4.5★s
Cold Fear is the second book in the Greenland series by Danish author, Mads Peder Nordbo. It follows on directly from The Girl Without Skin and readers new to the series should note that the recap does contain numerous spoilers for that book.

In 1990, US Marine Sergeant Tom Cave, together with four others, was taking part in a radical medical experiment at Thule, in remote northern Greenland. The drug was meant to enhance the body’s tolerance of cold. The side effects, however, included increased levels of aggression, leading to an incident in which Cave shot and killed two participants before then killing himself. Or did he?

Journalist Matthew Cave has not seen nor heard from his father in twenty-four years, but recently became aware that, from 1990, Tom Cave had lived in Nuuk for ten years. A visit to the mother of Matthew’s sixteen-year-old step-sister, Arnaq, yields a short, unsigned note from Tom, summoning him to a remote town for the chance to explain. But any intention to do so is derailed when Arnaq goes missing from a camping trip with friends at Faeringehavn, the site of a recent ordeal for Matthew and his new-found friend, Tupaarnaq.

The search for Arnaq leads to encounters from some strangely-behaved Faroese along with a now-fugitive former politician and a Greenlandic Government official with ties to the US military, all of whom seem very interested in locating Matthew’s father. Before long, it all gets very blood-thirsty and the body count rises, and even if the reader is suspicious about certain characters, the twists and red herrings will keep most guessing until the final, dramatic climax.

Nordbo manages to wind into his story the politics of the independence campaign for this strategic island, religious cultism and military cover-ups, with the remoteness and isolation of these locations facilitating the credibility of some of the more bizarre incidents.

The setting does present the non-Scandi-speaking reader with a pronunciation challenge, as tongue-twister place names like Ittoqqortoormiit and Qeqertarsuatsiaat appear regularly in the story. Nordbo leaves plenty of scope for further books in the series because, while there’s no cliff-hanger ending, by no means are all the loose ends neatly tied. Once again flawlessly translated from the original Danish by Charlotte Barslund, this is excellent Scandi noir.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Text Publishing

After his first investigation in Greenland, Matthew Cave has remained on the Danish island. There are still a lot of questions around his family he would like to have answered. Now, the story goes back to the year 1990 when Matt’s father Tom was stationed at an American military base on Greenland to carry out revolutionary medical tests. They managed to develop a pill which could make the body support cold temperatures much longer – a definite advantage in the cold north. Yet, this did not come without side effects and then something went totally wrong. Matt thought his father had died in that spring but he has already figured out that he must have survived somehow since Matt unexpectedly has found out that he has a younger sister. When he starts to investigate what happened on that military base almost 25 years before, he suddenly hits a hornet’s nest and puts himself and his sister in danger.

I already liked the first book in the series about the Danish journalist where the basis for this second novel was laid. Where I found “The Girl Without Skin” a bit creepier and more spine-chilling, “Cold Fear” is much more a spy novel which convinced me with a complex plot and repeated moments of highest suspense. Additionally, again, Nordbo provides insight in the Greenland culture and traditions of which I hardly know anything and which I found as disturbing as interesting.

It is not easy to sum up or briefly retell what “Cold Fear” is all about, there simply is too much and this really demands all your attention while reading. The plot certainly is strongest when political and societal aspects are touched – not just since we have seen the USA repeat their claims of the island this year. As Greenland is located so far away, we are highly ignorant about the different people who settled there and especially their mutual regard or rather disregard which becomes a lot clearer while reading.

However, what enchanted me most were the characters. From a psychological point of view, it is easy to comprehend why they act the way they do and how they developed into the person we meet in the novel. Most powerful are the female characters for me since all of them grow-up under the harshest circumstances and what they have to go through does not remain without trace.

Among the masses of Scandinavian crime novel, undoubtedly one that stands out.

Firstly, don’t read this if you haven’t read the previous book This Girl Without Skin because you won’t understand what is going on.
Secondly, is it just me or this story is like the Millenium trilogy by Stieg Larsson.

The story is grim and gruesome and bloody just like the first one but it is interesting, full of twists and turns. Not a bedtime story but, nonetheless a pretty decent read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy.

