Solid second instalment in the Kjeld Nygaard series. Something new and refreshing in this genre, and a wonderful debut from a writer with so much potential! I read the first book - WHERE RAVENS ROOST - a few months ago and absolutely loved it. I read it here on Netgalley and then I was fortunate enough to get a copy sent to me by Karin, which made my week - probably my month actually! :)

Karin Nordin writes so well, it feels like we are there with Nygaard and his partner Esme. Their relationship is so interesting and I loved reading about the case they were working. The dynamic between the two was fascinating. The book is gruesome and gory, but it is so necessary and well done that it doesn't feel gratuitous in any way.

Another character I enjoyed learning about was Bengt - Nygaard's ex partner. There was so much going on in this book and I think the characters ultimately tied it all together for me. Really well rounded, and full of life.

I can't recommend this book enough and look forward to Karin's next book with anticipation!

Recommended for fans of Nordic noir, police procedurals, serial killer thrillers - all my favourite things :)

This is another fantastic book by crime fiction author Karin Nordin. I was thoroughly gripped from the first page right up to the end and found there was just the right amount of twists and turns to keep the suspense high. I was lucky enough to be approved for an ARC for this book and am grateful to the author and publishers for this privilege. I can wholeheartedly recommend this book to all crime fiction/fiction lovers. It is the second Kjeld Nygaard novel, but easily can be read as a standalone. I enjoyed learning more about the people in Kjeld’s life such as his colleague Esme and his ex-lover Bengt.
I will say that the characters, especially Kjeld were too often pinching their noses in exasperation.
However, I was particularly moved by the descriptions of the lashing rain, and icy temperatures of Swedish weather. The author was able to transport me directly into that time and space. This is for me, the sign of a great author.
I eagerly await the next outing for Kjeld and Esme.

This is another great read from Karin Nordin. A dark, fast paced thriller featuring Detective Kjeld Nygaard who first appeared in Where Ravens Roost. He is called to the discovery of a body at a burned out house. He has been to the house before when he rescued a woman called Louisa Karlsson. When she is identified as the victim and another body is discovered it appears that the killer is targeting people Kjeld had previously saved.

This is a really atmospheric novel. It is clever and complex, suffused with tension. Kjeld is a really intriguing character full of introspection and he is well balanced by his partner, the more outgoing, DS Esme Jansson. The depiction of both Kjeld's and Esme's personal lives adds a real depth to the story.

Last One Alive is engrossing, entertaining and very rewarding.

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ Stories for an ARC is exchange for an honest review.

Chilling and claustrophobic, the second book in the Detective Kjeld Nygaard Scandi crime series draws the reader into a disturbing world of death. Attacks on survivors trouble Kjeld, as he struggles with guilt over his personal life and his connections to a serial killer. The dynamic between Kjedl and Esme, his partner, is believably written. We discover more about Esme's personal life and find, she too, has secrets. The story intensifies as Kjeld tries to unravel the murders with their disturbing personal connection.

The story is rooted in Scandinavia, and this adds an engaging dimension, coupled with the complexly flawed protagonists, the menacing murders and the twisty plot.

I received a copy of this book from HQ via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Last One Alive is the second instalment in the Detective Kjeld Nygaard Scandinavian Noir Mystery series, set in Gothenburg, Sweden. Eight years ago a young woman named Louisa Karlsson had been abducted, held captive and almost murdered in a grimy house at the hands of a vicious serial killer who had been prowling the area, and Kjeld had vowed to never go near said house again once he had wrapped up the case. Louisa had endured a hellish nightmare, a real house of horrors, and had managed to come out the other side as a survivor primarily due to Kjeld rescuing her. When the evil killer had died in prison, Louisa had finally felt as though her ordeal was over and that she could perhaps look forward to being free. So when Kjeld is called out to the scene of a house fire inside which a body has been discovered, he is shocked when he recognises it as that exact address and all the memories come flooding back into his psyche once more.

