What a great thriller! I loved the suspense and twists and turns. The book cover states that everyone involved is lying. Trying to figure out who is lying is part of the book, and you’ll do well to remember this as you read through the novel. The human ‘lie-detector’ is a brilliant psychologist who has survived a terrible loss herself, one she revisits multiple times in the book. The ending made me gasp. Now I’m impatiently awaiting the next book from this writing duo.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.

3.5* rounded up.

This features Kari Voss, who works as a consultant to the Oslo police, advising on whether people are telling/remembering the truth by decoding their body language. I found this element interesting, although Kari's methods were explained more than once and sometimes it felt a bit like a TED talk.

When two sixteen year-old girls are found murdered, and a boy called Jesper arrested for the crime, it is this consultancy role and the fact that her son Vetle was friends with them all that allows the authors to insert Kari firmly in the middle of the investigation and predisposes everyone to be willing to answer her questions. Kari doesn't believe Jesper is guilty, and thinks his memories are constructed from the narrative the police kept thrusting on him, and so she sets out to prove someone else did it. The story is coloured throughout by the fact that Vetle himself has been missing for the last seven years and Kari has never stopped looking for him. I assume this will be the first in a series as the story ends on something of a cliffhanger.

This was an enjoyable read, although there were a lot of characters to keep on top of and with Norwegian names it was harder for me to keep them straight in my mind. I was going to say it was well-translated, but I don't see a credit for a translator, so maybe it was written in English. In any case, it reads fluently. Kari was a likeable protagonist: excellent at her job and willing to seek help when her grief overwhelms her. I would read more in this series.

Here we have fantastic characters in a good plot, and the writing is fluent and entertaining. BUT, the storytelling is changing between first and third person POV, and this is stupid. If everything was third person it would be logical, and some repetitions could have been avoided.

Complex and driven Scandi mystery that defines page-turner! Filled with secrets and lies, red herrings at every turn, and some truly wow moment surprises. Mystery fans, this is a must read ... and we need a follow up!

This book is officially in my top ten reads of the year and the year hasn’t even ended!! I know I will be buying this ARC as soon as it hits the shelves because I need it in my library! Officially a SIX STAR CERTIFIED read! So this ARC follows Kari, famously coined The Human Lie Detector. She helps the police with body language and helps to tell if people are lying and she’s extremely successful at it. Sadly 7 years ago her son disappeared and was never found again after having a birthday party. Seven years later two of her sons best friends that were at his party when he disappeared are brutally murdered. The police think they have a suspect but from the first interrogation Kari knows they have it all wrong. What follows is such a freaking twisty ass ride I literally was gasping the whole way through. Everyone in this little Norwegian town had so many skeletons!!! AND THE FINAL FINAL FINAL TWIST WITH VETLE MADE ME THROW MY IPAD ACROSS THE ROOM. 😩😳

I’ve read both of these authors individually several times so I was excited for this collaboration but it felt disjointed right from the beginning. Reflections in the past that I found confusing bc there was no separation and so many names thrown in. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this copy for read and review

Two well-known Nordic crime writers team up to write a book? Sign me up! It is the start of a new series featuring Kari Voss, a phycologist so adept at reading people's body language during police interviews that she has been called "The Human Lie Detector". After speeding through this book and absolutely loving it, I am beyond thrilled that I will be seeing more of Kari Voss! What a great start to a new series!

Eight years ago, Kari's son disappeared on a bicycle ride on his ninth birthday. Her father, since retired, was the police chief at the time. Kari had already suffered the loss of her husband, so this decimated her little family. She has had to learn to go on and has built a career both in Norway and the U.S. as a noted phycologist. When two teenage girls who were once friends of her son are murdered in a nearby Norway vacation home, Kari can't help but become involved. And then when her son's former pal, Jessup is arrested, Kari believes he is innocent and delves deeply into the case.

I loved the slow unraveling of the lives of the people involved around these two girls that were murdered. This is my favorite kind of police procedural. These authors wrote really interesting and multi-layered characters, and were adept at making one person, then another, look guilty. The main character of Kari is really interesting, and I enjoyed reading how she was able to interpret the movements of those being questioned.

I've read several books lately that I had to work to finish, so it was such a pleasure to speed through this book to get to the very surprise ending!

Thank you to NetGalley, authors Gustawsson and Enger, and Trafalgar Square Publishing for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I must be the only person who disliked SON. I started reading it soon after I downloaded it from NetGalley, but after reading about 7%, couldn't understand what was happening, and put it aside to read more interesting books. Then nearing the end of July, I realized that I must post my review because it would soon be published. So I started again at the beginning. I still found the first few chapters confusing, a jumbled mess. Part of the problem was that everything was written in the present tense, and I hate stories written in the present tense. That's a me problem. But part of the difficulty was that it jumped from one central character to another, confusing me. It didn't focus on one central character, or one central theme, until several chapters into the story.

