The Tenant

Ring ring prrrrr…<br /><br />CS representative- Hi, this is books starring limbo center 54321, what is your emergency?<br /><br />Nilufer-Hi there, I had a promising Danish thriller in my hands.<br /><br />CS representative- You mean Danish Kringle? Do you want its recipe? <br /><br />Nilufer- No thanks, me in the kitchen cooking Danish Kringle should be real thriller plot which ends with tragic fire, stomach pumping and big cries. I’m talking about something less thrilling!<br /><br />CS representative- When you tell me thrilling Danish did you mean Mads Mikkelsen? He was so terrifying at Hannibal, wasn’t he?<br /><br />Nilufer- Nope. I’m talking about Katherine Engberg’s Tenant book. It starts with a brutal murder of a woman named Julie. And Esther the owner of the building, also her neighbor, writing a crime novel and describes the very same murder scene at her own story. She wrote it one month ago!<br /><br />CS representative- OMG she is clairvoyant, isn’t she?<br /><br />Nilufer- No, she could be murderer. She could have a crush on Kristoffer and she already gave him her apartment key but Kristoffer dated with Julie. And Julie finally said: “Let’s stay friends”<br /><br />CS representative- Wow! Crime of passion! Hmmm…<br /><br />Nilufer- Are you eating popcorn?<br /><br />CS representative- With chocolate chip cookie and ginger ale to cure my stomach! Sorry! I eat so much when I get stressed. This story is spooky! Please continue…<br /><br />Nilufer- And there are two detectives investigating the crime, acting like grumpy old married couples.<br /><br />CS representative- Wow! Office romance? This made me hungrier. I’m ordering pizza.<br /><br />Nilufer- Not exactly. Anette is already happily married but Jeppe is definitely a train wreck after his compelling divorce. But I loved their compatibility. Their differences help them look from opposite sides and discover different facts about the case. They fit so well as colleagues. <br /><br />CS representative- I sensed their relationship won’t work even the opposite attract ended up with hot, steamy sex. I’m talking about experience. It seems like you loved this book. It’s not a limbo book. You already made your decision.<br /><br />Nilufer- No I am not! There are too much POVs which is so confusing and I don’t actually like more than 3 POVs for thriller books. It affects its pace and makes you lose concentrate on the story. And I think the book lost its essence in translation. And when it comes to whodunit parts…<br /><br />CS representative- It’s obvious right. Butler did it. I knew it!<br /><br />Nilufer- Nope, and stop eating when you’re talking. I barely catch your words. Actually there are too many murderer candidates starting from Eshter, ex-relationships of Julie and don’t forget Julie’s father has involved some shady business. This book is spider sense killer. I couldn’t find out who did it! The author fooled me so bad!<br /><br />CS representative- So you want to punish her by giving two stars?<br /><br />Nilufer- No way! I enjoyed the writing, suspense building, heart throbbing pacing! But several POVed approach and some expression and nuance differences were confusing enough to distract my focus. So I’m going back and forth between three and four!<br /><br />CS representative- Do you want to read another adventure of detectives?<br /><br />Nilufer- Sure, I love to…<br /><br />CS representative-Do you like the conclusion of the story?<br /><br />Nilufer- Oh yes, it was deliciously surprising! Not as delicious of your meat pizza I can smell from <br />here!<br /><br />CS representative- So you have your answer!<br /><br />Nilufer- Should I order from the same Italian place you did?<br /><br />CS representative- No smartass! I’m talking about your rewarding method!<br /><br />Nilufer- Oh okay, let’s round up 3.5 to 4! Add this author’s name to my new favorite thriller authors list! Thank you so much for your assistance!<br /><br />CS representative- No problem. Listen to your heart’s voice when it comes to books. It never tells you lies. <br /><br />Another good reading, next?

I'm growing very fond of Nordic noir and can add The Tenant to the list of such books that I've read in the last year or so. Now that I've read it, I wish I could read the next three books in this series but from what I can tell, they haven't been translated into English so I won't be able to follow detectives Jeppe Korner and Anette Werner further along in their careers. We don't really get to know Anette very well but we get to be in Jeppe's head, as the lead detective on a murder case, just six months after his nervous breakdown. <br /><br />Jeppe's wife had served him with divorce papers and moved on with someone else while Jeppe is still reeling from the breakup and has now come back from a medical leave, due to his breakdown. When there is a grisly murder of a young woman, in an apartment building, Jeppe's superintendent takes a leap of faith and names him the lead detective on the team. Even Jeppe knows he can be too sensitive, too soft, but he wants the job and to prove he's over his breakdown. Plus he has his partner, Anette, to back him up. <br /><br />There are a lot of suspicious people who could have killed the young woman and her landlady, Esther, an elderly budding novelist, has even written a manuscript about a young lady, murdered in an apartment building, in the exact grisly way this woman was murdered. Ester wrote her story weeks before the girl was murdered and has no idea how anyone would know what she has written. Soon there is another murder and all sorts of interconnecting links that make little sense. The murderer is still out there and Jeppe feels responsible for keeping Ester safe from whoever used her writing to plot the woman's murder. <br /><br />The violence in this story is gruesome, the pace is very slow, even though the story takes place over just a few days. We spend time in Jeppe's head and there is humor in his thoughts, despite his broody and gloomy demeanor. His partner can barely tolerate him at times and he can barely tolerate her and they resemble an old married couple more often than not. The plot is twisted and tangled and just when I and the detectives had thought we had the murderer, something would happen to throw us off the trail. I know not everyone liked this book as much as I did, but this is the kind of story I like to get lost in and I'm sad that the series ends here for me. <br /><br />Pub January 14, 2020 <br /><br />Thank you to Gallery/Scout Press and NetGalley for this ARC.

