This is a well constructed mystery coupled with a good story and good characterisation. While it is actually not possible to discuss language use as this is a translation, I would expect that the original would be at the same high level..

The book approaches being almost as much of a novel as a mystery novel due to the depiction of the lives of the detectives, especially Jeppe. We have just enough insight into him to also become intrigued with his life, his loves, his depression and continued squabbling with his partner...but not so much as we lose the main thrust of the mystery.

I did think the book dragged a bit at the end but decided to give it a 4 star basically because of the paucity of well written books of any kind that are now on the market.

I enjoyed this book very much. There is a nice, unique twist at the end. Wasn't expecting it and that added to the enjoyment. The translation was sometimes a bit off, but never enough to make the story unreadable. I always knew what the author was trying to get across. No cliffhanger. There is a definite end to this story, but would enjoy reading more about Jeppe and Annete.

This book was gripping from page 1. An older gentleman discovers his young neighbor brutally murdered one night while taking out his trash. As detectives Jeppe and Anette follow the clues they discover that the murder is described in detail by the victim's landlady in her unpublished novel. But, is the landlady another victim or the perpetrator? What's the link between the two women and why is no one honest with the police detectives, including the victim's own family? Jeppe and Anette have to wade through the lies and deceit to before the murderer kills off their suspect list while dealing with their own personal problems.

I enjoyed both the fast paced plot and the characters. Although there is a large cast of characters, the author describes them all in such a way that the reader can easily keep them all straight. The big reveal was (mostly) a surprise and I lost sleep because I had a hard time putting the book down. I definitely recommend this one to fans of mysteries, thrillers, and police procedurals.

Disclaimer: I received a free electronic copy of this book from Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Blown away by this book. The twisted crimes and flawed characters had me hooked! I feel like this book is going to be huge. And I’m so glad that I got a chance to read it!

When a young woman is discovered brutally murdered in her own apartment, with an intricate pattern of lines carved into her face, Copenhagen police detectives Jeppe Korner and Anette Werner are assigned to the case. In short order, they establish a link between the victim, Julie Stender, and her landlady, Esther de Laurenti, who’s a bit too fond of drink and the host of raucous dinner parties with her artist friends. Esther also turns out to be a budding novelist—and when Julie turns up as a murder victim in the still-unfinished mystery she’s writing, the link between fiction and real life grows both more urgent and more dangerous.



Thank you to net galley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book. It starts off pulling you in and gets you hooked and cant put it down

Very good and well written. If I had 10 starts to give, I'd say 9. As it is, I'll give it 4. I didn't love the ending but overall I enjoyed this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this e-ARC!

This was definitely a good read. I enjoyed it from beginning to end. This was definitely one that kept me guessing especially towards the end.

None of the characters were perfect and their problems were super believable and relatable. Jeppe, the main character, was flawed, but not too much. He was going through a divorce and was down on himself, so who could blame him for his flaws?

This definitely reminded me of a well written episode of Criminal Minds. The whole murder and investigation seemed like it could actually happen. The police and investigative unit were not portrayed as "super humans" and this made the book more interesting.

I recommend that everyone pick up this book when it comes out.

I enjoyed this book but I wish it was a little more suspenseful . It kind of dragged on a bit. The ending kept me guessing.

A great new edition to Nordic crime fiction! If you enjoy Stieg Larsson or Ragnar Jonasson, I think you'll enjoy this debut title by Katrine Engberg. With complex characters, a twisty plot and a brooding Nordic atmosphere, you'll be turning pages until deep into the night!

Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title.
#TheTenant #NetGalley

What a great read!

This mystery has some complexities that kept me guessing until the end about how they all fit together. There isn't just one story, but several that are interrelated, woven into a very well-written whole. I look forward to more by this author!

I really enjoyed this murder/mystery and it was my first venture into the world of Swedish/Danish works! It was slow up front, but once things got going I couldn't put it down. There were twists and turns, I found myself attached to the characters they were very well developed, and I was stumped almost until the very end. I will definitely check out work by Engberg and this series moving forward!

When a young woman is murdered in her apartment, Copenhagen police investigator Jeppe Korner and his partner Anete Werner soon discover that the building's landlord unpublished crime novel has uncanny similarities to her tenant's murder. Jeppe is a troubled hero, newly divorced and battling a reliance on Oxycontin to keep him functioning. Anete is a great partner, direct and funny and they are a great pair. As Jeppe and Anette unravel the clues, the mystery gets even more complex. The murder is tightly plotted and unpredictable, and the the characters distinct is this crime novel the veers into the literary lane with the beautiful writing from this debut author. I hope there are other mysteries ahead for this pair! (

