The Murder Of Harriet Krohn (Inspector Sejer Mysteries Book 7)

This is different from Karin Fossums' usual books. I missed Detective Sejer - even though he was in the story in the end. This novel is told from the criminals point of view.... everything is not his fault it is "bad luck" , other people, events, etc. "woe is me" kind of attitude. Charlo Torp is the main character - and boy, what a self-inflicted mess he's made of his life. He has gambling issues - not his fault though ;) He owes a lot of money and they are threatening to cut off his fingers if he doesn't pay. He previously lost his job because he embezzled money to pay his gambling debts - they didn't turn him though - just fired him. His wife then died of cancer. His daughter won't talk to him because of the mess he has made. He has an excuse for everything - and lots of blame to pass around. He even blames Harriet Krohn for her murderThere was a little too much ruminating for my taste - but I'm just one person

I enjoy Karin Fossum and Inspector Sejer, and have been reading them in sequence. This is the first murder mystery I have read which is written from the murderer's perspective. It gives an interesting insight into the mind of the killer, rather than only the thoughts of the victim, their family and the police

I was a little disappointed with this book compared to her others. Charlo Torp was not a tragic figure but a pathetic manwho would have lived a quiet respectable life if it weren't for his (not so rare) addiction to gambling. The fact that he was not even a savvy criminal was that he underestimated the things that could go wrong.He was not a thug, but a man desperate to get his life back on track and spend his days working and admiringhis beautiful daughter as she became an excellent equestrienne Secretly. I had hoped that he would have gotten away with it. He still would have had to deal with the guilt. But giving him multiple sclerosis was" way out there" as far as the plot went. I'm still trying to figure that out.

A very different style of novel from those I've already read. It's good. It's written from the inside of the character's mind , with all the details of their feelings. I missed a bit the style of some other of her novels like "Don't look back" or "Black seconds" but I don't regret reading it. It becomes a bit claustrophobic at times, being midst of the time just inside one person's mind.Maybe her beginnings where this way and then she evolved to the full master she is.

If you are looking for Inspector Sejer, skip this one. its a tortured rambling from the mind of the killer. Boring.

This book is advertised as another in the Inspector Sejer Mysteries, but Sejer is only a minor character and a boring one at that. I loved the rest of the Sejer series, but in this one we watch the murder early on and most of the novel is the life of the murderer: his self-justifications and attempts to make up for his crime. I guess this is meant to be a psychological novel. Wish I'd been warned - but now you are. The writing is fine, but I found the novel boring, especially when Sejer finally shows up - page after page of interrogation going over the same things over and over. No mystery here!

Fossum is known for her unique perspectives and avoidance of formula. The crime genre is for her a venue for the psychological exploration of character. The protagonist in this book is masterfully drawn and we the reader see him for all his weaknesses as well as his ironically good intentions.

This began very uninteresting by so much about Carlo...to me it really dragged right from theToo draggy from the very beginning for me. Others might not feel this way. Too much about Carlos thoughts ..not much like Fossil prior works!!!

As usual, Karin's book was brilliantly written, very descriptive, gave an in-depth look right into the 'killer's' mind - amazingly so actually in this case. However, I only gave it 3 stars because I didn't get my Seyer 'fix', it was all told from the killer's point of view, Seyer didn't really get a mention until around chapter 11! You were treated to the 'ping- pong' style interrogation with the killer and various little snippets of Seyer's life were dropped in - the dog situ being one (which I loved) but I did miss more involvement with the main man. Still a great book, and heading for No.8 now - with the hope that I get to delve back into the detective's world again...

Not my cup of tea at all. I think I have read all of the Inspector Sejer books and have liked them all. They essentially are police procedurals, but in this book we don't meet the police until the last two chapters. The earlier chapters are an account of a crime from the perpetrators viewpoint. It was in these where I lost interest, there were pages and pages of introspection by the perp which did,t move the narrative along very much if at all. I was going to say I read the book in one sitting, however that wouldn't be true, I scanned it stopping where there was movement in the story. To me this is a vanity project for the author written to see could she do it. That's fine, if I could get my money back.

