Book Review: The Corpse Flower by Anne Mette Hancock

Summary:

A Danish journalist digs deep to uncover a web of lies that stretches back to a grisly murder, but knowing the truth might put an end to her story.

It's early September in Copenhagen, the rain has been coming down for weeks, and 36-year-old journalist Heloise Kaldan is in the middle of a nightmare. One of her sources has been caught lying, and she could lose her job over it. And then she receives the first in a series of cryptic and ominous letters from an alleged killer.

Wanted in connection with the fatal stabbing of a young lawyer three years earlier, Anna Kiel hasn't been seen by anyone since she left the crime scene covered in blood. The police think she's fled the country and have zero clues as to her motive. But homicide detective Erik Scháfer comes up with the first lead when the reporter who first wrote about the case is found murdered in his apartment. Has Anna Kiel struck again, or is there more than one killer at large? And why does every clue point directly to Heloise Kaldan?

Meanwhile, the letters keep coming, and they hint at a connection between Anna and Heloise. As Heloise starts digging deeper, she realizes that to tell Anna's story, she will have to revisit the darkest parts of her own past--confronting someone she swore she'd never see again

Tee's Thoughts:

I found The Corpse Flower by Anne Mette Hancock an interesting read. I have never read Swedish Noir before and I did struggle with some of the street and place names in the book, but not enough to slow me down. I just did my best with them and moved along in the book.

The Corpse Flower is a thriller, and it has a very dark and sometimes disturbing atmosphere to it. There are a lot of triggers in this book, including suicide, gore, murder, violent assault, child pornography, and rape, so if you are susceptible to things of that nature, you will want to proceed with caution or skip altogether.

There are many characters in the story, and the book, moves quickly, however, overall I would say it was a slow burn. The author’s writing is clear and engaging so even with all the characters, you do not get confused.

The characters are all authentic, and the main character Heloise is very likable. She has trust issues and only seems to connect with her best friend, keeping herself closed off to others, but the reasoning behind these issues are revealed within the story and you will understand her more. The mystery that surrounds Anna was both enthralling and heartbreaking, and I really enjoyed this part of the story.

Some parts of the story seemed predictable, and at times I felt a bit bogged down by all the police procedures, but if you are a fan of detective stories that are detailed, you will probably find this book entertaining. 

All in all the book has plenty for lovers of thrillers. There is a lot of mystery, detectives who are capable and competent. Great twists and turns, interesting secondary stories, and of course revenge.