Book Review: Where Ravens Roost by Karin Nordin

I think the last Scandi crime novel I read was Will Dean's Black River, but I have to say, Karin Nordin's Where Raven's Roost was as evocative, compelling and intriguing as Dean's Tuva series and I can't wait to read more about Detective Kjeld Nygaard. 

But first, to whet your appetite, here's the blurb. 

Where Ravens Roost blurb

Available here

The raven cawed at him, craning its neck unnaturally. As it dug its hooked beak into the mess of
dried grass and twigs that made up its nest, a shiny glimmer reflected off a low-hanging bulb. Kjeld edged closer to get a better look. It was a human tooth.

Detective Kjeld Nygaard wants nothing more than to forget his family and Varsund, the small mining town he once called home, even exist. But while on suspension after his last case went disastrously wrong, his estranged father Stenar leaves a message on Kjeld’s phone claiming he’s seen a murder.

But with no evidence and Stenar suffering from Alzheimer’s, the local police think he must have imagined it. Kjeld can’t stop himself from investigating what actually happened, and soon discovers a body. But when the police start to suspect Stenar, it’s a race against time to discover the truth before it’s lost forever.

But will uncovering the truth expose family secrets that are best left buried?

My Thoughts

Where Ravens Roost appealed to me on so many levels, but what really appealed was the diverse characters in the novel - something that the crime fiction fraternity really needs to get a grip on. First of all we have Kjeld Nygaard, a detective with ghosts from his past haunting him. He's many things - a prodigal son, an absent father, a not so good friend, bisexual, traumatised, dogged, angry and determined. His father, Stenner, has a history with his son that preys on Kjeld's mind, yet, because his dad has Alzheimer's, it's difficult to resolve their past issues and to uncover the secrets that have been kept hidden for decades. 

Set in Sweden near the Norwegian border, Nordin manages to evoke the chill, harshness and remoteness of the setting, which in turn increases the tension as slowly we begin, with Kjeld, to unpick the past. The ever present darkness makes it all the more brooding and threatening.  At times when I was reading, I had to reach for another jumper as the chills reverberated through my body from my toes to my nose. 

Then there's those damn ravens - I don't mind birds, but there's just something very ominous and symbolic about the raven's that Kjeld hates so much, whilst his dad dotes on them and there presence at the heart of the narrative again keeps the supense growing. 

The narratives from the points of view of Kjeld trying to unravel the past and from the point of views of a solicitor and the owner of a local mining community keep the story pacy, whilst dropping in clues at a steady past (as well as the few red ravens - do you see what I did there?) 

If you've not already sussed it out yet - I LOVED THIS BOOK!

It's definitely a highly recommended read and I have no hesitation in giving it 5 whopping stars!

About the Author 

Karin Nordin has been a compulsive reader of thrilling stories since childhood and discovered her love of Scandinavian crime fiction during summers spent visiting family in Norway and Sweden. She has worked in healthcare and education, including as a pharmacy technician, karate instructor, and an English language teacher for the Dutch military. She completed the Creative Writing MSc from the University of Edinburgh with Distinction in 2019 and also holds an MA in Scandinavian Literary Studies from the University of Amsterdam. Born in 'The Biggest Little City in the World' and raised in America's Rust Belt, she now lives in the Netherlands. Her first novel, Where Ravens Roost, will be published by HQ Digital, an imprint of Harper Collins UK, in 2021