The Butterfly House

If the other day I wrote about how I loved locked room murder mysteries today I'm writing about the other subgenre I'm completely obsessed with, Nordic Noir. It can be books, tv shows, music...if it comes from Scandinavia I'll probably like it!

The butterfly house is book 2 in the Korner and Werner series, follow up to The tenant, and a huge improvement in my opinion. I liked The tenant, but I LOVED The butterfly house. Maybe it was a translation issue (I read the first one in Spanish and this one in English), but I found that the author's writing style just went up several notches.

The series is set in Copenhagen, my lat trip before the pandemic started, so reading this made me also a bit nostalgic. I just love reading about places I've been and I can totally visualize in my head.

Both Jeppe and Anette are back, but she's on maternity leave and adjusting to her new situation, so they don't share much time together during the investigation, but the little time they had together was so nice to see them go back and forth. I like how there's no romantic interest between them, letting them deal with their own issues without that added tension that would only ballast the whole story. They're both really well developed characters and the writing shows that the author really knows them well already. It was also a nice surprise to meet back with Esther de Laurenti, one of the main characters from the previous book.

The murders revolve around the Butterfly House, a psychiatric care facility for teens. I found really interesting the depiction of both mental health workers and the patients in there, how suffering from mental health issues is still today an stigma and how sometimes those supposed to care and protect vulnerable people end up harming them more because of their own interests.

The M.O. was so original I had to immediately google the murder weapon. The lesson in History of the medicine and medical devices was truly fascinating.

The story moved at quite a fast pace with no shortage of leads and suspects that kept me guessing till the very end. Those last 50 pages were heart attack inducing and I just kept yelling at the book "who are you? WHO ARE YOU?" until the killer was revealed.

Fantastic addition to the series and a must read for all those Nordic crime fans like me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Butterfly House is the first book I’ve read by this author and it wasn’t until I finished it that I realised it’s the second book in a series. That said, it works well as a standalone as there’s sufficient backstory for the reader to understand the character relationships. I possibly missed out on a little character development. None of that mattered because at the heart of this is a belting murder mystery. There’s a real sense of menace and race against time and the second part of the book, the pace really gathers and it’s an edge of seat thriller.

I liked the two central investigating officers and the other characters are plausible and well drawn. The plotting is skilful with so many plot twists that it’s impossible to know where it’s all leading. Bit by bit the threads are drawn together and I loved it.

My thanks to the publisher for a review copy via Netgalley.

Another outing with Detective Jeppe Kørner who still reeling from his recent divorce and living back with his mother he is put in charge and under pressure of a curious murder case where a body is found in a fountain with strange cut marks on their body. Jeppe is this time without his partner Anette Werner who some how had a surprise baby since the first book, something she is struggling with and all she wants to do is go back to work. But between the two of them they have to race to find the killer before he strikes again. Fast paced and great characters I can’t wait for book 3

I’m so glad that Korner and Werner are back for adventure number 2. It was a shame that Werner was on maternity leave so didn’t have such a large role, but hopefully she’ll be back at work by book 3! Great story, great characters and an interesting peek into the world of mental health care, something which most of us do not get to view firsthand. Copenhagen is now firmly on my list of places I’d like to visit, although preferably without stumbling across bodies left in fountains by a serial killer.

Great new voices, at least she was new to me, but now I will go back and read her previous book, in the thriller genre. Addictive and fast pace. Just as I like them. Highly recommend!

I read and enjoyed The Tenant so when I was offered the chance to read The Butterfly House I jumped at it, and I'm glad I did. It's very atmospheric with lots going on in both the foreground and the background. A slow burner of a story but with plenty to keep you entertained.

Thoroughly enjoyed it.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher, I read a free advance review copy of the book. This review is voluntary, honest and my own opinion.

