This is an enjoyable murder mystery set in the northern part of Sweden. It’s almost winter, it gets dark close to noon, it’s a small town where people rarely get away. Think dark, bleak, hopeless. The setting helps echo the difficulties our main character has. Kjeld, a detective who works further south in a large city, returns to his remote northern home after a desperate and panicked voicemail message from his long-estranged father. Kjeld navigates strained family dynamics while grappling with his father’s advanced Alzheimer’s, past hurts and grievances, oh and a possible murder on his family’s property.

On top of all that, Kjeld is in trouble with his own police department, has difficulties forming healthy relationships of any kind, and is quite selfish. Nevertheless, flaws and all, he’s an enjoyable character to follow and root for, and the mystery is interesting. I did figure out one twist extremely early on. It was so obvious I sort of wondered if the author purposely revealed that one, just to get the reader thinking about what it meant on a larger scale. It certainly did not hinder my enjoyment of the story, and there were other nice surprises. The final reveals were not at all shocking, but more of a natural progression of logical events. I would call this more of a character study/murder mystery than tightly wound suspense; I enjoyed reading it.

Oh and yes there really are ravens, who are pretty integral to the story. They lend a nice symbolism of family dynamics with them appearing as precious and wonderful to one character and scary and terrifying to another. That dichotomy is at the root of Kjeld’s difficulties with his father. And, they lend a nice creepy vibe to the story and setting.

This is a fantastic debut novel, it is well-written and completely gripping. I have been captivated and unable to put this one down. 
This wonderful debut, is unpredictable and completely filled with suspense and twists. I have devoured this wonderful book in just one sitting. This read has been one that I didn't expect to be as pulled into. 
I adore the cover of this one, it is what initially drew me to this book. It definitely hasn't disappointed and I feel that Nordin has a very strong and promising career ahead as a write. I have definitely been converted as a fan following this book. 
This is an atmospheric read which has completely pulled me in and been utterly impossible to put down. I have loved this book from start to finish.

I love a good Scandi-noir, and this doesn’t disappoint with an entertaining tale about a slightly-disgraced Swedish detective who feels compelled to visit his long-estranged father in the rural countryside. He heads to the home where for years his father has kept ravens in a barn, but is now suffering from dementia and is talking about having witnessed the murder of someone.

We get deep into the weeds of family history, local politics and the reasons why Kjeld Nygaard left the area in the first place. Nygaard is an interesting character – with lots of backstory hinted at, but left to be explored.

The portrait of a small town, miles from anywhere, and heavily reliant on local industry, adds to the overall tone of the book. You can certainly feel the place.

All in all, an entertaining read.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the ARC.

Where Ravens Roost by Karin Nordin

I'd call Where Ravens Roost Scandi Domestic Drama Noir. Yes, there are crimes and there is a body and a murder, but I feel like the real story is the inner workings of Detective Kjeld Nygaard, his family, and his relationship with every single person he knows. He's always felt like his dad didn't love him, thought he was worthless, didn't care what happened to himself. This story is dark because the days are icy wet, extremely short and getting shorter, and there is a sense that everything in the Varsund is falling apart, decaying, returning to the earth. 

Kjeld's estranged father calls him, saying he's seen a murder. Kjeld can't make sense of what his dad is saying and drives to his family home to find out from his sister that his father is suffering from Alzheimer's. Still, Kjeld thinks that his father really did see something, at some time, and he wants to get to the bottom of his father's concern. Soon a body is found, the police are investigating Kjeld's ailing father for murder, and someone is trying to kill Kjeld. 

Underlying all of this is that fact that Kjeld has burned to the ground his relationships with almost anyone he's known. Kjeld's thoughts are dark, his mood is black, he won't talk to the people he needs to talk to the most. People do care about Kjeld but he's his own worst enemy and won't see that fact or allow it to be true. I hope that this isn't the first story of Kjeld and his career, which is in smothers because of happenings that would make another really good book. 

Thank you to HQ Digital and NetGalley for this ARC.

This is a great read.
Inspector Kjeld Nygaard has grown apart from his father, Stenar, and it’s been more than a decade since he saw him or his sister.
Kjeld gets a muddled call from his father saying he's seen a murder in the barn, so he heads home to find out what’s going on.
He’s given a cool reception from his sister as she has been coping with their father’s dementia as well as looking after her own family.
Kjeld calls the local Police but they say there’s no evidence of a murder, even though he’s found a tooth.
Someone returns and when Kjeld gives chase he loses them but when his father looks in the barn, the body has been unearthed.
The local Police are more willing to help this time, but want to arrest Stenar.
This is a bit of a slow burner which follows Kjeld, a suspended detective as he tries to unravel the death and the mysteries from the past surrounding this.
Thanks to HQ and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Thank you Net Galley for an ARC of Where Ravens Roost by Karin Nordin. This story was artfully woven, unpredictable and with great character build. This mystery was an enjoyable read.