<b> <i>The Tenant is a Scandinavian mystery about a murder that mirrors the events of an unpublished manuscript. </i> </b><br /><br />The narrative is split between multiple characters. The main points of view are told from the perspectives of the mystery writer and the main police detective.<br /><br /><b>I love the premise of <i>The Tenant,</i> so much so that I bumped up my review one star because there are some original and interesting elements of the mystery that I appreciated. However, the execution was lacking.</b><br /><br />I struggled with the writing--I don’t know if it was the translation or if because I recently read a similar mystery with too many shared components, that I found this book boring. I found the pacing uneven, the characters flat, and the narrative lacking. I love this genre and had high expectations going in, but unfortunately, this book was a bit of a struggle for me. <b> <i>The Tenant isn't bad, it just never hooked me. </i> </b><br /><br />I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

<b>Succession</b><br />Katrine Engberg’s debut Scandinavian noir thriller, <i>The Tenant</i> is a gritty crime mystery with a riveting plot that is intricately constructed. Katrine bases her story in Copenhagen and crafts a Nordic atmosphere that is uniquely styled and vividly portrays the location in all its sweeping facets.<br /><br />Julie Stender is a young woman found brutally murdered in her apartment, with multiple stab wounds and a pattern carved into her face. There is no theft or sexual assault so the crime screams out revenge, but revenge for what? Detectives Jeppe Korner and Anette Werner are assigned to the case and form a partnership that is unusual, both as individual characters and in their relationship. There is something a bit moody about Korner and Werner and it is refreshing to see that they don’t always agree and can irritate each other. <blockquote> <i> “He thought Anette was a bit of a bulldozer; she called him sensitive and a wimp. On good days they harped on each other knowingly like an old married couple. On bad days, he just wanted to throw her into the sea.” </i> </blockquote> Jeppe is recently divorced and is having real difficulty coming to terms with his new single life. He is a frustrating character, while well-intentioned he often seems unsure of himself, irresolute and unfocused. With regards Anette we find out very little about her personality and background, in this novel. Together this gives me a big issue with the book, but for the upcoming series, I can imagine it will improve. <br /><br />The investigation explores Julie’s family, friends, colleagues, other tenants, previous boyfriends and the landlord. The resident landlord of their apartment building is a lady called Esther de Laurenti. She is an intriguing character, well developed and maintained with suspicion as most of the story orbits her. Is she the murderer, the target or just another player in the game? As an author, she is writing a thriller, which she shares privately with other writers in her online group. The terrifying and damning magnitude of this is that the murders follow scenes described in Esther’s book, and the writers' group must all be assumed, potential murderers.<br /><br />As the investigation progresses, new suspects are revealed without upsetting the wonderful balance between all possibilities, which leaves you completely guessing right throughout the book. At a point, you feel you have all the pieces of the puzzle but you still can’t see the overall picture and can’t piece it together. The mystery and surprises are sustained right to the end.<br /><br />As the characters develop over the series, I can see how this is going to be a stellar addition to the many great crime thriller collections out there. I love the atmosphere of Nordic thrillers and I believe Katrine Engberg is set to translate well to US and UK markets. I recommend reading this book and I would like to thank Gallery Books, Scout Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC version in return for an honest review.

Quite disappointing for me ... I finished it like two weeks ago, and if you asked me what I remember, I'd reply that not that much. A young woman is brutally murdered and the investigation by two Danish detectives begins. The motif behind the murder is interesting, however, getting to the heart of the mystery was not exciting. No thrill, no tension, nothing ...I just wanted to finish this book and return it to the OverDrive. I hope it will be a winner for other readers.

