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Maddy's Reviews > Blind Goddess
Blind Goddess
by Anne Holt
by Anne Holt
PROTAGONIST: Inspector Hanne Wilhelmsen
SETTING: Oslo, Norway
SERIES: #1 of 8
RATING: 4.75
Lawyer Karen Borg is out with her dog when she comes across a very gruesome scene, a dead man whose face is so battered in that he is unrecognizable. It turns out that he is a small-time drug dealer, and his killer is found very soon thereafter. Han van der Kerch wants Karen as his attorney, despite her lack of criminal experience, and will not talk to anyone else. The case is assigned to Karen’s friend, police attorney Hakon Sand, who partners with police detective Inspector Hanne Wilhelmsen to conduct an investigation. A few days later, a shady lawyer named Hans E. Olsen is found shot. Sand and Wilhelmsen establish a link between the two murders but are completely mystified by the evidence that they find, including documents written in numeric code.
The plot is quite complex but very well developed and quite intriguing. It doesn’t seem as if Hanne and Hakon will ever be able to find all the answers. The code is based on page references from specific books, and therefore almost unbreakable. Add in the fact that well-placed individuals in the justice system may be involved, and finding the truth becomes even more difficult. Holt plays fair with the reader and manages to pull off a wonderful twist during the resolution that was a complete surprise, perfectly done.
Initially, Hanne is presented as the model police person, but her character becomes much more nuanced as the book progresses. She has an intuitive ability to get to the heart of a crime and sometimes goes off in unexpected directions. At this point in the series, Hanne is not yet in a wheelchair. The character of Hakon Sand is equally important to the narrative, and Holt does a superb job of creating a fascinating man whose heart belongs to someone that seems unobtainable. Hanne and Hakon really work well together; it is my fervent hope that they will continue to share investigations in the future as they are so well matched.
BLIND GODDESS is the first book in the Inspector Hanne Wilhelmsen series and only the second to be translated into English, after 1222, the eighth book in the series. 1222 was nominated for many awards, including the Edgar for Best Mystery. I did not like that book very much. Consequently, I didn’t have high expectations for BLIND GODDESS. Thankfully, I was completely wrong about that. BLIND GODDESS is one of the best books that I have read this year.
SETTING: Oslo, Norway
SERIES: #1 of 8
RATING: 4.75
Lawyer Karen Borg is out with her dog when she comes across a very gruesome scene, a dead man whose face is so battered in that he is unrecognizable. It turns out that he is a small-time drug dealer, and his killer is found very soon thereafter. Han van der Kerch wants Karen as his attorney, despite her lack of criminal experience, and will not talk to anyone else. The case is assigned to Karen’s friend, police attorney Hakon Sand, who partners with police detective Inspector Hanne Wilhelmsen to conduct an investigation. A few days later, a shady lawyer named Hans E. Olsen is found shot. Sand and Wilhelmsen establish a link between the two murders but are completely mystified by the evidence that they find, including documents written in numeric code.
The plot is quite complex but very well developed and quite intriguing. It doesn’t seem as if Hanne and Hakon will ever be able to find all the answers. The code is based on page references from specific books, and therefore almost unbreakable. Add in the fact that well-placed individuals in the justice system may be involved, and finding the truth becomes even more difficult. Holt plays fair with the reader and manages to pull off a wonderful twist during the resolution that was a complete surprise, perfectly done.
Initially, Hanne is presented as the model police person, but her character becomes much more nuanced as the book progresses. She has an intuitive ability to get to the heart of a crime and sometimes goes off in unexpected directions. At this point in the series, Hanne is not yet in a wheelchair. The character of Hakon Sand is equally important to the narrative, and Holt does a superb job of creating a fascinating man whose heart belongs to someone that seems unobtainable. Hanne and Hakon really work well together; it is my fervent hope that they will continue to share investigations in the future as they are so well matched.
BLIND GODDESS is the first book in the Inspector Hanne Wilhelmsen series and only the second to be translated into English, after 1222, the eighth book in the series. 1222 was nominated for many awards, including the Edgar for Best Mystery. I did not like that book very much. Consequently, I didn’t have high expectations for BLIND GODDESS. Thankfully, I was completely wrong about that. BLIND GODDESS is one of the best books that I have read this year.
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