The Butterfly House is part of a series, which I was not aware of when I started this. I think I would have gotten a bit more from it had I read the first book in the series.

The book follows two detectives, one on maternity leave, with the investigations into a body found in a fountain who died from exsanguination. The next day, another body turns up, with both victims connected to a youth home.

The Butterfly House felt kind of typical with its characters. The male detective is going through a divorce, the woman is on maternity leave. Both are concerned with the other, leaving you to wonder if the male detective will be able to focus on the job at hand, while the other keeps trying to skirt her maternity leave and sneak out to solve the case (leading to the inevitable disaster that her partner was worried about).

The crime itself was interesting and engaging, the tie-in’s between a hospital and a youth home, and the part and the present. The crimes were also fairly gruesome and compelling with how the exsanguination was done.

I enjoyed this book while I was reading it, but knew immediately it wasn’t going to stick with me. It made for a fun, quick read, but it wasn’t anything new. If you’re looking for just a fun crime thriller to spend an evening with, I would definitely recommend it, but if you’re looking to be surprised and on the edge of your seat the whole time, this might be too predictable if you’re well versed in other thrillers.

3.5 stars

I always like to give new-to-me authors another go, even if the first book wasn’t quite for me, but had potential. That was the case here.

I actually thought this was better than the first book (The Tenant). Eventhough I had read book 1, I had honestly forgotten what happened and who the characters were. So having said that, this basically read as a standalone for me and think others won’t have a problem following storyline and characters. However, it’s a slow burn read. Too slow for my liking.

While I enjoyed this more than The Tenant, I think this is where I part ways with the author.

The Butterfly House by Katrine Engberg is the second instalment in the Detectives Korner and Werner series but it reads well as a standalone. In Copenhagen, a body is found submerged in a fountain and it has shockingly been drained of all of its blood. Exsanguination has been accomplished with the aid of an ancient tool. Before long, the same crime is repeated, leading Detective Jeppe Korner and his team to investigate what links the victims. And will there be more? Meanwhile, Detective Anette Werner, who is on maternity leave, takes it upon herself to attempt solving the crimes on her own. These characters are multi-faceted and their life stories become part of the novel. The plot is original and the clues are solid yet misleading, which is what makes for a great detective mystery. Copenhagen is at the forefront and acquaints the reader with this unique city. This was a dark and fascinating police procedural and I look forward to more books by Katrine Engberg. This is Scandinavian noir at its best. Highly recommended. Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada, NetGalley and the author for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A classic Scandinavian crime thriller that was expertly plotted and left me eagerly trying to piece all of the clues together.

When bodies start appearing in fountains across Denmark, Detective Jeppe Kørner is charged with hunting down the serial killer. His partner Detective Anette Werner is currently off on maternity leave but finds herself also getting involved in the investigation.

Now there are a lot of characters in this one and it’s pretty vital to get them straight in your head so that you can fit the pieces of the puzzle together so my recommendation is that this is a book to read when you’ve got the time to pay it the attention it deserves and not one to read when you’ve one eye on something else.

This is a classic mix of thriller/crime procedural and I just devoured it. It had been a while since I’d read a book like this one and it made me realize how much I’ve missed it.
Thanks so much to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for sending me a copy of this one,
I highly recommend it!

I should note that while this is the second instalment in this series, I hadn’t read the first book (The Tenant) and I don’t think that was a huge problem. While it would likely have provided me with extra background on the characters I think this read perfectly well as a stand-alone and I will be eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.

The Butterfly House by Katrine Engberg brings back Copenhagen detectives Jeppe Korner and Anette Werner, that we met in the author's first book, The Tenant. This time, Anette is on mat leave, struggling to adapt to her role as a mom, while wanting to be back at work and Jeppe is facing a new case of a sadistic serial killer loose in the city.

This book is highly focused on mental health, mental health institutions and how society has treats and perceives those struggling with mental health challenge. It doesn't hold back, giving us a look at how damaging past "treatments" have been and how far we still have to go today. This theme permeates both the case and the detectives lives as we see Anette struggle adjusting to her life as a new mom and struggles with post-partum depression.

I thought the author did a great job integrating the case and building the detectives lives and characters. I absolutely loved seeing more of the city and have it integrated into the story. There are a lot of subplots throughout the story. Some added to its richness and were more red herrings, that took some focus away from the stronger subplots, though they all tied together well at the end. This series is really building momentum with each new addition and I look forward to the next one!

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for this eARC.

This book is crazy good, pun intended. Based in beautiful Copenhagen, we are taken into the dark underbelly of hospitals and are presented by characters that make our skin crawl in knowing they might just exist in real life.

Engberg does a magnificent job of weaving together a dark tapestry that keeps you engaged right from the start. Three murders committed in three consecutive nights all in the same manner but in different locations has the police racing against the clock to prevent more deaths. It is soon discovered that the deaths have a common background, tied to a now closed psychiatric hospital. The setup would make for an easy outcome & reveal for a lazy author but Engberg is far from being one. A handful of cliffhanger type chapter endings has the reader saying “aha! I knew it was them!” only to be proven wrong a few short chapters later. A true stroke of genius.

Admittedly I was taken with having a European city being the backdrop of this thriller. Being homebound in Canada due to this pandemic, Engberg’s gloriously descriptive writing provides great escapism for those suffering from wanderlust. It also works wonders for those of us that need our deductive minds taken out for a jog. This is a fantastic example of how many storylines & characters can work together without frustration and lack of interest. Such a great book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing a copy for review.

The Butterfly House is a detective/murder mystery novel that will keep you fully engaged in the story. This is the second book featuring Detective Jeppe Korner and Anette Werner (The Tenant being the first). Jeppe is on the hunt for a serial killer, whereby all the victims have been slowly bled to death. All the murders have been connected to The Butterfly House - a former treatment centre for people with mental illness. As the case unfolds, more and more details unfold about the shady events that took place there, and about the people who worked there.

Though it did take me a few chapters to get into it, I was thoroughly entertained by the storyline. There are a lot of characters to keep track of which probably accounted for my slow start with the book, but once that all settled, my mind started to set in on guessing possible suspects. I found that I was constantly speculating - and I have to say that I’m pretty good at solving the puzzle before the end - but I was wrong on this one. You can definitely read this book without having to read The Tenant first. That’s often a plus for me in a series. Overall, a worthwhile read if you enjoy this genre!

I understand that this a series with the two detectives Jeppe Korner and Anette Werner. I didn't read the first book in the series but was able to pick up and read the book.

I found the story interesting and there were a fair number of character to follow with a few sub-stories as well that were also interesting.

I really enjoyed the this mystery/suspense book it had me guessing and it had a great flow.

This was a good read. It is well written, descriptive and will suck you in. I read this in one night because.I had to know. The writing is nice and easy to read. The characters were lovely and I enjoyed getting to know them better. The author writes relationships very well.

There were so many characters so I didn’t see the twist coming. The many characters did make it difficult to keep them all in order.

I feel as though I need to go in and read the first book now. Then hopefully there will be a third book, I’ll be waiting for it.

The Butterfly House by Katrine Engberg is the second in the Detectives Kørner & Werner series.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Simon and Schuster (Gallery/Scout Press) and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


Series Background:    (Warning – May contain spoilers from previous books)

Inspector Jeppe Kørner is with the Copenhagen Police Department, and recently divorced.  According to his colleague,   Anette Werner,  Jeppe is too sensitive and a wimp.   Jeppe thinks of her as a loud bulldozer.  Annette has been married for over 20 years.  Their boss thinks their diverse personalities complement each other, so usually assigns them cases together. Other members of their team consist of overly-ambitious Detective Thomas Larsen, old-timer Detective Torben Falck, and computer whiz Sara Saidani.


My Synopsis:   (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)

The naked body of a woman is found floating in a fountain in the middle of Copenhagen.  She has small symmetrical cuts on her wrists and hips, leading them to believe she was drained of her blood, elsewhere.  She won't be the last body found with these cuts.

It looks like the deaths may have something to do with The Butterfly House, a now defunct mental institution for children and teens. However, tracking down both residents and staff is proving difficult since it has been closed for over 3 years.

Jeppe Kørner is partnering with Torben Falck while Annette Werner is off on maternity leave.  He is finding it a challenge.  But then, so is Annette, who was surprised to be pregnant, and now surprised with how much work it is to care for a newborn.  That, and the fact that she wants to be working, leads her to some behind-the-scenes investigating, which will lead to putting her life in danger, and a rather unhappy husband.

Meanwhile, Jeppe has found himself in a new relationship but trying to keep it secret.  As well, since he sold his house, his new apartment is not yet ready, so he's been staying with his mother.  This has not been going well.


My Opinions:   

I am really enjoying this series.  Although Annette's attitude and actions grate on me, she's still a good character.  Jeppe, however, is fast becoming a favorite.  We are learning more about them.

It was interesting to see other characters from the first book come back in the second.  This was a surprise, and welcome.

The book really centered around mental health issues and institutions, and how greed and ego's play a part which can detract from the patients well-being.  That was a little dark.

As with the first book, the translation was great.  The only thing I had to look up was "cargo bike", but once I saw a picture of it, I realized I should have known.....

Again, the plot and pace were good, and the book was hard to put down.  There were, however, a lot of characters, and some didn't really mesh with the main story, so they were a little hard to place.

So far only two of the books in this series have been translated into English.  I certainly hope the don't stop now!

Thank you to NetGalley, Katrine Engberg and Simon & Schuster Canada for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review.

I spent a long time thinking about how I was going to review this novel because I had a bit of a love and meh relationship with this novel. I did enjoy getting to know the characters, but I never did find myself rooting for any of them or having a favorite. I did enjoy the plot and for the most part, this one kept me confused on who was committing these crimes. I found there were a lot of dips in my interest when things didn't seem to be going anywhere. Saying all that though, the ending was great and I didn't see it coming at all.

This is the second time I've read a Scandinavian detective/crime series where I haven't read the first book. Thankfully, it didn't seem to throw me out of the loop with anything but I really should pay attention to this since I'm sure I would have learnt a bit more about the characters and their relationships. Regardless, I thought this was a good read and one series I would probably continue with. I really enjoyed how mental health issues were talked about & not just in a typical 'negative' way either.

The one thing I didn't like about the book was that there seemed to be so many characters. I had a hard time figuring out who was who sometimes and then wondering 'who is this person? Why are we in their point of view now?'. Other than that, I think it's a good detective read if you're looking for a new series!

The reviews I’ve seen for this book so far are saying that this one is better than the first book in the series “The Tenant”, but in my opinion it was about the same. Although it is part of a series, I feel like it could be read as a standalone, however if you’d like a better picture of the characters you’d be better off reading them in order. We get a lot more from Anette’s perspective in this one and her character has really grown on me. I hope we get the same character development from Jeppe in the next book. There was a plot line in this one that didn’t really seem to serve a purpose, unless it comes into play later on in the series, but I’m not sure I see that happening. I appreciated how the crimes and the murder weapon were very unique. I did predict the culprit but didn’t know the “why” until the twist at the very end, which was so perfect and unexpected. Another 3.5 stars rounded up for this series and I look forward to the next one.

BOOK REVIEW
The Butterfly House by Katherine Engberg

Thank you to @simonandshusterca for my gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review
PUB date January 5 2021

SYNOPSIS
A treatment center for children and teens with significant mental health problems, a disappearance, and murder by exsanguination- the draining of all blood.
Detective Korner, a divorcee, takes on the investigation with his new partner. His former partner Anette Werner is home with a new baby, feeling lost in her new role as mother she is itching to get back to work and looking for a murderer seems like the perfect distraction.

REVIEW
This book is the epitome of a psychological thriller. A sociopath is on the loose draining blood from his victims using a medieval device used to treat illness. The author had me simultaneously creeped out and excited to see where the pages would take me. I suspected, I surmised but I did not know.

Mental health issues, once whispered about in dark corners, are becoming more widely accepted as valid medical conditions. This book highlights teens with significant disorders including schizophrenia and bulimia. It is hard to accept, that in our society, places like the Butterfly exist and are needed. The idea the author plants in our minds, that these places hold dangers of their own are scary because there is truth to them. Historically these “hospitals” engaged in practices that by todays standards would be considered torture, and unethical practice abounded. The subject matter alone held my attention and I was immediately immersed in my empathy for the children.

Parallel to the murder mystery is a glimpse into the world of postpartum depression. As a career woman, Anette’s pregnancy later in life was a surprise. The author attempts to convey the internal struggle this new mother faces, her guilt over wanting to work and the overwhelming emotions that come having a new baby.

An emotional roller coaster, I was anxious, I was sad, I was angry, I was defeated, and finally I was relieved.

I didn't realize The Butterfly House was part of a series when I requested the arc from Netgalley. Actually, to be completely honest, I didn't realize it was part of a series until I was over half-way into reading it. I didn't feel like I had missed out on a lot of backstories, so I feel like you can read this as a stand-alone (if you've read the first book of the Korner and Werner series please let us know down below if you agree or disagree). The reason I requested it from Netgalley is this COVER. Wow, wow, wow. Love it.

