3.75 Stars

Helle and Death is best described as a character focused, cosy mystery in the style of a classic country house ‘whodunnit’ with a slight modern twist. A group of university friends are reunited by invitation to a remote snowbound mansion for a 10 year reunion. However all is not as a it seems when their old friend and host reveals some shocking news which is then followed later by a death! One of the guests, Torben Helle, the art historian and Danish expat takes on the role of detective and many secrets are revealed.

I listened to the audiobook which was read by Gunnar Cauthery which I enjoyed. However did find myself cringing at some of the accents given to the characters. I also thought the story was a little dragged out, particularly in the beginning and felt it took some time for the story to really get going, however I understand that a lot of this was character building and setting the scene. The conclusion was fairly obvious and although you could argue there were some twists, it did not wow me or make me question anything.

Nonetheless, this is a very well written story where the setting and atmosphere were really well done giving the reader that old-timey mystery feel despite its modern setting. The characters were diverse, and their relationships were interesting and funny at times which added to the cosy aspect of the story, despite the small issue of a murder!

Thank you NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

A proper old style locked room whodunnit.

A group of Uni friends are summoned to one of the group’s stately home for a weekend of catching up, partying and general excess. All goes swimmingly until one of the group dies in suspicious circumstances and a snowstorm means they are barricaded in without the use of mobiles (removed when they first arrived as the Host doesn’t allow mobiles in the house).
And here the fun begins …

I think I missed the memo on this one, most reviews are glowingly positive but for me, it wasn’t really my cup of tea (it absolutely should have been, it definitely ticked my cosy murder mystery boxes going in but … just the way the cookie crumbles I guess). I felt the plot was predictable, I disliked the lead character and found some of the use of language frustrating (particularly the number of times asking if something was the right word or phrase, when it was clear from early on all the characters had a much more comprehensive understanding of the English language than I do) I know it was meant to be charming but it just missed the mark for me.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing an advanced audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

Really enjoyed the audiobook version of this novel. Well written, some great characters and a narrator well matched to the style of the book. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC

This book follows the theme of a locked room story with a group who were friends in University invited to meet up with one of their contemporaries who has become reclusive.

The usual factors were present, remote location, snowed in, no contact with the outside world, a death and some big personalities. It was an entertaining book if slow, I had to listen at 1.5 speed, as per another reviewer I can't seem to listen at normal speed any more but this was faster than usual.

There were enough twists to keep me reading and engaged.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.

Helle and Death is basically a locked room mystery. A disparate group of university friends reunite in remote Northumbrian and get snowed in. The host dies, apparently by suicide, and two central characters set about trying to solve whether he was murdered. All involved have secrets, some have motive but is there a killer in their midst.p?

It’s well written and there are some lightly amusing moments, but I struggled to maintain interest as the take unfolded. The narration is excellent and draws out the differences between the individuals involved. I couldn’t find anything to like or dislike about most of them and the pace is very slow. Overall I found it a diversion, but rather dull. Possibly it’s just not a book for me rather than the author’s fault; I’m sure others will enjoy it more.

Cosy locked room murder mystery as a group of friends reunite in a Scottish mansion. There’s a suicide but soon Tor believes a murder has taken place. Full of references to classics from the genre, the truth is slowly revealed.

Old university friends, a meet up and a murder? Ooo sounds like an interesting read.

I really enjoyed the dynamic between the characters and the history they shared made for an interesting plot. The story itself was intriguing but a little slow for me. I struggled to remain engaged although the audiobook was good so can’t fault that (1.5x speed for me as I seem to have lost the ability to listen to books at normal speed!)

It purely lay with me, as sometimes audiobooks can make it easy to drift in an out of and it took me a fair while to get through this one. So whenever I left it, I did occasionally struggle to get back in again. The writing was great and the murder mystery element had a brill, cosy, locked room whodunnit. I found it steady and I don’t think I was invested enough to truly be hanging on the outcome but I was committed and couldn’t guess who might have been the culprit.

A solid murder mystery and an author to look out for, I will definitely venture into any future books he releases.

A group of friends meet up ten years after leaving university. The destination is an isolated mansion belonging to the most successful member of the group, Anthony. On the first evening together Anthony breaks the news that he is terminally ill and is leaving each of them a bequest in his will. That evening the group are shocked when their host commits suicide, or has one of them murdered Anthony to access their bequest quicker?

Helle And Death by Oskar Jensen is a classic snowed-in mystery. From the start the scene is set perfectly; an isolated mansion, mobile phones banned, weapons readily available and a mysterious host.

