Knock Knock

Detective Superintendent Ewart Grens six months from retirement is alerted by colleague Mariana Hermansson of a break in with nothing apparently taken from the same address of the worst crime scene he has ever seen for which he never secures a conviction. Seventeen years ago Zana Lilaj survives the brutal slaughter of her family. Meanwhile, former under cover operator Piet Hoffman receives some shocking threats which demands he takes certain action or his beloved wife and family will pay the ultimate price. The story is principally told by Grens and Hoffman who work together to solve what appears dangerously insoluble.

Well, that’s how you grab a readers attention and hold them in a vice like grip until the very end! This novel is impossible to put down, your eyes are glued to the pages, perched on the edge of your seat, as you just want to solve this huge puzzle. The danger, the huge danger that especially Hoffman faces as the world he has built nearly explodes, is breathtaking. The storyline takes us from Sweden to Albania and it seems as if all roads in the fast paced plot lead to Albania and across the border into neighbouring Montenegro. This is extremely well written, it’s action packed from start to finish as you get a ringside seat in a dramatic race against time, against perpetrators who are always one step ahead and who seem to have metaphorically tied their hands behind their back and shackled them at the same time. The characters are good, Grens is very complex, taciturn, trusts few but is excellent at his job. Hoffman is brave, inventive and creative and could have a starring role in Line off Duty daringly unmasking the villains and staying well below the radar. Their two storylines flow well and the complex plot connects cleverly. You get shock after shock, several are real jaw thunking to the deck kind and the tension is so taut a high wire act could cross it and as if that isn’t enough the author adds more layers so be prepared for palpitations! I had semi worked one thing out but still didn’t see that ending coming and I like that it doesn’t neatly tie in a bow as that would have been a travesty. Brilliant.

If you like your thrillers full of pace, with multiple bends and twists in the plot road, if you want action, suspense and tension so thick you could cut it then look no further than this very high quality Swedish jet black noir. The translation is outstanding too.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Random House UK, Vintage, Harvill Secker for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.