He Who Fears The Wolf

By Karin Fossum

Inspector Sejer is hard at work again, investigating the brutal murder of a woman who lived alone in the middle of the woods. The chief suspect is another loner, a schizophrenic recently escaped from a mental institution. The only witness is a twelve-year-old boy, overweight, obsessed with archery, and a resident at a home for delinquents. When a demented man robs a nearby bank and accidentally takes the suspect hostage, the three misfits are drawn into an uneasy alliance.

Shrewdly, patiently, as is his way, Inspector Sejer confronts a case where the strangeness of the crime is matched only by the strangeness of the criminals, and where small-town prejudices warp every piece of information he tries to collect. Fossum once again provides extraordinary insight into marginalized lives and richly evokes the atmosphere she captured so brilliantly in Don't Look Back.
 

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Jul 3, 2006
• ISBN: 9780547544830

Karin Fossum

KARIN FOSSUM is the author of the internationally successful Inspector Konrad Sejer crime series. Her recent honors include a Gumshoe Award and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for mystery/thriller. She lives in Norway.

Reviews for He Who Fears The Wolf

[majkia · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very interesting murder mystery, with the focus on the criminals rather than the detectives or their investigation. Psychological and complex. Thoughtful.

[readingover50 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A friend of my mom recommended this series to me. The used book store didn’t have books 1 or 2, so I started with book 3. I liked the pacing of the book. The story focused mainly on the criminals. I felt like there wasn’t much from Inspector Sejer. Since this is his series I thought he would be featured more. And his budding relationship with the psychiatrist disturbed me. They do not seem like a good match. Other than that I liked it.

[carol420 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It was an okay story but I think it must have lost something in the translation. Too much description of things that really had nothing to do with the story.

[terran_9 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A woman is found murdered shortly after a schizophrenic escapes from the nearby mental institution. The witness is an overweight young man who lives in a home for boys with behavioral problems. Chief Inspector Konrad Sejer, who is called to investigate the crime, gets sidetracked by a bank robbery/ hostage situation. Eventually, it appears that the hostage taken by the bank robber is none other than the escaped mental patient. I enjoyed the fascinating insight Fossum provides into the thought processes and actions of the mentally disturbed characters.

[lauralkeet · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

When an elderly woman is found murdered just outside her rural home, suspicion lands on a young schizophrenic man who recently escaped his group home and was spotted at the scene of the crime. When the man later becomes a hostage in a bank robbery, Inspector Sejer is challenged to apprehend the robber, free the hostage, and ultimately solve both crimes. As part of his investigation, Sejer becomes smitten with the doctor treating the schizophrenic man and wrestles with feelings of guilt, since he still mourns his wife Elise. This subplot never becomes dominant in the novel, but Karin Fossum leaves little bread crumbs for her readers, that develop the inspector's character well beyond his role in law enforcement. Like any good mystery, things are never quite what they seem and the perpetrator is often hiding in plain sight but with enough other stuff to cast doubt and keep you guessing. This third book in the series was better than the last, with more elegant translation, leaving me eager for more.

[deltaqueen50 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

He Who Fears the Wolf by Karin Fossum is a story of psychological suspense set in rural Norway. This is part of her series that features Inspector Konrad Sejer. In this instance he is investigating both a brutal murder of an older woman on a remote farm and a bank robbery that has turned into a hostage situation. These cases take a bizarre turn when it turns out that the suspect in the murder case, an escaped mental patient, is also the hostage of the bank robber. To make it even stranger, a young boy who is a witness to the murder also comes into contact with both the bank robber and the hostage in a deserted cabin in the woods.He Who Fears the Wolf is a more of a character study with tragedy and murder as a backdrop rather than a straightforward mystery. Well written and intriguing this became quite a page turner for me as I wanted to see how it would all work out. Karin Fossum plumbs the psychological depths of her characters and creates a simple, compelling story that plays out over the course of one very hot summer day.I found this a much more satisfying read than the first book in the series, Don’t Look Back which was more of a straight forward police procedural, and I am curious to find out in what direction she takes the next book in the series.

[antt-4 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Like Fossum's other books, the inspector is so well drawn that I hate the set up to get me to him!

[ccookie_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

First line:~A dazzling ray of light slanted in through the trees~What did I think?This is the third book I have read by Karin Fossum who I just discovered a few weeks ago. I love her writing, the way she crafts the mystery and the depth of her characters. This story involves the brutal murder of an elderly woman and a bank robbery. The perpetrators of the crimes intersect with devastating consequences. There are multiple suspects and along the way we learn more about Inspectors Sejer and Skarre. I love these books and am immediately moving on to the next one.I’ll give this one 4.0 stars just because there was so much in it!

[thornton37814 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A man (Erkii) escapes from an asylum. Some believe he killed a woman (Halldis). He was certainly on the scene where he saw an archer and juvenile delinquent (Kannick) in the vicinity, but Inspector Sejer and his psychiatrist do not believe Erkii would kill. In the meantime, a bank is robbed, and the robber takes a hostage. At first it was believed the hostage was a girl, but then a closer examination of the tape reveals it is Erkii. There's a lot of fear about what either Erkii or the bank robber would do to the other one. I'll leave the rest of the novel for you to discover on your own. I enjoyed this installment in Fossum's Sejer series immensely. She knows how to build the tension in the right places and when to back off. The characters are well-drawn as well. I'm looking forward to the next installment.

[marssie-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It was more about the perpetrators than the detective which was different. A certain degree of excitement was reached when they were escaping and a nice twist at the end. This was the first of Fossum's books I have read and I look forward to finding out more about Inspector Sejer.

