hanne is lured back into police work after an 11 year absence, working with Henrik (last seen investigating the death of a child, which led to the death of Johanne Vik and the end of that series). They are looking at cold cases, in particular the disappearance of a girl in 1996, but at a turbulent time of terrorist attacks, apparently by jihadists. Billy T., whom Hanne has shut out of her life since being shot, manages to get her to talk to him again over his concerns about his son Linus. All three stories turn out to be connected. The girl's disappearance is finally explained, the true terrorists are unmasked, and their plan to disrupt the May 17 celebrations is partially but not completely foiled. Billy T., though! All is explained, but this is not a positive outcome. Norwegian society is portrayed as worryingly racist and unequal, and presumably the choice of May 17th for the showdown is deliberate.
This is the penultimate Hanne story, so one can only assume the worst for her in book 10, as the author seems to like finishing her characters off.
This is the penultimate Hanne story, so one can only assume the worst for her in book 10, as the author seems to like finishing her characters off.
March 31, 2016
Il libro è ben scritto, con dinamiche interessanti e pensate bene.
Purtroppo non sarebbe da categorizzare come un giallo, ma come un saggio politico: l'autrice lo ha infarcito, in maniera anche abbastanza grossolana e a lungo andare fastidiosa, delle proprie idee politiche che vengono ripetute ad ogni pie sospinto.
Il finale poi non esiste.
Capisco voler lasciare aperta la storia, ma così sia ha più la sensazione che non si sapesse come chiuderla.
Ha ancora molto da imparare prima di raggiungere i grandi giallisti scandinavi.
Purtroppo non sarebbe da categorizzare come un giallo, ma come un saggio politico: l'autrice lo ha infarcito, in maniera anche abbastanza grossolana e a lungo andare fastidiosa, delle proprie idee politiche che vengono ripetute ad ogni pie sospinto.
Il finale poi non esiste.
Capisco voler lasciare aperta la storia, ma così sia ha più la sensazione che non si sapesse come chiuderla.
Ha ancora molto da imparare prima di raggiungere i grandi giallisti scandinavi.
June 29, 2016
Betyg: 4 av 5.
Det finns många exempel på bra norska kriminalromanförfattare, och Anne Holt är definitivt en av dom.
Jag har läst flera böcker tidigare av henne, och här är länkar till mina recensioner av några av dom senaste böckerna, Sudden Death, och Flimmer, som hon skrev tillsammans med Even Holt, och så Död i skugga, Frukta inte, och 1222 över havet.
Offline är en välskriven och spännande kriminalroman, som känns mycket aktuell, och handlar om rasism och extremism. Rekommenderas absolut.
Det finns många exempel på bra norska kriminalromanförfattare, och Anne Holt är definitivt en av dom.
Jag har läst flera böcker tidigare av henne, och här är länkar till mina recensioner av några av dom senaste böckerna, Sudden Death, och Flimmer, som hon skrev tillsammans med Even Holt, och så Död i skugga, Frukta inte, och 1222 över havet.
Offline är en välskriven och spännande kriminalroman, som känns mycket aktuell, och handlar om rasism och extremism. Rekommenderas absolut.
January 3, 2016
Denne er heldige som vart ferdiglest (eller skumma ferdig). Anne Holt er god til å skrive, og kan mykje om politiyrket, men det blir for mykje veldig ofte.
October 28, 2016
I've been an Anne Holt addict ever since I read her first book a long time ago! Was thrilled to have Hanne back!
