In Norway’s frozen North, it’s not just secrets that are buried: Into Thin Air by Ørjan Karlsson tr. Ian Giles #bookreview #IntoThinAir

Chief Investigator of Nordland Police, Jakob Weber is drawn into a complex case when a teenaged girl goes missing in Northern Norway, and a second woman disappears from a remote island in similar circumstances … FIRST in a compelling, dark new Nordic Noir series.
When nineteen-year-old Iselin Hanssen disappears during a run in a popular hiking area in Bodø, Northern Norway, suspicion quickly falls on her boyfriend. For investigator Jakob Weber, the case seems clear-cut, almost unexceptional, even though there is some suggestion that Iselin lived parts of her life beneath the radar of both family and friends.
But events take a dramatic turn when another woman disappears in similar circumstances – this time on the island of Røst, hundreds of miles off the coast, in the wild ocean.
Rumours that a killer is on the loose begin to spread, terrifying the local population and leading to wild conspiracies. But then Jakob discovers that this isn’t the first time that young women have vanished without a trace in the region, and it becomes clear that someone is hiding something … and another murderous spree may have just begun…

❤️❤️❤️❤️.5

Hi and welcome to my review of Into Thin Air!

It’s always such a treat to discover a new Nordic Noir author. It’s a genre I love, there is just something about crime and murder in Scandinavia and the somewhat understated but nevertheless riveting way they tend to be portrayed that usually works for me. I was delighted to discover that Into Thin Air only confirms that for me!

Into Thin Air has all the typical aspects of the genre that I tend to enjoy, and a serial killer angle to boot. This is one author who is not afraid to kick the darkness up a notch, or two. There are multiple points of view, the killer’s one that was terrifying, what a completely despicable, yet entirely credible character! At first it wasn’t entirely clear to me who was who, how they were all relevant and how they fitted into the larger scheme of the story. That can, at times, annoy me, but here I had no difficulty just letting it happen and enjoying the ride.

And what a ride that was! For the final 35% or so, I was glued to my Kobo. Some reveals I’d seen coming, others took me by complete surprise. One thing is certain: for such a small community, there sure are a lot of bad apples! Still, the story and its characters remain believable throughout, this could easily have become very OTT but it never did.

I’m honestly thrilled that Into Thin Air is the first in a new Nordic police procedural series. The author is not done with Jakob Weber, but neither am I, I loved my time in his and his colleagues’ company. And while I do have a sense of completion after turning the final page, there are a few threads, both personal and professional, that need to be further explored. I, for one, will be waiting for the next instalment with bated breath. If I could read Norwegian, I would pick up book 2 right now but I can’t so here’s a shout-out and special thanks to translator Ian Giles for what felt like an impeccable translation.

I had a great time with Into Thin Air! My inner Fickle Frieda has been a pain in the proverbial, and I needed a win, and this engrossing and atmospheric crime thriller / police procedural was definitely that! Recommended, especially to Scandinoir fans.

Into Thin Air is out in digital formats and paperback on 16 January 2025. Preorder it directly from Orenda Books here.

Massive thanks to Orenda Books for the digital review copy. All opinions are my own.