[dreamingbear-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

very graphic imagery on the hallucinations ... IMO, a tad too graphic

[lit_chick_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

“He who fears the wolf shouldn't go into the forest," Errki whispered.” (Ch 18)Halldis Horn, an elderly but strong and capable widow who lives alone in the woods, is brutally murdered. Two male locals were on the scene, both of whom know the woods intimately. Kannick, the only witness to the crime, is a twelve year old boy, an accomplished archer, and a resident at a home for delinquents. He finds Halldis’s body, and alleges he saw Erkii, a schizophrenic recently escaped from the mental institution where he is resident, running away from the Horn farm. The case becomes yet more convoluted when a deranged man, Morgan, robs a nearby bank and takes the main suspect hostage. The three misfits find themselves drawn into an anxious alliance.Chief Inspector Konrad Sejer and his team confront a crime where the characters involved are as strange as the crime itself. Not surprisingly, small-town prejudices are rife where mental illness and delinquency are concerned, and reliable evidence is more than a little challenging to compile. Fossum provides exceptional insight into prejudice and into marginalized lives. She easily evokes a psychologically-charged atmosphere with her sharp writing, comprehensive characters, and sophisticated, suspenseful plot. Highly recommended.“Morgan could feel the sweat starting to pour down his forehead. The muzzle of a gun was wavering in front of him. Perhaps he wasn't wide awake. Maybe the infection that was spreading through his body was giving him these surreal visions. Fevered hallucinations.” (Ch 18)

[rwt42 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

(Insp Sejer series #2) An interesting story. Extraordinary views into the minds of the three "bad guys", particularly the schitzophrenic and the bank robber. However it was a stretch believing that these two at their age and position could be as insightful as depicted. And as an archer myself it was a stretch to have the archer wearing two gloves, keeping the plot together as with "duct tape".

[steve6clason · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Far better than the first (in English, that is) in the Inspector Sejer series, Don't Look Back, Fossum has created a story that is constrained and circumscribed, in location and character, while still rich in complication and nuance. A good story and also a nice piece of craft.Inspector Sejer is investigating a murder when he almost interrupts an unrelated bank robbery during which the prime murder suspect will be taken hostage. Then it gets complicated, but not so much that Sejer can't encounter a little romantic interest.No, really. Read the book -- it's good and it's fun.

[vancouverdeb · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Wow! What a wonderful read!! I do love my Scandanavian crime thrillers/ myseries and this one really swept me up with the plot and the wonderful insight into the several very disturbed characters. Fossum handles the psychogical aspects with finesse and keeps the tension high. I really could not guess at the ending until very near the end.In He Who Fears the Wolf we have a dead woman who's eye and skull has been bashed open by a hoe. This takes place in a relatively unpoplulated area of Noway where a home for troubled youngsters as well as a mental asylum are both situated. This may sound outlandish -but it is not presented that way. No sooner are Sejer and Skarre on the job -but a bank is robbed and a hostage is taken.I don't want to give away the plot - but this book kept me spellbound, turning the pages with a certain amount of fear. Fossum handles here characters so deftly -as well as the plot. In the end - we are left with quite a thoughtful and largely sympathetic story. Fossum is quickly becomig one of my favourite authors! Highly recommneded for those that love their thrillers/ mysteries to be intelligent, thoughtful and frightening too.4 enthusastic stars!

[msf59 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

“ A person can’t see much when the Devil is holding the candle.”Here’s the situation: We have a murdered woman, found at her home in the deep woods. Back in town, we have an early morning bank robbery, with a hostage taken. We have an escaped mental patient, last seen roaming the same woods and for good measure, throw in a fat juvenile delinquent, armed with a bow and arrow. How do all these things come together? Well, you’ll have to read this highly enjoyable mystery, set in Norway, to find out.This is the 2nd book in a series, featuring Inspector Sejer. He is a likable character, despite his taciturn manner and the reader will find much pleasure in tagging along with him, as he attempts to piece together this thorny puzzle. Yes, the subject matter is very dark, but Fossum brings a fresh, sometimes playful, air to the proceedings. I can’t wait to continue this terrific series.

[doko_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Terrific psychological examination of the minds of the disaffected, mentally ill and the distraught, wrapped within an interesting murder mystery and played out in well-described northern woods.

[gilly1944 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Her best book. Full of atmosphere, good character development and a twist at the end.

[christiguc · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the third book in Norwegian author Karin Fossum’s Inspector Sejer series. It is the second translated into English and the second I’ve read.This psychological novel focuses on three misfits and the circumstances that cause them to cross paths. Errki Johrma is a schizophrenic recently escaped from a mental hospital who suffers from severe hallucinations. Kannick Snellingen is an obese young man who lives at the local reform school for boys. Morgan is a bank robber who has the misfortune of grabbing Errki as a hostage in order to enable his escape from his most recent robbery.There is, of course, a mystery and a murder also. Shortly after Errki’s escape, Halldis Horn, a woman who lives alone on her remote farm, is found brutally slain on her own front porch. Kannick is the first to come across the body and report its discovery, and Errki is spotted in the woods in the vicinity of the property. Inspector Sejer is probably the most reasonable detective I’ve encountered in my reading of mysteries. He is loathe to jump to conclusions and does not make assumptions based on stereotypes. And he is kind and dedicated—I think his younger coworker, Detective Skarre sums up his character best when he explains that Sejer, a widower for eleven years, believed that when he said “till death do us part”, he meant his death. Karin Fossum is thoughtful not only in her creation of Inspector Sejer but also in all the other characters in the book. All three “misfits” are depicted with a gentle touch and with understanding. This book is as much a fight for understanding between the armed and hostage as it is a mystery, as Errki and Morgan try to find shelter on the run.