When a young woman is murdered in an apartment building in Copenhagen owned by Esther de Laurenti, Jeppe Kørner and Anette Werner are sent to investigate. The murder is especially brutal and the victim, identified as Julie Stende, has a paper cut pattern carved on her face. What unfolds takes the duo and the rest of the team on a very strange journey of discovery. <br /><br />Well, if your literary taste runs to dramatically theatrical ‘Performance Death’ then this one is for you! I love Nordic Noir (though more precisely Dansk Sort!) and this is no exception. It’s very well written, the plot deepens and becomes weirder and weirder and so is never dull! Jeppe and Anette have an interesting semi combative relationship which is entertaining. Much of the storytelling is from Jeppe’s point of view and he is struggling following a messy divorce which left him mentally floored but he meets a ‘means of recovery’ during the investigation. We get a lot of his thoughts and being inside his head is an intriguing experience! Although Jeppe is initially very down, there are moments of wry humour which is a welcome relief and is interjected perfectly. There’s some fabulously dark imagery as the murderous mayhem continues, some rich descriptions and shall we say some very creative deaths in this twisty investigation which slowly builds to a satisfying conclusion. I think the novel would make a brilliant film or tv mini series. I love the starry images at the end. <br /><br />Overall, a really enjoyable, drama and entertainingly twisty read and I look forward to reading more about this interesting investigative team. <br /><br />With thanks to NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton for the ARC.

I was disappointed in this. Katrine Engberg writes very well and the prose flows perfectly, so I'm assuming the translation is very good. The weakness is the plot; I didn't like the mystery. Opening up with a young torture/murder victim who has had deep decorative lines carved into her face while she was still alive promises great Scandy noir stuff ahead. But it didn't play out that way. Without spoiling anything, the story is all over the place and the book lacks suspense. I want to be glued to a mystery; it took me a while to read this. I wanted Scandi darkness, more cohesion and clarity, better characters and higher stakes.<br /><br />The best part of the book for me is the main character, lead detective Jeppe Korner, who is very well written. Unlike the ones involved in the mystery, he's two-dimensional. His partner, Annette Werner, doesn't get the focus Jeppe does, but she's well done too. As a team that may or may not like one another and doesn't always get along, they have a great dynamic. I also enjoyed the Danish settings. I've never read a book set in Denmark before and Engberg provides background on landmarks, streets and neighborhoods in Copenhagen and beyond as the story moves around and she does it organically, without ever slowing the flow. <br /><br />So while I didn't like the story and I did enjoy the setting, it's Jeppe and Annette (or Korner and Werner, which rhymes in Danish) who will have me grabbing book two in the series. I hope Engberg gives them a more exciting case to work and gives readers a mystery that's a page-turner with a big payoff.

3.5 Engbergs US debut and a good start to a new Nordic series. Although not quite as dark and atmospheric as the usual Nordic offerings, anytime there is a murder, a certain amount of darkness follows. A murder that follows a fictional story being written by the woman who owns the building where her tenant is murdered. Jeppe and Annette are the two main investigators and their relationship is not a lovely, dovey one, but more like a long, married couple, bickering and all. Jeppe is recovering from a personal sorrow that affects his attitude and his libido. I could have done with a little less discussion on that subject. <br /><br />A slower pace police procedural, but I enjoyed the depth of the storyline. Revelations are perfectly timed, changing the plot in carefully chosen moments. A well done, meticulously plotted offering. Will be waiting for the next.<br /><br />ArC from Netgalley.

The premise of the Tenant had me hooked!! <br /><br />But, unfortunately I struggled so much with this book. I struggled with the writing.. and am not sure if it was translation issues but I found the book to be extremely boring. I found the pacing slow, characters flat, and the mystery lacking. I had high expectations for this one and had high hopes but it just was lacking so much for me. <br /><br />I think there are wayyyy to many mystery/police procedural thrillers out there that are so similar but change character names. <br /><br />Overall, wouldn't recommend unfortunately. <br /><br />2 stars.<br /><br />Thank you so much to Gallery and Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.<br /><br />Publication: 1/14/20<br />Published to GR: 12/29/19

I am a big fan of mysteries, always attempting to figure out the perpetrator. Danish author Katrine Engberg’s “The Tenant” begins with a brutal murder of a twenty-one-year-old woman. She is found by an elderly tenant of an apartment building. The murder was a bloody mess, with the woman suffering from multiple stab wounds. The murder becomes headline news and the police force is under extreme pressure to solve the case.<br /><br />Detectives Jeppe Korner and Annette Werner are assigned to the case. I enjoyed the character details that Engberg gave to the two detectives. They are an odd and eccentric couple. I’m hoping she writes a series with the two because they are fun to read. Korner is the main character, so we get his perspective on the case, with the plot twists and mystery information.<br /><br />Adding to the mystery of the murder, the owner of the building, who resides in the top floor, wrote a mystery manuscript that the murderer followed. Yet, the manuscript hasn’t been made public so it’s a question as to who got ahold of the manuscript, and to what purpose?<br /><br />I did guess the perpetrator in the first third of the novel. Let’s say I had the hunch, although Engberg did provide a few red herrings. That said, I did NOT predict motivation correctly. Even with my correct hunch, I was riveted to the changing plot. There are many twists and turns that keeps this one a page turner. I loved it!!