This is a suspense novel, set in Denmark. It was written by two Danish women who were already published authors in other genres, and, being friends, decided to work together to write this book.
The plot revolves around a three-year old Lithuanian boy who has been kidnapped - he's the boy in the suitcase.
Initially, one focus is on the boy's mother who was attacked by the kidnappers and who awakens in the hospital disoriented and unable to convince anyone that her child has been kidnapped.
The other thread of the narrative is on a nurse who works with abused women. She finds the child in the suitcase, and her efforts to save this child form the other major thread of the narrative.
Eventually, we meet the couple who kidnapped the child and the two narratives merge in climax at a Danish home.
The reason for the child's kidnapping is horrific.
I liked this book because it was very well plotted and the characters, although not equally developed, did not seem flat. It worked as a general novel as well as a suspense novel
It was easy to read and held my interest; I read it in one sitting.
5/11/14
My book group read this book and to my surprise, everyone liked it. They really liked Nina. And, we all agreed that the characterization was rich. One thing several people mentioned was the fact that they kept feeling afraid for Nina and wanted to know why she just didn't go to the police? and, what was she thinking, leaving a child in hot car? The child could have died! (One or two former nurses in my book group.)
I posited that Nina was feeling mistrustful of the "authorities" because of her inability to protect the Ukrainian girl who was picked up by her abuser at the Nina's workplace at the beginning of the novel. The man engaged in an sexual display that was designed to make Nina feel uncomfortable and helpless, which it did. That was my explanation for why Nina didn't call the police. But no one in my book group was persuaded by that explanation.
I really liked the book even more after hearing all of the others in my book group talk about how much they liked it.
The second book in the Nina Borg series is Invisible Murder; the third book in the series is Death of a Nightingale.
The plot revolves around a three-year old Lithuanian boy who has been kidnapped - he's the boy in the suitcase.
Initially, one focus is on the boy's mother who was attacked by the kidnappers and who awakens in the hospital disoriented and unable to convince anyone that her child has been kidnapped.
The other thread of the narrative is on a nurse who works with abused women. She finds the child in the suitcase, and her efforts to save this child form the other major thread of the narrative.
Eventually, we meet the couple who kidnapped the child and the two narratives merge in climax at a Danish home.
The reason for the child's kidnapping is horrific.
I liked this book because it was very well plotted and the characters, although not equally developed, did not seem flat. It worked as a general novel as well as a suspense novel
It was easy to read and held my interest; I read it in one sitting.
5/11/14
My book group read this book and to my surprise, everyone liked it. They really liked Nina. And, we all agreed that the characterization was rich. One thing several people mentioned was the fact that they kept feeling afraid for Nina and wanted to know why she just didn't go to the police? and, what was she thinking, leaving a child in hot car? The child could have died! (One or two former nurses in my book group.)
I posited that Nina was feeling mistrustful of the "authorities" because of her inability to protect the Ukrainian girl who was picked up by her abuser at the Nina's workplace at the beginning of the novel. The man engaged in an sexual display that was designed to make Nina feel uncomfortable and helpless, which it did. That was my explanation for why Nina didn't call the police. But no one in my book group was persuaded by that explanation.
I really liked the book even more after hearing all of the others in my book group talk about how much they liked it.
The second book in the Nina Borg series is Invisible Murder; the third book in the series is Death of a Nightingale.
No comments:
Post a Comment