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Norwegian title: Så ble det kaldt
Happy Sunday guys!
I finished this one back in January but since it’s been a part of this year’s Silver Dagger Book Award I haven’t been able to post about it before now since I’m in the jury. This book is also our winner of the Silver Dagger Book Award so congratulations to Mr. Larsen! This was a very solid crime novel and I literally flew through it. When I first sat down it was really hard to get up and put it down! A worthy winner! The synopsis is borrowed from Goodreads and translated by me:
In Larvik, a woman is kidnapped after a night out on the town. The evidence leads detective Eddi Stubb abroad where the case takes an abrupt and unexpected turn when a new tragedy hits. Another person disappears and the case is about to become unpleasantly close and personal for Eddi. In this ice cold crime novel we witness lies, betrayal and dark family secrets. Will the police find the answers before any lives are lost?
Then It Turned Cold is a crime novel with only 360 pages but it feels like it only has a 100. I read this book in two days because it was almost impossible to put it down! I started and suddenly there was no more book. Like, did it evaporate? It certainly felt like it. Then It Turned Cold is a high pace crime novel with a lot of possible outcomes and it alters between the present day and 1978 where we learn more about the first kidnapped woman. Through a brilliant language Larsen makes it very difficult for his readers to find the culprit. As usual I wasn’t able to figure out the plot before it was revealed. I feel that this is becoming a trend now…I was very surprised when I learned who was behind all the terrible events in this story. These events are described in detail and they really gives you the chills when you read but it also keeps you glued to the pages! There really are no ‘dead’ periods in this plot!
In this book we meet Larsens established detective Eddie Stubb who again is facing a difficult challenge. First of all, how amazing is this name? In Norwegian ‘stubb’ means root or the end of something that has been cut off and I find it to be a weirdly fitting name for a detective because in many ways they are the root of justice and the end of evil. Secondly, the name Eddie Stubb gives me a cozy feeling, and Stubb is a kind man. In this book he has some issues on the home front but who doesn’t from time to time? He seems like a kind man who enjoys his coffee and the simple things in life. The chapters are rather short which makes it a bit difficult to get a wholesome understanding of Stubb if you haven’t read any books about him before but that is my only ‘criticism’ of this book. I won’t go as far as calling it criticism because its more an observation. However, short chapters are quite nice in a book such as Then It Turned Cold because you just want to get to know how the story is unfolding. Preferably yesterday.
One of the core themes in this book is mental health and thus it lifts a very important historical aspect in Norwegian history into the light. My inner history geek really enjoyed this part of the plot. The hospital described in the story in a part of one of the darker corners in Norwegian history and I personally know very little about it. A crime novel can be a good starting point in order to awaken curiosity and Larsen managed to poke my curiosity with this book.
Then It Turned Cold should be among your Easter Crime Reads if you’re looking for something high-paced and really engaging. You do not have to read the previous books in order to be captured by this plot. A worthy winner of the Silver Dagger Book Award 2021!
Published: 2020
Genre: Crime novel
Theme: Kidnapping, secrets, history
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