This is the third book in the series but can be read as a standalone.
A well written story that flows really well & is grippingly thrilling with perfect twists and red herrings.
I really loved the two main characters and the brilliant banter between them.

A really enjoyable read.

Wow, where do I even begin with "Ruthless"? This pulse-pounding Scandinavian noir had me glued to my seat from start to finish! As a fan of crime fiction, I was eager to jump back into Heloise Kaldan's world, even though I didn’t read the previous instalments.
The story kicks off with Heloise’s intriguing connection to Jan Frischof, an elderly man in hospice care. His deathbed confession sets everything into motion, and right off the bat, I felt a chill run down my spine when he takes a turn and warns Heloise to back off. Talk about a hook! I found myself questioning Jan’s story at every turn: Could he be a killer, or was he hiding from something far worse?
Heloise is already dealing with her grief, having recently lost her parents, which adds depth to her character and makes her pursuit of the truth even more personal. Volunteering at the hospice not only gives her a way to cope but also opens up the central narrative—seeking closure for Jan and uncovering the buried truths of the past. There’s something profound about facing death, and Hancock navigates this theme beautifully while weaving in Heloise's determination to bring peace to Jan before he passes.
The pacing was spot-on. The first half built a sense of suspense as Heloise navigated through layers of lies and deceit surrounding Jan's confession, and the gradual unveiling of secrets left me on the edge of my seat. There’s a palpable tension throughout the narrative, especially when we realize Heloise and her friend, Detective Inspector Erik Schäfer, are in real danger. I felt a mixture of anxiety and excitement as they delved deeper into the murky waters of police corruption, missing persons, and a complex web of criminal activities.
What I appreciated most was Hancock’s skill in developing her characters. Just when I thought I had a handle on who was trustworthy and who wasn’t, Hancock tossed in another twist that turned everything upside down. The thrill of not being able to predict who is friend or foe kept my brain buzzing. Heloise was both relatable and courageous, willing to risk everything to uncover the truth, while Erik added an extra layer of drama as they faced their threats together.
And let me talk about the ending! I can honestly say I never saw it coming—a jaw-dropping twist. It was the perfect culmination of all the built-up tension and mystery. My heart raced as I flipped the pages, eager to uncover what would happen next. I found myself utterly invested in Heloise's quest for answers.
Overall, "Ruthless" is brilliantly executed and layered with emotion, suspense, and depth. Hancock has crafted an original and contemporary crime novel that resonates with readers, leaving us wanting more while also delivering a rewarding story.

Ruthless is the third book in a Kaldan and Schafer Mystery series by Anne Mette Hancock.
In short, investigative journalist Helouise Kaldan is on a mission to discover what happened for Jan Fischoff, a dying elderly man, to confess on his deathbed a confession too unbelievable to be true…it seemed like Jan needed some sort of forgiveness! As she digs deeper it appears to be connected to a string of decades old disappearances which both next of kin and police are stonewalling her making her believe that they are trying to hide something.
I love this impressive Scandi series…again, Ruthless is another gripping, character driven, dark thriller with plenty of action and the mother of all twists at the end. I’m looking forward to reading more from Anne.
Big thanks to Anne Mette Hancock, Swift Press and NetGalley for this eARC which I chose to read in return for my honest review.

One of the most enjoyable books I’ve read in a while! A really dark, Scandinavian crime noir book, we follow journalist Heloise and police detective Erik as the dig into an old case brought to their attention by a dying man.

As they investigate, they uncover a complicated jigsaw of missing girls, unsolved murders, cover ups and the seedy world of trafficking and exploitation.

The writing style is excellent and the narrative is fast paced, always leaving you wanting a little more. There are plenty of twists and revelations as we work through the book, and without spoiling anything, a really cracking ending!

A must read for fans of crime or police procedural books.

Ruthless is the third book in the series, but it is not necessary to have read the previous two books to enjoy this one. We have the same two wonderful central characters - Kaldan, the intrepid journalist, and Schäfer, the pragmatic detective inspector. The plot twists keep the pace moving nicely until it gets to a suspenseful ending that I did not see coming.

Journalist Heloise Kalden and her detective friend Erik Scháfer are back for another tense Scandi thriller.

