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Lars Winkler #2
The Scream of the Butterfly
The mayor of Copenhagen is found murdered in his luxury apartment. Detective Lars Winkler is put on this sensitive case, which is further complicated by the fact that the victim’s mother is the leader of the country’s most radical political party and the current minister of finance. Lars notices the minister and her husband are strangely untouched by their son’s death. When he begins to dig into the mayor’s past, he slowly uncovers the dark story of a young, idealistic man, who had only one wish: to free himself of his family and live his own life. Dark and chilling, The Scream of the Butterfly is Scandinavian crime at its best.
360 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2014
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635 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
November 29, 2015
I received an Advance Reading Copy from the publisher, House of Anansi Press.
It was a bit confusing at the beginning, getting it all the characters straightened out and figuring out the flashbacks, but once I had those details established in my brain, this became a pretty standard Nordic Noir. The main character, Lars Winkler, is the typical detective of the genre—he’s getting divorced, his ex-wife is living with his boss, and he’s a bit reluctant to share all of his thoughts about an investigation with his colleagues.
The real star of this mystery, however, is the transgender woman, Serafine, whose tale winds its way through the novel. I found the sections depicting her point of view to be the best written in the book. In fact, I think it’s too bad that this publisher changed the title—in Denmark, the book is called Serafine. I know very little about the struggles of transgender people, but it seemed to me that Melander really felt for this character and portrayed her extremely sympathetically.
Other than those two, the other people are little more than cardboard cut-outs. They exist only to fill their roles and they have very little substance. I hope that in future volumes of this series that they will get suitable back stories and become well rounded in their own right.
The other aspect that is written extremely well is the music—and a quick check of the author’s bio reveals that he has a musical background, so that makes perfect sense. In this aspect, the book reminds me of Mankell’s Wallander, with his passion for opera.
It was a bit confusing at the beginning, getting it all the characters straightened out and figuring out the flashbacks, but once I had those details established in my brain, this became a pretty standard Nordic Noir. The main character, Lars Winkler, is the typical detective of the genre—he’s getting divorced, his ex-wife is living with his boss, and he’s a bit reluctant to share all of his thoughts about an investigation with his colleagues.
The real star of this mystery, however, is the transgender woman, Serafine, whose tale winds its way through the novel. I found the sections depicting her point of view to be the best written in the book. In fact, I think it’s too bad that this publisher changed the title—in Denmark, the book is called Serafine. I know very little about the struggles of transgender people, but it seemed to me that Melander really felt for this character and portrayed her extremely sympathetically.
Other than those two, the other people are little more than cardboard cut-outs. They exist only to fill their roles and they have very little substance. I hope that in future volumes of this series that they will get suitable back stories and become well rounded in their own right.
The other aspect that is written extremely well is the music—and a quick check of the author’s bio reveals that he has a musical background, so that makes perfect sense. In this aspect, the book reminds me of Mankell’s Wallander, with his passion for opera.
November 16, 2015
Lars Winkler is a detective’s detective: recently separated, semi-not-involved with a coworker, semi-involved with a nurse, and occasionally he solves mysteries on the side. Also he’s Danish. So there’s that.
Full disclosure: I received this as an ARC from House of Anansi Press in exchange for a review. You too can send me free books, and I will review them (even if you don’t want me to).
The Scream of the Butterfly is the second novel in the Lars Winkler series, but it’s easy to jump into this book with no prior knowledge. Jakob Melander builds out both Lars and the supporting cast even as he flashes back to events from 16 years previous. Lars must unravel the murder of the Mayor of Copenhagen, but his mother, the finance minister in the national government, is determined to cover up anything that could jeopardize her party’s standing in the upcoming election. Intense! Political! Drama!
So this isn’t just a mystery or a crime thriller: it’s a political crime thriller! Normally I don’t read those (I’m not much for straight-up crime thrillers either), and I tend to approach them with a certain amount of scepticism. I want to be clear about this upfront, because some of my criticisms of this book might not be criticisms in your eyes if you’re a fan of this genre.
I was impressed by the way Melander manages multiple plots, both developing them independently and tying them together in time for the climax. In addition to the murder of Mogens Winther-Sørenson, Lars has to figure out the story of Serafine, a trans woman and witness to the crime. This all seems to have something to do with a month in 1999 when Mogens took a leave of absence from being mayor—but every time Lars tries to find any information on this, he comes up empty. Meanwhile, Serafine is on the run, people are hunting her, and the murderer is still at large. To solve the case, Lars and his colleagues must investigate a refugee centre from a decade ago and deal with a traitor in their department.
It’s worth spending some time talking about Serafine and Melander’s portrayal of a transgender person. In many ways, Serafine is as much of a main character in this book as Lars—she receives quite a bit of the narrator’s time, and the novel itself is called Serafine in the original Danish. She is connected to Mogens beyond being the last person to see him alive. Indeed, Serafine’s story and relationship with the victim is a great example of the types of causal conundrums police face when solving crimes. Distrustful of cops, Serafine spends much of the story on the run, trying to survive while being pursued by a mysterious villain, and searching for the money and treatment she needs to feel more comfortable in her body.
