When a prominent politician dies and a hoard of money contained in boxes is found in his study the matter has to be kept secret. A top DI is summoned and sworn to secrecy to investigate. He gathers a small team around him and their investigation gradually suggest that the money may have been linked to a cold case of an armed heist by men unknown with the money still missing and that that of a missing person could be connected. The story slowly unfolds and come together like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle but nothing works as planned and nothing is what it seems. How the matter is finally resolved makes an exciting and fascinating read.

So, did I enjoy the book? I would have to say yes, despite the feeling of wading through the landscape, seeking out inconsistencies, burdened by the mystery. Perhaps, that is the author’s idea, to make the reader an accomplice, to fully engage in the long haul – twenty-five years to decipher a code and find a killer – or not. Very accomplished indeed.

Above is an excerpt for a review I gave The Katherina Code by John Lier Horst so when I embarked on this new enterprise I was hesitant as I could recall how slow the relationship between our main protagonist, Chief Inspector Wisting and Stiller and Martin developed and how affected I was by the physical landscape. “Worry not!” (as my friend Mary would say) – I was happy to become re-acquainted with Wisting et al in this mystery and even though I shall ever be bamboozled by the topography of Norway, let alone the name places, this time it just added to the verisimilitude.

When Bernard Clausen, a senior politician, is found dead in his cabin on the coast Wisting is instructed to carry out an investigation, not into his death which was from natural causes, but into the secret that the cabin contained. His investigation soon extends to the disappearance of Simon Meier who disappeared fifteen years ago. His enquiries lead him to extend his team which include his daughter and Stiller from Kripos and leads the trail to politicians, criminals, journalists and police and to solve not just one crime.

Brilliant police procedural, great characters and well-structured. I particularly like the relationship between Wisting and his daughter and grand-daughter which allows small insights into their lives.

Thoroughly recommended.

Thank you to the author, publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review.

Firstly thank you to net-galley and penguin for my copy of The Cabin in exchange for an honest review

I haven’t read the first book in this series however this was not an issue as I was able to follow the story.

The writing of this novel is top notch, I really felt like I was part of a realistic police investigation. The story unwrapped slowly and I liked this, a small piece of the puzzle being revealed every so often to lead to a satisfying conclusion.

Perfect for anyone who enjoys crime stories. Highly recommended

This is the second in a planned quartet of “cold case” novels by Jorn Lier Horst which feature his eponymous detective, William Wisting. I thoroughly enjoyed the first book and if anything, this second in the series is even better. I can pay the author no greater compliment than to say these novels remind me so much of the classic Sjowall and Wahloo series. The quality of the writing (and the English translation) are exceptional and the plotting is meticulous. But perhaps most importantly, the authors in-depth knowledge as a former police investigator, provides a level of authenticity which is often missing in so-called “police procedure” novels. As such, you feel you are following a genuine investigation whose success or otherwise will be down to the skill of the participants rather than to a piece of miraculous information which is suddenly thrown in from stage left.

The novel opens when Wisting is called upon by the Director Of Public Prosecutions, to conduct a secret investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of a prominent politician. He puts together a small team (including his journalist daughter Line) and when they uncover a huge stash of cash at the politician’s summer cabin, they realise the seriousness of the case they have been handed. Links soon appear to the unsolved disappearance of a hiker and the author once again starts to slowly peel back the layers of a complicated plot and draws the readers into a darkening story.

It makes a great change to have a lead character who isn’t tormented by demons or consuming half a bottle of vodka for breakfast. Wisting is simply a normal detective trying to do his job to the best of his abilities in increasingly difficult circumstances. His very ordinariness simply adds to the realism of the story.

I have one or two caveats around the plotting. Much as I love Line as a character, I am not sure that an investigative journalist would really be included in a secret high level team, nor do I believe that Wisting would decide to keep 80 million Kroner’s worth of dollars, Euros, and Pounds in the basement of his house (although it does add some additional tension to the plot and the Pounds aren't worth much these days!). However, overall, I really enjoyed this book and thoroughly recommend the series.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers, Michael Joseph, for an ARC in return for an honest review.

This is the second book in a series and I had not read the first so felt at a bit of a disadvantage. Despite this I found this book gripping and intriguing. I am not going to give away the plot, but we have all the usual ingredients of scandi thrillers - bitter interpersonal relationships - clever people who act in stupid ways - the deep cold!!! Highly recommended and I will be going back and stating at the beginning!

The Cabin is Jørn Lier Horst’s sequel to The Katharina Code, which I enjoyed so much that Penguin offered me an ARC of this latest one.

All the main characters from The Katharina Code are here: William Wisting, the police officer who led the last investigation; his journalist daughter, Line; the policeman from the Cold Squad, Stiller, with his unorthodox approach to obtaining confessions. Where The Katharina Code was, above all, a psychological thriller, The Cabin is more a regular police procedural, though the investigation Wisting leads is operating outside the normal police framework. He is investigating a crime that may involve a senior politician and the Director General of Public Prosecution, who can apparently instruct police how to proceed (we’re in Norway), is anxious that the investigation is conducted secretly.

