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Call Me Princess (Louise Rick #2)

3.17 of 5 stars 3.17 · rating details · 414 ratings · 80 reviews

A young woman in Copenhagen, Susanne Hansson, becomes the victim of an unusually brutal rape attack
in her own home. detective inspector Louise Rick is summoned to talk to the victim, where she quickly
determines that Susanne met the rapist via a dating website, a fact that Susanne shamefully tries to hide,
especially from her domineering mother.

The police suspect that the r...more

Hardcover, 303 pages

Published August 15th 2011 by Pegasus (first published 2005)

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Mar 14, 2013 Candice rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I’d never heard of Sara Blaedel when a proof copy of Blue Blood landed on my desk. Intrigued by the fantastic book jacket, and as I love a good psychological crime novel, I opened to the first page and quickly found that I couldn't stop put the novel down.

Set in Copenhagen, Susanne Hansson is found bound and gagged, the victim of a terrifyingly brutal rape. Detective Inspector Louise Rick is first on the scene and lead investigator on the case. After numerous questioning it becomes apparent tha...more

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Nov 20, 2012 Greg rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, girls-girls-girls

The premise of this book would probably make for a good hour-long CSI like CBS procedural show.

It probably could make for a good book, too. But this book isn't good. It's awful.

I don't know where the blame lays for how awful this book is. Maybe it is the translators fault. Maybe the book reads better in Danish, or whatever language it was originally written in (I think it was in Danish, but it doesn't say anywhere in the book. It's actually a little difficult to even find who translated the bo...more

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Aug 31, 2011 Luanne Ollivier rated it 3 of 5 stars

The hot list of crime writers right now includes many from Sweden, Finland, Norway, Iceland and Denmark. Here's another author from Denmark to add to your list.

Call Me Princess marks Sara Blaedel's North American debut.

Assistant Detective Louise Rick of the Copenhagen P.D. is called in on the case of Susanne Hansson - a woman who has been brutally sexually assaulted. As Rick delves into the case, she discovers that Susanne met her attacker through an online dating site. Susanne's not the only vi...more

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Aug 29, 2011 Cheryl rated it 3 of 5 stars

Detective Inspector Louise Rick is one of the few females at the Copenhagen Police Department. Seeing as Louise is one of the few, she is usually assigned the rape cases as most of the victims are female and they relate to another female better. As Louise starts investigating, she realizes that the victim, Susanne may have known her attacker…well kind of. Susanne was a member of a dating site, where she meet her attacker. She took him back home and things started out ok but by the time that Susa...more

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Aug 20, 2011 Jessica rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fluff, kindle, arc

Overall, a slightly above-average procedural. It's hard for me to know how accurate it was since it was set in Denmark. (It did seem strange at times that well into the investigation the detective had to review key pieces of evidence she hadn't looked at before.)

I did have to put aside my own biases, since the crimes involved internet dating and I tend to just roll my eyes when I hear such things and think, "How is finding someone on the internet less safe than finding someone in a bar? Isn't i...more

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Aug 20, 2011 Cynthia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-read-in-2011

Where are we?

Oddly, though Blaedel is Danish, this story could as easily been set in any American city rather than Copenhagen. The place names were Danish but there was no wisp of Scandinavia. The plot was so so but only just. I hate the title. It’s too twee and only becomes relevant late in the story. Homicide Detective Louise Rick and her partner investigate a rape. Soon the case grows legs when rapist’s next victim dies and other women speak out about enduring similar attacks. The plot circle...more

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Oct 02, 2012 Kelly Hager rated it 5 of 5 stars

In this installment, Louise Rick is investigating a brutal rape. It turns out that Susanne met her attacker online on a dating site. And THEN it turns out that she's not the only victim. Unfortunately, there are a lot of internet dating sites. And obviously he didn't give her his real name. So how can Louise Rick find this guy before he chooses his next "date"?

