An icy serial killer has gone after little girls and killed them, one by one. After many years, the police have finally come on the trail. They slam the door to his home, put the man on the ground and drag him to jail. That sounds like a happy ending to the story. But it is definitely not for the young girl who is left behind after the task force has withdrawn. Her name is Ann, and she is the suspect’s daughter. And she knows that her caring, philosophical father is innocent. Thus begins the battle to find the truth, and the real killer. But Ann is not in an emotional state that is close to being stable. She is far from the perfect, objective detective, where she must try to unravel details from the horrific murders of little girls, and half-remembered details from her own life. Dangerous helpers With her on the journey, she gets various helpers – some she already knows, or thinks she knows, others sign up along the way. The quality of these helpers is not entirely to be trusted, and some are downright destructive and dangerous. This applies to both: The journalist who pretends to help, but really just wants a quick scoop. The old childhood friend of the father, who undeniably has some strange and dangerous sides. Not to mention some of the parents of the dead girls, people who over time have grown enraged and powerless from trying to find out what happened to their child. A terrifying breakthrough Romy Hausmann broke through with a bang with “Loved children”, a claustrophobic chamber play with vague echoes of Gothic novels and the Brothers Grimm. It was about a small family in a cabin in the woods, with family relationships that it was no exaggeration to call dysfunctional. Romy Hausmann has her own ability to grope her way to the really painful parts of the subconscious. For those nightmares that are so hideous that we can’t even bear to dream them. She also manages to do this in “Perfect Day”, without it feeling at all calculated or speculative – which is exceptionally well done. On the contrary, she seems as genuinely horrified as the reader when it turns out what is really hiding behind the acceptable facade. While “Beloved Children” was more of a claustrophobic chamber play, this is a furious odyssey over rock and stone with violent twists and shocking revelations. In between, it is cut to another schedule. Every now and then glimpses of Ann’s childhood come, where she persistently tries to describe her emotional life. There are also glimpses of conversations in the future, between an unknown person and the imprisoned killer who describes in chilling terms what he has been involved in. The Problem of Evil “Perfect Day” works as it should as a thriller and page turner. But it delves deeper than the average thriller, exploring topics such as truth and self-deception. It moves into questions such as the problem of evil, and what it is that makes certain people find pleasure in harming others. In this way it touches on many of the “serious” novels that move into such areas. Forgetting oneself So what about the title “Perfect Day”? Undeniably, it is a bit funny to have an English title for a German book translated into Norwegian. The answer to this mystery is Lou Reed. An important part of the soundtrack to the novel is Reed’s classic, bittersweet pop song from the seventies. About the man who had a day in the park that was so perfect that he forgot himself and thought he was someone else, “someone good”. The song is the perfect soundtrack to a novel that more than meets my expectations. Romy Hausmann once again distinguishes herself as a rare storytelling talent. PERFECT SOUNDTRACK: “So sing, Lou Reed, sing for me, sing louder, let me just dance and forget everything”, writes Romy Hausmann in the thriller “Perfect Day”. The song with the same name came out in 1972. news reviews Photo: Cappelen Damm Title: “Perfect Day” Author: Romy Hausmann Translator: Rune R. Moene Genre: Krim Publisher: Cappelen Damm Pages: 304 Date: 2023 Hi! My name is Ola Hegdal, and reads and reviews 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. Recommended further reading: Read the book letter from Siss Vik
ttn-69
“Perfect Day” by Romy Hausmann – Reviews and recommendations
