Stephen Hayes reviewed I'm Travelling Alone by Samuel Bjørk
None
4 stars
An above-average whodunit with a rather unsatisfactory ending.
The story is set in and around Oslo, Norway, when detective Holger Munch is asked to reconstitute a violent crimes squad when a six-year-old girl is murdered. We follow the unfolding story from the viewpoint of various characters -- detectives, suspects, witnesses, friends, journalists, persons of interest and others, which gives a comprehensive picture. It seems odd that the detectives ignore some clues that are known to the reader and to the police, including clear indications that some of the investigation team members are personally involved.
It's a gripping story involving fraud and embezzlement as well as murder, but the denouement is at odds with the way the rest of the story is told, and ends up seeming skimpy and perfunctory. All sorts of people and groups are introduced -- a group of journalists, an old age home, a religious community, and …
An above-average whodunit with a rather unsatisfactory ending.
The story is set in and around Oslo, Norway, when detective Holger Munch is asked to reconstitute a violent crimes squad when a six-year-old girl is murdered. We follow the unfolding story from the viewpoint of various characters -- detectives, suspects, witnesses, friends, journalists, persons of interest and others, which gives a comprehensive picture. It seems odd that the detectives ignore some clues that are known to the reader and to the police, including clear indications that some of the investigation team members are personally involved.
It's a gripping story involving fraud and embezzlement as well as murder, but the denouement is at odds with the way the rest of the story is told, and ends up seeming skimpy and perfunctory. All sorts of people and groups are introduced -- a group of journalists, an old age home, a religious community, and others, but their stories are terminated abruptly. With so many viewpoint characters, one wishes to know what happened to this one and that one. Did they have cause to regret or be proud of their actions?
If the ending had been less abrupt, I might have given it five stars.