Bodies are appearing around the city of Copenhagen. They are submerged in water and have fine incision marks on their arms; they have bled to death. Detective Jeppe Korner is leading the investigation into these unsettling murders. He is missing his usual partner, Anette Werner who is on maternity leave. However Anette is bored and sets off on her own independent investigation which puts her life in danger. This is the second book in the series after The Tenant and it is just as good. You don’t need have read the first book to enjoy this one.

There is a great plot involving a home for children with psychiatric problems and their support workers, an egotistical psychiatrist, and a potential whistle-blower. There is a connection between all of these and Jeppe needs to join up the dots. The action is fast paced and takes place over just a few days. The setting of a wet and cold Copenhagen creates an excellent atmosphere.

The characters are well developed and you get a real sense of individual personalities. Jeppe and Anette, in particular, really breathe life into the story. Themes of mental health, underfunded care services and the ways in which people can get lost in the ‘system’ are deftly explored. There is plenty of suspense and many twists and turns. If you enjoy Scandi crime, you’ll love this novel.

Thanks to NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As a fan of Scandinavian crime noir this type of novel has always impressed me. This one was no exception. A great story line based on mistreatment of young people in a supposed mental health clinic, a tale of revenge for the treatment they received leading to murder. Well recommended.

I loved this gripping Danish thriller,I had already read The Tenant which I also loved so I was looking forward to reading the second book in this series with Coppenhagen Detectives Jeppe Korner and Annette Werner .Annette is on maternity leave and Jeppe has a new partner Falck. A dead body is found in a fountain, the first of three which will be found, a serial killer is on the loose and Jeppe and Falck are on the case and this is the beginning of a fastpaced gripping read .Esther and Greggas from The Tenant also return they felt like old friends .A really enjoyable series looking forward to reading more .Many thanks to the Publisher the Author and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review.

In Copenhagen, the body of a woman is discovered floating in a fountain in the Old Market, the cause of death is exsanguination, drained completely of her blood. 24 hours later another body is discovered in another of fountain in the city with the same cause of death and mysterious injuries. Lead investigator Jeppe Kørner is put on the case whist his partner, Anette Werner is at home on maternity leave after and unexpected pregnancy. As Jeppe investigates the victims and finds a link to Butterfly House, a private psychiatric facility for young people, Anette decides to look into the case herself to usurp her boredom at home and unearths some dark truths.

Last year I decided to read more translated fiction which included Katrine Engberg's novel The Tenant which I absolutely adored so I was over the moon when Hodder & Stoughton invited me to review the next book in the series! Despite this being part of the series with a small nod to a couple of characters from the first book, Esther and Greggers, it also makes a fantastic stand alone that a reader can go into blind.

Like The Tenant this will keep you hooked! The Butterfly House is fast paced, dark and compelling. It kept me guessing all the way through, unable to predict the twists and pick up the red herrings. Even though the characters are complex, telling the story from multiple POVs I was never lost. Something about Engberg’s writing style feels like it's written just for me and I cannot wait for the next instalment in the series.

I received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review

I loved this one. Very fast paced, had me turning pages as I tore through it – I had to see how it would end. The characters were well rounded and the narrative felt believable. Gave me chills. Solid five

An angel of death is stalking the wards of a Copenhagen hospital, meanwhile a paperboy discovers a murdered middle aged woman dumped in a city fountain. More similar murders follow with the investigation led by Inspector Jeppe Kørner currently partnered with the somewhat plodding Inspector Falck while Anette Werner is on maternity leave. However, would this actually stop her getting involved? Of course not, she’s exhausted but bored and she cannot resist.

