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El danés serbio
La valiente y polémica escritora anglo-iraní Sara Santanda —una fatwa de los religiosos de Teherán ha puesto precio a su cabeza: cuatro millones de dólares— decide salir de su escondite en el Reino Unido y dar la cara en Copenhague, aceptando una invitación de la conocida periodista y Presidenta del Pen Club danés, Lise Carlsen.
La incómoda visita para el gobierno danés, que tiene intereses comerciales con el régimen de los ayatolás, desencadena un dispositivo de seguridad sin precedentes del que se encarga el brillante agente de los servicios secretos daneses Per Toftlund.
En algún lugar de la convulsa antigua Yugoslavia, un joven llamado Vuk —francotirador serbio que no mata por dinero sino por ideología— acepta el encargo de asesinar a la famosa escritora durante su visita a Copenhague: es el elegido pues se crió en Dinamarca, conoce Copenhague como la palma de su mano y quizá eso le permita burlar las medidas de seguridad. ¿Logrará su objetivo?
La incómoda visita para el gobierno danés, que tiene intereses comerciales con el régimen de los ayatolás, desencadena un dispositivo de seguridad sin precedentes del que se encarga el brillante agente de los servicios secretos daneses Per Toftlund.
En algún lugar de la convulsa antigua Yugoslavia, un joven llamado Vuk —francotirador serbio que no mata por dinero sino por ideología— acepta el encargo de asesinar a la famosa escritora durante su visita a Copenhague: es el elegido pues se crió en Dinamarca, conoce Copenhague como la palma de su mano y quizá eso le permita burlar las medidas de seguridad. ¿Logrará su objetivo?
448 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
10 people are currently reading
136 people want to read
About the author
Leif Davidsen
61 books70 followersEducated as a journalist, in 1977 he started working in Spain as a freelance journalist for Danmarks Radio. In 1980 he began covering Soviet news with frequent news reports to Danmarks Radio from Russia. From 1984 to 1988 he was stationed in Moscow. As a journalist he has travelled extensively around the world. When Davidsen returned to Denmark he became chief editor of Danmarks Radio's foreign news desk. From 1996 he edited a TV series called “Danish Dream” about Denmark today. In 1991 he won the Danish booksellers award De Gyldne Laurbær (The Golden Laurel) for his book Den sidste spion.[1] In 1999, he became a full-time writer.
Leif Davidsen (f. 1950) er uddannet journalist og fra 1984-1988 DR´s korrespondent i Moskva. Har rejst over det meste af verden som udenrigskorrespondent. Han debuterede som forfatter i 1984 og har udgivet en rejsebog, to novellesamlinger og elleve romaner, der er oversat til femten sprog. Leif Davidsen er en af Danmarks mest populære og læste forfattere.
Leif Davidsen (f. 1950) er uddannet journalist og fra 1984-1988 DR´s korrespondent i Moskva. Har rejst over det meste af verden som udenrigskorrespondent. Han debuterede som forfatter i 1984 og har udgivet en rejsebog, to novellesamlinger og elleve romaner, der er oversat til femten sprog. Leif Davidsen er en af Danmarks mest populære og læste forfattere.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
September 14, 2013
The Iranians have issued a fatwa against the Iranian writer Sara Santander. She lives in exile in London, hidden. Lise Carlsen, who works for a Danish newspaper and also heads up the Danish branch of PEN, a writers' organisation, arranges for Santander to make a brief trip to Copenhagen. The Iranians want Santander dead. With the help of the Russian Mafia, they hire someone to kill her in Denmark. The hit-man they choose is Vuk, an orphaned Serb who has grown up in Denmark.
Per Toftlund, a star of the Danish secret service, is given the job of protecting Santander during her brief visit to Denmark. He has to liaise with Carlsen, who is married to Ole, a psychologist who has taken to drinking excessively. Their marriage is on the rocks. Toftlund and his organisation become aware that there will be an attempt on Santander's life, and begin making arrangements for her safety and to discover her potential assassin. As the day of the meeting of Santander and members of Denmark's press draws near, Lise and Per become increasingly close.
In this fast-paced, well thought out thriller, the author not only unwinds an exciting story, but also explores the inner feelings and thoughts of the characters within it. At the same time, without impeding the tale in any way, Davidsen gives the reader his interesting historical and political insights. This 'page-turner' has been translated from its original Danish so well that it was impossible to believe that this was not first written in English.
