The
Norwegian Prime Minister Birgitte Volter is found dead in her office, shot with
a very rare gun. The motive lies in the dark, her last visitor, Benjamin
Grinde, leader of a commission to clarify the masses of deaths with babies 30
years earlier, is immediately under suspicion but he does not really seem to be
the murderer. Due to the importance of the victim, a large team is set up with
the Oslo police and not only Birgitte’s closest family, but also political
motives are taken into consideration. Yet, many loose ends lead to nothing. Was
it after all just a case of envy or jealousy?
Anne Holt
really succeeds in surprising the reader. She offer a believable solution to
the crime which then has to be given up. Another theory is established, just to
be dropped, too. At the same time, we see the characters develop and become
more and more multifaceted in the course of the plot. The decision to limit the
protagonists to a very small number gives those few the room to become convincing
players and appear authentic.
What I
enjoyed most were the twists and turns which often came unexpectedly but were
always well motivated and cleverly constructed. The biggest surprise is kept
hidden until the very last pages and provides another incredible view on the
whole story. All in all, a very clever and formidable crime novel.
