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The Human Flies
The Human Flies
The Human Flies
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The Human Flies

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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Oslo, 1968. Ambitious young detective Inspector Kolbjørn Kristiansen is called to an apartment block, where a man has been found murdered.

The victim, Harald Olesen, was a legendary hero of the Resistance during the Nazi occupation and at first it is difficult to imagine who could have wanted him dead. But as Detective Inspector Kolbjørn Kristiansen (known as K2) begins to investigate, it seems clear that the murderer could only be one of Olesen's fellow tenants in the building.

Soon, with the help of Patricia - a brilliant young woman confined to a wheelchair following a terrible accident - K2 will begin to untangle the web of lies surrounding Olesen's neighbours; each of whom, it seems, had their own reasons for wanting Olesen dead. Their interviews, together with new and perplexing clues, will lead K2 and Patricia to dark events that took place during the Second World War . . .

The Human Flies by Hans Olav Lahlum is a gripping, evocative and ingenious mystery - the first in a series featuring K2 and Patricia - which pays homage to the great Agatha Christie and will plunge readers into Norwegian history, and into a world of deceit and betrayal, revenge and the very darkest murder.

LanguageEnglish
PublisherPan Macmillan
Release dateJun 5, 2014
ISBN9780230769526
The Human Flies
Author

Hans Olav Lahlum

Hans Olav Lahlum is a Norwegian crime author, historian, chess player and politician. The books that make up his crime trilogy, featuring Criminal Investigator Kolbjørn Kristiansen (known as K2) and his precocious young assistant Patricia, are bestsellers in Norway.

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The Human Flies – Simply BuzzingHans Olav Lahlum I am told is a bestselling Norwegian crime writer and famous historian, yup me neither. But then with a population of just under 6 million I am sure even I could be famous or preferably infamous as that would be more fun! Well having read Hans Olav Lahlum’s The Human Flies I am sure he will be pretty famous outside of Norway pretty soon. This is a different Norwegian novel besides the usual noir fair there is a clear nod to the great Agatha Christie in the style of the story which makes it quite a pleasant and enjoyable read.The Human Flies is set in Oslo 1968 and is narrated by the hero and main star of the novel detective Inspector Kolbjørn Kristiansen (he is known as K2) who is newly promoted is called to a murder in an apartment block. This is no ordinary murder in that the victim is a legendary hero of the Norwegian Resistance during the occupation and former Cabinet minister in post-war governments. There is no clear reason to why he would have been killed and even though there is an ex-Nazi worker in the same apartment block even he was not interested in killing Olesen. But when the ex-Nazi in a suicide note admits to the killing K2 realises all is not right. Fortunately for K2 he has the help of Patricia who is one of the most intelligent and brilliant young women in Norway the only problem is that she is confined to a wheelchair and rarely ventures outside.K2 and Patricia need to unravel a web of lies that exist in the apartment block amongst all Olesen’s neighbours and the further they delve the more they have to go back in to Norway’s dark history of the Nazi Occupation. The more they look in on the neighbour’s lies the more confused the story seems as they all could have a reason or reasons to kill Olesen. The more they dig the more questions the more interviews take place as they are able to slowly put together their jigsaw of answers.This really is an enjoyable, very gripping and ingenious mystery in that we are taken to the dark depths of Norwegian history, which ticks all the boxes for a crime novel with deceit, betrayal and revenge. The tactic of using both K2 and Patricia is ingenious K2 is the Poirot to Patricia’s Miss Marple is a big nod to Agatha Christie especially with the reveal at the end as they announce who the killer or killers are. It should not really work but it does and I cannot wait until the next book in this new series is published.

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The Human Flies - Hans Olav Lahlum

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