This was my first time with this author. I really struggled with these characters. I struggled to care about them. I could not keep my mind on the books. It felt for most of the book not much was really happening. I didn't realize this was the middle of a series and that didn't help but I didn't enjoy it enough to go back to the start. Just not much kind of read

Here is book four in the Louise Rick series although the author notes that it is set in an earlier time in her protagonist’s life. The book is set in Copenhagen, giving me my first mystery read in this city.

A woman is found dead and Louise is on the case. She also has an abandoned baby on her hands. Are the two linked? How? Who has committed a rather grisly crime? Is organized crime involved? What follows is a bit dark but nonetheless engaging. Lovers of Scandi crime will want to give this one a look.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for this title. All opinions are my own.

Let me begin by saying that although this is listed as book number three, I have not read any of the prior novels in this series - and I had no trouble figuring out who is who. However on the whole I found this story to be tedious, and not exactly my cup of tea.

I understand that the majority of police work is tedious, however the few "action" sequences we were given didn't seem to bring the story out of that funk. There were also several instances of bad editing (which seeing as how this is an English TRANSLATION novel may account for that). I enjoyed the characters - strong female leads are always a plus, and I do see why this author has enjoyed international fame. In fact, I have no doubt that she will find a lot of US fans as well. Just, when I look at the ending coupled with the story itself? I feel there is just too many marks that were missed with this one.

All things considered, I am sure there are still plenty of people to which this novel will appeal. I'm just starting to think this particular author is not for me.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

Unspeakable crimes, including human trafficking, and barbarous Eastern European villains await the reader in this Nordic Noir mystery. Louise Rick, a police detective in Copenhagen, is confronted with a series of horrific crimes, and she and her team must find out who is telling the truth, and who is not. Her friend Camilla, the journalist, helps her to find out who is behind some grisly murders. This is a very dark thriller, not recommended for the faint of heart.

Thank you Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for the eARC.
Previously published as Farewell to Freedom, The Night Women is an unblinking, harsh look at the 'business' of trafficking young foreign women and underage girls. In Copenhagen, police woman Louise Rick investigates the slaughter of a young woman as her good friend Camilla Lind, a police reporter, is called to the scene of an abandoned baby girl. The baby was found by her son and his best friend.
The two cases seem to be linked and both women find themselves thrown into the harsh underbelly of the city, investigating the brutal criminals who stop at nothing to keep the money flowing in.
This is an enjoyable series. I like both Louise and Camilla a lot and it was good to get some more background on Louise. The story is intense and heartbreaking at times, with a exciting ending. The descriptions of the life these poor girls are forced to live is harrowing and unfortunately quite realistic. Altogether, another good book in the series and I'm lucky enough to have The Running Girl by Sara Blaedel to read next!

Originally released as Farewell, Freedom, this is a dark and gritty novel about human trafficking. Detective Louise Rick is investigating the murder of a young woman in Copenhagen when she gets a call from friend and journalist, Camilla Lind. It seems Lind’s son has found an infant abandoned on the street. The more Louise investigates, the more the clues point to a human trafficking ring in Copenhagen. Human trafficking is such an ugly topic, and Blaedel doesn’t pull any punches in her intense and gripping story

I stumbled onto Blaedel's work a few years ago when a friend and I were "reading around the world" together and I chose Blaedel for Denmark. I love Louise Rick. This book, like all in the series, is a fast-paced thriller that will stealthily steal your next couple of evenings without you ever realizing the time has passed.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.