Complicated Danish noir. This melds a mystery/procedural with lingering issues from Danish involvement in Bosnia, which puts an interesting angle on things. Takes a little patience but it's a good read.

Surprisingly I actually like it and want to read more of the series , with that said I want to say thanks to Netgalley letting me read and review it in change for my honest opinion.

This is hands down one of the most convoluted books I have ever read. I had to read the first couple of chapters twice because it was so confusing. I am now about halfway through and that doesn’t bode well for the book when you keep checking how much longer you have before you are done. I had such great expectations because it said that it was from the same authors who wrote The Girl in the Ice and that might well be but the one I was thinking about was by Robert Bryndza and so immensely more enjoyable. I finally made it through the book and now I can say that if this book had been edited better it would probably have been much easier to understand and the little bit of excitement you get in the end could have been a culmination of a well thought out book. It was very confusing especially all the abbreviations for different sections, bureaus and whatever. You never had a full grasp on what was going on. I will not read more from this brother/sister team and it is unlikely that I would recommend it. Again I believe it could be a great book. All the bones are there. Now they just need to be put together right. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this book in exchange for my unbiased review. Two stars.

I would qualify this book as a page-turner. Good pace, neat writing. It was interesting to find out info about Danish involvement in Bosnia and about the role of peace-keepers. As I always see novels as a way to learn about the world, as a stepping stone across a new river, this one certainly met my need to discover new things through reading. That being said, I found the final intent for all the malice and criminals deeds that were uncovered to be flimsy. I would still be curious about reading the other books by these authors. All in all, an enjoyable read that I recommend to crime-fiction lovers.

You know me, I ADORE translated books- the mystery genre gets SO opened up when you read books published in another language. Crime scenes are handled differently, suspects tend to have more creative methods, and you feel like you're reading something just a touch above the norm!

This book is no exception to that rule! From the first chapter you will be HOOKED. Trying to figure out the WEB of mysteries in what appears to be a simple terrorist act. But nothing is ever simple, and as Simonsen and his team dig for the truth they find themselves in such a web of deceit, they can't escape. Who will survive til the end of the book, and who will be in jail? you'll find yourself changing your mind numerous times, as red herrings come and go and the deceit gets deeper and deeper. Who can the team trust? Can they send the responsibile party to prison? This rapid thriller will have you turning the pages LONG into the wee hours of the morning, or refusing to move from your beach chair! So check out this series with this great book, and then head back and read the previous 4 books!

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Lotte and Søren Hammer, and Bloomsbury Publishing for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

Another intriguing novel in the Konrad Simonsen series that sees many twists baffle the reader from the opening paragraphs. When a mysterious man slips onto a canal boat, he appears to have a mission. By murdering many of the adults on board, he seems pleased to slip away by plunging into the water. Seeing the small boat in distress, a larger ferry approaches, but is unable to its course, adding to the carnage. Chief of Homicide Konrad Simonsen and his team are assigned the case, soon rattled when they learn that one of their own is amongst dead. With sketchy witness statements and video coverage of the canal boat’s time on the water, Simonsen zeros in on one man with a past in Denmark’s military services as a likely suspect. Extrapolating the service record of one Bjørn Lauritzen, the Homicide Squad notice that he spent time in Serbia and Bosnia during the mid-90s, a time when the Yugoslav Civil War was in full-swing. Lauritzen’s apparent contact in Denmark may have helped grease the wheels for numerous horrible acts against a cultural minority, something the military will not discuss and stonewalls when it comes to offering up any documentation, even at the highest levels. Simonsen moves quickly to push his investigation to its limits and is able to garner a significant amount of evidence, ensuring the case goes before the courts. Once the legal process commences, there are some loopholes left open and the outcome is anything but certain. Simonsen cannot let this killer slip through his fingers, but the evidence speaks for itself. Might there be another way to ensure justice is served? The Hammer siblings are known for their dark and highly confusing thrillers and this is one of the best. Fan of the series will flock to this, hoping to sift through much of the intense narrative and see Konrad Simonsen rise to the occasion once again.

I am no Scandinavian police procedural or dark thriller expert, but I have read my share over the last number of years. Of all the authors I have encountered, Lotte and Søren Hammer are surely the most convoluted and tangential in their delivery, while keeping the story impossible to put down. While some may dislike this style of writing, much of the story develops under the surface and the attentive reader can adjust to extract all they need to help piece together the elements of the crime. Konrad Simonsen is often front and centre in the series, with his development usually building as the narrative progresses. However, Simonsen seems almost to hover and remain stagnant (at least as it relates to character revelations) in this piece, allowing some of his other Homicide Squad to grow. With the loss of one member, there is a void left in the team and certain individuals flirt with the possibility of being added in subsequent novels. The plot itself is serpentine, beginning with the murder aboard the boat but soon pushing away, as though this local killing spree is only a cover for the larger story. The Hammers do not refute this, as the story morphs into something all about the murderous rampages in the Yugoslav Civil War, though it is the nuances and connections to other countries that keeps the reader intrigued. I applaud the Hammer siblings for this tangent, as it offered up more intrigue than a local mystery might have done, forcing many characters to expand their powers beyond that of the streets within Copenhagen. There seems to be some social commentary woven into the narrative, such that the reader can parse through what is being said and take a stand for themselves. I found it quite interesting, though I can see how some readers might prefer an ‘A to Z’ story whose focus is the slain group aboard the canal boat rather than in the Eastern parts of Europe. I can see that there is much to be done by the Hammer siblings and can only hope the series has enough steam to keep churning out wonderful books.

Kudos, Madam and Mister Hammer, for another wonderful novel. I can see that translation into English has not lessened the impact of your work and hope its quality remains high.

The Hammers do it again with another engrossing Simonsen thriller. As good as the others in the series.

You know I love Scandinavian mysteries and I was pleasantly surprised to find another author in this genre. But I must admit I was a little disappointed in the beginning and thought I wasn’t going to finish this book. Never say never because there are always exceptions to the rule and this was one for me.

The storyline is intriguing but I don’t know if it’s the writing or the translation that bothered me the most. Once I got into the plot I had to get to the end because I needed answers like everyone else. And I loved the ending.

This is the first book I've read in this series, and it was impressive. I thought I was burnt out on the Scandinavian crime genre, but this one reminded me more than other contemporary efforts of Mankell's Wallander series since there was a definite world view focus and effect. The structure ran somewhat true to that model also. The Copenhagen setting and motivation behind the initial shocking scene that sets the plot in motion were handled originally, and there appears to be a great deal of thought behind the creation of the Simonsen and his wife, the Countess, as well as their co-workers. Not a full five star since there was some fat in the middle that could have been trimmed.

Lotte and Søren Hammer have taken the Balkan war and brought it back to Denmark to play out what never ends. With a Danish veteran taking center stage in a killing of people who were on board a tourist boat. What upset the police were Japanese children that were on board also died as a result of the veteran swimming to shore and leaving them on the own. The main characters were in the police, the Countess and her husband, Konrad Simonsen. They were the hardest hit and Konrad went to the servicemen's club to find out who this man was. The story continues and it escalates from there. This book keeps you involved and you don't want to put it down. Lets just say that you will want to cheer at the end.

Thank you NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for the eARC.
Wow, this was an intense read! After The Lake, this 5th book featuring Konrad Simonsen and his wife 'The Countess';The Night Ferry packs a punch right from the start. A horrific accident involving a boat packed with children from an exchange program and several grownups proves to be intentional. Besides his terrific team, many other officers from different stations volunteer to help with the investigation. One of their own was on the boat, killed, and they want...need...to help.
Conrad is, in my opinion, not easy to like. He's an excellent copper, but he's terse, abrasive and sometimes downright rude. But it doesn't matter, the books in this series are spellbinding and he seems a fairly realistic character.
The parts containing information about the 1990's Civil War in Yugoslavia and Denmark's involvement, in Bosnia and Srebrenica, were new to me and therefore fascinating.
There are times in the book where I squirmed (especially when it came to children and autopsies), but it was an absorbing read and I am looking forward to the next book. Excellent Scandi crime, highly recommended.

A boating accident in Copenhagen leaves twenty people dead, sixteen of them children. It’s only after DCS Konrad Simonsen begins to investigate that he learns this was no accident. Worse yet one of the victims has a connection to Simonsen’s own homicide squad. Clues lead him to a criminal network that reaches across the globe and into the police department. Without knowing who he can trust Simonsen must solve this twisted and deadly case on his own