It started with promise with a crime that drew me in immediately. However I don't feel this book was the right choice for me. I felt the pacing was off and the story got stuck on unimportant details.

Some books are best read in order and I wished I had done that. That said, it was still a good read. The setting is incredible. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher!

THE SANCTUARY is a taut and compelling ending to the Jeppe Kørner and Anette Werner series. This story has all the ups, downs, and twists that fans of the series have come to love. Engberg exemplifies the crime noir with this and all the other books. I will be sad to leave Kørner and Werner, but loved the edge of your seat ending.

I find myself fully immersing in Scandinavian Noir. Engberg describes the setting and characters in a way that allows readers to feel like they are a part of the story. The twists and turns throughout the chapters make this book unable to put down. While you don't need to have a background of the books in the series, it does help make connections between the characters. Please check trigger warnings before reading.

This started off well with a brutal crime scene. Definitely grabbed me at that point. But i think i just struggle with this genre because it tends to be slow and overly detailed.

I tend to enjoy the relative warmth of the bleak English mysteries compared to the even bleaker Nordic ones, but Engberg's novels have been a huge exception. The characters are incredibly compelling and we get to know them as the threads of the novel begin to dovetail together and escalate to an unpredictable ending.

I rarely say this, but this is a series best read in order to get the most out of these wonderful characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

This was just an odd book.
I actually loved the location and the very messed up murder mystery.
My main issue came down to the characters. Didn't matter if they were the police, bad guy's or whomever. I just found it difficult to find anyone who was halfway likable.
I don't always need to love everyone, but when it's a series, I do expect better.
I fully expect that I won't be continuing on with this series.
Just to reiterate. Good mystery. Lousy people.

The beginning started off promising with the body was found, but then it dove straight into confusing subplots.

I think this is a series you have to read in order, or you’ll be confused by all of the characters

"The Sanctuary" takes readers on a gripping journey to the Danish island of Bornholm, where Detective Anette Werner finds herself confronted with a chilling case involving a discarded suitcase containing a gruesome half-human body. With her partner Jeppe Korner on leave, Anette enlists his help when they discover the suitcase originated from an antique shop on the island. Meanwhile, Esther de Laurenti, accompanied by Jeppe, delves into the mysterious disappearance of Ida's brother Nikolaj while pursuing her passion for writing a biography on Margrethe Dybris, an influential anthropologist. As the investigations intertwine, unexpected connections and secrets emerge, and readers are treated to a web of suspense and surprises. With engaging characters, captivating plot twists, and a rich island setting, "The Sanctuary" is a must-read that will keep you hooked until the very end.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick. Our library purchased and our patrons have been checking out and and enjoying the book. I see it is a popular book club choice as well we hope to have more oppurtinies to support authors like them

The Sanctuary is the fourth installment in the popular Kørner/Werner series by bestselling Scandinavian author, Katrine Engberg.

Jeppe Kørner, is on leave from his duties to heal from a personal tragedy, and has traveled to the island of Bornholm for the winter and finds one of the supporting characters in the series, Esther de Laurenti, who is a writer working on the biography of a woman who previously lived on the island. Anette Werner is still in Copenhagen solving some murders.

Engberg’s style is to have two or three distinct storylines in her novels, that are tied together in the end. This novel is no exception. However, the sections about de Laurenti are absolute boring and many readers (me included) will have trouble staying awake and finishing the novel. While her previous novels have been edge-of-the-seat thrillers, this one isn’t.

Engberg has done an excellent job of developing her characters, and the team of Kørner and Werner works well. However, de Laurenti isn’t as good of a character and her scenarios make the novel one that will probably not be enjoyed by even the most avid Katrine Engberg fans. Actually, the portions of the novel that have to do with the writing of the biography upstage the thriller parts of the novel by the protagonists, and make this one not worth reading.

All told, this is one to skip. Hopefully the next installment will be more readable and be back to Engberg’s style from her previous novels.


Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

Great mystery! A body is found sawed in half in two suitcases in Copenhagen and as Anette works to solve it, the case leads her to the island of Bornholm where her partner is working and on leave.

A lot of twists and turns that had me guessing until the end that has a surprise twist I can’t believe I didn’t figure out. Well written!

Thanks to the publisher for a review copy via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Werner and Kørner are back in what is the final book in this Danish crime series. This time, however Werner finds herself leading the investigation of a murdered man whose body is found in a suitcase. Kørner is on leave from the force and is living now in Bornholm. When the investigation leads to the island, will Kørner be able to resist the temptation to not get involved in bringing the killer to justice?

I have truly enjoyed this series. The characters are all likable and the plots and pacing are fantastic. Please be sure that you read them in order though and enjoy the growth these characters go through. Highly recommend for a fun and entertaining read!

