The Ice Swimmer by Kjell Ola Dahl **Blog Tour Review**

 I'm delighted to welcome you to my stop on the blog tour to celebrate the publication of The Ice Swimmer by Orenda Books. 

When a dead man is lifted from the freezing waters of Oslo Harbour just before Christmas, Detective Lena Stigersand’s stressful life suddenly becomes even more complicated. Not only is she dealing with a cancer scare, a stalker and an untrustworthy boyfriend, but it seems both a politician and Norway’s security services might be involved in the murder. With her trusted colleagues, Gunnarstranda and Frølich, at her side, Lena digs deep into the case and finds that it not only goes to the heart of the Norwegian establishment, but it might be rather to close to her personal life for comfort.

Dark, complex and nail-bitingly tense, The Ice Swimmer is the latest and most unforgettable instalment in the critically acclaimed Oslo Detective series, by the godfather of Nordic Noir. 


                                                                                  My Thoughts 

The aspect of this novel which I found to be the most compelling turned out to be the simplest aspect of the book: the author's style of writing. I could hear the author's voice clearly and I loved it. It carried me through what was a complicated plot and always gave me a compass to travel by. From the start, this was a dark tale and I followed Lena's investigations with bated breath.     

  Lena was a character who I could relate with and I always enjoyed those sections of the book which she featured in. It has all the hallmarks of nordic noir and I was not disappointed. Tension built throughout the story and I was not frustrated by the ending. I did find this to be the type of story which you had to concentrate on- it  was full of detail- but doubly satisfying for all that.  

In short: nordic noir which is brim full of tension and intrigue.

                                                                              About the Author

 One of the godfathers of the Nordic Noir genre, Kjell Ola Dahl was born in 1958 in Gjøvik. He made his debut in 1993, and has since published eleven novels, the most prominent of which is a series of police procedurals cum psychological thrillers featuring investigators Gunnarstranda and Frølich. In 2000 he won the Riverton Prize for The Last Fix and he won both the prestigious Brage and Riverton Prizes for The Courier in 2015. His work has been published in 14 countries and sold over two million copies. He lives in Oslo.
 
 Thanks to the author and Anne Cater of Orenda Books for a copy of the book and a place on the tour. 

                                                          Follow the rest of the tour!