After several chapters, we are finally introduced properly to Dr. Kari Voss, nicknamed "The Human Lie Detector" because of her expertise in psychology. It was she, who in the first few chapters described the kidnapping of her son, seven years earlier. But the story about the kidnapping didn't continue; instead SON eventually focused on the murder of two girls, Eva and Hedda, both 16 years old. They were at a cottage house in the village of Son, planning a Saturday evening Halloween Party, and they were murdered the night before the party was take place. (Notice the double entendre—Kari's kidnapped "son" and the village of son. This simply added, initially, to my confusion regarding what the story intended to focus on.)

The police identified a suspected culprit, Jesper, almost immediately. He was present when the girls were murdered, although he said that he was passed out in the bathroom, and couldn't remember anything that took place. After several hours of questioning by the police, he confessed.

But Kari Voss doesn't believe his confession. She believes he has developed a false memory. And so much of the story describes her investigations into other possible explanations for the murders. But like the beginning, these investigations are not described in a logical manner. The story jumps from one central character to another, from one timeline to another, and from one theme to another in a haphazard way, making it very difficult to follow any one logical progression. It seemed that everyone was lying, and no one was very likeable.

Furthermore, interspersed with the scenes, were short exerts that appeared taken directly from psychology textbooks. I am not an expert on body language, but I am on memory, and I recognized exerts from lectures I gave 40 years ago. These were sections on the fallacy of memory that every psychology student in North America learned ages ago, and I can't believe that people in Norway are just learning this now.

There were a few well-written scenes among this jumbled mess, and I was going to give SON a two-star rating, until the last chapter. It introduced information that had not been foreshadowed, information that was not relevant to the main theme of the story, but seemed designed strictly for shock value. And so, I decided to give it a one-star rating, which I hardly do when I read a book to the end.

I requested SON from NetGalley because I generally like Nordic Noir novels, and this one sounded interesting. I definitely won't be reading any follow-up Kari Voss instalments.

Thanks to Trafalgar Square Publishing for providing an electronic copy of this book via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinions.

"Everyone here is lying...

Expert on body language and memory, and consultant to the Oslo Police, psychologist Kari Voss sleepwalks through her days, and, by night, continues the devastating search for her young son, who disappeared on his birthday, seven years earlier.

Still grieving for her dead husband, and trying to pull together the pieces of her life, she is thrust into a shocking local investigation, when two teenage girls are violently murdered in a family summer home in the nearby village of Son.

When a friend of the victims is charged with the barbaric killings, it seems the case is closed, but Kari is not convinced. Using her skills and working on instinct, she conducts her own enquiries, leading her to multiple suspects, including people who knew the dead girls well...

With the help of Chief Constable Ramona Norum, she discovers that no one - including the victims - are what they seem. And that there is a dark secret at the heart of Son village that could have implications not just for her own son's disappearance, but Kari's own life, too...

For fans of Harlan Coben, Lars Kepler, Jo Nesbo and Jorn Lier Horst...and The Mentalist."

All the different sons!

Johana Gustawsson and Thomas Enger are sterling authors in their own right, so when I saw that they had teamed up to write Son, I knew that I was in for a treat. I wasn't wrong.
Son is the first book in a new series featuring Kari Voss. Kari is a psychologist, and is nicknamed the Human Lie Detector because she can read people's body language and call out their lies. She is rarely wrong.
Without giving too much of the plot away, all I will say is that Kari inevitably becomes involved in the investigation into the murder of two teenagers. Another teenager is arrested on suspicion of the murder, and subsequently confesses, but Kari is not convinced. 🗡
While a lot of the story is told from Kari's POV, we see events unfold through the eyes of other characters. 🗡
As for the other characters, all is not as it seems with those connected to the victims. Secrets and lies abound. 🗡
Son is a gripping, sinister read which I thoroughly enjoyed. And that ending! What a cliffhanger! 🗡
Thanks to Trafalgar Square Publishing and Netgalley for the digital ARC.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

SON by Joanna Gustawsson and Thomas Engler - Kari Voss #1

I am so excited by this new series from two stellar writers, Gustawsson and Engler (heavyweights of Nordic noir) SON does not disappoint.

This book introduces a fascinating protagonist, Kari Voss, a psychologist and expert on body language (aka The Human Lie Detector) who utterly captivating.

The storyline is based on a brutal double murder investigated by Chief Constable Ramona Norum (with the assistance of Kari Voss).

This novel excels in all aspects, and the character development is particularly top-notch. This story is populated with characters who are relatable, imaginable and rawly all too human.

Gustawsson’s almost forensic attention to strong storyline development dovetails with Enger’s unflinching portrayal of modern crime, weaving the past and present in a fascinating tapestry of secrets, grief, and revenge.

The narrative smoothly shifts between perspectives, creating a storyline as taut as a drawn bow.

This book proves Gustawsson and Engler remain true masters of their craft

I couldn't put this book down, and as soon as I did, I wanted to read the next installment in this series. This is a book that captures your imagination and you miss the protagonist after the last page - a wonderfully fascinating read.

Recommended for readers who enjoy Jussi Adler-Olsen, John Sandord, Patricicia Cornwell and anyone who enjoys a well-written mystery.

This is an interesting start for a series. The protagonist is a psychologist who interprets body language and is called a "human lie detector." She's also suffering from the trauma of her son going missing. Years later, two of his contemporaries, now sixteen years old, are murdered and she becomes convinced the accused (one of her son's friends back in the day) is innocent, even though he confesses. It unfolds nicely, though at first I thought every character in the book was having a nervous breakdown, the level of emotion is pitched so high. And the traumatized protagonist does an awful lot of smiling considering she's short on sleep and keeps fainting. I also had reservations about the way the killer, once revealed, is portrayed, but going into it would involve spoilers.

Overall, though, I found it an absorbing read with lots of secrets painstakingly uncovered among the friends and parents of the murdered teens. More to come on Crime Fiction Review when the publication date rolls around

This is a complex tale where everyone has secrets to hide and is guilty of something, but only one suspect is proclaimed guilty of horrible murders by the police.
I gave it the following SCORE:
Setting: Present day, Oslo and Son, a small town in Norway
Characters: Psychologist Kari Moss, Chief Constable Ramona Norum, and a complex cast of police, friends, families, and murder suspects
Overview: Moss is a consultant to the Oslo Police, an expert on body language and memory retention. She believes the young man immediately accused of murdering two young women is innocent based on his mannerisms presented in a jail interview. Having lost a child of her own and against the odds in several dimensions, she pursues the truth through an intricate web of possibilities.
Recommendation: I rate this book 4 stars
Extras: Typical of “Noirwegian” and other good Scandinavian mysteries, attention is required to keep track of the extensive cast of characters, some with difficult names.
Thanx to NetGalley and Orenda Books for the opportunity to provide this candid review.

This is the first book in a new series featuring Kari Voss, and I am here for it! Kari is a psychologist and police consultant, expert in body language. The writing is so good and there are a lot of intertwined stories and characters, and a cliffhanger at the end of the book. I can’t wait to read more in this series! Recommended.

So when two young girls are found gruesomely murdered at their own Halloween party, body language reader Dr Kari Voss is asked by the police to assess the behaviour of their family and friends. Not quite a psychic of course, this is all rather Science, but whilst Voss is known for her uncanny accuracy, the police will still override Voss's findings in favour of means and motive. And they soon do so here. It's one of the girls' childhood chums, Jesper, the evidence is overwhelming.

Voss, then, is on her own. Even her father, the former chief of police, is disappointed with what appears to be misplaced conviction, as is Kari's old police colleague, who feels particularly betrayed as Kari goes on air publically.

And what a tight, interwoven community it proves to be, nestled alongside the Norwegian fjords ,No one is quite free of suspicion, where Voss has to interview she ha known as neighbours, seen grow up, or who were friends of her lost son.

Yes, lost son. Kari Voss lost her nine-year-old son on his ninth birthday, apparently kidnapped for money but the son was never returned, prior to having lost her husband in a fire. How can the human soul persist in the face of so much tragedy? Yet, Kari Voss does persist, especially when a rogue driver tries to run her down.

This novel is apparently the result of the collaboration of two authors at the top of their game, the French Johana Gustawsson and the Norwegian Thomas Enger, blending Gustawson's understanding of human nature's with Enger's knowledge of police procedure. The result is a most realised novel with great depth of atmosphere and memorable characters, in a superb whodunit that kerps the best twists up to and until the very end.

The ending wssactually a little too much, presumably being meant as a cliff hanger : enough of a surprise to keep its intended readership dangling for the next instalment to drop. This actually had the effect of being very confusing for this reader, Personally standalones are much preferred, though it is clear that Voss seems to have a story arc and mysteries deserving of many sequels to come. A second thing to nitpick was that the body count does seem a little over the top towards the end, though maybe the point of any literary tragedy is that the reader is glad to be able to enjoy it as 'just a story'.. The real killer was easier to divine on the basis of certain clues dropped about where they were coming from.

All the same, it's truly powerful storytelling, no doubt irresistible for those who do love a good whodunit, with a taste for Scandinavian noir.