I absolutely loved Only One Life so I was beyond excited to learn that there was another book in the series. And I was even more happy wh...more

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Sep 19, 2011 Stephanie Johnson rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Sara Blaedel's writing is smooth. Carrying the reading into the lives and world of her characters. I really like Louise, who is so smart about her cases but not so smart about what's happening in her own personal life. Louise is complicated and not perfects. She thinks she's pregnant, so she goes out drinking and smoking. I found that unsettling. The same with can be said for her friend Camilla. How could someone who's written articles about being safe in the online dating world, invite an unkno...more

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Aug 23, 2011 Vivian rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: mystery and suspense readers

A brutal rape and beating, online dating and a criminal investigation, these are the primary components in Call Me Princess by Sara Blaedel. Although this story doesn't provide extreme graphic descriptions of the rape, it does start with a graphic description of the beating. This was just a bit off-putting but it does set the tone for the story. All at once we're forced to view a situation that puts us off balance while immediately becoming sympathetic with the victim and despising the perpetrat...more

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Jul 19, 2011 Jasmine rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: danish

This is the first book I've finished without a weekend since I started my new job. And I think this book is at least suffering a little from being the book I read after cara black's book. nothing seems quite so bright after something that good.

What this book does well:
-incorporates s&m in a manner that makes sense in the real world
-presents a police officer that seems like a normal person and is not an idiot about understanding what is happening in the real world, and has an average level...more

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Jan 23, 2013 Karen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: crime, scandinavian, review-books

BLUE BLOOD (aka CALL ME PRINCESS) is the debut novel in the Detective Louise Rick series from Danish writer Sara Blaedel. Blaedel is a million copy best-selling author, voted Denmark's most popular novelist three times since 2007, and an international success story.

BLUE BLOOD reads like a traditional police procedural, focused on who perpetrated the crime, and not a lot on why. The initial crime, the vicious beating and rape of a young woman, quickly becomes even more worrying with the sadly pre...more BLUE BLOOD (aka CALL ME PRINCESS) is the debut novel in the Detective Louise Rick series from Danish writer Sara Blaedel. Blaedel is a million copy best-selling author, voted Denmark's most popular novelist three times since 2007, and an international success story.

BLUE BLOOD reads like a traditional police procedural, focused on who perpetrated the crime, and not a lot on why. The initial crime, the vicious beating and rape of a young woman, quickly becomes even more worrying with the sadly preventable death of a second victim, but it does provide the focus - an increasing number of cases that revolve around the internet dating world.

Given the police procedural styling, I was looking at three specific elements - plot / investigation and then characterisations. BLUE BLOOD takes the reader into the world of internet dating and the possible perils, and it uses many of those aspects to have a red hot go at raising some tension. Although, to be honest, the none too subtle way in which potential dangers are raised for Rick, as well as best friend, journalist Camilla did make this reader dubious. Whilst there is a team, and a hierarchy, and a bit of tension between teams chucked into the mix for reasons that I couldn't quite fathom, the main core of the investigation becomes a solo hand pretty quickly. Which didn't actually work that well, as it created a problem with interactions between Rick and the rest of the team that was never really resolved. In fact, most of the other police characters remained very much bit-parts, and somehow floated off to the side. Which leads therefore to characterisation. The focus is very much on the Rick, who is the sort of lead character that is either going to annoy or fascinate. She's an odd combination of intensity and vagueness. Her attempts at victim consolation weren't particularly convincing, and whilst she's obviously driven to resolve the case, there are some things that she seems almost criminally dumb about. Not the least of which is the rapid, and obvious collapse of her personal life, that on one hand she seems quite matter-of-fact about and on another devastated.

All of which makes it sound like I didn't really like the book. Which isn't exactly true. Cutting the requisite slack for a debut book in a series, and some heavy lifting in the character establishment phase as a result of that, there's more than enough in BLUE BLOOD that makes me want to get the next book in the series. The series doesn't feel like it's going to shape shift into the darker, more psychological stylings of my preferred Scandinavian material, but as a general, police procedural styled novel, I don't mind the occasional prickly, difficult, unpredictable female central protagonist at all. Especially as it would appear that the next book, FAREWELL TO FREEDOM is tackling human trafficking, a topic which is increasingly being explored in crime fiction worldwide.

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Oct 10, 2011 Zohar - ManOfLaBook.com rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011

“Call Me Princess” by Sara Blædel is a crime fiction book taking place in Denmark. This is the first book translated by this successful and popular Scandinavian author.

Louise Rick is an Assistant Detective in the Copenhagen PD. Ms. Rick is called to investigate the brutal rape of Susanne Hanson. As the AD investigates she discovers Susanne met her attacker on an online dating site and that she is not the only victim.

“Call Me Princess” by Sara Blædel is a good, solid crime...more “Call Me Princess” by Sara Blædel is a crime fiction book taking place in Denmark. This is the first book translated by this successful and popular Scandinavian author.