My thanks to Gallery/Scout Press, author Katrine Engberg, and NetGalley for gifting me a digital copy of this book. My opinions are my own.

The Sanctuary is a wonderful fifth book in the Korner and Werner series and perfect for fans of Nordic Noir. The chilly and dark atmosphere that surrounds the police procedural plot is impossible to put down and hard to look away from. From the very first page, Engberg captures the reader’s attention and leads them on a journey to an icy and secluded island.

Reading the other books in the series before this one is the best way to learn to love both Jeppe and Anette. They are unique characters with interesting stories and people that are easy to root for. The story continues right where book four, The Harbor, left off and felt to me like greeting an old friend. Fans of detective books and the dark atmosphere of Copenhagen will love the next installment of this series!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Loved this book. Well written and held my interest.

THE SANCTUARY by Katrine Engberg
Publication: 02/07/2023
Gallery Books / Scout Press
4 Star Rating ….



Another brilliant atmospheric police procedural, immersed in rich characterization and dark and gritty literary prose. This is the fifth book of the series translated into English and is reported to be the finale. Another gruesome crime forces the intertwining relationship between Copenhagen police detectives Jeppe Korner and Anette Werner. This tale as the others can be enjoyed as a standalone as Engberg flawlessly provides the necessary backstory. However, reading all sequentially will allow the reader to appreciate the evolution of the character, foibles, and motivation of this intriguing pair. Jeppe has been cuckolded and divorced , and reeling from unsuccessful relationships. He finds himself heartbroken and grieving, and forced to take a leave of absence from the police force. He has taken refuge on the island of Bornholm for the winter. He feels that working at a sawmill and lumberjacking will provide the necessary salve to heal his psyche. Also on the island is a dear old friend, Esther de Laurenti, who is working on her next book …. A biography of the famed female anthropologist , Margrethe Dybris. Her research entails poring over a myriad of personal letters stored away over a lifetime …. that will eventually unlock and uncover secrets and mysteries of the island.
Jeppe at times has been repulsed by Anette’s crudeness and lack of tact, while Anette is surprised at the degree of Jeppe’s “touchy- feelines” and apparent arrogance.. Compared to Jeppe’s passion, Anette is like “a bull in a china shop.” Regardless they have learned to appreciate their differences and have grown into an awesome team.
Back in Copenhagen, half of a severed corpse is discovered in a suitcase in a downtown playground. Anette, without a partner, is tasked to lead the investigation and uncovers a strange trail of clues leading back to Bornholm. She then contacts Jeppe, and cajoles him into checking out leads on the island, as an off-the-books investigation. He inadvertently uncovers a sinister mystery of the past, linked to the present day gruesome murder. The second half of the body eventually turns up in another suitcase near Copenhagen’s Citadel.
Engberg proves to be a masterful storyteller as she weaves a convoluted narrative involving betrayal, jealousy and friendship, and love that propels into a thrilling and suspenseful tale with an unexpected denouement. Engberg manages to interconnect the web of spun lies into a propulsive thriller that is satisfying, yet leaves the reader yearning for more Korner and Werner mysteries . Perhaps this is not yet the finale for this awesome partnership .
Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books / Scout Press for providing an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review.

3.5.rounded up. Jeppe is on an island cutting trees.Annette has a case that brings her there and of course she ask Jeppe to help. The secondary but linked story about jeppe’s friend seemed a bit irrelevant overall.
Feels a bit cliched overall.

A mystery that begins in Copenhagen with the discovery of a trunk with half a man in it sends detective Anette Werner to the island of Bornhom where detective Jeppe Korner is on leave of absence. Esther de Laurenti, an author, is staying on the island to write the biography of Margrethe Dybris, deceased. As Esther reads Margrethe's letters, she picks up some clues.
What does the dead half man have to do with Marguerite? Where is her missing son? What is going on with the people on the island?
A well-crafted mystery with a very unusual murder device. Read to discover the answers.

Can you describe a bloody violent police procedural as calming and relaxing? Well. The Sanctuary is all of the above. I didn't realize this was the final book in a series but I still enjoyed it. Lovers of Harry Bosch, Dublin Murder Squad, or Cormoran Strike will enjoy this book. I am not sure I will read the rest of the series but would suggest to those who like police procedural novels, deep character development, and local color.

Fave quotes:
"She appreciated home-grown herbal tea about as much as an itchy rash."

...but a sausage didn’t really count as a proper meal (LIES!)

If she had believed in God, she would have felt closer to him now.

Nordic Noir!

Atmospheric Nordic noir had the hairs on the back of my neck standing up. There’s a connection between a gruesome murder in Copenhagen that Annette Werner is in charge of and the Island of Bornholm where Jeppe Kørner has gone to recover his equilibrium after a harsh breakup.
This tense Danish police procedural, the fifth and last in the Werner and Korner series is quite the ride!

A Gallery Books ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher