This was a great read and I didn't see that last twist coming at the end. This was my 1st book by Sara Blaedel & Mads Peder Nordbo but will not be my last! I am adding their books to my TBR! I really enjoy learning about other countries and this book let me learn a bit more about Denmark.

#Dissolved
#NetGalley

This book was good but struggled with keeping up with the story. The idea is strongly their but there is a lot happening all at once that doesn't always make sense. While listening to it I found myself needing to stop and re-listed to several parts of the book.

There was an idea that due to the book being translated that maybe that is why it was a struggle to read and get certain details into the story. I cant compare the story to its original language but this I could see as part of the problem. It just felt chopping in some parts of the book.

There was several unanswered questions throughout the book and left the reader feeling lost and without answers.

I appreciate the work in the book but need more clarification in the story itself.

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.

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

I enjoyed the story VERY much, but I want to address concerns first…

I don’t necessarily recommend the audiobook. This is a translated book and the narration is all done with an American accent. I just wish that this had been accented just a bit. The narrator did a good job telling the story, but so much was lost when voicing different characters…

The other thing, but to do with the story itself… I didn’t wholly enjoy the Muslim portrayal. They aren’t demonized essentially, but I think that focus on religious natured crimes of a Muslim fashion aren’t something I currently want to see in literature at this current time in the world we live in.

Aside from that, I did very much enjoy the story. When the cover and title become apparent to the story, OMG! Scary!!!

Missing persons are occurring and the calling card left behind is of a religious nature ((not referenced in the synopsis). I am not sure I would have picked this up had I known that going into it, but that’s a personal preference.) Police are worried they have a serial killer on their hands.

I enjoyed the characters in this book, especially those investigating the case. I found them to be compelling and liked how integral their individual personal lives were to the story as a whole.

The crime part of the book was fascinating and absolutely terrifying! I’m telling you… that cover… whew!

Gruesome and gripping, ‘Dissolved’ is a fresh mystery thriller packed with social commentary, but not in a way that detracts from the story.

Premise - people start disappearing and religious excerpts are found at their sites of abduction. The killer has a watery grave planned for them all. Can the police crack the case and free the victims before they die from prolonged exposure to fetid water?

The visuals are truly terrible, chilling in this. I haven’t seen a mystery thriller that uses the elements and basic biology as the murder weapon before, so this was thought provoking in a horrifying way.

The translation is sloppy at times, as others have noted, and could have used another edit. That said, I didn’t find it bad enough to detract much from the story itself.

Thanks, NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books, for the gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.