I have loved Sara Blaedel since I first read "The Forgotten Girls". I 'm always excited to read anything of hers, excellent mystery to try and figure out and enjoy. Perfect for that rainy day read. Have yet to read anything of her that I didn't enjoy this one is no exception.

I love Scanda mysteries and Sara has me hooked on the Danish pair of detectives. Another great addition to the series.

A new Danish crime novel where detectives must search for a mom who has gone missing.

I normally like Nordic crime novels, but this one didn’t draw me in. I think the way chapters were structured took away from the cohesion.

I tried picking this up a few times but could not get into the story. I really wanted to like this one - I've read many books by one of the authors and loved their books, so thought I would enjoy this one, but sadly this was not the case for this one.

Giving it 1 star because I had to give a star rating.

The story has a slow start and is somewhat confusing at the beginning but I gets it's rhythm and the last half is full of action as the mystery starts to open up and the link among the abducted people is found. There's a good plot, believable characters, and it's entertaining!
I thank Ms. Blaedel, her publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC.

Sara Blaedel and Mads Peder Nordbo collaborate in their latest dark and twisted Scandinavian crime fiction noir, DISSOLVED.

I have been a big fan of Sara Blaedel over the years and read quite a few of her books; however, I have not read any of Mads Peder Nordbo. I enjoy her solo books more than this one. Her name was why I was attracted to the book.

A lot is happening here, and following is confusing and complicated. I am unsure if it was the translation or if I was trying to keep up with the characters, and the audio was a little hard to follow. I was not thrilled with the audio narrator, Lila Newman (very dull), and had to switch to the e-book.

Set in Tommerup, Denmark, A young mother disappears without any trace. Chief Superintendent Liam Stark and Dea Torp are called in to investigate. Nassrin has also been assisted in working in the office updating files in the Moslem community.

However, she wants to be out in the field and a lot of bickering in the office. Stark tries to keep the peace between the two. She finally gets the fieldwork to help.

The killer seems to be one step ahead. The cops try to keep the message contained so as not to stir up Muslim discrimination and hatred. Then another person goes missing, and there are strange notes, and wondering if it could be a serial killer.

The mystery revolves around the Ten Commandments from the Bible. This part is fast-moving, and the detectives try to figure out where the killer will strike again and who the victims will be. What is the motive?

They think ten people will disappear within ten days. They are unsure if the person leaving the messages is Christian or Muslim. Are they linked by age, class, lifestyle, religion, etc? Have the victims broken one of the Ten Commandments and been punished?

Who will be saved, and will they find the killer before it is too late? There are clues, and the title has many meanings.

Dark, complex, and chilling! I thought DISSOLVED needed more of an ending, which felt abrupt or an epilogue. It's a great premise, but it did not work for me. While I am sure the book has an audience, I gave it my best shot. I felt there were too many characters, and I did not enjoy the audio or the book as I had with Sara's solo books.

Thanks to Dreamscape Media and Crooked Lane Books for an ALC and ARC for an honest review.

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JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 3 Stars
Pub Date: Dec 5, 2023

I usually love books of this genre but this one felt like a bad translation... the story was interesting but there were all sorts of characters and red herrings that detracted from the actual police procedure. I would give this team of authors another chance since they are supposed to be great and maybe this just wasn't it. Hope you have better luck!

Dissolved comes out next week on December 5, 2023, and you can purchase HERE.

THE CAR DOOR window was rolled down halfway so he could listen for her. Small spots of morning sunlight were like drops of fire in the grass. It was burning, in the grass and in him. He had sat here before, sat right here in the car with his tea under these trees behind the athletic center's buildings, out of way of cameras and everyone's eyes. The garbage truck came on Mondays. The daycare workers came with their strollers and groups of toddling youngsters between 9:05 and 9:17. He had never seen them himself, but the little camera he had set up on the low addition behind him had captured everything for a whole year, and he knew what happened morning after morning down to the slightest detail. The camera had been taken down now, and he was ready.

