The Corpse Flower is the first Danish mystery I've read. As a gardner, I knew what this flower was. I do read the descriptions before I request an ARC, and don't often read reviews before I write mine, as I don't want mine to be influenced. I wish I'd researched this book further. The subject matter was extremely difficult to read even for me & I read lots of dark crime/murder mysteries.
There is violence and sexual content. I thought the journalist and detective seargeant characters were interesting and well developed. I certainly didn't expect the twists, didn't figure out the plot, but did have to skim the last chapters to get to the conclusion. While the subject matter is one that certainly occurs and needs attention, I would not have chosen to read this if I had a do over.
Thank you to Netgalley, Anne Mette Hancock, and Crooked Lane Books for the advance digital copy. These are my opinions submitted voluntarily.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC of this book for my honest opinion.

This book was originally in Swedish. I had a hard time reading this I don't think it translates well in English. It just didn't grab me......

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Anne Mette Hancock and Crooked Lane Books for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

Having never read anything by Danish author Anne Mette Hancock, I leapt at the chance to get my hands on this, her first book published in English. The title alone pulled me in, though once I got into the story, I found other facets that kept me intrigued until the final page. After a Danish journalist is close to losing her job, she finds herself in an awkward position. Soon thereafter, Heloise Kaldan begins receiving cryptic letters from a woman who claims to be a sought-after suspect in the slaying of a high-profile lawyer. What follows is a chance for Kaldan to piece the crime together and try learning what the elusive Anna Kiel might want with her. By the end, the chilling truth is revealed. A great debut novel and one that had me pining for more of Hancock’s work!

The autumn rains may be refreshing for the people of Copenhagen, but journalist Heloise Kaldan is too busy worrying about her future. One of her sources has be revealed to be fabricating all they offered up, making Kaldan’s reporting look not only flimsy, but completely unreliable. It’s an issue, as reporting is what Kaldan does best and it is about to be taken away from her.

While she wallows in her own self-pity, a mysterious letter arrives for Kaldan, one that she cannot fully understand. The sender, Anna Kiel, does not try to conceal herself, but rather greets the harried reporter with open arms. Kiel has been on the lam for three years, a key suspect in the murder of a lawyer back in Denmark. Hiding somewhere in France, Kiel tries reaching out to Kaldan and expresses that she is not the evil person many have made her out to be.

With little to lose and curiosity fuelling her desire for the truth, Kaldan begins poking around the murder case and tries to decipher what might have happened. Along the way, using the cryptic letters sent to her, Kaldan learns that there is more to the story than meets the eye. Throughout the sleuthing ordeal Kaldan is sidetracked when someone in whom she confides is brutally murdered. Might Kiel be sending a message not to get too close?

It is only after Heloise Kaldan travels to see her father that all the pieces come together and the truth about Anna Kiel can be discovered. The story gets highly personal and past truths about the Kaldan family come to light. While there is chaos around her, Kaldan seeks the truth and to pacify things once and for all, as if knowing it will serve as a... lullaby. A brilliant thriller that will have the reader on the edge of their seat by the end.

I quite enjoy Scandinavian thrillers and this was no exception. Anne Mette Hancock has a way of pulling the reader into the middle of the story and leaving them to piece things together. It’s a wonderful journey, filled with many tangents and learning moments. With a deeper theme running through the story, there are a number of impactful moments the reader is forced to digest, as awkward as they may be.

While it took a while for me to connect with Heloise Kaldan, I am pleased that I did. She is both a straightforward and complicated character, one that the reader will enjoy getting to know throughout the novel. Her passion for reporting comes to light, as does her thirst for the truth. However, it all comes crashing down when she discovers a family secret that her father kept, something that will surely shape Kaldan as the series progresses. I am eager to see how Hancock uses these truths to shape the protagonist moving forward.

There are a number of strong secondary characters, many of whom help prop up the story in needed ways. The police element serves to inject some needed crime solving, though Kaldan does well to uncover things on her own. There are those in the upper echelon of Danish society who offer their own truths, as well as some of those who inhabit the lower rungs of the society ladder. All are needed to provide the full picture of this complicated story. Hancock does well to bind them together in this piece, providing the reader with something well worth their time.

