Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Publication
Mariner Books (2008), Edition: Reprint, 305 pages
Description
Fiction. Mystery. HTML: When perpetual bachelor Gunder Jomann goes to India for two weeks and comes home married, the town of Elvestad is stunned. On the day the Indian bride is supposed to arrive, the battered body of a woman is found in a meadow on the outskirts of town. None of the "good people of Elvestad" can believe that anyone among them would be capable of such a brutal murder. But in his quiet, formal way, Inspector Konrad Sejer understands that good people can commit atrocious deeds, and that no one is altogether innocent�including the caf� owner who knows too much, the girl who wants to be a chief witness, and the bodybuilder with no outlet for his terrible strength. Another brilliantly conceived, dark novel from one of Europe's most successful crime writers..… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member lit_chick
“A narrow headland stretched out to the left. He walked out to the point. Found the remains of a fire, prodded it with his foot. The water here was black, possibly deep. He could have hidden her. Many did, throwing the body in the water, burying it. But nothing had been done to hide this murder.
Norwegian Gunder Jomann lives in Elvestad, is fifty, a successful sales representative, quiet, humble, responsible – and lonely. Long curious about India and about the very beautiful Indian women he has seen in photos, he plans a trip to Mumbai with the hopeful idea that he might find a wife there. He does; he and Poona Bai are married in Mumbai; and he returns to Norway to prepare his home for his new bride. Once her immigration paperwork is processed, Poona Bai will join her husband in Norway. Unfortunately, on the day she arrives to her new country, Gunder is waylaid by a family emergency involving his sister. His new life is not to be. Poona Bai’s savagely beaten, deceased body is found in close proximity to his home.
Inspector Konrad Sejer and his colleague Jacob Skarre are called in to investigate. In Elvestad, as in any small town, there is no shortage of gossip and rumour, but what on earth could possibly have motivated such a crime? And the victim’s body, found near impenetrable woods and a body of deep water, would have been so easy to conceal. The circumstances indicate a distracted, chaotic killer. The police arrest a suspect and get a confession – but readers be left wondering whether they have, in fact, got the right man. And Fossum plants a seed of intrigue that does not help dissolve the nagging questions.
Recommended: Yes! Thoroughly enjoying this Scandi-crime series by Fossum. She combines a solid crime story with a solid police procedural. In each novel, we learn a little more about Sejer’s private life, details I happily anticipate.
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/ Nothing had been done to mislead them. The killer was disorganized, characterized by confusion and lack of control.” (Ch 11)Norwegian Gunder Jomann lives in Elvestad, is fifty, a successful sales representative, quiet, humble, responsible – and lonely. Long curious about India and about the very beautiful Indian women he has seen in photos, he plans a trip to Mumbai with the hopeful idea that he might find a wife there. He does; he and Poona Bai are married in Mumbai; and he returns to Norway to prepare his home for his new bride. Once her immigration paperwork is processed, Poona Bai will join her husband in Norway. Unfortunately, on the day she arrives to her new country, Gunder is waylaid by a family emergency involving his sister. His new life is not to be. Poona Bai’s savagely beaten, deceased body is found in close proximity to his home.
Inspector Konrad Sejer and his colleague Jacob Skarre are called in to investigate. In Elvestad, as in any small town, there is no shortage of gossip and rumour, but what on earth could possibly have motivated such a crime? And the victim’s body, found near impenetrable woods and a body of deep water, would have been so easy to conceal. The circumstances indicate a distracted, chaotic killer. The police arrest a suspect and get a confession – but readers be left wondering whether they have, in fact, got the right man. And Fossum plants a seed of intrigue that does not help dissolve the nagging questions.
Recommended: Yes! Thoroughly enjoying this Scandi-crime series by Fossum. She combines a solid crime story with a solid police procedural. In each novel, we learn a little more about Sejer’s private life, details I happily anticipate.
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LibraryThing member cathyskye
To my chagrin, I discovered it has been four years since I last read a book written by Karin Fossum. That is much too long a time between books. Fossum's Inspector Sejer is one of the best detectives in all of crime fiction, and I was reminded of this time and again as I read Calling Out for
The mystery is an engrossing one, and it takes Sejer quite a lot of patient teasing out of facts before he can even begin piecing things together. Too many people have secrets in Elvestad. Too many villagers believe that there's no way any of them could brutally beat a woman to death. And since no one could possibly have done anything wrong, there's no need to tell the police of the odd thing they happened to see the evening of the murder. It's an ironic fact of village life: live in one and your life seems like an open book, but it is possible to keep secrets all the same.
