Hello Reader! I hope you’re well and you’re enjoying April to the fullest. Happy Easter too, if you celebrate!

I love this time of year, there’s just something truly magical about it isn’t there? It feels like the world is reawakening from a long winter’s sleep and there’s an undeniable sense of life, renewal and birth in the air. It brings me such joy to see animals and birds emerge, to see fresh shoots on trees and to hear the dawn chorus.

I’ve had such a great couple of reading months. March saw me enjoying many books on a week’s holiday in the Lake District, where we enjoyed a great mix of relaxation and adventure. Whilst I didn’t conquer a mountain on this visit, I enjoyed some delightful hill walking and saw some gorgeous animals, including fell ponies – what a treat!

One of the highlights of my recent reading was a buddy read with Emma and Ash over on Bookstagram, and today, I’m excited to share my review of the book we read together.

Before I delve into the review I just want to extend a huge thank you to the team at Orenda Books for sending us a proof copy of the book for our buddy read and review. This was kindly received as an AD PR Product, but as always the review and thoughts below are entirely my own, and completely honest.

Without further ado, let’s dive in!

SON BY JOHANA GUSTAWWSON AND THOMAS ENGER

Synopsis:

“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…”

Buddy reads are always exciting, but this one had an extra layer of thrill to it! Having previously read and adored Johana Gustawsson’s Yule Island (a Nordic Noir thriller that we devoured in just 24 hours—no exaggeration!), we were eager to dive into her latest collaboration with Thomas Enger. I’d never read any of Enger’s work before, so I was particularly intrigued to see how the two authors would blend their styles. Could I spot where one author’s writing ended and the other began? The opportunity to read a novel co-written by two acclaimed crime thriller authors was too good to miss!

Son marks the beginning of a new series, ‘The Kari Voss Mysteries‘, and it introduces us to the captivating character of Kari Voss. A widower and a mother, Kari is a highly skilled psychologist, specialising in body language and memory, working as a consultant to the Oslo Police. She’s also the daughter of a police chief, so her life is deeply entwined with crime solving, both personally and professionally. I found Kari to be a truly fascinating protagonist, especially in the chapters where she delves into her work, discussing body language and reading people. I felt like I was learning from her!

It is with Kari’s role as a consultant to the Police the she becomes involved with the main story line, which is the murder of two teenage girls in the Norwegian town of Son.

The title is in itself a play on words, as whilst the murder mystery is set in this town, there’s another mystery seven years prior that is still unsolved…and that is the disappearance of Kari’s Son, Vetle.

CAN’T PUT IT DOWN RATING: 4.5/5

Son is a gripping page turner! I loved the layered plots, hidden motives and long buried secrets. That this book is written by two authors is incredible. It flows so well and I didn’t feel that there were any signs that two hands crafted the story. The writing is rich and atmospheric, captivating and engaging.

The only thing I wasn’t a fan of was the ‘whodunnit’ and why. I felt like there were more thrilling options to choose from to make more of a tense conclusion, personally. However this didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the book.

I found the psychology and body language study absolutely fascinating. The character development was really well crafted too, setting up the scene for future books in the series. I’m interested to see what happens next.

This book will keep you guessing as to what’s really happening with both of the mysteries we’re exploring. The ending is such a cliffhanger… I need the next book now!!

If you enjoy a gripping Nordic Noir thriller filled with complex characters, psychological intrigue, and dark secrets, then Son is most certainly one to add to your reading list.

Grab your copy now and enjoy reading on your Kindle! Click here to get started (affiliate link – As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.)

WASHED DOWN WITH:

You may or not may know that I have been Alcohol Free for just over 2 years now, but I still very much enjoy sitting with a glass of red wine and a good book to unwind. I’ve tried many Alcohol Free options, but this is one of my top two favourites. It’s got a cool label and name, it’s well priced, available in many supermarkets and its full bodied! It certainly looks and tastes like the real thing without the vinegar smell 😂! Around £5 for 750ml. Definitely recommend if you’d like to cut down your consumption whilst still enjoy a red wine flavour – and a perfect pairing for mystery and thriller books such as the one I’ve reviewed today!

Have you read any books by Gustawsson or Enger? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Until the Next Chapter,

Emma X0

@papyrusandpeppermint