I found the book fast paced with twist and turns but it didn’t give me the WOW factor for a 5 star. Also the literal word for word translation made for some strange sentences.

I haven't read a thriller in a while so this was a nice change from my usual romance genre!
An absolute page turner and kept me gripped from the very first line! The twists and turns had me hooked and just when I thought I had it all worked out, I was wrong.
I would recommend this book to anyone who loves to be kept guessing!

This is the first book I've read by this author but it definitely won’t be the last. The plot surrounds a 10 year old who disappears, leaving the reader wondering who has abducted him and if can still be alive. Detective Schafer discovers the boy has an obsession with pareidolia, adding more confusion to the case. Nordic Noir is dark, twisted and moody, you won’t see the end coming!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. This was a creative and absorbing tale! Definitely recommend this one!
This is an engrossing page turner with striking imagery and breakneck twists. The author has a crisp writing style which guides readers through this layered and innovative thriller. It was a treat to read.⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks for the ARC I really appreciate it.

What an an outstanding book, I really enjoyed the twists and turns plus the red herrings that made me think something else.

This is an absolute gem!!! I’ve been so excited about this book and it hasn’t disappointed.absolutely will be recommending this book to anyone who will listen to me.

Unfortunately, the archive date was quite sudden, not previously there. That's why I just couldn't give it a go

This time the author takes us into a dramatic situation - a missing boy - Lucas.
Nobody knows what happened to him.
He was last seen entering the school.
However, he never made it to his class.
Was he kidnapped by a psychopathic pedophile?
Or was he murdered?
Had he escaped himself?
All of Copenhagen lives this disappearance.
No wonder, after all, the child was missing.
Everyone wants to help.
What really happened to Lucas?

The case is being solved by a well-known duo: investigating police officer Erik Schafer and investigative journalist Heloise Kaldan.
Will this couple find out the truth?
Is the boy still alive?

If you have children, this story is perfect for you.
The story draws you in from the very beginning.
Every second since a child goes missing is precious.
It can decide about his life or death.
False reports and wrong leads can lead to the boy's death.
I have children, so this book touched me deeply.
I was hoping our couple would find the boy alive.
That's why I called Eric and Heloise and investigated with them.
Have we succeeded?

Anna Mette Hancock has created the perfect thriller that will stay in my heart for a long time.
This story cannot be forgotten.
Great applause.

Will you be able to find the right trail and reach the boy in time?
read.

Amazing characters, a plot that attracts, quick action - with which you can't get bored and a very good leitmotif make this novel a must read.

Do you not read crime/thrillers?
It doesn't hurt.
Start with this book and you won't be disappointed.
Through Anne Mette Hancock's novels, you'll fall in love with the genre.

The novel "The
Collector" is worth recommending and breaking up the night.

it took me a while to get into this book but it really was worth the wait. i could not put it down, and feel that the collector number 2 is a possibility - i would certainly read it! eagerly awaiting

Kaldan and Schafer return for the second book of the series. The story follows the story of the disappearance of 10 year old Lucas who went missing from his school.

I didn’t enjoy this one as much as the first book but I still thought it was excellent! The story was engaging and the ending took me by surprise! I would recommend reading the first book in the series before this one.

Exciting plot to get your teeth into. The book was very well written. Great book added to the series. Believable characters make it real suspense twists and turns. Everything you need to make a good book

This title is the second instalment in the Danish “Kaldan and Schafer Crime Series”, and although you could read it as a standalone, personally I feel it would be best to read “The Corpse Flower” first as it sets up the context for the main characters and helps you understand the subplot and dynamics.


Another dark mysterious Nordic read by Anne Mette Hancock, this time surrounding the disappearance of a small child. Not normally a theme I like to read, but one that I did end up enjoying. I enjoyed the characters individual storylines and relationships more than the missing child element, but I did enjoy the ending and the way it was left to readers to interpret whether there would be a link between the Warfarin article and the last chapter.


Slow burning at the very start, but does eventually pick up in pace, and by the end you’ll be sad its over.


Another great story in the series from Anne Mette Hancock. I look forward to book 3 when it’s translated into English.


