This book was super creepy and a rollercoaster. This book was twisty and addicting. I honestly couldn't stop reading. I needed to know what was going to happen next!

Three years ago, Anna Kiel brutally, and seemly randomly, murdered a successful lawyer in his home, and she's been on the run since. Now she's resurfacing by sending Copenhagen journalist Heloise Kaldan cryptic letters that imply a connection between Anna, Heloise, and the murder victim. Unfortunately, Heloise has no clue as to what that connection may be. However, she's going to have to figure it out, as the letters are piling up, and things are getting dangerous for Heloise.

This is a fast-moving mystery/thriller for fans of Jo Nesbo, Stieg Larsson, and Henning Mankell. Lots of tension and action, and the way the reader's opinion of Anna and Heloise change throughout the book is particularly well done.

This is a debut novel for the author, first published in 2017. The story takes place in Copenhagen. The main character, Heloise, is a journalist for a popular city newspaper. I was drawn to this book by its title, as this rare flower is intriguing, and in this story it was used as a metaphor. The book was a slow burn, and it all pulled together. This is a very good debut book and I’m looking forward to more from this talented writer.

Thank you to the publisher and author for the free e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

I felt frustrated by the slow plot. It seemed to take forever to get to the real meat of the story, and I just didn’t connect with the characters. The use of racist stereotypes or characterization was frustrating and upsetting. I’m not sure if this was somehow lost in translation, or what’s going on here, but I didn’t care for it.

This might be more for people who enjoy Scandinavian and Nordic thrillers, but it wasn’t my cup of tea.

Thank you to the publisher and author for the free e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Scandinavian and Nordic thrillers are always a genre I enjoy, which is what drew me to request this on Netgalley. While this had some good points, I ultimately wasn't in love.

Heloise's character was really fascinating, and I loved reading about her tenacity. Erik Schafer, the detective, wasn't my favourite, but I think general brusqueness fit the plot. There were also some very picturesque descriptions of Copenhagen that made me very much want to visit the city some day.

For the bad news: the plot was slow to start, but then it was resolved in too much of a rush. It's one of those books that makes you wonder how everything is going to be wrapped up with so few pages left. While it did tie up loose ends, it was so rushed that the timelime was hard to follow.
I didn't get a great sense of Anna Kiel. She's supposed to be the central character that the plot revolves around, but ends up feeling more like a ghost in the shadows. It was hard to care about her because she wasn't there very much.

Now for what really knocks the rating down for me: the casual use of racial stereotypes. There was a reference to calling a South Asian man "Delhi" as a nickname, someone comparing a group of people to g*ps*s, and a villain calling a character's Caribbean wife "plant*tion wife." These were just so unnecessary, and left a bad taste in my mouth.

I also didn't totally get the title's connection to the rest of the plit. While the plant is mentioned several times, its actual meaning only sort of made sense to me, in a squint-and-do-mental-gymnastics sort of way.

Check this out if you like Scandinavian and Nordic thrillers, but really that's where my enthusiasm for the book ends.

TW: murder, violence, suicide, child sexual abuse, casual racism

Anna Kiel survived a traumatic childhood and seeks justice for herself and others who suffered a similar fate. The body of a lawyer from a well known family is found murdered and police want to question her after she is seen on cctv outside the premises.
Heloise is a journalist who made the mistake of not checking her sources before publishing a story. She aims to make up for this by writing an expose on child abuse.
Detective Sergeant Erik Schäfer is a seasoned police officer who will need to use all of his investigative powers to catch those central to a child sex ring.
A shocking crime will occur again unless one woman obtains justice and all three of them have major roles to play before justice is obtained.
I was interested in discovering more about the plant which this book was named after. What a fascinating part of nature: https://www.livescience.com/51947-corpse-flower-facts-about-the-smelly-plant.html.
This is the first novel by an author who I feel displays the skill of a more seasoned writer. I look forward to the next book by this capable writer.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free digital copy of the book in return for an honest review.

All opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley for providing a copy of this book, in return for an honest review.

The Corpse Flower started a little slow. The author created so many questions in the first 1/3 of the book, that I was a bit confused for a bit. It did ease off after a bit, thank God, as my questions started getting answered. I was thankful for that.

I couldn’t figure out why the title. My husband loves Corpse Flowers, and is always telling me how badly they smell, so I couldn’t figure out why an author would choose to name her book after such an awful plant.


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But I got it, and you will too. No spoilers, promise, but I did get why.

This book is not what I expected. The characters weren’t who I thought, and the murder that I thought fit so nicely in the book, had a couple twists that caused me to rethink my deductive abilities. Anne is so good at creating a story fraught with angst, but full of hope. I hoped the characters would get their closure, but at the same time I wasn’t sure they would.

I distrusted Anna Kiel from the beginning. I mean, she was a MURDERER! She killed someone! As I, along with Heloise, got to know her, I still didn’t trust her, but I started to learn why I couldn’t trust her, and that made me trust her. If that makes any sense.