Kjeld had saved Louisa’s life back then, but his heart sinks when it dawns on him that the reported body is that of Louisa. Leading up to her disappearance, Karlsson had vanished after leaving her job on a rainy Saturday and being followed by a sinister-looking individual who had been watching her. It doesn't take long before another corpse is found and Nygaard realises that there is a chilling link between the two victims - they were both individuals he had saved during previous investigations going back up to 15 years. Why is someone targeting survivors of past crimes, and for what reason? But when Kjeld’s daughter, Tove, is taken it begs the question as to whether he has been the one targeted vicariously all along? In a race against time to save his daughter, Kjeld and Esme find themselves in a nail-biting race against time to get his daughter back safely and apprehend a serial murderer. This is a gripping and compulsively readable police procedural crime thriller set in the heart of Scandinavia, and I was almost instantaneously pulled into the story.

It is a beautifully constructed, propulsive read, rich with character, loaded with atmosphere and utterly entertaining. An absorbing second run to what promises to be a stellar and relatively new crime series. With a complex plot ripe with clever twists, dizzying misdirection and slow-burning suspense, there is a captivating mystery at its heart and in many ways, protagonist Kjeld Nygaard is a fascinating, idiosyncratic yet enigmatic character who is easy to get behind in his determined search for true justice and his quest to protect the vulnerable. Gritty, authentically portrayed noir, laden with unexpected turns and the relationship and dynamic between Kjeld and his partner, the ever-optimistic DS Esme Jansson, is a balanced one as they work effectively together like yin and yang. An exciting and engrossing novel that encompasses some important topical themes and juggles several possible suspects as well as perfectly depicting time and place. Highly recommended.

I enjoyed Raven's Roost when I read it a while back and was very much looking forward to its follow up in the series; I was not disappointed! It does refer to things that happened in book one so I would recommend you follow series rules and read that one first.
This time, Det Kjeld Nygaard is called to the scene of a fire in which a body has been discovered. It is a place he has been before. It was where he rescued Louisa Karlsson from a serial killer. His fears are compounded when the body turns out to be Louisa. Then another person Nygaard saved is also found dead in a significant place to the crime against them. What is happening? Is someone targeting survivors of crime, or is someone targeting survivors HE rescued. With the clock ticking, he and partner Det Esme Jannson have their work cut out for them trying to piece together what is happening and bring the perpetrator to justice once and for all. And then Nygaard's daughter is taken...
This hit the ground from me from the very first page and I almost didn't come up for air all the way through, so gripping I found it. It delivered twists and turns aplenty as the plot thickened along the way and I was pretty much exhausted trying to figure it all out. So much so that I gave up and just went with the flow... In Nygaard the author has created a cracking main character. He has his hang ups, mostly relationship-wise and mostly due to his dedication to his job. He has a daughter he dotes on and an ex-partner (professional) whose brush still tars him. He's flawed but credible and I have taken to him well.
The plot was intriguing and, as already mentioned, kept me guessing all the way through. Leading to an ending that only makes me hanker for book three all the more!
All in all, a cracking follow up to the solid series opener. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

So this is book two in the Detective Kjeld Nygaard series, this was a first for me and although it didn't spoil my enjoyment of the story reading book one would have enhanced that enjoyment more as there was reference thought of previous cases etc.

The main character of this book is one complex character and I love how we learn of both the personal and professional challenges that he faced. In fact the author has a clear talent of character development and writing as this was one of the many great strengths to the novel that I found amazing.

A gripping well written dark twisted intense read that had me hooked right from the get go and I loved it!

