*This story may be a trigger. Child sexual abuse and trafficking are discussed*.

I love me some Scandinavian murder mysteries! The Corpse Flower is the first in a series that will star journalist, Heloise Kaldan and Detective Sergeant Erik Shaefer. Heloise has been getting cryptic letters from wanted murderer, Anna Kiel. 3 years ago, Anna was seen on CCTV leaving the scene of Cristoffer Mossing's murder, covered in his blood. There seems to have been no motive. She has not been seen since that night. DS. Shaefer was the investigator in charge of the case and has been searching for Anna Kiel ever since, but her trail has gone cold. Schaefer gets his first lead when the first journalist who covered Mossing's murder winds up a victim himself. Could Anna have claimed another victim? And why do all the other clues point to Heloise? Meanwhile, the letters keep coming, and they hint at a connection between Anna and Heloise. As Heloise starts digging deeper, she realizes that, to tell Anna's story, she will have to revisit the darkest parts of her own past.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this audio e-arc.*

Eloise is a Danish investigative journalist who is on the hunt for answers…answers that only Anna Kiel has.
The only problem is that Anna is on the run after becoming the lead suspect of the brutal murder of a prominent lawyer.
Eloise’s search for Anna will take her on a journey full of heartache, loss, and danger.
On this journey, Eloise will uncover dark secrets about an underground operation directly harming children in the absolute worst ways possible.
Perhaps the darkest secret she will uncover is one too close to home.
Eloise will lose friends and family along the way— but Eloise is relentless in the search for the truth.

During her investigation, she soon discovers that Anna has all the answers because she was once a victim of the same abuse by this group of people.
Anna’s story is one of a relentless pursuit of justice and ultimately revenge.

This was such an intense read and not for the faint of heart. It is dark, but not in a traditional suspense-thriller type of way.
I have to admit, I was not ready for the avenues that it took me on. This is not the type of read I generally reach for, but I am glad I went ahead and listened to this audiobook.

I found it extraordinary that this is a debut novel by Hancock. The pace really accelerates towards the last half of the book so it’s something of a slow burn. I really enjoyed the style in which the story was written, very atmospheric. Overall a solid read.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the Dreamscape Media for an audio ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.

I am always interested in traveling to a foreign city in a book, but even more so when trying to find all the clues in the scavenger hunt of a mystery. I am normally one who tries to figure out the ending before the main characters do, but I really fell in line with the mindset of the protagonist journalist in that it was a puzzle until the very end when it was all brought together in one complete work of art.

What was really intriguing was that none of it was a wild goose chase and it all fit together once you had the full details. I ended up feeling that emotional connection to the history and story as it had taken place over years and had an effect on so many people involved. Although this is a work of fiction, many aspects of it ring true in the world today. It discusses topics that are not as widely spoken about or addressed as they could be, but definitely are a problem. It shows what people are willing to do to hide to truth as well as those who strive to bring that truth to light.

There were multiple points of views which, with the short chapters, might make it more difficult to follow, but really brought the story together exactly like a puzzle and engaged you in a way to pay closer attention to details. I found the lead character, Heloise, to be a guarded and smart woman who clearly loved her job as a journalist and wanted to make sure that justice and truth were brought out due to her research and writing.

There are some triggering events that take place in this book. Now that I have finished it, I am curious to know what happens to these characters next.

I really enjoyed this one. Especially the insane ending. I felt myself almost hoping for either a sequel or an adaptation to be made. I would love to read this one again, or more from this author.

3.5 stars? 3.75 stars?

Hmmm. This one was interesting but wasn’t quite what I was expecting. I’ve had it hanging around for a while and was waiting for the right time to finally read it. While I didn’t love everything about them, I was (mostly) a fan of Heloise and Anna as characters, so that made for a good story. The plot itself was largely good, building suspense effectively and maintaining my interest until the end; that being said, I feel like a few threads, including reference to the title, were left hanging by the time the story had wrapped up, but perhaps that’s because it’s the start of a series. Otherwise, I was happy with the conclusion (and really enjoyed one of the final scenes in particular). Beyond that, though, some of the word choices and language didn’t sit well with me; at times that may have been the translation, but at others, it was definitely just the way it was written. Ah well- I can still mostly enjoy the story even if I didn’t necessarily appreciate every element of it. Overall, I did like the book and will probably check out others from this writer, once further English translations are available.

