Inborn by Thomas Enger #BlogTour #Review

Today's featured novel is a great piece of nordic noir by Thomas Enger. Inborn revisits the story which Thomas wrote as a YA novel, Killer Instinct. 

When a murder takes place in a village high school a teenager finds himself subject to trial by social media … and in the dock. A taut, moving and chilling thriller by one of Nordic Noir’s most exceptional writers.

 

When the high school in the small Norwegian village of Fredheim becomes a murder scene, the finger is soon pointed at seventeen-year-old Even. As the investigation closes in, social media is ablaze with accusations, rumours and even threats, and Even finds himself the subject of an online trial as well as being in the dock … for murder? Even pores over his memories of the months leading up to the crime, and it becomes clear that more than one villager was acting suspiciously … and secrets are simmering beneath the calm surface of this close-knit community. As events from the past play tag with the present, he’s forced to question everything he thought he knew.

 Was the death of his father in a car crash a decade earlier really accidental? Has his relationship stirred up something that someone is prepared to kill to protect? It seems that there may be no one that Even can trust. But can we trust him? 

A taut, moving and chilling thriller, Inborn examines the very nature of evil, and asks the questions: How well do we really know our families? How well do we know ourselves?

My Thoughts

Thomas Engers' writing is always so satisfying. This crossover from the Young Adult genre is so well balanced. You follow the narrative both through events in the past and the present day courtroom trial where you gradually unravel the mystery, through the eyes of the teenager, Even, and the detective, Yngve, who is nearing the end of his career. Yngve is coming to terms with the loss of his wife. The contrast between these two gives the story added depth.

    There are many examples of how social media can influence the course of the investigation. Gossip and rumour can spread like wildfire through the pages of Facebook and this element will seem plausible to any young readers. Families within the story are riven with secrets which makes for an intriguing finale. I changed my mind several times as to who the murderer was and found the final pages to be quite compelling. You are on the edge of your seats as to which way some of the characters will go as they have real choices to make between the truth and more lies. I particularly loved how enticing the path of cover up was made to seem and how the characters were forced to make real choices. 

In short: Another nordic noir classic from Orenda.

 

About the Author

Thomas Enger is a former journalist. He made his debut with the crime novel Burned in 2010, which became an international sensation before publication, and marked the first in the bestselling Henning Juul series. Rights to the series have been sold to 28 countries to date. In 2013 Enger published his first book for young adults, a dark fantasy thriller called The Evil Legacy, for which he won the U-prize (best book Young Adult). Killer Instinct, upon which Inborn is based, and another Young Adult suspense novel, was published in Norway in 2017 and won the same prestigious prize. Most recently, Thomas has cowritten a thriller with Jørn Lier Horst. Enger also composes music, and he lives in Oslo. 

You can follow Thomas here: Twitter   |  Website 

Book links: Amazon UK

Thanks to Thomas Enger, Karen Sullivan and Anne Cater of Orenda Books for a copy of the book and a place on the blog tour.  

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