I've enjoyed every book I've read by Johana Gustawsson. I've enjoyed every book I've read by Thomas Enger. So, I suppose it's no surprise I enjoyed this first collaboration by the two of them. This is a dynamic debut to a new series featuring Kari "The Human Lie Detector" Voss. Fans of Nordic noir will applaud this riveting read. A chilling double murder sends Voss on a quest for justice which puts her at odds with the Oslo police. The case is a challenge for Voss because she's enveloped by secrets on top of secrets. To make matters worse, Voss is still struggling with the disappearance of her son seven years ago. Can she juggle the two cases? That's the question Gustawsson and Enger deftly answer in this thrilling tale. And, if you love twists, you'll love SON. Thank you to Trafalgar Square Publishing, Orenda Books, and NetGalley for the advance reading copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

“Son” was an extremely exciting mystery to read. The cast of characters felt big enough that I couldn’t figure out who the murderer was and the unconventional “detective” of the story was really interesting.

Everyone lies. Having the ability to read people’s body language can certainly help, but it didn’t feel like it led to the reader learning *too much* of the story as Kari interviews all those involved.

I can’t recommend this mystery enough. It was well-paced, tightly written and kept me on the edge of my seat.

It's no secret that I'm a big fan of both authors, so to say that I was excited when I heard about a collab between Thomas Enger and Johana Gustawsson is an understatement. I have been looking forward to read SON and meet our newest Nordic noir main character ever since, and I have to say that my expectations were more than met. Kari Voss gives us a refreshing angle with her talents as a 'human lie detector', and the case itself is fascinating. SON turned out to be a fantastic start of a new series, and a very successful collab indeed!

SON ended up being such a perfect title for this story, referencing to both the village where the murders took place and the many parent-son relationships in the spotlight along the way. It also refers to the missing son of our main character Kari Voss of course... Although his disappearance isn't the main case in this first book; instead, the plot travels to seven years after his disappearance and a different investigation. That said, the aftermath of his disappearance is still very much present and there will be flashbacks to the past as well... As well as a chilling reveal in that final page that means I simply HAVE to know what happens in the next book.

Kari Voss makes for a very intriguing main character and the fact that she is an expert on body language and memory adds a refreshing angle to the story. It's interesting to see how she reacts to the different situations considering her trauma in the past... Especially when she seems to be the only one who things the police arrested the wrong person for the murders. Her own inofficial investigation into the crime stands out with her using her talents to spot the lies, and it definitely added something unique to the plot.

SON uses a multiple POV structure, and the cast of characters is quite big. I do confess that the many POV switches could get a bit tedious, as it wasn't always immediately clear who was in the spotlight and you definitely had to work at keeping everyone apart. If you enjoy intricate stories with multiple angles and storylines, this book will definitely deliver for you though. The writing itself was simply brilliant, and a perfect blend of both authors. Collabs aren't always cohesive in style, but Thomas Enger and Johana Gustawsson without doubt achieved a perfect harmory in SON.

The pace in SON was a bit slower than expected, but I personally wasn't as bothered by it as there was simply too much to take in for the pace to move faster. This first book of a new series has a multi-layered plot with a lot of different characters, secrets and topics in play... And it is up to Kari Voss to unravel them all. There were quite a lot of twists and turns, and I'm happy to announce that while I did guess certain things right, I never did see the full picture before it was revealed. And even if you are able to do so, the journey itself is more than worth it on its own.

All in all, SON turned out to be a fantastic collab and the perfect start of a new Nordic noir series. And after that cliffhanger ending, I most definitely cannot wait to learn more about when a possible sequel will be published... Those final sentences are jaw dropping.

The story starts off slowly as it introduces each character and their connection to the events of the murder that night, along with the secrets they’ve kept. I liked Kari Voss she refuses to take no for an answer and is determined to uncover the truth.

The pace picks up towards the end with cliffhangers in the chapters that keep you on edge as everyone's secrets come to light. That ending left me completely flabbergasted they better add another book after that reveal!

Two teenage girls have been murdered in the Norwegian town of Son. Kari Voss investigates and ruffles a few feathers as she does so. She is a body language and memory export, super skilled at spotting a lie. She can't be fooled, can she? Or is the fact that the 7 year anniversary of her sons disappearance is coming up, affecting her ability to think clearly?
I enjoyed that there were many layers to this story and that Kari Voss herself was not perfect. She was battling her own demons as well as trying to help solve a murder which made her feel more human and likeable. The memory and body language knowledge that Kari Voss demonstrated was fascinating and made me want to look into more, outside of this novel.
And the ending! There had better be a follow up or I'm putting in a complaint!!!!