Plenty of twists and turns to keep you entertained throughout the entire book. Would highly recommend this author. He has a very different writing style.

Thrilling story with a plot that kept me turning the pages, really well written with great characters. Highly recommend to everyone who is a fan of this genre.

This is the 2nd book I have read by Danish crime writer, Steffen Jacobsen, and I wasn’t disappointed. A fast-paced suspense thriller, Retribution brings police lieutenant Lene Jensen and high-end private investigator Michael Sander back together again after a devastating terrorist attack on Denmark’s largest amusement park, Tivoli Gardens.

There are a lot of twists and turns in this novel with plenty of action. Jensen spends time volunteering on a suicide line and connects the dots with a Muslim women she has befriended that is in serious distress. This sets Jensen and Sander on a quest to stop another plan in the works.

I’m always on the lookout for new Scandi Nordic authors and am glad to now add Steffen Jacobsen to my list of favorites.

4 out of 5 stars

I requested Retribution a few days before it’s publication and it was archived prior to my being able to download the ARC. Thanks to Leslie Davis from Skyhorse Publishing for sending me a digital copy.

Thanks to NetGalley, #SkyhorsePublishing, and the talented Steffen Jacobsen for the ARC.

Publication date July 3, 2018.
Posted to Goodreads August 23, 2018.

Even though this was extremely close to its publication date (3rd July) when I requested a few days back, I knew that from the synopsis and the reviews already posted by other readers that I had to give this one a try! I tend to love thrillers that feature terrorism/counter-terrorism so this was a very easy decision to request a copy and when I was approved I was immensely happy. As I like to have my reviews complete before the day the book is released I knew I was going to have to fit in over the weekend along with another few books I was reading at the time too. In the end, as I had suspected, it was well worth dedicating some time to.

Despite having never heard of Steffen Jacobsen I am a huge fan of the Scandinavian (Scandi) noir trend that's been ongoing for a few years now - some of the best and most prolific crime writers are part of the craze brought on by shows such as The Killing and this rise in popularity then extended into the publishing sector. Of course, there were authors writing in the Scandi noir sub-genre before these TV shows but there is no doubt that there are many more now.

"Retribution" starts with a shocking set of events that take Denmark by surprise, shaking the local community to the core. Tivoli Gardens, Denmark's largest amusement park, has come under attack; a terrorist attack to be precise. The death toll stands at over 1,200 and unlike most terrorism nowadays noone comes forward to claim responsibility. Seven months later and the police are no further than they were shortly after the event unfolded, with no leads and no answers they can provide for what went wrong that day in terms of the security situation. Police Lieutenant Lene Jensen is one of the officers who has been on the case since the very beginning. When she receives a desperate phone call from a Muslim women who later turns up dead, she feels that there may be connection to the Tivoli bombing and thinks it is a lead worth chasing, with it being their only one! It may lead nowhere but without investigating how can she truly know? As Lieutenant Jensen delves deeper into investigating this possible connection she discovers evidence that the woman had unwittingly being part of a secret research project conducted by the government. As she digs deeper she is surprised to find that her superiors show increasing resistance and as a result she decided to team up with private detective Michael Sander. They continue to investigate the complex case but soon realise that someone knows a lot more about what happened than they are letting on. With the threat of another similar attack looming, can Sander and Jensen beat the clock while saving lives and peace of mind in the process?

This is one of those thrillers that you think will be straightforward with a fairly obvious suspect that could probably be predicted by the majority of readers. But that's just Jacobsen lulling you into a false sense of security! Trust me, I know. Jacobsen knows how to create a tense plot and uses misdirection skilfully. For the most part, the book moves at an impeccable pace with writing that truly pulls you into the story from the very beginning. The character development is well done and Lene is an admirable and relentess investigator with a strong moral compass guiding her through the investigative minefield.

There is action aplenty throughout and a sinister undertone that underpins everything that occurs from first page to last. I also thought that the conclusion was an excellent one, it is clear that Jacobsen is a masterful plotter, planner and executor. As this really appealed to me I will be seeking out his other books and keeping an eye open for any upcoming releases from him. If you are a thriller reader this is not one to skip, this guy knows what he is doing and it shows in his work. This for me is a rarity and a difficult skill to get right. I simply cannot believe that a guy who is this adept at constructing a complicated and complex case such as this hasn't managed to reach the heady heights that other (sometimes lesser authors) have.

Many thanks to Arcade Publishing for an ARC. I was not required to post a review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

A good book that starts with a bang. After an explosion at an amusement park, Lene, a police lieutenant, tries to get to the bottom of who was involved a bring them to justice. The plot runs deep and she reunites with an old flame to find those responsible. A well written book that has some slower spots but I was happy I read it.
Thank you to Skyhorse Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC for my review.

Another superb thriller by Jacobsen! Great character development, deft plotting, and a great ending!!

This is the first book I have read by this Danish crime writer but I look forward to reading more in the series.
A major terrorist attack in Copenhagen leaves Denmark reeling and the Danish police and security forces desperately trying to understand how and why it happened, while racing to prevent another tragedy expected imminently.
This was an excellent thriller, full of action and suspense, where things were not quite what they seemed and which kept me enthralled until the very end.

Thank you NetGalley and Skyhorse Publishing for the eARC.
Great book, with flawed heroes and cold hearted killers that will keep you up late at night. Never having heard of Steffen Jacobsen, I was curious, as an avid Scandinavian fan, to read this book and was subsequently thrilled to have another name to add to my list of favorite authors...I ordered Trophy, the previous book featuring the 2 main characters, can't wait!
In our current climate of the threat of terrorism, it was a fascinating read, with complex and likeable characters, good and bad; the author obviously did extensive research and kept it thoughtful, sensitive and informative while giving the reader a cracking good story. I got the same thrill reading Retribution as I did reading the Millennium Trilogy, although I regret I hadn't read Trophy first. But it's great to know there will be 4 books altogether, hopefully we don't have to wait too long for the next English translation (excellent job by Charlotte Barslund, by the way).
A suicide bomber kills 1,241 people in Copenhagen at the famous Tivoli Gardens amusement park, leaving Denmark in total shock, changing life in that country forever. Police Superintendent Lene Jensen and Private Investigator Michael Sander end up working together again (after Trophy), trying to thwart another impending attack. With insightful characterizations and tense action, this was a fantastic read, highly recommended for any and all fans of intelligent thrillers.

Admit when you are wrong; okay I was wrong.

I stay away from the comparison game, you know, "just like Jack Reacher, similar to Nesbo" and female leads are usually are just too manly but all my preconceived notions were wrong. Police Lieutenant Lene Jensen leads you on a real thriller that will keep you guessing as you turn the pages. Great book

I must admit I was totally prepared not to like this book. Even though I love Scandinavia mysteries and thrillers I do harbor a prejudice to some of that genre’s writers. I had never heard of Steffen Jacobsen and I tend to not force myself to finish a book if it doesn’t grab me in the first couple of chapters. Well, I love being wrong about this kind of thing. I am going to try and read the rest of this author’s books and if you are a seat-of-your-pants thriller lover, add this one to your reading list.

Highly recommended!

This book is to be released in July, 2018.