I enjoyed reading this book. It captured by attention right from the beginning, and kept it for the entire book. The author describes each of the characters very well, and they are easy to get to know. This book is not an intense murder mystery, but is an excellent book. I would highly recommend it. I received a complimentary advanced reading copy of this book from the publisher. Any opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I just finished The Tenant and gave it 4 stars. I feel like the last half of the book was a cold-blooded game of endless cat and mouse. It was awesome! I haven't read a book like this in awhile with so many characters that were suspects, and they all looked guilty! This book had many characters, which I felt made it very complex. I feel like if it was a movie, it would be one that you learn something new each time you watch it. Do you know those kinds? All of a sudden, you have a Eureka moment and realize something that you missed in watching it the first time? This book was so well engineered. I mean, you have to pay attention or you'll miss a key piece of the puzzle. And, everyone seems to be connected to each other which makes it fascinating and bizarre. And, just when I start to connect with some of the characters, they end up dead or are next in line to be killed!

This one was a nail-biter that will keep your heart pounding and your eyes flying through the words so you can figure out who's guilty. Literally, this one keeps you thinking when you put it down and have to return to life. I found myself having to back up a few pages each time I had to step away so that I could remember where I left off because it was so action-packed and eventful.

Thanks to @Netgalley @Pocketbooks @Scoutpress for providing this book to me in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to @KatrineEngberg for thinking up such a believable and thrilling read. #literaryfiction #mystery #thriller #thetenant #netgalley

Nicely written Murder Mystery/Thriller. Interesting and quirky characters. Translation nicely done, easily readable. Not certain needed such an extended wrap up, but I know many readers enjoy that. I recommend to anyone ready for a fun jaunt.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is the first book for Katrine Engberg, already established as a well-known choreographer and dancer in her native Sweden. This Scandinavian noir mystery, almost impossible to put down, portrays morally complex and challenged characters trying to unravel a sinister plot. The female and male police detectives assigned to the case, with all their idiosyncrasies, provide plenty of interest for the reader, and they nicely round out the plot. The book is inventive and clever and is highly recommended for mystery readers.

I love a good suspense/mystery, and this one was fairly entertaining.
When a young woman living on the ground floor of a residential building is discovered to have been brutally murdered, landlord and retired professor Esther de Laurenti’s life is turned upside down.
A pair of detectives, Jeppe Korner and Annette Werner, are assigned to the case, which leads them to various suspects who all seem to have unusual motivations.
The twisted part of the novel is that the murder—gruesomely intricate facial carvings and all—is almost identical to an unfinished crime novel written by Esther de Laurenti herself.
Throughout the novel, I had many different suspicions and remained enthralled by the dizzying detective work, but my favorite component of the story was the banter between Korner and Werner. I’d love to see Engberg develop a series following these two and their cases.
As far as thrillers go, this one was unique. It earns 4 stars.

An interesting mystery that kept me guessing. The characters are well crafted with depth and personality. I had some trouble getting use to differences that are expected with a writer that is from Denmark. I couldn't imagine where the story was taking place. I attribute this to reading mostly American writers where I can easily visualize where the story is taking place. That being said, I had no idea who the killer was and it was a surprise when the layers were peeled back to reveal the who and why of the story.

I received an Advanced Reader's Copy from Scout Press. The opinions expressed are completely my own.
#The Tenant #NetGalley

This is a well constructed mystery coupled with a good story and good characterisation. While it is actually not possible to discuss language use as this is a translation, I would expect that the original would be at the same high level..

The book approaches being almost as much of a novel as a mystery novel due to the depiction of the lives of the detectives, especially Jeppe. We have just enough insight into him to also become intrigued with his life, his loves, his depression and continued squabbling with his partner...but not so much as we lose the main thrust of the mystery.

I did think the book dragged a bit at the end but decided to give it a 4 star basically because of the paucity of well written books of any kind that are now on the market.

I enjoyed this book very much. There is a nice, unique twist at the end. Wasn't expecting it and that added to the enjoyment. The translation was sometimes a bit off, but never enough to make the story unreadable. I always knew what the author was trying to get across. No cliffhanger. There is a definite end to this story, but would enjoy reading more about Jeppe and Annete.

This book was gripping from page 1. An older gentleman discovers his young neighbor brutally murdered one night while taking out his trash. As detectives Jeppe and Anette follow the clues they discover that the murder is described in detail by the victim's landlady in her unpublished novel. But, is the landlady another victim or the perpetrator? What's the link between the two women and why is no one honest with the police detectives, including the victim's own family? Jeppe and Anette have to wade through the lies and deceit to before the murderer kills off their suspect list while dealing with their own personal problems.