As a cis-man, I don’t want to claim any expertise on transgender issues. So I’ll just say that I find Melander’s portrayal of Serafine a sympathetic and sensitive one. When Melander first reveals Serafine is transgender, the characters start bandying about words like transsexual and transvestite—but they are quickly corrected. Lars, for all his other faults, accepts that Serafine is a woman and should be addressed using feminine pronouns—because even if she has the body of a man, that’s how she wants to be addressed, so why not? Melander attempts to convey Serafine’s distress over being unable to continue her hormone replacement therapy, of feeling trapped in a body that fights her at every corner.
I only wish that the other characters were half as well-developed as Serafine. There are numerous supporting characters in The Scream of the Butterfly. Indeed, I like how Lars works constructively with his colleagues. Although there is friction between him and Ulrik and between him and Sanne, they remain professional. This is a nice change from crime thrillers that capitalize on manufactured drama. Unfortunately, these supporting characters are paper-thin to the point of being stock. As I mentioned above, one of the subplots of the book involve a leak in the department, and the lack of character development means we never get a sense of the motives behind the person who is ultimately responsible (and really, it’s hard for us to guess who might be responsible beforehand, because all the characters seem the same).
Similarly, the motives of the murderer fail to impress. Melander builds the mystery to an intense and confrontational climax between Lars and the killer, but it’s fraught with cliché. At one point the killer has the upper hand and literally says, “I suppose you have a right to know” before explaining the reason he killed Mogens. And as helpful as this spoon-fed exposition might be, the explanation itself is unsatisfying.
Of course, if crime thrillers are your thing, then you may be more tolerant of these tropes than I am. The chase is high-octane, and the conflict between Lars and other characters, such as the formidable Merethe Winther-Sørenson, is very satisfying. I love the way that Lars is blocked at every turn by a shadowy political machine determined to keep its party safe from scandal, even at the expense of justice. Through this subplot, as well as the flashbacks that reveal more of Mogens’ background and Merethe’s treatment of her granddaughter, Sarah, Melander makes some keen commentary on the nature of political dynasties, and how they affect both the countries they rule and the people who grow up within them.
So The Scream of the Butterfly is a competent and compelling murder mystery wrapped inside a political thriller. It features a transgender character prominently and in a positive way. And while I didn’t much enjoy the reveals behind the guilty parties, the political aspects of the story, combined with the way Lars confronts them, were enough to keep me hooked. I might not remember this novel years down the road, but it’s a satisfying read for a day or two.
Full disclosure: I received this as an ARC from House of Anansi Press in exchange for a review. You too can send me free books, and I will review them (even if you don’t want me to).
The Scream of the Butterfly is the second novel in the Lars Winkler series, but it’s easy to jump into this book with no prior knowledge. Jakob Melander builds out both Lars and the supporting cast even as he flashes back to events from 16 years previous. Lars must unravel the murder of the Mayor of Copenhagen, but his mother, the finance minister in the national government, is determined to cover up anything that could jeopardize her party’s standing in the upcoming election. Intense! Political! Drama!
So this isn’t just a mystery or a crime thriller: it’s a political crime thriller! Normally I don’t read those (I’m not much for straight-up crime thrillers either), and I tend to approach them with a certain amount of scepticism. I want to be clear about this upfront, because some of my criticisms of this book might not be criticisms in your eyes if you’re a fan of this genre.
I was impressed by the way Melander manages multiple plots, both developing them independently and tying them together in time for the climax. In addition to the murder of Mogens Winther-Sørenson, Lars has to figure out the story of Serafine, a trans woman and witness to the crime. This all seems to have something to do with a month in 1999 when Mogens took a leave of absence from being mayor—but every time Lars tries to find any information on this, he comes up empty. Meanwhile, Serafine is on the run, people are hunting her, and the murderer is still at large. To solve the case, Lars and his colleagues must investigate a refugee centre from a decade ago and deal with a traitor in their department.
It’s worth spending some time talking about Serafine and Melander’s portrayal of a transgender person. In many ways, Serafine is as much of a main character in this book as Lars—she receives quite a bit of the narrator’s time, and the novel itself is called Serafine in the original Danish. She is connected to Mogens beyond being the last person to see him alive. Indeed, Serafine’s story and relationship with the victim is a great example of the types of causal conundrums police face when solving crimes. Distrustful of cops, Serafine spends much of the story on the run, trying to survive while being pursued by a mysterious villain, and searching for the money and treatment she needs to feel more comfortable in her body.
As a cis-man, I don’t want to claim any expertise on transgender issues. So I’ll just say that I find Melander’s portrayal of Serafine a sympathetic and sensitive one. When Melander first reveals Serafine is transgender, the characters start bandying about words like transsexual and transvestite—but they are quickly corrected. Lars, for all his other faults, accepts that Serafine is a woman and should be addressed using feminine pronouns—because even if she has the body of a man, that’s how she wants to be addressed, so why not? Melander attempts to convey Serafine’s distress over being unable to continue her hormone replacement therapy, of feeling trapped in a body that fights her at every corner.
I only wish that the other characters were half as well-developed as Serafine. There are numerous supporting characters in The Scream of the Butterfly. Indeed, I like how Lars works constructively with his colleagues. Although there is friction between him and Ulrik and between him and Sanne, they remain professional. This is a nice change from crime thrillers that capitalize on manufactured drama. Unfortunately, these supporting characters are paper-thin to the point of being stock. As I mentioned above, one of the subplots of the book involve a leak in the department, and the lack of character development means we never get a sense of the motives behind the person who is ultimately responsible (and really, it’s hard for us to guess who might be responsible beforehand, because all the characters seem the same).