Great crime novel set in Copenhagen Denmark! I really enjoyed this audiobook. The narrator does a great job and each character is distinct. I like the detective Schaffer and his banter with colleagues. There is a dry humor throughout the story which lightens the subject matter and made for an enjoyable read. At the same time, the story is fast paced and exciting, which an intriguing mystery. Fans of Scandinavian crime fiction will like this book, now available in English!

Synopsis:
Journalist Heloise Kaldan is in danger of losing her job after a source feeds her false information. Walking on thin ice with her boss, Heloise begins receiving strange letters from Anna Kiel, the prime suspect in the murder of an attorney several years before. Are the letters really from the fugitive Anna? What does she want from Heloise? Detective Erik Schaffer is determined to figure it out, especially after the journalist who originally wrote about the Anna Kiel case is found dead in his apartment.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Dreamscape Media for a free copy in exchange for my honest review!

I really enjoyed this book. I was pretty sure I knew how it was going to end and what the mystery was early on but the book was intriguing enough that it kept me reading to find out if I was correct, It wasn’t really shocking or mind blowing but it was a steadily good read. This is my first book by this author and I will definitely be looking for more from her. I don’t know if this book is part of a series but I really liked Shaffer’s character and would love to read more books with him as a main character.
I really enjoyed the narrator and found her pleasant to listen to. Thank you for allowing me listen to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I had a lot of hopes for this one. I have read other reviews comparing this to Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, but I was disappointed. I never felt a connection with any of the characters. The big reveals weren't so big. Heloise with an "H" just made stupid decisions.

The book started out a little bit slow. It felt clichè and I wasn't sure if I were going to enjoy it. However, once it picked up, about halfway through, I couldn't stop listening. Riveting mystery, and perfect for fans of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.

When fugitive killer Anna Kiel starts sending letters to journalist Heloise Kaldan, it sets off a re-investigation of the crime. But is this just about a murder or is it more personal?

The Corpse Flower is a dark and layered novel. The marketing material describes it as The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo meets Sharp Objects and that is a spot on description, IMO. Just like those novels, I enjoyed the book, but the subject matter is REALLY difficult. That said, fans of other noir books and television shows will find this a good read. The book is set to publish in mid-October. (I listened to the English audiobook version and thought the narrator did a great job.)

I had a really hard time getting into this one. It just wasn’t for me. I’m not sure why I just couldnt get into it.

OK, that was fine. It’s a pretty generic murder mystery type thriller.

It’s not my thing; this is a translated number from German. I think it could be wrong.

It drags its points, and it’s just not what I was expecting.

I feel like if you really, really love thrillers, you would adore this. As someone who casually likes thrillers or very occasionally, it’s very OK that was fine.


I’m not in love with it; I don’t hate it.

It’s got some excellent suspense, and it’s got some superb storytelling. I like that its translation; I want to not just read stuff from the US or the UK
So that’s a nice change.

Halfway through, I just stopped caring, though. I don’t care if he Kotter. I didn’t care if they solved the murder. It was just happening.

So, all in all, I’m very find us one, like there’s nothing wrong with it and the audio is perfect for the audiobook.

And the translation is excellent, at least from what I can gather.

I just wasn’t really blown away. I wasn’t really surprised by any turns. I wasn’t really surprised by it in any of it.

It’s not super distracting, though, so this is an excellent option if you need something to have on in the background that you want to pay more attention to but not have to constantly pay attention to her to understand what’s going on.

Yeah, for me, it’s 3 1/2 stars. It’s not great. It’s not horrible. It’s just very middle of the road

And of course, thank you net galley, for sending me a review copy

I was graciously given an early copy for an honest review. This murder mystery takes thereader for a long journey that gives away details like pealing away the layers of an onion. Seems to throw in some scattered roadblocks to keep it interesting.. I received an audiobook and found after you kinda know which way you are traveling you don’t this keeps the reader/listener hooked find you can’t stop because you think you know how it will end but you don’t until the very end for this, it definitely kept my attention.I found it to be a brilliant way to approach a murder mystery..

