Today I am delighted to feature a novel by two of the greats of crime writing. Thomas Emger and Johanna Gustawsson's novel, Son, is published today by Orenda Books, on March 27th. This is the first in their new series, The Kari Voss Mysteries. I have an extract for you to sample and the chance to win a print copy. Details on how to enter are at the foot of this post.
Everyone here is lying…
Expert on body language and memory, and consultant to the Oslo Police,
psychologist Kari Voss sleepwalks through her days, and, by night,
continues the devastating search for her young son, who disappeared on
his birthday, seven years earlier.
Still grieving for her dead
husband, and trying to pull together the pieces of her life, she is
thrust into a shocking local investigation, when two teenage girls are
violently murdered in a family summer home in the nearby village of Son.
When a friend of the victims is charged with the barbaric killings, it
seems the case is closed, but Kari is not convinced. Using her skills
and working on instinct, she conducts her own enquiries, leading her to
multiple suspects, including people who knew the dead girls well…
With the help of Chief Constable Ramona Norum, she discovers that no
one – including the victims – are what they seem. And that there is a
dark secret at the heart of Son village that could have implications not
just for her own son's disappearance, but Kari's own life, too…
For fans of Harlan Coben, Lars Kepler, Jo Nesbo and Jorn Lier Horst … and The Mentalist
Extract
The impact is immediate, and it hits Eva Eek-Svendsen in a different way to how she had imagined, perhaps even feared, it would. There are no sudden or dramatic changes; no walls dissolving, no floors turning to jelly beneath her feet. The colours
stay the same, and she doesn’t experience any psychedelic sensations. She doesn’t melt into another dimension where all shapes, voices and sounds are somehow completely mixed and interchangeable.
That’s what her friends told her it would be like. Jesper included. They had all promised her that it would be awesome and wild and crazy. ‘The only thing you’ll regret is not having tried this before,’ they’d said.
But everything stays almost exactly the same. The only difference being – and it is a rather big one – that she suddenly feels and experiences everything much more strongly. It’s like someone has cranked up the volume on her senses to a hundred.
She’s never been this happy. She’s laughing at this and that. Every snack or drink is like an explosion in her mouth. Life is just so very beautiful. How come she hasn’t
realised it until now?
Eva also feels a deep, warm love for her parents, and for Hedda. And even for Erik –her brother. They are all so nice. And kind. God, they’re kind. Eva feels an intenseneed to tell them just how much she loves and appreciates them, how grateful she isto have all of them – every one of them – in her life. Maybe she should apologise for all the things she has said and done over the years.
The ungrateful behaviour, the sometimes harsh words, especially towards her brother. She reaches for her phone to do this straight away, but she can’t find it.
Never mind. She makes a mental note to thank her parents for letting her have the summer house to herself this weekend for the very first time.
And for allowing her to throw a Halloween party here tomorrow. It is going to be so much fun!
A thought flows by and makes her sad. Before she knows it, the tears are flowing. It’s Samuel – things have turned really sour between them. Should she send him another message? Tell him how much she loves him and misses him, and say that what truly matters, in the greater scheme of things, is them and only them? Can’t they just forget about the whole thing?
Maybe he’s too proud, she thinks. Too upset. Maybe everything is going to stay broken forever.
‘Why are you crying?’ Hedda turns down the volume on the stereo and adjusts her the strap of her top.
‘It’s Samuel.’ Eva wipes the tears from her cheeks and chin.
‘Don’t worry,’ Hedda replies. ‘He’ll be here tomorrow. We’ll slip him a little something and he’ll forget about it all.’ She shrugs, like it’s no big deal, and does a pirouette, stretching her hands above her head, singing along to the music, laughing.
Eva smiles watching Hedda dance. This girl everyone wants to be – or be with. No wonder, Eva thinks. She’s gorgeous. Even though it’s late October, Hedda’s skin is glistening like she’s standing in sunlight, not the dark living room. She smells like
vanilla and summer.
Just like that, Eva feels great again. The sad thoughts are gone. It’s going to be an incredible night, an amazing weekend. People will talk about this party for ages. She has invited twenty people, as per her parents’ strict instructions, but she’s expecting at least double that. Whatever. It’ll be fine.
About the Authors
Known as the Queen of French Noir, Johana Gustawsson is one
of France's most highl regarded, award-winning crime writers, recipient of the
prestigious Cultura Ligue de l`Imaginaire Award for her gothic mystery Yule
Island. Number-one bestselling books include Block 46, Keeper, Blood Song and
her historical thriller, The Bleeding. Johana lives in Sweden with her family.
A former journalist,
Thomas Enger is the number-one bestselling author of the Henning Juul series
and, with co-author Jørn Lier Horst, the international bestselling Blix &
Ramm series, and one of the biggest proponents of the Nordic Noir genre. He
lives in Oslo.
Rights to Johana and Thomas’ books have been sold to a
combined fifty countries and, for the first time, two crime writers, from two
different countries, writing in two different languages, have joined forces to
create an original series together.
You can follow the authors here:
Johanna Gustawsson: Twitter | Website | Facebook.
Thanks to Karen Sullivan and Anne Cater of Orenda Books for a place on the Blog Tour.
Check out these great bloggers!
To win a print copy of Son, just Follow and Retweet the pinned tweet at @bookslifethings and good luck!
Closing date is April 2nd 2025 and there is one winner.
*Terms and Conditions – UK only. The winner will be selected at
random via a random retweet selector from all valid entries and will be notified by X (Twitter)
and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right
to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the
competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with
third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed
to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize. I am not
responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.
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