Similarly, the motives of the murderer fail to impress. Melander builds the mystery to an intense and confrontational climax between Lars and the killer, but it’s fraught with cliché. At one point the killer has the upper hand and literally says, “I suppose you have a right to know” before explaining the reason he killed Mogens. And as helpful as this spoon-fed exposition might be, the explanation itself is unsatisfying.
Of course, if crime thrillers are your thing, then you may be more tolerant of these tropes than I am. The chase is high-octane, and the conflict between Lars and other characters, such as the formidable Merethe Winther-Sørenson, is very satisfying. I love the way that Lars is blocked at every turn by a shadowy political machine determined to keep its party safe from scandal, even at the expense of justice. Through this subplot, as well as the flashbacks that reveal more of Mogens’ background and Merethe’s treatment of her granddaughter, Sarah, Melander makes some keen commentary on the nature of political dynasties, and how they affect both the countries they rule and the people who grow up within them.
So The Scream of the Butterfly is a competent and compelling murder mystery wrapped inside a political thriller. It features a transgender character prominently and in a positive way. And while I didn’t much enjoy the reveals behind the guilty parties, the political aspects of the story, combined with the way Lars confronts them, were enough to keep me hooked. I might not remember this novel years down the road, but it’s a satisfying read for a day or two.
August 13, 2017
1999: På et asylcenter finder en dreng sin søster myrdet - og ser morderen direkte i øjnene, inden han forsvinder.
I dag: Københavns overborgmester findes halshugget. Eneste vidne er den (tilsyneladende) prostituerede Serafine. Lars Winkler skal denne gang udrede trådene i en sag, der vanskeliggøres af et forestående valg og PET agenten Kims forsøg på at dække over tidligere begivenheder.
Det er en bog om politisk magtspil - og magtmisbrug, om børneprostitution og transkønnede. Om ønsket om en anden fremtid, og om at slippe fri af de lænker, der krampagtigt forsøger at holde personerne på deres plads.
Beskrivelserne af København er altså spot on: Larmen fra metro byggerierne, støjen og stemningen fra de små værtshuse og de trafikale problemer. Samtidigt har Jakob Melander en glimrende evne til at vække sine karakterer til live, ligesom han formår at holde spændingen til sidste side.
I dag: Københavns overborgmester findes halshugget. Eneste vidne er den (tilsyneladende) prostituerede Serafine. Lars Winkler skal denne gang udrede trådene i en sag, der vanskeliggøres af et forestående valg og PET agenten Kims forsøg på at dække over tidligere begivenheder.
Det er en bog om politisk magtspil - og magtmisbrug, om børneprostitution og transkønnede. Om ønsket om en anden fremtid, og om at slippe fri af de lænker, der krampagtigt forsøger at holde personerne på deres plads.
Beskrivelserne af København er altså spot on: Larmen fra metro byggerierne, støjen og stemningen fra de små værtshuse og de trafikale problemer. Samtidigt har Jakob Melander en glimrende evne til at vække sine karakterer til live, ligesom han formår at holde spændingen til sidste side.
June 28, 2016
I really had a hard time getting into this dark tale. The beginning dragged and none of the characters were at all sympathetic. Lars has so many women in his past that keep popping up that I lost track of who was who. A disturbing and confusing tale. Don't recommend it.
December 11, 2025
Graphic themes of self-harm and suicide among transgender people very prominent throughout the book. Don’t read it if that is triggering to you. It’s not an amazing book and you can doubtless still get the others in the series without having read this one.
At first I was excited to have a sympathetic trans character as central to the story since I don’t feel like our trans friends get much “airtime” in mainstream novels, but was disappointed that more wasn’t done by the author to create awareness for trans rights. I expected that in the end note at least. (Maybe when this was written over a decade ago that seemed less urgent as they hadn’t been widely scapegoated by popular politics then) In any case I hope readers find more empathy for our trans community through this story— although it’s fiction, the transwoman character’s experiences are all too real. I would have liked to see more character growth from the officers, learning to not misgender her and such (hey at least our protagonist doesn’t do it once he learns) but I guess all of this is too much to expect from a police procedural?
Anyway I felt like this was a pretty run of the mill nordic crime novel, but a bit convoluted at times. I’ll read others in the series because they’re just interesting enough to take my mind off work but not interesting enough that reading them doesn’t make me sleepy at night.
At first I was excited to have a sympathetic trans character as central to the story since I don’t feel like our trans friends get much “airtime” in mainstream novels, but was disappointed that more wasn’t done by the author to create awareness for trans rights. I expected that in the end note at least. (Maybe when this was written over a decade ago that seemed less urgent as they hadn’t been widely scapegoated by popular politics then) In any case I hope readers find more empathy for our trans community through this story— although it’s fiction, the transwoman character’s experiences are all too real. I would have liked to see more character growth from the officers, learning to not misgender her and such (hey at least our protagonist doesn’t do it once he learns) but I guess all of this is too much to expect from a police procedural?
