I guess I'm into Scandinavian noir now, after just finishing the Chestnut man before this. This is a great, and short mystery. Eloise, a journalist starts receiving letters from the mysterious Anna Kiel, a woman wanted for murder that has gone in hiding. As Eloise begins investigating Anna, and as their connection to each other grows, she is forced to revisit her own past. This is the first book in what will be a series, and I'm very excited to read the next one. The narration was fantastic as well.

Thank you Dreamscape media for giving me an advanced review copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

The language barrier with this audiobook was really tough for me to follow along. A good story about revenge. A very complex dark story!

Do I recommend...if you like thrillers, yes. This was a pretty short mystery/thriller recently translated into English. A disgraced journalist teams up with a detective to find the prime suspect in a murder. I didn’t find it to be super original or anything but still found it interesting and engaging. The narrator was good and I think fans of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo will like this one.

⚠️ trigger warning: past childhood trauma recalled in detail⚠️

The blurb says this book is a combination of THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO and SHARP OBJECTS (fave).

Pretty ambitious... 😕

It says it's an international bestseller for fans of Jo Nesbo... 😕

It's won awards... 😕

I'm surprised by all. What do I know 💁🏽‍♀️

I've included a picture of a Corpse flower.

It's a very accurate physical representation of this book.

It's a phallic-shaped flower that smells like death.

Do you want a penis-shaped flower that smells like rotting flesh?

This book is part of a series. This is the first book in the series published in 2021 but book 2 was released in 2018 and book 3 released last year, in 2020.

💬

Had to look that up!!

First released in Denmark in 2017, it has already made the rounds there. Picking up a few awards and claiming a bestselling spot.

So it's a re-release!

It will not do as well here is my assumption.

If I were the authors literary therapist, I would recommend exploring her sexual discomforts somewhere other than the page.

It opens with a supposedly controversial conversation about massages and sex. I'm assuming this is to get you in the mindset of the characters, but all it does for me as a reader is make me feel uncomfortable.

Not uncomfortable for myself but more for whoever is uncomfortable with sex here.

If it's similar to Sharp Objects and The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, it is in that regard.

However, the yucky sex in Sharp Objects is supposed to make you feel that way.

Spoiler

The character(s) in Sharp Objects used sex in the same fashion as she used razors.

And The Girl WTDT well...

I won't spoil that one. 😉

This one's pin is Antisocial Personality Disorder, aka, Psychopathy.

Catchy words.

To me this book was incredibly boring and flat. It's missing the zhuzh factor. In my mind it's just pretty basic.

Nothing shocking or surprising or worth remembering.

For me it's an easy ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Uninspiring.

Thanks to @librofm and Crooked Lane Books and @netgalley for copies of this alc.

I really wanted to like this book. The fact that I have seen it everywhere on Bookstagram enticed me to request it on NetGalley.
However, I just couldn’t get into it. I’m really disappointed with it.

I wonderful foray into a dark place. There are triggers. For me, very good ones. Horrible men meet their end. The journey there is dark. It isn’t unknown, though. What is weird here is the justice that is met. It’s why I liked it.

This was my first Nordic Noir and I loved it!! This is really a dark novel. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys crime fiction. There are some difficult topics that warrant trigger warnings but I don’t want to spoil it for others. I listened to this on audiobook and the narrator did a great job!

Thanks to NETGALLY and Dreamscape media for my advanced reader Audiobook!

Loved the audio version of The Corpse Flower! The reader had a delicious voice that really enhanced the mysterious feeling of the novel. I enjoyed the book very much and look forward to others by this author.

Thank you NetGalley for the treat of listening to this audio book. This is a Danish book but the translation was brilliant. There weren’t too many characters and the plot was easy to follow. Heloise Kaldan, a journalist, receives a cryptic letter from Anna Kiel. A woman who was caught on CCTV after killing a prominent attorney. Anna didn’t even try to hide her identity. Heloise is soon drawn into story that will change her life. If you liked the Stieg Larson series, you will like this.

There were so many twists that I did not see coming! I enjoyed this story for the most part. I loved the ending for sure. A story of revenge that isn’t sweet but definitely just.
I listened to the audiobook for the most part. I did enjoy the narrator. She really brought the story to life. I read a physical copy along with it. The audiobook was able to keep my attention better. It did have a mechanical type sound to it at parts which was distracting but I was able to push through and finish the book.
Here’s hoping the next book in the series is also translated to English!

Scandinavian noir/mystery is back on my radar! With the comparison to Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, I had to read this one. It's not a spot-on comparison, but I ended up loving this one!

Journalist Eloise gets unintentionally wrapped up in an old murder case where the alleged killer, Anna Kiel, is on the run. How are their lives intertwined? Based around these two women, a larger mystery comes to light and puts both of their lives in danger.

I really liked this mystery. I loved the settings and how the plot revealed itself. Be warned that there are some very hard things described towards the end of the book that might be too much for some people (so if you're a sensitive reader, vet this one a bit more first.) I loved the international flavor and the writing. It was less political than Larsen books which was a nice surprise for me and a slightly easier, but no less satisfying, read. I will would definitely be willing to read more books in this planned series.

I listened to this one on audio and at first didn't love the narrator's raspy voice. I warmed to her as the book went on and was really pleased with some of her character voices and accents. I find that internationally written books have a much higher success rate for me on audio and this one was no exception.

I would definitely recommend this book and enjoyed it thoroughly!
Thank you to Netgalley for the advance audio version for review.

𝕿𝖍𝖗𝖎𝖑𝖑𝖊𝖗 𝕿𝖍𝖚𝖗𝖘𝖉𝖆𝖞: 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕮𝖔𝖗𝖕𝖘𝖊 𝕱𝖑𝖔𝖜𝖊𝖗

I am a SUCKER for Scandinavian noir mysteries. I love them all and 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐩𝐬𝐞 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 is no exception! If you are a crime novel junkie, pick this one up!

𝕱𝖚𝖓 𝖋𝖆𝖈𝖙: this book was actually first published April 1, 2017 and this version is the third edition published Oct. 12th 2021.

𝕼𝖚𝖎𝖈𝖐 𝖘𝖞𝖓𝖔𝖕𝖘𝖎𝖘:

A Danish journalist, Heloise, living in Copenhagen, begins receiving letters from Anna Kiel, a murderer on the loose that brutally killed a young lawyer 3 years prior. Anna hasn’t been seen since she left the crime scene covered in blood. As the letters keep coming, a connection between the two women develop and Heloise will have to revisit her own dark past in hopes of finding Anna.

Major Disclaimer: there is a DISGUSTING topic that I think needs to be mentioned but is also a spoiler in the plot ( I don’t want to post it here) so if you are worried about a trigger warning, reach out! Please DM me and I will let you know what it is!!

𝕱𝖔𝖗 𝖋𝖆𝖓𝖘 𝖔𝖋: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Sharp Objects, and anything by Jo Nesbo

4.5 stars

The Corpse Flower by Anna Mette Hancock
Narrator, Laura Jennings
I thought this was a good story, suspense, retribution, relationships and it’s the first book in a series. I have seen there are two more books not yet translated into English. I’m looking forward to them.
The mystery around the dad was pretty easy to guess but I still liked the conclusion. It was also a good length at eight hours. I have enjoyed this narrator’s previous work and I hope she will continue with the series.

This book was a page turner from beginning to end. Things are not what they seem and will have you guessing until the end. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I absolutely loved this audiobook! The plot was mysterious, disturbing, and fascinating. I was completely engrossed by the story and I found myself thinking about even when I wasn’t listening to it. I was extremely satisfied with the ending, which left me covered with goosebumps. I also connected deeply with the characters, especially the journalist, Heloise. The narrator did a fabulous job capturing her voice and I look forward to reading the next book in the series!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

The Corpse Flower was an interesting premise, and I did like the book, but it was pretty slow going and underwhelming overall. There were interesting parts, but it was rather predictable throughout if you read many thrillers/crime/mysteries. I thought this was a good book to listen to, but it was hard to focus on and the narrator was not my favorite. Overall, 3 stars. I wish the trigger warnings would have been included as well because omitting them to potential readers is very challenging.

TRIGGER WARNING: Child abuse.

I listened to the audiobook of The Corpse Flower by Anne Mette Hancock and was surprised at how much I ended up liking it. It was well written and fast paced. I felt that it was quite impressive for a debut novel. The audiobook was well narrated by Laura Jennings. She was easily able to transition from one character to the next.

Heloise Kaldon, the female protagonist in The Corpse Flower, was an investigative reporter for a well known Danish newspaper. She had recently been the recipient of bad publicity for an article she had written. Her source had fed her incorrect information. Heloise trusted her source so she did not bother to confirm the information that was given to her. Now, Heloise faced the consequences of possibly loosing her job and of feeling guilty for dragging her newspaper’s reputation down as well. At the insistence of her bosses at the newspaper, Heloise was asked to take some time off until this all blew over. Before leaving the newspaper office, Heloise found a cryptic letter addressed to her. It had been written by Anna Kiel, a woman that had been accused of murdering Christoffer Mossing, a young and prominent attorney. Anna Kiel just disappeared after the murder. She had evaded the police for four years. Why was she writing to Heloise? Had Anna Kiel surfaced and if so why now? Although, Christoffer Mossing’s murder occurred several years ago, the case against Anna Kiel had never been closed. Detective Erik Schafer was in charge of it and still was. Can the detective and Heloise find Anna and finally close the case?

I enjoyed listening to the audiobook of The Corpse Flower by Anne Mette Hancock and look forward to reading more books by her. There were twists and turns and parts where I literally held my breath. The ending was perfect and quite riveting. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good suspense novel.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media for allowing me to listen to this advanced copy of this audiobook through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Corpse Flower by Anne Mette Hancock is the first in a procedural-style mystery/thriller about Heloise Kaldan, a Danish journalist. Her job is in jeopardy and she begins receiving cryptic messages from Anna Kiel, a woman accused of murder who has been on the run for several years. We are introduced to more characters and tension builds and Heloise’s life is put in danger. Though largely about Heloise, we also learn about the case(s) from Detective Schaefer who investigated the original murder, and from accused murderer Anna Kiel. We begin to learn more about what’s going on, why Heloise is being contacted now and about the murder from several years ago. The book moves swiftly and had me intrigued. There are bombshell conclusions, which help set up the next book in the series. I listened to the audiobook, which is skillfully narrated by Laura Jennings. Her tone and pacing was perfect for this novel. Overall, a very enjoyable and intriguing read!

Thank you Crooked Lane Books / Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for providing this ARC.

This was my first Swedish thriller and I have to say it was quite different from the normal thrillers I read. This certainly wasn't a 5 star read for me, but I do think it had a lot of great elements to it that make it worth the read. The last third of the book, especially, does a great job of capturing the readers attention and throwing them back into the story. I found myself a bit confused and wondering how everything tied together until things finally started to click together towards the end and make much more sense. I thought the last third of the book was incredibly thrilling and interesting and really wish the rest of the book had been more like it. I absolutely loved the ending more than I liked the rest of the book combined, which I can't say I have found in many books before. The ending really saved the book for me. Overall, this was totally different from what I was expecting but I am glad I was able to read a thriller outside my normal reads.

From my blog: Always With a Book:

This is the first book in Anne Mette Hancock’s new Danish crime series and I am hooked! I love Nordic Noir and as soon as I saw that this was being compared to The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, I knew I had to read it…and I was not disappointed!

I love a good revenge story and this one delivers in spades!!! Right from the beginning, this one grabbed me and it really never let up. I’m a big fan of police procedurals and this one really kept me engaged from start to finish. Why was Anna sending Heloise letters? What was the connection?

I love a strong female lead and that is exactly what we find in Heloise. She has some tenacity and a strong sense of justice. There are a lot of other characters that me meet as well but I had no trouble keeping them straight. And I loved the short chapters – this is definitely a book that just begs you to keep with it, especially as you move further on in it. It definitely kept me guessing and I became suspicious of everyone, but that probably is because I read so many thrillers!

I love that this is such a layered, complex story. Nothing is as straightforward as it appears to be. Even the characters are complex and layered…my favorite kind!

This book takes a very dark turn, apt for a Nordic Noir and the comparison to The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo in my mind. I definitely didn’t see the turn it takes in the end but I still enjoyed it and am looking forward to seeing where the series goes from here. I just hope it continues to be translated in English as I definitely would love to continue on with the series.



Audio thoughts: This book translates well onto audio – it definitely kept me listening. The narrator, Laura Jennings, did a great job bringing this book to life, especially with all the pronunciations of places and names.