This is another excellent addition to the Kørner/Werner series and I like that some of the characters from The Tenant are included here such as the very likeable Esther de Laurenti. The detective duo are extremely good characters, they are well developed and interesting. I like the fact that we get into their lives too with Kørner moving on romantically and Werner’s struggles with new motherhood which makes them feel authentic. This is another good, gritty storyline as the murders are .... shall we settle for ‘creative’ and I find the inclusion of medical history in investigating the murder method especially intriguing. The murders seem to link to The Butterfly House, a former private residential treatment centre for children and teens with psychiatric issues. The inclusion of mental health as a theme is both interesting and very relevant. The plot is clever, with well connected threads and a fast pace which makes for gripping reading. There are plenty of twists, turns and several suspects which keeps you engaged until the end. The style is lively which maintains the focus and I like the occasional use of humour to lighten the dark. The setting in Copenhagen is great and there are some very good descriptions of the autumnal city which adds to the building atmosphere.

Overall, another well written and compelling novel from Katrine Engberg and I look forward to number three in the series with eager anticipation!

With thanks to NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton for the arc for an honest review.

This second novel by Katrine Engberg affirms her place at the forefront of Danish noir writers. This is a compelling and brave crime thriller written with honesty and integrity.
Jeppe Korner and Anete Werner of the Copenhagen police have worked well together but now Anete is on maternity leave and sick of dirty nappies and boredom. While the former officially investigates a series of murders in Copenhagen, the latter unofficially follows leads of her own, taking her ever closer to danger.
Engberg is a brilliant storyteller. The dark and morally complex plot has many layers. Once I'd started I couldn't stop reading.

I’d not read the first novel in the series, but was intrigued by this pair of detectives who brought something different to the role and life of a detective. The murders in the novel are particularly disturbing given that they take place within a hospital - usually a place of healing. An elderly patient in the coronary unit is killed by a syringe drawn up with an overdose of his heart medication. Six days earlier, a boy on his paper round found a dead woman in a fountain in the town centre. She’s has died due to exsanguination, blood letting from thousands of tiny cuts, and her final moments must have been excruciating. Are the two cases linked and will Detectives Korner and Werner be able to find the killer?

I loved that Werner was home on maternity leave, bored and itching to join in on the investigation. I think, very realistically, she’s struggling with feeling powerless and dealing with the fact her pregnancy was unplanned. She didn’t plan for it and can’t stop herself doing some detective work from home. However the problem with snooping alone is that she’s exposed to dangers she wouldn’t normally have to consider. Will she put herself in danger? Her partner, Korner, is coping with the aftermath of a painful divorce and now a new relationship. Will his mind be on the job? Together, this investigation will lead them into a dark corner of public institutions - their equivalent in this country would be social services and the NHS. Corruption and exploitation within these institutions seems likely.

The characterisation is brilliant. I really connected with Werner. Her husband has adapted well to unexpected fatherhood and can’t really relate to her struggle. Werner is 44 and feels the body she’s been connected to all her life, doesn’t belong to her anymore. The baby cries endlessly and she feels a complete indifference to the baby. Her head’s still at work and she feels exhausted. Intrigued by what’s happening in her absence, she has a police scanner and makes fake runs for nappies in order to keep up with the case. The strength of her partnership with Jeppe shows in how much he’s missing her presence in the investigation. Even for the qualities that really irritated him usually. I really warmed to him as he struggles on with a partner he can’t connect with and who can’t keep up with him. These people felt so real to me and the authors description of their worlds is just as immersive. I could imagine myself in this city, in the autumn air that the author describes. I found the medical histories of the victims fascinating and became really involved with the mental health angle, particularly the psychiatric aspect. The pace of the narrative was just right, fast enough to keep me reading while providing enough detail to pull me into the case. Often with thrillers I can feel short changed or rushed into a conclusion, but here the twists felt real and the conclusion was satisfying. This novel had everything I enjoy about the Nordic Noir genre and I will be following this series with great interest.

Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder&Stoughton on the arc of The Butterfly House by Katrine Engberg,

This is a second installment in the Kørner/Werner series, there is an angel of death stalking the halls of Copanhagen Hospital, a paperboy then suddenly discovers a murdered woman who is middle aged and whom was found dumped in a fountain.. this was a gripping, thrilling thriller with a lot of twists and turns and everything in between this was a 5 star read for me how amazing totally recommend.

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