While I have a long history with Scandinavian crime thrillers, I would not call myself an expert. I can say that they tend to take some time to process, which could be related to the translation from their mother tongue into English. I did struggle with connecting to the narrative for the first portion of the story, feeling that it was all over the place and did not pull me in as I would have liked. However, once I got a feel for Anne Mette Hancock’s style and way of conveying things, I was intrigued. The narrative moved along well after a bumpy start and the chapters began to gather momentum, revealing truths and leaving the reader wanting more. By the end, there was that needed plot twist that turned the entire experience on its head and had me needed more information. While this is the only book published in English, I see there are a few more in the series. I hope this is rectified soon, as I am intrigued to see where Heloise Kaldan finds herself in the coming years and how this family secret might shape her future reporting.

Kudos, Madam Hancock, for a stellar debut. I cannot wait to get my hands on more of your work, just as soon as they are translated into English.

Gripping Scandinavian crime novel with no shortage of reprehensible criminals. First in the Kaldan and Scháfer mystery series., I anxiously await the next installment. Highly recommend.

So I really liked the premise of this book; however, it didn't quite hit for me.

I think this book fell a bit flat for me mainly because of the characters. I never found myself connecting to them; therefore, I never particularly cared about what happened to them. We ended up getting 4 points of view throughout the story, Heloise, Anna, Stefan, and Eric. We only saw Stefan's POV 2 times and, it felt unnecessary. It felt as if the author wanted these scenes to be ominous, but in actuality, it just could've been left out. We saw Anna's POV several times and again it added to the mysterious feeling the reader was supposed to feel in these scenes as it created questions. Heloise and Eric, we see the most. Both of these characters are a bit more fleshed out but take on the overall stereotype of a reporter and cop.

Moving onto the pace, this felt super slow for me. I felt like there was no urgency in any of this. Heloise is receiving messages from a murderer, yet nobody actually seems that concerned about it. Usually, in thrillers/mysteries, there are questions that keep you guessing until the end. Once I hit about the 60% mark, I had basically figured out the rest of the story and the answers to the main questions. The rest of the book dragged pretty slow since I had figured everything out.

Let's talk about the title of the book, The Corpse Flower. The Corpse Flower is mentioned several times in the book as a clue in the letters. That's all fine and dandy but, we never actually find out what it's referring to. Even though there's a moment where a certain character says they know what it means, the reader never finds out what it means. If I somehow missed this someone please let me know because I would love to know what this clue was.

One thing that felt extremely unnecessary towards the end was the casual racism. We already know that this specific character is literally awful and should rot; therefore, it felt unnecessary to add a racist comment. The awful person in question referred to another character's Caribbean wife as a "pl*ntation wife." I literally paused when reading this because it felt like it came out of nowhere and it didn't sit right with me.

So I gave this a 3 out of 5. I thought it was interesting, and it had a dark plot. When I say dark, I mean definitely check the content warnings. These content warnings will spoil some of the twists in the book so beware if you're worried about that. This is the first Scandanavian thriller I've read and I'm glad I gave it a shot. I'd definitely be willing to try some others.

This review will be posted to my blog, Sara Mackenzi Reads, on October 11. It has already been posted to Goodreads

Nordic Noir? Sign me up! Anna Kiel is wanted in connection with a fatal stabbing of a prominent lawyer before she fled the country and no-one has seen her in years. Danish journalist Heloise Kaldan is on the verge of losing her job when she begins to receive cryptic letters from Anna and although Heloise swears she has no idea who Anna is, from the letters it is clear there is a connection between the two women. When a journalist is found murdered, Detective Erik Scháfer gets his first lead and the hope to bring Anna to justice. Heloise wants a story, one that only Anna can tell. But is Heloise ready to revisit the darkest parts of her past?

I thought this was a solid read which I really liked. I’m almost bordering on loved but parts felt a bit dis jointed at times but I think that’s just from the transition. It happens. This was a mix of police procedural and mystery with a darker content, so basically everything I love in a book. The story line was interesting and I loved how everything connected and came together. Loved the ending as well. Although I didn’t realize this was the first book in a series, I am looking forward to reading the next book as both Erik and Heloise are characters I want to meet again. I think fans of Jo Nesbø will appreciate this one.

Unfortunately I did not read the trigger warnings closely before requesting this book. I quickly realized this book was not likely for me.

