Friis, Agnete

Friis, coauthor with Lene Kaaberbøl of the "Nina Borg" mysteries, excels in her second solo novel (after What My Body Remembers). Readers of Nordic noir literature will appreciate the setting, social critique, and the classic whodunit story. Fans of Henning Mankell's "Wallander" series will enjoy the excellent character development with twists and turns throughout. [See Prepub Alert, 11/12/18.]

Making her solo debut, the coauthor of the "Nina Borg" (The Boy in the Suitcase) series not surprisingly has written a dark, fast-paced, and compelling mystery that will fascinate aficionados of Nordic noir.

This book is not as layered and complex as previous Nina stories, the intercutting between Denmark and the Philippines is often choppy, and there are a few too many coincidences. The glimpses of Filipino culture and society are captivating, though, and Nina's attempts at romance and reconciliation are gently satisfying. It will be interesting to see what solo projects Kaaberbøl and Friis come up with next. Fans and series completists will definitely want to read this title. [See "Editors' Spring Picks," p. 32.]

While the parallel story line describing family life in 1930s Ukraine at times is disruptive to the main plot, fans of the duo's previous books will not be disappointed. The authors maintain similar tension and mood as in their earlier books, and Nina Borg remains determined to protect those whom others might see as outcasts from society.

Although Nina is the protagonist, she is only one of several voices, and it takes a while to get used to the switching among points of view. Readers who hang on will enjoy the fast-paced plot that takes a surprising twist when the multiple story lines are finally connected. Winner of the 2008 Harald Mogensen award for Best Danish Crime Novel and a finalist for the Scandinavian Glass Key Award (losing to Stieg Larsson), this trilogy debut has also been translated into nine languages. A must for Scandinavian crime fiction aficionados. [See Prepub Alert, 8/2/11.]