Author:Karin Fossum,Charlotte Barslund
A couple out walking in the woods discover the dead body of a half-naked boy.
To Kristine's horror her husband begins to take photographs of the corpse on his mobile phone, but this proves only the beginning of his obsession with the case.
Inspector Sejer is called to the scene but he can find no immediate cause of death. And who was the agitated man the couple saw moments before their discovery? Then, a second boy goes missing, and the once peaceful community is left deeply shaken.
Is there a killer within their midst?
If you're in search of an antidote to the in-your-face energy of American crime fiction, this quiet, slender, bracingly bleak tale could well be it
—— The Sunday TimesAs a portrait of a community possessed by suspicion, The Water's Edge can scarcely be bettered
—— IndependentIt's heart-rending, sometimes cold, forensic writing; she pushes you into tight, uncomfortable corners. She's good
—— ScotsmanIt's difficult to out-creep Karin Fossum
—— Time OutAn exceptionally fine story, Fossum's real narrative appeal rests on her ability to see the humanity in even the most wretched soul
—— New York TimesA chilling story of small-town obsession and death
—— Seattle TimesFinely written… as beautiful as it is baffling… another primer on capitalist catastophe
—— Christopher Bray , WordI thoroughly enjoyed this taut and well-written thriller… An enjoyable debut from Dahl and definitely a series to warrant further investigation
—— Raven Crime Reads blogAn intelligent and innovative read, I will definitely be looking for the next in the series
—— ShotsWell-written, tense and with some very nasty images, this isn’t Niven’s first book…, but it is his first thriller, and…a good one.
—— Literary ReviewBrilliantly written, Cold Hands is that rarest of things – a gripping thriller with real depth. An intense, exhilarating adrenaline rush, I found myself staying up all night to finish it in one sitting. Wonderful.
—— S. J. WatsonGripping and disturbing
—— Liz Smith , My WeeklyThe story-telling is little short of brilliant
—— Crime Fiction LoverPerfect plotting, great characterisation, and the kind of payoff that a thriller of this calibre deserves
—— BookgeeksSo many twists and surprises
—— TimesI'm all for hearing different voices in fiction and I got my wish with this book. The story showed just how someone with Asperger's might view the world. Christopher finds a dead dog and sets about trying to find the dog's killer, but the book is much more than a mystery story... I loved the way Christopher tries to bring order to his world by using Maths which he finds far easier to understand than people
—— Malorie Blackman , Books for KeepsSo genuine...It is chillingly heartbreaking and passionately positive in equal measure
—— Julia Eccleshare , Books for KeepsSo what makes these different to any other set of classics? In a moment of inspiration Random House had the bright idea of actually asking Key stage 2 children what extra ingredients they could add to make children want to read. And does it work? Well, put it this way...my 13-year-old daughter announced that she had to read a book over the summer holiday and, without any prompting, spotted The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas...and proceeded to read it! Now, if you knew my 13-year-old daughter, you would realise that this is quite remarkable. She reads texts, blogs and tags by the thousand - but this is the first book she has read since going to high school, so all hail Vintage Classics!
—— National Association for the Teaching of English