Tuesday, April 8, 2014

The Golden Calf by Helene Tursten - Book Review

               This is the first book that I have read by Helene Tursten.  I’ve been interested in reading more books that are considered Scandinavian and Nordic crime fiction.    

               This is a police procedural book with Irene Huss taking the lead in solving the murders of three men that were shot in their homes in the back of their heads.  Much of the plot was digging into their background and questioning someone that seemed to be connected to the three of them, Sanna Kaegler-Ceder. 

               Much of the investigation lead into a big financial scandal with Sanna’s company as well as a Ponzi scheme.  The suspence moved further in the book for me when Irene and one of her colleagues went to France to investigate the home of two of the murder victims.  Add to the tension a man that was there who was trying to stop their investigation by any means possible. 

               From the plot and the intersting story, I would give it four stars.  I would go for five if I thought the characters were more compelling.   To me, they seemed to be going through the motions of an investation.  That was the reason the novel had an unexpected and flat ending.  

               Characters would be more compelling by their actions.  Irene Huss was a jiujitsu champion but I didn’t see much there.   Since the book was from a third person point of view following her thoughts, the conflict with Tommy and his marriage on the rocks seemed forced.  Maybe more could have been done with that. 

                I think if I read these books in order, I would have gotten more out of this book but I still enjoyed reading it.  Prose was great and was easy to follow.   I’m still going back to read the other books. 

Ron Hummer 

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