Dead Joker, Anne Holt
Dead Joker, Anne Holt
List: $22.95 | Sale: $16.07
Club: $11.47

Dead Joker
A Hanne Wilhelmsen Novel

Author: Anne Holt, Anne Bruce

Narrator: Kate Reading

Unabridged: 14 hr

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 07/26/2016

Synopsis

From Anne Holt, the internationally bestselling author of 1222, comes the next installment in her Edgar Award–nominated mystery series.Chief Public Prosecutor Sigurd Halvorsrud’s wife is found dead in front of the fireplace in the family living room. The cause of death: decapitation. Her husband, who witnessed the grisly murder and is himself covered in blood, immediately falls under suspicion, though he claims his wife’s killer was Ståle Salvesen, a man he’d prosecuted years before. Detective Inspector Hanne Wilhelmsen is called in to lead the investigation with her old colleague, Billy T. Despite the circumstantial evidence, Hanne is unconvinced of Sigurd Halvorsrud’s guilt—that is, until a witness says he saw Ståle Salvesen commit suicide by jumping off a bridge days before the murder took place. Then a journalist at one of Oslo’s largest newspapers is found beheaded. What links these two horrifically violent crimes?The demanding investigation soon clashes with a terrible crisis in Hanne’s personal life. Cecilie, the woman she has lived with for almost twenty years, has fallen seriously ill and doesn’t have much time to live.With a savage killer on the loose, Hanne must ask herself: Is the truth worth chasing at all costs?

About Anne Holt

Anne Holt has worked as a journalist and news anchor and spent two years working for the Oslo Police Department before founding her own law firm and serving as Norway’s minister for justice for part of 1996 and 1997. Her first book was published in 1993, and her work has been translated into twenty-five languages. She lives in Oslo with her family.

About Anne Bruce

Anne Bruce has degrees in Norwegian and English from Glasgow University, covering both Nynorsk and Bokmål, classic and modern texts, written and spoken Norwegian, as well as Old Norse, Icelandic, Swedish, and Danish. She has translated Wencke Mühleisen’s I Should Have Lifted You Carefully Over, Jørn Lier Horst’s Dregs, and Anne Holt’s Blessed Are Those Who Thirst. She lives in Kilmarnock, United Kingdom.

About Kate Reading

Kate Reading, named an AudioFile Golden Voice, has recorded hundreds of audiobooks across many genres, over a thirty–year plus career and won the prestigious Audie Award for Best Narration. Among other awards, she has been recognized as an AudioFile Magazine Voice of the Century, Narrator of the Year, Best Voice in Science Fiction and Fantasy, and winner of an Publisher’s Weekly’s Listen-Up Award. She records at her home studio, Madison Productions, Inc., in Maryland.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Linda on August 29, 2016

Once again, I am starting in the middle of a series and wondering how I never ran across this series since it was first published in the 90s. This is Norwegian crime fiction, starring Hanne Wilhelmsen, Detective Inspector. Chief Public Prosecutor Sigurd Halvorsrud's found covered in blood and his wif......more

Goodreads review by Bruce on February 13, 2017

This is a well-written book with an intriguing and unusual storyline. However, I felt the frequent forays into the personal lives of the protagonists did disrupt the momentum. When the investigation into a couple of decapitations gets into full swing it is very thrilling, but, alas, the ending was s......more

Goodreads review by Åse on November 03, 2024

Denne gikk megaraskt å lese; var full men angst og beskymring for ikke bare drapene, men også fordi GirlBoss hovedkarakter mister det snart helt🙃......more

Goodreads review by Pippa on July 21, 2017

4.5 stars This is the first book in the series that I've read. The fact that I've started with book #5 rather than #1 is perhaps not so problematic, as Holt clearly has a good handle on the characters and on narrative. There are a lot of characters to come to grips with. Starting with book #1 no doubt......more

Goodreads review by Sandy on August 05, 2018

I enjoy Hanne Wilhelmsen books. I’ve read most of the others. If this had been my first I would not read another. The personal drama overtook the book. It turned her into a character unrecognizable from the earlier works; a character I could not stand. The last 50 pages were the best, but it was a c......more

Quotes

“Holt offers readers yet another dandy surprise ending.” St. Louis Post-Dispatch

“The hands-down best mystery novels of the past decade have come out of Scandinavia, and Anne Holt’s Dead Joker does nothing to break that string…A first-rate thriller.” BookPage

“The pacing is leisurely, especially for a Scandinavian thriller, but the character development is the main appeal here.” Booklist

“Nuanced characters and a strong sense of place make for an immersive tale that packs an emotional punch and offers incisive commentary on the failings of the criminal justice system.” Publishers Weekly

“Series narrator Reading’s crisp, clipped accents exemplify Hanne’s characteristically rigid self-control and taciturn manner…[through her] serious yet melodious voice.” Booklist (audio review)

“The pairing of Kate Reading’s narration skills with the talents of one of Norway’s premiere authors creates a real treat for psychological thriller fans…Reading’s crisp diction moves the action along smartly without losing the listener in the maze of clues and characters. Her facility with languages and convincing accents is an asset as she familiarizes listeners with Norwegian names. Fans of Scandinavian mysteries, as well as first-timers, will be delighted with Reading’s delivery of Holt’s latest.” AudioFile

Add to Cart
Add to Wish List