Today I’m thrilled to share my review for Inborn by Thomas Enger. This is the first book I’ve read by the author so I wasn’t sure what to expect. You can read on for my thoughts….
When a teenager is accused of a high-school murder, he finds himself subject to trial by social media … and in the dock. A taut, moving and
chilling thriller by one of Nordic Noir’s finest writers.
.When the high school in the small Norwegian village of Fredheim becomes a murder scene, the finger is soon pointed at seventeen-year-old Even. As the investigation closes in, social media is ablaze with accusations, rumours and even threats, and Even finds himself the subject of an online trial as well as being in the dock … for murder?
.Even pores over his memories of the months leading up to the crime, and it becomes clear that more than one villager was acting suspiciously … and secrets are simmering beneath the calm surface of this close-knit community. As events from the past play tag with the present, he’s forced to question everything he thought he knew. Was the death of his father in a car crash a decade earlier really accidental? Has his relationship stirred up something that someone is prepared to kill to protect?
It seems that there may be no one that Even can trust.
.But can we trust him?
I have a confession to make **whispers quietly** I have never read a book by Thomas Enger! So yes maybe I’m late to the party where this author is concerned, but what an entrance. I absolutely loved Inborn, it’s a novel that’s intense, deliciously dark and each page is filled with a mystery that captivates the reader. This is one of those books that should come with the tagline **Assume nothing, question everything** my favourite kind of read, this nothing more satisfying than reading a book where the author misdirects the reader at every opportunity, where nothing is as it first seems, and where each character placed in the spotlight adds to the growing sense of mistrust.
Inborn is set in the small Norwegian village of Fredheim, when the local high school becomes a murder scene, the finger of suspicion is directed at seventeen-year-old Even. As the investigation closes in, Evan finds himself judged on social media, everyone in the insular village has an opinion, ‘guilty to proven innocent’ seems to be the general consensus. As Even tries to unravel the truth and clear his name, it becomes clear that some villagers have hidden secrets, ones they would prefer to stay very much hidden. Inborn is narrated In alternating story lines, one focuses on the courtroom with Even testifying, and the other follows the events after the murders leading up to the trial. Both of the storyline’s merge perfectly, drawing the reader further into the author’s tangled web whilst maintaining a sense of trepidation that continues to grow as the story unfolds.
Thomas Enger has created a fascinating bunch of characters, Even especially is one of those characters you are drawn to, he’s a young man whose whole life comes crashing down, once popular and liked by all, he finds himself the centre of attention for all the wrong reasons, speculation is rife and Evan is left bewildered, angry and scared. Although I wondered if I could trust Evan, after all “there’s no smoke without fire” so they say, or was I been directed by the whispers of the small-minded townsfolk? Chief Inspector Yngve Mork who leads the enquiry, is another character I felt a deep connection to, he’s haunted by grief after loosing his wife whose recently died of cancer.
Inborn is a relatively short read, at 276 pages but “the best things come in small packages” and what it lacks in pages, it more than makes up for in content and drama. A small Norwegian village is the perfect setting for this novel, it feels claustrophobic, a place where gossip becomes the truth, and the relationships of the townsfolk are shrouded in lies and deceit. This book is so many things, courtroom drama, a crime thriller, merged with mystery and lashings of suspense. The author is now definitely on my “must read” authors list, and in case you were wondering “yes” it’s a book I would recommend to anyone who’s looking for a crime read that’s different on so many levels.
- Print Length: 276 pages
- Publisher: ORENDA BOOKS; None edition (22 Jan. 2019)
Buying links: Amazon UK 🇬🇧
Rupture is a crime thriller that feels like a breath of fresh air, it has much more to offer than the average crime thriller, for me this novel is beautifully written with a well crafted plot, this is Nordic crime noir at it’s best. I’m normally a reader who loves a crime read to be fast paced, which I don’t consider Rupture to be, but what I loved about this novel was the authors incredible gift of being able to pull the reader into his plot and build on the suspense and mystery leaving me eager to read more. Sometimes I struggle with novels that have been translated as the writing can feel stilted or the heart of the story gets lost in translation, but Rupture proves that it can be done successfully, in fact I found it difficult to believe this book was written in anything but English.
The book review café 