Many thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for gifting me an audiobook of this Scandinavian thriller by Anne Mette Hancock and narrated by Laura Jennings - 4 stars!

Journalist Heloise Kaldan is becoming even more wary of trusting people when one of her sources is caught lying. Barely holding onto her job, she begins receiving letters from Anna Kiel, a young woman who is wanted for the brutal murder of a young lawyer. She hasn't been seen since and the police have no leads. While investigating the death of a retired journalist, homicide detective Erik Schafer soon realizes that there are connections between both Heloise and Anna that no one can yet explain. Heloise continues investigating Anna and realizes that her past is also at play and could be a connection.

This book is being described as similar to The Dragon Tattoo series and it's an apt comparison. There are strong women characters trying to right wrongs in their own way. It's a dark tale but a solid police procedural with intriguing characters and lots of twists and turns. The narrator did a great job voicing all the different people and was very easy to follow. This is the first in a series to be translated into English; I hope that more will follow because I would love to catch up with these characters again!

🎧 AUDIOBOOK REVIEW 🎧

The Corpse Flower
By: Anne Mette Hancock

Danish journalist, Heloise Kaldan , is in the middle of a career nightmare when she receives a cryptic letter from a killer. The accused killer, Anna Kiel, has been on the run for years. Heloise has no connection to the woman, leaving her to wonder why she is trying to communicate with her. She does know that it could lead to a big story.
Detective, Erik Schafer, has been hunting for Anna. When Heloise contacts him about the letters, he is ready to break the case open and get justice. Together, Erik and Heloise need to sift through the clues to figure out where Anna is and why she is now coming out of hiding.

When I first started reading this book, I thought ugh, not another investigating journalist story. I'm not a huge fan of crime thrillers that revolve around a journalist trying to get the next big scoop. It feels like clues just land in their laps, when the police have been doing the actual work. This book was not like that. It combined the efforts of Heloise's no bull attitude, and a super clue sniffing Detective Scháfer. Their teaming up was effective, with great chemistry.
What starts as a hunt for an accused killer, turns into so much more. Things aren't exactly as they seem, they are alot worse. The story takes a very dark and disturbing turn in the last half of the book.
An audiobook is only ever as good as its narrator. Laura Jennings has one of those voices that is soothing to listen to, with an ease into different characters. Jennings made the story more realistic with her emotional voice.
The title of the story is explained within the book. I have never seen, or smelt a Corpse Flower, but I want to someday. They have one at UCONN, and when it blooms its a big deal. People line up to smell the stench of rotting bodies. lol crazy..

Nordic Noir has quickly become my favorite sub-genre of crime fiction. I absolutely love the darkness of them as well as the atmospheric vibes. And THE CORPSE FLOWER was definitely a dark one! This was yet another slow-burn from the genre. For me, it started out really strong. I love the premise of this book and the characters intrigued me. I did find that I was losing a bit of interest in the plot and characters a little over half-way through but it was still a pretty solid read for me. Overall a 3.5, rounded up to 4.

Pros: This is an entertaining and well-plotted Scandinavian crime drama/thriller. So many of the thrillers I’ve read take place in the US, so it was fun to read a book set mostly in Copenhagen. I appreciated that this book was not predictable, and I enjoyed finding out how all the storylines tied together.

Cons: The description that this book is The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo meets Sharp Objects is ambitious, and in a way, it sets this book up to be disappointing. Those are two of the best books in the genre, and although this book is good, it doesn’t rise to the level of the top books in the genre.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to listen to this book.

I’ve shared this review on Goodreads and StoryGraph.

3.5 stars

Danish journalist Heloise Kaldak is in danger of losing her job after one of her sources is outed for lying. When she gets an anonymous letter from a killer, Heloise sees the chance to save her career. Anna Kiel has been on the run and wanted by police for three years after she was linked to the death an an attorney and detective Erik Schafer has gone back to interview the journalist who broke the original story. But he’s been murdered; so is Anna Kiel responsible for this second death, or is it someone else entirely? This is an intriguing and twisty Nordic Noir thriller