Wisting runs the job from his own home, recruiting his daughter to interview suspects in the guise of her investigative journalism role. (Do they not have journalistic ethics in Norway?) The team work through suspects methodically, checking fingerprints, establishing alibis, researching links between criminals on the police intelligence database. Line asks questions the police cannot ask and gets an inside track on the links between the criminals, inevitably (it’s that kind of story) exposing herself to danger as the crooks realise she is working with the police.

The plot becomes fairly convoluted with an unsolved murder, a major robbery, an apparently accidental death of a suspect and various gang-related beatings all seemingly inter-related. Only at the end do we discover, thanks to an anonymous tip-off, what part the politician played in it all.

I’m being deliberately vague because of spoilers. It’s wanting to know how the crime works out that keeps you going. It’s not the characterisation: the police team are interesting, but this story adds nothing to the understanding of these people we gained in The Katharina Code

In the end, as in The Katharina Code, the psychology of the criminal is important, but this is only discussed after the crimes are all neatly solved. I suspect that Horst saw this as the core of the book, but the need to satisfy the story arc of a police procedural means it is rushed out as a coda at the very end of the story.

The Cabin is a perfectly serviceable detective mystery (though not helped by occasionally clumsy translation) but readers who loved the quirkiness of The Katharina Code may well feel disappointed.

I want to thank NetGalley and Michael Joseph for the review copy of The Cabin. It is the second novel in a quartet of cold case investigations to feature Norwegian detective Chief Inspector William Wisting.

I had previously read The Katharina Code, the first in the series, so was looking forward to it, and it did not disappoint. It's been fifteen years since Simon Meier walked out of his house, never to be seen again. And just one day since politician Bernard Clausen was found dead at his cabin on the Norwegian coast. Is there a possible link here? Could both events be linked to a heist of foreign currency worth some 80 million kroner at today's values?

The story unfolded layer by layer as Wisting and his team, including his daughter Line, seek to unravel the complexities of these old events.

The Cabin was another superbly plotted tale with perfect characterisation and highly believable day-to-day details of police procedures. I loved it, and would highly recommend it to all.

THE CABIN
by
Jorn Lier Horst


This is the first Norwegian book I have read and like other Scandi crime it is extremely well written. It is the second in a series from this former police officer and is a well detailed and methodically written novel. The writer’s knowledge of police procedure is obvious and the reader is soon absorbed by the investigation.
Wisting is summoned by the the Director of Public Prosecution and asked to investigate the sudden death of a prominent politician. A vast amount of currency has been discovered in his weekend cabin. Is it possible the dead man was corrupt? He did change after the death of his wife and son but surely this highly respected man was not involved in crime!
Wisting is not a warts and all policeman but a steady safe pair of hands who works steadfastly and carefully. The story is not a rapid one but gradually connections appear between a long forgotten cold case, a robbery and a man left severely disabled. When Line, Wisting’s daughter, an experienced journalist gives some assistance she is attacked the speed of the story increases and becomes darker. This is not a blood and guts mystery but it is a rattling good read. There is a slightly pedantic essence in the book but rather than slowing the story down it makes it more interesting.
The characters come across as real people rather than caricatures of heavy drinking officers with domestic problems making the book appear more authentic.
I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the others in the series.

My thanks to Penguin UK - Michael Joseph for the opportunity to read an advance copy of The Cabin by Jørn Lier Horst, the second book in The Cold Case Quartet. I had previously read The Katharina Code, the first in the series, so had some idea what to expect. A lengthy, slow burner of Norwegian noir in which Chief Inspector William Wisting once again is called upon to investigate a cold case that goes back to 2003. It's been fifteen years since Simon Meier walked out of his house, never to be seen again. And just one day since politician Bernard Clausen was found dead at his cabin on the Norwegian coast. Is there a possible link here? Could both events be linked to a heist of foreign currency worth some 80 million kroner at today's values?

The story unfolds layer by layer as Wisting and his team, including his daughter Line, seek to unravel the complexities of these old events.

This is another superbly plotted tale with perfect characterisation and highly believable day-to-day details of police procedures.

Very good. This was an excellent detective thriller, which I enjoyed very much. The writing was first class and the plot well paced. I would definitely recommend this novel for readers of Scandinavia thrillers.

Norwegian noir detective novel - interesting and complicated

Wisting is a highly placed police officer, asked to investigate the disappearance of a young man several years earlier as well as the discovery of several cardboard boxes at the cabin of a recently deceased politician as both take place in the same vicinity. He gradually gathers together a team of investigators and together the truth eventually comes out. The main protagonists are not particularly developed much and the plot centres around their work and enquiries. It lacks emotional involvement until the denouement but works well as a police procedural with a political slant. I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second in a quartet about cold cases investigated by Wisting. In this one, a politician is found dead in his remote cabin. Nothing sinister is suspected but when the police arrive they find a substantial amount of money hidden there. Wisting's task is to find out where the money comes from. When it turns out that there was a robbery of the same amount some years before he begins to join the dots and soon he is investigating the disappearance of a young man as well.

