The second English translation in the CI William Wisting series (number seven in Norwegian) is another perfect police procedural - a complex, frustrating investigation for Wisting and his colleagues and in which his daughter, Line, an investigative journalist plays a significant rôle. She is in a relationship with an individual that concerns Wisting - her boyfriend is a convicted criminal and has been 'inside'...A series of burglaries in holiday cottages on the Vestfold coast result in a particu...

The cornucopia of crime and detective novels coming out of Scandinavia unnerves me. Those affluent and chill residents of the north land with good government are subject to some very nasty criminals, at least according to their crime writers. Starting with Steig Larson and his dragon-tattooed heroine, to Henning Menkell (via television for me) to Jo Nesbo, we get a very different look at Scandinavia. Now I’ve added Jorn Lier Horst to my list of Scandinavian crime writers, and he’s a worthy addit...

This one was ok. It's an exhaustive police procedural. Very close to the author's "real thing" type of work. And the story line with the daughter, Line- it's extensive too. But just almost "too much" so. The length lost a star. Wisting is a excellent characterization. And the police width and depth of this one just overcame him, himself, IMHO. Not my favorite, but I'll keep reading the ones which are translated into English. Because I find Nordic mystery/ police work novels are usually to scale

"[...] another bird struck the car, a black ball hurtling through the air before bouncing off the bonnet and disappearing above the windscreen.""meh, Adjective 1. Uninspiring, unexceptional." Oxford dictionary Meh is precisely how I would describe Jørn Lier Horst's "Closed for Winter (2011), a highly acclaimed novel, a readers' and critics' favorite and winner of the Norwegian Booksellers Prize 2012. The back cover blurb say "Top class crime writing," "Classic police procedural from an author

Closed For winter is the 7th book featuring Norwegian detective William Wisting, but the second to be published in English. This should be confusing, but thankfully author Jorn Lier Horst provides an introduction for the reader explaining where things stand at the start of the novel.Horst gives us another well written police procedural, & uses his knowledge as a former Senior Investigating Officer in the Norwegian police to give an authentic flavour to things.The characters are very well drawn,

Overall, a good crime novel which I am glad to have read (or technically, in this case, listened to), as part of my curiosity about and attraction to Scandinavian literature. What I liked:1. The insight into crime, and how it is handled, in Norway. (Horst's Goodread's bio is great here at explaining in a nutshell his credentials as a "former Senior Investigating Officer of the Norwegian Police Force."2. The insight into contemporary Scandinavian, and Eastern European, society. This includes the

Μystery among the beautiful views of Norwegian Fjords for a murder which was more complicated than it first seemed to be. The atmosphere was the right one for a book like this but another true fact is also that in some pages the plot was too slow! In general it was a fun book.You can give it a try if you are fan of these books!Μυστήριο πλανιέται ανάμεσα στην όμορφη θέα των Νορβηγικών Φιόρδ γιατί έναν φόνο, που αποδείχτηκε πιο σύνθετος από ότι φαινόταν. Η ατμόσφαιρα ήταν η σωστή για ένα τέτοιου ε...

For me the key to the appeal of Scandinavian is manyfold:1 - The unemotional nature of the detectives and their peculiar close relationship with death;2 - The long dark winters (and the hot summers too) incoporated into the narrative;3 - Bleak Scandinavian landscape which serves to mirror the thoughts of the characters;4 - Incorporation of larger social issues into the narrative of police work.Kenneth Branagh's playing Henning Mankell's detective Kurt Wallander in the BBC series is a good examp

Great story - the story takes place in Norwaay. This is the 2nd book in this series to be translated into english. I understand that there are earlier books in the series that have not been translated, but I have not read them - I cannot read another language :( These 2 books are easy to follow though and are able to be read as stand alone booksThis story begins with a break-in in a group of summer cottages. One man returns to the cottages to find that his cottage has been broken into. He goes n...

Amazing and interesting and creepy book.The characters were realistic and the story had a lot of twist and was very interesting too!At the end, we realize how simple the solution is and how everything was interconnected

I am a big fan of police procedurals and this is a great example. There is tremendous range and depth to the investigation - Lithuanian burglars, a drug deal gone wrong, dead bodies and Wisting's daughter's failed relationship - and all told in a logical, chronological manner. Wisting is an interesting character: a family man but also a committed investigator unafraid to admit fear but actually rather fearless in the course of his job. I also liked the recurring motifs of the birds and the dream...

This was my first book from J. Horst and I’ve enjoyed it! The story unfolds extensive details of Wisting’s operative work and the way to resolve a case with confusing initial evidence. He doesn’t need to be chased by a psychopath to create a compelling plot. I would welcome more plastic relations and emotions, but then it wouldn’t be a true Scandinavian crime book :-) On the other hand, I liked e.g. the element of dead birds falling from the sky and using a topic of social differences in Eastern...

Another English translation of a Horst novel leaves the reader eager to dive into the action. After being ordered to take some time away from the job, Inspector William Wisting makes use of a recently inherited cottage in the Norwegian countryside. The off-season is just beginning, sure to leave him much peace and quiet. Ove Bakkerud likely had the same hopes, which are shattered when he discovers his own cottage has been ransacked and a dead body lies next door. Wisting begins his investigation...

Nordic noir with its brooding protagonists and general air of stylized gloom has become something of a cliché. Artfully shot misery acted out in apartments to die for made familiar thanks to superior television adaptations shown on BBC4.Reading this book reminded me that beneath the familiar tropes is some of the most skillful crime writing to be found anywhere. All the somber staples are here, Wisting is a troubled soul, a widower with a rocky relationship with his daughter and an unhealthy lev...

25 JAN 2021 - another really good read. This series incorporates terrific writing, believable characters, and great storylines. I do not view much television; but, I hope Hulu or Netflix or Acorn TV, will run this series. If they do, I will need to schedule vacation time.

I'd give this book somewhere between 3.5 - 4 stars! This is a very methodical and detail-oriented police procedural. The author's personal experience working in the police is evident in his writing, and I loved how true-to-life the story's central investigation seemed.The main character, police officer William Wisting, is a very ordinary man - he's not a "troubled" or "loner" cop. While I absolutely love stories with loner cops, it was a refreshing change of pace to read about a man who is just

I don't really know exactly what it is about Scandinavian crime novels/detective stories/thrillers that I like so much. This one is the first one I've read by Jørn Lier Horst and it is no exception.

The Norwegian Police are aware that since the countries of Eastern Europe joined the EU, the rate of crime has increased. Organized gangs are bringing in drugs, and others are robbing summer homes closed for the winter. When one owner make a late season visit to his summer home, he finds that it has been broken into as are many of the other houses in the community. He goes next door to look at his next door neighbor and finds a dead man.In investigating the break-ins and murder, Wisting will end...

It is no wonder why crime author Jorn Lier Horst received the Norwegian Bookseller Award for his atmospheric and absorbing Chief Inspector William Wisting crime series. “Closed for Winter” is an exceptional example of good crime fiction.Wisting has seen his fair share of grotesque crimes in his many years on the job. But nothing will prepare him for the unspeakable horror that awaits him on the other side of a cottage door in the secluded town of Larvik.The first murder victim, Thomas Ronnington...

2.5 stars. The book, in fact the entire series, was highly recommended to me. Horst pays great attention to detail, and to developing his characters, but not at the expense bogging down the procedural. This is a good thing. Wisting is a solid character and his colleagues and family play well-balanced roles within the story. For me, it was the procedural component of the novel that was predictable, which is fine, as the reader is often pursuing that 'ah-ha' moment when they crack the case. When t...