I gave up at 150 pages, at the point -- seemingly obligatory on the "murdered child investigation" checklist -- when the father of murdered child decides to go vigilante on someone the police are interviewing. Because no one in a detective novel like this has ever read a detective novel, or watched an episode of Midsomer Murders or even Broadchurch, and realizes that the object of their vigilante attentions is never going to be the murderer.
Apart from that, all the other elements on the checklist are here -- trainwreck of an investigator, borderline psychic with her clue-whisperer smarts. Investigator's assistant who is so dumb, unobservant and emotionally illiterate, it makes you wonder if promotion in the Copenhagen Police Department is based on a free-to-enter lottery. Or a golden ticket, hidden in a box of cereal. But it's all spun out at length -- 700 pages in length, specifically. I decided life is too short.
Why 2 stars? What I read is well written, and the agony of the dead girl's parents is heartbreaking. In a way, Hewson's intelligent, emotionally draining and literate take on the murder almost made it worse -- set the by-the-numbers plot in an unbearably unflattering light.
Apart from that, all the other elements on the checklist are here -- trainwreck of an investigator, borderline psychic with her clue-whisperer smarts. Investigator's assistant who is so dumb, unobservant and emotionally illiterate, it makes you wonder if promotion in the Copenhagen Police Department is based on a free-to-enter lottery. Or a golden ticket, hidden in a box of cereal. But it's all spun out at length -- 700 pages in length, specifically. I decided life is too short.
Why 2 stars? What I read is well written, and the agony of the dead girl's parents is heartbreaking. In a way, Hewson's intelligent, emotionally draining and literate take on the murder almost made it worse -- set the by-the-numbers plot in an unbearably unflattering light.