Anyway I felt like this was a pretty run of the mill nordic crime novel, but a bit convoluted at times. I’ll read others in the series because they’re just interesting enough to take my mind off work but not interesting enough that reading them doesn’t make me sleepy at night.
October 14, 2025
read this before I read the 1st of the series. Read quickly and liked the plot.
So many characters so I should write them down. Many hard town names that are hard to say..lol.
Dic is having issues with woman boss...still have to go back to first book to find out more. (they almost kissed after drinking wine at his place. His daughter shows up just in time)
transgender boy escapes or is brought to denmark(?) through her uncles but make them become prostistutes. John kills one of them and buries her. The boy/girl escapes and gets involved with a man that helped her and said he would pay for his conversion operation. He is mayor and his mother comes from a long line of politicians. He gets killed but it looks like it is her that did it as she was at his condo when the police show up. She escapes and the story goes on about finding her and trying to kill her b/c she is a witness. Allan, the cop(?), is the killer??? There is a chase is the chief detective and this he/she/
I would read more from this author.Denmark area.
So many characters so I should write them down. Many hard town names that are hard to say..lol.
Dic is having issues with woman boss...still have to go back to first book to find out more. (they almost kissed after drinking wine at his place. His daughter shows up just in time)
transgender boy escapes or is brought to denmark(?) through her uncles but make them become prostistutes. John kills one of them and buries her. The boy/girl escapes and gets involved with a man that helped her and said he would pay for his conversion operation. He is mayor and his mother comes from a long line of politicians. He gets killed but it looks like it is her that did it as she was at his condo when the police show up. She escapes and the story goes on about finding her and trying to kill her b/c she is a witness. Allan, the cop(?), is the killer??? There is a chase is the chief detective and this he/she/
I would read more from this author.Denmark area.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 16, 2023
3,5 hröð og fínn taktur í henni. En skelfilegar lýsingar á lífi fólks sem lifir í jaðrinum og á sér enga framtíð. Mjög nöturlegt hvernig allir nota alla og spillingin í efsta laginu kemur í veg fyrir að nokkuð breytist.
April 28, 2018
Virkelig en pageturner, som gav mig den perfekte start på Readathon <3
May 9, 2019
What an ending. Only could happen in Scandinavia. This one starts slowly and has some really odd characters, but is well worth finishing.
December 13, 2019
New author for me, Danish crime fiction. The story is very interesting to me and well told, lots of surprises. But much too complex, too many story lines to follow - or not follow.
January 31, 2023
Drawn out book with a basic storyline.
January 5, 2026
Corruption in every system, abuse of the vulnerable makes this a compulsive if sad and depressing read.
January 30, 2016
Mitten in der heißen Wahlkampfphase wird der Oberbürgermeister von Kopenhagen, Mogens Winther-Sorensen in seiner Wohnung ermordet. Die junge Prostituierte Serafine ist die einzige Zeugin. Sie leugnet etwas mit dem Mord zu tun zu haben und streitet einen sexueller Kontakt mit dem Opfer ab. Bei seinen Ermittlungen stößt Kommissar Lars Winkler im Umfeld des Toten auf eine Mauer des Schweigen, vor allem die Mutter versucht die Ermittlungen zu unterbinden. Nach und nach kommt Lars schrecklichen Ereignissen auf die Spur, die in der Vergangenheit liegen...
Dies ist der zweite Fall um und mit dem Kommissar Lars Winkler von Jakob Melander.
Der Oberbürgermeister von Kopenhagen wird mit heruntergelassener Hose in seiner Wohnung ermordet. Bei ihm ist die junge Prostituierte Serafine, die jeden sexueller Kontakt mit dem Opfer abstreitet, und auch leugnet etwas mit dem Mord zu tun zu haben, mehr ist aus ihr nicht herauszubekommen. Lars Winkler übernimmt die Ermittlungen und muss feststellen das ihm mehr als nur Steine in den Weg gelegt werden. Anscheinend versucht die Mutter des Toten und Wirtschaftsministerin des Landes, die Untersuchung zu unterbinden. Was wird versucht mit allen Mitteln geheim zuhalten? Die Spur führt in die Vergangenheit und Lars Winkler lässt sich dabei nicht aufhalten.
Die Geschichte beginnt wirklich sehr spannend mit einer Rückblende in das Jahr 1999, sowie mit dem Mord an dem Oberbürgermeister. Beide Szenarien versprachen viel Spannung, könnten diese Erwartung dann im weiteren Verlauf des Buches nicht so wirklich halten, erst zum Schluss kam für mich dann wieder wirklich Spannung auf.
Zu Beginn wurden mir persönlich zu viele Namen genannt, mit deren Zuordnung ich mich wirklich oft, auch manchmal im weiteren Verlauf schwer getan habe, da für mich zu wenig Informationen zu ihnen vorhanden war oder ich das Gefühl hatte das sie für die Handlung eigentlich keine wirkliche Rolle spielten.
Auch der Hauptprotagonist Lars Winkler hat mich nicht so für sich einnehmen können, denn als Persönlichkeit blieb er mir zu blaß, man kratzte als Leser nur an seiner Oberfläche. Kettenraucher mit Verwicklungen in Liebes- bzw. Sexualleben ist alles was man erfährt, aber ohne ein persönliches Gefühl dahinter. Dies ist dem Autor dafür bei der jungen Prostituierten Serafine umso mehr gelungen, hier wurden die Persönlichkeit mit all ihren Nöten und Ängste sehr schön herausgearbeitet. Auch die Beschreibung der Mutter des Opfers hat mir in ihrer Kälte und ihrem Machtbewußtsein gut gefallen.
In zwei Erzählsträngen wird dem Leser diese Geschichte erzählt, mir persönlich gefiel der Erzählstrang aus der Vergangenheit deutlich besser und war für mich in sich flüssiger zu lesen. Der Teil um die Ermittlungen könnten mich vor allem was die Polizeiarbeit angeht nicht immer überzeugen. Deren Handlungen oder Unterlassungen waren für mich schon manchmal schwer nachzuvollziehen und ließ bei mir kein gutes Bild von kompetenter Ermittlungs- und Polizeiarbeit entstehen.
Leider konnte ich mich auch nicht so wirklich mit dem Schreib- und Sprachstil anfreunden. Der Ton war mir oft zu nüchtern, die Sätze empfand ich oft als abgehackt, was meinem persönlichen Lesevergnügen nicht so wirklich entgegenkam.
Der Schluss und die Auflösung der Geschichte war wirklich spannend erzählt und gut gelungen und konnte mich auch noch überraschen, dies tröstete mich ein wenig über die von mir empfundenen Schwächen hinweg.
Mein Fazit:
Ein Thriller mit einer interessanten Geschichte und Thematik, den ich gerne gelesen habe, mich aber nicht immer restlos für sich einnehmen konnte.
Dies ist der zweite Fall um und mit dem Kommissar Lars Winkler von Jakob Melander.
Der Oberbürgermeister von Kopenhagen wird mit heruntergelassener Hose in seiner Wohnung ermordet. Bei ihm ist die junge Prostituierte Serafine, die jeden sexueller Kontakt mit dem Opfer abstreitet, und auch leugnet etwas mit dem Mord zu tun zu haben, mehr ist aus ihr nicht herauszubekommen. Lars Winkler übernimmt die Ermittlungen und muss feststellen das ihm mehr als nur Steine in den Weg gelegt werden. Anscheinend versucht die Mutter des Toten und Wirtschaftsministerin des Landes, die Untersuchung zu unterbinden. Was wird versucht mit allen Mitteln geheim zuhalten? Die Spur führt in die Vergangenheit und Lars Winkler lässt sich dabei nicht aufhalten.
Die Geschichte beginnt wirklich sehr spannend mit einer Rückblende in das Jahr 1999, sowie mit dem Mord an dem Oberbürgermeister. Beide Szenarien versprachen viel Spannung, könnten diese Erwartung dann im weiteren Verlauf des Buches nicht so wirklich halten, erst zum Schluss kam für mich dann wieder wirklich Spannung auf.
Zu Beginn wurden mir persönlich zu viele Namen genannt, mit deren Zuordnung ich mich wirklich oft, auch manchmal im weiteren Verlauf schwer getan habe, da für mich zu wenig Informationen zu ihnen vorhanden war oder ich das Gefühl hatte das sie für die Handlung eigentlich keine wirkliche Rolle spielten.
Auch der Hauptprotagonist Lars Winkler hat mich nicht so für sich einnehmen können, denn als Persönlichkeit blieb er mir zu blaß, man kratzte als Leser nur an seiner Oberfläche. Kettenraucher mit Verwicklungen in Liebes- bzw. Sexualleben ist alles was man erfährt, aber ohne ein persönliches Gefühl dahinter. Dies ist dem Autor dafür bei der jungen Prostituierten Serafine umso mehr gelungen, hier wurden die Persönlichkeit mit all ihren Nöten und Ängste sehr schön herausgearbeitet. Auch die Beschreibung der Mutter des Opfers hat mir in ihrer Kälte und ihrem Machtbewußtsein gut gefallen.
In zwei Erzählsträngen wird dem Leser diese Geschichte erzählt, mir persönlich gefiel der Erzählstrang aus der Vergangenheit deutlich besser und war für mich in sich flüssiger zu lesen. Der Teil um die Ermittlungen könnten mich vor allem was die Polizeiarbeit angeht nicht immer überzeugen. Deren Handlungen oder Unterlassungen waren für mich schon manchmal schwer nachzuvollziehen und ließ bei mir kein gutes Bild von kompetenter Ermittlungs- und Polizeiarbeit entstehen.
Leider konnte ich mich auch nicht so wirklich mit dem Schreib- und Sprachstil anfreunden. Der Ton war mir oft zu nüchtern, die Sätze empfand ich oft als abgehackt, was meinem persönlichen Lesevergnügen nicht so wirklich entgegenkam.
Der Schluss und die Auflösung der Geschichte war wirklich spannend erzählt und gut gelungen und konnte mich auch noch überraschen, dies tröstete mich ein wenig über die von mir empfundenen Schwächen hinweg.
Mein Fazit:
Ein Thriller mit einer interessanten Geschichte und Thematik, den ich gerne gelesen habe, mich aber nicht immer restlos für sich einnehmen konnte.
November 11, 2015
A Lars Winkler Novel, The Scream Of The Butterfly is a new installment in Jakob Melander’s Scandinavian crime series. Politics and family are at the heart of this murder mystery. When the mayor of Copenhagen is found murdered in his luxury apartment, Lars Winkler is on the case. But it’s not as simple as it looks. The case is layered with red tape, especially since the mayor’s mom is a prominent political figure. And with elections coming up, she doesn’t want anything to jeopardize her chances of being elected for the top job.
But how far will she go to stop her family’s name from getting tainted?
And, how much more red tape does Lars Winkler have to uncover to get to the bottom of this high profile murder investigation? The victim seems to be an idealistic man, but there are some unexplained gaps in his past. Did he ever work with the Red Cross? The records don’t show that. But if the rumours are true, then why? The pieces of the puzzle just don’t add up.
Even though I hadn’t read the first installment of the Lars Winkler book series, the storytelling was inclusive. Clearly Lars had a troubled past so it made sense that he would be still dealing with those demons. Relationship wise, the back and forth with him and his ex wife and his ex wife’s current interest, who just happens to be his boss, would understandably be a complicated affair. The emotional conflict is somewhat tedious and I felt unnecessary, as I wasn’t invested in Lars Winkler the person yet. But the story does ramp up very quickly and as a reader you are eager to get to the bottom of Serafine’s story. Because the novel is called The Scream Of The Butterfly, personally I would have liked the author to invest a bit more on the development of that character. It would be been more compelling.
The book is dark and in lieu of current events in the world, right on topic. Without giving too much away it attempts to give light to gender rights equality, and highlight the issue of acceptance and change. However, it’s not the kind of dark that I had originally imagined the book to be…Hannibal Lecter kind of scary.
While the original writing of the novel must have no doubt been good, the translation is wonderful. And, it makes for a compelling story that doesn’t feel lost in translation.
sukasareads.com
But how far will she go to stop her family’s name from getting tainted?
And, how much more red tape does Lars Winkler have to uncover to get to the bottom of this high profile murder investigation? The victim seems to be an idealistic man, but there are some unexplained gaps in his past. Did he ever work with the Red Cross? The records don’t show that. But if the rumours are true, then why? The pieces of the puzzle just don’t add up.
Even though I hadn’t read the first installment of the Lars Winkler book series, the storytelling was inclusive. Clearly Lars had a troubled past so it made sense that he would be still dealing with those demons. Relationship wise, the back and forth with him and his ex wife and his ex wife’s current interest, who just happens to be his boss, would understandably be a complicated affair. The emotional conflict is somewhat tedious and I felt unnecessary, as I wasn’t invested in Lars Winkler the person yet. But the story does ramp up very quickly and as a reader you are eager to get to the bottom of Serafine’s story. Because the novel is called The Scream Of The Butterfly, personally I would have liked the author to invest a bit more on the development of that character. It would be been more compelling.
The book is dark and in lieu of current events in the world, right on topic. Without giving too much away it attempts to give light to gender rights equality, and highlight the issue of acceptance and change. However, it’s not the kind of dark that I had originally imagined the book to be…Hannibal Lecter kind of scary.
While the original writing of the novel must have no doubt been good, the translation is wonderful. And, it makes for a compelling story that doesn’t feel lost in translation.
sukasareads.com
September 10, 2016
Københavns Overborgmester, Mogens Winther Sørensen, findes myrdet i sin supermondæne lejlighed. Han ligger i sit køkken med bukserne trukket ned og det hele ligner et sexrelateret overfald.
Inde i lejligheden sidder en ung, meget forskræmt kvinde, Serafine. Hun er i chok og vil kun fortælle politiet sit navn. Da de finder hendes fingreaftryk på mordvåbnet burdet sagen give sig selv, lige indtil at der også findes et andet sæt fingeraftryk der ikke kan identificeres.
Serafine taler tysk og nægter at hun og overborgmesteren har haft seksuelt samkvem.
Mogens Winther Sørensen er medlem af en meget kendt familie. Så langt tilbage man kan huske har familien været betydningsfulde politikere og dette er stadig tilfældet, så pressen ligger på lur i kulissen efter hver enkelt godbid de kan få oplyst om den delikate sag.
Lars Winkler, efterforsker for Københavns Politi i afdelingen for personfarlig kriminalitet, sættes på sagen og han har nok at gøre med at finde et motiv, for denne grumme forbrydelse. Umiddelbart har overborgmesteren ingen skeletter i skabet der kan forklare det brutale overfald.
Når de begynder at grave lidt i overborgmesterens fortid, bliver de stoppet af PET som arbejder for Mogens Winter Sørensens mor, landets justitsminister. Hun står lige foran en folketingsvalg og er bestemt ikke interesseret i for meget "bad press" lige nu.
Lars finder et fotografi af Mogens sammen med en lille dreng taget engang hvor Overborgmesteren ikke var sikker på at hans fremtid var i politik. Han var frivillig i Dansk Røde Kors´asylcenter i København. Lars Winkler begynder at interessere sig for hvad der skete den måned Mogens arbejdede der.
Serafine er en fornem nr 2 i serien om Lars Winkler. Den belyser en mørk side af den danske undergrund. Flygtninge der kommer til Danmark som bliver syltet på flygtningecentrene uden at der bliver holdt øje med hvordan de klare sig og interessen for dem der stikker af for at finde lykken på anden vis er stort set ikke- eksisterende
Derud over belyses problematikken omkring mennesker der bliver født i den forkerte krop og hvor svært det er at leve med det.
