Editorial Content for Dissolved
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Reviewer (text)
Not only have Nordic or Scandinavian crime thrillers become their own unique genre, they continue to crank out increasingly talented writers who produce great stories set in this part of the world. DISSOLVED is my second time around with Sara Blaedel, but my first with her coauthor, Mads Peder Nordbo.
This outstanding novel takes place in the small Danish village of Tommerup. We are immediately set up with a serious stalker situation whereby the perpetrator kidnaps a woman, Charlotte, who is leaving the neighborhood gym. Her husband, Claus, contacts the police as soon as she fails to pick up their children from school. Even though they inform him that she may not be missing, he does not buy it. Their son is autistic, and she never would abandon him.
"DISSOLVED is a top-notch thriller that clearly spreads out the potential suspects as our dynamic police duo eventually figure everything out."
When Chief Superintendent Liam Stark and Superintendent Dea Torp take on the investigation, they begin to believe that Claus’ fears are well warranted. Charlotte never made it to work after her gym session, and her bicycle was found stashed behind a nearby dumpster. Claus is fortunate to have a strong support network that includes his pastor, Beate Nielsen, and her husband Peter, who become genuinely concerned about the disappearance of one of their parishioners.
Unfortunately, Charlotte is far from the only person to suddenly vanish in Tommerup. We witness an elderly gentleman with car trouble who is approached by someone seeking to assist him. He is alarmed when this apparently helpful stranger shows him a photo on his cell phone that he immediately identifies as Charlotte. Of course, this is indicative of him becoming the next to disappear. As the number of victims begin to mount, Liam and Dea are in a race against the clock to produce some sort of connection that might link all of them.
The police are confused as to whether or not this is the work of a serial killer or kidnapper, especially as the bodies of the missing have yet to turn up anywhere. The other issue is the calling card being left behind after each abduction in the form of a different religious passage from the Quran. This forces Liam and Dea to involve their Muslim colleague Nassrin on the case --- at least up until the point when she herself is abducted.
With the culprit seemingly laughing in the face of the police with his bold and frequent kidnappings, the pressure becomes almost unbearable on Liam and Dea. They must tread carefully as they do not want the public to participate in any hate crimes against the Muslim community based on the fact that the local press has tabbed the perp as the Quran Killer.
The victims are being kept somewhere that is literally dissolving their bodies the longer they are detained there. I will leave that image to the readers’ imagination. Let me just say that Blaedel and Nordbo have come up with an extremely dangerous and devious circumstance to threaten these innocent people. DISSOLVED is a top-notch thriller that clearly spreads out the potential suspects as our dynamic police duo eventually figure everything out.
Teaser
Everything is peaceful in Tommerup, Denmark, until a young mother disappears in the middle of an idyllic summer day. There’s no trace of the missing woman when Chief Superintendent Liam Stark and Superintendent Dea Torp are called to investigate. When another person goes missing, and Liam and Dea find a strange note linking the second missing person to the first crime, they suspect the disappearances may be the work of a serial killer. As the investigation continues, dark secrets about the victims from the past are revealed. Is someone targeting them because of this? As more people vanish, it’s a race against time for Liam and Dea, who find themselves face to face with horrifying footage that reveals what is happening to the victims --- and what will happen to future targets if they can’t stop the killer.
Promo
Everything is peaceful in Tommerup, Denmark, until a young mother disappears in the middle of an idyllic summer day. There’s no trace of the missing woman when Chief Superintendent Liam Stark and Superintendent Dea Torp are called to investigate. When another person goes missing, and Liam and Dea find a strange note linking the second missing person to the first crime, they suspect the disappearances may be the work of a serial killer. As the investigation continues, dark secrets about the victims from the past are revealed. Is someone targeting them because of this? As more people vanish, it’s a race against time for Liam and Dea, who find themselves face to face with horrifying footage that reveals what is happening to the victims --- and what will happen to future targets if they can’t stop the killer.
About the Book
For fans of Jo Nesbø and Lars Kepler comes the newest crime novel from Denmark's bestselling suspense giants Sara Blædel and Mads Peder Nordbo.
Everything is peaceful in Tommerup, Denmark, until a young mother disappears in the middle of an idyllic summer day. There’s no trace of the missing woman when Chief Superintendent Liam Stark and Superintendent Dea Torp are called to investigate. The small town is on edge, rumors begin to fly, and blame is cast on Charlotte’s husband, who was the last to see her. When another person goes missing and Liam and Dea find a strange note linking the second missing person to the first crime, they suspect the disappearances may be the work of a serial killer.
As the investigation continues, dark secrets about the victims from the past are revealed. Is someone targeting them because of this? As more people vanish, it’s a race against time for Liam and Dea, who find themselves face-to-face with horrifying footage that reveals what is happening to the victims --- and what will happen to future targets if they can’t stop the killer.
In this pulse-pounding thriller, Sara Blædel and Mads Peder Nordbo ratchet up the tension in a cat-and-mouse game where the killer is always one step ahead.
Audiobook available, read by Lila Newman