So many of the characters were simply despicable. Johannes Mossing was one of those characters. I never liked him. Not even a little bit. I didn’t even really know why for most of the book. When I finally discovered his secret, I realized why I never liked him.

I’m trying REALLY hard not to give spoilers, you guys, I swear. It’s hard with this book, though!

The author, Anne, is from Denmark herself, and I gotta say, her descriptions of Copenhagen are amazing! Every time I read a book set in a different country, it makes me want to travel the world! This book is no different. Anne did such a great job with her characters, even though some of them are truly terrible people (like, I want to kill them, terrible).

Synopsis: A Danish journalist digs deep to uncover a web of lies that stretches back to a grisly murder, but knowing the truth might put an end to her story.

It’s early September in Copenhagen, the rain has been coming down for weeks, and 36-year-old journalist Heloise Kaldan is in the middle of a nightmare. One of her sources has been caught lying, and she could lose her job over it. And then she receives the first in a series of cryptic and ominous letters from an alleged killer.

Wanted in connection with the fatal stabbing of a young lawyer three years earlier, Anna Kiel hasn’t been seen by anyone since she left the crime scene covered in blood. The police think she’s fled the country and have zero clues as to her motive. But homicide detective Erik Scháfer comes up with the first lead when the reporter who first wrote about the case is found murdered in his apartment. Has Anna Kiel struck again, or is there more than one killer at large? And why does every clue point directly to Heloise Kaldan?

Meanwhile, the letters keep coming, and they hint at a connection between Anna and Heloise. As Heloise starts digging deeper, she realizes that, to tell Anna’s story, she will have to revisit the darkest parts of her own past–confronting someone she swore she’d never see again.

This book was amazing 🤩 please pick up a copy of this book ASAP!

When I start to read "The Corpse Flower" by Anne Mette Hancock, I didn't expect that kind of plot to be honest.

Heloise Kaldan, a 36 years old journalist who lives her nightmare. One of her sources has been exposed as a liar, and she may lose her job as a result. Then she gets the first of a series of cryptic and terrifying letters from an accused serial killer.

Anna Kiel hasn't been seen since she left the murder scene covered in blood three years ago when she was wanted in connection with the deadly stabbing of a young lawyer. The authorities believe she has fled the country and has no leads on her whereabouts. When the reporter who first reported on the case is found slain in his flat, homicide detective Erik Schafer comes up with the first lead. Is it possible that Anna Kiel has attacked again, or is there more than one assailant on the loose? What's more, why does every hint point to Heloise Kaldan?

Meanwhile, the letters continue to arrive, implying a link between Anna and Heloise. As Heloise digs further, she discovers that to share Anna's story, she'll have to confront someone she vowed she'd never see again—a person she swore she'd never see again.

Plot full of mystery and dark moments appears to take you in one direction but then turns around and gives you an entirely opposite side to everything that has been going on, leaving you feeling sick and angry at the same time.

I want to say thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Book for the ARC and the opportunity to read and review this book.

Absolutely loved this book though it took me some time to get into it.
Set in Copenhagen Heloise Kaldan is a journalist in trouble, currently suspended after writing an article which turned out to be false. She starts to receive strange letters from Anna who is on the run from the Danish police.for murdering a young prominent lawyer.
Police officers Erik and Lisa become involved when a journalist turns up dead who had investigated the murder and recently been in contact with Heloise.
This is a complex storyline that keeps you hooked, unraveling the story bit by bit until you finally find out what it is all about in the final third.
Thanks to #Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in return for a fair review.
4.5 Stars ⭐️ Highly recommended . Anne Mette Hancock is a star of the future.

I wanted to like this book more. I love a good Nordic noir and a strong female protagonist doesn't hurt either. Heloise Kaldan is a journalist who doesn't play by the rules and she's got a killer sending her cryptic letters who doesn't appear to subscribe to them either. And that's just one of the things the two share. It is an interesting device in a thriller/mystery when your would-be detective (Heloise) and your killer seem to exist in parallel and I liked that aspect very much.
But unfortunately, the writing was a bit flat and contained many cliched phrases., The author has received such accolades in her native country of Denmark that I wonder whether this was an issue with translation. But since I can't read Danish, I guess I will never know for sure.
A well-constructed suspense novel with dark tones and an intriguing setting, but don't expect the writing style (at least in English) to thrill.

Wow. What a story. I have been reading a lot of thrillers lately and this one was really unique. Very gripping, even had my heart racing a couple of times towards the end. I think there was a perfect balance of fortune and misfortune for those investigating the case so that bad things didn’t always happen when I thought they would and then would happen when I least expected. There were a couple of red herrings that tricked me throughout the book and I think I only figured it out when I was meant to. I liked the slow unraveling at the end and that none of the story felt rushed. There are some very dark themes in this one and I truly hope the finished copy is published with a content warning at the beginning. All in all, I definitely recommend this book for thriller lovers!

My thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for allowing me to review.

Anna Kiel murdered Christoffer Mossing and is on the run. . Reporter Heloise Kaldan receives cryptic messages from Anna "that she has a story to tell". Detective Erik Schaeffer gets a break in the case when the reporter who covered the murder at first is found dead, which leads Erik and Anna do join forces.

This was not what I expected. .Good crime procedural but very dark and disturbing content when Anna finds out the true story. I normally love Scandinavian crime fiction but this was not a fave.

Thanks to @netgalley for an advanced copy of The Corpse Flower. The expected publication date of this debut novel is October 2021!

Although the start of this story was a bit of a slow burn, I was soon immersed in this dark mystery/thriller which quickly becomes a page-turner with many twists and turns in the plot along the way!

The story is set in Copenhagen and, to a lesser extent, France. The constant gloomy weather and rain throughout this story effectively set the stage by making the setting tension filled.

Four years ago, Anna Kiel was seen bloodied as she left the apartment of Christoffer Mossing. Since then, she has been a fugitive avoiding capture. In the present, Heloise Kaldan, while stressed at work because one of her sources was found to be lying, starts receiving cryptic letters signed by Anna. These letters, sent from various cities in France, suggest there may be a connection between the two characters.

Heloise uses her contacts and skills as a journalist to look into the murder and the letters from Anna. Through her investigation she contacts detective sergeant Erik Schafer, who worked on the murder, and Ulrich Andersson a journalist who may know more than first appears.

Although there are a relatively large cast of characters, Anne Mette does a wonderful job fleshing them out so that they were very believable.

This book is the first of a series and I look forward to revisiting Copenhagen to see what unfolds next! Anyone who is a fan of Scandinavian crime fiction will enjoy The Corpse Flower.

I wasn't sure what to expect going into The Corpse Flower because I went into it blind. I finished it and wanted to applaud it. An excellent debut for sure!

Things to know:

- This is a police procedural, so it's very thorough with describing the detectives' detective work and day-to-day lives.

- The backstory was A LOT darker than I expected and I was actually a little shocked by it.

- There are a zillion characters and lots of different points-of-view so you really feel like you get the whole story, but it was rather confusing to jump in and out of so many different people's headspaces.

I'll be looking for more from this author!

Read this if you enjoy Nordic Noir and mystery/thriller books like Lars Kepler's books, Jo Nesbo, and more recently The Tenant and The Butterfly House.

3.5 stars (wish there would be half stars)

I have to admit this was my first book by Anne Mette Hancock. Meet Journalist Heloise Kaldan who got herself into some serious troubles. The reader also learns from Anna Kiel, a murderer on the run. She gets into contact with Heloise. Suddenly all the evidence seems to point into her direction for newly commited crimes.

This is a scandinavian novel as one expects with a dark atmosphere and characters that felt very authentic to me.

Thank you #NetGalley #Crooked Lane Books for an ARC of this book

I was intrigued by the title when I requested this book. The story begins with a good plot and suspense and we get different POV of events. The police investigation is very good and methodical. But towards the conclusion I felt the grip was slacking. 3.5 stars

The number 1 Danish bestseller, The Corpse Flower, is a great debut by Anne Mette Hancock.
It’s a riveting crime novel which begins with a reporter receiving a cryptic letter which transpires is connected to an unsolved violent crime committed in 2016. I obviously won’t divulge the storyline but as indicated by Detective Schafer, ‘If the one thing I’m sure of now, is that nothing in this case is a coincidence.’
I really enjoyed this dark thriller, all about revenge, justice and forgiveness...it was a clever plot with a satisfying ending and I look forward to reading more from this author.
Big thanks to Anne Mette Hancock, Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for this eARC which I chose to read in return for my honest review.

The Scandi Noir genre contains everything from the really excellent to the very ordinary - this book is definitely somewhere towards the excellent end of the spectrum, but it did take a while to get into its stride at the start, before becoming absolutely compelling as it went on. The plot centres around journalist Heloise Kaldan who starts to receive cryptic letters from from an assumed murderer, Anna Kiel. Anna has evaded justice for several years and Heloise begins to realise that she and Anna have a connection, even if she doesn’t know what it is. Police investigator Erik Schafer desperately wants to find Anna and bring her to justice. The plot becomes more complex and riveting as the story begins to involve some very high worth individuals - to say any more would mean spoilers, and this well plotted, characterised and well written book doesn’t deserve that. If this review has piqued your interest, go and buy the book and persevere past the slow beginning - it’s worth it!

This was a solidly-written and fast-paced thriller that was an easy read. I loved the idea behind the plot, but it ultimately fell flat for me. It wasn’t a terribly engaging story and I felt like there was this huge build up towards the climax of the book that ultimately ended up being *deflating balloon noise*