Personal relations for Detective Kjeld Nygaard are complicated and he has a tendency to run away from dealing with the conflict. But when his father calls out of the blue saying that he’s witnessed a murder, he runs headlong into open family wounds without a care about the consequences. A crime may have been committed but suspicion is creeping closer to home and his father maybe implicated. But how is this mysterious incident linked to a mining deal and the entitled family that will benefit? The past is about to come crashing into the present with this brooding thriller.

The opening for the book is compelling and very atmospheric. The descriptions of the ravens and the way they loom over the events are quite eerie. You feel for Nygaard with his dislike of the birds and his reluctant acceptance that his father seemed to care more for them than him.

I really enjoyed this introduction to a flawed detective who has a lot of potential. Nygaard is at times unlikeable, but there is a spark of something in his character that draws you in and makes you want to see how he evolves. The enfolding mystery was engrossing and it respectfully dealt with the emotional subject of a parent with Alzheimer’s. I can’t wait to read the next case with Nygaard.

A very enjoyable book set in Sweden. Kjell, a police inspector, gets a call from his estranged father, who suffers from Alzheimer, that there is a body buried in his barn. Kjell is currently on suspension for shooting a suspect so decides to return home. Uncovering what happened in the barn unravels a lot more than he could realise.
The story is well written and moves at a good pace. There is a back story about his suspension that is never fully explained so hopefully this is the first in a series. I look forward to it.

Karin Nordin has got it right, an exception piece of writing, full of suspense and intrigue.
Wonderful characters that are easy to imagine and the descriptions of the countryside etc bring you right into the story too.
Definitely a must read.
A received this book for free from NetGalley and wanted to give an honest review.

My thanks to the Author publishers and NetGalley for providing me with a Kindle version of this book to read and honestly review.
I am a big fan of 'Scandi Noir ' books and this debut is up there with some of the best, perhaps not in the league of 'The Millennium Trilogy ' or 'Mercy' but a quality read. Atmospheric absorbing clever and well written, engaging from start to finish. Excellent characters who you could relate to, and so descriptive at times i could actually feel the cold, hopefully Kjeld and partner will appear again with more books to come in this series. Also call me an old romantic but I would also hope that Hanna will also make a return.
Totally recommended.

I was excited about this book, however it just wasn’t for me, although I did finish it.
Kjeld returns to his family home when he receives a call from his father to say he’s seen a murder in the Raven shed. But his father has dementia so kjeld isn’t sure if he’s telling the truth.
Most of the story is about Kjeld revisiting his past, building new relationships with family and friends, but not much time was spent working out what happened. It wasn’t a complicated plot and I’d already guessed part of it halfway through. I felt it dragged too much and there wasn’t much suspense.

This is a murder-mystery set in Sweden, so one automatically think: “Scandi Noir”. However, this book is not quite in that genre, no serial killer, no gruesome details; more “Scandi Gris”, if there was such a subdivision. It is, however, a well written story, authentic in its depiction of the short days and long nights in the wilderness area in the far North of the country and a sensible and rational plot with believable characters.
Kjeld Nygaard, a Detective Inspector in Gothenburg is currently on a ‘temporary leave of absence’ for overstepping the line during the arrest of the perpetrator in his most recent (successful) arrest. While trying to avoid his erstwhile partner he gets a worrying call from his father, Stenar – worrying because it is garbled but claims that there has been a murder, and worrying because he has been estranged from his father for the last twelve years. Partly to escape his troubles in Gothenburg, he decides to follow up the strange message and returns to the family home, a Farmhouse hidden in the forest. He finds his father is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s, with his sister calling in everyday to look after the old man. He is confused but with random burst of lucidity, so the question is: did he really see a murder?
The murder supposedly occurred in the barnlike roost next to the house, where Stenar keeps his collection of Ravens – a hobby started by his grandfather. Kjeld had been attacked by them as a child and had retained a fear which affects some of actions. The police, represented by an old colleague of Kjeld, have checked, but there is no evidence of such an event.
In the background, but becoming more prominent, is the Mining company who operate in the adjacent area and who may be encroaching on Stenar’s land. One of their partners is missing! The author does a fine job in pulling these strands together and the ending is very satisfactory.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.

A good paced detective novel with an interesting and unusual plot. There was far too much information about people’s hair or lack of it and their height that added nothing to the storyline.
That apart a good yarn.

Great debut! Very twisty, keeps you guessing and engaged. Good charcater-driven read as well, which feels hard to come by at times.
Excited for more of the same from this author; a welcome addition to the Scandi-Noir genre.

Where Ravens Roost by Karin Nordin, Pub Date 17 Feb 2021
A debut novel set in a small town in northern Sweden, the home town of the main character, Inspector Kjeld Nygaard.
Kjeld has been disconnected from his father, Stenar, for more than a decade. However, when he got a somewhat muddled call from him saying he'd seen a murder he didn't hesitate to head home. Stenar's allegation has been reported to the local Chief of Police, Ek, who has found no crime evidence. Kjeld, who has a past with Ek, will not let the matter rest, and what he reveals is a lot more than he bargains for.
The plot is appealing - exposing family feuds, rumours, corporate desire and manipulation.
There are many twists and turns to keep you guessing, and an unexpected conclusion.
I want to thank NetGalley, HQ and author Karin Nordin for a pre-publication copy to review.