Louise Rick is an Assistant Detective in the Copenhagen PD. Ms. Rick is called to investigate the brutal rape of Susanne Hanson. As the AD investigates she discovers Susanne met her attacker on an online dating site and that she is not the only victim.

“Call Me Princess” by Sara Blædel is a good, solid crime fiction book. I requested this book because I’ve read several crime-fiction novels from Scandinavian authors and sincerely liked them so I figured I’ll read as much as I can before I am forced to learn Danish.

The main character of Louise Rick is real and likeable and even relatable on some level to someone like me. The interaction between the characters (mostly fellow officers, a female best friend and a boyfriend) is comfortable and real. While the rape case is certainly front and center of the narrative, Louise’s personal life was a secondary story.

Instead of being an action novel, most of the story involving the police relies on the descriptions of procedural and solid police work. I do not know how the Copenhagen Police Department works, but the descriptions were interesting and seemed to ring true.

Another sub-plot is the perilous world of online dating, the novel does try to even out the perception but the point-of-view is pretty clear. Personally I think that online dating is a bit better than a drunkard meeting a stranger in a dark, smoky room filled with other drunks.

As I mentioned, I liked the characterization in the book. Louise, a no nonsense cop, Camilla, her ruthless bitch of a best friend, boyfriends and co-workers. Besides dealing with her work, Louise must also deal with her media hugging boss, unreasonable supervisors, witnesses who go back on their testimony and more.

I have read several books by Scandinavian authors and the one thing which strikes me as a common denominator with all of them (besides the obscene amounts of coffee and the glorious descriptions of open faced sandwiches) is the way they all depict how women are treated in the northern countries. Many, if not all, of the books try to balance it out with a strong female protagonist, yet I get a strange feeling that these societies have some more issues to explore.
Maybe it’s because many of the stories have an almost identical rape/crime against women scenes?

The book is interesting and a quick read. The story doesn’t tie up all the loose ends, but in this case I don’t mind. Most things in life don’t end up in a neat package (at best a wooden box).

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Oct 25, 2011 Jennifer rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, earcs, ebook, mystery, thriller, world

This was a nice change from some of the more gory "cold Northern European" crime fiction out there. There were certainly parts of the story which made me cringe, but that's the nature of crime. This book was just a little less forceful about it, even though the crime committed here is horrible and violent. It's pleasing to see a heroine as star of the tale, instead of a grizzled, worn-out man. Louise is a good choice to delve into the seedier side of online dating, trying to catch a raper-turned...more

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Nov 06, 2011 Wendy Ewurum rated it 3 of 5 stars

WHO'S WHO?
Louise Rick is a detective assigned to solve a case of rapes and murder committed by an online dating sociopath.
No other character stands out enough to get a mention as a compelling influence.

THIS WAS HOT....
Despite the very slow start, towards the middle things started picking up pace and by the end I was really into it.
The police and crime scene procedure were solid and reflected good research.
The plot was entertaining as the author kept me guessing with the clues she kept throwing...more WHO'S WHO?
Louise Rick is a detective assigned to solve a case of rapes and murder committed by an online dating sociopath.
No other character stands out enough to get a mention as a compelling influence.

THIS WAS HOT....
Despite the very slow start, towards the middle things started picking up pace and by the end I was really into it.
The police and crime scene procedure were solid and reflected good research.
The plot was entertaining as the author kept me guessing with the clues she kept throwing in.
The MC is a believable character and I like the way she was portrayed as a whole person, things not only about work but there was her home life and had a dodgy boyfriend (whom by the way I thought might be the suspect at some point) and a "parasitic" bestfriend in the mix.

NOT SO HOT:
Even though I ended up enjoying following the story, i had a really hard time connecting with the characters. Nothing really rang true, not the work relationships with, for example, the fame seeking police chief or on the personal side the relationship with the best friend which just felt lukewarm and self serving on the best-friend "Camilla's" part. The victim I almost felt something for was the one we read about in the book description.
I felt some important areas were glossed over and other mundane things got too much attention, specially at the beginning where there were too many going ons about simple daily routines and tasks. Where I thought things were rushed was for example where the MC's relationship with Susan the victim was growing steadily and we got to know her. But then we're left in the dark with regards to what happens to her after the incident that leads to the perps capture or the fact that Camilla's involvement with the perps family lead to the showdown, I felt this was downplayed.
I really got irritated with the amount of time the F-word got used and it just didn't feel natural in the way that it was used. I especially noted that in the first part of the book it wasn't used until the police chief started in the second bit. By the third section it felt like I was reading it on every third or fourth sentence. I did not enjoy the excessive use of it.
Gramma and spelling errors could be due to the fact that this was an ARC copy and a translated one as well.
That book cover really bothers me because I don't see the connection between it and the story, but that could be owing to my lack of imagination

