I liked the change of scenery for this series. The characters are much more developed after three books and I felt more attached to them than I did in the first two. The plot for this mystery had a lot going on and the island made for a great way to contain it and connect it to the history there.

This leaned more Nordic noir than I usually liked, my copy definitely had a few translation errors but I’m sure they’ll be fixed by the final and it was nothing too bad. Didn’t realize this was technically part of a series which I think I should’ve because I would’ve liked it more if I set the scene better. My biggest qualm was I hated to hate everyone. I need at least ONE redeemable character and I didn’t have it (here for the messiness of the plot in the good way though)

3.5 stars

The Sanctuary by Katrine Engberg is the fifth 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 (Violent Crimes Division), is 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, and much to her surprise, recently gave birth to a daughter.  Their boss, Police Commissioner Irene Dam, 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)
Jeppe is on leave from the police force after he and Sara broke up.  He is on the island of Bornholm, cutting down trees. 

Jeppe's friend Esther is also on the island, where she is working on the biography of a female anthropologist.   The woman's daughter Ida is letting Esther stay in the home to go through all of her mom's letters.   Esther is still mourning the loss of her room-mate Greggers, and it is an ideal situation.

Annette is leading the investigation into the discovery of a corpse in a downtown playground.  It is actually only half of a body, stuffed into a suitcase.  It appears the body was sawed in half.  Clues lead back to Bornholm, and Annette asks Jeppe for some help.


My Opinions:
This was quite good.  I really like the characters, and that includes Esther.

The story is written from a number of perspectives, including the letters that Esther is reading. Although they were an integral part of the story, I found them a little boring.

As with the others in the series, there was a lot going on, and it was interesting how everything tied together, with a couple of twists.  There may have been a few too many suspects, and it may have dragged a little, but it was still good.

I keep wondering why only 4 of the 5 books in this series have been translated into English.  Part of me thinks it may be too late for me to read the missing one if it appears...but then again....

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for this read. This entire series was well done. The books were very gruesomely detailed. and the investigations were well done. The story also spoke about the relationships and personality of Anette Werner. These books were just great and will keep you reading ( way later than you should). I like how the author provided information to get you caught up if you have not read the previous book or have read them some time ago to allow you to remember what is going on in the story. This allows this book to be read as a standalone.

When a suitcase is found with a dead body in it, that is only the beginning. The body has been sliced in half from groin to his head and the other half is missing. Police try to trace the body to missing men but are having a hard time tracking it down. Anette Werner is leading the investigation while her partner and mentor is on leave in Bornholm. When the case begins to have ties to Bornholm, Anette decides to ask her friend and partner Jeppe to do a little investigating on his own.
The story weaves together and is followed by twists and turns that you don't know what is happening. I enjoyed the book and it kept me reading into the night. Although it's a bit dark in places it also has another story going on at the same time. A great read for us thrill seekers.

The Sanctuary is the 5th book in the series starts off very strong and gruesome when a body (well a partial body) is found in a suitcase on a playground.

Anette is assigned the case as Jeppe is on leave on the island of Bornholm doing the furthest thing from police work, he is a lumberjack.

The case has a tie to the island and Anette asks outright if Jeppe can help informally.

The atmosphere is thick on the island and the tension is mounting as they try to discover the identity of the victim.

Although this is Book 5, you can read it as a stand alone. There is enough background written in .

I am kicking myself for missing two of the books in the series but I am looking forward to reading them.

The chemistry and their personalities make Anette and Jeppe a strong team and one to be reckoned with.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada, Gallery /Scout Press for page turning read.

What I love most about this series is how well we get to know the characters! Jeppe's broken heart has forced him to seek seclusion on the island, but leads him right into an active investigation. Red herrings abound which forces readers to keep turning the pages to figure out exactly what's going on. The ending felt a little rushed, but was slightly redeemed by Esther's revelation. This is the perfect read for those lovers of Nordic Noir stories.

