Reviews

• “Director and choreographer Katrine Engberg debuts with a thrilling crime novel with an artfully planned plot. /…/ One can clearly sense the author’s in-depth knowledge of that part of the theatre world which the audience never gets to see. ”

• “The Tenant is a literary puzzle game, a hair-raising Scandinavian thriller.”

• “Engberg’s debut features dark family secrets—and a smorgasbord of surprises.”

• “The suspense lasts from start till finish in Katrine Engberg’s crime fiction debut.”

• “Successful debut of a writer who knows the depths of the human soul.”

• “Engberg’s English language debut promises a gritty, unflinching procedural series, and will leave readers craving the translation of Kørner and Werner’s next adventure.”

• “If you like thrillers and are looking for a new favorite writer, this could very well be the place to start. The Danish author Katrine Engberg makes her debut as a crime writer with the original and spine-tingling story The Tenant.”

• “There is nothing beginner-like about Katrine Engberg’s debut novel. ”

• “It’s hard to believe this is [Katrine Engberg’s] first book, so assured is the writing. Her characters are fully realized /…/ The story is as complex as the characters. /…/ The Tenant is Engberg’s first book to be translated into English, but it’s unlikely to be the last.”

• “A crime fiction piece with an ingeniously thought-out plot.”

• “A captivating puzzle game. Excellent!”

• “[A] brilliant first novel. /…/ Engberg is excellent at building character and she builds suspense at the same time. The plotline is solid police work, as hallmark of good Danish crime fiction. /…/ While the police work will remind readers of Jo Nesbø, the cultural mileu is far closer to the elegant novels of Peter Hoeg or the Department Q books. Very Danish. Very good.”

• “This crime novel isn’t just another by-the-book crime novel from a new authorship. It’s truly amazing! Thrilling, unpredictable, and written with a knife-edge sharp eye for the little details that make characters full-bodied, extremely human – and, well, real.”

• “Suspense on a high level.”

• “A nicely realized police procedural.”

• “It’s always a pleasure when there comes along a crime fiction debutant that writes so assuredly, refreshingly and playfully, and has created intriguing and colorful characters. If you add a well-constructed plot with a lush scenery to that, you have a crime novel well worth reading.”

• “Action, lovely milieu depictions, insightful character descriptions and a complex plot that has children’s vulnerability as a lead motif and results in an unexpected conclusion. A page-turner.”

• “The Tenant offers a mix of suspense, humor and tragedy.”

• “A charming blend of a police procedural with a whodunit. /…/ A thrilling and well-written narrative framed by vividly depicted milieus.”

• “An utterly breathtaking debut.”

• “Katrine Engberg’s Copenhagen crime novel breaks the mould. /…/ Engberg writes with liveliness. She establishes a literary world with consistency and detail. Is it thrilling? Absolutely.”

• “[Katrine Engberg] mixes fiction and reality in her suspenseful thriller. /…/ The Nordic crime scene is one author richer /…/ thrilling detective stories with a finely constructed plot.”

• “Irresistible suspense.”

• “Well-narrated Danish entertainment.”

• “Katrine Engberg tells an enjoyably story about odd, lonely people and unexpected friendships in a Copenhagen full of eerie, abandoned places.”

• “A classic Scandinavian crime novel with surprising twists and tons of wild action.”

• “The author builds the tension in a clear-cut, logical and also amazing way.”

• “Katrine Engberg is definitely the discovery of the year and she most definitely deserves a spot on the bookshelf.”

• “[A] fast-moving first novel /…/ Engberg’s sparkling cast and palpable evocation of a society U.S. readers will find similar yet foreign keep the pages turning pleasurably.”

• “It’s a great debut! With her first novel, [Katrine Engberg] delivers a suspenseful thriller/…/ a multilayered novel full of depth /…/ With the two investigators Jeppe and Anette, [Engberg] has created an interesting duo that you want to continue to follow.”

• “Engberg’s fast-paced narrative is bolstered by an interesting and quirky cast as well as an intriguing setting. /…/ a lot of fun.”

• “Let it be said at once: Engberg is both focused and a good weaver – the web she spins for her readers is finely meshed and gripping. /…/ One will in other words get one’s money’s worth with Engberg’s successful crime novel about betrayal, revenge, and lost children. She writes superbly, and has crafted an ingenious plot that promises good things for any possible continuation. The many threads in the web of the story she’s spun, hold all the way to the end. /…/ The Danish crime fiction scene has a new champion plot weaver.”

• “Engberg’s acclaimed debut goes deep into the abyss of the human soul /…/ As a reader you are rewarded with a convincing build-up and well-written story, that goes way beyond the average Scandinavian crime novel.”

• “Everyone has secrets, and some secrets are lies. Engberg’s debut novel, a sleeper hit in her native Denmark, is sure to attract comparisons to other Scandinavian thrillers. /…/ Layered, character-driven suspense from authors including Erin Kelly and Ruth Ware may prove to be more apt read-alike suggestions.”

• “Katrine Engberg’s pen is light, fluid and detailed. /…/ Artfully crafted plot and a beautiful prose.”

• “[A] strikingly changing narrative.”

• “Another feather in the plumed cap of Scandinavian noir. Engberg's plotting is dexterous, and her character-centered storytelling aligns nicely with her unhurried descriptions of Copenhagen.”

• “This crime fiction debut is skillfully choreographed and gripping beyond belief /…/ Engberg’s debut is successful for several reasons. The genre’s “mandatory” clichés have been suppressed, the plot is skillfully choreographed, and the clues given to the reader are original. /…/ The whole thing is simply inconceivably thrilling.”

• “There are books that grab a hold of you – from the first to the last page. [The Tenant] by the Danish author Katrine Engberg is such a book.”

• “Gripping addition to the Scandinavian crime fiction pantheon. ”