First of all, thank you NetGallery and Crooked Lane Books for providing an arc of the book. This book will be published on 12th October 2021. So, if you like my review then preorder the book to read it when it releases!

Story of the book-

It’s initial September in Copenhagen, the downpour of rain has been descending for quite some time, and 36-year-old journalist Meloise Kaldan is in a bad dream. One of her sources has been found lying, and she could lose her employment over it. And afterward, she gets a progression of enigmatic and unfavorable letters from a supposed executioner.

Needed regarding the fatal stabbing of a lawyer for three years, Anna Kiel hasn’t been seen by anybody since she left the crime location shrouded in blood. The police believe that she’s escaped the country and has zero signs concerning her intentions. Yet homicide detective Erik Schafer concocts the principal lead when the journalist who previously expounded on the case is discovered killed in his condo. Has Anna Kiel Struck once more, or is there more than one executioner on the loose?

My review-

The composing of the book was simple, clear, compact, and directly forthright. The book switches between three alternate points of view- Meloise Kaldan, a columnist; Anna Kiel – a fugitive on the run, needed for homicide; and Detective Sergent Erik Schafer, who worked/is working on the Anna Kiel case. Meloise is managing the pressure of possibly losing her employment after an awful move to work when she begins to get enigmatic letters from Anna. Utilizing both the assistance of the police and her analytical columnist abilities, Meloise begins to uncover a risky, tangled web, placing herself and her friends and family in harm’s way.


Once more, I’m somebody that reads a ton of spine chillers, and I thought that it was quite simple to conclude who the miscreant is from the beginning, which I believe is purposeful the bend was something I certainly didn’t see coming. I am extremely happy to have pursued the book and will prescribe it to my thrill cherishing companions. Highly recommending the book!

Rating of the book- 4⭐/5⭐

⚜️ SPOILER FREE REVIEW ⚜️

Anne Mette Hancock's debut novel, The Corpse Flower, was published in Danish in 2017. And the same has been translated in English and is expected to be published coming October on 12.

'The Corpse Flower' is a Nordic Noir. So, you can definitely expect the story to be good. Indeed, it was.

The book was fast paced and the story timeline was relevant. The setting for the narrative was very interesting. There weren't exciting plot twists, but to read this book was really entertaining and knowledgeable. The story background was laid out well and so was the environment the story is set in. It covered most sensitive topics and sometimes to read through them was kinda heart-wrenching. But overall the book was Good and was a enjoyable read !

(Moreover, this is my 1st read from this author but definitely won't be the last. Since, I'm quite interested in her writings)

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Corpse Flower started great. However it fall flat. I failed to get engaged with the story for a while. The momentum for heart pumping and curiosity are quite dry. I need to process the characters and unnecessary talks among them. I'm glad the momentum finally skyrocketed around 70% of the story. The truth behind the crime was unexpected to me. I felt horrible of what happened to Anna and other victims. What I like; I found the detailed autopsy explanations are interesting. Anne Mette also wrote good gore descriptions on crime scene. It is a good read.

My personal rating :
3.5☆

I love a book with a dark, twisted, and creepy feel to it and this is what this book gave me. Once I started to get into this book I couldn't put it down. I am so glad that it has been translated into english and that more people will be able to enjoy this brilliant book.

I really enjoyed this book. While I figured out most of the mystery, it was fun to watch the story unfold.
A murder of a seemingly 'perfect' guy, out of the blue, sets in motion a series of events that includes a local journalist. She begins to receive correspondence from the murderer, still at large, with mysterious clues.

They are both frustrating and tantalizing until she finally figures out what needs to be done. She's brave and honest about when things work and when they don't.
The story moves quickly and the characters were interesting and best of all, loved the ending. 4.5 stars

The beginning was intriguing, with different scenarios being set to tell the story. In fact the reader was in the dark for quite a while, trying to join the dots to the different personage. Personally I find the beginning a little slow. However, having said that, the author was able to keep the suspense, especially with Anna’s letters. I love the title. Very eye catching and fitting for the story. I would have loved the story to be more fast paced, but I really like the idea of the book. It’s contemporary and concerns us, one way or another. The ending was well written and fitting. A good ending as I didn’t see it coming. I would definitely recommend this book to my friends.
I would post my comments in Amazon.fr on 12 Oct 2021.
Thank you to Crooked Lane books and Netgalley for letting me read it in advance.

