I have read all three books in this series and this is the most haunting. I wouldn’t say that I would’ve done the same as Heloise by pursuing this particular story told by this dying man. She was tenacious in tracking down his next of kin and her unrelenting search for the truth behind his confession. I like her and Erik’s connection but I was constantly concerned that , by getting him involved, it would damage his relationship with his wife and/or endanger her safety. I look forward to the next installment (if there is one).

Ruthless by Anne Mette Hancock follows journalist Heloise Kaldan and homicide investigator Erik Schäfer as they delve into a series of mysterious events triggered by a deathbed confession from Jan Frischof, an elderly dementia patient. Jan's confession reveals a connection to several decades-old disappearances, prompting Heloise to investigate further. Her search uncovers a web of lies and deceit involving next of kin and the police, leading her to unravel a much larger and more dangerous conspiracy.

Overall, Ruthless is a compelling and thought-provoking thriller that successfully combines intricate plotting with deep character exploration. Its strengths lie in Hancock's skillful storytelling and the novel's ability to maintain suspense while addressing important social issues. While some readers might find certain plot elements predictable, the novel's overall execution and emotional depth make it a worthy addition to the Scandinavian noir genre.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Ruthless by Anne Mette Hancock

This is book 3 in the Kaldan and Schafer Nordic noir series, and I am HOOKED.

This series is becoming one of my favorite Nordic noir series. I should’ve expected the twist, but it got me good. I shouldn’t have let my guard down! 😅 I am UNWELL.

I will definitely be reading the next one in the series and highly recommend trying this series.

Note - it covers some darker, graphic topics so beware.

Thank you @crookedlanebooks for the #gifted copy!

My recent foray into reading crime fiction from other countries paid off with this simply riveting and sad story. I will read more from this author!

Wow or yikes? I honestly can still not decide. This one is different from the other books in the series. It’s a super slow burn just seems to float until it anchors to reason towards the last few pages. AND INDEED IT IS SO RUTHLESS IT’S SO INFURIATING! Omg seriously, thinking back to those events, what in the world! Then again, this kind of shock factor was what made me appreciate The Corpse Flower. Onward to the next!

Dark and building - secrets from the past that no one would ever have guessed, keep pulling further and further into that rabbit hole - and the past and present collide. Be careful what you stir up!

This book is part of a series, but it can be read as a stand-alone. I liked the author’s writing style. The book has a good charter development and a good plot. This was an enjoyable read.

This series continues to evolve, taking on a deeper and darker tone with each instalment. What an extraordinary book. While it started at a slower pace, it quickly gained momentum. On September 18, 2023, Copenhagen Investigative Journalist Heloise Kaldan delves into a series of articles focused on the work of Vigil, a volunteer group providing companionship to dying patients without family or friends. During her visits with Jan Frischof, an elderly man battling cancer and dementia, an unexpected friendship blossoms. When Jan confesses past misdeeds and expresses fear of impending danger, Heloise senses a much larger and unresolved story.

This murder mystery unfolds with a haunting darkness, filled with unexpected twists and turns, culminating in a dramatic revelation at the end that caught me off guard yet made perfect sense. Heloise encounters a cast of intensely violent characters in Rinkenæs and unravels a web of historical crimes marked by brutality.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for sending a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This thriller is book three in the Heloise Kaldan and Erik Shäfer detective series. Heloise, an investigative journalist, volunteers working with a terminal cancer patient when he reveals some of the secrets from his past. Kaldan with the help of police detective Shäfer begins digging into a twenty-five year old case of young women's disappearances when she starts realizing she's gotten herself into a dangerous territory.

I really enjoyed the first two books: The Corpse Flower and The Collector, so I was really looking forward to this new release. It started as a slowburn suspense, yet was hard to put down. The dynamics between Kaldan and Shäfer is always fun to observe. Shäfer's fatherly wisdom and Kadan's youthful enthusiasm is what moves these tangled cases along. Those two are a great team. In this book Kaldan, a loner, also reconnects with her old flame which was a nice storyline to follow. The book ended with a mindblowing twist. I was expecting the slowburn to continue through to the end, but the author delivered a shocking revelation. Was so worth the wait!

Overall, great Scandi Noir read which could be read as a stand-alone, but knowing the background story of the MCs helps.

Danish writer, Anne Mette Hancock, has made a major impact on the crime fiction scene in the last two years with three novels: The Corpse Flower (October 2021), The Collector (November 2022), and now Ruthless. All three are part of the Kaldan and Scháfer series, which features journalist Heloise Kaldan and police detective Erik Scháfer's investigative skills.

Full review: https://westwordsreviews.wordpress.com/2023/12/22/ruthless-anne-mette-hancock/

The third mystery novel featuring journalist Heloise Kaldan and her inspector pal Erik Schafer. This time they investigate the deathbed confession that seems so unbelievable they have to investigate.

I’d recommend reading the first two in this series before to be more aware of Heloise’s background and relationship with Schafer.

I am a huge fan of this author. I love Heloise, Erik Schäfer and his wife. Vibrant and realistic characters. Love the setting and quest for answers. I love the complexity of the mob characters with their hints of humanity.
Trigger warnings - violence against women.