The cast of characters are an unlikely group of friends, they were simply thrown together by the fact of their accommodation at university, had it been normal life they probably would not have known each other. Some of the group have been successful in life, others are still trying to make their mark. The host of the group has been the most successful, making his fortune as a tech entrepreneur. We learn early on that one of the group contributed to the tech that made Anthony his fortune but his contribution was never acknowledged. Is this a motive for what follows?

Each member of the party is a suspect in the possible murder. They all have the means and opportunity, and many of them also have a motive. Art Historian Torben Helle is the member of the group who investigates the possibility of murder, along with Ruth who is a police detective. The difficulty arises when they can't believe anyone in the group is actually capable of murder, no matter what their personal circumstances are.

The narrator does an excellent job at voicing Torben, particularly his struggles with the complexity of English idioms, quite a few of these do raise a smile.

Twists and turns, false accusations, confessions and shock revelations keep you gripped and make it impossible to figure out who is responsible before the big reveal.

This murder-mystery fell just short of the title of 'cosy', with the reader never really fearing for the remaining characters' safety but simultaneously never feeling entirely sure of what is going on.

The narrator really did make this an enjoyable experience, taking a book which did nothing spectacular to the next level.

Though there were a few red herrings, much of these seemed implausible from the start and, in a few months time, I imagine the only thing I will remember of the story is how awful it is hearing 'yaldi' be included in a book.

The audiobook is well narrated, with a likeable and easy to listen to narrator who had no difficulty maintaining my attention.
Interested story
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

When a group of old university friends get together at one of the groups remote house in the North East of England, little did they know the drama that would unfold. In classic old-school murder mystery-style, they are soon cut of by a snowstorm that stops anyone from leaving, or coming to their aid, and then the body is found...

If you are a fan of locked room, cosy mysteries, this delivers well. Well written with good pacing, if a little slow for my liking and although a good cast of characters, some were maybe surplus and/or a bit annoying!

Recommended if you are in the mood for an easy to read and entertaining cosy mystery!

This was a wonderful locked-room mystery with a unique twist! I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it, from the loveable Danish main character, the BAMF female secondary characters, and the murder victim whose machinations continued even after death! The ending wasn't quite as dramatic as I'd hoped it to be, but still satisfying in its own way, so if you're a fan of Agatha Christie or Alexandra Benedict, then be sure to check it out!

3.5 stars

I listened to the audio of Helle and Death which was well read by Gunnar Cauthery although he did do a lot .. of ... dramatic ... pauses. Otherwise he had a good distinct delivery, no melodramatic overacting either. I like to be read to as if I were reading it.

The story is based around a group of old university friends who have been called to a house in the North East of England to visit one of the group. The characters are reasonably ordinary people with ordinary lives except for the host who is a multi-millionaire tech genius. Trouble begins as the weather closes in and a blizzard prevents anyone coming or going. On the first night Antony, the host, gives them some bad news. The following morning a body is discovered.

This book is an homage not so to the locked room and country house mysteries more readily found in Conan Doyle, Sayers or Allingham books. Despite Tor (probably the main character) being Danish this is no Scandi-noir.

If you like a "cosy" mystery with a character driven plot then this is for you. It's well written, easy to follow, some twists but thankfully not so complex you have to keep a notebook by your side. Apart from the dramatic pauses I enjoyed it from start to finish.

I was fortunate to be able to listen to the audio and read Oskar Jensen's atmospheric, character driven debut that draws on classic golden age of crime tropes that is so good that it feels like historical fiction. The audio is approximately 11 hours and 30 hours long, ably narrated with clarity by Gunnar Cauthery. Art historian Torben Helle is travelling by rail to Northumberland, a 10 year reunion of a group of 8 ex-Oxford University graduates, being hosted by the wealthiest of the group, Antony, a tech entrepreneur, who has been living a reclusive life for a while. He is surprised when he is joined by 2 others on the journey, Sarah and Frances, arriving together at the old, large, remote, cold, imposing, and draughty house.

The group enjoy a beautifully cooked sumptious meal on the first evening, with Anthony giving them some shocking bad news and informs them of the £50 000 he is leaving each of them. Torben imbibes rather a lot of alcohol, waking up with an excruciating hangover, learning of their host's 'suicide' by shooting, feeling something is wrong, but unable to pinpoint exactly what for a little while. However, it soon becomes clear to him that it is murder, news that goes down like a lead balloon with other members of the group, each of whom now become suspects, making it hard to maintain their trust in each other. In the meantime, there are heavy snow blizzards, leaving them snowed in and stranded. The scene is set for us to learn of their pasts, as secrets emerge, as motives are discussed between them, filling the time with activities such as playing badminton in the large ballroom.

