Sara Blædel | THE LOST WOMAN

Plot:

A housewife is the target of a shocking, methodical killing. Shot with a hunting rifle through her kitchen window, the woman is dead before she hits the ground. 

Though murdered in England, it turns out that the woman, Sofie Parker, is actually a Danish citizen who's been on the Missing Persons list for almost two decades--so Louise Rick is called on to the case. Then, in an unexpected twist, the police discover that Sofie had been reported missing eighteen years ago by none other than Eik, Louise Rick's police colleague and lover.

Impulsive as ever, Eik rushes to England, and ends up in jail on suspicion of Sofie's murder. Completely blindsided by Eik's connection to the case, Louise is thoroughly unsettled and sick with worry, yet she must set aside her own emotional turmoil if she hopes to find the killer in what will become her most controversial case yet...

Review:

So, I was both excited and saddened to read THE LOST WOMAN because I have been blowing through these novels lately and Blædel is such an amazing writer, it's hard for me not to. Between the dynamic characters and plots and the multiple mysteries showing up from things mentioned in previous novels, I was so excited to start this one because this is something I have been wondering since I met Eik Nordstrøm in THE FORGOTTEN GIRLS. I was not disappointed.

The thing that I really enjoyed most about this plot is like I have previously mentioned, Blædel's writing is not something that makes a light read and her plots are not cookie cutter whatsoever. There's a reason she is the queen of crime in Denmark...and I bet you she will be here as well. Her reads are all so interesting and you never really know how each one will go. The thing that I really enjoyed about this one was the opening, which is right out of a horror movie and how the rest is really a well-executed spiderweb of a plot, featuring not only a mastermind of a mystery, but it tells a tale that all readers will be wondering about and begging for answers to. This one is definitely more of a police procedural than the others and this was really enjoyable for me being a fan of the series thus far. Another thing I really loved was how Blædel gives you a bigger look into Camilla's perspective and her journalistic ways as she dives back into the workforce and once again is Louise's right hand woman.

The characters in this one are still the ones we love, but Blædel gives a rather poignant and really well thought out look into how they have changed from the first two novels. The characterization in this one is not only beautiful, but I love how strong her characters have stayed throughout the novels and her introduction to some new characters blends really well for the reader as we also get to know some other characters we have grown to love, hate, and become enthralled with. It's pure brilliance to make a reader love some of the new characters as much as the ones we've already gotten to know and this one definitely had more heart to combine with such a intense police procedural novel.

To avoid spoilers,  I was not only really happy with how well this one tied up some loose ends by going back and forth between the past and the present, but the ending left me with such a satisfied feeling knowing that when this series does continue (and I cannot wait for more), that Louise Rick will be taking on some really fantastic choices in her life that will be not only thrilling for her character, but also for the reader. To say I've enjoyed these three wonderfully crafted pieces of crime fiction would be a lie...I have LOVED them. I have loved Blædel's style of writing, I loved these characters, and I loved the dark and intricate plots. Bring on more, I'm ready!

Special thanks to Hachette for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: 4.5/5