Gripping, edge-of-my-seat suspenseful, and yet, so easy to read. Journalist Heloise Kaldan and Detective Erik Schafer are portrayed with such depth; with such multi-dimensional qualities. I found myself racing through the book while at the same time, not wanting to finish it. So well done. I can’t wait for the next one.

In The Corpse Flower, a lawyer is killed in his home in Denmark. His home security camera picks up the image of Anna, covered in blood, staring up at the camera. She then disappears. No connection is found by the police between the victim and the suspect.

Years later, Heloise, a troubled reporter, receives letters purportedly from Anna postmarked in various cities in France. At the same time, a woman reports a sighting of Anna in France to the detective in charge of the case Erik. Heloise and Erik investigate.

I love both Nordic noirs and British police procedurals. Even though Heloise is a reporter not a detective, this book feels more like the latter. It’s perfect for armchair detectives. However, it is lacking in the gloomy and desolate setting of most Nordic noirs.

The Corpse Flower is a great character-driven police procedural. All the clues are there for an astute reader to solve the various mysteries—both large and small—within. 4 stars!

Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

This one took me by surprise, I went in blind and was immediately sucked in. I love the alternating POVs between Heloise (the reporter being contacted), Anna (the murder contacting Heloise), and Erik (the detective on the case). I really liked all three characters, I liked how well Hancock intertwined there stories and kept you on your toes the whole time. I usually don’t gravitate toward thrillers with heavy “cop” story line but this one I ended up really liking Erik’s POV. Things unfolded at the perfect pace, keeping my attention and making hard to put this one down.
This ended up being a book I really liked and I loved the ending!
4.5/5- ⭐️

I'll be honest, it was the cover that made me want to read this one. Once I started it, the story never really held my attention. It seemed both drawn out and rushed at the same time, if that makes any sense. Definitely not one of my favorites I've read this year.

What a well written novel. I loved the premise of this story and the way it unfolded. I was surprised by the final twist and that doesn't usually happen for this avid reader anymore!

The Corpse Flower is one of the best books I read this year. It has a great plot that is well developed and little by little it gives the pieces so the reader can form a picture and understand it. Behind the murder of a prominent lawyer who comes from a wealthy and well-known family, lies a web of crime in child pornography. They have meetings, they exchange messages, pictures, they abuse children and record it and distribute it through the internet. The lawyer's killer is very smart and she is looking for her vengeance, she has been betrayed by her parents, by society and she has very little left. Great story, although including a nauseating theme, the way it is talked about in the book, is not shocking. Good descriptions of places, people, and situations.

A genuinely thrilling thriller! I loved the characters and their interplay throughout the sometimes quite complex process of solving this mystery. If you like Lackberg’s works, you should definitely give this talented author a try.

So this is my first Scandinavian mystery/thriller which I didn’t even know was a thing, but I’m definitely into now.
I loved the story, and how it all came together. I genuinely could not figure out how they were going to tie everything together until they did. It was so well done. I liked the main characters (Héloise and Schäfer), and I liked how they helped each other without working together.
The ending of this book was very satisfying.
I don’t think the title matches the book, and honestly the scene with a corpse flower could have been totally omitted and nothing would have changed.
Also if you are thinking of picking this one up, just know, TW for child sex abuse.

The Corpse Flower by Anne Mette Hancock is the first in a procedural-style mystery/thriller about Heloise Kaldan, a Danish journalist. Her job is in jeopardy and she begins receiving cryptic messages from Anna Kiel, a woman accused of murder who has been on the run for several years. We are introduced to more characters and tension builds and Heloise’s life is put in danger. Though largely about Heloise, we also learn about the case(s) from Detective Schaefer who investigated the original murder, and from accused murderer Anna Kiel. We begin to learn more about what’s going on, why Heloise is being contacted now and about the murder from several years ago. The book moves swiftly and had me intrigued. There are bombshell conclusions, which help set up the next book in the series. I listened to the audiobook, which is skillfully narrated by Laura Jennings. Her tone and pacing was perfect for this novel. Overall, a very enjoyable and intriguing read!

Thank you Crooked Lane Books / Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for providing this ARC.

Perfect for Scandic-noir fans! Danish journalist Heloise Kaldan finds herself in the middle of a mystery when Anna Kiel, accused of a hideous murder, sends her notes that show knowledge of Kalden's life. DS Erik Schafer. responsible for investigating the crime. is baffled by both the murder and its aftermath. It's a twisty novel hard to review without spoilers but the characters are dynamic and the atmospherics terrific. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Great read- here's hoping we see more, in English, from Hancock.