I generally like Scanda -noir, and atmospherically it does not disappoint. The cold, the barrenness and darkness set the stage beautifully. The double layered story of Tom and Matthew, the mysterious Tuparnaq and interesting and conflicted characters.
The story is interesting, but the violence and bloodiness and cruelty were very difficult to read through. I skimmed where I could, but I always wonder about authors that can conceive of such awfulness. It was tough to get past this aspect of the book.
I suspect I could give this book a much higher rating if some of the gore was toned down, it would have been a much more satisfying read.

Great setting and interesting story, but I felt the writing was a bit stilted. I felt there wasn't the best flow to it. Otherwise, a decent read. | Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this review copy. My opinion is my own.

Very atmospheric and compelling.
Many thanks to Text Publishing and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed the first book The Girl Without Skin despite its brutalness last year, so as soon as I saw there was going to be a sequel I knew I had to add it to my wishlist. Main characters Matthew and Tupaarnaq are without doubt fascinating to follow, and I've been looking forward to discover what would happen to them next... Before I discuss my thoughts on Cold Fear, I first have to stress that this is one of those series you have to read in order, because this sequel wouldn't make much sense if you try to read it as a standalone. Trust me, you wouldn't do yourself a favor if you pick up Cold Fear before reading the first book!

That said, let's continue with my thoughts on Cold Fear. After enjoying the first book, I was totally expecting to have a good reading experience with the sequel as well... But it turns out I ended up having mixed thoughts about it. First of all I have to say that the Greenland setting really complements the plot in many ways. Instead of being just a random setting for the story to take place, the harsh, brutal and almost ominous Greenland setting is almost omnipresent and almost feels like yet another character taking part in this story. Between the many descriptions and the role of the Greenland setting in the plot, it really made the different places mentioned in Cold Fear come alive for me... And it turns this series into a fantastic example of the powers of the unforgivable Nordic setting that makes reading nordic noir so special.

One of the things that stands out in Cold Fear is the sheer brutality of the plot. Almost excessive violence, murder, canibalism, abuse, rape, child abuse, rape, drug abuse... All of this and more is included into a plot filled with graphic scenes and this story is definitely not for those with a weak stomach. I myself don't mind things getting bloody and violent, but I did start to wonder if this story went a little too extreme and took it one step too far... Some scenes just seemed excessive, especially those set in the bunker and everything related to the (child)abuse and rape. Trigger warning are definitely in place! Related to this, I also felt the plot itself was a bit too over the top, farfetched and the story itself lacked cohesion for me. Even with the knowledge of the first book, I had a hard time following the story at times and I guess the 1990s flashbacks didn't really help either. Things can get a little confusing and I personally wasn't all that satisfied by certain explanations nor how the story ended. I would have liked to see less seemingly useless violent graphic scenes and more background and plot building... As it was, the story just jumped all over the place for me, without giving a satisfying direction or justifying said violence and deaths.

As for the characters... Matthew and Tupaarnaq are without doubt fascinating characters, but I felt their development lacked more fleshing out in the sequel. Especially when it comes to Tupaarnaq, who didn't seem to present and mostly reverted to cliches when she did appear in the plot. Likewise, Tom and the other more important characters also lacked fleshing out for me. I felt that the focus point of Cold Fear was basically on the extreme violence and making this story as brutal and shocking as possible, and as a consequence I don't think the sequel reached its full potential nor lived up to expectations for me. Others did react better to Cold Fear though, so take my rambles with a grain of salt and don't hesitate to try it if you think you can stomach the graphic scenes...

As a great fan of classic Scandinavian crime noir I found this particular novel not as good as anticipated and was left a little disappointed.

Journalist Matthew Cave was introduced in the first book in this series, “The Girl Without Skin”, as a man who last saw his father Tom twenty four years ago when he was only four years old. With flashbacks to the 1990s this novel tells us what happened to Tom Cave as a young US soldier stationed in Greenland. Along with three others Tom took part in a trial to test a new drug with dangerous side effects but something went very wrong during the trial with the military claiming that Tom killed two men before killing himself. However, Matthew had previously discovered that Tom had subsequently fathered a child, his half sister fifteen year old Arnaq, and now Matthew has received a letter from his father, posted from a tiny remote village, asking to meet with him. Tom knows the military must be covering up what happened and sets out to find his father, aided by Tupaarnaq, the fearless Innuit woman he befriended earlier, who has her own agenda for revenge.

