As Old Mr. Frost sets in and unpacks for a chilly winter I am still making my way through the Scandinavian crime series. I have a few on my bedside table at the moment and Mind’s Eye is the latest I have finished.
Mind’s Eye (Hakan Nesser)
This is an intriguing story premise. A woman is drowned in a bath, her husband with no memory of the previous night, finds her in the early hours of the morning. He calls the police. After questioning, the police arrest him as the prime suspect. The problem is that he is not even sure that he didn’t do it. He has no memory of the night.
The first half of the book is fast-flowing as the trial begins. The husband is found guilty and is committed to an insane asylum. But within weeks he is found murdered.
Now the police have to reinvestigate the original murder as all their suspicions are turned on their end.
The strongest part of this book for me was the characterisation of the characters. The part that let me down was that there was not a strong sense of place or setting. I loved the premise of the story and the puzzle at the heart of these murders. The author kept me in the dark right up until the end. This kept me turning the pages. I wanted this mystery solved and the real killer caught.
However I did feel that that author held back more than he should. His main character Inspector Van Veeteren leads the investigation with all the cards held to his chest not even letting in his own investigating team in on his suspicions. This gives the reader the feeling of a “smirking” arrogant main character who leaves little about him left to like.
The mystery at the heart of this story kept me turning the pages. I had to keep reading to find out who the killer was. However, although this is the first in a series I am not sure I would read book 2 because I don’t like the series protagonist.
So for the well-thought out mystery element of who the killer is and the strong characterisation this book gets 3 stars and 3 Irish coffees from me.
Recommended coffee
Irish Coffee
“I can envision a small cottage somewhere, with a lot of writing paper, and a dog, and a fireplace and maybe enough money to give myself some Irish coffee now and then and entertain my two friends.”
– Lt Richard Van de Geer
Tell me what are you reading this week?
What coffee are you indulging in?
Kim Koning 