The Corpse Flower is the first instalment in the Heloise Kaldan and Homicide Detective Erik Schafer Mystery series, set against the backdrop of Copenhagen, Denmark. It is a captivating and compulsive tale of Scandinavian noir about revenge, forgiveness and the search for justice and is filled with psychological elements. Journalist Heloise Kaldan has problems at work because she has referred to incorrect documents in an article. She tries to fight back when she receives a letter from Anna Kiel. Kiel has been wanted for three years for the murder of a young lawyer. She was discovered in front of the lawyer's house, smeared in blood with a knife in her hand. Heloise does not remember Kiel from other contexts but later receives a letter with another hint. She finds it mysterious and interesting and begins to investigate the matter herself. However, she does not share her information with anyone. At the same time, the police are investigating the case of bestial murder, of which Schäfer is the head of the investigation. Their tracks cross and the matter becomes more complicated. Heloise in particular is afraid of what will come to light when Kiel is found.

This is an enthralling and compulsively readable thriller with many interesting themes throughout the narrative and an eminently readable and difficult to put down plotline. The intrepid pair of sleuths must uncover a pack of deceitful lies and betrayal to ensure they get to the heart of the matter and achieve justice, but that's often easier said than done. The city of Copenhagen and its people vividly grind to life within these pages offering not only an absorbing, pacy and exciting mystery-laden procedural but an accurate and richly atmospheric sense of time and place, too. It's grisly, gritty and full of danger lurking just out of view and is an original and rock-solid crime thriller that is both award-winning and an instant bestseller in its native Denmark. A cracking and nerve-wracking page-turner from start to denouement, this well written and beautifully plotted procedural featuring two strong females as the central characters, one protagonist and one antagonist, is unusual and I loved every second of it. Filled with palpable and ever-rising suspense and a poisonous charm, like the flower of a corpse, as ephemeral as it is toxic. Highly recommended.

This is the first in the #1 bestselling Danish crime series, the Kaldan and Schäfer mysteries. On the surface, there are some parallels with fellow Danish crime writer Heidi Amsinck in that Hancock also studied journalism and like Amsinck she has selected a journalist, Heloise Kaldan, as her primary main character. Another interesting fact to note is that Hancock is very close friends with another female crime fiction author from Denmark, Katrine Engberg. Amazing they became friends before separately choosing to reveal to each other that they had both started writing crime fiction stories. They also share the same translator Tara Chace.

Heloise Kaldan is a journalist for Copenhagen based newspaper Demokratisk Dagblad who finds her job is at risk as one of her sources for an exposé has been caught out for lying. While her future is in jeopardy, Kaldan receives a cryptic letter signed by Anna Kiel. Wanted for the murder of a young lawyer 3 years earlier, Kiel has been on the run since.

The cryptic letters continue and Kaldan starts to dig into Keil's background which involves meeting each of her parents, none of which could have provided a steady upbringing for their daughter.

As it happens police officer Erik Schäfer has just received a promising lead to the whereabouts of Kiel from an older couple who were holidaying in France. Later the reporter who first wrote about the case is found murdered in his apartment. After a while his story starts to tie in with that of Kaldan as they start to work together but can Schäfer keep her safe?

For short sections of the book we follow Keil's narrative. She is clearly trying to entice the attention of Heloise Kaldan, but for what purpose? As the messages start to hint at a connection between herself and Kiel, the story takes a wider international perspective and draws Kaldan back in contact with someone who she promised she would never see again.

There is so much to like about The Corpse Flower. I particularly enjoyed Hancock's use of a historical backstory as a riddle that Kaldan has to solve. There are some very dark aspects to the story which are presented in a convincing method. I feel she really succeed at creating a situation where a key character has to revisit someone they once revered but now revile. This part is very powerful and from then on the pace increases as hidden secrets from the past are finally revealed.
A very satisfying climax hints at some great stories to come for Kaldan and Schäfer. Many thanks to Crooked Lane Books for allowing me to read The Corpse Flower via NetGalley. I definitely recommend it to North American readers and hope that in tme it can be released in the UK as well.

Incidently a Corpse flower is the common name of Amorphophallus titanium - a giant flower that is native to Sumatra. It has this name as it has the distinction of smelling of rotting flesh when it flowers, which it does very rarely. You'll have to read the book to find the relevance to this story.

This was my first Swedish thriller and I have to say it was quite different from the normal thrillers I read. This certainly wasn't a 5 star read for me, but I do think it had a lot of great elements to it that make it worth the read. The last third of the book, especially, does a great job of capturing the readers attention and throwing them back into the story. I found myself a bit confused and wondering how everything tied together until things finally started to click together towards the end and make much more sense. I thought the last third of the book was incredibly thrilling and interesting and really wish the rest of the book had been more like it. I absolutely loved the ending more than I liked the rest of the book combined, which I can't say I have found in many books before. The ending really saved the book for me. Overall, this was totally different from what I was expecting but I am glad I was able to read a thriller outside my normal reads.

