BOOK REVIEW: What Never Happens

Once in a while I will read a book that I am not sure that I cared for. In reviewing it, I should tell you what it is that failed to capture me.  However, somebody else's bad review sometimes tells me that it is something that I would like… my taste is not always that of the big guys. So maybe I am doing this book a favor.

WHAT NEVER HAPPENS is by Anne Holt, a bestselling Scandinavian author. She was a new author for me and a friend recommended that I read it. It is very hard for me not to read a recommended book; I am afraid that I will hurt feelings.

Adam Stubo is a policeman in Oslo. He has been with the force for some time and has earned the reputation for being good at the job. His wife, Johanne Vik, is a criminal profiler who trained in the United States. Adam and Vik have recently had a baby and Vik has a daughter from an earlier marriage.

Johanne wants to spend her time with her children; she no longer wants to be involved with the criminal side of life. She is pulled into the police’s latest case very much against her will.

A serial killer is terrifying the more famous people of Oslo. A popular television talk host has been found dead with her tongue cut out and daintily positioned in a folded paper flower. A political leader is found in a crucified position with a copy of the Koran shoved inside her. A literary critic is found dead with a pencil stabbed in his eye.

It becomes evident to Johanne that the killer may be leaving messages to her personally. One of the lectures that she had attended back in the States told of a similar case to prove that sometimes a murderer is never caught. This may be the situation that they are facing now. We do go inside the murder’s mind and one thing we learn from the beginning is that this is someone who has been paid well to kill in the past.

There were some surprising twists in the story, but I did not feel that the author had established good motivation for them. I try to cut translated books a break especially with dialogue flow, but at times this was a problem for me. I also felt no connection with any of the characters. Not even Johanne was a likable character and she should have had some redeeming traits.

I also thought that way too much time was spent on Johanne and Adam’s home life. (Unnecessary details seem to be a trait of Scandinavian authors). All in all, this is not an author that I will pick up again.