"When Jan Frisch of, a dying elderly man, gives a deathbed confession too unbelievable to be true, journalist Heloise Kaldan immediately knows there’s a deeper story to uncover. Her gut soon proves to be right—Jan immediately backtracks and warns her that they will both be in danger if she asks any more questions. Could this kind and elderly man really be a cold-blooded killer? Heloise quickly realizes that this is a darker, and far more complicated, investigation. Jan is clearly afraid of something, but who or what he’s afraid of could be a dangerous question for Heloise to find the answer to. As she digs deeper, Heloise begins to see that Jan's confession is connected to a string decades-old disappearances. But next of kin and police are lying to her at every turn, and she has no idea what else Jan could be hiding. Enlisting her friend, detective inspector Erik Schäfer, Heloise begins her descent into the past, unsure of what she will unearth."

Is the elderly man cold-blooded killer or not one? Will have to read the book to find out.
Thrilling and suspensful, quick read,. I give this book 4 stars.
Thanks to Crooked Lane Books, netgalley, and author the chance to leave an honest review.
Published Oct 10th, 2023.

Thank you Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books publishers for my advanced reader’s copy for review.
Although I enjoyed the first two books in this series, this one fell a little flat for me. There’s nothing wrong with the writing, I think my issue was the uncorrected copy.
The book still offers the same atmospheric setting, like most Nordic noir novels. Despite all that, I didn’t love it. It is possibly because of formatting issues of the digital version, but it seemed like the chapters were not well transitioned.
I’m still glad I read it, but unfortunately I can’t give it more than three stars. If you started this series then it’s worth continuing. But I wouldn’t start with this one if you haven’t read the previous two books in the series.

Ruthless is a surprisingly twisty suspense by Anne Mette Hancock. It took me a few chapters to get into this novel but once I did, I was all in. There was a huge surprise twist at the end that I didn't love but I'm pretty sure that was the point.
Journalist Heloise Kaldan, is taking part in the vigil program. Her first patient is Jan Frischof, an older man with plenty of secrets. When he starts sharing some scary details with Heloise, she knows that she needs to investigate as soon as possible.
Soon Heloise finds herself in the middle of a mystery surrounding the long ago disappearances of several young women. For some reason their families and the police are absolutely refusing to cooperate. That only makes her that much more curious. So, with the help of her friend, DI Erik Schäfer, she starts delving into the town's past, with no idea what she'll find.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for gifting me a digital ARC of the third book in the wonderful Scandinavian police procedural series by Anne Mette Hancock - 5 stars!

Journalist Heloise Kaldan befriends a dying elderly man, Jan Frischof, who gives her what seems to be a deathbed confession that she just can't let go. Her gut tells her that there is a bigger story here, but then he just as suddenly takes back what he said and warns Heloise to not look into anything for both their sakes. Heloise begins investigating anyway, with the help of Detective Schafer, and it leads her to the possible murder and disappearance of young women. Just how is Jan involved? And is Heloise over her head?

This series keeps getting better. I love the unique perspective of a journalist working with and befriending a police detective - their roles typically put them at odds, but their friendship helps them both. Heloise is also involved with a group called Vigil, whose goal it is that no one should die alone. The friendship that developed because of this was heartwarming, and such a noble cause. This was tense, atmospheric, and a twisty end that I was not expecting. You could certainly read this as a stand alone, but it's a wonderful series and I'm anxiously awaiting the next book!

I enjoyed reading this third book in the series. Kaldan and Schaefer make an interesting duo and this time their investigation will land in a very dark place. The story has a slow start, but even so, it does grip the reader's interest, it has a good storyline, it's well-written, and kept me wondering what will come next.
I thank Ms. Hancock, her publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC.

LOVE Scandinavian thrillers! This series has tons of twists and turns. Very well done and I can't wait for the next one. Jan Frishof, a dying elderly man, gives a deathbed confession to journalist, Heloise Kaldan. She knows something is off and begins to investigate but she doubts what he claims. Could this calm elderly man really be a killer? Heloise enlists her friend, detective Erik Schafer for help and a mysterious case begins to unfold. It started as a story for Heloise and became so much more. And the ending is WOW. Usually, I can figure out how the novel will end, but I did not see that coming. Excellently done. Well-played, Ms, Hancock. Can't wait for the next book in the series!

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this e-arc.*

Wow, I was blown away by the ending of this one! This is a first time read from this author for me and I'm going to have to check out her other books now. The twists and turns in here had me reeling after I finished, and I immediately went to tell my husband lol. You know a book is good when you need to tell someone else (who let's be real doesn't care)!

This was an amazing thriller and I highly recommend reading this one...but maybe not at night.

Thanks to Crooked Lane for the eARC.
I absolutely love this Nordic noir series, and I am always glad when a new one publishes here in the US. By now, book three, Hancock has created such memorable characters in Kalden and Schafer and I know the mystery is going to go deep, have lots of layers, and leave me satisfied in the end. This book was no exception. The small town created a fearful atmosphere, the deathbed confession was such a great set up, and all the side characters added the darkness I've grown to expect from these novels. I appreciate how Hancock isn't afraid to go dark and explore those kinds of topics. And as always, the chef's kiss is the ending. Hancock knows how to nail it every single time.

NOTE: This is book three and they need read in order. Also the audio for this and all of them are fantastic.