The title of Torkil Damhaug’s new novel is a clear reference to the fixed expression about where the dog is actually buried. In other words, the real reason and the reason why something finally comes for a day, which pretty well sums up the structure of a crime novel. In addition, the dog without a grave in this case has a very concrete meaning. The nice West Kant family Marcussen in this novel has a dog. And when it disappears it is, as you might expect, only the beginning. As anyone who has seen a horror movie knows, item number one in every psychopath’s handbook is: Kill the family pet. news-feminist in trouble The Marcussen family is a modern, shall we say, decentralized extended family, here it is your and my children, exes and mistresses, maids and friends. The one who nevertheless steals the attention in this circle is someone who is placed on the outside of it. Gina Witt is the sister of the mother in the house, a prominent presenter and news feminist, with the courage of her opinions and then some. She uses her media power to attack men who are alleged to have assaulted women, without caring too much about nuances, or allowing the accused counterpart to speak. This metoo-like activism has made Gina Witt the number one object of hate on various chat forums, where death threats and graphic threats about what someone should do to her abound. Father on the move Daughter in the house, Silje, has her own problems. Some of them can probably be traced back to the lack of contact with her real father. His name is Fred Rivers, a once prominent lawyer, who had to serve time in prison for the murder of a woman. Fred Rivers is a complex figure. He begins to act as a kind of detective and protector of his daughter Silje when violence hits the middle-class family and the bodies start to appear. It is not exclusively an advantage that he has already started a relationship with the other investigator in the story, policewoman Nina Jebsen. A double Riverton GOLDEN TIMES: Dam pile with two golden revolvers, as proof of his qualities as a crime writer. Photo: Ole Berg-Rusten / NTB Torkil Damhaug has become a stable supplier of well-written psychological suspense, one of relatively few to have picked up the coveted Riverton prize twice. The main characters of Damhaug are often a little more fragile and vulnerable than the usual serial detective, which means that they are also more short-lived. Here there is actually a risk that the hero will not make it to the next book. Nevertheless, there are people here who return from previous books, who investigate Nina Jebsen and her eternal position war with the perfidious boss, Viken. Things in the time Bakteppe this time is to a great extent current issues and currents of the time, as they are presented in social media and classic news media. Central is what can be called the suspiciousness between the sexes. Here there are metoos, incels, outraged feminists and furious male activists, chat groups, angry men and trolls for old women. Yes, even a “Handmaid’s Tale” costume that appears in a most irreverent context. This could easily become too much with politics and problems during debate. But Damhaug does not forget the excitement and the art of telling a story. Crimean good feeling He avoids moralizing and gives us stories about individual destinies that are easy to like and sympathize with. Regardless of gender, class, age and background. Even the inner monologues of the nameless, disturbed perpetrator are delivered with something resembling sympathy. The last chapters I rush to read to find out how it goes, at the same time dreading the book’s irrevocable end. That’s the feeling a good crime should evoke in the reader, and I get it while reading “Hund uten grav”. All reviews and recommendations from news can be found at news.no/reviews. news reviews Photo: Cappelen Damm Title: “Dog without a grave” Author: Torkil Damhaug Genre: Thriller Publisher: Cappelen Damm Number of pages: 459 Date: 2022 Hi! My name is Ola Hegdal, and I read and review books for news. Preferably crime and suspense literature, or non-fiction. Feel free to read my review of “The Anomaly” by Hervé Le Tellier, “You are a farmer” by Kristin Auestad Danielsen or “The Night Runner” by Karin Fossum.
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“Dog without grave” by Torkil Damhaug – news Culture and entertainment