As rock solid as the mystery is, it is the power of Fossum's characterizations that pull this reader down into her story. The solid, dependable simplicity of Gunder Jomann and the sheer strength of his longing seep deep down into your awareness. The steadfast, cheerful, loving personality of Poona Bai is absolutely perfect for Gunder. Love has come to two very unlikely people, and I couldn't be happier for them. Fossum brought Poona to life in a few short pages, and what ultimately happens is heartbreaking.
It takes a detective like Inspector Konrad Sejer to solve this case. From the very first book in this series, I've admired Sejer because he listens to everyone. In solving murders, everyone is of value, and Sejer tends to rely on people that everyone else tends to ignore-- the old, the developmentally disabled, the homeless.... Sejer has a tender side that we are allowed to glimpse-- from the steadily declining health of his beloved old dog to his instructions to his team about the disposition of the murdered woman's belongings. This man has been on the job for a long time, but it hasn't knocked the compassion out of him. In many ways if I found myself living out life as a member of a homicide team, I'd want to be a member of Sejer's.
If you love tightly plotted mysteries that aren't always neatly tied up by book's end, if you love rich character studies that stay with you long after you've finished reading the book, if you love police procedurals with heart, I have a suggestion. Karin Fossum's Inspector Konrad Sejer series. It's marvelous.
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You.The mystery is an engrossing one, and it takes Sejer quite a lot of patient teasing out of facts before he can even begin piecing things together. Too many people have secrets in Elvestad. Too many villagers believe that there's no way any of them could brutally beat a woman to death. And since no one could possibly have done anything wrong, there's no need to tell the police of the odd thing they happened to see the evening of the murder. It's an ironic fact of village life: live in one and your life seems like an open book, but it is possible to keep secrets all the same.
As rock solid as the mystery is, it is the power of Fossum's characterizations that pull this reader down into her story. The solid, dependable simplicity of Gunder Jomann and the sheer strength of his longing seep deep down into your awareness. The steadfast, cheerful, loving personality of Poona Bai is absolutely perfect for Gunder. Love has come to two very unlikely people, and I couldn't be happier for them. Fossum brought Poona to life in a few short pages, and what ultimately happens is heartbreaking.
It takes a detective like Inspector Konrad Sejer to solve this case. From the very first book in this series, I've admired Sejer because he listens to everyone. In solving murders, everyone is of value, and Sejer tends to rely on people that everyone else tends to ignore-- the old, the developmentally disabled, the homeless.... Sejer has a tender side that we are allowed to glimpse-- from the steadily declining health of his beloved old dog to his instructions to his team about the disposition of the murdered woman's belongings. This man has been on the job for a long time, but it hasn't knocked the compassion out of him. In many ways if I found myself living out life as a member of a homicide team, I'd want to be a member of Sejer's.
If you love tightly plotted mysteries that aren't always neatly tied up by book's end, if you love rich character studies that stay with you long after you've finished reading the book, if you love police procedurals with heart, I have a suggestion. Karin Fossum's Inspector Konrad Sejer series. It's marvelous.
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LibraryThing member -Eva-
When Gunder Jomann's bride, Poona, arrives to Norway from India and an accident keeps Gunder from picking her up at the airport, unfortunate circumstances lead Poona into the hands of a brutal murderer and the tiny town of Elvestad becomes a beehive of suspicion and gossip. This mystery starts off
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more like an emotional tale of loneliness and love before turning into a story about pain and loss with a hint of redemption and possibly some happiness, or at least peace, at the end. This is my first Fossum, but her perceptive characterizations made me immediately fond of Gunder and Poona, Inspector Sejer, and, of course, Sejer's wonderful canine friend, Kollberg. I will absolutely be reading more of this series. Beware that there is no neat wrap-up at the end of this and it is rather frustrating, although, as sometimes happens in good stories, the ending instead veers toward real life rather than fictional convention. To make up for it on some level, the overall story gets to have an oddly happy ending - whether it's enough has to be left up to the individual reader. Show Less
LibraryThing member cameling
Gunder, a quiet who has never traveled outside Norway, is entranced by the beautiful women he sees in a book, and makes a spur of the moment decision that if he goes to India, he will find his bride there ... somewhere in the teeming city of Mumbai. And find her he does, but on the day that she is
We are introduced to any number of individuals, all with some sort of connection to the dead woman, and most of whom are lying about something or other. But who's the real murderer?
