Ruthless
'Gripping, endearing, dark, and funny' Harlan Coben
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- $2.99
Publisher Description
'Gripping, endearing, dark, and funny ... Highly recommended' Harlan Coben
'Hancock writes with a razor-sharp pen, wittily and with originality. I simply adore her books' KATRINE ENGBERG, bestselling author of The Tenant
A pulse-pounding Scandinavian noir about secrets, buried truths, and what happens when we go digging into the past
When Jan Frischof gives a shocking deathbed confession, journalist Heloise Kaldan suspects a hidden truth. Despite Jan's warning of danger, Heloise delves deeper, uncovering links to decades-old disappearances that many want left in the past. With everyone lying to her, Heloise enlists the help of her friend Detective Inspector Erik Schäfer to unravel the mysteries of the past.
Rave Reader Reviews
'Thrilling and suspenseful'
'Well-paced and full of surprises. The final twist was a shocker'
'This was tense, atmospheric, and a twisty end that I was not expecting'
'Dark and addictive'
'Many twists and turns in this one!'
'Deceptions and twists that reveal a sinister plot in an idyllic Scandinavian setting'
'That ending just blew my mind'
'A mindblowing twist … great Scandi Noir read'
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Hancock's uneven third outing for Danish journalist Heloise Kaldan (after 2022's The Collector) starts with a vague deathbed confession from the terminally ill Jan Fischoff, with whom Kaldan has bonded while writing a story about hospice care. Fischoff tells Kaldan that he's fearful of hell, and mumbles something about "Mads Orek." After some light research, Kaldan discovers that a man named Mázorek drowned in the late 1990s in Fischoff's hometown in southern Jutland. Though the death was ruled an accident, Kaldan believes there's a cold case mystery to solve; her editor disagrees, but she takes time off work to investigate anyway. Her suspicions pay off after she arrives in Jutland and slowly uncovers a web of criminal activity related to missing young women, prostitution, trafficking, and murder. Though Kaldan's usual investigative partner, Det. Erik Schäfer, stays back in Copenhagen to field unrelated cases, he gets more involved as the story unfolds. Hancock is a strong stylist, and she generates real suspense while giving such serious themes as elder care and violence against women their due. Unfortunately, she bogs down the central mystery with too many subplots, and brings everything to a muddy, unsatisfying conclusion. Series fans will hope for a return to form next time out.