A beautiful dark story set in the darkness of northern Sweden. A seeming murder witnessed by a dementia suffering farmer and his damaged detective son returning home from Gothenburg form the basis of the tale. A body discovered in the fathers barn where he keeps ravens and the mystery of identity is eventually revealed and a rich mining family are heavily involved with lots of shock revelations at the denouement this marvellously paced tale is recommended!

This is a really great debut novel and one for fans of Scandi thrillers. Great characters with interesting back stories and well plotted. Pacy and kept me turning the pages - I will definitely keep an eye out for more from this author.

Where Ravens Roost
(Detective Kjeld Nygaard, Book 1)
By Karin Nordin, Harper Collins
When we meet Detective Kjeld Nygaard, he is not in a good place, he’s estranged from his one surviving parent, separated from his former partner and daughter and just recently suspended from the Gothenburg police department.

Surprisingly he receives a disturbing and confused voice message from his father, whom he’s not spoken to in twelve years. So hoping to build bridges, Nygaard makes the 10 hour car drive to see him in the north of Sweden, close to the Norwegian and Finnish borders. Upon his arrival he discovers his childhood home in decay, his father in the latter stages of dementia and the hostility of his resentful sister. Alongside the house is a barn where his family have bred ravens for generations. Nygaard discovers a human tooth in this foreboding place before further evidence of human remains are uncovered.

A tense, creepy and slow burning story follows as the suspended detective tries to unravel the death and the mysteries surrounding this. This he does with little cooperation from the local police inspector and the gradual realisation of his father’s dependency upon him.

There is a really strong sence of imagery to this novel. The dilapidated house, barn and its occupants are strikingly decribed to the reader provided an atmospheric backdrop. Furthermore we get detailed descriptions of every character we meet, even fleetingly and how these changes through conversation which really helps visualise every scene.
Nygaard’s backstory is convincing, both of his childhood memories and his recent troubles in the police force, the latter is largely put aside for this novel, but I would expect them to feature more prominently in the second novel from the series due later this year.
I enjoyed the pace of the book, nothing is revealed too soon as Nygaard discovers some key revelations, some more surprising than others but all cleverly revealed.
A key component of the story is the fragile relationship between father and son which is clouded by a memory which can alternate between lucidity and confusion. Nordin appears to be relaying some of her own experiences in these sequences which are genuinely moving.
While the fearful premise in a remote location in Scandinavia is well trodden ground in modern crime fiction, there were enough strengths in terms of the plotting, the characterisations and portrayal of human relationships to make Where Ravens Roost a very accomplished debut novel. It certainly bodes well for Karin Nordin’s future novels, if she can continue to further these qualities and continue to give a distinct perspective to her characters. I’m certainly keen to see how Nygaard’s career progresses on his return to Gothenburg.

Where Ravens Roost is released as an ebook on 17th February and will be available in paperback on 15th April 2021.

What a good book. Really enjoyed reading it and the ending was a surprise which means that I could not guess when reading it where the story will go. The characters were believable and it was written in a way that I could feel the anguish of Kjeld and Sara having a parent with Alzheimers. The story moves between the Nygaard and Lindqvist families, one running a run down farm which houses ravens and the other running a huge mining company. The families are intertwined but that takes a while to come out in the book which makes you want to read more as you want to find out why this is. Sara is a housewife with a family struggling in many ways and Kjeld is a police offer who has had a issue at work and comes home after a phone call from his father which he did not understand. The story then goes backwards and forwards in time sowing the seeds for the end of the book. As I have already mentioned, I really enjoyed this book and look forward to the next one in the series

If you enjoy dark Scandinavian noir ,then you are in for a treat with this Book.! It's atmosphere as Tense ,Dark & Brooding as the Raven's in it's Title , especially after Detective Kjeld Nygaard finds a Human Tooth in one of the Raven's Nest's in the Barn where his Family have always kept them . He has returned home after a strange phone call from his Father Stenar from whom he's been estranged from for a number of years ,& on his return home also discovers his Father is suffering from Alzheimer's . It is very hard to believe that this is a debut!’ I urge you to read it , #FB, #Instagram,#NetGalley,#Goodreads,# Amazon.co.uk, #Waterstones, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/c566f42be23a0e25d120e78a3454e2d427c4beee" width="80" height="80" alt="50 Book Reviews" title="50 Book Reviews"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/ef856e6ce35e6d2d729539aa1808a5fb4326a415" width="80" height="80" alt="Reviews Published" title="Reviews Published"/>,#<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/aa60c7e77cc330186f26ea1f647542df8af8326a" width="80" height="80" alt="Professional Reader" title="Professional Reader"/>.