October 27, 2018
This mystery is important because the murders in it are not as important as the theme: racial and ethnic prejudice. Anne Holt has clearly studied the changing racial and religious statistics in Norway and this work embodies all her findings and her doubts. A bomb goes off in the National Council for Islam in Norway (NCIN) headquarters and kills 23 people. Far right nationalists are assumed to be the perpetrators but soon some doubt creeps in about that assumption. An autistic new officer on the Oslo police force, Henrik Holme, is assigned to the case and soon realizes it needs the special skills of someone like Hanne Wilhelmsen. Hanne is now confined to a wheelchair after being paralyzed from the waist down by an armed suspect. She has, however, recently re-joined the police force on an ad hoc basis for cases like this and cold cases, both of which are involved in the bombing. Most effective and different in this novel are the side stories: Billy T., the giant former lover and assistant to Hanne, is having troubles with his son, Linus and he suspects that Linus may have become involved with the Muslims and even converted. When Linus’s watch is found at the scene of the bombing, he is even more concerned and distracted. He goes to see Linus’s mother, Grete, but she can only attest to the fact that Linus has been unusually neat as of late as well as being incommunicative and surly. Nothing in Linus’s life of late gives either parent solace. Then there is Gunnar. Attacked several years ago for no apparent reason, he has ended up severely mentally handicapped. His only hobby is pigeon racing but he also contains clues to what happened to a young woman several years ago—about the time of his beating---who has become a “cold case.� Unusual for a Norwegian crime novel, the police are not blamed for lack of efficiency in the bombing nor the inability to solve the murder (presumed) of the young woman and Gunnar’s beating. The frustration mounts as evidence also mounts that there will be another bombing, or even more than one, on May 17, the day of Norway’s celebration of its Constitution. This is more than a July 4th celebration here. Primarily designed to be celebrated by children, it is also an occasion to wear national costumes for adults with lots of ice cream, cookies and festive meals all day. It is also a celebration in which thousands of people throng to the streets of Oslo and other cities, making it ideal for a bomber to target. Billy T.� s anxiety about Linus grows steadily throughout the novel until Billy T. is driven nearly mad as more and more facts emerge about his son’s activities. It seems that Linus has not only not converted to Islam, but he has become part of the radical right opposing Muslims in general. The relationship between Hanne and Henrik warms as well and Hanne takes an almost motherly interest in the young cop. He has proven to be a valuable and talented investigator, despite his tics and his oddness—his Adam’s apple is unusually large and he often wears a scarf around his throat to hide it—and she values his company and cooperation. The insight into racism and religious bigotry in Norway was fascinating and Holt obviously has trouble with the arguments on both sides but she handles them well in this unusual foray into the social mores of her home country. If you enjoy a good mystery and learning more about the environment in which it is enacted, this one is for you. Holt triumphs again.
May 26, 2017
Odd Numbers is the ninth in the Hanne Wilhelmsen series and takes place more than eleven years after she has left the force. There was this uncanny discomfort reading this book while the news is filled with the news of bombing in Manchester because this is about a series of bombings in Norway, with self-proclaimed Muslim terrorists claiming credit. But that is not Hanne’s case. She’s left that behind with her former colleagues who are working the case around the clock.
Hanne is working on cold cases as a police consultant with a brilliant, though under-appreciated police officer Henrik Holme who is going to deserve a series of his own. A young girl went missing back in 1996 and the two of them both notice a glaring oversight in the investigation that leads them to investigating an assault that happened that same day. Both the assault and disappearance are unsolved.
Meanwhile her former police partner and friend Billy T is desperately investigating his own son Linus, afraid he might be somewhat involved in the bombing. There is also another bomb and more messages from the terrorists, all building tension as the 17th of May celebration approaches. Of course, every time May 17th is mentioned in the book, I think of that ditty from childhood, “Syttende mai, the day a thousand Swedes ran through the weeds chased by one Norwegian� according to the Sons of Norway and scoffed at by Swedes who like to remind them they lost in 1814.
Odd Numbers is scrupulously fair, giving readers all the connections that Hanne and Henrik use to solve those cold cases and provide critical information for the current terrorism investigation that roils Norway in the weeks leading up to syttende mai. The debates are similar to those we have in the United States, though in many ways more responsible. Norway suffered an unspeakable mass murder in 2011 when Anders Breivik, inspired in part by American rightwing extremists Daniel Pipes and Pamela Gellar, murdered seventy-seven people, mostly teens at a youth camp. The effects of that attack are felt throughout this book.
I usually avoid books about terrorism, particularly Islamist terrorism, as they are rife with ignorance, written by people exploiting islamophobia and xenophobic hatreds. This is the anti-hatred book. Holt is too intelligent and rational to fall into that trap. This is a humane, rational book and recognizes that dangers come from extremists on all sides, right, left, Muslim and Christian, foreign and nationalist.
The plot is complex and falls slowly into place. It is really very well done.
Odd Numbers will be released June 6th. I received an advance e-galley from the publisher through Edelweiss. I have previously reviewed Beyond the Truth and 1222 by Anne Holt.
