The Water's Edge [Mass Market Paperback]

Norway's "Queen of Crime" has written another flawless mystery, a child murder that inspires public outrage and fear, especially when another young boy goes missing soon after. In language that is as pristine as the landscape, Inspectors Konrad Sejer and Jacob Skarre wrestle with a heinous crime that leaves a small boy dead and his mother inconsolable. And soon after placing his innocent victim in a secluded park, the killer stumbles across a couple out for their regular walk. It is this couple, Kristine and Reinhardt Ris, who discover Jonas August Lowe's lifeless body. While Kristine urges her husband to call the police, Reinhardt busies himself taking pictures of the dead boy with his cell phone.

Fossum tackles her mystery from two perspectives: an intense exploration of pedophilia and what little helpful scientific information exists on the problem and the nature of adult relationships and how children pay the price for mismatched parents. As Sejer and Skarre research this disturbing aberration, they discover a sad history of childhood abuse that later can transfer into the impulse to prey on children. Coupled with the background of the killer, Fossum sheds light on this particular crime and the lack of data available to aid police investigations. Even when the culprit is in their sights, Sejer tries to remain objective, while Skarre explores the differences from country to country in regulating such behavior.

More interesting is the interplay of the humans involved in the unfolding drama, the absolute agony of Jonas August's distraught mother, the reaction of the mother of the second missing boy and that mother's inability to deny her child's demands, utterly transformed when her new boyfriend is around. Then there is the couple who found the dead boy, the fractures in their marriage exacerbated by what they found that traumatic afternoon. Fossum flawlessly integrates the disparate elements of her story, balancing the police investigation with the personal tragedies and internal struggles of the various characters, even the murderer, whose vicious past at the hands of an abusive mother has contributed to what he has become.

I love Fossum's work, so I was surprised to find myself impatient with the conscientious Sejer. Appreciating the necessity for thoroughness, I was concerned that the culprit might avoid the consequences of his actions in Sejer's excess of caution. But, true to form, Fossum adds yet another twist, leaving her readers with much to ponder in The Water's Edge. Luan Gaines/2009.

In its brevity, Karin Fossum's newest work of fiction, "The Water's Edge," excels with smooth, poetic prose, fine storytelling, and well-drawn characters. A few red-herrings squirrel through the pages of this well crafted, smart, and haunting police procedural as well. The reader feels compelled to read further in this perplexing whodunit, where evil is exorcised in the last chapters.

Inspector Konrad Sejer and his partner, Jacob Skarre, are back for another riotous conundrum in the small town of Huseby, Norway. Jonas August Lowe, an eight year old boy, naked, lays dead by the shore of Lake Linde. With no signs of physical abuse, struggle, or puncture wounds, the case becomes a zigzagged mystery in the utmost respect, with no reprieve in sight for the two main detectives. A handful of hindrances and foggy suspicions by the townspeople lead Sejer and Skarre down a maze of mystifying conclusions and observations. Meanwhile, another young lad, Edwin Asalid, goes missing, and the townsfolk become edgy, concealing evidence and wrongdoings, which is vital to solving both cases. The ambiance of the small community is infused with heartache and scandal, terror and suspicion.

The characters seem real, as always, in Fossum's books, and the tight-knit community here is sketched in three-dimensional craftsmanship: a young married couple, Reinhardt and Kristine Ris, are in turmoil in their private life, and the discovery of a bizarre infatuation with dead bodies becomes troublesome for both Kristine Ris, and the Huseby's authorities. Alex Meyer, a teacher at Solberg School in Huseby, reveals his fascination with young boys, and he is visited and investigated by Inspector Sejer and Jacob Skarre, who are both roused by the man's peculiar pastime. Then there is a man who, according to Kristine Ris, resembles the writer, Hans Christian Anderson, who was seen fleeing the scene of the crime on that Sunday morning. A group of other shady characters make an appearance throughout the novel, but only to hurl a wrench into an already maddening case for both detectives.

On the horizon, however, a personal victory shines in the storyline. Inspector Sejer has added a new addition to his family, a Chinese Shar Pei named Frank Robert. A nice touch to the story, if only to brighten the murderous air. For readers who have followed the series will know, Sejer's beloved dog, Kollberg, met the end of his life in the last outing, "Black Seconds," and he is never mentioned here. A disappointment for us animal lovers, but also a new beginning for the tall, gray-haired Inspector. Moreover, the personality of Sejer's counterpart, Jacob Skarre, is amusing to watch in this novel, unlike in past stories, where his workload on different cases had veiled his witty, extrovert persona that readers will find enjoyable in this book. With his curly hair and a luminous smile, Jacob Skarre is a delightful character, albeit fictional.

At the conclusion of the story, the reader will be wondering about these people's lives and where they are headed. The author knows how to create the workings of the human soul and get to the heart of a community. Although the atmosphere is not as creepy as previous novels in the series ("Black Seconds," "The Indian Bride" and "When the Devil Holds the Candle"), the clever writing, page-turning story, and character interactions, definitely make "The Water's Edge" another winner in this ongoing, riveting detective series.

T.B. Grant
7/26/09

The reader soon knows what is in store on the first page of the first chapter of this disturbing yet immensely absorbing novel by Karin Fossum, when we are told: "He did not wish to discard his burden casually on the ground; he wanted this precise cluster of trees, which would serve as a kind of monument. This last scrap of decency comforted him, he was still a human being, he had feelings, many of them good ones." This is a prelude to the discovery of the dead body of a young boy, nearly eight years old, in the forest near the edge of a lake, naked from the waist down.

This newest in the Inspector Sejer mystery series finds him and his assistant, Jacob Skarre, somewhat contemplative and trying to define what draws them to their work, asking Sejer "Why are we so drawn to the death of others? . . . Why do you think people are so fascinated by crime? Nothing sells better than murder and the worse it is, the more interested people are. What does that say about us?" As the search for the killer begins, Sejer expresses his main concern: that "this man will strike again."

Conrad Sejer is an interesting man, "always correct, reserved and polite. His formality might at times be mistaken for arrogance, unless you knew him well. Hardly anyone knew him well." He is the owner of a dog, "Frank Robert [great name for a dog!], a Chinese Shar Pei, [who] had the same temperament as his fellow countrymen; he was both inscrutable and dignified. In addition he never barked, but might occasionally emit a disgruntled snort."

The author again, as in her excellent "Black Seconds," captures the anguish that the loss of a child brings, of "the magnitude of losing those closest to you." In the aftermath of the tragedy, lives, and marriages, are completely torn asunder. The author also examines the often fraught relationships between children and their parents, and between husbands and wives. As I read, the hours, and the pages, flew. The book is highly recommended.

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