This time Heloise is volunteering for a charity which provides hospice support for people at their end of days. Heloise’s client is Jan Frischoff. He’s sometimes lucid and on one occasion mentions a past event which haunts him.

In her relentless pursuit to help Jan and discover the truth, Heloise digs deeper and uncovers a string of missing person cases, murders, cover ups, and police corruption. Soon both she and Erik are facing violent dangers from Jan’s past.

If ever there was a jaw dropping ending it’s in Ruthless. Never saw it coming. It’s shocking but the perfect ending for building anticipation while awaiting the next book in this brilliant series.

Thank you to Swift Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

What a thrilling read, I was questioning things throughout the whole book, and just when I thought I'd cracked it, the final amazing twist at the end came.

This series just gets better and better and darker as they go along. What a book. After a slowish start, it really ramped up, and that ending just blew my mind. What the??? It has been a very long time since a book got me like that. I can't wait to see what happens next.

Heloise and Erik are such great characters, I love their banter and that they would do anything for each other. Heloise hears the ramblings of an old, dying man and can not make sense of the,l, but she knows there is something there. She wants to help the man be at peace before he dies, so she sets off to find out what happened all those years ago. The investigation will lead her down a seriously dangerous path and bring her into contact with some truly vile human beings. But it is not all doom and gloom. A face from her past comes back into her life, which was a lovely storyline.

Thanks so much to Swift Pressfor my advanced copy of this book to read. Published on August 1st a must read series

Anne Meete Hancock in Ruthless, (aka Pitbull), continues her series with a Copenhagen police detective and an investigatory journalist. This is the third book and having read the previous two, I would potentially claim this one is the best yet. She has a unique voice and a compelling style in crime fiction.

Heloise has undergone recent loss with the death of her parents. From her own personal understanding of grief she has become a volunteer at a hospice to ‘befriend’ and visit terminal patients who have no-one else. Furthermore to raise awareness and prompt more people to come forward she has agreed to do a piece for her publication.

This is the impetus and the plot driver in a story about facing up to death, making peace with yourself and to prepare for any afterlife you anticipate.

In moments of lucidness the old man, dying of cancer has revealed a little of his past. Then during one conversation he appears confused and rambles on about judgement and a provides a name which as a reporter, Heloise immediately latches upon.

The novel then reflects her dangerous enquiries into the past which throws up police corruption, missing girls and drug and people trafficking.

I love the pace of the author’s writing; her peeling back of characters, so all is never clear in terms of friend or foe. Glimpses reveal possible danger and threat to both Heloise and her detective friend she asks for help along the way. The tension builds especially as nothing is what it seems and the truth has been buried for so long. No-one wants to talk about the past but from the information she receives she hopes, “the truth”, will not spoil her trust and respect for a dying man.

The thrills keep on coming as more facts are exposed. By asking the right questions, facts, details and people are not who the reporter initially believes them to be. However, she seeks the truth, for good or ill, clear information to allow an old man to die in peace, without the past being any threat to him. To hold his hand at the last and offer some form of absolution.

A complete novel in that it is story led; a story that is only slowly revealed, like a landscape waiting for the mist to clear. There is action. Tension and thrills throughout.

We want Heloise to succeed; we want the mystery solved and gain empathy for an old man wishing to rest in peace.

Yet nothing can prepare us for the drama and the breathtaking conclusion to Heloise’s quest.

A wonderful book from an accomplished writer who is sufficiently different in this genre to be both original and contemporary. A relatable story, across interesting locations where an author can satisfy a reader’s desire yet leave you immediately wanting more.

A new to me author, one that I'm hoping to read more books by as this was quite thriller to read. I quite liked Heloise: being down to earth, thinking there is something more going on, and yet a bit naive in several situations.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book.

With many thanks to Netgalley and Swift Press for this free arc and I am leaving this unbiased review voluntarily
Ruthless sees the return of Heloise and Erik in this brilliant Danish series. The combination of journalist and police officer gives the series a good dynamic and this is portrayed again wonderfully in book number three. Well written - and well translated - Anne Mette Hancock once again serves up another tension filled story. A good flow and pace to the book as we follow Heloise and Erik separately and then as they and the plot come together. An absolute cracker of a twist at the end! If you like your Scandi-Noir then this series is a must!