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From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Fossum may not be well-known outside a select circle, but that could change with the publication of this outstanding contemporary police procedural, the fourth Inspector Sejer mystery to be translated into English (after 2006's He Who Fears the Wolf). Insp. Konrad Sejer is faced with a baffling crime when the battered body of a woman surfaces in a field outside the town of Elvestad. She's soon identified as Poona Jomann, the new wife of Gunder Jomann, who traveled to India in search of a life partner. Gunder's sister's injury in an auto accident kept him from meeting his bride at the airport, leaving her to travel to their new home alone, a journey that ended in murder. With a skill few can equal, Fossum deftly paints the provincial inhabitants of Elvestad, coupling those poignant word portraits with a whodunit and an insightful but fallible detective. The ending is not one most readers will expect, but it perfectly suits the tale of sad, little lives and the tragic consequences of chance. (July)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From Booklist
*Starred Review* Over the course of a few days, Norwegian bachelor Gunder Jomann experiences both euphoria and utter despair. In India, he meets and marries Poona, the woman of his dreams. He returns to his tiny village of Elvestad, with his new bride scheduled to arrive in a matter of weeks. A family emergency delays Gunder on the day Poona arrives. Tragedy ensues before they can reconnect; she is found brutally murdered less than a mile from her new husband's house. Who in tranquil Elvestad could commit such a heinous act? Shy, contemplative Chief Inspector Konrad Sejer knows that evil lurks deep within even the most seemingly innocent souls. With his baby-faced partner, Jacob Skarre, he methodically follows but a handful of clues. As time passes, the list of suspicious characters grows. There's muscle-bound Goran, whose affable manner belies his might; local café owner Einar, who harbors a general dislike for humankind; and Linda, an attention-starved teenager who dispenses half-truths and lies. This fourth in the Inspector Sejer series showcases the crisp prose and unsettling scenarios that have made Fossum (When the Devil Holds the Candle, 2006) one of Europe's most successful crime novelists. Like a Scandinavian winter, this potent psychological thriller chills right to the bone. Block, Allison
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
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Most helpful customer reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Reading,
By
This review is from: Calling Out For You: An Inspector Sejer Mystery (Paperback)
Once again, Karin Fossum shines...I could not put this book down and finished it in two days. It did leave me wondering, who really did it! I would recommend this author, especially for anyone with an interest in Scandinavian countries. I have read all four of the books, and have enjoyed each one.
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of My Favourites by Fossum,
By C. Robert Broerse "Buchlieber - Canada" (Niagara Region) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: The Indian Bride (Paperback)
Karin Fossum is the best reason to read Scandinavian mystery novels. She creates an atmosphere that on the surface one would suspect to be plain and simple. We have Gunder, his sister, Maria, Einar a cafe owner and Linda, the local pretty girl. We have a small town and its case of characters. But Gunder breaks away from the everyday, the norm and goes to India and meets Poona at a restaurant. Things begin to shift.Gunder and Poona get married. Gunder goes home to Norway, to get things ready for his bride. When his sister gets in a car accident on the day of Poona's arrival, the ominous approaches. What I love about Fossum's approach is that answers are never clear, witnesses never provide solid descriptions and people don't answer questions the way we want them to. Even Sejer and Skarre, the two detectives have their flaws and throughout this book, are vulnerable in similar ways to the victims. You get the impression that life and the truth are not always best friends, and the people you know are not always the people you know. By the end of this book, you struggle with its conclusion but accept it. Fossum's mystery is more than than just a mystery but a take on the subtleties of psychology. I would classify her work as closer to literature than genre writing. I've read the majority of her novels - I have still Black Seconds and The Water's Edge to tackle. I'm beginning to wonder if there's someone else who writes Scandinavian mysteries with her depth and range. Also, I must give the translator of The Indian Bride, Charlotte Barslund credit for her incredible work - she is a great part of how accessible Fossum is to English readers.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.1 out of 5 stars (67 customer reviews) 38 of 38 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
The best yet by an outstanding writer.,
By Candace Siegle, Greedy Reader - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Indian Bride (Hardcover)
I read this book on an airplane and liked it so much I shlepped it across Europe so I could bring it home to lend to friends.Gunder Jomann, a shy man from a Norwegian country town, travels to India to find a wife. He has always been fascinated by a photograph of a woman in a sari in one of his history magazines, and to everyone's absolute amazement, he meets and marries an Indian woman named Poona. Gunder returns home to prepare for Poona's arrival. On the magical day that she is set to arrive, Gunder's sister suffers a terrible accident and he is forced to send someone else to pick up his bride. Your heart breaks for Gunder, whose beloved sister is near death and whose eagerly-awaited wife never arrives. Karin Fossum's characters express the loss felt by crime victims' families better than any author I've read. Like her other novels, The Indian Bride is deep and rich in place, character, and suspense. Her Inspector Sejer is a really intriguing guy, and she has a spot-on translater in Charlotte Barslund. If you haven't read Fossum before, a real treat awaits you. I'm trying to think of who to compare her to--but it's hard. Martin Cruz Smith? Yes, a little, although her settings are more intimate. She is a standout, and this mystery is the most compelling yet. 31 of 32 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
previously published under another name,
By Patricia Swart - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Indian Bride (Hardcover)
Just a warning to all those who order more Karin Fossum books--"The Indian Bride" has previoulsy been published under another title "Calling Out For You."
37 of 40 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Move over Mankell?,
By A. Butterfield - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Calling Out For You: An Inspector Sejer Mystery (Paperback)
You can't help comparing Karin Fossum and Henning Mankell. They're both Scandinavian writers of police procedurals, and both have a strong central detective character - Sejer in Fossum's case and Wallander for Mankell.Mankell's Wallander is arguably more famous, and inspires people to make the pilgrimage to Ystad in Sweden. Karin Fossum hasn't rooted her novels quite so explicitly, but this one is more Mankell like in that respect, being set firmly in the village of Elvestad in Norway. What this does is make you compare the two novelists even more closely. And what you discover is that Karin Fossum is beating Mankell at his own game. `Calling Out For You' is beautifully constructed and written. It's clear to me now that Fossum is much the better writer: her characters are finely drawn, her dialogue real, her writing much more subtle and convincing. And yet she's just as good at creating tension, describing the workings of her star detective and his appealing sidekick, Skarre. Where Mankell clumsily describes his characters, Fossum does it with great skill. In fact, Karin Fossum's greatest talent is getting a handle on the psychological twists and turns of a murder and its subsequent investigation. Instead of focusing entirely on one character, we see the events through all the characters, and I'm particularly impressed this time. The way the people of Elvestad individually and collectively react to a murder in their midst is exceptionally well woven. By the time you reach the end, you will have a very strong impression of what the murder has done to every character. It's a neat story too, simple in itself but revealing and creating all kinds of complications and unexpected results. The plot has a very `clean' quality to it, yet it is far from obvious what the outcome will be. The writing is equally simple, but also rather beautiful in its economy. All in all, I would say this is the best Karin Fossum yet, and quite possibly superior to anything Mankell has produced. Very highly recommended. |
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