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<p>›<strong> </strong><em>The Butterfly House</em> takes place over six Fall days in Copenhagen. Frederik, working as a paperboy to save money for his sophomore class trip, finds a body in the town's fountain. More people are found with the same injuries and when the third victim is found, the police discover they are all connected to a psychiatric treatment center for children and teens called The Butterfly House.<br><br>Investigator <strong>Jeppe Kørner </strong>is leading the team working this case without his usual partner, <strong>Annette Werner</strong>, who's on parental leave. <strong>Falck</strong> is his new partner, who just returned from a long stress leave. Kørner thinks Falck isn't ready to be back and is worried he won't be able to solve the case without Werner. Detective Werner is a new mom, struggling to find a bond with her baby girl and missing her work. She gets tidbits of info from Kørner, and sneaks out, leaving the baby with her husband in order to try and find the murderer.<br><br><strong>Detective Sara Saidani </strong>and Detective Kørner are secretly sleeping together. Jeppe likes her a lot, but is afraid of commitment, especially because she has kids and he doesn't. Her partner,<strong> Larsen</strong>, is irritating, sexist, brash, and ambitious.</p>
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<p><strong>Simon Hartvig</strong> is a social worker at Inpatient Ward U8 for mentally ill children and teenagers. One of his patients is <strong>Isaak</strong>, almost 18, has schizophrenia and autism. Hartvig is worried about Isaak because he will soon be transferred out of U8 and into the adult system, which is broken and underfunded. Hartvig feels like he needs to take drastic measures to keep Isaak safe.<br><br><strong>Esther de Laurenti</strong>, a retired University professor, went for therapy with psychiatrist <strong>Peter Demant</strong>. She's experienced trauma in the past and is in denial of how much it's affected her. Esther lives with an old friend named <strong>Gregers</strong>. She develops a crush on a new tenant in her apartment building named <strong>Alain</strong>. Gregers ends up in the hospital and realizes he's seen Alain before, working at a restaurant. This gives Esther an uneasy feeling because Alain had told her he was a musician. Who is Alain and why is he lying?<br><br><strong>The big question is WHO is killing people connected to The Butterfly House, and why?</strong><br></p>
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<p><strong>›</strong> I use the <a href="https://youtu.be/iZhinxtTMFQ">CAWPILE method</a> to rate books.<br>0-3 Really bad<br>4-6 Mediocre<br>7-9 Really good<br>10 Outstanding<br><br><strong>›</strong> <strong>Characters:</strong> 6<br><br><strong>›</strong> <strong>Atmosphere:</strong> 6<br><br><strong>›</strong> <strong>Writing Style: </strong>7<br><br><strong>›</strong> <strong>Plot: </strong>8<br><br><strong>›</strong> <strong>Intrigue: </strong>7<br><br><strong>›</strong> <strong>Logic: </strong>6<br><br><strong>›</strong> <strong>Enjoyment: </strong>7<br><br><strong>Average</strong> 6.7<br><br>1.1-2.2 = ★<br>2.3-4.5 = ★★<br>4.6-6.9 = ★★★<br>7-8.9 = ★★★★<br>9-10 = ★★★★★<br><br><strong>My Rating </strong>★★★<br><br><strong> › Final Thoughts</strong><br>• <em>The Butterfly House</em> is an interesting crime mystery with some twists, turns, and suspense. The characters are intriguing and this story reminded me of <em>The Wolf and the Watchmen</em> by Niklas Natt och Dog. I'm realizing that I quite enjoy crime mysteries set in other countries.</p>
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<p class="has-background" style="background-color:#92e491">Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review.</p>
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I was an instant fan of Katrine Engberg with The Tenant and am thrilled to have read the second book in this series. May the trials and triumphs of Korner and Werner continue through many more instalments!

Anette Werner and Jeppe Korner return after the events in The Tenant, though this book could be read as a stand alone since none of the events from the first book carry over to this one. Bodies start to turn up in fountains and a lake around Copenhagen and Jeppe is assigned with his new partner (Anette is on maternity leave) to investigate. Not being part of a big investigation doesn’t sit well with Anette who finds the time to insert herself into the investigation. There are a large number of characters though the author does an excellent job of keeping the story moving along and throwing in red herrings at every turn. I was convinced on a few occasions that I knew who was doing the dirty deeds and I was wrong every time. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

The Butterfly House by Katrine Engberg reunites readers with Jeppe Korner and Anette Werner, detectives with the Copenhagen police. After devouring The Tenant, the impressive and startling debut to this series, I could not wait to join this dynamic Danish duo once again. I was not disappointed.

This time around, Anette is on maternity leave but feeling restless, longing to be back with Korner to solve a series of murders that are linked to a Danish hospital. Doing a little sleuthing of her own, Anette finds herself fully immersed in a case that will uncover the horrors that lurk beneath the surface of trusted institutions, and she will risk it all to prove that she remains a valuable asset to her team.

This is a thrilling series that I hope will long continue. The cases are dark and complex, typical of Scandinavian noir, but it is Korner and Werner themselves who really breathe life into the narrative, and have you emotionally invested in all that transpires. 4.5 stars Highly recommended.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for this ARC.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. My ARC contained quite a lot of typos, which presumably will be corrected, but also various really dodgy translations, especially where Danish figurative language seemed to have been translated literally into English. Hopefully the translator is still working on the text too.

Despite that, I found this intriguing and read it it more or less one sitting. The lengths gone to to include Anette, who is supposed to be on maternity leave, were a little unlikely, and I think we heard rather too much about her breastfeeding. The plot made sense and although I struggled with all the various characters a bit, I think that was because their names were Danish and thus unfamiliar to me. I particularly enjoyed the Esther thread.

I'm enjoying this series, although hopefully Anette will be back at work officially in the next one.

Great thriller!! New author that I discover with this book and will look for it in the future! A true page turner with a satisfying ending that I highly recommend!