This is the fifth book in this series, Korner and Werner, although the characters carry over from the previous books, I think you could read this as a stand alone. Korner has taken a leave from the police at the end of the previous book and taken a job on a remote island working at cutting down trees, a lot more physical than working as an inspector. Werner meanwhile has been called to a crime scene where a body has been found stuffed in a suitcase, it turns out that only half of the body is present, half meaning someone has cut the body from the top of the head down to the groin and placed that half in the suitcase. Eventually Werner ends up on the same island as Korner, she's working with the local police on clues that have led to the island and a possible identity of the body. A separate story line follows Esther who is also on the island doing research on a female anthropologist she long admired and wants to write a book on. A friend of Esther's who had been living with her had recently passed and she made this trip to get away from the daily reminders of his passing. Korner and Werner eventually work through the clues, leading to a very scary situation for Korner, and find the bad guy. Overall a very good book and I would recommend. Thanks to #Netgalley and #Scout Press for the ARC.

This is #5 in a series of a Scandinavian crime series.

The main characters are Jeppe Korner, who is a policeman and leave. He is staying on the island on Bornholm for the winter, and working as a lumberjack. However, it turns out that the islanders have many secrets, and it is not the peaceful idyll he had envisioned.

His colleague, Anette Werner is investigating a murder, where a body sawn in half is found in a park in Copenhagen. It turns out that there may be a connection between this crime and the seemingly quiet island of Bornholm, forcing Jeppe and Anette to work together to try and solve the case.

While this is an intriguing plot, I am deducting two stars for the slow pace and the main characters who I found really hard to warm up to.


Thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for providing me with an eARC to read and review.

Although I absolutely love the cover, the book is not my favorite in the series. I still rounded it up to four stars, but it was between 3.5-3.75 stars for me.
The plot seems a bit far-fetched, although I do love the author’s storytelling style.
I personally feel the detective that leaves the force to be still involved in the investigation is a bit redundant. As I just read The Rabbit Hunter last month, the story similarities are uncanny. Hence, it is probably why I didn't love this plot as much as her previous book, The Harbor.
That said, I enjoyed the book, and it is a great continuation of the Korner/ Werner series. Although I found the characters were insufferable and acting downright stupid at times. I did not care for the decisions they made and the overall descriptions. The character development was not as well executed as in her previous books.
It was a fast-paced read that kept me engaged.
Hopefully, the next one will be better!

Loved this series. Beautiful landscapes, brutal murders and coppers make for an exciting adventure. I was truly stumped until the very end. A roller coaster of emotions and the ride was a good one.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc

The Sanctuary by Katrine Engberg is the conclusion to the riveting Scandinavian noir series, and it certainly exits with a bang.

Jeppe Korner is seeking solitude on the island of Bornholm for the winter, where his path will cross with writer Esther de Laurenti. Anette Werner, meanwhile, is back in Copenhagen where the discovery of a severed corpse in a playground will have her, yet again, racing against time to find a killer. Following a series of clues, Werner is led to Bornholm where Korner agrees to follow up on a lead, uncovering the dark and disturbing secrets of the seemingly placid island in the process.

Once again, Katrine Engberg takes us into the darkest recesses of the human psyche, and this final installment feels particularly sinister and grisly. Overall, a very satisfying conclusion to a brilliant series.

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

Thank you Simon & Schuster Canada for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. 5 stars for DNF as I cannot comment on the overall quality of the book. I always give Nordic Noirs a pass on the pacing because they tend to be slow burns. Slow, but emotional and intellectual stimulating burn. And while this was certainly slow, I found the abuse of exclamation marks to be grating. I made it about 30% and nothing riveting had occurred; just A LOT of exclamation marks.

Ok, I have to be honest and say I had no idea that when sending my request in to read this book that it was a part of a series. Once I started I was a little worried I may not be able to get into it, but it honestly had no effect on my enjoyment of this story. I like the way it opened up with a brutal murder right from the beginning and kept you reading chapter by chapter picking up small clues that lead you right to the end. A shocking finish and story that had me hooked from beginning to end. I found it didn’t waste time on really focusing on the characters but cut right to the chase of the murder and missing person with a little bit of back story to tie you into another little surprising twist at the end.