I absolutely love discovering new authors and I especially love it when I discover that a new book by a new author is part of a series and I have other books to catch up on. I read the synopsis for ‘Last One Alive’ and it certainly sounded like a cracker of a read. Well it was much more than a cracker. I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘Last One Alive’ but more about that in a bit.
It didn’t take me long at all to get into ‘Last One Alive’. I started reading and at first I admit that I wasn’t sure that I would enjoy the book but how wrong was I? Once I got past the first few pages I knew that I was going to be in for a treat and then some. The storyline and the characters intrigued me. I had my own theory as to how the story was going to pan out and I had to keep reading to see if I was on the right track or if I had wandered down the wrong path entirely. Reading ‘Last One Alive’ became addictive. I would pick the book up only intending to read a couple of chapters but I would become so wrapped up in the story that I would lose track of time and lose track of just how quickly the pages were turning. All too quickly I reached the end of ‘Last One Alive’. I found ‘Last One Alive’ to be a gripping read, which kept me guessing and which kept me on the edge of my seat throughout.
‘Last One Alive’ is superbly written. The author certainly knows how to grab your attention and draw you into what proves to be a compelling story. For me, the story hits the ground running an maintains a fast pace throughout. Reading ‘Last One Alive’ felt like being on one hell of a scary and unpredictable rollercoaster ride with many twists and turns along the way. Just when you thought that you could take a moment to gather your thoughts and take a breather then off the action would go again. The author certainly knows how to ramp up the level of tension and on more than one occasion I was almost reading through my fingers as I feared what was going to happen. I felt as though I was part of the story myself and that’s thanks to Karin’s very vivid and realistic storytelling.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘Last One Alive’ and I would recommend it to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Karin’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

When Kjeld Nygaard is called out to a burning house he has a vague feeling that he recognises it. It becomes apparent that this house belonged to a serial killer from a case he worked a few years earlier. The Detective is even more shocked to find that the body inside the house is Louisa Karlsson, the same girl he once saved from that killer. When another body is discovered, Kjeld realises that this is another survivor from a previous investigation. What exactly is the link between these murders, why is the killer targeting people who have already been through and survived one attack and could Kjeld himself be at risk?

If you're a horror fan, this book has some similarities to the way the 'final girls' trope is used in the book 'The Final Girl Support Group' by Grady Hendrix, and the ongoing serial killer thread had a similar vibe to Robert Bryndza's 'Nine Elms' but here, both of these elements are mixed into a more typical Scandi Crime police procedural. For me, this was the perfect storyline, and could actually have been written with me in mind - a combination of two of my favourite genres and books from my recent favourites list. For that reason, even though I loved Where Ravens Roost, I thought that Last One Alive was even better!

I was really intrigued by the relationship between Nygaard and his former partner Nils. This was touched on in the first book and then developed further in this story. I would absolutely love to read a prequel which explores what happened between these two characters.

Complex, atmospheric and full of suspense, Last One Alive is the perfect Scandi Noir for anyone who likes serial killer books with a darker edge!

Thanks to NetGalley and HQ Stories for the ARC.

I would like to thank Netgalley and HQ for an advance copy of Last One Alive, the second novel to feature Gothenburg based detective Kjeld Nygaard.

When Kjeld turns up at a burning house he recognises it as the house belong to a serial killer he rescued Louisa Karlsson. What he doesn’t expect is to find Louisa’s body inside. Then another murdered body with links to his past cases is found.

I thoroughly enjoyed Last One Alive, which has an interesting premise and an even more interesting execution. I found it a difficult novel to put down.

The novel is told from various points of view, all on Kjeld’s side of the fence so there is no hint of who is behind the murders or why. These voices flesh out Kjeld, his actions and his personality, because, as with the previous novel, Where Ravens Roost, his character is at the root of the plot. He is a troubled soul with a failed marriage and an identity that seems indivisible from his job.

The novel is full of twists, action and a couple of heart stopping moments where the tension pulses. I must admit that I saw the final twist coming in some ways and it kind of disappointed me, suggesting that the next novel might be more of the same with different details. I’m not a big fan of ongoing threads. Still, the journey to that point is engrossing and had me turning the pages as fast as I could without losing the overall picture. It is quite a complex novel, not in terms of who did what, but more of who fits in where and how do Kjeld and his partner Esme work it out. There is a lot of theorising that doesn’t pan out, but still requires close attention just in case.

Last One Alive is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

we meet again detective Kjeld Nygaard and it's always a pleasure
He is so messed up and his police methods are not always by the book but this is exactly what makes him good at what he does
This time he seems to be the target of a serial killer, one who has no limits when it comes to murdering survivors of terrible other crimes
Kjeld finds himself so involved as all victims seem to be part of cases he previously investigated and when his family has to suffer he becomes unstoppable
Last One Alive is a dark and intense thriller that I could not put down. It is suspenseful and heart - stopping and I have to admit that I want to see it turned into a proper series
This is the second book in the series but it can easily be read as a standalone and I have to say that I am already waiting here for book three

Where Ravens Roost, Nordin's debut, was one of my favourite reads of 2020 but Last One Alive is better. Detective Kjeld Nygaard is back but this time with an impossible crime set against the bleak, barren landscape that defines this genre. This book pulsates with emotion. The tragic heroine. The lost copper. The budding relationship. Scandi Noir at its very best. 10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐.

This is a very good follow up from Where Ravens Roost in the detective Nygaard series. I love the lead character with all his flaws and the character development of Esme his colleague. The book is interesting and well written with a very satisfying ending. Plenty of tension and atmosphere make for a very enjoyable read which I would recommend. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

Superb Storytelling….
The second outing for Detective Kjeld Nygaard and the discovery of a body in a notorious house sends his heart sinking fast but a series of bizarre and unlikely linked events soon gives him greater cause for consternation. Fast moving, dark suspense, twists and turns aplenty which the reader may or may well not see coming, with a well drawn and credible cast and superb storytelling make this another excellent read and a worthy follow up in the series.

After the amazing debut, Where Ravens Roost, Karin Nordin returns with the next chapter in the detective Kjeld Nygaard’s life. After solving some family issues (and a crime of course) in his hometown, he’s back at his post in Gothenburg. This time, he’s looking for a killer who’s been targeting the sole survivors of the past crimes. Crimes, which Kjeld had investigated. Besides the detective storyline, we get more insight into his professional and personal baggage.

I love how Karin Nordin made little twists to all the obligatory attributes of a police detective.
- Divorced? Yes. But it’s his ex-husband Bengt that has the custody over their daughter, despite Kjeld being her biological father.
- Addiction? Yep, smoking. But he’s already gave it up and sticks to his peppermint chewing gum.
- Going rouge at some point? You bet, but without any excessive bravado or irrational behaviour. Overall, he has quite healthy workplace relationships.
- Haunted by the old unresolved case? Sure, but we neither get the full details, nor is it some irrelevant drama invented only to made the policeman paranoid/bittered/disgraced. Instead, it is casually mentioned so we slowly get some insight, still not sure how relevant it will become – let’s see how the next instalments will develop.

Another progressive thing about Karin Nordin’s writing? She uses singular “they” not only to conceal the gender of mysterious characters; when his colleague Esme tells him she’s having a date, Kjeld open-mindedly asks if he knows “them”.

Esme and Kjeld make a great duo. Yet, what cheered me the most is that we get more of Bengt, only mentioned in the first book. He’s so vulnerable and yet responsible at the same time - a good heart and an interesting character, my favourite, bettered only by the Kjeld’s overweighted cat Oskar.

After reading the second book, I can confirm that Kjeld Nygaard series definitely made it into my Nordic Noir must-reads.

Big thanks to Netgalley and HQ Team for the review copy.

Detective Kjeld Nygaard #2

When Detective Kjeld Nygaard is called to the discovery of a body in the burnt-out shell of a house, his heart sinks. He never wanted to see this house again. The home of a notorious serial killer. The house where he rescued Louisa Karlsson from being murdered. But when they discover the body is in fact Louisa, the mystery deepens. It can't be the old serial killer, he's dead. Then another body is found, again killed in the exact same place where Kjeld saved them from another murder.

Kjeld Nygaard id a flawed, stubborn and complicated character. Nygaard and his partner Esme have their work cut out trying to prevent other murders occurring. One of the cases is Nygaard's own daughter. I did like Kjeld Nygaard more in this book, he's starting to grow on me. The pace is fast in this well written thriller. This is a cleverly crafted murder mystery that's also tense and gripping. The story held my attention throughout.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #HQDigital and the author #KarinNordin for my ARC of #LastOneAlive in exchange for an honest review.

