Cursed opens with a bang when Daniel Schyman is shot dead in his own forest in Sweden. In Norway Hedda Hellberg has failed to return from a retreat and her husband enlists her old friend Nora, a journalist, to help track her down. Nora’s husband Henning Juul is soon embroiled in the search. As the pair investigate, they discover a murky past to the Hellberg family and Juul finds clues as to the instigator of the fire that killed his son two years earlier.

Whist this is the fourth book in the series it is the first to be published by Orenda and can certainly be read out of sequence as all the novels can be read as standalone books.

I loved the setting of the novel. It gave a glimpse into life in Norway, a fascinating country that made me want to read more. The location itself is a character in the story. I felt it gave the book a darker edge, as if the narration was preparing for a lengthy Norwegian winter.

There is an edge, an undercurrent of darkness and tragedy to the novel, lent by the storyline following the murder of Juul’s young son. Juul was the intended target and this alone torment him. As he digs deeper into the circumstances he becomes more involved with the criminal underbelly of Oslo. This storyline is central to the novel and will follow through into the next in the series.

Juul and Nora are complex characters. The reader gets the impression that the Nora and Henning we see are just shadows of their real selves. Irrevocably changed by the death of their child, the trauma of such a loss has impacted them as people. There is a sadness that pervades them, yet it also allows Juul’s steely determination to spur him on to discover the truth, with a lack of self preservation at the heart of it.

The mystery surrounding the Hellbergs is compelling, and flows well with the other storyline. By having the story focus around one family and a handful of people the story gains an almost closed room feel to it. I also liked the fact that both protagonists were not law enforcement, allowing them to work outside the usual legal confines to delve deeper into the truth.

Short chapters lend itself to the ‘just one more chapter’ mentality and this meant I flew through the novel. It wasn’t until half way through that I thought to myself that I was really enjoying it. That’s not to say the first half isn’t good, far from it. It was just that this realisation that I was wrapped up in the story, so much so that I couldn’t wait to find out what had happened, snuck up on me as the story weaved itself into my subconscious. Put simply, the more I read, the more I wanted to read.

A note on the translation. Without obviously reading the original Norwegian I did feel that the story I read was close to that originally written and that Kari Dickson had retained the voice of Thomas Enger. If you forget that you are reading translated fiction then the translator has done their job well and that’s the case with this book.

This is the first book by Thomas Enger I have read but it certainly won’t be my last.  I look forward to catching up with Henning Juul soon.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This seems to be the fourth in a series of five books about the journalist, Henning Juul, but it's the first that I have read. Therein lies my only problem with this crime novel as one feeds directly into the next one (like the Millenium trilogy by Stieg Larsson). Not having read the three previous volumes left me at a disadvantage although some explanation is given as the book progresses.

The plot involves two journalists, Henning Juul and his ex-wife, Nora Klemetsen, both carrying out investigations. He is looking into past associates and the fire that killed their son while she is looking into the disappearance of a former flatmate. Eventually both cases come together to a limited extent.

The plot is well-devised and the characters are developed and interesting. A bit of a slow burner, it is nonetheless engaging and ends on a real cliffhanger, presumably heralding in the final volume. I enjoyed it but probably would have appreciated it a lot more if I'd read the three previous books.

Thank you Netgalley for giving this book in exchange for an honest review.

High-paced, while thought provoking murder mystery/thriller!

I really enjoyed how this book was written, there are two seemingly (at least for the first quarter) unconnected worlds, and seem to collide at just the right moment. I think that Henning made a fantastic lead, because he is so lost in his personal life, that his murder actually helps him, it allows him to focus his energies on something else, on a killer who murdered an elderly woman in the most gruesome way. There is Hennings' sister Trine who is the Justice Secretary who finds herself involved in very scandalous situation as well, one that later will collide with her brother's case.

Then there is the story of the investigator of the murders who has his own story line which wasn't as good as the aforementioned, but still kept the story moving at a great pace. I love the way in which Enger weaves his worlds, they are so intricate but every detail has a place, it has a story, it has somewhere to be, and something that it means. Really, really enjoyed this story.

In the event some of you missed my blurb of my Top Thriller Male Authors to Follow in 2015.  What a lineup!  Highlighting each of their latest and upcoming books for 2014-2015.

Currently, I am loving these gifted male crime thriller writers and ones to watch: Sexy, witty; SWOON . . . . best of all, they know how to write kick ass intense thrillers!

Paul Cleave (New Zealand), Thomas Enger (Norway), and (US) authors, Adam Mitzner and James Hankins.  By the way, they all are smokin’ hot and easy on the eye. Of course, Grisham is in the mix; however, we need some new blood to keep it interesting.

This dynamite lineup offers a mix of suspense, crime, mystery, legal, psycho, police procedural, to paranormal.  Check them out, you will not be disappointed!  

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JAMES HANKINS  (US) 

James writers thrillers with elements of other genres as well — mystery, suspense, police procedural, paranormal/supernatural. James lives in Massachusetts with his wife and two sons. He used to be a lawyer. Before that he wrote screenplays. Now he writes books and helps raise his boys. 

 Read More 

Check out his new coming crime thriller: 

SHADY CROSS, coming Feb 24, 2015!  
Read My Review  (5 out of 5 stars)

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PAUL CLEAVE  (New Zealand) 

Paul Cleave is an internationally bestselling author who is currently dividing his time between his home city of Christchurch, New Zealand, where all of his novels are set, and Europe, where none of his novels are set.