Although I’m pleased to report there are no eviscerations in this novel, there are still plenty of grisly deaths and some very nasty and dangerous characters in this complex and compelling plot. There are those who would like to see Tom and Matthew dead to completely cover up the events of the 1990s and it is hard for Tom to know who to trust. The beauty and harshness of Greenland's landscape and environment are once again important elements in the novel where survival cannot be taken for granted. It all makes for excellent, gritty Nordic Noir.

This is the second book in this series, and although to me not quite as good as the first, still a very good read. It picks up with Matthew finally receiving a message from his father. However around the same time a murder-suicide is committed in the town that Matthew's father Tom has apparently relocated to, and it is very similar to a murder that Tom was accused of committing while serving at an American military base.
Tupaarnaq is back as her formidable self but appears to be on a personal mission to seek revenge with the people who she believes are responsible for the deaths of her mother and sisters and her own considerable prison term.
The story is still as confronting and gory as The Girl Without Skin, but at times the names of all of the places and characters in the Greenlandic setting get a bit blurred and confusing. It would be great to have a listing of names and relationships in the book as a reference point.
Thank you Text Publishing and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this digital ARC.

Well, that’s a novel I’m not going to forget in a hurry.


Two time frames from the off - one from the POV of Tom, a US military man, who is the guinea pig for a new drug. He’s working in Greenland so this drug could prove to be very useful indeed. Having said that, it’s not going to be all plain sailing is it. There are side effects and very unexpected consequences….

The present day storyline picks up the trail of Tom’s son Matthew who is a reporter looking into his father’s case. He gets together with a native woman Tuparnaaq, and the two start to investigate but then, well, nothing goes to plan and the situation spins out of control like a car on ice. Not only does it spin out on control, it spins out of control, with people getting killed, murdered or maimed, large pools of blood splattering on the road below and consequences that will last forever. Oh and there’s child abuse in this one which made passages hard to read and I did skim over a few. It does get graphic!

What I did like about the novel and what redeemed it was the level of politics and historical detail about how the status of Greenland has been questioned over the years. Greenland politics and history is interesting and I hope I remember this information instead of the more gory detail.

As with the Gory The Girl without Skin, the landscape is gloriously white, remote,quiet and claustrophobic. Somewhere most of us are unlikely to go (at least to the places within the novel) but which has connnertations of winter wonderlands and Santa for most of us. So, when I think of Greenland and a red substance now, it’s not going to be Santa’s outfit that comes to mind, but the bloody snow!

Read this if only for the character of Tupaarnaq but be warned that the gore and abuse are unsettling

What this is was, was the second part of "The Girl Without Skin", a continuation that takes you to new heights in reading. You almost think you read it until you understand that it was the second part of the previous book. It starts out with Tupaarnaq looking down a cliff to the small town of Tasiilaq and seeing two men. Fast forward to the end of the book and she's back at Tasiilaq and there are three men walking towards her. I won't give you the spoiler's but it was a really interesting play on what people did in everything that leads up to whats happening to Greenland now with the President wanting to buy it. It plays right into Mads Peder Nordbo's story. I think it was that this happened at this time. Read it and see if you come up with the same reasoning.

I would love to have read The Girl Without Skin, but I wasn't chosen to receive a review copy. I was very happy to be granted a review of Cold Fear because of all the great things I read about this author. I love Scandic Noir (and not so 'noir') thrillers.
Why then only three stars for this book?
First, the story made absolutely no sense to me the first 50 pages. There are names, names and more names. People killing other people, people supposed to be dead that are not and a lot of violence and misunderstandings.
Second - and this follows from the first point - this book cannot be read as a stand alone. In fact, after reading the whole book, I am convinced the two parts could have been made into one to make one absolutely great story.
Because I was so confused after reading the first chapters, I turned to Goodreads to read the reviews for the first book again. Only then, Cold Fear began to make a little sense to me. Just enough to finish the book.
The story is everything I like in a book, namely complicated and intriguing. The writing is flawless and every now and then I had to put the book down to take a deep breath and think about what I've just read.
I gladly would have given this book 5 stars but now I was left with the feeling I only read half of one large story instead of a stand alone story with some of the characters from the first book.

