2024
"Beloved Emilie" is a gripping police crime novel about how lies can be both destructive and the glue that holds a family together, about family bonds that have been severed, and about the darkest corners of society and the human mind. The book is the sixth in the Håkon Haakonsen series, which Myriam H. Bjerkli has received great reviews for and three nominations for the Silver Knife.
One late summer day in Sandefjord, a group of young people break into a container outside a grocery store. While searching for food they can save from unnecessary waste, they find a severed head. Local newspapers report shockingly about the event, but no one is more upset than Police Chief Håkon Haakonsen: He knows the man. Frank Skår, a widower and father of Emilie Skår, a girl who had a tragic fourth birthday after her mother died in a car accident. When Håkon now has to break the news that Emilie has lost her father as well, they discover that the now eighteen-year-old Emilie has gone missing. When the dying Dagny learns about her son's death, she is unable to tell anyone where either Emilie or the rest of Frank’s body is located.
"Elskede Emilie" is a real page-turner that was hard to put down
The book is easy to read, the plot is simple to follow, which allows the reader to immerse themselves in the crime puzzle and be entertained. The underlying themes, like dark movie music in the background, keep the reader on edge.
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Norway's new crime queen!
Rarely do I come across authors with such psychological insight into the experiences and fates of people, perhaps only Karin Fossum. A consistently high level of suspense, brings to light the inherent chaos in people’s minds, the consequences of evil, which makes Elskede Emilie truly complete.
There are books that make you cheer and bring out all the superlatives. This is one of them. This is simply solid craftsmanship. A masterpiece. The author writes so well that the characters step off the pages and come to life. Read this book!
LOOK FORWARD TO IT – OR FEAR IT!!
It could easily have become a murky, exploitative affair. But Bjerkli is experienced enough to handle the material with sensitivity. Without indulging in grotesque details, she dives straight into a very serious societal issue that evokes the reader's disgust and indignation.
Myriam H. Bjerkli
Linda Cartridge
