Blind Goddess

A Hanne Wilhelmsen Novel, Book 1

By: Tom Geddes - translator, Anne Holt

Narrated by: Kate Reading

A small-time drug dealer is found battered to death on the outskirts of the Norwegian capital, Oslo. A young Dutchman, walking aimlessly in central Oslo covered in blood, is taken into custody but refuses to talk. When he is informed that the woman who discovered the body, Karen Borg, is a lawyer, he demands her as his defender, although her specialty is civil, not criminal, law. The young man is adamant: he will speak to Karen Borg, and to her alone.

A couple of days later, Hans E. Olsen, a lawyer of the shadiest kind, is found shot to death. Very soon, police officers Håkon Sand and Hanne Wilhelmsen establish a link between the two killings. They also find a coded message hidden in the murdered lawyer’s apartment. Their maverick colleague in the drug squad, Billy T., reports that a recent rumor in the underworld involves lawyers employed in drug dealing. Now the reason the young Dutchman insisted on having Karen Borg as a defender dawns on them: Since she was the one to find and report the body, she is the only Oslo lawyer that cannot by any means be implicated in the crime. As the officers investigate, they uncover a massive network of corruption involving the highest levels of government.

As their lives are threatened, Hanne and her colleagues must find the killer and, in the process, bring the lies and deception out into the open.

Anne Holt has worked as a journalist and news anchor and spent two years working for the Oslo Police Department before founding her own law firm and serving as Norway’s Minister for Justice for part of 1996 and 1997. Her first book was published in 1993, and her work has been translated into 25 languages. She lives in Oslo with her family.

©1993 Anne Holt. English language translation 2012 by Tom Geddes (P)2012 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“Det. Hanne Wilhelmsen and her colleague Håkon Sand, an attorney with the Special Branch of the Oslo police, look into two murders in Edgar-finalist Holt’s well-paced first Hanne Wilhelmsen novel.… Snippets of the crooks’ reactions to the police investigation add tension, while the breaking of a ‘book code’ helps bring the criminal activities into focus.” ( Publishers Weekly)

“Holt delivers a deeply woven detective mystery that keeps readers guessing until the bitter end. Highly recommended for crime fiction enthusiasts.” ( Library Journal)

“Politics and drugs make uneasy bedfellows in this first case for Hanne Wilhelmsen…Fans of Henning Mankell’s majestically lumbering police procedurals will relish every twist in the long road to resolution.” ( Kirkus Reviews)

Very interesting start to series

I found this audiobook because I am a fan Kate Reading the narrator. This book is not one of my usual usual genres.Never the less I started the series in the middle because #4 and #5 were available for free with my membership. At first I struggled with the author’s style and the subject matter. As I persevered I became intrigued by the story and became more comfortable with the style. I don’t think thatI would have continued without Kate Readings narrating. As I went through the 2 free books I found the story really fascinating and I found myself purchasing the rest of the series. After reading this book I am delighted that I did.
I recommend this series.

A new to us exciting author from Norway.

A small-time drug dealer is found battered to death on the outskirts of the Norwegian capital, Oslo. A young Dutchman, walking aimlessly in central Oslo
covered in blood, is taken into custody but refuses to talk. When he is informed that the woman who discovered the body, Karen Borg, is a lawyer, he demands
her as his defender, although her specialty is civil, not criminal, law. The young man is adamant: he will speak to Karen Borg, and to her alone. A couple
of days later, Hans E. Olsen, a lawyer of the shadiest kind, is found shot to death. Very soon, police officers Håkon Sand and Hanne Wilhelmsen establish
a link between the two killings. Their colleague in the drug squad,
Billy T., reports that a recent rumor in the underworld involves lawyers employed in drug dealing. Now the reason the young Dutchman insisted on having
Karen Borg as a defender dawns on them: Since she was the one to find and report the body, she is the only Oslo lawyer that cannot by any means be implicated
in the crime. As the officers investigate, they uncover a massive network of corruption involving the highest levels of government. As their lives are
threatened, Hanne and her colleagues must find the killer and, in the process, bring the lies and deception out into the open.

The publisher’s note tells us that Anne Holt has worked as
a journalist and news anchor and spent two years working for the Oslo Police Department before founding her own law firm and serving as Norway's Minister
for Justice for part of 1996 and 1997. Her first book was published in 1993, and her work has been translated into 25 languages. She lives in Oslo with
her family.

Excellent Start

I look forward to future installments narrated by Kate Reading. The book is good in its own right and shows promise of being an excellent series. Kate Reading's narration is a good match to the writing.

Another good series with a female detective

Anne Holt has written a good story to start a series with a female detective. I've already downloaded the next in this series.

I so wanted this to be the start of a great series

Would you try another book from Anne Holt and Tom Geddes (translator) and/or Kate Reading?

I don't believe I can listen to another book by this author. It would probably be easier to actually read than listen to. It took until the second half of the book to clarify the characters, their roles, and how the plot would eventually come together. Entirely too disjointed for me.

Suspension of disbelief

This was an extremely intricate story. Sometimes so many moving parts gives pause and opens up reality questions. For me these questions break the "fourth wall" making the story implausible. This happened all too often.

It USA matter of taste.

Terrific, dark mystery

Another great Hanne Wilhelmsen book. This is a terrific book with a quirky Norwegian bent but it is compelling and very entertaining. The performance is very good and the overall experience highly recommended.

What was Jo Nesbo thinking?

I have read all of the Harry Holt detective books and noting a review in Entertainment Weekly where author, Jo Nesbo called Holt, "the godmother of Norwegian crime fiction", I figured what a great recommendation. So I started with this book, rather than the newest.
The story had no intrigue and I couldn't tell the characters voices apart.
I kept thinking I should just stop reading it. In the end, in the end, who cares what happens.

Not Sure Why I Didn't Like It

What would have made Blind Goddess better?

It was so slow. I never thought it was going anywhere. I just never felt any sense of anticipation as I listened, and Hanne was very unlikeable in this book, so even though I had already met and liked her in another novel, I just didn't care about her in this one.

What was most disappointing about Anne Holt and Tom Geddes (translator) ’s story?

I first read 1222 and was enthralled from the first word, and I think I was expecting the same kind of engagement from this book. Perhaps if I had gone into this book without those expectations, I would have enjoyed it more.

Which scene was your favorite?

The interrogations were handled nicely.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Blind Goddess?

It's not a case of cutting exactly, just changing pacing. Holt does a FAR better job in 1222.

Any additional comments?

Skip this Anne Holt book and go for 1222 instead.

Terrible narration

The narrator sounded as if she had trouble understanding the big words she was reading and was trying to phonetically sound then out as she read. It was very distracting and took my attention away from the story. I don't recommend the audio version of this book.