The Sanctuary

By: Katrine Engberg

Narrated by: Graeme Malcolm

From internationally bestselling author Katrine Engberg, the series that is a “gripping addition to the Scandinavian crime fiction pantheon” (Oprah Daily) comes to a stunning conclusion as Jeppe Kørner and Anette Werner rush to untangle a long-simmering mystery before a brutal killer strikes again.

Jeppe Kørner, on leave from the police force and nursing a broken heart, has taken refuge on the island of Bornholm for the winter. But when Jeppe lends a helping hand at the island’s local sawmill, he begins to realize that the island may not be the peaceful refuge it appears to be.

Back in Copenhagen, Anette Werner is tasked with leading the investigation into a severed corpse discovered on a downtown playground. As she follows the strange trail of clues, they all seem to lead back to Bornholm. With an innocent offer to check out a lead, Jeppe unwittingly finds himself in the crosshairs of a sinister mystery rooted in the past, forcing him to team up with Anette and a lonely island resident to help him unravel the Bornholm’s secrets before it’s too late.

With her signature “unforgettable characters and brilliant plot twists” (Kathy Reichs, #1 New York Times bestselling author), Katrine Engberg weaves a satisfying and white-knuckled finale to her “brazen and original” (The Toronto Star) Korner and Werner series.

Critic reviews

"Narrator Graeme Malcolm returns to perform this recently translated addition to the Kørner/Werner series. Malcolm engages listeners with an even-paced delivery that shifts among three points of view. Detective Jeppe Kørner is on leave, working as a lumberjack on Bornholm Island; Anette Werner, his partner, is tackling the case of a severed body found in two old suitcases in Copenhagen; and writer Esther de Laurenti, is on Bornholm to research a famous female anthropologist. Interspersed in Esther’s story are old letters written by the anthropologist. Malcolm effectively differentiates the personalities. The three characters’ stories merge for a well-performed atmospheric Nordic noir. Listeners will be fully engaged from the first chapter to the final reveals."

Murders, Half Off

Murders, Half Off

The author immediately catches our attention by having a victim sawed in half while still alive. Half of the corpse is found months later and the detectives have to puzzle out (1) who it is, and (2) why he was murdered.

The author is easy to read and the characters are charming.

Graham Malcom does an excellent job of narrating.

Perfect & Poignant

Every aspect of this work is top quality. It is a perfect and poignant ending to a series worthy of all the praise it has received.

This entire serie entertains, thrills, and educates. The characters are accessible and relatable. We learn about Danish society, which is quite interesting to read about. All four books are equally great. You won't regret listening to the entire series.

The translation to English is smooth and well-written of its own accord - no awkward translation to ruin a great story, rather great writing to compliment the original.

The narrator is stunningly gifted. This series was one of his last to narrate and his work was superb. He expressed the characters and the stories in this series in the most meaningful way. I love all of Graeme Malcolm's narrations and he is sorely missed.

Thank you to all who worked tirelessly to bring this wonderful series to life for us.

Good and interesting characters

The author skillfully interweaves different stories that eventually converge. There is of course an compelling

Narrator doesn’t do women’s voices

Interesting mystery, but it was very confusing as it was placed in Denmark, and all the characters’ names didn’t necessarily give a clue to their gender. The Danish names were hard to distinguish, particularly as the narrator made no effort to distinguish between the genders. All in all, an entertaining mystery, when you could figure out who was who.

Disappointing

I was completely enthralled by The Tenant.
For that reason and because of the plot summary I was certain that I would find The Sanctuary to be a very enjoyable listen.
It wasn’t.
For starters the plot is completely unrealistic and unbelievable.
It’s just not remotely conceivable that so many “coincidences” would occur like this.
The book doesn’t have an iota of the creepy, hair raising elements like some of her other work.
I found it incredibly difficult to even finish.
And I LOVE the series (with the exception of this installment)
Sadly this book was lacking in far too many ways to sustain an enjoyable pace.
It was boring, and that’s the last thing I’d have expected from this author.