This is the second Davidsen that I have read. The first that I read, "The Woman from Bratislava", was, in my opinion, over cluttered with the characters' inner feelings and too much detail and consequently heavy and slow. It was written after "The Serbian Dane", which provides a complete contrast. It hurtles along, never pausing, to a great conclusion, which I shall not reveal. Despite its fast pace, "The Serbian Dane" never loses sight of the complex psychological natures of its many and interesting characters, but this extra dimension never detracts from the excitement.
Per Toftlund, a star of the Danish secret service, is given the job of protecting Santander during her brief visit to Denmark. He has to liaise with Carlsen, who is married to Ole, a psychologist who has taken to drinking excessively. Their marriage is on the rocks. Toftlund and his organisation become aware that there will be an attempt on Santander's life, and begin making arrangements for her safety and to discover her potential assassin. As the day of the meeting of Santander and members of Denmark's press draws near, Lise and Per become increasingly close.
In this fast-paced, well thought out thriller, the author not only unwinds an exciting story, but also explores the inner feelings and thoughts of the characters within it. At the same time, without impeding the tale in any way, Davidsen gives the reader his interesting historical and political insights. This 'page-turner' has been translated from its original Danish so well that it was impossible to believe that this was not first written in English.
This is the second Davidsen that I have read. The first that I read, "The Woman from Bratislava", was, in my opinion, over cluttered with the characters' inner feelings and too much detail and consequently heavy and slow. It was written after "The Serbian Dane", which provides a complete contrast. It hurtles along, never pausing, to a great conclusion, which I shall not reveal. Despite its fast pace, "The Serbian Dane" never loses sight of the complex psychological natures of its many and interesting characters, but this extra dimension never detracts from the excitement.
August 21, 2025
Thriller político con intriga internacional. Se deja leer rápido. Entretiene sin muchas pretensiones. El personaje antagónico es el mejor de todos.
January 11, 2011
I can't remember the last thriller styled book from a Scandinavian author that I've read - but I certainly hope I'll find another one soon. THE SERBIAN DANE lingered too long on the unread piles around here - but once started it was fascinating. A Serbian hitman, Vuk, born in Denmark but very much formed by the collapse of the former Yugoslavia, is hired to kill an Iranian author. Sara Santanda has decided to come out of hiding, and her first appearance is scheduled for Copenhagen.
Santanda's contact in Denmark, Lise Carlesen works for the newspaper Politiken. Despite the Danish government's reservations about their relationship with Iran, they agree to provide security protection, and the man in charge is Per Toftlund. Lise's marriage is already on the skids, and Per is a very attractive man. In an interesting twist her increasing absence allows a mysterious stranger to befriend her husband, a combination of all the relationships and events combining to form the catalyst for a quite dramatic conclusion.
Given that this book is a thriller in style, there is quite a lot of action. Alongside that though there are some great character explorations - particularly that of Vuk, the hitman with so many identities that he seems to have lost who he really is. It's strange, but there's something quite vulnerable and complicated about Vuk - as cold-blooded and as ruthless a killer as he is. It seems that you get a real glimpse into the damage that war can do. At the same time Per and Lise's relationship is an interesting development. What is most interesting, however, is that this is a book that was originally published in 1996, yet the issues discussed, the action portrayed and the tension engendered really felt quite contemporary and believable.
This is a really good thriller with a full range of the required elements (tension / pace / threat and a sense of menace), alongside some suprisingly good characterisations and just a touch of human insight.
Santanda's contact in Denmark, Lise Carlesen works for the newspaper Politiken. Despite the Danish government's reservations about their relationship with Iran, they agree to provide security protection, and the man in charge is Per Toftlund. Lise's marriage is already on the skids, and Per is a very attractive man. In an interesting twist her increasing absence allows a mysterious stranger to befriend her husband, a combination of all the relationships and events combining to form the catalyst for a quite dramatic conclusion.
Given that this book is a thriller in style, there is quite a lot of action. Alongside that though there are some great character explorations - particularly that of Vuk, the hitman with so many identities that he seems to have lost who he really is. It's strange, but there's something quite vulnerable and complicated about Vuk - as cold-blooded and as ruthless a killer as he is. It seems that you get a real glimpse into the damage that war can do. At the same time Per and Lise's relationship is an interesting development. What is most interesting, however, is that this is a book that was originally published in 1996, yet the issues discussed, the action portrayed and the tension engendered really felt quite contemporary and believable.