OVERALL:
I'm really torn over this book because on the one hand I enjoyed the plot but when it came to building report between the characters and the reader, it fell flat for me. So I give it an "i'm sitting on the fence" kind of rating because it is a nice easy read.
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Oct 12, 2011 Lakis Fourouklas rated it 5 of 5 stars

This astonishing novel is preoccupied with two of the most important issues of our times: online dating and physical assaults against women.
The facts in this case take place in modern day Copenhagen. Detective Louise Rick is getting ready to go home after a hard day’s work, when she receives a call that puts her plans for a nice evening with her companion into hold. A woman lies in a hospital bed injured after she’s been battered and raped and she’s willing to testify about who was the person b...more This astonishing novel is preoccupied with two of the most important issues of our times: online dating and physical assaults against women.
The facts in this case take place in modern day Copenhagen. Detective Louise Rick is getting ready to go home after a hard day’s work, when she receives a call that puts her plans for a nice evening with her companion into hold. A woman lies in a hospital bed injured after she’s been battered and raped and she’s willing to testify about who was the person behind the attack. Things though do not turn out to be so simple, since the unfortunate woman, cannot really remember the face of the man, while the name he has given her is not his real one either. Suzanne, who lives in an apartment, just under her own mother’s home, seems to be at a loss. The shock she’s going through is quite severe and she wants badly to get over it and move on with her life, but at the same time she knows that if she doesn’t see that man behind bars she will never have peace of mind again. She also knows that now is the time to move away from her mother and the negative influence she has on her being. Rick, who from the very first moment monitors Suzanne closely, soon comes to realize that the mother is the one who inflicts the most pain on the woman’s psyche, and is determined to help her out any way she can.
However, while these events take place, the perpetrator hits again, and this time the things get completely out of control, as his new victim, a woman called Christina ends up dead. As the two parallel cases begin to unfold the investigators soon find out that both of the women met their future rapist in some internet dating websites. In a world where people seem to be withdrawing into their own selves all the time and becoming more and more lonely, websites like that are supposed to offer a way out for those seeking their life’s partner, but at the same time they give the opportunity to some twisted souls to make true some of their most danger fantasies; and it’s exactly that world that Rick needs to infiltrate in order to achieve her goals.
The author is not only preoccupied with the crimes but also with the personal life of her heroine. Rick seems to be a solid, strong woman; however she’s full of small weaknesses and big insecurities. For the past few months she’s been living with her boyfriend, a fact that she likes and dislikes at the same time; every now and then she thinks that she should at last have a kid, especially when she’s hanging out with her best friend’s son, but the idea also scares the shit out of her; and finally she’s trying to have some stability in her life, some set rules and practices, but of course that’s impossible since she’s married with the job. An all and all complex character, hers is.
The world that Blaedel presents to as is somehow bleak, but not worst from our everyday reality. Right here, in these pages, we meet people trapped in their personal little boxes, sinful souls, women dressed in melancholy. Every single one of them seems to be looking for something to hold on to; either that is a brief love affair, a good old family or just a relationship. Internet for some of them is the solution, for some others the problem. But loneliness remains.
This is a novel that talks about crime, but also about the undercurrents of society, and as such it can be read by anyone, no matter if he’s a fan of the genre or not. Where are we heading? That seems to be the question in the author’s mind, but the answer is not to be found anywhere in the text, since it lies deep within each one of us.
Call me Princess is a great story about modern day life, written by a great writer, who seems to be able to look with a clear eye in the darkness that lurks in the heart of man. Well done.
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Nov 08, 2011 fleegan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: scandinavian-crime-fiction

This is the first of Ms. Blaedel's Louise Rick series to be translated into English. This is the second Danish crime novel I've read in the last couple of months (the other one was The Keeper of Lost Causes by Adler-Olsen) and I have to say, they both have a way with torture. In Call Me Princess the torture is in the form of brutal rapes.