3.5 stars

Heloise Kaldan is a journalist who has a connection to an alleged killer, but what that connection is remains to be unseen. She keeps receiving cryptic letters from Anna Kiel, who is wanted for a fatal stabbing that occurred three years ago but has been on the run ever since. With the help of detective Eric Schafer, Heloise finds herself in the middle of an international manhunt that will hopefully help her find the answers she seeks…answers she might not be prepared for.

I thought the majority of this book was just ok. It was pretty well paced, but a bit anticlimactic in my opinion. It wasn’t until the end, when you learn Heloise’s connection to Anna, that the story really started to pick up. I wish the rest of the book had been more engaging, but overall it was a pretty good story.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4276123848

I didn’t realize how much I missed reading scan-noir! This book was full of suspense and intrigue and haunting moments. We follow Heloise, a troubled reporter who receives several cryptic messages from a murderer on the run. The more Heloise digs into the case, the more dangerous the situation becomes. The discoveries reveal deep secrets that no one is prepared for.

This is a good Nordic thriller with a dark, intense plot, and plenty of twists. Written in three points of view: Erik Shafer, the detective in charge of the case, Anna Kiel, the suspected murderer on the run, and Heloise Kaldan, the journalist Anna keeps contacting with hints of a shared connection. I'm looking forward to reading book 2 in this series!
I received an advance reader copy of this book through NetGalley. The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

I was intrigued by the title of this book and it did not disappoint. A winding tale of revenge with many engaging characters, It is fast-paced with just enough mystery to keep me enticed from beginning to end. I was able to nagivate the various plot lines, and was deighted to find there was a twist. I would recommend this as a dark, creepy read that is suitable for readers of both thrillers and literary fiction, particularly those interested in Nordic crime books and shows. There is definitely some strong content, so I would be likely to warn readers it is not for the squeamish.

ARC provided by NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books.

Holy Law and Order SVU on crack! Do you like Scandinavian crime novels?! If you do, you need to check this out! Thanks @netgalley for my chance to read this one in advance.

I was hooked from the beginning! I can’t believe this is a debut! The writing is superb considering it’s a translation there really isn’t any weird disconnect. I loved our strong main character Heloise. She’s easy to root for and understand where she is coming from. All of the other characters make good background players to the story , just beware there are a lot of them. Something about a revenge story really gets me and I just love it. Rightfully so in this case as you find out. There is some graphic child sexualization in this story which can be a bit difficult. The POV is mainly from Heloise herself so it helps the story move rather quickly. I really hope the rest of this series is translated to English because I will be looking forward to it. 👏🏼

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I have very mixed feelings about this book. I really enjoyed the tense mystery aspect of it throughout, and got very into trying to figure out who Anna Kiel was. Whenever reading a mystery/thriller, I like to try and figure out what the big reveal is if the author is dropping hints the whole time. I love a good twist and reveal. However, I did not like the reveal in this book. It felt like it came out of nowhere and there were no tiny hints dropped throughout the book so it felt sort of thrown in as shock factor. It got very dark and twisted. I normally have no problem with that sort of book, but seeing as it was only in the last 20ish minutes of reading I didn't really see any of it coming.

Other than that out of nowhere reveal, I enjoyed the book. I liked the main character, although she was rather annoying with certain choices she made. Overall, I liked it. Didn't love, didn't hate.

There is a lot to like about Anne Mette Hancock’s “The Corpse Flower.” It is a fast-paced story, one that easily captures your interest and holds on all the way to the last page. Still, there were a few items that kept me from offering all five stars.

Heloise Kaldan is the female protagonist, a tough investigative reporter for a major newspaper. The real story begins when she receives a cryptic letter from Anna Kiel, an accused murderess who has managed to evade the police for years. Detective Sergeant Erik Schafer is in charge of this investigation, one that is still open but cold and without any new clues to guide him.

The story is the star of this book and it kept me reading at every possible moment. Ms. Hancock’s tale does veer to the left and right, becoming something other than what readers may expect, but it does not contain what many author’s use, a fantastic event that comes out of left field as the “twist.” I hesitate to say more, as it is difficult to add more details without giving away major plot ideas and thus ruining the read for other readers.

While the translation at times causes a stilted feeling to the text, these instances are limited and I chose to overlook them. I wished for a bit more of the police procedural aspect, though the author could have chosen to limit that in order to keep the quick pace moving at all times. I did question a scene where an inmate in a prison is visited without any obvious relationship with the inmate (our state prison requires background checks and documentation, but perhaps European prisons operate differently).

Overall, this is a story that flows well and kept my interest all the way through. The book blurb lists this as the first book in a series and based upon what I read in “The Corpse Flower,” I wouldn’t hesitate to read the next book. Four-and-a-half stars.

My thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for as complimentary electronic copy of this title.