This is a really good thriller with a full range of the required elements (tension / pace / threat and a sense of menace), alongside some suprisingly good characterisations and just a touch of human insight.
November 11, 2016
Ut delectus deleniti fugit animi id. Ut consequatur architecto sint. Ut amet rem consequatur quaerat non. Enim adipisci et ea minima. Quia eum dignissimos maxime et sed qui eligendi.
September 24, 2020
This book appeared in the mid-1990s and is not "Nordic Noir" but a political thriller, partly situated outside Denmark. It takes its theme from the Rushdie fatwa and the war in former Yugoslavia. The main character is a Serbian, Vuk, who used to be a member of the special forces and has quite a lot of killings to his name. Now that the war is ending with the defeat of the Serbians, he is willing to act as a hired killer as he needs money to leave the country where he committed so many atrocities. He is hired by the Iranians (via a Russian intermediary) to kill the Iranian author Sara Santanda over whom a fatwa has been called when she wrote about corruption in her country. Her first public appearance since she went into hiding in the U.K. will be in Denmark. She is invited to a press conference by Lise Carlsen, journalist and head of the Danish PEN. Lise has to work together with inspector Per Toftlund who will be responsible for the woman's safety.
Vuk is the main character. We follow him from Bosnia where he is engaged in a few cold-blooded murders to Denmark via Berlin, all the time taking care to leave no traces - he has excellent forged papers. He grew up in Copenhagen and speaks Danish like a Dane. His problem is to find out the location and program of the press conference, which are being kept secret until the last moment. The second full character is Lise, whose marriage has cooled down and she is thinking about divorce, but she can't bring that up yet with her husband Ole. She also starts liking Per, the rather silent macho inspector with whom she has to work closely together.
We get a detailed description of the killer's preparations, and of the counter measures the inspector is taking. There is also room for a cynical view of politicians (no politician wants to meet Santanda because they are afraid of harming Danish dairy exports to Iran) and journalists. This a slow moving but solid thriller where the emphasis is first and for all on character - creating living entities which makes this novel all the more interesting.
Vuk is the main character. We follow him from Bosnia where he is engaged in a few cold-blooded murders to Denmark via Berlin, all the time taking care to leave no traces - he has excellent forged papers. He grew up in Copenhagen and speaks Danish like a Dane. His problem is to find out the location and program of the press conference, which are being kept secret until the last moment. The second full character is Lise, whose marriage has cooled down and she is thinking about divorce, but she can't bring that up yet with her husband Ole. She also starts liking Per, the rather silent macho inspector with whom she has to work closely together.
We get a detailed description of the killer's preparations, and of the counter measures the inspector is taking. There is also room for a cynical view of politicians (no politician wants to meet Santanda because they are afraid of harming Danish dairy exports to Iran) and journalists. This a slow moving but solid thriller where the emphasis is first and for all on character - creating living entities which makes this novel all the more interesting.
November 30, 2018
Der er noget nådesløst ved at lytte til en sløjt skrevet bog som lydbog. Når man sidder med en papirbog kan man skimme henover de tunge rugbrødspassager og den kluntede eksposition og til gengæld stoppe op ved de lækreste passager og nyde dem i roligt tempo. Med en lydbog bliver man trukket igennem det hele -- dialogen er ikke bare tekst på en side, det bliver faktisk lagt i munden på et rigtigt menneske, og det står lysende klart hvor svært det er at skrive replikker, og hvor tit (især) krimi/spændingsromaner bare bruger dem som et stillads der holder plottet oppe og giver den nødvendige informaton. Man kan f.eks. høre, hvor åndssvagt det lyder, når bogens ene hovedperson (en pæredansk kriminalassistent) smider om sig med spanske gloser ("god ide, chica!"), når den kvindelige hovedperson siger 'okaaaaay' for tredje gang i træk for at drive dialogen videre, etc., etc. Det er ikke fordi 'Den Serbiske Dansker' er værre end så meget andet i genren, men det siger så også mest om genren og hvor rædderligt skrevet meget af den er.