Louise Rick is a detective in Copenhagen and is tasked with finding a serial rapist who preys on women using online dating services.

The mystery was good, the...more This is the first of Ms. Blaedel's Louise Rick series to be translated into English. This is the second Danish crime novel I've read in the last couple of months (the other one was The Keeper of Lost Causes by Adler-Olsen) and I have to say, they both have a way with torture. In Call Me Princess the torture is in the form of brutal rapes.

Louise Rick is a detective in Copenhagen and is tasked with finding a serial rapist who preys on women using online dating services.

The mystery was good, the characters were good, I liked Louise. The story as a whole seemed too pat or too glossed over. For example, Louise goes on the online dating site to try to meet the rapist to catch him, and she finds him right off the bat. They meet straight away and it happens so fast that the end seemed really anticlimactic. Especially since the beginning chapters are filled with loads of suspense and terrible rape. The way the book ends seems too fast and easy. Of course, that's probably how detective work really goes down: There's a bad guy. Find him so we can be safe again! There he is! Arrest him. Done.

The B story of Louise and her boyfriend seemed kind of clunky. I didn't mind because I think I was too distracted by the rape. It really got me thinking though, I couldn't think of a single American crime fiction book I've read that was this rape-y. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo was pretty rape-y as well. There is a social message in these Scandi crime books about how women are perceived/treated/raped and the violence and cruelty is absolutely shocking. I'm not sure what the American equivalent would be. I kind of hope there's not one, but I'm sure there is.

I have to give the author credit though, the beginning chapters were very suspenseful and had my stomach in knots. She really made me think about the dangers of online dating, as well as the horrors of torture rape, which, is something I've never thought about before because why would I?

I'll definitely keep an eye out for the second book in the series because I am interested to see what happens to Louise.
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Sep 12, 2011 Lisa B. rated it 2 of 5 stars

Book Overview:
A young woman in Copenhagen, Susanne Hansson, becomes the victim of an unusually brutal rape attack in her own home. Detective inspector Louise Rick is summoned to talk to the victim, where she quickly determines that Susanne met the rapist via a dating website.
The police suspect that the rapist may have been caught on video in the subway, so Louise and a colleague go through the tapes. They’re lucky enough to find him, but unfortunately the image is blurry and shows him only in pr...more

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Sep 11, 2011 Chris rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: scandinavian, mystery, series, denmark

This is the first book I've read by Sara Blaedel. This is her American debut although she a very well known Danish mystery writer and well loved in multiple languages. In Call Me Princess, Danish Police Detective Louise Rick is working on a serial rapist case in Copenhagen and involves women who meet the rapist through online dating. The twists and turns are paced well and I moved through the book quickly. The coincidences were a bit too convenient for my taste, but I felt chills while reading n...more

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Jun 13, 2012 Katie Kenig rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery

This Danish police detective novel caught my eye while out on a library road trip with my husband. I'd finished the book I was plowing through and scanned the new releases shelves to see if there was anything particularly interesting. While this is the second book in the series with this particular detective, the plotline - a rapist who is finding his victims through online dating sites - struck close to home for me and I decided to try it out.

There are some odd turns of phrase in the novel - c...more

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Sep 07, 2012 Becki rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: first-reads-finished

I really enjoyed this book. I was sucked into the story from the start and it didn't disappoint. I enjoyed the relationships of some of the characters, but I felt that there were other books in the series that addressed the relationships in more detail. If not, then I believe that future books should focus on some of them. Although we learned a lot of Susanne, interaction between her and her mother was only touched on. It wouldn't have added to the story line, but it would have caused even more...more

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Oct 19, 2011 Kimberly rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was a pretty good crime novel. The character is compelling. I think there just felt like there were gaps somehow. I'm trying to think of exactly how to explain, it's not like there were plot holes. It was more like hm pacing holes. You'd be into it into it and then suddenly it'd just drag for a chapter and then the pace would pick up and then just suddenly be nonexistent again. Will I read a next one if this becomes a series? Yes. It was good enough to read another one, and the pacing gaps...more

