The Murder of Harriet Krohn by Karin Fossum

The Murder of Harriet Krohn by Karin Fossum
Buy The Murder of Harriet Krohn by Karin Fossum at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Category: Crime
Reviewer: Sue Magee
Summary: Technically brilliant, daring and stunningly exectuted - it's a murder story told from the murderer's point of view. Highly recommended.
Buy? Yes	Borrow? Yes
Pages: 3.4	Date: June 2014
Publisher: Harvill Secker
ISBN: 978-1846557958
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It was early November and Charlo Torp, an obsessive gambler who was so deep in debt to the people he should not owe money to that he feared for his life, set out to solve his problems. An expensive bunch of flowers which needed a signature on delivery would get him into the house of Harriet Krohn - and a spot of burglary would net him enough to pay off his debts. All goes according to plan up to a point - but then it all goes wrong when Harriet Krohn fights back and Torp uses the butt of the revolver he brought to frighten her to bludgeon her about the head and she's found dead the following morning. The only clue for Inspector Konrad Sejer is the abandoned bunch of flowers.

Charlo sold the silverware which he had stolen and paid off his debts. He also raised enough money to buy a horse. Yes, a horse and a difficult one at that. His wife had died some recently and his relationship with his seventeen-year-old daughter Julie had completely broken down. Julie had seen far too much money drain into the pit of her father's gambling habit, but she had a weakness. Julie loved horses and was a talented equestrian who no no longer had the wherewithal to ride. The horse - affectionately known as Crazy - was the father's way back into his daughter's life.

Normally a police procedural would concentrate on the police investigation, but The Murder of Harriet Krohn is told through the eyes of her murderer and we live with Charlo as he sways between the elation of feeling that he's got away with the murder and the knowledge that the man heading the investigation has solved every case to which he's been assigned. Karin Fossum turns his mind inside out for us and lays bare his attempts at self-justification. But there's an extra twist: is Charlo's health going to let him down?

I did wonder if I would like this book. Would the story of the murder and its aftermath be taking my pleasures just a little bit too sadly? In the beginning I did find the story challenging, but Karin Fossum's way with words is as exquisite as ever and I was drawn in. The story is technically brilliant, daring in its approach to the story and stunningly executed. I wasn't certain how it would work out until I turned the final pages. I opened the book expecting a police procedural but found superb psychological suspense. No matter which genre you prefer I doubt that you'll be disappointed. I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.

The Murder of Harriet Krohn is actually the seventh book in the Inspector Sejer series but it's been translated into English after some of the later books. This isn't a problem as the books all read well as stand alones. If Norwegian crime appeals to you then you'll probably love Jo Nesbo too.

Karin Fossum's Inspector Sejer novels in chronological order

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