I'm Traveling Alone

By: Samuel Bjork

Narrated by: Laura Paton

Length: 14 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's Summary

International best seller Samuel Bjork makes his US debut with a chilling and fast-paced thriller in which two detectives must hunt down a vengeful killer - and uncover the secret that ties each of them to the crime.

A six-year-old girl is found in the Norwegian countryside, hanging lifeless from a tree and dressed in strange doll's clothes. Around her neck is a sign that says, "I'm traveling alone."

A special homicide unit in Oslo reopens with veteran police investigator Holger Munch at the helm. Holger's first step is to persuade the brilliant but haunted investigator Mia Krüger, who has 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 one carved into the dead girl's fingernail, she knows this is only the beginning. Could this killer have something to do with a missing child abducted six years ago and never found or with the reclusive religious community 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.

©2016 Samuel Bjork (P)2016 Penguin Audio

Critic Reviews

"Icy landscapes, mysterious clues, a messed up heroine.... Nordic noir at its delicious best." (Sarah Hilary, author of Someone Else’s Skin)   

"Tense and smartly constructed." (The Wall Street Journal) 

"Harrowing and enthralling." (Publishers Weekly)

Outstanding police procedural!!

This was a wonderful book. There was a twisting mystery that had me guessing to the end. It was so interesting to see the assembly of the team of detectives and I can't wait for the next book so I can spend more time with the team. The characters were fully drawn and compelling. The setting in Norway was a pleasant departure from most of he mysteries I read. The narrator is the absolute best I have ever heard and I can't think of enough superlatives for her performance. What a fabulous find this was.

Ready for a GREAT BOOK⁉️

First let me say that I am a pretty veracious reader ( and currently audio book listener) and this book is a great read/listen. I was captured prisoner early on and held captive until the last paragraphs. I will not give a synopsis of the story, that is available already... I WILL tell you that the characters are well developed, you WILL become attached to them, and you WILL NOT figure it ALL out until this talented Mr. Bjork deems it time! I LOVE that about him!!! Twists and turns, multiple storylines, this is a fun book.

If you opt to listen, this reader has done a wonderful job! Love the accent, she delivers an exceptional performance!

This author is being compared to Stieg Larsson, and Jo Nesbo... Yes! If you like those authors you will love Samuel Bjorn! Great characters! I can not WAIT for my next adventure with Mia Kruger and Holger Munch!!! Let's get his next book translated and to the US (and on audiobook) as soon as possible!!! 8-D

Compelling

Kept me up all night reading! This was a great mystery that unfolded slowly but with good uphill speed towards the end. Would make a great movie!! And the performance was one of the best I have ever heard!

Engrossing police procedural

Well developed characters and a quirky story line made this my favorite of the season. The narrator is terrific .I'm looking forward to more from this author.

Sooo slooooow..

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

My imagination fails me.

What could Samuel Bjork have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Speed up the action. Reduce descriptive passages by half.

Would you be willing to try another one of Laura Paton’s performances?

Not on your nelly !! She compounded the turgid prose by adopting a plodding narrative style that made me want to go and balance my check book,

What character would you cut from I'm Traveling Alone?

The character that finally made me throw in the towel was the lady who, after giving the police a useful description of the villain, whimpered, "am I going to jail?"

Any additional comments?

I'll spend the rest of the evening wondering how come everyone else loves it....

Great story with awesome characters!

Any additional comments?

The ending was a bit rushed I think...but considering the book was over 15 hours I guess I can't complain. I didn't want it to end. I wanted to hear what happened to each character. Each character could have had their own little spin off. love the book.

Haunting, Dark Nordic Police Procedural

The bottom line: This is a good story. Well worth the credit. At first it seems to be about an obese detective and a suicidal detective. . . the early chapters are a bit confounding. But in the end, it is about drug addicts, crimes against children, mental illness, corrupt-cultish religions and brilliant detective work.

The murders of children give this one a dark, sick premise and the author produced quite a few red herrings as the police made their way toward to cruel, deranged monster behind the deaths. There are actually two (or maybe two and a half) stories going at once -- all related by the activities of two staff at a local home for the aged; where the chief detective's mother resides. The big question throughout is just who is the real target of the murderer? The story line will keep you guessing. Ultimately, there are several heroes who surface -- a 13 year old boy, a teacher, and not least, a detective.

This is a good listen! Narrator is superb.

Intriguing mystery

This was a truly intriguing mystery novel beautifully written and narrated with passion.
We moved to Oslo a few months ago and are trying to discover stories set within this beautiful and welcoming city.

Fiction novels are usually the best way to find out more about a place and it’s always nice to discover all sorts of interesting facts about the people and their customs.
The story is really good, the characters feel real, alive and the plot moves fast.

The narration is great as well and enriches the listening experience thanks to authentic sounding names and accents.

Good quality recording and a very pleasant voice will help you immerse into this terrifying adventure.

I will get more audiobooks from this extremely promising author!

Another Norwegian Story-Teller

Frode Sander Oien, already a famous Norwegian playwright, artist, singer/songwriter, and author of 2 highly acclaimed literary novels, wrote this debut crime novel "I'm Traveling Alone" in 2013 under the pen name Samuel Bjork. He has already completed a second, follow-up crime novel, not yet translated. The first portion of "I'm Traveling Alone" is a bit background-heavy and dreary, but it later becomes relevant to understanding the two primary characters. The story also entails an ensemble of characters who play off each other well in a complex, well-written tale with plenty of twists and turns to make it definitely worth listening to. The book is long, however, and the last few chapters seem to have been written in haste, ending the story before all the knots are completely untangled in the listener's mind. Perhaps book 2 will clear those up. Initially, the narrator's voice and reading style irritated me, and she won't make my favorite performers' list any time soon. But considering she had to narrate an abnormally high count of players on her own, she definitely won't be on my "drop dead" list, either. Overall, the audiobook is certainly worth an Audible credit.

I Could Hardly Breathe

This was one of the most suspenseful
books I've listened to. It came highly recommended by friends familiar with this genre. So glad I took their advice. I highly recommend it!