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Dec 16, 2012 Raven rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Already a firmly established author in her native Denmark with a million plus sales, ‘Blue Blood’ is Sara Blaedel’s debut crime thriller in the UK market. I have to say that I wasn’t completely blown away by it, but would quickly add that there is nothing inherently wrong with it either. Revolving around the investigation of a series of internet dating related rapes ‘Blue Blood’ introduces us to DI Louise Rick, a professional and focused police officer who is portrayed as exactly what she is, a...more Already a firmly established author in her native Denmark with a million plus sales, ‘Blue Blood’ is Sara Blaedel’s debut crime thriller in the UK market. I have to say that I wasn’t completely blown away by it, but would quickly add that there is nothing inherently wrong with it either. Revolving around the investigation of a series of internet dating related rapes ‘Blue Blood’ introduces us to DI Louise Rick, a professional and focused police officer who is portrayed as exactly what she is, a good solid detective. With only a small dose of emotional baggage, that to me didn’t really add anything to the plot, Louise embarks on her search for a particularly sadistic rapist in a clear-sighted and methodical way, and as is usual in most crime thrillers ends up with her facing down the perpetrator with little thought to her own personal safety. I think as a character she probably lacks a certain personal intensity bordering on dull, and even in her relationship with her colleagues there does not seem to be much spark or interesting interaction between them. The only character that really illuminates Louise is her friend Camilla Lind, who for me lit up the book and added a bit of feistiness to the whole proceedings. With her role as a journalist and single mother, Camilla seemed a more vital and interesting character within the story and I enjoyed the interplay between her and the starchy Louise.

The central premise of the plot, centred on the inherent dangers of internet dating, was a trifle pedestrian, but I would counterblance that by saying that due to my reading of an inordinate amount of crime, I have encountered very similar storylines before so it held no great surprises for me personally. However, the plot was solid enough in terms of the police procedural with enough twists to satisfy most. I would probably liken the book to Camilla Lackberg in terms of overall style and characterisation, but would hesitate to draw comparisons with the darker psychological writers of the Scandinavian crime genre which generally appeal to me more.

Despite my reservations I would certainly read Blaedel again, having already acquired a copy of ‘Farewell To Freedom’, again featuring DI Louise Rick and Camilla Lind and focusing on the exploitative world of human trafficking, so will be interested to see how the character of Louise develops in this next book.
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Sep 17, 2012 Mara rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: first-reads, 2012

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Aug 24, 2011 Amy Schneider rated it 2 of 5 stars

I had difficulty believing some of the actions and feelings Louise had about her job..why did she call in sick at least twice during an important case? Why did she drink heavily when she suspected she was pregnant? Why couldn't she have the subway tapes enhanced (or is it because I watch too much NCIS?) Why did she immediately think and harp on Camilla that her best friend was dating the rapist? I liked the twist at the end, but I wish that Louise could have had a deeper relationship with Flemmi...more

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Jan 23, 2012 Lila rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

That was a 'did-not-finish' of epic proportions. I stopped before I even got to 5% of the book. The writing is just awful. The nonsensical metaphors and unnecessary descriptions of every 'muscle twitch' and of every thought going on in the characters' minds helped me make up my mind quickly. Didn't want to bother trying to read on and give the book a chance to redeem itself. I highly doubt there's any redemption to be found in there. Call Me Princess is Sara Blædel's American debut novel and she...more

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Dec 10, 2011 Gloria Feit rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Though Sara Blaedel is the author of several books, and her novels are apparently consistently on the bestseller lists in her native Denmark and elsewhere, this book represents her American debut. And an auspicious one it is.

Assistant Detective Louise Rick, of the Copenhagen Police Department, is assigned the case of a 32-year-old woman who was raped and brutally attacked. When the body of another young woman is found, having been similarly brutalized but hadn’t escaped with her life, the police...more

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Jul 14, 2012 rameau rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-galley, english-translation, too-stupid-to-live, whodunit, realistic, read-in-2012, recommending

I'm slowly wading through my NetGalley backlog and this was one of the oldest titles there. My apologies to everyone for being so abysmally late, but I'm glad I decided to read this instead of just chalk it up to the list of forgotten.

Call Me Princess isn't the kind of crime novel I've read before.

It's slow building and the death doesn't happen until about half way through the book. It's not about a detective who is smarter than the whole universe combined nor is it about nonstop action that w...more

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Nov 06, 2011 Judith rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A young woman is brutally raped in her own home and Detective Inspector Louise Rick is given the case. Subsequent investigation reveals the fact that the young woman met her assailant at an online dating website.

The perils of Online Dating are the focus of this story. The ubiquity of the phenomenon and the supposed anonymity of the participants.