Thanks to Netgalley for this digital review copy.
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My thanks to Text Publishing, Mads Peder Norbro, and Netgalley.
So, winner, winner. Chicken dinner! This is only my second book by this author, but I can honestly say that I love his books. They have everything I love. Cold weather. A country I'm absolutely fascinated by. Icebergs! ICEBERGS! Also, just some weird assed, and slightly squeamish stories. Also, I like how this book had a new mystery, but was partly a continuation of the first book. It gave me a John Connolly "Charlie Parker" kind of vibe. For me that's a good thing. I want more, please!

Cold Fear is an engaging thriller that will keep you at the edge of your seat. Would recommend.

Many thanks to Mads Peder Nordbo, NetGalley, and Text Publishing Company for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the follow on book from the wonderful Girl Without Skin and once more we are transported to the beautiful stark wilderness that is Greenland. The book is dark and atmospheric with what turns out to be a very topical theme with the fabulous character of Matthew Cave and one of my favourite characters of all time Tupaarnaq. It’s a complex and compulsive read with Matthew getting a note from his father who he hasn’t heard from in 24 years and doesn’t even know if he is even alive, so this stars a thrilling ride of a story that is both political and heartbreakingly real in style as Matthew and Tupaarnaq investigate just what happened in the past and just how Matthew’s father was involved.
It’s a complicated story raising may issues and conspiracies but it’s an exceptional read and I can recommend it for anyone who loves a good plot and especially if like me you love Scandi noir. Many thanks to Mads Peder Norbo for a stunning 5 star read and I hope we will hear more from him and hopefully the characters in the future.
My thanks also to NetGalley and Text Publishing for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed Mads Peder Nordbo's book, "The Girl Without Skin" and was pleased to receive it's sequel ,"Cold Fear". The series reminds me very much of Stieg Larsson's Millennium series with dark conspiracies, people with murky pasts and even a Greenlandic cross between Lara Croft and Lisbeth Salander, ,Tuparnaaq.
Girl Without Skin left me wanting more from Nordbo, who I considered a real talent with Greenland a fascinating background, note the past tense. Cold Fear starts off well and seamlessly continues the story from the first book,which you really need to have read to pick up the story in this one. We're introduced to Matthew Cave's father Tom, mentioned but doesn't appear until this point in the saga,in his Army Days when he's helping test secret pills that make those taking them less susceptible to the cold. During these tests all 3 of the "guinea pigs" apparently die in one of Nordbo's typical gruesome bloodbaths..
The first half of the book gripped me but then it all gets a bit silly,and unpleasantly reminiscent of movies like Saw and the like with monstrous characters indulging in abduction,rape,cannibalism and the like with a disturbing child abuse video featured in the first book reappearing. Matthew Cave is stabbed,shot,, beaten up,breaks a finger and is even blown up with hand grenades yet still walks away. It seemed very much to me as if the author ran out of ideas halfway through and decided to throw as many killings,beatings and unpleasantness into the mix as possible to divert from what had degenerated into a slightly ludicrous plot.
The ending is ambiguous suggesting at least one more book to come, how that will work with so many of the characters coming to a grisly end in the first 2 I have no idea,and sadly I don't really care, Girl Without Skin was a great read full of promise,this lost it's way halfway through and ended up a bit of a mess,

Thanks to Mads Peder Nordbo, Text Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

Gruesome eviscerating thriller set in Greenland over two timeframes. One is 1990 with Tom, US military, being one of a subjects testing new drugs to increase tolerance to extreme cold - think running around in the snow, minus 15 Centigrade, in your underwear tolerance.. Not surprisingly there are psychological issues and side effects leading to three deaths for which Tom was blamed. He disappeared - suicide or what? The second is 2014 with Matthew, Tom's son, now a reporter., learns that his father might not be dead and the Matthew might also have a half sister, Arnak. This is where I realised that there had to be a first book and having read that first might actually help to set the scene better. Matthew and a native woman, Tuparnaaq, history there as well I guess, team up to determine what happened to Tom, and then Arnak goes missing and various dark deeds begin to unravel. These get increasingly dark - blood, intestines, really nasty child abuse and not for the faint hearted. Too graphic at times in a truly Scandi Noir sense along with a convoluted story. There are seriously damaged people involved on top of politics regarding Greenland's status, plotting for and against separation from Denmark and/or being, in effect, taken over by the USA. The two timeframes do gel together, not just with father and son, in an especially gore ridden finale which, nonetheless leaves some way open to future books. The descriptions of the landscape, the abandoned houses and the sound and smell of the snow in early winter are fantastic (took me back to the Norwegian Arctic with which I'm familiar) and they were the redeeming feature for me, Personally I don't think that the story would have lost anything with less of the visceral bits but Scands have their 'ideals' I suppose. I have now discovered that there is, indeed, a first book in the series and that this would probably help a reader of this book to come to terms with the background more quickly. However, with the name 'The Girl Without Skin' combined with the gory details in 'Cold Fear' I fear that I shall be satisfied not knowing the whole background. Thanks to NetGalley and Text Publishing for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

