Norwegian Private Investigator Varg Veum is caught in the middle of a murder. He is just returning to duty after a short stay in rehab. His therapist had asked him to take on house-sitting duty for the owners of their home while they are gone for several months. Varg agrees ... thinking this will ease him into going back to work.While she gives Varg a tour of the house, they stumble across the body of a man at the bottom of the swimming pool. His therapist rushes upstairs to call the police ...

Having read several recent entries in Gunnar Staalesen’s superior series of Nordic noir I had reservations about reading this earlier entry, only just available in translation, fearing that it might not be as well honed as the the author’s later output. I needn’t have worried however, as Staalesen is on superlative form with his world-weary protagonist and private investigator, Varg Veum, just out of a spell in rehab. As dogged as ever, he soon finds himself caught up in a murder investigation a...

Bitter Flower: IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0844948/A successful female politician hires private-detective Varg Veum. She wants him to find her disappeared daughter without attracting too much attention. During his investigation Veum becomes aware of an international company and its dealings with corruption, black-business, and murder. Written by HardHouseClubber Pushes all the right buttons!

It’s 1987 and social worker turned private investigator Varg Veum has just finished his stint in a clinic, drying out and receiving physio from therapist Lisbeth Finslo. In fact she has even found him his first new job, checking in on a house in Kleiva whilst the architect owners are working away. It is at that house that we first see Varg and Lisbeth, as they discover a man’s body at the bottom of the swimming pool. Varg drags the man out and finds him dead. He hears sirens, and then finds both...

Bitter Flowers by Gunnar Staalesen was published on January 21st in paperback original with Orenda Books (ebook November 20th). Don Bartlett is the wonderful translator of Bitter Flowers, a book that has never been available in English before. It has also been adapted for film, starring Norwegian actor Trond Espen Seim and is currently available for streaming.Described as a ‘Nordic Noir Thriller’, Bitter Flowers sees the return of Private Investigator, Varg Veum. A hard-boiled P.I. with a few kn...

This book took me quite a while to read. It was easy to follow and a pleasant enough read however it wasn't a gripping page turner so I found myself picking it up and putting it down. Thats not to say I didn't enjoy the book as I absolutely did I just didn't feel the need to devour it in one sitting. I have never read anything by this author before but I will definitely check out what else they have published.

This was an excellent episode in the Varg Veum series, involving a missing child from 8 years before, and a manufacturer with toxic waste to dispose of and environmental activists who want to protect the land. And several unrelated murders—or are they? It was a lot to integrate but I enjoy his perceptions of the world and could have read more.

Norwegian writer Gunnar Staalesen, is the very popular and worldwide bestselling author of the ‘Varg Veum’ private investigator series and is nicknamed the King of Nordic Noir. “Bitter Flowers” is the ninth in the series (of which there are over 20) and has been republished in 2021 by Orenda books. However, each one can easily be read as a standalone, though as with any developed series, it is nice to follow a main character’s journey through their life’s events.- Fresh from rehab, Norwegian PI

Bitter Flowers by Gunnar Staalesen is part of a series, but can be read as a standalone. This is a new author to me but I really enjoyed his writing style. I was immediately drawn into the book and had trouble setting it down. I loved the mix of humor to lighten the atmosphere at times.This story involves many characters and mysteries. It is quite complex, but the story is skillfully written so it isn’t complicated. The puzzles flow together perfectly, and I really enjoyed the pacing as well. It...

Set in the Norwegian coastal city of Bergen, Gunnar Staalesen's Varg Veum series has long been one of the country's finest literary exports – there is even a statue to the character in the city. Originally starting the series back in 1979, Staalesen has published 24 titles so far with a character who has often been compared to Philip Marlowe. The principle similarities with Raymond Chandler's key protagonist are that Veum is also private investigator and an outsider while the novels have a stron...

Amazing first time reading a book by this author, took a while to get into it but once the story dove deeper I was hooked! Varg is amazing and the storyline didn't go as expected, was a shock but it was amazing well worth the read!

The irascible, world weary private investigator Varg Veum returns, post rehab, although not necessarily completely rejuvenated, and is drawn into a trio of tricky cases, that may or may not be connected by nefarious threads. This is classic Gunnar Staalesen, and to my mind one of the best of the series to date…If ever Staalesen’s wholly deserved comparison with the great Raymond Chandler needed to be justified further, Bitter Flowers is the book to turn to. For some reason, I was channelling The...

This was a intriguing well written book. I enjoyed reading it and the Norwegian intake to it. It made for an interesting read. I haven’t read many books by the author, but my interest is piqued now.

The reader is drawn into Varg Veum's world from the first page in the emotionally poignant Nordic noir. It's the second book I've read in this series. Believably flawed, Varg Veum is a likeable protagonist. His struggle with his addictions contrasts with his desire to achieve justice and truth for victims.It's an atmospheric and claustrophobic story where even the simplest things hide a web of complexity.The multiple plot strands draw together by the astute investigator. It's a murder mystery wi...

I call this a nice, easy to read mystery. The plot went on for a bit with numerous links between people and events being uncovered by the PI Varg Veum. The intersections were starting to get unbelievable until Veum has a Poirot scene and has all the possible guilty parties in the room and dissects the mystery and uncovers the culprit.

Ecology, Brain DamageGripping, but my 83 year old mind has trouble with the denouement. Too many Norwegian names of people and places, despite my long time interest in language. But the intertwining of causes and effects still brought me along. Worth reading.

This is the ninth book in a series of which I have read only this one, but the individual books do not depend on the others. It seemed that there were a couple of things that were out of place or irrelevant, but although the books do not depend on each other, it is conceivable that those particular things are more relevant to the series as a whole.Overall, it seemed enjoyable and consistent, facts that are indicated by the fact that I listened to it last week while my son was home from college o...

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