I found this to be a good mystery, story wise....but the entire tone of the book was a bit dry, and bloodless. Something I'll chalk up to it being a tran...more

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Sep 19, 2011 Lakis Fourouklas rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This astonishing novel is preoccupied with two of the most important issues of our times: online dating and sexual assaults against women.
The facts in this case take place in modern day Copenhagen. Detective Louise Rick is getting ready to go home after a hard day’s work, when she receives a call that puts her plans for a nice evening with her companion into hold. A woman lies in a hospital bed injured after she’s been battered and raped and she’s willing to testify about who was the person beh...more This astonishing novel is preoccupied with two of the most important issues of our times: online dating and sexual assaults against women.
The facts in this case take place in modern day Copenhagen. Detective Louise Rick is getting ready to go home after a hard day’s work, when she receives a call that puts her plans for a nice evening with her companion into hold. A woman lies in a hospital bed injured after she’s been battered and raped and she’s willing to testify about who was the person behind the attack. Things though do not turn out to be so simple, since the unfortunate woman, cannot really remember the face of the man, while the name he has given her is not his real one either. Suzanne, who lives in an apartment, just under her own mother’s home, seems to be at a loss. The shock she’s going through is quite severe and she wants badly to get over it and move on with her life, but at the same time she knows that if she doesn’t see that man behind bars she will never have peace of mind again. She also knows that now is the time to move away from her mother and the negative influence she has on her being. Rick, who from the very first moment monitors Suzanne closely, soon comes to realize that the mother is the one who inflicts the most pain on the woman’s psyche, and is determined to help her out any way she can.
However, while these events take place, the perpetrator hits again, and this time the things get completely out of control, as his new victim, a woman called Christina ends up dead. As the two parallel cases begin to unfold the investigators soon find out that both of the women met their future rapist in some internet dating websites. In a world where people seem to be withdrawing into their own selves all the time and becoming more and more lonely, websites like that are supposed to offer a way out for those seeking their life’s partner, but at the same time they give the opportunity to some twisted souls to make true some of their most danger fantasies; and it’s exactly that world that Rick needs to infiltrate in order to achieve her goals.
The author is not only preoccupied with the crimes but also with the personal life of her heroine. Rick seems to be a solid, strong woman; however she’s full of small weaknesses and big insecurities. For the past few months she’s been living with her boyfriend, a fact that she likes and dislikes at the same time; every now and then she thinks that she should at last have a kid, especially when she’s hanging out with her best friend’s son, but the idea also scares the shit out of her; and finally she’s trying to have some stability in her life, some set rules and practices, but of course that’s impossible since she’s married with the job. An all and all complex character, hers is.
The world that Blaedel presents to as is somehow bleak, but not worst from our everyday reality. Right here, in these pages, we meet people trapped in their personal little boxes, sinful souls, women dressed in melancholy. Every single one of them seems to be looking for something to hold on to; either that is a brief love affair, a good old family or just a relationship. Internet for some of them is the solution, for some others the problem. But loneliness remains.
This is a novel that talks about crime, but also about the undercurrents of society, and as such it can be read by anyone, no matter if he’s a fan of the genre or not. Where are we heading? That seems to be the question in the author’s mind, but the answer is not to be found anywhere in the text, since it lies deep within each one of us.
Call me Princess is a great story about modern day life, written by a great writer, who seems to be able to look with a clear eye in the darkness that lurks in the heart of man. Well done.
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Sep 28, 2011 Audra (Unabridged Chick) rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: formulaic, heroine-unlikable, mood-dark-and-twisted, place-denmark, secret-identities, yawn

This is Blædel's American (or English-language) debut, which is unfortunate, because this novel is the second in Blædel's series featuring Danish detective Louise Rick. By page 44, I noted on GoodReads that I was feeling a disconnect with the characters and I wondered if it was because I was coming in midseries -- so I feel slightly vindicated that is, indeed, the case.

The novel opens with a graphic, detailed rape so I knew immediately that this wasn't going to be my kind of book. I was expecti...more

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About Sara Blaedel

Sara Blaedel is one of Denmark's most successful crime writers, the author of seven bestselling novels featuring police detective Louise Rick. Her first English translation, CALL ME PRINCESS, was published in 2011, and the second, ONLY ONE LIFE, in July, 2012.

Sara has come full circle from her childhood days of hearing her mother read Agatha Christie aloud. "It brings me peace to know that it all...more

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Call Me Princess (Louise Rick #2)

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