An interesting cold case story that trundles along without ever getting too exciting. Two old disappearances form the basis of the tale with an obvious suspect who has a cast iron alibi for one of them. A veteran police officer who has been consumed by the case for over twenty years goes undercover to find the answers with a code left all those years ago as the main clue. A worthy yarn but not too taxing!

I enjoy the Scandinavian crime books, we have been treated to many well written books by these different authors. This is a new one Jorn Lier Horst . His crime fighter William Wisting a Norwegian Police Officer involved with a cold case , a missing women some 20 years previously .

This book which I believe is part of a series is well written and moves at a steady pace with good Police procedural's keeps you engaged with possibilities as to its outcome.

Enjoyed " The Katharina Code" and I am looking forward to reading any more of this author.

I really enjoyed the book as well as the setting. I read this novel as a standalone and I did not feel as if I missed something. The author has the ability to tell us what happened previously without distracting from the story. Stiller was not my favourite person as everything that he does has a motive behind it, the rest of the characters worked well together and did not try to best each other. I would love to read some more of Jorn Lier Horst.

24 years after the mysterious disappearance of Katharina, Chief Inspector Wisting is still determined to find out what happened to her and crack the mysterious code she left behind. He’s cultivated a friendship with Katharina’s husband Martin who he visits every year on the anniversary of her death until the 24th when Martin has disappeared. Enter the slightly sinister cold case detective with a secret, Stiller, who enlists Wisting to help him investigate Martin’s possible involvement in a high profile kidnapping which took place before Katharina disappeared. At the same time he offers Wisting’s journalist daughter Line exclusive access to the story if she’ll help hi to trap Martin into a confession.
This is the first in a series featuring Norwegian detective Wisting and it was so good to read a thriller that wasn’t full of graphic violence and swearing. The characters are both likeable and believable with enough of a back story to make them interesting without intruding on the story. Having said that I found the plot a little pedestrian in places with the solution clearly signposted and the Norwegian detectives seem to have a much easier life than ours. I’m not familiar with their justice system but was suprprised at some of the methods and the ease with which they were able to do things like a covert search of Martin’s house while he was away and also felt it was all a bit too simple which reduced the tension.

I have just read The Katharina Code by Jørn Lier Horst. Courtesy of Netgalley and Penguin UK - Michael Joseph.

This is a Nordic murder mystery and normally I am not a lover of those, but this book grabbed me and I couldn't put it down. Set in Norway, Detective Wisting is investigating a cold case. The disappearance of Katharina Haugen and the mysterious code she left behind over 24 years ago. Tied into another kidnapping there are twists and turns galore. Utterly brilliant. A must read.

Could not put it down ! I absolutely loved this book.. Billed as the Wallander of Norway it is not too far off the mark, its not especially fast paced, there is a good balance of mundane police work, some serious thinking about what has actually happened to the two women concerned and family life. In this book the family situation is a bit more complex in that his daughter is involved by way of her job as a journalist.

A complex police operation, much of which is covert, this is a perfect introduction for me to what I hope is a long relationship with this series of books.

As Scandi Noir this lacks the violence of a typical Nesbo and is hence a more credible story. Its a cold case or two linked cold cases. Twenty five years down the line the local detective is still obsessed by the disappearance of a local woman, the clues she left behind have never been satisfactorily explained. His daughter is a journalist who is recalled from maternity leave to take part in a story relating to another disappearance, where new evidence has emerged. The detective in charge of that case seems to be a Cold Case himself - I wonder if that will be explored in a sequel. The plot is coherent and moves along rapidly - a thouroughly enjoyable read.

This is a very,very good read. It has an original plot with all kinds of deviations to stop the reader guessing the outcome too far ahead. There are two missing persons and several suspects. The characters are all well drawn and credible. The book has obviously been very well translated. The momentum towards the ending is controlled and methodical. All in all, a really rewarding read.

My Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this novel0 in return for an honest review. I was a bit hesitant starting this book because experience has taught me that with Scandi crime you are never sure what you are getting. But this turned out to be very much my sort of book. I could relax knowing that I was in safe hands. We learn the details of the disappearance of Katharina and the possible murder of Nadia Krogh as the police investigator, Wisting, reads the old police files and back numbers of news papers. He has been doing this every year for twenty five years in the hope that something new will occur to him.. Then modern scientific techniques reveal a new piece of evidence and the two cases become linked. An investigator, Adrian Stilller, thirty something, is sent down to the area from the newly formed cold case unit in Oslo, determined to solve the cases and make his name. Meanwhile Wisting’s daughter, a journalist, eager to return to the profession after maternity leave is called in by Stilller to help jolt their potential suspect into action by writing a series of articles and a blog on the cold case for a national paper. She is unaware of her father‘s now active involvement in the investigation.. Just as I was thinking it was a treat not to have a lead police officer, Wisting, with the almost obligatory complex, tormented background, along comes Stilller. What’s in his past we are not told but there are heavy hints.

Having been brain washed of recent years into expecting big twists at the end of books, some readers may feel let down. I loved it. The ending is in keeping with this book, simple and straight forward. Don’t expect any fireworks. It’s a careful, plodding, step by step opening up and solving of a major cold case. L look forward to reading the next novels. If this sounds like your sort of book, sit back and enjoy.

