The Cabin is Jørn Lier Horst’s sequel to The Katharina Code, which I enjoyed so much that Penguin offered me an ARC of this latest one.

All the main characters from The Katharina Code are here: William Wisting, the police officer who led the last investigation; his journalist daughter, Line; the policeman from the Cold Squad, Stiller, with his unorthodox approach to obtaining confessions. Where The Katharina Code was, above all, a psychological thriller, The Cabin is more a regular police procedural, though the investigation Wisting leads is operating outside the normal police framework. He is investigating a crime that may involve a senior politician and the Director General of Public Prosecution, who can apparently instruct police how to proceed (we’re in Norway), is anxious that the investigation is conducted secretly.

Wisting runs the job from his own home, recruiting his daughter to interview suspects in the guise of her investigative journalism role. (Do they not have journalistic ethics in Norway?) The team work through suspects methodically, checking fingerprints, establishing alibis, researching links between criminals on the police intelligence database. Line asks questions the police cannot ask and gets an inside track on the links between the criminals, inevitably (it’s that kind of story) exposing herself to danger as the crooks realise she is working with the police.

The plot becomes fairly convoluted with an unsolved murder, a major robbery, an apparently accidental death of a suspect and various gang-related beatings all seemingly inter-related. Only at the end do we discover, thanks to an anonymous tip-off, what part the politician played in it all.

I’m being deliberately vague because of spoilers. It’s wanting to know how the crime works out that keeps you going. It’s not the characterisation: the police team are interesting, but this story adds nothing to the understanding of these people we gained in The Katharina Code

In the end, as in The Katharina Code, the psychology of the criminal is important, but this is only discussed after the crimes are all neatly solved. I suspect that Horst saw this as the core of the book, but the need to satisfy the story arc of a police procedural means it is rushed out as a coda at the very end of the story.

The Cabin is a perfectly serviceable detective mystery (though not helped by occasionally clumsy translation) but readers who loved the quirkiness of The Katharina Code may well feel disappointed.

I want to thank NetGalley and Michael Joseph for the review copy of The Cabin. It is the second novel in a quartet of cold case investigations to feature Norwegian detective Chief Inspector William Wisting.

I had previously read The Katharina Code, the first in the series, so was looking forward to it, and it did not disappoint. It's been fifteen years since Simon Meier walked out of his house, never to be seen again. And just one day since politician Bernard Clausen was found dead at his cabin on the Norwegian coast. Is there a possible link here? Could both events be linked to a heist of foreign currency worth some 80 million kroner at today's values?

The story unfolded layer by layer as Wisting and his team, including his daughter Line, seek to unravel the complexities of these old events.

The Cabin was another superbly plotted tale with perfect characterisation and highly believable day-to-day details of police procedures. I loved it, and would highly recommend it to all.

My thanks to Penguin UK - Michael Joseph for the opportunity to read an advance copy of The Cabin by Jørn Lier Horst, the second book in The Cold Case Quartet. I had previously read The Katharina Code, the first in the series, so had some idea what to expect. A lengthy, slow burner of Norwegian noir in which Chief Inspector William Wisting once again is called upon to investigate a cold case that goes back to 2003. It's been fifteen years since Simon Meier walked out of his house, never to be seen again. And just one day since politician Bernard Clausen was found dead at his cabin on the Norwegian coast. Is there a possible link here? Could both events be linked to a heist of foreign currency worth some 80 million kroner at today's values?

The story unfolds layer by layer as Wisting and his team, including his daughter Line, seek to unravel the complexities of these old events.

This is another superbly plotted tale with perfect characterisation and highly believable day-to-day details of police procedures.

Very good. This was an excellent detective thriller, which I enjoyed very much. The writing was first class and the plot well paced. I would definitely recommend this novel for readers of Scandinavia thrillers.

Norwegian noir detective novel - interesting and complicated

Wisting is a highly placed police officer, asked to investigate the disappearance of a young man several years earlier as well as the discovery of several cardboard boxes at the cabin of a recently deceased politician as both take place in the same vicinity. He gradually gathers together a team of investigators and together the truth eventually comes out. The main protagonists are not particularly developed much and the plot centres around their work and enquiries. It lacks emotional involvement until the denouement but works well as a police procedural with a political slant. I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second in a quartet about cold cases investigated by Wisting. In this one, a politician is found dead in his remote cabin. Nothing sinister is suspected but when the police arrive they find a substantial amount of money hidden there. Wisting's task is to find out where the money comes from. When it turns out that there was a robbery of the same amount some years before he begins to join the dots and soon he is investigating the disappearance of a young man as well.

This is a police procedural par excellence. We are there with the police as they gather and examine pieces of evidence and draw conclusions. It is refreshing to read such a straightforward account of an investigation with no 'twists that will take your breath away'. It is just solid police work. This can make it seem a little slow at times but when there is action it is tense and exciting. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This excellent book is unusual for police investigatory novels: it doesn't start with a murder, and it doesn't focus on a woman being horribly abused. The investigation of two, seemingly unlinked, cold cases, by Wisting and his journalist daughter, makes a brilliant story. The pace slow a Littl in the middle, but the ending is action packed and well written. I strongly recommend this book, and am looking forward to th next publication from Jorn Lier Horst.

I've been questing after the Wisting tv series, having missed it when it originally aired here in the UK, and was thrilled to see this, the 13th novel of the book series. I haven't read any of the previous Wisting novels but enjoyed it as much as if I had known all the characters from the beginning.

I have a knee-jerk attraction to any Scandi drama, especially if it involves some form of mystery. As a genre they are thoroughly atmospheric which amplifies the level of treat or menace. Here, in The Cabin, we have a couple intriguing mysteries Wisting and his intrepid crew go to great lengths to find the answers for. As I mentioned before, these characters felt comfortable and realistic from the off. There is no omnipotent baddie overseeing every step of the investigation thus keeping one step ahead. Instead, it's all very plausible and authentic.

There are a number of hooks to keep the reader involved. First, how can so much money be kept in a cabin? Second, what happened to Simon Meier? And, lastly, as facts become known, there is a creeping danger for members of the team that ratchets up the reader's anxiety. We, clearly, don't want anything bad to happen to our investigators but also really want to know what transpired. It's a delicate balance that is well handled.

I really enjoyed The Cabin and will look for more books in this series. Wisting is a no nonsense chap with solid instincts. I also found the addition of his daughter and granddaughter a nice twist to the happenings. The Cabin is a good read well worth the time.

Cleverly structured detective involving robbery, politics and murder featuring a father and daughter detective/investigative journalist partnership as they seek to uncover the truth.

I didn't realise until I got another invitation to read the next novel in this series how much I missed the pragmatic Wisting and his gang of misfits. I admittedly am not usually a fan of police procedural works but somehow this author strikes the right tone with me, writing consistently human characters instead of familiar tropes. The slow sprinkling of breadcrumb clues keep the reader engaged and constantly guessing, and it really feels like the investigation unfurls with the reader alongside in the passenger seat- complete with red herrings, dead ends, and unreliable information.

Fascinating story that keeps you hooked from the first chapter. The twists and turns led you backwards and forwards building up to the final stage. Definitely recommended.

This is the second book I have read by Jorn Lier Horst featuring Chief Inspector Wisting and co. and I must say they get better . The Cabin is about the disappearance of a young man Simon Meier who has been fishing but his body has never been found. A prominent politician has a fatal heart attack and when a friend goes to his cabin he finds bank notes of different currencies and Wisting is called in to find out where they are from. Wisting then puts together a team to help solve the puzzle of the money and also the disappearance of Simon Meier.
A very enjoyable and addictive book to read the pages keep turning until you reach the end. Would highly recommend.

This is a very cleverly conceived plot delivered in a fast moving,absorbing style. The cross over of several crimes makes it even more interesting and the way in which police procedures are described is believable and important to the story. The involvement of the lead detective's daughter and child give the book an extra interest. The role of the recently deceased politician seems unlikely to begin with but the explanation for his deceit becomes obvious. The team work of the hastily set up investigation group works well too. This is a story designed to keep you reading and works very well.

It’s ok, there are some issues for me (cash in the basement for a start !!) however it does go into great detail about how an investigation of this type may be tackled and might unfurl - you can tell the writer is a former policeman.

Well crafted characters with some lovely domestic touches, I’m not sure the daughter would be quite so involved but it’s fiction so let it roll.

A little slow for me, really well translated and worth a read

Thank you to netgalley and Michael Joseph for the opportunity to read this book.
It's been fifteen years since Simon Meier walked out of his house, never to be seen again.
And just one day since politician Bernard Clausen was found dead at his cabin on the Norwegian coast.
When Chief Inspector William Wisting is asked to investigate, he soon discovers he may have found the key to solving Meier's disappearance.
But doing so means he must work with an old adversary to piece together what really happened all those years ago.
It's a puzzle that leads them into a dark underworld on the trail of Clausen's interests and vices. A shady place from which they may never emerge - especially when he finds it leads closer to home than he ever could have imagined.
This was a really good well written book and did not disappoint. Well worth a read and 5 stars.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Michael Joseph for a review copy of The Cabin, the second novel in a quartet of cold case investigations to feature Norwegian detective William Wisting.

When politician Bernhardt Clausen dies something strange is found in his summer cabin. Wisting is asked to undertake a confidential investigation into this find but soon finds himself widening his investigation when he finds links to the fifteen year old disappearance of local man Simon Meier.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Cabin which has an interesting and unusual premise and a detailed, logical plot. The novel is told mostly from Wisting and his daughter Line’s points of views but as she’s been co-opted in to the investigation this divided approach is not distracting but rather gives the reader a wider perspective of events. It works well. I have been reading this series ever since I picked up Dregs to try and I love the matter of fact tone and the solid, almost mesmerising, building of the case. I think you would be hard pushed to find a better police procedural series.

This is not a high octane thriller but a slow burning, methodical accumulation of facts and evidence that I find fascinating and engrossing. It starts with one unusual event and quickly widens into something much bigger with each avenue of investigation playing its part in developing the story of an old crime and its ramifications. It’s clever, detailed and obviously involved a lot of planning.

With such a detailed plot characterisation isn’t such a high priority. Wisting is drawn in the old fashioned way, more a catalyst in the investigation than a character. He is a fond father and grandfather and a smart, logical detective but that’s about all there is to say about him. Line Wisting is the strong character as a freelance journalist and single mother. She has more worries and issues.

The Cabin is a great read which I have no hesitation in recommending.