 Read More 

Check out his latest thriller: 

Five Minutes Alone (Theodore Tate #4)

Oct 21, 2014 

Read My Review  (5 out of 5 stars)

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THOMAS ENGER  (Norway)

Thomas Enger was born in Oslo in 1973, but grew up in Jessheim. He has an education in journalism, and has also studied sports and history. He worked at the Norwegian online newspaper Nettavisen for nine years.He has composed music and written books since the age of 18. He is also working on a musical.

 Read More 

Check out his latest crime thriller:

SCARRED (Henning Juul #3)

November 4, 2014

Read My Review  (5 out of 5 Stars) 

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ADAM MITZNER  (US) 

Adam grew up in East Brunswick, New Jersey, which is about an hour outside of New York City. After law school, he jointed the litigation department of a large New York City law firm, and after a few more stops, he currently heads the litigation department of Pavia & Harcourt LLP, in midtown Manhattan.

 Read More

LOSING FAITH  (US)

Upcoming Legal Thriller  

Available, April 14, 2015 

Read My Review  (5 out of 5 Stars) 

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Would love to hear your comments,  or your top male thriller authors.  I will be highlighting my favorite female crime writers next!   Happy Holidays.

Visit my Blog at Judith D Collins Must Read Books

By: Thomas Enger
ISBN: 9781451616514
Publisher: Atria Books
Publication Date: 11/04/2014
Format: Other
My Rating: 5 Stars

A special thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Scandinavia’s best crime writer, Thomas Enger’s SCARRED, (Henning Juul #3), is an intense, riveting, and suspenseful page-turner, a crime and political thriller which reiterates why this talented writer and series is so "talked about" and popular.

I would urge readers, especially in the US, to spend time reviewing Enger’s website. Norway’s sensation, is not only a talented writer, quite witty, and in addition, a successful composer (listen to his music – quite divine! Christian's theme is my favorite).

As usual, I get hooked on the new releases and devour previous books in a series. I have already purchased Burned (#1) and Pierced (#2), and look forward to reading more of this engrossing six –part book series.

Henning Juul, Thomas Enger's main protagonist, is a tortured, yet mysterious Norwegian internet newspaper reporter. He recently lost his son Jonas in a fire, burning down his flat and severely injuring Henning’s face. (a lot of background surrounding this yet to be unfolded). He is scarred both inside and out, and ridden by guilt.

Henning Juul has just returned to work after the tragedy. In addition, there is a lot of other action going on around him. One being his (the golden child) sister; they are estranged and he is not certain why, and a mother who blames him, an alcoholic. He still loves his ex-wife, but there is too much tragedy and memories in the past. He is intuitive and very observant, and perfect for an investigative reporter and he knows how to get to the root of problems and the story. (enjoyed how he draws out people, especially children).

In the meantime, he is in the middle of several cases which overlap. Henning is about to resume his investigation into the fire that killed his son two years ago when his editor asks him to cover the murder of a demented woman, retired school teacher, in a nursing/care home. The murder is being investigated and led by Inspector Bjarne Brogeland who has little information to offer when Henning uses their long acquaintance to gain insight into the case. He knows they are on a dangerous trail of a meticulous killer who has developed a keen taste for revenge.

The murder is very mysterious, with the brutal way in which she was killed and connection with pictures, and knitting needles. There are several suspects, however, the motive? Possibly a score to settle with a bad student-teacher relationship? Wow, some bad pent up anger and revenge. When more bodies wind up dead and more taken hostage, the cases collide for an explosive outcome.

Then there is his estranged sister, Trine Juul-Osmundsen, Minister for Justice Norwegian Government is accused of sexual misconduct, who goes into hiding. Norway is rocked by scandal and of course he cannot write about her, but wants to reach out and help if she will allow. She believes she has been set up, as she has a secret and has to figure out how to handle and still keep in her marriage and reputation intact.

However the case closest to his heart and one he cannot forget is the fire set in his flat which killed his son, a plot developed in the previous novels in the series. Henning continues to follow up on the information provided by gangland enforcer Tore Pulli, and attempts to have a closer look at why the police files relevant to the fire may have been doctored.

A riveting crime thriller, and one you cannot put down; however, there is much more to come, as we have to wait patiently for Books 4-6 to learn all the secrets surrounding the mysterious tragedies of books 1-3, and dark childhood of brother and sister duo. There is also a human interest side as readers explore Henning’s personality which ties in nicely with the investigative side. According to the author’s website, the rights to each of his six Henning Juul novels have been purchased by Norwegian film production company 4 ½.

Fans of John Grisham, James Patterson, and Harlan Coben will want to read this one. There are two crime thriller authors, which I am all about currently: Thomas Enger (Norway) and internationally bestselling author Paul Cleave (New Zealand) with his latest winner: Five Minutes Alone (10/21/14) Christchurch Noir Crime Series. Both talented male authors, about the same age, and ah so sexy (move over US authors) making room for two of the finest of crime thrillers and ones to follow!

Now, I have to find time between all my ARCs to read all their previous books I have purchased. Thank you, NetGalley and Atria for introducing me to these award-winning and talented authors!  My wish list: Audible, please offer these in audiobook format, as nice for traveling.