★★★★
Hanne is working on cold cases as a police consultant with a brilliant, though under-appreciated police officer Henrik Holme who is going to deserve a series of his own. A young girl went missing back in 1996 and the two of them both notice a glaring oversight in the investigation that leads them to investigating an assault that happened that same day. Both the assault and disappearance are unsolved.
Meanwhile her former police partner and friend Billy T is desperately investigating his own son Linus, afraid he might be somewhat involved in the bombing. There is also another bomb and more messages from the terrorists, all building tension as the 17th of May celebration approaches. Of course, every time May 17th is mentioned in the book, I think of that ditty from childhood, “Syttende mai, the day a thousand Swedes ran through the weeds chased by one Norwegian� according to the Sons of Norway and scoffed at by Swedes who like to remind them they lost in 1814.
Odd Numbers is scrupulously fair, giving readers all the connections that Hanne and Henrik use to solve those cold cases and provide critical information for the current terrorism investigation that roils Norway in the weeks leading up to syttende mai. The debates are similar to those we have in the United States, though in many ways more responsible. Norway suffered an unspeakable mass murder in 2011 when Anders Breivik, inspired in part by American rightwing extremists Daniel Pipes and Pamela Gellar, murdered seventy-seven people, mostly teens at a youth camp. The effects of that attack are felt throughout this book.
I usually avoid books about terrorism, particularly Islamist terrorism, as they are rife with ignorance, written by people exploiting islamophobia and xenophobic hatreds. This is the anti-hatred book. Holt is too intelligent and rational to fall into that trap. This is a humane, rational book and recognizes that dangers come from extremists on all sides, right, left, Muslim and Christian, foreign and nationalist.
The plot is complex and falls slowly into place. It is really very well done.
Odd Numbers will be released June 6th. I received an advance e-galley from the publisher through Edelweiss. I have previously reviewed Beyond the Truth and 1222 by Anne Holt.
★★★★
December 20, 2019
Up until now, I've thoroughly enjoyed Anne Holt's work in the Hanne Wilhelmsen series. Whilst the story is as gripping as ever, it did seem to whither towards the end, just when it should've been at maximum impact. Disappointing and predictable.
But what bothered me the most, was the standard of translation. Whilst Anne Bruce translated No Echo (and some earlier books in this series) in fine form, her efforts in this book were very poor and very amateurish. For me, the sign of a good translator is someone who allows you to constantly feel the original script is in fact the script in which you read. In other words, up until now, I'll always 'felt' Anne Holt's books were written by her in English, not Norwegian; i.e. totally seamless.
As I read Offline, I came to the conclusion that Anne Bruce must be British. (I checked on it when I finished the book and yes, she is. Although more accurately, she apparently lives in Scotland.). There were too many "give overs" and other such English expressions. I get the impression (rightly or wrongly) that many of her utilised English words & phrases seem to be 'Google translated' from Norwegian, because to me, they were words & phrases you'd never normally use.
The translator has an incredible responsibility to translate from the original language (in this case, Norwegian) to the language you're reading. It failed this time.
For all the above reasons, I find it hard to whole-heartedly recommend this book. I see that Anne Bruce also translates In Dust & Ashes. I'll probably read it, because it's the last in this series and having read the previous 9 books, I feel I can't stop now!
I only hope that Anne Bruce took her time and did a proper job in book number 10, like she did on earlier books in this series.
But what bothered me the most, was the standard of translation. Whilst Anne Bruce translated No Echo (and some earlier books in this series) in fine form, her efforts in this book were very poor and very amateurish. For me, the sign of a good translator is someone who allows you to constantly feel the original script is in fact the script in which you read. In other words, up until now, I'll always 'felt' Anne Holt's books were written by her in English, not Norwegian; i.e. totally seamless.
As I read Offline, I came to the conclusion that Anne Bruce must be British. (I checked on it when I finished the book and yes, she is. Although more accurately, she apparently lives in Scotland.). There were too many "give overs" and other such English expressions. I get the impression (rightly or wrongly) that many of her utilised English words & phrases seem to be 'Google translated' from Norwegian, because to me, they were words & phrases you'd never normally use.
The translator has an incredible responsibility to translate from the original language (in this case, Norwegian) to the language you're reading. It failed this time.