I thought that Katrine Engberg did a very good job with her story. It revolves around an older woman, Esther de Laurenti, who owned an apartment/coffee shop where one of her tenants, Gregers Hermansen, found the body of a 2o year woman, Julie Stender in the kitchen of her apartment. Jeppe Kørner and Anette Werner were the lead detectives on the case and de Laurenti confirmed that she was writing a book about a murder and was using Julie as her victim in her book. de Laurenti had a young man, Kristoffer, that would walk her two dogs and make meals for them to eat. Although we have some of the facts there are plenty more which Engberg makes as the case becomes huge. Her father, Julie Stender's, becomes involved, as does a writer/artist, Erik Kingo. They were at a party that de Laurenti had given where Julie and Kristoffer catered the meal. That's all the basic facts that were given but it is more involved than that. I haven't given any spoilers and you will have to read the story which is much better than I can explain. I would certainly recommend this book for my people to see if they can read it and know what was the method used by the murderer.

A superb new addition to Nordic crime fiction, THE TENANT delivers a darkly paced, enthralling tale of detectives on the path of a killer whose wiliness only adds to the building tension. While the characterizations could be deeper, the heartbeat of this novel is the choreography of crime detection. Readers will swiftly fall prey to its dark, propulsive charm.

Julie Stender is found dead, lying in a pool of blood, her face horrifically tattooed by a knife. Jeppe Korner and Anette Werner are the lead detectives assigned to solving the case. Many suspects are found, among them her landlady and her own father. Julie had secrets from her past; could these play into the motive? When, however, a friend is brutally murdered, the police fear a potential serial killer loose in Copenhagen. The investigation is thwarted by lies yet still the team members pursue the truth. Katrine Engberg’s characters are flawed: the victims, the suspects, and the detectives. Through them the reader delves into a painful and often disturbing side of life. This novel has reminded me how much I enjoy Scandinavian mysteries. I look forward to reading her next work.

This book follows two detectives trying to solve a heinous and confusing murder, chasing down leads and clues that take them into a world neither could imagine. It’s set in Copenhagen and the detectives must chase down two women to find answers to their many questions.

This was such an incredible debut by a talented author. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book and all of the twists and turns that followed. I was left guessing up until the end and it did not disappoint at all. I would recommend to a friend!

The Tenant has a really interesting plot line, that really had me intrigued what was going on and how these people were all entertained. It was an entertaining story that I really wanted to know who did! The plot was intricately twisted and weaver together, that was the best part for me! I found I wasn't interested in the characters but just who committed the crime and why! This is what made it a 3 star for me.


Thank you to Netgalley and The Publisher for my copy for honest review.

Katrine Engberg's first mystery to hit the U.S. will and should be a big hit. Engberg has an incredible gift for pacing, and somehow combining the charming appeal of a Bruno, Chief of Police mystery with the dark and brutal we've seen from the wave of Scandinavian crime thrillers a la Lars Kepler and Jo Nesbo. Jeppe Korner is a flawed and interesting detective (even if some of his tics are quite cliche: heavy drinking, recently divorced, etc)

My only qualms with the novel was the shifting POV when really its Jeppe's story. At first, I expected it to be a police detective buddy or duo conceit, but Annette Werner ultimately fell flat as did the other characters, especially the others at the police department. Really don't think it should be marketed as both of their stories, as Annette never really felt developed. Also, with a few exceptions, I felt I stayed ahead of the story once it got to a certain point. I kept waiting for something bigger, but perhaps my expectations are too high.

I liked The Tenant. The story was well told, complex and definitely labyrinthine. The plot twists are very cleverly done.

The character development was spot on, including everyone’s flaws. There were no perfect characters in this book, but all were ‘human’ and we really got to know them. Sometimes in books, when the lead character is overly flawed, it makes me want to throw the book on the DNF (did not finish) pile. But I had the feeling that Jeppe, recently divorced and struggling to come to terms with it, was in a temporary slump and soon to drag himself out of it. I was pulling for him.

The police/detective work, inherent in all murder mysteries, that it took to solve Julie’s brutal murder and then the subsequent murder was believable, realistic, and interesting.

I was impressed at how the author pulled all the strings together as we came to the end of the book. There were some very complicated storylines going on, and she made it all believable and conclusive. The ending was great.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ms. Engberg for the opportunity to read and review The Tenant. I enjoyed it very much.

I just reviewed The Tenant by Katrine Engberg. #TheTenant #netgalleyreview #katrineengberg #scoutpressbooks #scoutpress #mystery #whodunnit #booksofinstagram #bookstagram when a fiction becomes reality, when people start showing up dead, when the clock is ticking. This book is full of #characters that will have you #guessing until the very end. This quick paced book will have you wanting to hug #jeppe, #ester is someone you want to be friends with. #inlessthantwentyfourhours I #read this book. You were guessing #shocked #amazed and what a #twist #fascinating #books📚 #review #booksaremylife #amazonfire #kindle #luckygirl🍀