I’m somewhere in the middle on this one. Didn’t love it. Didn’t hate it.

I enjoyed it okay. Nothing extremely mind blowing.

The Corpse Flower has everything I love in a mystery: a capable team of detectives, Erik and Lisa, who are giving the case everything they have, a dedicated investigative reporter, Heloise, who can sense there's a much bigger story below the surface, and a mysterious villain, Anna, who keeps you questioning.

The Corpse Flower is incredibly well-thought out and full of great twists and turns. I couldn't get enough of it and probably would have kept reading for hundreds of pages if I could have. Thankfully, this is the first in a series originally published in Denmark, so I have my fingers crossed that the sequels will be translated to English as well.

Gripping mystery with a fabulous storyline. It hooks you in from the start and doesn't let go till the end. The mystery is good with plausible twists, but the thrill factor is better and higher and is the reason why I couldn't put it down and read the whole book in 24 hours.

This is another example of the excellent mysteries coming out of the Nordic countries. It is also a debut novel, but it’s crafted so well that it’s hard to believe that it was written by a first-time author. Heloise is a journalist in Copenhagen who finds herself on thin ice over an unreliable source. She gets a letter from a murderer who’s been on the run from the police for years, after killing a lawyer she’d never met. Why is she contacting her? Heloise knows she needs to be very careful, but still starts trying to find out more. She gets in touch with the detective in charge of the murder, the very likable Scháfer, and they both start getting close to the truth. There are other murders, secrets, scandals and twists. The plot was not completely unexpected, but I was invested in the characters and wanted to know what was going to happen next. It looks like there are more books in the series, so let’s hope the translations are soon available in English because I want more!
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Crooked Lane Books!

Danish journalist Heloise Kaldan (the H is silent) could be losing her career. Her source has been caught lying and now she is in trouble.

Anna Kiel is on the run - she is wanted for the fatal stabbing of an attorney and has not been seen in three years. There are no leads and the case has grown cold and everyone is still wondering what the motive was.

In a twist of fate, Anna starts sending letters to Heloise, they are full of prose and sound too intelligent to have been written by Anna. At the same time, a woman comes forward to the police stating she has seen Anna and even has a photo of her taken by chance while taking pictures of the scenery. The police are on the hunt again and Heloise comes forward and works with them to help find her and figure out what these mystery letters mean. The wording in the letters imply they are linked, but Heloise cannot figure out how.

Slowly, the relationship is revealed and Heloise needs to deal with a person she swore that she would never see again.

The book is full of twists and turns and as soon as you think you have it figured out - try again. What a great read!

On the fence about this one. I definitely had weird expectations and I can't exactly say I was either disappointed it satisfied. It moved slow. Almost frustrating slow. I also didn't connect with the characters. I can see why others would enjoy this but I couldn't really enjoy it and struggled to get halfway through and had to DNF. I do want to keep reading more nordic noir/scandinavian novels but I can say it's been a big hit or miss for me

The Corpse Flower is advertised as The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo mixed with Sharp Objects and it does not disappoint. It is easy to see why this book is an international bestseller. A Danish journalist, Heloise, is currently in the middle of a fiasco at work when she starts receiving letters from a woman wanted in a case of murder. Anna, the suspect in a brutal killing, alludes to a connection between the two women which Heloise cannot stop herself from looking into.

I am so glad that The Corpse Flower was finally translated into English, otherwise I would never have had the opportunity to fall in love with Anne Mette Hancock's writing. Most crime dramas or thrillers these days have the same rotating cast of extremely depressed, belligerent male detectives and questionable protagonists. This book was a breath of fresh air. I loved how Erik Schafer, the detective, was fun to read and the interactions of him with his wife were wildly different than the usual lonely downtrodden man. I think him and Heloise work well opposite each other without any unnecessary tension. Crossing my fingers the other books are released in English, because I would love to read more of the two of them. For me, this book was a 4.5/5.

If you like thrillers with reporters and detectives, eery letters from a murderer, and witty banter, then this is for you. Definitely check trigger warnings before starting.

I received a digital copy of this book free from Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.