Copenhagen Homicide Detective Jeppe Korner is burned out. His relationship has ended, he’s exhausted his ability to investigate violent crimes, and he is currently growing his beard out and cutting trees on the island of Bornholm. He lives alone in a small cottage, checking in on his elderly neighbor from time to time.
Back in Copenhagen, a suitcase has been found mostly buried near a school playground. When the police show up, they open the case to find a half of a body. It’s clearly been there for a while, and there is no identifying information at first. Clearly a murder, the investigation is assigned to Anette Werner. There’s not a lot she can do until the medical examiner gives her any details they can and they identify the victim.
They look into men who were reported missing and try to figure out where the suitcase came from. And when the other half of the body turns up as well, in a matching suitcase, they have a little more information to go on. But despite the body being found in Copenhagen, they find that the clues they are following up on all lead to the same place—Bornholm.
Esther de Laurenti, a writer and friend of Jeppe and Anette from previous investigations, also finds herself on the island. She is working on a book about Margrethe Dybris, a feminist anthropologist who specialized in death rituals from around the world. She had a home on the island, where she raised two children. Esther had been invited by Dybris’s daughter to come to the house and look through her mother’s letters for the biography. Margrethe had written a lot of letters to friends, family, and colleagues, and she had made copies of them all, so Esther has a lot of material to go through.
It turns out that Margarethe’s son is one of the missing men that is on Anette’s list of potential victims, along with another man who has a vacation home on the island. And since there are one or two things on the island that seem connected to her victim, she convinces Jeppe to ask a question here or there. He may be a lumberjack now, but he still has police skills.
As the investigation goes on, and Anette finally heads out to the island herself, they find a number of suspects. There is the owner of the sawmill or his controlling daughter. Or the rancher with the slaughterhouse. There is a strange religious group called Zealot’s Children. And there is a bag filled with Euros. But how does it all fit together? And will they be able to figure it out before someone else is killed?
The Sanctuary is the fourth and final book in the Korner and Werner series, the thrilling Scandinavian noir series (technically, there were 5 books in the series, but only 4 have been released in North America). These books have displayed the criminal underbelly of Copenhagen while also demonstrating Denmark’s heart, soul, and intelligence through these investigations. The murder that caught the attention of the police in this one is particularly gruesome, so this book may not be for everyone, but I think the readers who make it through will find the reward to be great.
I have been a fan of these books for several years. Werner and Korner feel like old friends, and I am grateful for the time I’ve gotten to spend with them. Watching them sacrifice so much for the police force is a testament to dedication, but I have especially appreciated the moments of humanity that have come through in each of these books. There is a celebration of life and all of its messiness, especially here in The Sanctuary, with lots of twists and surprises.
Usually, I like to say that any book in a series can also be read as a standalone, and usually the author makes sure that readers can pick up a series anywhere and get caught up enough to enjoy the nuances of the story. I’m not sure that’s the case here though. I think this one is best read after having read at least one or two of the other books in this series. It can be read alone, but the experience will be richer if you have more background on these characters. And the payoff will be worth so much more, because that ending is just lovely. Thank you, Ms. Engberg, for this journey!
Egalleys for The Sanctuary were provided by Gallery/Scout Press through NetGalley, with many thanks.