I'm really in two minds about this book. I liked the writing style but at times thought the book was too dragged out. I really liked Chief Inspector William Wisting and enjoyed reading about his relationship with his daughter and granddaughter. I couldn't work out the guilty party so I was surprised by the ending.

Katherina Haugen vanished from her home, without explanation, some 24 years earlier, leaving, among other items, a sheet of paper with a series of numbers arranged along three vertical lines. The latter became known as The Katharina Code and so far, nobody has succeeded in deciphering its meaning.
An ambitious young officer from a newly formed Cold Case Unit arrives to delve in to the disappearance of the 17-year-old daughter of a multimillionaire believed kidnapped in the late eighties, where the ransom demanded was never collected nor the girl’s body ever recovered.
He believes there may be a connection between Katherina’s disappearance and the earlier kidnapping.
Based in Norway, what follows is an excellent police procedural, with a tightly crafted plot as the local police chief and his daughter are manipulated into working undercover with the prime suspect. I am a big fan of Scandinavian crime writers and although I have not previously heard of Jorn Lier Horst, it is a name I will look for in future.
I am grateful to Michael Joseph and NetGalley for providing a free copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 Stars
Katharina Haugen went missing twenty-four years ago. Each year on October 9th, the anniversary of her disappearance Chief Inspector William Wisting visits her husband, the man he could never help.
He re-reads her files, searching for the answer he could never find. The code he could never solve.
This year is going to be different. Another woman has gone missing and so has Martin Katharina's husband.
This is the first book I’ve read by the author whilst it is the twelfth in the series it is the first in a sub series of cold cases. Set in Norway the action travels between town & country. The story is well written & the characters have depth. I did find the pace of the story varied, whilst It caught my interest the pace lagged at times & I found myself skimming pages until the pace increased again. Overall an interesting read, I would read more from the author
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

I really enjoyed this book, a police procedural story. The characters are all believeable and realistic: the police officers, family members, and suspects. For once, someone actually waits for backup at the right time! There is also a good sense of place; the descriptions of scenes at the isolated cabin are excellent. I would definitely read more books in this cold case series.

This was a very clever story, looking at two cold cases which seem to have a common denominator, solves missing person cases from more than 20 years previously. Great procedural police work, interesting characters and a fast moving storyline.

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book. This book was a bit slow to begin with, it just seemed to go on and on. It was worth the read though. Great storyline and great characters. Very well thought out and well written.

Katherine went missing twenty four years ago .Slow but enjoyable read . Intriguing plot with twists and turns . A great Scandinavian noir book.

Twentyfour years ago, Katharina Haugen, went missing. She left behind her husband, Martin, and a mysterious string of numbers scribbled on a piece of paper. Every year on the 9th October, Cheif Inspector William Wistingtakes out the files to the case he was never able to solve. He stares at the codes he was never able to crack. He visits the husband he was never able to help.

This novel is set between the streets and the dark forests of Norway. It's been twenty four years since Katharina Haugen was reported missing. Cheif Inspector William Wistingtakes and his officers pulled out every stop to try and find her, but to no avail. Now her husnand is also missing. Adrian Stiller is convinced MARTIN is involved with the disappearance of another woman. Will Wisting ever solve the codes and find out just what happened to Katharina? You will have to read the book to find out!

This is a well written, fast paced read. This book had me gripped from the first few chapters. I had not heard of the author before I read the book so this is the first book I have read by him, but it won't be the last. Jorn Leir Hurst was a Senior Investigating Officer before he turned to writing. I do recommend this book.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Penguin UK - Michael Joseph and the author Jorn Lier Horst for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I would like to thank Michael Joseph and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Katharina Code’ by Jorn Lier Horst in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Chief Inspector William Wisting was the officer in charge of the investigation when Katharina Haugen went missing twenty-four years ago. Since then he’s become obsessed with discovering what happened and has visited Katharina’s husband Martin every year on the anniversary of her disappearance. Over the years they’ve kept in touch but is it a genuine friendship or is Wisting hoping to find out the truth?

‘The Katharina Code’ has an interesting plot with good substantial characters but I found it slow and somewhat heavy and laborious. It didn’t really come alive until three-quarters of the way through when it started to liven up with the involvement of Adrian Stiller of the Cold Case Unit and Wisting’s journalist daughter Line. The ending was disappointing which I suppose was in keeping with the rest of the novel.

The Katharina was on the whole an original tale on Nordic noir fiction that nowadays seems so riddled with cliché and recycled story lines. The summary of the book stops short within the first few chapters, and so after that there is an excitement because you now have no idea where the book will go. The rest, however, was average. The storyline was good, but there was nothing too exciting or ground breaking. There was enough intrigue to keep your attention, but mostly it was a slow burner and the story did not really start until about three quarters of the way through.

3.5 stars


A really good read... it kept a nice even pace,nothing overly dramatic as some cold cases can.
This was just a bit different though.
Few reasons... the fact our main characters has developed a friendship of sorts over last 24 years with suspect was good.
Seeing both the point of view of journalist and police made a pleasant change.
Good solid characters,interesting crime.
The ending felt a bit flat.... but really there was no other way to end it in keeping with story.