Men spændingsplottet fungerer fint nok, måske lidt forudsigeligt, og det er altid festligt med de vildt halvfemser-tidspypiske detaljer -- der bliver spisk fransk hotdog når det skal gå hurtigt, pasta når det skal være fancy, alle hader HT-bygningen på Rådhuspladsen, og bogens token-nørd snakker med andre 'via modem' og har en idolplakat af Bill Gates hængende.
Men spændingsplottet fungerer fint nok, måske lidt forudsigeligt, og det er altid festligt med de vildt halvfemser-tidspypiske detaljer -- der bliver spisk fransk hotdog når det skal gå hurtigt, pasta når det skal være fancy, alle hader HT-bygningen på Rådhuspladsen, og bogens token-nørd snakker med andre 'via modem' og har en idolplakat af Bill Gates hængende.
December 4, 2018
Nice plot. Easy reading.
April 20, 2022
Ret skuffende. For tyndt plot og for meget pladderromantik. Håber at den næste i serien er bedre
July 25, 2022
3,5 stjerne. Masse appellerne og underholdende. Bygget op som en moderne krimi. Ikke noget man bliver klog af. Godt sprog. Anbefal til folk som læser en bog om året ved poolen.
March 2, 2016
The Serbian Dane of the title is Vuk, whose life was destroyed when the former Yugoslavia was ripped apart. He's now a political assassin, but desperate to escape his violent lifestyle. One lucrative final job looks like offering him that opportunity – and it's in Denmark where he grew up.
Meanwhile in Copenhagen, arts journalist Lise Carlsen reckons she's got the story of her life. Iran has put a death sentence on writer Sara Santanda for her outspoken comments on the way women are treated by the ayatollahs. Lise and her newspaper are going to host a visit by Sara, which isn't being welcomed in all quarters.
The preparations bring her into contact with hunky secret service man Per Toftlund, who is in charge of ensuring Sara's safety. And the instant attraction they feel undermines the already widening cracks in Lise's marriage.
The Serbian Dane is a literate and gripping thriller, with echoes of The Day of the Jackal. Davidsen, a journalist, presents the reader with a compelling story set against just enough private life angst for the characters to stop the story tipping over into cliché. He's helped by a chatty translation from Barbara Haveland who ensures we 'hear' all the characters.
Eastern Europe is an increasingly popular setting for thrillers, and Davidsen marries this background with his use of Copenhagen where the political row sits uncomfortably in a seemingly liberal society. The Serbian Dane may be twenty years old, but it feels super-fresh and scarily topical.
Meanwhile in Copenhagen, arts journalist Lise Carlsen reckons she's got the story of her life. Iran has put a death sentence on writer Sara Santanda for her outspoken comments on the way women are treated by the ayatollahs. Lise and her newspaper are going to host a visit by Sara, which isn't being welcomed in all quarters.
The preparations bring her into contact with hunky secret service man Per Toftlund, who is in charge of ensuring Sara's safety. And the instant attraction they feel undermines the already widening cracks in Lise's marriage.
The Serbian Dane is a literate and gripping thriller, with echoes of The Day of the Jackal. Davidsen, a journalist, presents the reader with a compelling story set against just enough private life angst for the characters to stop the story tipping over into cliché. He's helped by a chatty translation from Barbara Haveland who ensures we 'hear' all the characters.
Eastern Europe is an increasingly popular setting for thrillers, and Davidsen marries this background with his use of Copenhagen where the political row sits uncomfortably in a seemingly liberal society. The Serbian Dane may be twenty years old, but it feels super-fresh and scarily topical.
July 18, 2008
Iranian imams have promised a reward of 4 million American dollars to whoever executes their fatwa, death warrant on the author Sandra Santanda. The Russian mafia want that money and hire the Danish-Serbian hitman Vuk to commit the murder when Santanda visits Copenhagen.
It is now up to crime detective Per Toftlund to prevent the catastrophe.
I've long wanted to read more Danish novels, and Leif Davidsen is one of the bigger names in later years, so I thought he was an obvious place to start. I rather like his writing style, but thought the book was a bit slow starting - possibly because he spent quite awhile introducing the different characters. Something he did really well as they all worked, and especially Vuk was very intriguing, so I may just have to read some of the other works featuring him.
I wish I knew more about the Yugoslavian civil war though. It shames me that I know so little about something so close, something so recent and something so major.
It is now up to crime detective Per Toftlund to prevent the catastrophe.
