The general idea behind this regular feature on my blog is that even the best authors, or your favourite ones, don't always achieve the same rating with the reader. Today's featured writer almost proves my observation wrong. Her books nearly always hit the bulls-eye with me.My general benchmarks are
- 5.0 Excellent
4.0 Very Good
3.0 Average
2.0 Poor
1.0 Did Not Like
0 Did Not Finish
There are 3 full length reviews on my blog
There are some mini-reviews here.
My ratings in descending order
- CALLING OUT FOR YOU! aka INDIAN BRIDE (2001) my rating 5
- DON'T LOOK BACK (2002) my rating 5
- BLACK SECONDS (2007) my rating 5
- WHEN THE DEVIL HOLDS A CANDLE (1998) my rating 4.5
- BROKEN (2006) my rating 4.3
Part of the reason is the engaging Inspector Conrad Sejer who features in her series. The only stand alone in the list above is BROKEN. The other reason why I have enjoyed the Sejer books so much is that I can imagine the central event happening to me.
Not all of Karin Fossum's Sejer series has been translated into English, and just to annoy readers even more, they have actually been translated out of order.
I haven't yet read the most recent one translated: THE WATER'S EDGE.
Here is the order you should read them in
- EVE's EYE - not sure this is available in English
- DON'T LOOK BACK
- HE WHO FEARS THE WOLF
- WHEN THE DEVIL HOLDS THE CANDLE
- CALLING OUT FOR YOU
- BLACK SECONDS
- THE MURDER OF HARRIET KRONE - not sure this is available in English
- THE WATER'S EDGE
This is yet another author I have yet to try, though I have mooched a couple of the books and realise I do have the first English one in my TBR pile so I have pulled it out for the nightstand pile.
ReplyDeleteKarin Fossum is a lovely lady who was at Crime Fest 2008. If there was a mixed doubles crime writing competition Norway with Karin and Jo Nesbo would be world champions.
ReplyDeleteWhen the Devil Holds a Candle is one of my favourites. I am not sure I have read Broken. I think you will enjoy The Water´s Edge very much though she philosophises a bit now and then.
ReplyDeleteI am entirely with you re Fossum, Kerrie -- almost. Where we differ is on Broken. I think a lot of people were disappointed with it because it wasn't a Sejer, much the same, as per a recent discussion, as some were disappointed that Leon's Suffer the Little Children wasn't what they were used to. But I thought it very powerful, thought-provoking, and gripping, and I recall being pleased that Maxine was of the same opinion on this one. I also recall being quite bemused by the reviewer in a major US paper who went quite ballistic over the translation which she, not knowing Swedish, thought appalling, and I, not knowing Swedish, thought brilliant. I was frankly fascinated by the way Charlotte Barslund caught the voice of Alvar. One of his manifestations at the start of a chapter made me laugh aloud, for it reminded me for all the world of a famous episode of Tony Hancock's legendary Hancock's Half-Hour radio show in which Hancock is flying a plane and suddenly hears a knocking on the roof of the cockpit and Kenneth Williams' voice: "'Ello. Can I come in?" Hancock was rather big in Australia (and died there), so you might have heard that. Anyway, I should myself recommend Broken muchly, along with all the Sejers.
ReplyDeleteI lent BROKEN to a friend Philip, who said it "did her head in". I thought it was a fascinating premise myself.
ReplyDelete