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Norwegian title: Spindelvevet
Hello guys!
It’s both fun and strange to read a crime novel that takes place in familiar surroundings. This crime novel takes place in Randaberg which is the municipality next to Stavanger. I haven’t been there too much but I’m planning on checking if my mother-in-law would read this and see what she thinks because she’s worked in Randaberg for several years. It was also fun to experience how Stavanger was portrayed as «far away» when it is quite close. I think this portrays the ‘village community’ that is quite known throughout Norway. The synopsis is borrowed from Goodreads and translated by me:
The stunning beauty Camilla Tungenes grows up in the small village Randaberg before she’s discovered by the model agencies at the age of sixteen. She’s on the front pages of the most influential fashion magazines all over the world for many years. As a grown up she returns to Randaberg with a teenage daughter with the looks of her mother. Camilla is not aware that an inhuman predator has waited in the shadows for her to return so the predator can get his revenge. One day tragedy strikes in the small village and First Detective Bjørn Berner and his colleagues are called to the scene. What first looks like an unpleasant case proves to be far more complicated and Berner becomes personally involved in the worst possible manner.
The Cobweb is an easy and fast pace read. The chapters are short which is what I prefer in a crime novel. Too long chapters in crime novels has a tendency to throw me off. Like I said this book takes place fairly close to home and even though I know that this is a fictional book the story-line carries a lot of truth to it. What happens in this book happens all around the world on a daily basis. It is truly horrible and I was a little freaked out by the details and plot twists that were found in this book. I’m pretty sure there has been a lot of research done in order to create such a well shaped story with such solid plot twists. Further, there is a good alteration between the perspective of our main characters and our culprit. The reader is always kept guessing what the culprit is up to next and you don’t have to wait long until the perspective returns to the culprit. Yet, you don’t feel like its a system, kinda Rune-Berner-culprit and then back to Rune again. It is a natural flow to the alteration of the perspectives depending of what happens in the story and it is very well executed by the authors!
I also enjoyed that there wasn’t a long explanation at the end. Often crime novels comes with an explanation of why the culprit did what he did at the end, and I, maybe among few, sometimes loose interest when the climax is reached and I don’t need a long explanation afterwards. It really varies from book to book but when the culprit has been caught and I see that there is still 20-30 pages left I can get discouraged. In this book we get the explanation throughout the story in small snippets. This means that the climax of the book keeps the reader on its toes all the way through the end and you’re left with a stunned feeling when the book ends. It doesn’t end abruptly but there are some hints laying around that there is more to come and there is a second book about Bjørn Berner and his colleagues named Rat Blood.
Let’s talk about characters. Camilla makes me want to vomit. I’m sorry but she is the prime definition of a bitch. She has nothing to her personality its all looks with her. She annoyed me from the first time she appeared in the book which is like page 10 or something. Now, that’s all the space I’m gonna waist on her. Her husband, Rune, is something else completely! I wasn’t quite sure what to make of him in the beginning and he made some choices that made me question him but all in all he is a good guy who just wants whats best for his family. He fits into the story as the naive good guy who just wants to get everything solved. Then we have First Detective Berner. He is driven and motivated to solve the case. He has a lot of experience and I think the way he is portrayed in several stressful situations is both very realistic and easy to relate to. I have never experienced anything like what happens in this story myself but the way the authors portrays Berner’s reaction made it easy for me to react to the character and his feelings. Very enjoyable.
The Cobweb is a fast pace and easy read crime novel. It is hard to put it down when you’ve read the first couple of pages. If you’re looking for a good way to start your crime novel year I recommend that you pick up this book! I’m personally curious to see what will happen in Berner’s jurisdiction in the next book, Rat Blood.
Published: 2020
Genre: Crime novel
Theme: Dark web, teenagers, family
– The Book Reader
TheBookReader 