A lot of jumping back and forth from when Tom was a young man, and then again when his son is grown. Set in Greenland, the story is well written and powerful. The subject matter is disturbing though, as there is a lot of abuse described and done to the natives, and a lot of sexual abuse of children as well. About half way through I started to skim a few parts, as while the book kept my interest to find out how the story would unfold, the subject details tended to disturb me. Yes, the point being to stress the horror that these people lived through, and some died through, and it was powerful and explained a lot. Been Netflixing a lot of shows from Scandinavia, and this book touches on some of the same writing influence shown in those shows. Highly recommend, but be warned about subject.

The author, Mads Peder Nordbo, continues his compelling story featuring Matthew Cave. The time is shortly after the shattering events which occurred in the novel, The Girl Without Skin. He combines gorgeous, atmospheric descriptions of the turbulent sea with its icebergs, seals and whales, with vivid pictures of lonely, remote Greenland settlements.

The characters come alive on-page. I enjoyed the return of Matthew Cage, reporter, and Tuparnaaq, the tough, fearless native woman, always dressed in black and carrying a rifle. Is she hunting animals or humans? She has her head shaven and body covered with tattoos. I hope we see more of Matthew Cave and his friend, Tuparnaaq in future books.

I wrote in my review of the earlier book that I felt this was Nordic Noir at its finest. Cold Fear has confirmed that feeling, but will add darkest, grimmest and most disturbing. The plot is thrilling, exciting and complex, if rather convoluted. The story is original but the title is not. There are a number of books listed with the same title, Cold Fear. I was happy to see further development of characters from the first book. This can be read as a stand-alone as there are references to previous events.

The story plays out against a menacing background. Mentioned are political factions in Greenland, both for and against separation from Denmark. The villains add a threatening presence. There are corrupt politicians, treacherous USA army officials with scandalous secrets and coverups, an evil adversary met in the first book and a crazed family in an underground bunker.

The plot begins with Matthew learning that his father, whom he has not heard from for 24 years may be still alive. Tom Cave was an American soldier serving on the US military base in Greenland. He either disappeared or died after committing murder. After this long absence, Matthew receives a note in his father’s handwriting urging him to come to a remote settlement (population 400) in Eastern Greenland. Matthew had already learned that he has a much younger half-sister, Arnak, meaning that his father was still alive after he vanished.

While wondering if his father could be a cold-blooded killer, his half-sister, 15-year-old Arnak, has gone missing. She was camping with friends from Denmark in an abandoned village. Matthew accompanied by his friend, Tuparnaaq, search for the girl in hopes of saving her before she suffers or dies. Much blood and two murdered boys are found, but they cannot locate Arnak. Can she be saved?

Flashbacks show us what happened to Tom Cave when he disappeared from the American military base years ago. A top-secret experiment was being carried out with drugs hazardous to health, and which had unpredictable side effects. Tom was blamed for the shooting death of two fellow soldiers who were involved in the same dangerous drug trial as himself. He was declared dead by the military officers.

Matthew and Tuparnaaq journey to the isolated village where the note from Tom originated. A complicated conspiracy begins to unravel, with plenty of twists, secrets and deception. Will they find Tom before the military finds him to bring him to justice? Then back in Nuuk, the capital, there are some shocking revelations and a bloody, action-packed finale.

*4.5* Stars. Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for this spellbinding and atmospheric ARC in return for an honest review.