Where Ravens Roost

Detective Kjeld Nygaard, Book 1

By: Karin Nordin

Narrated by: Matt Addis

Length: 12 hrs and 2 mins

Publisher's summary

Shortlisted for the 2022 CWA John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger award

In a small town full of secrets, anyone could be a killer.

Detective Kjeld Nygaard wants nothing more than to forget his family and Varsund, the small mining town he once called home, even exist. But while on suspension after his last case went disastrously wrong, his estranged father, Stenar, leaves a message on Kjeld’s phone claiming he’s seen a murder.

But with no evidence and Stenar suffering from Alzheimer’s, the local police think he must have imagined it. Kjeld can’t stop himself from investigating what actually happened and soon discovers a body. But when the police start to suspect Stenar, it’s a race against time to discover the truth before it’s lost forever.

But will uncovering the truth expose family secrets that are best left buried?

Atmospheric and addictive, Where Ravens Roost is a gripping crime thriller perfect for fans of J M Dalgliesh, Angela Marsons and Jo Nesbo.

©2021 Karin Nordin (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Critic reviews

"A delicious slice of Scandi noir - such a dark, atmospheric and compelling story! And ahh, if only those ravens could talk." (Jackie Kabler, author of The Perfect Couple)

"Brooding and atmospheric - full of mystery and twists where nothing is quite as it seems." (Catherine Cooper, author of The Chalet)

"Such a great thriller with superb characterization to boot. Hard to believe that it's a debut. Looking forward to catching up with Detective Kjeld Nygaard and co." (Khurrum Rahman, author of Homegrown Hero)

Dark Family Secrets

Dark family secrets are brought to light in this family.
Interesting twists and turns and how families deal with problems.
Det. Kjeld Nygaard is not a easy person to like but you get to understand him better.
Looking forward to the next book.

Terrific Crime Thriller

I love the way this book comes together. It starts off sprinkling in teases of what's really going on, but does a great job with misdirection so that you can enjoy the surprises along the way (or pat yourself on the back if you actually get things correct).
The author does a great job of representing a realistic look of dealing with someone with Alzheimer's and how it affects their caregivers, all while creatively showing how it can throw a monkey wrench into determining what is "real" in the moment.
I'm really looking forward to see what Karin Nordin puts out next, and hoping that the same narrator is used for the next audiobook.
If you're a fan of the crime thriller genre, this is definitely a great audiobook to get.

Fantastic Scandinavian noir mystery

The narrator was amazing and this story was riveting and had so many twists and turns. The characters were well rounded and interesting and the mystery kept me guessing until the end. Definitely a must read if you like atmospheric mysteries with quirky protagonists.

Great Twists and Turns!

Nordin delivers a crime thriller as moody as the forest in which it is set. The characters are as real as someone you just had a tea (or expensive whisky) with. She sprinkles surprises throughout, creating an appetite and then satiating it! I totally enjoyed it.

Great progression!

Binged through it in a day. Great story! I reallly enjoyed how the characters progressed over time and information gets slowly revealed to a climax.

Too long....

This was not a bad idea. It just had too much “space” between plot changes and story lines. Had it been shorter/faster I would probably call the ending a twist. As it was there was no real surprise during or at the end of the book...by the time I got there.

Fantastic Twists and Turns

The author truly knows how to set a scene. Every carefully placed word helps you feel as if you’re peeking over Kjeld’s shoulder and following him down this darkened road.

I cannot wait to read more by Karin Nordin!