Meget af bogen følges Serafine som har ovenstående problem og hendes kamp for at finde en identitet, og få lov til at være den hun gerne vil være.
Bogen når op på flotte 4 stjerner .
Inde i lejligheden sidder en ung, meget forskræmt kvinde, Serafine. Hun er i chok og vil kun fortælle politiet sit navn. Da de finder hendes fingreaftryk på mordvåbnet burdet sagen give sig selv, lige indtil at der også findes et andet sæt fingeraftryk der ikke kan identificeres.
Serafine taler tysk og nægter at hun og overborgmesteren har haft seksuelt samkvem.
Mogens Winther Sørensen er medlem af en meget kendt familie. Så langt tilbage man kan huske har familien været betydningsfulde politikere og dette er stadig tilfældet, så pressen ligger på lur i kulissen efter hver enkelt godbid de kan få oplyst om den delikate sag.
Lars Winkler, efterforsker for Københavns Politi i afdelingen for personfarlig kriminalitet, sættes på sagen og han har nok at gøre med at finde et motiv, for denne grumme forbrydelse. Umiddelbart har overborgmesteren ingen skeletter i skabet der kan forklare det brutale overfald.
Når de begynder at grave lidt i overborgmesterens fortid, bliver de stoppet af PET som arbejder for Mogens Winter Sørensens mor, landets justitsminister. Hun står lige foran en folketingsvalg og er bestemt ikke interesseret i for meget "bad press" lige nu.
Lars finder et fotografi af Mogens sammen med en lille dreng taget engang hvor Overborgmesteren ikke var sikker på at hans fremtid var i politik. Han var frivillig i Dansk Røde Kors´asylcenter i København. Lars Winkler begynder at interessere sig for hvad der skete den måned Mogens arbejdede der.
Serafine er en fornem nr 2 i serien om Lars Winkler. Den belyser en mørk side af den danske undergrund. Flygtninge der kommer til Danmark som bliver syltet på flygtningecentrene uden at der bliver holdt øje med hvordan de klare sig og interessen for dem der stikker af for at finde lykken på anden vis er stort set ikke- eksisterende
Derud over belyses problematikken omkring mennesker der bliver født i den forkerte krop og hvor svært det er at leve med det.
Meget af bogen følges Serafine som har ovenstående problem og hendes kamp for at finde en identitet, og få lov til at være den hun gerne vil være.
Bogen når op på flotte 4 stjerner .
April 15, 2016
My Rating: 3.5/5 stars
My Review: This book is a Nordic noir political thriller with a murder thrown in for good measure. It is the second book in the Lars Winkler series. I hadn't read the first book in the series but I didn't have too much trouble getting into the plot or characters. The story is told via many flashbacks which, at times, became a bit much. With the two different time lines there were quite a few characters to keep track of but once I got the characters straight this was a fairly fast paced read that kept my attention with multiple twists.
Lars is a good protagonist but lacks energy and isn't quite as interesting as I was hoping. He has personal issues, is a good investigator but still lacked that special something that will make him memorable to an avid reader like myself. The most interesting character was Seraphine who often felt like more of a main character than Lars. I felt that the issue surrounding Seraphine (I don't want to give it away) was explored with compassion, sympathy and respect. Unfortunately the bulk of the secondary characters blend into each other with no one really standing out with enough character development to be interesting.
While this book has suspense and deals with crime it's much more of a political thriller which isn't a genre I'm drawn to. The author gives readers enough details about the Danish government without bogging down the story but I still didn't find that aspect of the book quite as riveting as others might. I enjoyed the twists the author throws at the reader but the big reveal at the end was a little lackluster and I think that stems from the fact that the secondary characters aren't given enough depth.
In the end this is a political thriller with a side order of murder mystery. While I'm not a fan of political thrillers, Melander provided enough twists to keep my interest. Fans of the Nordic Noir genre may enjoy this book.
Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to House of Anansi Press for providing me with a complimentary paperback copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
My Review: This book is a Nordic noir political thriller with a murder thrown in for good measure. It is the second book in the Lars Winkler series. I hadn't read the first book in the series but I didn't have too much trouble getting into the plot or characters. The story is told via many flashbacks which, at times, became a bit much. With the two different time lines there were quite a few characters to keep track of but once I got the characters straight this was a fairly fast paced read that kept my attention with multiple twists.
Lars is a good protagonist but lacks energy and isn't quite as interesting as I was hoping. He has personal issues, is a good investigator but still lacked that special something that will make him memorable to an avid reader like myself. The most interesting character was Seraphine who often felt like more of a main character than Lars. I felt that the issue surrounding Seraphine (I don't want to give it away) was explored with compassion, sympathy and respect. Unfortunately the bulk of the secondary characters blend into each other with no one really standing out with enough character development to be interesting.
While this book has suspense and deals with crime it's much more of a political thriller which isn't a genre I'm drawn to. The author gives readers enough details about the Danish government without bogging down the story but I still didn't find that aspect of the book quite as riveting as others might. I enjoyed the twists the author throws at the reader but the big reveal at the end was a little lackluster and I think that stems from the fact that the secondary characters aren't given enough depth.