This crime novel takes place in Denmark. The main characters who are on the police investigation team are for the most part likable, but don't work well together. Chief Superintendent Liam Stark is often too tentative of a leader and is sometimes overwhelmed by the search for the wife of his son's water polo coach. He is learning to balance his work and personal life. Sergeant Dea Torp used to be a DI and her blunt, sometimes overbearing manner doesn't mesh with Liam's or with a junior member of the team, Nassrin. Nassrin is a Syrian refugee who wants to play a more active role in the investigation. The case quickly becomes serious and Dea and Nassrin's petty bickering gets old.

The book has a great premise, but the story doesn't always flow smoothly. I don't know if it is because it was translated into English or if it's the way it was originally written, but it bogs down in the middle. Some details were unneeded, but then others could have used more clear explanations. The book has a dramatic ending, but I was disappointed that it leaves some things unanswered. Overall it's a creepy, if sometimes confusing, crime novel with unique characters. I would rate it 3.5 stars.

I received an advance copy of this ebook at no cost from NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book. Overall I liked the story. The book revolves around a team of detectives (lead by Liam Stark and Dea Torp) in Denmark and their quest to find the perpetrator(s) of 6 abductions. At first these abductions don't seem to have anything in common and they can't find a link. Eventually they determine that the person(s) responsible for these abductions is sending a message using quotes from the Quran (and linked to biblical commandments). The race is on to find the missing before they turn up dead and before another abduction happens. The tension building is good and it becomes a sort of "cat and mouse" game. Kept me interested until the end.

TGIF 🍷 Mini Review featuring “Dissolved” by Sara Blaedel and Mads Peder Nordbo!

In a small town in Denmark, people start to disappear without a trace. DISSOLVING into thin air one after the other 😶‍🌫️!! At the assumed abduction sites of each missing person lies a note with a holy verse on it … each note correlates with one of the 10 Commandments from the bible.

Detectives Stark, Dea and Nassrin fear that there will be 10 days of missing people … and they are DESPERATE to find them before another goes missing! It becomes evident that these victims are being punished for breaking one of the 10 Commandments. Are the victims still alive?? And who will disappear next??

I love a good dark Scandinavian Noir crime novel … especially with a twisted game of cat and mouse where the killer is always one step ahead! This book starts off with a slow burn, but then snaps to attention with a grim urgency and a grittyness that will keep you on your toes!

Thank you kindly to @sarablaedel @madsnordbo @crookedlanebooks @netgalley for my advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review! This book releases on December 5, 2023!

3.5 Stars. I enjoy the dark and twisted Scandinavian thrillers. I was unfamiliar with Sara Blaedel's books, but I intend to rectify that. I read two mysteries by Mads Peder Nordbo in 2019 and loved the Greenland setting. I have been searching without success for more English translations of his books.

The story is set in Denmark and covers several towns near the police station. Nassrin, a recruit of Syrian descent, is frustrated. She has been assigned to busy work in the office, updating files on possible criminals in the Moslem community. She longs to participate in active investigations outside the office. A leading detective, Dea, keeps criticizing and insulting her while Nassrin tries to keep her emotions under control. Lead Officer Liam Stark tries to keep peace between the two women. A new case is developing, and Nassrin is assigned to fieldwork.

The translation is easy to read, but there are a few obvious errors. I was jarred by the word 'authentical.' Is that a real word in either language? What does this description of the female pastor even mean: "A hippie pastor with spaghetti in her pockets"?

The book starts slowly, with one person vanishing without a trace each day. A note is left behind near the site where the disappearance occurred. Each message contains a quotation from the Koran. Detective Liam Stark and his partner Dea are working on the case, and eventually, Nassrin is called to help. The police try to keep the messages from the Koran from public knowledge to avoid stirring up anti-Moslem discrimination and hatred. Once they figure out that the notes correspond to the 10 Commandments from the Bible, it is feared that ten people will disappear over the ten-day period. The person leaving the messages may be either Christian or Moslem. The detectives must try to find the victims before more are taken and figure out what the motive can be. As the disappearances increase, it is apparent that they range in age and have various lifestyles. Are the victims still alive? The theory is that each successive victim may have broken one of the Ten Commandments and are being punished. The investigation becomes urgent and intense.

The plot becomes spine-tingling, grim and gruesome. as the pace speeds up. The title Dissolved has disturbing implications. People are terrified as anyone could be next. The number of victims and suspects makes the story complicated. I wish I had taken notes on the various relationships and secrets while reading. Will they find any survivors? If so, what condition will they be in?
I thought an epilogue was needed.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this spellbinding and gripping thriller. The book is due to be published on December 5.

