Publisher: Penguin Books
Release Date: March 14, 2017 (first published 2013)
Format: Paperback
Pages: 400
Source: Publisher
Genre: Thriller, Mystery
Rating: 4 bookmarks
Synopsis: A six-year-old girl is found in the Norwegian countryside, hanging lifeless from a tree with a jump rope around her neck. She is dressed in strange doll's clothes. Around her neck is an airline tag that says "I'm traveling alone."
A special homicide unit in Oslo re-opens with veteran police investigator Holger Munch at the helm. Holger's first step is to persuade the brilliant but haunted investigator Mia Krüger to come back to the squad--she's been living on an isolated island, overcome by memories of her past. When Mia views a photograph of the crime scene and spots the number "1" carved into the dead girl's fingernail, she knows this is only the beginning. She'll soon discover that six years earlier, an infant girl was abducted from a nearby maternity ward. The baby was never found. Could this new killer have something to do with the missing child, or with the reclusive Christian sect hidden in the nearby woods?
Mia returns to duty to track down a revenge-driven and ruthlessly intelligent killer. But when Munch's own six-year-old granddaughter goes missing, Mia realizes that the killer's sinister game is personal, and I'm Traveling Alone races to an explosive--and shocking--conclusion.
*This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for a honest review.
Release Date: March 14, 2017 (first published 2013)
Format: Paperback
Pages: 400
Source: Publisher
Genre: Thriller, Mystery
Rating: 4 bookmarks
Synopsis: A six-year-old girl is found in the Norwegian countryside, hanging lifeless from a tree with a jump rope around her neck. She is dressed in strange doll's clothes. Around her neck is an airline tag that says "I'm traveling alone."
A special homicide unit in Oslo re-opens with veteran police investigator Holger Munch at the helm. Holger's first step is to persuade the brilliant but haunted investigator Mia Krüger to come back to the squad--she's been living on an isolated island, overcome by memories of her past. When Mia views a photograph of the crime scene and spots the number "1" carved into the dead girl's fingernail, she knows this is only the beginning. She'll soon discover that six years earlier, an infant girl was abducted from a nearby maternity ward. The baby was never found. Could this new killer have something to do with the missing child, or with the reclusive Christian sect hidden in the nearby woods?
Mia returns to duty to track down a revenge-driven and ruthlessly intelligent killer. But when Munch's own six-year-old granddaughter goes missing, Mia realizes that the killer's sinister game is personal, and I'm Traveling Alone races to an explosive--and shocking--conclusion.
*This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for a honest review.
To me, Holger seems like a father figure for Mia and throughout the book, the two look out for each other above everyone else. It really shows the bond that is formed when individuals work a stressful and challenging job. Their relationship is highlighted in multiple chapters and each have a way of helping the other as they work together to solve the crime.
Throughout the book, Mia struggles with personal conflicts and addiction and I think Samuel Bjork highlights it enough but doesn’t make it the main focus of the story, which is appreciated.
The villain of the story is surprising, which I believe makes this book all the better. The story is written in such a way that you believe you know who the murderer is and are patiently waiting for Holger and Mia to figure it out with you and then the twist occurs.
Throughout the book, Mia struggles with personal conflicts and addiction and I think Samuel Bjork highlights it enough but doesn’t make it the main focus of the story, which is appreciated.
The villain of the story is surprising, which I believe makes this book all the better. The story is written in such a way that you believe you know who the murderer is and are patiently waiting for Holger and Mia to figure it out with you and then the twist occurs.
Samuel Bjork chose young victims for this book, all of which are 6-years- old girls. As a step-mother of a child around this age, I wondered how the author would handle having young victims. I believe this could steer people away, especially parents, from reading this book. However, the murders are not gruesome and there is symbolism in them. While reading, I was trying to catch onto the clues that Holger and Mia were trying to find and I didn’t focus on the age or tragedy of the situation.
This book contains a variety of characters that Holger and Mia encounter including a teacher that pays special attention to a one of her students, a reporter that gives the impression he will do anything to be the first one with the big story, a religious cult built back in the woods that is building a fence to keep people out (and people in), and a nursing home that has staff that may help crack the case.
Each chapter is spoken in a different character’s voice, which made it hard for me to put down! This story has so many layers and each chapter intertwines characters in a brilliant way. I have read books written this way in the past and some were difficult to follow, bouncing the story back and forth but Samuel Bjork does a great job keeping the story moving forward but giving it from a variety of perspectives. The only negative thing I have to say about this book is that Holger’s granddaughter is introduced fairly early in the story and I found her involvement to be predictable.
Overall, if you like mystery and thriller novels, this is definitely worth your time!
This book contains a variety of characters that Holger and Mia encounter including a teacher that pays special attention to a one of her students, a reporter that gives the impression he will do anything to be the first one with the big story, a religious cult built back in the woods that is building a fence to keep people out (and people in), and a nursing home that has staff that may help crack the case.
Each chapter is spoken in a different character’s voice, which made it hard for me to put down! This story has so many layers and each chapter intertwines characters in a brilliant way. I have read books written this way in the past and some were difficult to follow, bouncing the story back and forth but Samuel Bjork does a great job keeping the story moving forward but giving it from a variety of perspectives. The only negative thing I have to say about this book is that Holger’s granddaughter is introduced fairly early in the story and I found her involvement to be predictable.
Overall, if you like mystery and thriller novels, this is definitely worth your time!
