This was a solidly-written and fast-paced thriller that was an easy read. I loved the idea behind the plot, but it ultimately fell flat for me. It wasn’t a terribly engaging story and I felt like there was this huge build up towards the climax of the book that ultimately ended up being *deflating balloon noise*

This book really holds your attention and most part of the time I didn't want to put it down, in the star you can sense that it has more to the mystery about the murder that starts this book and when this information comes in the end it is painfully. It was an enjoyable mystery but I felt like the author didn't put us to investigate with the character what was something I thought was going to happen because the main character is a journalist.
I found the subject that appears more to the end triggering but at the same time the author handled it well in my opinion with they did not justify the murder but helping us to understand why it happened.
The main character Heloise is likeable but in a way that we still can see her mistakes, most of the chapters are following her investigating it, some being in the police perspective and at some points of Anna perspective.

I had to unfortunately dnf this book... it did not hold my attention and even by the time I was 45% in, I did not care about the characters. it seemed as if the author really tried to make an elaborate mystery but failed a bit shy of the scope. overall, it was an easy pass for me

Most definitely a Book you do not want to put down unless you really have too, once you have started to turn the pages of this gripping story : `It's early September in Copenhagen, the rain has been coming down for weeks, and 36-year-old journalist Heloise Kaldan is in the middle of a nightmare. One of her sources has been caught lying, and she could lose her job over it. And then she receives the first in a series of cryptic and ominous letters from an alleged killer' .
Those are the opening words which draw you into a web of Plot within plot & even a sub plot here & there but which all draw you in further as want to find out the ending (s) . If you have enjoyed the writings of Henning Mankell then this is a Book you have to read . #FB, #Instagram, # NetGalley, #GoodReads,#Amazon.co.uk, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/c566f42be23a0e25d120e78a3454e2d427c4beee" width="80" height="80" alt="50 Book Reviews" title="50 Book Reviews"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/ef856e6ce35e6d2d729539aa1808a5fb4326a415" width="80" height="80" alt="Reviews Published" title="Reviews Published"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/aa60c7e77cc330186f26ea1f647542df8af8326a" width="80" height="80" alt="Professional Reader" title="Professional Reader"/>.

Being a fan of Scandinavian crime fiction when I got the chance to read the ARC copy of Anne Mette Hancock's gripping thriller “The Corpse Flower” - the book that received Danish Crime Academy's debutant prize in 2017, I didn't think Twice.

    The story starts with a mystery when Danish journalist Heloise Kaldan receives cryptic messages from Anna Kiel who was accused of a murder of a young lawyer. After remaining fugitive for so many years Anna Kiel is now contacting Kaldan to point out something that was overlooked. Kaldan now digs into the past for some clues of that unsolved case and gets introduced with detective sergeant Erik Schäfer who is taking lead charge of that murder case. Mutually helping each other, Kaldan comes close to her painful past that marks a sharp twist in the plot.

     The story unfolds from the perspectives of three characters - Heloise Kaldan, Anna Kiel and Erik Schäfer. All of them are very well thought and complex characters to make the story more interesting to read.

     Though the story evolves around a sexual assault, it doesn't offer very graphic details of crime scenes but achieves to deliver a very intrigue and satisfying conclusion. The resemblance between the corpse flower and Heloise Kaldan is amazing to disclose. Lastly ‘The Corpse Flower’ is not only about Mystery, Revenge and Justice but also talks about Forgiveness which I personally found amazing.

     From me this book is 4.5★ read and I would recommend it to every Crime thriller fan.

      It was an ARC from NetGalley and I heartily thank both the Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for this amazing read.

The Corpse Flower is a crime thriller that features a a Danish journalist searching for answers about a murder when the killer starts to contact her through cryptic letters to tell the murderer's story. Heloise, the journalist, begins to unravel a story full of powerful society leaders and finds herself in danger as she gets closer to understanding the reason behind the murder. Overall, I enjoyed the book. I think that the storyline was really compelling, but I think that it could have incorporated Heloise's backstory more to build up the connection between Anna, the murderer, and herself.

5/5

This story beings when Danish journalist Heloise Kaldan is taunted by assumed murderer Anna Kiel who was wanted in connection with the fatal stabbing of a young lawyer. A series of cryptic letters and phone calls set Heloise on edge as she desperately worked to follow the trail Anna left. The further Heloise dug into the lawyer and his family the more she began to think they were hiding a big secret. As the story unfolds Heloise learns that to uncover the truth she had to risk it all. A story of secrets lies, and family deception, The Corpse Flower had me on edge at every page turn.

Very much enjoyed this book once I got into it. I have to say that the beginning is very, very slow ay nd I wasn't sure I would continue. I did like the Nordic writing style overall and the story was intriguing.
Would definitely read more from this author

This was a 3-4 star read did me, because it was a bit too slow for my taste. Overall, I thought it was intriguing, well written, but being such a slow burn sort of made me want to swap to other books. It did have a couple good twist and turns, some fun thrills, chilling chills, and even a gasp worthy shock or two! I would still highly recommend, as I know many enjoy those slow burn, atmospheric, well written thrill rides.

Will make sure to buzz around and use low Amazon reviewer number!

A compelling, slow burn Swedish thriller with plenty of twists and turns. Definitely recommend. Thank you to Crooked Lane and Netgalley for the eARC.

Heloise Kaldan, a journalist, is close to losing her job when one of her sources is shown to be lying.
Anna Kiel has been on the run for 3 years and is wanted for the murder of a young Copenhagen lawyer.
Heloise receives a cryptic letter from Anna, although she has no connection to the alleged murderer...or does she? A series of letters follow, hinting at a link between the two women. As Heloise pieces together the link, she is forced to confront her past and face someone she had hoped never to see again.
This is Anne Mette Hancock's debut novel translated into English. I was excited to receive this ARC from Netgalley as I can't get enough of Scandinavian crime fiction! This book did not disappoint on any level. An intriguing, twisting story with interesting characters, I can't wait to read more from this author.

Heloise Kaldan is a journalist in Copenhagen. She's in hot water at her paper when an on-the-run murder suspect named Anna Kiel begins writing her cryptic letters. What is their connection?

I enjoyed this book! Not a five star for me just because it required some patience on my end to become fully invested. If you like international thrillers, you'll like this.

As someone who can never get enough of Scandinavian crime fiction, I was beyond excited to get my hands on a copy of The Corpse Flower by up-and-coming Danish crime fiction writer Anne Mette Hancock. Given its arresting cover and very intriguing synopsis, I felt confident Hancock’s debut novel would be a fantastic read and right up my alley. I first learned about Anne Mette Hancock when I saw the book mentioned on social media and noticed all the buzz surrounding The Corpse Flower, which was awarded the Danish Crime Academy’s debutant prize in 2017. Today, after devouring the book in one sitting, I’m thrilled to offer my review.

It’s early September in Copenhagen, and 36-year-old investigative journalist, Heloise Kaldan, finds herself surrounded by a firestorm of controversy when one of her sources for an expose about a fashion mogul is caught lying. Having trusted her source, Heloise hadn’t done her due diligence before writing the article, embarrassing the newspaper that employs her. She’s looking at a suspension or might even lose her job over it. Just as that crisis resolves itself, Heloise receives a series of cryptic messages from Anna Kiel, a woman accused of the grisly murder of a prominent Copenhagen criminal attorney who has been a fugitive for the past three years. The bizarre messages hint that Heloise and Anna share some connection and seem to call on Heloise to write Anna’s story. Heloise embarks on an investigation of the three-year-old murder which brings her into contact with Detective Sergeant Erik Schäfer, the lead police investigator handling the murder case. While Schäfer plans to use Kiel’s contact with Heloise to find and arrest the suspected murderer, Heloise conceals critical information from him, determined to get Anna’s story first. When Heloise learns what connects her and Anna, she realizes getting the story means she will have to revisit a very painful episode from her own past.

Thematically, The Corpse Flower is novel about revenge, justice, and forgiveness.

In this story, we’re introduced to investigative journalist Heloise Kaldan, who works for a prominent Copenhagen newspaper. One thing I like most about this believable, down-to-earth character is her name, which suits her perfectly. While I was aware of the name Heloise before reading this novel, I must admit I didn’t know how to pronounce it properly until reading the book. I also especially enjoyed the literary clues associated with Heloise’s name. Detective Sergeant Erik Schäfer is another well-rounded, interesting character who is easy to identify with. While initially a villain-type, Anna Kiel gains the reader’s sympathy once her story is revealed. There is also a host of other secondary characters that seem like actual people.
The Corpse Flower is a tightly plotted thriller where the suspense feels so palatable that it packs an almost physical punch. Anne Mette Hancock keeps the plates spinning throughout until the very end when she lets them fall in the satisfying conclusion.

Only by nitpicking can I find anything at all to criticize about this novel. Regarding Detective Sergeant Erik Schäfer, in spots in the dialogue, his use of colloquialisms sometimes makes him sound more like an American police detective than what I’d expect a Danish detective to speak like. That felt a bit jarring, since otherwise the character’s manner of speech fits the image of him so well that the author paints for us. But it’s a small, unimportant fault.

The story mentions sexual assault, a subject upsetting for some readers. I can’t say more about that without interjecting a spoiler, which I’m unwilling to do. Just be forewarned you will encounter it.
I highly recommend this book to fans of Scandinavian crime fiction, especially for those who enjoy reading the likes of Stieg Larsson and Henning Mankell.

Immersive, with more than enough action, mystery, and pulse-pounding suspense to satisfy any thriller fan.

If I’m not mistaken, I believe this is actually an earlier (maybe even the first?) work of this author, but her first work translated into English. I didn’t read up a ton on the book prior to starting - I’m chaotic and tend to do this thing where I just dive into books without reading the synopsis - but I did know that it was a thriller. As someone that loves a good domestic thriller, I was a huge fan! The writing was good; clear, concise, straight to the point - not necessarily super eloquent, although I’m sure that’s because sure some of the nuances were lost in translation and it’s even better in the original language.

The book switches between three different perspectives - Helosie Kaldan, a journalist; Anna Kiel, a fugutive on the run, wanted for murder; and Detective Sergeant Erik Scafer, who worked/is working the Anna Keil case. Heloise is dealing with the stress of potentially losing her job after a bad move at work when she starts to receive cryptic letters from Anna. Equal parts intrigued and put off, she gets the authorities involved, including Detective Sergeant Erik Scafer. Using both the help of the police and her own investigative journalist skills, Heloise starts to uncover a dangerous, tangled web, putting herself and her loved ones in danger.

Again, I’m someone that reads a lot of thrillers, and I found it pretty easy to deduce who the “bad guy” is from the start, which I think is intentional - but the twist was something I definitely didn’t see coming. I’m very glad to have read the book and will definitely recommend it to my thriller-loving friends when it’s published. I did a little research, and it looks like The Corpse Flower is the first in a series...really hoping the others follow suit and are translated as well!

Thank you to NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books, and Anne Mette Hancock for the eARC!

Kudos to Anne Mette Hancock on a riveting first novel. I very much enjoyed reading this gripping tale with its twists and turns. Brava. Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This is how you write a crime thriller! At first, I wasn't sure how I felt about this novel - but after a few chapters I was hooked. I was so invested in this story and these characters, I am really hoping there is a sequel in the works.
Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for the advance digital copy to review. All opinions are my own.

Thrilling ride from beginning to finish.
There were many twists and turns that I did not see coming. I especially did not expect the relationship between Anna and Heloise or Heloise's father.
The child pornography club was the biggest surprise.
I greatly enjoyed the ending and was glad that Johannes Mossing got what he deserved.
As the reader, I was rallying for Anna Kiel once I knew what happened to her and was hoping she would get justice.

I’ll be totally honest, this book was a slow start for me. I couldn’t figure out the direction the story was going, it felt like too may ways and too many players.

Oh gosh was I wrong, every character is placed so well through the entire book. I did not see what was coming.

The author has a wonderful way that allows you to feel for these characters and equally hate (some) at the same time.

Although I was left with some questions, I was satisfied with the ending.

For her first book, wow, Anne did a fabulous job of creating a horrifying problem inside of Denmark and had it radiate to France in a more subdue way. Heloise Kaldan was a journalist and we arrive with her being yelled at by the head of her paper for not checking out her story, where he had to make everything go right. There was a murder of a man's son several years ago and the woman, Anna, who killed the man escaped to France. Let us just say that's all I'm going to say and let you decide what's happening. Anne Mette Hancock describes all the situations and doesn't leave anything out. I really like the ending especially well. You need to read this for yourself and you'll end up liking the end result. I liked it so much I gave it 5 stars out of 5.

4/5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

WHAT I LOVED 💟 It took me so long to come up with a review for this novel, but let me tell you one thing: this mystery/thriller is worth your time. The plot is captivating, and the main characters are interesting, well-written and faceted. The book structure was also pleasant, with multiple points of view, great plot twists and an overall fast pace. In short: I couldn’t put this book down 😍

WHAT DIDN’T WORK 💔 The beginning is very slow, and it took me a while to get into the story. After the first 20 or so pages, though, I was hooked and finished it in just a couple of days. Overall, I also expected the final third of the book to be more action-packed.

This was so much fun, and I am looking forward to reading more by Anne Mette Hancock!