Ruth Lillegraven

Clara y Haavard viven en uno de los barrios más elegantes de Oslo y tienen dos hijos gemelos. Haavard, que proviene de una familia de clase alta, es pediatra en un hospital de Oslo; Clara se crio en una pequeña localidad de la zona de los fiordos de la que se marchó para estudiar Derecho en la capital. Trabaja como asesora en el Ministerio de Justicia. Pero, en realidad, su matrimonio no es tan idílico como parece. Haavard tiene una aventura y Clara esconde un oscuro secreto sobre su pasado. Y cuando Haavard se convierte en el principal sospechoso de un asesinato todo se desmorona. ¿Cómo puede Clara salvar su carrera y a su familia sin revelar secretos que nadie debe saber?… (altro)

* I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book. *

Henrik is a paediatrician working in an Oslo hospital. His wife Clara is a civil servant who is crusading for better protection of child abuse victims. When a battered Pakistani child brought into Henrik's ward by his father dies, Henrik and his colleague Sabiya are shattered. Then the body of the father turns up in the hospital prayer room, shot dead.

Henrik starts furtively gathering data on other parents who have bought battered children into the hospital, with a view to blowing the whistle. Soon afterwards, one of the parents on his list turns up at the hotel where Henrik and his team are staying, also shot dead.

This is a splendid story with lots of unexpected twists and turns. As well as the central theme of battered children, there are also sub-plots around political intrigue, marital infidelity, and secrets locked in the past. I was hooked on this right up until the end, but felt a bit disappointed by the author's resolution. That won't stop me seeking out the next book in this series, though.
… (altro)

Blood Ties, written by Ruth Lillegraven and translated by Diane Oatley, is the second instalment in the Clara Lofthus series but it works somewhat as a stand-alone. Clara is a politician in Norway and has recently been promoted to Minister of Justice. This leaves little time for quality time with her twin boys, Andreas and Nikolai. The boys need her attention more than ever because their father, and Clara’s husband, has recently died. The plot heats up when the twins are kidnapped. This novel held promise but I did not feel interested in the characters, especially Clara. The story development is lacking in realistic situations. The potential is lost while the reader reads about one predicament to another, none of it making much sense. I am a fan of the Nordic noir genre but was disappointed with Blood Ties. This is only my own opinion and I am confident that many will enjoy this psychological thriller. Thank you to Amazon Crossing, NetGalley and the author for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.… (altro)