This is a police procedural par excellence. We are there with the police as they gather and examine pieces of evidence and draw conclusions. It is refreshing to read such a straightforward account of an investigation with no 'twists that will take your breath away'. It is just solid police work. This can make it seem a little slow at times but when there is action it is tense and exciting. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This excellent book is unusual for police investigatory novels: it doesn't start with a murder, and it doesn't focus on a woman being horribly abused. The investigation of two, seemingly unlinked, cold cases, by Wisting and his journalist daughter, makes a brilliant story. The pace slow a Littl in the middle, but the ending is action packed and well written. I strongly recommend this book, and am looking forward to th next publication from Jorn Lier Horst.

I've been questing after the Wisting tv series, having missed it when it originally aired here in the UK, and was thrilled to see this, the 13th novel of the book series. I haven't read any of the previous Wisting novels but enjoyed it as much as if I had known all the characters from the beginning.

I have a knee-jerk attraction to any Scandi drama, especially if it involves some form of mystery. As a genre they are thoroughly atmospheric which amplifies the level of treat or menace. Here, in The Cabin, we have a couple intriguing mysteries Wisting and his intrepid crew go to great lengths to find the answers for. As I mentioned before, these characters felt comfortable and realistic from the off. There is no omnipotent baddie overseeing every step of the investigation thus keeping one step ahead. Instead, it's all very plausible and authentic.

There are a number of hooks to keep the reader involved. First, how can so much money be kept in a cabin? Second, what happened to Simon Meier? And, lastly, as facts become known, there is a creeping danger for members of the team that ratchets up the reader's anxiety. We, clearly, don't want anything bad to happen to our investigators but also really want to know what transpired. It's a delicate balance that is well handled.

I really enjoyed The Cabin and will look for more books in this series. Wisting is a no nonsense chap with solid instincts. I also found the addition of his daughter and granddaughter a nice twist to the happenings. The Cabin is a good read well worth the time.

Cleverly structured detective involving robbery, politics and murder featuring a father and daughter detective/investigative journalist partnership as they seek to uncover the truth.

I didn't realise until I got another invitation to read the next novel in this series how much I missed the pragmatic Wisting and his gang of misfits. I admittedly am not usually a fan of police procedural works but somehow this author strikes the right tone with me, writing consistently human characters instead of familiar tropes. The slow sprinkling of breadcrumb clues keep the reader engaged and constantly guessing, and it really feels like the investigation unfurls with the reader alongside in the passenger seat- complete with red herrings, dead ends, and unreliable information.

Fascinating story that keeps you hooked from the first chapter. The twists and turns led you backwards and forwards building up to the final stage. Definitely recommended.

This is the second book I have read by Jorn Lier Horst featuring Chief Inspector Wisting and co. and I must say they get better . The Cabin is about the disappearance of a young man Simon Meier who has been fishing but his body has never been found. A prominent politician has a fatal heart attack and when a friend goes to his cabin he finds bank notes of different currencies and Wisting is called in to find out where they are from. Wisting then puts together a team to help solve the puzzle of the money and also the disappearance of Simon Meier.
A very enjoyable and addictive book to read the pages keep turning until you reach the end. Would highly recommend.

This is a very cleverly conceived plot delivered in a fast moving,absorbing style. The cross over of several crimes makes it even more interesting and the way in which police procedures are described is believable and important to the story. The involvement of the lead detective's daughter and child give the book an extra interest. The role of the recently deceased politician seems unlikely to begin with but the explanation for his deceit becomes obvious. The team work of the hastily set up investigation group works well too. This is a story designed to keep you reading and works very well.

The Cabin is the second in Jorn Lier Horst's "Cold Case Quartet" featuring Chief Inspector William Wisting, the first being "The Katharina Code". Before he started the Quartet Horst had previously written 6 other Wisting books so he's a well-established character.
For those new to Wisting he's very much a Norwegian Wallender , a male Vera and his crime solving relies more on deduction than fist fights and car chases.
Politician Bernard Clausen is found dead in the Cabin of the title and is found to have a small fortune in cash stashed in one of the rooms. Wisting is asked to investigate "on the quiet" and not least discover why someone in that position would have so much unexplained money. It soon becomes apparent that someone is trying to block the investigation and destroy the evidence to either cover up a political scandal or scupper evidence of a serious crime. Added to the mix is the disappearance 15 years ago of a young man that appears in some way to be connected to Clausen's death..
I enjoy the Wisting books , they tend to move quite slowly as Wisting methodically works his way through the evidence. Some might find them ponderous but they're an easy read and well-written. Wisting is dogged and determined and ,I suspect due to Horst's career as a police officer, he's a believable character rather than the too-common caricature maverick with a host of personal problems.
An enjoyable read and I look forward to the next episode of the quartet.