This was an interesting book in Fossum's Inspector Sejer series because she presents, eventually, an individual who confesses, but is he the real murderer, or is the real murderer still wandering around the town of Elvestad? There is no neat ending in this book. I wonder if there is to be a sequel to this one.
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to arrive in Oslo, his sister has an accident and is rushed to the hospital. Gunder has a tough decision to make ... to rush to his sister's side or to pick up his wife from the airport. It's a decision that haunts him later. His Indian wife is found battered to death in a meadow.We are introduced to any number of individuals, all with some sort of connection to the dead woman, and most of whom are lying about something or other. But who's the real murderer?
This was an interesting book in Fossum's Inspector Sejer series because she presents, eventually, an individual who confesses, but is he the real murderer, or is the real murderer still wandering around the town of Elvestad? There is no neat ending in this book. I wonder if there is to be a sequel to this one.
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LibraryThing member aimless22
A brutal crime followed by the steps investigator Sejer takes to find out the truth. Characters are fleshed out. I felt unfulfilled at the end. Not sure what to believe. Was the truth revealed or was the ethical gray area of law enforcement revealed? Was this on purpose? Perhaps I will read more in
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Fossum's Investigator Sejer series. Show Less
LibraryThing member thornton37814
Gunder Jomann goes to India to find a bride. She has a little business left to complete so he heads back to his town of Elvestad to prepare for her arrival. On the day he is to meet her at the airport, his sister is seriously injured in a car accident. He sends a taxi to get her, but the taxi
This was a book that captivated my attention from start to finish. I was a bit disappointed in the ending, but I don't know if that is because of a difference in the expectations of this genre in the Norwegian and American cultures or not. I would have preferred for things to have been all neatly tied up with no doubts in the reader's mind that the right culprit had been arrested. I know that in real life things are rarely so neatly tied up, but it makes for more satisfying fiction reads to know that justice has been served to the right person. I do hope to read future books by this author.
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driver does not find her. The body of a foreign woman is found near his home town. Inspector Sejer and his team set out to investigate. Everyone in the town appears to be hiding something. Readers are unsure at the end if the police have found the right murderer.This was a book that captivated my attention from start to finish. I was a bit disappointed in the ending, but I don't know if that is because of a difference in the expectations of this genre in the Norwegian and American cultures or not. I would have preferred for things to have been all neatly tied up with no doubts in the reader's mind that the right culprit had been arrested. I know that in real life things are rarely so neatly tied up, but it makes for more satisfying fiction reads to know that justice has been served to the right person. I do hope to read future books by this author.
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LibraryThing member cbl_tn
In The Indian Bride, author Karin Fossum explores the effects of a violent murder on a small Norwegian community. Fossum provides insight into the thought processes of the villagers, who form individual conclusions about the murder and wrestle with their duty to either report or withhold
This is a well-written police procedural and should appeal to fans of that genre. I did find the ending somewhat abrupt, however, and various questions were left unresolved -- much like real life. It left me feeling slightly unsettled. If you like your mysteries all wrapped up neatly, you may be frustrated by these loose threads.
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information from the police. Inspector Sejer and his partner are faced with the task of evaluating witness statements. Are the witnesses telling the truth, and are their perceptions reliable? Are any witnesses withholding information? If so, is it because they are guilty, or for some other reason?This is a well-written police procedural and should appeal to fans of that genre. I did find the ending somewhat abrupt, however, and various questions were left unresolved -- much like real life. It left me feeling slightly unsettled. If you like your mysteries all wrapped up neatly, you may be frustrated by these loose threads.
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LibraryThing member RidgewayGirl
A fast-paced, gripping crime novel about the brutal slaying of a young woman from India who came to a small town in Norway to join her new husband. Her husband, a quiet, fifty-year-old man, fails to pick her up from the airport when his sister is suddenly hospitalized. By the time he returns home,
This review is based on the German translation of the book.
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she is already dead. Konrad Sejer, a recurring character in Fossum's novels, and his protege, Josef Skarre, investigate but are hindered by the closed and reclusive nature of the townspeople. Fossum's book ably details the effect the murder has on many people of the town, from the grieving widower to a young witness. The story also leaves a small question open as to whether the man arrested for the crime was in fact the perpetrator of the crime. A well written and nuanced story.This review is based on the German translation of the book.
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LibraryThing member flippinpages
Would not recommend this book to anyone. A slow going read, but still a worthy one, until the ending. There is no ending. Everything in the story is left hanging. I don't need everything wrapped up nice and neat,life isn't like that. But this was like the author just stopped writing, literally.