4 Stars – Nordic Read With Various Triggers


Publication Date: 1st June 2023


Thank you to #NetGalley, #SwiftPress and #AnneMetteHancock for an ARC of #TheCollector in exchange for an honest review.

i’m going to be completely honest, i had no idea this was part of a series. after doing research, i found this out, but i honestly would not have known if i didn’t look into further elements of hancock’s work.

i believe that you don’t need to read the first book in the series to gain an understanding of this. i was able to get on with it just fine and didn’t find many issues with the plot. i found this book very compelling and would happily read more of this series, despite it being quite slow to get into. normally i find books like this really fast paced, but this wasn’t happening for me. however, that may be a fault of translation rather than the actual book as i found some parts of the books quite odd which is often the case with translated fiction for me.

This book was a bit hard to follow however it did keep me hooked and interested along the way. I really didn't expect the ending at all. The who done it kept me going, I had to find out who it was.

Started, stopped at chapter 12.

Began again yesterday from the start and finished today.

I initially stopped reading as I wasn’t in the best place to read another story where a child goes missing.
I returned to start again as my head was in a better place and this is my second book by this author and I respect her integrity.

Great location; a police procedural set in Denmark, with the added twist of an investigative journalist.

When a young lad goes missing after his father drops him off at school, (his absence is not discovered until he fails to show at the after school club), the Police already feel they have lost valuable time. Initial enquiries throw up a number of leads and people of interest but truth be told there is more going on here than just a child abduction.

The characters are believable and the interactions within the story maintain interest and weave an intriguing mystery. Certainly. as is the expectation with good scandi noir there are a number of set piece action sequences where you have your heart in your mouth. Moments of tension are dramatically written and underline that this is a well crafted thriller.

I also valued the literary skills which enable the novelist to expand across a number of situations, elements of trust. As a human value this is explored, finitely within a number of relationships and interactions. I find it a real bonus when you can mine such treasures within a book.

Elsewhere there are issues around immigration, nationalism, alcoholism and justified violence within the text and character choices. Other great set pieces involve the expected autopsy and the criminal psychologist’s interpretations of a perpetrator cv.

I was pleased to see the subject of PTSD being introduced and attributed with careful brush strokes rather than graffitied across the pages and not taken seriously.

Over and above all these addition qualities which enhance the story, this is fundamentally a police procedural detailing a parent’s worst nightmare. But is the writer’s skill rather than just the horrific plot line that makes this a must read crime thriller.

I really could not put this book down, excellent storyline set in Sweeden for a change. Well written all the way through. It threw a few red herrings in just for good measure. No waffle just good no nonsense writing.

A new author who is now definitely on my watch list.

This was a very slow burn kind of a novel which meant I was able to read it in one sitting. I found some of the relationships between characters were abit odd; and it was hard for me to like any of the characters. This may be a fault on my part as I hadn't read book 1. Reading book 1 may explain more to me. The story tended to wander off course abit, I would have liked if it focused more on the investigation parts.
It was a nice fast paced thriller, unfortunately it was not the thriller for me.

The Collector by Anne Mette Hancock.

A witty, well-written story with a bit of a twist ending that’s unforeseen (well, to me anyway). The standout is the depth of the character development, venturing into the emotional baggage of the players as they stumble through the plot. The ‘common’ social issues of alcoholism, domestic abuse and betrayal all arise and are dealt with competently.

If that’s not enough to pique your interest the conclusions, and there are more than one, bring home a reality that Westerners with a conscience cannot avoid: “ ……between all the other news, in the middle of the paper, there was a tiny note that said forty children had been killed in a bombing in Syria. Planes from the American-led coalition had bombed civilians, families of ISIS fighters. You couldn’t care less about dead children as long as they’re not your dead children”

Thank you for the opportunity to read this advanced copy of The Collector by Anne Mette Hancock.

A 10 year old boy has gone missing. His frantic parents are alerted by the school that he is not there. Has any harm come to him? Do they know anything about why he has disappeared?

A great read.

Copenhagen - a 10 year old boy Lukas, goes missing, but is everything as it seems with his family - his father Jens, a doctor, and mother, a teacher?
Heloise Kaldan, the investigative journalist, has other things on her mind when she is put onto the case, whilst Detective Schafer would rather be back in St Lucia than in the cold of a Danish winter investigating the disappearance of the child.
Then a war veteran is found murdered, and there is a connection to the missing child - but how?
A good read. Not read any of the previous books, but enough detail is given that it’s not really necessary.