Jensen weaves a fun and witty murder mystery that I admit took me a little while to get into, although once I did, I really enjoyed it. It makes the perfect read for the long winter days ahead of us, it is a well plotted, twisted crime read that I can see many readers appreciating. The titular Danish Torben Helle is a skilfully drawn protagonist who easily captured my interest, with the house a character in its own right, and I loved the location. I can recommend both the book and audio. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC and ALC

Torben Helle travels to the remote estate called Bastle House, where his group of Oxford friends gather for a long weekend. Most of them hope to reconnect, some are desperate to talk to their host, Anthony, and someone might even have more sinister motive. Because in the morning, Anthony is dead, seemingly by suicide, but Torben suspects a foul play. In the snowstorm, cut of the civilisation, old rivalries surface, friendships are tested, and secrets revealed. Helle & Death is an atmospheric whodunnit full of surprises and a homage to the genre.
A rather literary and intriguing murder mystery featuring delightful though annoying characters, Helle & Death is a book difficult to judge. Though in places too long and full of erudite discussions which do not move the plot, it is a clever and intriguing novel, which pays tribute to the known detective novels especially from the golden age of crime writing. I particularly enjoyed Torben narration, a snarky and ironic and sometimes rather confused by English customs.
I must also mention the excellent audiobook narrator, Gunnar Cauthery, who truly brought Torben and others to life. SO much of the audiobook enjoyment depends on the well chosen narrator, and Cauthery was perfect for this role.

As an Agatha Christie fan who has read all her books, most of them many times, I’m always on the look out for a new but still classic mystery, with all the oddly comforting vibes of a Christie, but also a tantalising new problem to solve. Helle and Death fit the bill perfectly, even though the book is not set at Christmas, the snowy winter setting, with a group of old friends stuck in a big relic of a house, it still felt like the perfect escapist, page turning, thrilling and yet cosy read for this time of year. As we’re always getting questions about a good solid mystery in the bookshop, I’m looking forward to recommending it to customers in January! The audiobook in particular was a delight to listen to, and the golden age crime references were an excellent bonus - as was the kombucha.

Thank you netgalley and Oskar Jensen for the Arc of Helle and death.

You can't beat a good whodunit and Helle and Death doesn't disappoint, The narrator, Gunner Cauthery was an absolute delight to listen to. For me, he has a storyteller voice that rolls through the story. I even checked out on audible what other books he's narrated! He did the accents to to the characters really well without being over the top.

The storyline of Helle and Death, was medium paced with some slow build ups which were information based surround the characters. I feel this is necessary as its made the characters whole. I felt that, in most part, I was a fly on the wall and watching the narrate unfold. The interactions between the characters were what I call real, everyones a suspect and a great mix of characters too, Ill be looking out for more of Oskar's books in the future.

This audiobook was a delight to listen to - it had all the qualities I enjoy in a book - a remote Northumberland Manor House blanketed in snow, a group of friends reuniting and now stranded and a murder mystery in store. Torben Helle is our main character, a Danish professor and an astute academic who kept me entertained throughout the book. Torben and his friends are treated to a quirky banquet in the story which is one of my favourite scenes. I have to say the plot is well drawn and the narration by Gunnar Cauthery is absolutely excellent and takes this novel to another level. This is a modern day classic but with the echo of a golden age whodunnit that I couldn’t put down. Thank you Netgalley and Profile Books Audio for my copy.

I recently delved into a cozy mystery that expertly weaved a well-done narration, keeping me entertained throughout. The story unfolded with a delightful charm, creating a cozy atmosphere that enveloped the reader in its mystery.

While the narrative was skillfully executed, I found myself yearning for a bit more excitement. The pacing was steady, and the characters were intricately developed, contributing to the overall enjoyment. However, a few more unexpected twists or heightened suspense could have elevated the experience.

Despite the longing for a tad more thrill, the author's storytelling prowess shone brightly. The cozy setting, coupled with a cleverly crafted mystery, made for a satisfying read. If you're a fan of leisurely-paced mysteries with a touch of charm, this book is sure to captivate your attention.

Overall, a well-executed cozy mystery that excels in narration and entertainment, with the potential for an extra layer of excitement.

Good story, interesting characters and it flows well, sadly I found the narrator intensely annoying and for that reason I can score it more than 3 stars