I enjoyed both the fast paced plot and the characters. Although there is a large cast of characters, the author describes them all in such a way that the reader can easily keep them all straight. The big reveal was (mostly) a surprise and I lost sleep because I had a hard time putting the book down. I definitely recommend this one to fans of mysteries, thrillers, and police procedurals.

Disclaimer: I received a free electronic copy of this book from Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Blown away by this book. The twisted crimes and flawed characters had me hooked! I feel like this book is going to be huge. And I’m so glad that I got a chance to read it!

When a young woman is discovered brutally murdered in her own apartment, with an intricate pattern of lines carved into her face, Copenhagen police detectives Jeppe Korner and Anette Werner are assigned to the case. In short order, they establish a link between the victim, Julie Stender, and her landlady, Esther de Laurenti, who’s a bit too fond of drink and the host of raucous dinner parties with her artist friends. Esther also turns out to be a budding novelist—and when Julie turns up as a murder victim in the still-unfinished mystery she’s writing, the link between fiction and real life grows both more urgent and more dangerous.



Thank you to net galley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book. It starts off pulling you in and gets you hooked and cant put it down

Very good and well written. If I had 10 starts to give, I'd say 9. As it is, I'll give it 4. I didn't love the ending but overall I enjoyed this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this e-ARC!

This was definitely a good read. I enjoyed it from beginning to end. This was definitely one that kept me guessing especially towards the end.

None of the characters were perfect and their problems were super believable and relatable. Jeppe, the main character, was flawed, but not too much. He was going through a divorce and was down on himself, so who could blame him for his flaws?

This definitely reminded me of a well written episode of Criminal Minds. The whole murder and investigation seemed like it could actually happen. The police and investigative unit were not portrayed as "super humans" and this made the book more interesting.

I recommend that everyone pick up this book when it comes out.

I enjoyed this book but I wish it was a little more suspenseful . It kind of dragged on a bit. The ending kept me guessing.

A great new edition to Nordic crime fiction! If you enjoy Stieg Larsson or Ragnar Jonasson, I think you'll enjoy this debut title by Katrine Engberg. With complex characters, a twisty plot and a brooding Nordic atmosphere, you'll be turning pages until deep into the night!

Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title.
#TheTenant #NetGalley

What a great read!

This mystery has some complexities that kept me guessing until the end about how they all fit together. There isn't just one story, but several that are interrelated, woven into a very well-written whole. I look forward to more by this author!

I really enjoyed this murder/mystery and it was my first venture into the world of Swedish/Danish works! It was slow up front, but once things got going I couldn't put it down. There were twists and turns, I found myself attached to the characters they were very well developed, and I was stumped almost until the very end. I will definitely check out work by Engberg and this series moving forward!

When a young woman is murdered in her apartment, Copenhagen police investigator Jeppe Korner and his partner Anete Werner soon discover that the building's landlord unpublished crime novel has uncanny similarities to her tenant's murder. Jeppe is a troubled hero, newly divorced and battling a reliance on Oxycontin to keep him functioning. Anete is a great partner, direct and funny and they are a great pair. As Jeppe and Anette unravel the clues, the mystery gets even more complex. The murder is tightly plotted and unpredictable, and the the characters distinct is this crime novel the veers into the literary lane with the beautiful writing from this debut author. I hope there are other mysteries ahead for this pair! (

I thought that Katrine Engberg did a very good job with her story. It revolves around an older woman, Esther de Laurenti, who owned an apartment/coffee shop where one of her tenants, Gregers Hermansen, found the body of a 2o year woman, Julie Stender in the kitchen of her apartment. Jeppe Kørner and Anette Werner were the lead detectives on the case and de Laurenti confirmed that she was writing a book about a murder and was using Julie as her victim in her book. de Laurenti had a young man, Kristoffer, that would walk her two dogs and make meals for them to eat. Although we have some of the facts there are plenty more which Engberg makes as the case becomes huge. Her father, Julie Stender's, becomes involved, as does a writer/artist, Erik Kingo. They were at a party that de Laurenti had given where Julie and Kristoffer catered the meal. That's all the basic facts that were given but it is more involved than that. I haven't given any spoilers and you will have to read the story which is much better than I can explain. I would certainly recommend this book for my people to see if they can read it and know what was the method used by the murderer.

A superb new addition to Nordic crime fiction, THE TENANT delivers a darkly paced, enthralling tale of detectives on the path of a killer whose wiliness only adds to the building tension. While the characterizations could be deeper, the heartbeat of this novel is the choreography of crime detection. Readers will swiftly fall prey to its dark, propulsive charm.