I've long wanted to read more Danish novels, and Leif Davidsen is one of the bigger names in later years, so I thought he was an obvious place to start. I rather like his writing style, but thought the book was a bit slow starting - possibly because he spent quite awhile introducing the different characters. Something he did really well as they all worked, and especially Vuk was very intriguing, so I may just have to read some of the other works featuring him.
I wish I knew more about the Yugoslavian civil war though. It shames me that I know so little about something so close, something so recent and something so major.
May 9, 2012
The Serbian Dane is a straightforward thriller centred around three principal characters – Lise, Per and Vuk. The plot essentially revolves around all three preparing for Santanda’s visit to Denmark, and exploring their past and present circumstances. The strength of the book is the character development, which Davidsen patiently builds up. The plot is competent, but unsurprising, with no major twists and turns and, as a result, lacks real tension. It’s fairly clear from a long way out how the book is going to climax, even if the exact ending is more open. The writing is workmanlike, with a nice balance of description and action, and a nicely framed sense of place. Overall, a fairly standard political assassin thriller that was an okay, if unsurprising, read.
February 25, 2013
Had never head of the author of this terrific book -part thriller, part history lesson of both Denmark and the Yugoslavian War. Strong, interesting and believable characters. Journalist and soldier/policeman trying to protect Muslim woman author who has been in hiding after a fatwa is proclaimed against her. She is being "hunted" by a young Serbian man, who grew up in Denmark, speaks Danish, and can easily hide in plain sight. Interesting and convincing theme of his brutalization as a young man during the hostilities in former Yugoslavia.
January 9, 2022
Jeg læste denne ret kort efter efter at have læst “Min broders vogter” af samme forfatter (den er fra 2010). Forskellen er slående. Denne bog, først udgivet i 1996, er en klassisk spændingsroman. Der er lidt relationer og persontegning undervejs, men ret overfladisk, og hovedparten af bogen går med at udfolde attentatets logistik og dramaturgi. Fermt, men også meget genkendeligt og “sikkert”. Den nyeste bog er i sammenligning original, karakterfuld og fyldt med sanselige scenerier og iagttagelser. Jeg opfatter det som et smukt udtryk for en forfatters imponerende vækst.
October 22, 2014
meget spændende krimi - som vanligt tager Davidsen sig fin tid til at introducere hovedpersonerne grundigt, hvilket gør at jeg undervejs både holder med "de gode" men også undervejs får sympati for den unge Vuk. I slutningen af bogen tager spændingen dog til og slutningen bliver en hæsblæsende affære hvor det er umuligt at gætte afslutningen.
March 18, 2010
Don’t read the blurb about this book provided by Goodreads, it is about a totally different book! This is about a Serbian Dane (surprise, surprise) who is contracted to kill an Iranian writer under a fatwah on a visit to Denmark. It is well written, exciting, brutal without being explicit, and great characterisation. Worth a read if you like well-written thrillers.
September 9, 2010
Vuk est engagé pour tuer une écrivaine célèbre, Sara Santana, qui est sous le coup d'une fatwa lancée par les autorités religieuses d"Iran.
Per Toftlund est le détective assigné à la tâche de la protéger.
Lisa est la journaliste qui organisera le séjour de Sara.
Le livre nous raconte les détails du plan de Vuk, et les précautions que prennent Per et Lisa pour assurer la sécurité de Sara.
Per Toftlund est le détective assigné à la tâche de la protéger.
Lisa est la journaliste qui organisera le séjour de Sara.
Le livre nous raconte les détails du plan de Vuk, et les précautions que prennent Per et Lisa pour assurer la sécurité de Sara.
February 6, 2017
Måske har 15 år med ensartede skandinaviske krimier gjort det sværere at blive grebet af denne her slags bøger. I 2017 var det i hvert fald noget af en fuser at læse. Uinteressant og klichéfyldt plot med den sædvanlige journalist og politibetjent, kedelige og stereotypiske personer osv. osv.
August 14, 2011
Enkele reis Kopenhagen by Leif Davidsen (2001)
February 9, 2011
Very good - no twists, just a good story with interesting characters and it didn't flag at any stage. Wil read more by the author.
August 1, 2011
Brilliant read. Wanted the assassin to win
August 10, 2011
rigtig god...
October 13, 2012
Good action book about "terrorism" taking place in little Denmark.. The TV serie is exelent!
April 10, 2017
spannend boek; uitvoerige bespreking volgt later
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews