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.

I’ve said multiple times that two of my favorite things are a strong female protagonist and a great series that continues to build on itself.

Enter The Corpse Flower, which already has one of those elements in journalist Heloise Kalden and has all the potential to develop the other. I can see Heloise and her police contacts solving lots of bloody, twisty mysteries.

The Corpse Flower isn’t without triggers. There are some graphic scenes involving children that I think you should know about before you go in blind, but, for me, (no spoilers here) the end result was worth it.

This book started a little slow for me, but it is worth sticking it out. I usually can figure out the plot of a book pretty early on, but this book has so many twists that you don’t see coming it’s really a refreshing read. I also really appreciated the audiobook format.

The narration is done at a great pace and it is easy to listen to.

I’m giving it 3 stars. I wish there was a 3 1/2. It’s better than mediocre but it’s not a book that I will reread which is how I set my 3 star vs 4 star ratings.

I love Nordic Noir so I was really excited to listen to this book. The narrator did a good job, and I like the main character as a journalist digging into an old case, but I just never felt really invested it the outcome.

The Corpse Flower tells the story of Heloise, a journalist, who has a story fall in her lap after a setback at work. Ana has been on the run for years wanted for murder. When Ana sends a letter to Heloise, the story that unravels will change both of their lives forever.

I was not expecting the turn that this book took. It was so dark but so good. I could tell that their was a relationship coming but, for the life of me, I couldn't figure it out. I was suspicious of the wrong people and I think that is a testament to Hancock's writing. I loved the ending so much. I won't say my specific reason for loving it because it would spoil it but man was it good. This was a solid book from beginning to end and I didn't want to stop. Heloise is one of my favorite characters and I loved her tenacity. She was motivated but also understanding. She had a strong sense of justice and I loved that. Overall, this was phenomenal and I loved it!

Thanks #netgallery for this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed this book with the twists. Great narration. Keep me thinking. Revenge is a great topic.

I had a tough time following along with this audiobook and I think it was mostly because of the language barrier, not the book itself. This one is pretty dark so I would advise you to check out the trigger warnings before getting this book.

Revenge is so sweet! I really enjoyed this Danish debut thriller. Very captivating, and you just want to keep reading. Heloise is a great main character, while Erik is a great supporting sidekick cop. It gave me Law and Order/Bosch vibes. Thoroughly enjoyed this story.

-This could most definitely be triggering to some: pedophilia.-

*Thank you @letstalkaboutbooks @berittalksbooks @crookedlanebooks @netgalley and @dreamscape_media for the advanced copy and audiobook in exchange for an honest review.*

The Corpse Flower started strong, but unfortunately ended up falling flat for me. I kept waiting for it to pick up but it never did, the story it’s self was interesting & I did feel the need to know how Anne & Heloise were connected, that was really the biggest pull I had to this story, the ending was extremely lacking satisfaction. All in all I am glad I read this book but it’s not one of my favorites - I will say I believe the author has a lot of potential to create an amazingly spun story but personally, this one was not it for me.

** I do want to thank Crooked Lane Books & NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book for an honest review**

The Corpse Flower by Anne Mette Hancock

Trigger warning: Pedophilia

This book is the first book in the Danish crime series, the Kaldan and Scháfer mysteries. Heloise is a journalist and she happens to be the one person that murderer Anna Kiel, still on the run, seems to be trying to connect with. Anna seems to think that she and Heloise have something in common, as her cryptic letters explain. Heloise is trying to unravel the mystery of Anna and the letters, as people are dying around her.

What connects Anna and Heloise came as a total surprise and was dark...very, very, dark. I really enjoyed this story and it was quite well put together. The beginning of the book went at a steady pace, but the ending really took off and kept me listening until the very end. The narration was good and was very easy to listen to. This was a great debut novel and I'm definitely interested in listening to the others in the series!

Thank you #NetGalley, Anne Mette Hancock, and #DreamscapeAudio for allowing me to listen to this ARC!

This story got really heavy at the end and took a turn I didn't expect. The atmosphere was anxious and dark. There were a lot of threads between Meloise the journalist is given cryptic messages form Anna who is on the run for murder being pursued by detective Sergeant Erik Schafer that eventually connected as the story progressed. I think this is a translated piece but easy enough to follow. This was a slower paces book for me but interesting enough that I finished it in one sitting.

📚BOOK REVIEW📚 🏔🏔🏔🏔🏔/ 5
Pub Date Oct 12, 2021

Reading this book immediately made me curious about the corpse flower and I had to google it. I’ve never heard of it before, but it is real and rather fascinating!

“What Makes the Corpse Flower Special?
The allure of the corpse flower comes from its great size (it is the largest unbranched inflorescence in the plant kingdom), powerful stink, and fleeting presence. The plants frequently grow up to 8 feet tall in cultivation. Referred to as the corpse flower or stinky plant, its putrid smell is most potent during peak bloom at night into the early morning. The odor is often compared to the stench of rotting flesh. The inflorescence (a collection of flowers acting as one) also generates heat, which allows the stench to travel further. This combination of heat and smell efficiently lures corpse-attracted pollinators, such as carrion beetles and flies, from across long distances.”

Luckily it’s not a common flower. It does look beautiful, but no one wants that stench in their garden!

The title and gorgeous cover of this book caught my attention, and as usual, I took a leap of faith and requested it without reading the synopsis. I wasn’t disappointed, but I was completely surprised.

Heloise is a journalist who has just made a huge error by quoting a known source who was given erroneous information. Not something any journalist wants to do. This has put her job in jeopardy and questioned her future as a journalist, which is a huge problem because she has just received a letter from someone claiming to be a murderer that is still wanted.

Anna Kiel disappeared after she was filmed, covered in blood, leaving the scene of a grisly murder. Anna sends several cryptic messages to Heloise, hinting that they have something in common. Heloise’s investigation into Anna isn’t easy, because of her previous infraction, but she is determined.

Her investigation takes her to places I never imagined and this dark story is a page-turner!

**Warning: child pornography/sexual abuse**

Sincere thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Audio. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

#AnneMetteHancock #NetGalley #DreamscapeAudio #bookstagrammer #thrillersofinstagram #octoberreads #coloradoreader #readingintherockies #justfinishedreading #inexchangeforreview #thrillerlover #bookrecommendation #audiobookreview #mustreadthriller

This was a great debut for the Kaldan og Schäfer Danish crime series and I’ve learned that I really enjoy Scandinavian noir!

It was a captivating story with some compelling characters that will certainly keep you turning the pages! I’m also such a sucker for a great revenge plot and I found this one quite well done! It had great propulsive action and I relished in the dark family secrets aspect.

If you like Nordic Noir or Procedural dramas, this ones for you!!

Stimulating, suspense filled from the start, you won’t want to put this one down! I hated to stop and would think about it until I could get back to reading it!!! A wonderfully written story that gets you thinking and feeling for each main character.

This one really worked for me because of the true crime feel. I enjoyed the writing style and it was full of mystery and suspense that kept me glued to the details. The main characters were interesting and even though the of story is centered around things of a disturbing nature it was done well. People and situations aren’t always what they seem and this was a perfect example.
I highly recommend this if you love mystery-thriller suspense.
I chose to listen to this book on audio and the narrator was excellent. This was 8 hours and 2 minutes.
Thanks Dreamscape Media via Netgalley.

I found The Corpse Flower by ……….. an interesting read. I have never read Swedish Noir before and I did struggle with some of the street and place names in the book, but not enough to slow me down. I just did my best with them and moved along in the book.

Corpse Flower is a thriller, and it has a very dark and sometimes disturbing atmosphere. There are a lot of triggers in this book, including suicide, gore, murder, violent assault, child pornography, and rape, so if you are susceptible to things of that nature, you will want to proceed with caution or skip altogether.

There are many characters in the story, and the book, moves quickly, however, overall I would say it was a slow burn. The author’s writing is clear and engaging so even with all the characters, you do not get confused.

The characters are all authentic, and the main character Heloise is very likable. She has trust issues and only seems to connect with her best friend, keeping herself closed off to others, but the reasoning behind these issues are revealed within the story and you will understand her more. The mystery that surrounds Anna was both enthralling and heartbreaking, and I really enjoyed this part of the story.

Some parts of the story seemed predictable, and at times I felt a bit bogged down by all the police procedures, but if you are a fan of detective stories that are detailed, you will probably find this book entertaining.

All in all the book has plenty for lovers of thrillers. There is a lot of mystery, detectives who are capable and competent. Great twists and turns, interesting secondary stories, and of course revenge.

The Corpse Flower
Anne Mette Hancock
Heloise Kaldan is a successful reporter for a Copenhagen newspaper. The thirty-six-year-old journalist is in trouble for reporting on a story without fully investigating her source who was lying. A suspected killer is sending her puzzling messages. Anna Kiel was seen leaving the scene of a murder; she was caught on camera, covered in blood. Attorney Christopher Mossing, the son of a formidable real estate mogul, was found stabbed to death. The crime took place three years ago, Anna hasn’t been seen since then. The officer in charge of the investigation was Erik Schafer.
There has been a new murder; the journalist that originally reported on the murder has been found dead. Has Anna killed again or is it someone else? Could Heloise be connected to Anna? Heloise must face her past no matter how dark it is.
This is the first book in a new series with main character Heloise Kaldan. The Corpse Flower began as a slow read but eventually picked up the pace. The point of view is told mainly from Heloise’s point of view but also from Erik and Anna’s. Toward the end of the book the reader discovers the connection between Anna and Heloise.
I found it difficult to connect to the characters in this tale. While it has great possibilities it fell short for me.