I really enjoyed Dissolved, it is a fantastic Nordic Noir novel set in Denmark. The police are investigating a missing woman when more people start to disappear on a daily basis. The story is a police procedural that combines crime and religion. My only complaint is that it ends with unanswered questions; however, I’m hoping that means we get another book!

Thank you @crookedlanebooks for allowing me to read this book ahead of publication in exchange for my honest review.

(This same review has been shared on the Barnes & Noble website.)

I’ve read and enjoyed Blaedel’s books in the past, so I was really looking forward to this one. It is well written and has a good plot but, unfortunately, I didn’t like it as much. There are many characters, all three-dimensional and well depicted, but I didn’t connect with any one of them, so it was hard to root for anyone. Readers who enjoy character development will find a lot to like here, but I’m more interested in the action. There is a lot going on here, I just wasn’t invested in the plot and got distracted with all the dialogues about everybody’s feelings. Maybe that is Nordbo’s writing style, I’m not familiar with that author. This is not a bad book, I’m just not the right reader for it.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, #NetGalley/#Crooked Lane Books!

The cover of this novel drew me in hook, line & sinker and I was thrilled to be approved for an ARC.

I have to say that I was a bit disappointed. Amazing plot line but I felt it could have been better executed. The writing in the beginning seems sophomoric and quite slow and I had trouble picking it back up to continue reading.

The dark secrets didn’t seem so dark & the main characters were unlikeable & unsympathetic until almost the very end where I felt a switch in their attitudes (Except for Nass, she was my favorite). My biggest pet peeve is we don’t learn anything about the kidnapped characters until well into the book & then it’s just one small paragraph with a sneak peek at their terrible & gruesome situation. The storyline picks up about halfway through & then I admit I couldn’t put it down. I kept at it & am glad I did.

All in all it I’m not disappointed that I read it. I have other novels of Sara’s that I look forward to reading.

2.5 stars rounded to 3.

Thank you to NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books, Sara & Mads for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Favorite Line: “A new wave of heat from her body’s internal radiator made her skin flush and her irritation rise at the eternal reminder that she was no longer young.”

A young woman disappears after her morning gym session, next a young man’s whereabouts are unknown, then an older man is taken while walking his dog at night, all happening within a few days of each other. Detectives Liam, Nassrin and Dea set out to investigate while receiving strange notes warning them of the ten Muslin Commandments. You will be surprised to find out who the killer is.

A police procedural drama that started off with a bang and kept up with the suspense until the very end. Lots of plot pivots and characters were well fleshed out and likeable to a degree. All in all, a definitely binge read for me.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc

Set in Denmark, a young mother vanishes on her way to school without a trace. The next day another person goes missing. And again and again. The officers in charge: Liam, Dea and Nassrin, are grasping to find any hint of a clue. I'm a bit torn on this one because I thought the characters and the premise were interesting, but it was lacking a strong pace and twists. I think the absence of clues really slows the story down in the first half, so I wish the kidnappings were overall more detailed to make up for that sluggish forward progress. There are a couple red herrings and when the killer was starting to be unraveled I thought, "no way is it that person, it's too obvious", but that character was indeed the perpetrator. While the ending was satisfying, an epilogue would have been greatly appreciated.

Tommerup, Denmark where everything is peaceful but then a young mother disappears without a trace. Liam and Dea but then another person goes missing, is it a serial killer? An action packed thriller well worth reading!

** spoiler alert ** Sara Blædel & Mads Peder Nordbo made a mystery out of the ten commandments, yet they did so that you were always behind the murderer in figuring out who it was. Liam, Nassrin and Dea were the police that were involved in the disappearances of all the people who were taken. There was a complete red herring in that all the commandments were written in Muslim Koran. And one of the people taken was the minister who was in a relationship with Peter who was working on the Koran writings at the time, and she was pregnant at the time. They make this story really interesting in that you don't get the to know who the murder is until almost the very end of the story. But you had clues all along the way. But read the story you will find out why it's called Dissolved. I recommend it to anyone who likes who-done-its.

Heart pounding thriller that left me on the edge of my seat. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. Definitely one of the best books this year.