I also did not care for the translation which is by Charlotte Barslund. Awkward sentences, poor use of english. Book two which is translated by Felicity David was much better. I would not read another by Barslund no matter how tempting the story.
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Mystery isn't solved, major issues one of the detectives was having, that seemed very central to the whole book was just forgotten about. I found that most unforgivable as it was as interesting as the murder, if not more so. I also did not care for the translation which is by Charlotte Barslund. Awkward sentences, poor use of english. Book two which is translated by Felicity David was much better. I would not read another by Barslund no matter how tempting the story.
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LibraryThing member DeltaQueen50
Calling Out for You by Norwegian author Karin Fossum is a police procedural that is part of her series featuring Inspector Konrad Sejer. Middle-aged, shy Gunder Jomann returns from India a changed and happy man as he has come home a married man. On the day that his bride is to arrive, his sister is
Inspector Sejer and his assistant, Jacob Skarre, work the case carefully and slowly gather as many details as they can. The crime, committed near the same village of Elvestad means that a spotlight is now placed on the town and it’s inhabitants. Although people are reluctant to become involved, a few come forward with information and eventually Sejer makes an arrest.
I found Calling Out for You to be both sinister and gripping. The author writes with intelligence and her measured writing and skilful plotting allows for offshoots of drama and occurrences that leave this case with a hazy, not quite finished feeling. Although I see that many people were annoyed by this ending, I found it refreshing and real that Sejer was involved in a case that wasn’t completely “open and shut”. This is an excellent series and each book that I have read is better than the last so it’s no surprise that with great anticipation, I immediately went and purchased the next book.
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involved in a terrible automobile crash and Gunder has to go to the hospital instead of the airport to greet his new wife. He sends his friend who is a taxi-driver in his place, but unfortunately his bride, Poona can’t be located. The next day it becomes known that a woman has been found, beaten and murdered and now lying in a meadow not far from Gunder’s house. Inspector Sejer and his assistant, Jacob Skarre, work the case carefully and slowly gather as many details as they can. The crime, committed near the same village of Elvestad means that a spotlight is now placed on the town and it’s inhabitants. Although people are reluctant to become involved, a few come forward with information and eventually Sejer makes an arrest.
I found Calling Out for You to be both sinister and gripping. The author writes with intelligence and her measured writing and skilful plotting allows for offshoots of drama and occurrences that leave this case with a hazy, not quite finished feeling. Although I see that many people were annoyed by this ending, I found it refreshing and real that Sejer was involved in a case that wasn’t completely “open and shut”. This is an excellent series and each book that I have read is better than the last so it’s no surprise that with great anticipation, I immediately went and purchased the next book.
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LibraryThing member phillipfrey
The Lord of Literature had blessed me with two enthralling, well-written crime books in a row. The first was "The Devil in the White City," by Erik Larson. Followed now by "The Indian Bride," by Norwegian writer Karin Fossum. The "Indian Bride" has well-drawn characters and a suspenseful story. You
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will not want to stop reading. Show Less
LibraryThing member lauralkeet
When a foreign-born woman is found brutally murdered in a field, Inspector Konrad Sejer and his assistant, Jakob Skarre, are brought in to investigate. The victim turns out to be married to Gunder Jomann, a quiet unassuming man who recently traveled to India for the sole purpose of finding a wife.
This was a very good read. The storyline was more complex than the previous ones in the series, and the characters more fully developed. Karin Fossum also gives her readers a glimpse of Sejer's personal life, as he copes with his aging beloved dog. Of course, Sejer and Skarre crack the case, but they also leave a few loose ends that I hope are picked up in the next book.
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The murder would never have happened were it not for a series of coincidences that put the woman in harm's way. As Gunder grieves his sister's life also hangs in the balance due to injuries sustained in a car accident. The case is advanced by two people who come forward with information. One is an unstable young woman whose motives are suspect, the other an elderly man who keeps putting off making a call to the police for fear of retribution. This was a very good read. The storyline was more complex than the previous ones in the series, and the characters more fully developed. Karin Fossum also gives her readers a glimpse of Sejer's personal life, as he copes with his aging beloved dog. Of course, Sejer and Skarre crack the case, but they also leave a few loose ends that I hope are picked up in the next book.
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LibraryThing member Suze005
Very good read, suspenseful, tragic. I would highly recommend this book/author!
LibraryThing member Suze005
Very good read, suspenseful, tragic. I would highly recommend this book/author!
LibraryThing member BCCJillster
heartbreaking murder after a lonely man finds love. Fossum is good as always but leaves several things unresolved. Odd. Now I have to wait for the release of the next one. Sigh.
LibraryThing member murraymint11
A good, solid crime story.... with a strange ending. I was weaned on Agatha Christie where everything is clarified in the final chapter and that's the way I like my mystery books. This one felt like the author had stopped in mid-sentence, which was really frustrating. I thought I must have missed
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something, but apparently not. Shame, because I like Fossum's writing style. Show Less
LibraryThing member annbury
Another wonderful novel from Karin Fossum. As usual, Inspector Sejer conducts the investigation, but in this novel the focus is more on the back story of the victim and of the central male character. The characters are fully drawn, and in this case, some of them are very sympathetic.
LibraryThing member jan.fleming
Solid debut novel
The Crown has been described as a cross between a Dan Brown and Philippa Gregory novel. Set in Tudor times this historical thriller features young Dominican novice, Joanna Stafford, who has just left her priory to attend the public burning of her beloved cousin, Lady Margaret, for
"When a burning is announced, the taverns of Smithfield order extra barrels of ale, but when the person to be executed is a woman and one of noble birth, the ale comes by the cartload."
A good entertaining read with likable characters, extensive historical detail throughout and a juicy blend of lust, murder, conspiracy, and betrayal.
The Crown has been described as a cross between a Dan Brown and Philippa Gregory novel. Set in Tudor times this historical thriller features young Dominican novice, Joanna Stafford, who has just left her priory to attend the public burning of her beloved cousin, Lady Margaret, for
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treason against King Henry VIII."When a burning is announced, the taverns of Smithfield order extra barrels of ale, but when the person to be executed is a woman and one of noble birth, the ale comes by the cartload."
A good entertaining read with likable characters, extensive historical detail throughout and a juicy blend of lust, murder, conspiracy, and betrayal.
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LibraryThing member wbwilburn5
Great book, but irritating ending - it just stops!
LibraryThing member ffortsa
Finished [The Indian Bride], and it was heartbreaking, but after the heartbreak, it was a bit daring. We see Sejer doing his best interrogation, and when he's done, the outcome is entirely believable - until just before the end. Fossum leaves just enough doubt to make the puzzle even more
Fossum once again builds wonderful characters: a lonely bachelor who suddenly takes himself to India to find a beautiful bride; a small cafe proprietor afraid he might be accused of the murder, who so does stupid things; an obsessive body builder; a young woman who is shunned by her friends for saying what she saw; an old man who keeps secrets in fear of worse. Small town life, in detail.
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fascinating.Fossum once again builds wonderful characters: a lonely bachelor who suddenly takes himself to India to find a beautiful bride; a small cafe proprietor afraid he might be accused of the murder, who so does stupid things; an obsessive body builder; a young woman who is shunned by her friends for saying what she saw; an old man who keeps secrets in fear of worse. Small town life, in detail.
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LibraryThing member ten_floors_up
This is the fourth Karin Fossum novel I've read (in translation). As with the others I've read, it has a very concise but nuanced style, and skilful character portrayal. I'll be reading more.
LibraryThing member Auntie-Nanuuq
I found this to be a very strange book & even stranger characters. The book was long & drawn out, difficult to hold my interest and with the exception of Poona, The Indian Bride, I wasn't invested in the characters, I didn't really like them.
A man goes to India to find a wife. He meets a woman
The taxi man can not find her, but a local woman picking mushrooms does; she finds Poona dead in a filed her face bashed in....
A young woman witnesses someone chasing Poona through the field and at first thinks it is a mutual sex game... From this point everything is confusing and when the book ends there are too many loose ends for my liking.
I won't be reading another in this series.
A man goes to India to find a wife. He meets a woman
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waiting tables in a Tandoori restaurant & marries her. The day his wife is arriving from India, his sister is in a car accident and so he sends the local taxi to pick her up... The taxi man can not find her, but a local woman picking mushrooms does; she finds Poona dead in a filed her face bashed in....
A young woman witnesses someone chasing Poona through the field and at first thinks it is a mutual sex game... From this point everything is confusing and when the book ends there are too many loose ends for my liking.
I won't be reading another in this series.
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Subjects
Awards
Crime Writers' Association Awards (Shortlist — 2005)
Brage Prize (Åpen klasse) (2000)
Language
Original publication date
2000 (original Norwegian)
2005 (English: Barslund)