In the end this is a political thriller with a side order of murder mystery. While I'm not a fan of political thrillers, Melander provided enough twists to keep my interest. Fans of the Nordic Noir genre may enjoy this book.
Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to House of Anansi Press for providing me with a complimentary paperback copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
June 14, 2014
Melander er tilbage med en fuldkommen komplet og sikker krimi.
Serafine er absolut lige så velskrevet, levende og realistisk som sin forgænger, og så har den bare de helt rigtige ingredienser: Politik, had, magtliderlighed, empati, savn og forviklinger.
Den er så veldrejet at siderne vender helt sig selv og bogen er umulig at lægge væk.
Persongalleriet er mangfoldigt, specielt er tre vi følger meget tæt: Serafine, Sanne og Lars. Alle personer er levende og realistiske i ord og handlinger samtidig med at læseren er helt inde på livet af personerne.
Politiets arbejde er nogenlunde realistisk - dog er der en del litterære friheder fra forfatterens side: PET der blander sig i politiets arbejde, en arrestant, der flygter flere gange og at alt lyser forsvinder på hospitalerne. Det bliver urealistisk, men i det samlede billede er Melander i stand til at holde sig til realiteter :)
Plottet er virkelig velspundet, der er så mange bolde i luften, at der gættes lifligt bogen igennem, men det er først i sidste moment sløret løftes for det rette sammenhæng.
Alt i alt: endnu en fantastisk krimi fra Melander, det lover rigtig godt for fremtiden, for han er stilsikker og virkelig en ny stjerne i toppen af den danske krimihimmel - Sæt i gang med den næste, tak :)
Serafine er absolut lige så velskrevet, levende og realistisk som sin forgænger, og så har den bare de helt rigtige ingredienser: Politik, had, magtliderlighed, empati, savn og forviklinger.
Den er så veldrejet at siderne vender helt sig selv og bogen er umulig at lægge væk.
Persongalleriet er mangfoldigt, specielt er tre vi følger meget tæt: Serafine, Sanne og Lars. Alle personer er levende og realistiske i ord og handlinger samtidig med at læseren er helt inde på livet af personerne.
Politiets arbejde er nogenlunde realistisk - dog er der en del litterære friheder fra forfatterens side: PET der blander sig i politiets arbejde, en arrestant, der flygter flere gange og at alt lyser forsvinder på hospitalerne. Det bliver urealistisk, men i det samlede billede er Melander i stand til at holde sig til realiteter :)
Plottet er virkelig velspundet, der er så mange bolde i luften, at der gættes lifligt bogen igennem, men det er først i sidste moment sløret løftes for det rette sammenhæng.
Alt i alt: endnu en fantastisk krimi fra Melander, det lover rigtig godt for fremtiden, for han er stilsikker og virkelig en ny stjerne i toppen af den danske krimihimmel - Sæt i gang med den næste, tak :)
November 18, 2015
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review. I give this book 3 1/2 stars. It is a good story, but a little hard to follow ,as it is translated from its original Scandanavian publishing in Denmark. The mayor of Copenhagen has been found murdered and the only witness is Serafine Haxhi, from Hamburg, who disappears before they can completely question her. Lars Winkler has been assigned to the case but his hands are tied because the mayors mother is Merethe Winther-Sorenson leader of the Radical Party and current minister of finance. She manages to hide whatever she wants from Lars because the election is in a few weeks and she is afraid of scandal. Her husband seems unmoved by the death and has little to say.Lars keeps on rying to solve the case even though his case is blocked by the finance minister. The story actually tells of Serafine's past and her ties to the mayor. Surprise ending. I won't give a spoiler. Even with all the politics, Lars prevails.
October 10, 2015
Pros:
I won this book on Goodreads.com. I have never read a book that had been translated, but this was excellent. The mystery was very good and it was very exciting at the end. The corruption in the government was depicted very well and I really hated the minister of finance, the victim's mother.
Cons:
Some of the book kind of dragged for me plus I really did not like the subject matter. I felt sorry for Serafine, but the part about being transgender and prostitution is not something I care to know about.
November 1, 2015
As a fan of Scandinavian crime fiction I liked this book very much. Like Harry Hole, Lars is a detective with a messed up family life and who is fighting a personal demon. A shocking murder with its roots buried in the past and its a relentless quest for the truth. I can't wait for the next Melander book to see where his characters go.
December 28, 2015
Found this book to be disappointing. Too many cliches and characters whose actions I found difficult to believe made this a page dragger for me. Wasn't even interested in the identity of the killer.
January 17, 2017
I have given up on this . Three times I have attempted to read it and I just could not get the characters or setting straight although I am sure it was probably me rather than the author. I may make another attempt.
August 6, 2014
Ganske god krimi.
February 22, 2015
Hold dig fra lydbogen :-(
April 9, 2015
Utrolig spændende bog. Slugte den. Der er en skøn vekslen mellem plot, politi og hovedperson. Emnet er lidt utraditionelt, nemlig pige født i drengekrop. Den er virkelig god.
March 2, 2016
Good
July 24, 2016
A well written novel with good characters and a plot that has many twists and turns. An interesting crime story.
October 8, 2016
worth it.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews