Redemption by Jussi Adler-Olsen
Living a mundane, middle-class, peaceful life, from time to time I have need of a certain jolt of frisson. I can guarantee that reading Redemption by Jussi Adler-Olsen will be certain to quake your mild life well and truly awake! Having a predilection for Nordic noir, I chose this book eagerly and settled down to read.
The prologue is riveting, spellbinding, leading you into the heart of the crime. It is worth pursuing the first chapter or so, where the theme of the story is laid out and a bit clumsy. As soon as the pace of the intrigue develops its stride, you need to strap yourself in for a reading marathon as it is almost impossible to put this book down.
The villain, a nefarious character, raised by a repressive bible bashing sect, who tormented him through his childhood until he morphs into a modern monster. He evilly pinpoints his victims and their families, stealthy, manipulating their trust. Copenhagen’s cold case division, plagued by its own internal bureaucracy and quirky personnel, struggles to track this cold case after discovery of an illegible message in a bottle.
The tale is set mainly in and about the decaying police offices and tight little villages around Copenhagen and her waterways.
This book comes with a caveat. Those who must avert their gaze from twisted behaviour of the lowest psychological order, should not be tempted to open the first page. Otherwise, Redemption is highly recommended.
Find Redemption by Jussi Adler-Olsen in the SMSA Library Catalogue.
Sunny Seagull
Member of the SMSA Mystery & Crime Reading Group