I was thrilled to receive an ARC of "Last One Alive" by Karin Nordin, having loved her debut "Where Ravens Roost".
A second crime thriller featuring Detective Kjeld Nygaard, this book sends Nygaard back to a crime scene he never wanted to see again. Some years earlier he rescued Louisa Karlsson from the hands of a serial killer at the very same address.
A second body is found at a place where Nygaard had saved them from a murderer.
When the bodies are identified as the survivors of the previous crimes, a link to Nygaard looks likely. Finding this link and saving other lives follows, with plenty of twists and turns.
I'm a fan of Nygaard - a detective with just enough damage to be interesting but not irritating!
A very well-deserved 5 star review!

I really enjoyed Karin Nordin’s first book, Where Ravens Roost, and this one was just as good. You can’t help but love Detective Kjeld Nygaard can you?! Such a complex character – a brilliant and tough detective, but with such a sensitive and loving side when it comes to his daughter, Tove, and his ex-partner Bengt.
I love the relationship he has with his work colleague Esme, as they make a great team. The plot was intriguing and so well-written that you are immediately ‘in’ the story and can’t stop turning the pages.
I definitely think that readers should get hold of Where Ravens Roost before they read this one. There were a few instances where Kjeld’s ‘relationship’ with his father and sister were mentioned, but with no detail at all included. If I hadn’t read the first book I would have been very confused about that, and I think at least some snippets of information should have been given about what had previously occurred.
There are a couple of things I noticed that didn’t quite fit. First, Kjeld sees the body of the first victim (Louisa): “The eyes were gone, melted in the heat.” A few pages later, he’s thinking about the state Louisa’s body had been found in: “That frozen terror in her eyes chilled him to the bone.” That doesn’t work – there were no eyes! Second, a little later, after another murder: “Was it possible that Louisa’s killer and Andrea’s were one in the same?” This should have said “… one and the same?” but that’s not the point. At this time, the identity of the second victim wasn’t known to anyone, and it wasn’t until a few pages later that we (they) learned that her name was Andrea. Maybe I’m being a bit picky but, surely, things like this should have been spotted. In addition, I couldn’t help but note 20+ very obvious proofreading errors which I hope will be corrected before publication. As with Where Ravens Roost, I will inform the publishers and offer to send them my typed list but, as happened last time, I don’t think I’ll hear from them.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for an honest review (which I will always give, no matter what!).

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ARC.

I thought this was a great follow on from Where Ravens Roost. I really like the lead character In this series. He is flawed, troubled, stubborn, tenacious and has a very complicated history. He and his team investigate a murder where the victim was known to Nygaard from an old case. When more murders follow with links to other old cases from up to 15 years before the team have their work cut out trying to find the murderer. I loved reading of the working rapport and friendship between Nygaard and Esme and enjoyed the little glimpses the author gave into Kjeld’s personal life. This was another fast paced, very well written and thrilling read full of twists, atmosphere, tension and suspense. I was hooked from the first page to the last and was shocked when the murderer was revealed .... wow, I never saw that coming. And the ending leaves you guessing of what is to come next. Overall, a great read which had me enthralled, and I look forward to the next book.

#LastOneAlive #NetGalley
Every sentence of this book is a suspense. Adored it.
Detective Kjeld Nygaard is called to the discovery of a body in the burnt-out shell of a house, his heart sinks. He never wanted to see this house again. The house of a notorious serial killer. The house where he rescued Louisa Karlsson from being murdered.
But when they discover the body is in fact Louisa, the mystery deepens. It can’t be the old serial killer. He’s dead.
Then another body is found, again killed in the exact place where Kjeld saved them from another murderer. Another survivor dead. With the clock ticking Kjeld and his partner Detective Esme Jansson are desperate to stop any more survivors from being murdered. But every clue they find leads to a dead end. Why is the killer picking off people Kjeld rescued? Could it be connected to another of his previous cases?
What are you waiting for? Go and read this book. It's brilliant man.
Thanks to NetGalley and HQ for giving me an advance copy.