The cover of Anne Holt's 'A Grave For Two' sets the scene for the dark Norwegian mystery thriller, with the title stressing the theme of revenge!
Holt gradually and selectively releases information about the plot and characters often withholding vital information such as the identity of a character in a chapter. This succeeds in maintaining an atmosphere of confusion and drama which demands that the reader keep reading, much like the novels of Dan Brown. Although I enjoyed the mystery I feel like I now need to read the novel again with hindsight to truly understand the scope, history and motivations of each character.
Each chapter, focussing on a different character and element of a vast story, some in the form of a manuscript others in prose, became a puzzle piece which although not significant in isolation gradually slotted together over time creates a clearer picture of the story as a whole. This added to my need to keep reading, I always wanted to read ... just one more chapter. However, despite offering clues to the reader throughout the novel the big reveal was left until the final chapter, with the motivation for the criminal being revealed after they had already been caught which made me feel as if it were impossible for the reader to have guessed the true motive behind the mystery. Some readers may prefer to be unable to guess the ending early but I found it a little frustrating to have been presented with clues but not to the extent that was needed to solve the crimes.
I found the large host of characters particularly interesting as they were taken from all walks of life but interacted with each other as if in an electrical circuit, each associating with the rest. I was fascinated by what linked them to one another, from successful sports people, a lawyer, psychiatrist, businessman, a homeless ex-policeman and many more.
At times I found that the text didn't flow as well as I had hoped, although this may have been due to the translation of the text into English. The copious amounts of Norwegian nouns also made it difficult to keep the many characters, corporations and places straight in my head, this too is a common issue with a translated novel and is certainly no reason not to give this book a try.
In conclusion I found 'A Grave for Two' an entertaining novel which kept my interest and had some well written characterisation. I would recommend it to lovers of crime and mystery fiction.
Holt gradually and selectively releases information about the plot and characters often withholding vital information such as the identity of a character in a chapter. This succeeds in maintaining an atmosphere of confusion and drama which demands that the reader keep reading, much like the novels of Dan Brown. Although I enjoyed the mystery I feel like I now need to read the novel again with hindsight to truly understand the scope, history and motivations of each character.
Each chapter, focussing on a different character and element of a vast story, some in the form of a manuscript others in prose, became a puzzle piece which although not significant in isolation gradually slotted together over time creates a clearer picture of the story as a whole. This added to my need to keep reading, I always wanted to read ... just one more chapter. However, despite offering clues to the reader throughout the novel the big reveal was left until the final chapter, with the motivation for the criminal being revealed after they had already been caught which made me feel as if it were impossible for the reader to have guessed the true motive behind the mystery. Some readers may prefer to be unable to guess the ending early but I found it a little frustrating to have been presented with clues but not to the extent that was needed to solve the crimes.
I found the large host of characters particularly interesting as they were taken from all walks of life but interacted with each other as if in an electrical circuit, each associating with the rest. I was fascinated by what linked them to one another, from successful sports people, a lawyer, psychiatrist, businessman, a homeless ex-policeman and many more.
At times I found that the text didn't flow as well as I had hoped, although this may have been due to the translation of the text into English. The copious amounts of Norwegian nouns also made it difficult to keep the many characters, corporations and places straight in my head, this too is a common issue with a translated novel and is certainly no reason not to give this book a try.
In conclusion I found 'A Grave for Two' an entertaining novel which kept my interest and had some well written characterisation. I would recommend it to lovers of crime and mystery fiction.