Karin Fossum transcends the familiar concerns of mainstream crime fiction and once again offers an original and fascinating novel of psychological suspense and proves herself the heir apparent to the late Ruth Rendell. Translated out of order and appearing belatedly as the seventh outing for Inspector Konrad Sejer, this is an atypical investigation for the series and has markedly more in common with the standalone novel, I Can See In The Dark, meaning that it serves as a poor introduction to a continuing series for potential new readers. Inspector Konrad Sejer is largely a periphery figure for almost two-thirds of this novel, appearing in person at approximately two-hundred pages in and alluded to initially on page seventy-seven. Added to the fact that there is little investigative work on show and Fossum tells this story through the eyes of a murderer, The Murder of Harriet Krohn is a powerful expose of a very desperate man but most definitely not a standard police procedural. In short, this story focuses on living with a crime, atoning for ones sins and the uncharted waters of coping with the fear that pervades every moment thereafter. If the scales of good and evil are unbalanced, is there any chance of righting this and can a murderer ever be absolved?The Murder of Harriet Krohn opens with despairing middle-aged father Charles Olav Torp (“Charlo”) writing another letter to his estranged daughter, sixteen-year-old sixth former student, Julie. In it he acknowledges his failings as a father, his addiction to gambling and his fondness for alcohol which has left him in a wretched state, unemployed after embezzling funds in his former job and in debt by several hundred thousand krone. With loyal wife, Inga Lill, succumbing to leukaemia two years preciously he does not expect forgiveness of sympathy from Julie, but merely a chance to make amends with his daughter and restore their relationship. For as Charlo states in his letter, he believes he can change the course of destiny with willpower and imagination and the beginning of the story details the execution of his heinous plan to rob a defenceless elderly woman as she approaches the age of seventy-six. Armed with a bouquet of flowers as a means of gaining entry and an unloaded World War II revolver, the pilfered cash and value of the silver is enough to pay off his creditors and see him reunited with Julie. Except Charlo had never planned to murder Harriet Krohn, he certainly wasn’t expecting her to fight back and her vociferous response sees him battering her skull with the butt of the gun. Evidently the actions of a very disturbed man, but also a frightened and panicking one, yet a callous and deranged Charlo’s first concern is making a quick exit and there is a total absence of remorse on his part.Despite the daily onslaught of reality setting in and fresh realisation, Charlo appears ambivalent and remote from his action and opts for the perspective that the crime and Harriet Krohn’s fury trapped him. His fear is one of discovery and although his conscience does not trouble him unduly, the threat of a shadowy detective looking over his shoulder continually weighs. As he watches fearfully from his window and sets in action his own attempt at making recompense to his daughter, newspaper coverage of the murder hints at the tenacious Inspector Konrad Sejer, a man who has never overseen an unresolved murder in his lengthy career. Nevertheless, Charlo’s life does begin to improve, making redress to his daughter and being duly rewarded with a steadily improving relationship and his days filled with a part-time job that means he finally feels he is able to give something back to her. Demonstrating genuine resolve for his work and having a reason to live, it is easy to see how a feckless Charlo transforms into a worthy man. Yet as he does so, he feels his body breaking down and is afflicted by a strange array of medical ailments and continually losing weight fretting over the fear of exposure that has the potential to destroy the fragile relations between a parent and child. Fossum’s sensitivity and unparalleled characterisation gradually led me to warm to Charlo and as he begins to adds some credits to his failed life, his adoration for Julie and his love for his deceased wife is evident. However, perhaps more poignantly it is Fossum’s study of a man losing his mind that brings the reader closer to an understanding of a severely disturbed man and his warped logic. Notably, sixteen-year-old daughter Julie is similarly well-drawn and her fears and concerns about a possible relapse have left her sceptical, yet longing to be proved wrong as to her fathers past. Alert to the first sign of a return to the nightmare of his past and the disappointment that it will bring leaves a suitably suspenseful feeling of trepidation in the mind of Julie and most definitely the reader.As Konrad Sejer finally steps out of his grey Volvo that has been keeping an eye on Charlo, the patient and authoritative detective exerts an uncomfortable pressure with his painstakingly detailed questioning. It is this as opposed to an overt menace that ultimately draws the details from Charlo and it is the empathy of his audience that sees him incriminate himself and finally explain what drove him to such deplorable action. The Murder of Harriet Krohn is an understated novel which takes a compelling look at a man labouring under the toll of his guilt, weighing his life events on the scales of justice and seeking absolution to begin his life with a clean slate. Heartbreaking for both its look at man who went off the straight and narrow and became a murderer, it is the shattering dismay of a mortified Julie that saddens me the most. A brilliant display of Karin Fossum’s psychological insight but the sedate build-up and lack of police focus may potentially frustrate those with an urge for action.For readers who are keen to see more insight from the mind of a man who turns violent criminal and a similar background investigation, I can highly recommend Hour of the Wolf by Håkan Nesser.Review written by Rachel Hall (@hallrachel)

This is not a crime thriller in the conventional sense. The central character is the murderer, whom as the reader you will inhabit. His story is one of chaotic mismanagement of life leading him to do things from which there can be no escape, no going back. He hurts the one person he loves the most, the only person he lives for. It is a terrible depressing story. Yet it is a masterpiece of writing and psychological suspense which grips you in a vice from which you cannot escape until the end.

I have really enjoyed most of Karin Fossum's novels, however this novel is somewhat dull. Charlo is the main character and we learn of his crime early on and then his thoughts and feelings in relation to what he has done and how he justifies this to himself. It is all a little run of the mill on the storyline and I expected something exciting to happen but it never did.