Private investigator Selma Falck is enjoying a drink with friends when a shot rings out. Her best friend is dead and she herself has a flesh wound. Who was the real target and why?
A Memory For Murder is the third book to feature Selma Falck but it is the first book in the series that I have read. There are tantalising mentions of events in the past which I assume were covered in the first two books.
The majority of the book is written through Selma's third person narrative as she struggles to come to terms with her friend's death and the subsequent investigation. Meanwhile she gains password protected information about child welfare concerns. And more bodies are discovered...
There are also sections of the book from a man at the grave of his wife and this raises questions about the relevance to the main plot. This provided an emotional pull which was minimal in the rest of the book, as well as a mystery as to his identity.
The book is set is Oslo and deals a lot with politics as well as having a brief mention of a looming pandemic. This is not a country I am overly familiar with so it was interesting to read about how the government and police work in Norway.
I found it difficult to relate to Selma. I wonder if I would have warmed to her more if I knew more of her backstory from the previous book. She is a flawed character with her gambling addiction barely under control. Yet she doesn't seem to be very emotional even though someone has been in her apartment and her friend is dead, possibly an accident when she herself was the true target.
The character that really shone for me was Einar. I loved his vulnerability, excitability and anxious personality, and he seemed to be well developed compared to the other characters that feature in the book.
A Memory For Murder is an interesting book and I hope to read the previous books in the series.
A Memory For Murder is the third book to feature Selma Falck but it is the first book in the series that I have read. There are tantalising mentions of events in the past which I assume were covered in the first two books.
The majority of the book is written through Selma's third person narrative as she struggles to come to terms with her friend's death and the subsequent investigation. Meanwhile she gains password protected information about child welfare concerns. And more bodies are discovered...
There are also sections of the book from a man at the grave of his wife and this raises questions about the relevance to the main plot. This provided an emotional pull which was minimal in the rest of the book, as well as a mystery as to his identity.
The book is set is Oslo and deals a lot with politics as well as having a brief mention of a looming pandemic. This is not a country I am overly familiar with so it was interesting to read about how the government and police work in Norway.
I found it difficult to relate to Selma. I wonder if I would have warmed to her more if I knew more of her backstory from the previous book. She is a flawed character with her gambling addiction barely under control. Yet she doesn't seem to be very emotional even though someone has been in her apartment and her friend is dead, possibly an accident when she herself was the true target.
The character that really shone for me was Einar. I loved his vulnerability, excitability and anxious personality, and he seemed to be well developed compared to the other characters that feature in the book.
A Memory For Murder is an interesting book and I hope to read the previous books in the series.