For all the above reasons, I find it hard to whole-heartedly recommend this book. I see that Anne Bruce also translates In Dust & Ashes. I'll probably read it, because it's the last in this series and having read the previous 9 books, I feel I can't stop now!
I only hope that Anne Bruce took her time and did a proper job in book number 10, like she did on earlier books in this series.
May 16, 2023
Norway is a small country and very close-knit. It is not surprising then, that an influx of immigrants from the Middle East causes upsets in the Norwegian society. That is the core issue in this darkest of Hanne Wilhelmsen novels. Actually, Hanne gets to solve the case, or the situation, if you will, but it is Silje Sørensen who gets most of the action. Since she is the Police Commissioner that should come as no surprise, but she is anything but office-bound as the entire police force is engaged in tracking down the creators of havoc in Oslo. They have done so by planting bombs in various locations. Billy T, the hulking former lover of Hanne, is upset when he uncovers evidence that his son, Linus, may be involved in Muslim activities. Still yearning for Hanne, who still remains faithfully lesbian with Nefis and her daughter, Ida, Billy T reaches an incredible and in a way startling and unnecessary conclusion to his story. Hanne also befriends an autistic charmer, Henrik Holme who warms her with his eager, dogged way of pursuing clues. His tics are an interesting sidelight to the character himself. There was only one Hanne Wilhelmsen novel after this one so it is unlikely that he will get too close to her in the future. The novel draws a rather bleak picture of Norwegian-Pakistani relations and race relations in Norway in general. It is perhaps comforting to know that other countries have problems with immigration like we do, but it seems that Norway at least tries to be more humane than our US policies have been. What may come as a surprise to American readers is the fact that Norway would have a Pakistani immigrant problem to begin with. All-in-all, a good read, as is usual with Holt.
August 13, 2017
With Odd Numbers Anne Holt has written a fascinating, intricate novel about life in Norway in awful, exhausting circumstances. The book is the 9th and penultimate in the series.
The novel’s action begins with a bomb going off in an upscale part of Oslo, killing 23 people. Law enforcement suspects an extremist organization is responsible for that and future attacks. That said, they are finding it hard to prove that assertion.
Holt does an excellent job explaining what characters in Norway think about Muslims living in Norway, some sounding racist, some being fine with the diversity, many drawing less clear lines.
Interestingly, Holt explains in a postscript that “comments placed, directly or indirectly, in the mouths of extremists on both sides in the novel are slightly paraphrased quotes from real statements.�
This part of the novel was difficult for me to read considering all of the seemingly senseless terrorist attacks around the world in recent months and years. In a word, it’s still too raw.
It probably didn’t help that I finished this book and typed up this review the weekend of the Nazis and other racists in Charlottesville, Va., reminding us that the kinds of hate Holt described are front and center here still.
There’s a subplot that I prefer regarding solving a cold case decades old, with more interesting characters and plot twists.
I am new to Holt’s writings and would probably have liked and understood some parts of the book better had I read the earlier novels. That said she proves with this book why Jo Nesbo has called her the “godmother of modern Norwegian crime fiction.�
The novel’s action begins with a bomb going off in an upscale part of Oslo, killing 23 people. Law enforcement suspects an extremist organization is responsible for that and future attacks. That said, they are finding it hard to prove that assertion.
Holt does an excellent job explaining what characters in Norway think about Muslims living in Norway, some sounding racist, some being fine with the diversity, many drawing less clear lines.
Interestingly, Holt explains in a postscript that “comments placed, directly or indirectly, in the mouths of extremists on both sides in the novel are slightly paraphrased quotes from real statements.�
This part of the novel was difficult for me to read considering all of the seemingly senseless terrorist attacks around the world in recent months and years. In a word, it’s still too raw.
It probably didn’t help that I finished this book and typed up this review the weekend of the Nazis and other racists in Charlottesville, Va., reminding us that the kinds of hate Holt described are front and center here still.
There’s a subplot that I prefer regarding solving a cold case decades old, with more interesting characters and plot twists.
I am new to Holt’s writings and would probably have liked and understood some parts of the book better had I read the earlier novels. That said she proves with this book why Jo Nesbo has called her the “godmother of modern Norwegian crime fiction.�
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