Smoke Screen (Blix & Ramm Book 2)

Smoke Screen is the second book in the Blix and Ramm series from two of Norway's prolific crime fiction writers Jørn Lier Horst and Thomas Enger who joined forces to write this exciting series. I'd previously read books written by Thomas Enger but reading Death Deserved, the first book in this series, was my first time reading anything by Jørn Lier Horst but I have since bought several of his previous books to read at some point in the future.As I've mentioned previously when I've reviewed books written by a duo, I'm intrigued as to how this process works, how they manage to get the story to flow without any noticeable differences in style and the same applies with Smoke Screen as from the explosive start on New Year's Eve I was drawn into the action alongside Alexander Blix and Emma Ramm with so many questions running through my head that would only be quietened as the story progressed and information unfolds.It's no spoiler to say that there is history between Blix and Emma as it's mentioned pretty early on in both books regarding how a traumatic event from many years ago brought them into each other's lives. And now years later there is a mutual trust and respect for one another, almost like a father/daughter relationship. Blix is now an established and well respected police officer in Oslo and Emma is a crime reporter for an online newspaper so their paths often cross and none more so on that fateful night that hits close to home for Emma. I love the relationship between Blix and Emma, they might frustrate each other when keeping information they have discovered from one another during the course of their work, but at the same time they are both excellent at what they do, investigating crimes and looking for the truth.Before too long Blix discovers a link that connects this recent bomb attack to a cold case from 10 years ago, that of a kidnapped child who was never found. Connected once again by this fateful night both Blix and Emma begin searching for clues as to who was behind the attack and why, although working independently and from different angles, but it's only a matter of time before their paths cross again and the clues slot together till we uncover the truth from both the past and present tragedies. But will the truth come too late?This is another example of the excellent translated fiction I have come to expect from Orenda Books, this time by the translator Megan Turney. The story flowed so naturally that it's hard to believe that it wasn't originally written in English which is testament to both the skills of the authors and the translator.Smoke Screen is a complex thriller that has the reader on the edge of their seat as we're taken on a highly charged investigation that has plenty of twists and turns along the way to throw us off the scent. I thought I had it all figured out but once again I was only partially correct! Well played to the authors, I can't wait to see what they in store for Blix and Ramm next.

Thrilling, shocking and packed with emotion, it will have you on edge from the very beginning, in mourning for what is lost, and intrigued as to how all of the many tangled threads of the story can be unpicked, and woven back together into a clear and fully satisfying picture. For that is exactly what happens here ... but not until Emma has managed to find herself in quite a bit of trouble and Blix has ignored the instructions of the powers that be to follow up on what could be the vital clue in a cold case that has haunted him for ten years. What starts as a potential terrorist incident leads the pair into a case that they both have their own, very personal reasons, for wanting to solve.I don't really need to say more about the story than is given to you in the blurb. That really is all you need to know. That and the fact that this case if far from straightforward and will have you feeling a myriad emotions as you move from chapter to chapter. From the tension of the opening chapters that soon descends into tragedy, to the tension of the investigation and all the way through to the dramatic and pulse pounding conclusion, Enger and Horst have once again delivered a story that is paced perfectly, and has a real cinematic feel to it, both in terms of drama and character. I could picture each scene clearly, could feel the sadness and heartbreak seep from the page, as well as the excitement when things start to move towards resolution and both Blix and Emma get the whiff of the truth. It really is an engrossing read, so much so that I devoured it in less than a day.The action is seamless. I honestly could not tell you where one author's words end and the other begins. I'd be intrigued to know their writing process as you get both the individuality of the two lead characters, but also the uniformity of the style and the pacing of the story. Everything is touched by the authenticity that can only come from writers who know both their characters and their subject matter, and, lets face it, they both have the right pedigree for that. Whilst Smoke Screen does not have the same sense of threat or grandstanding of the perpetrator that we had in its predecessor, there is a kind of melancholy and uncertainty that makes this read every bit as compelling. Although the opening - the bomb at the harbour - is dramatic and serves a purpose, it is not the overarching theme of the story. It matters as it rekindles a fire in Blix, but it is not the reason why I kept on reading. Why I had to see how this story ended.Blix and Ramm are two people whose lives are linked by tragedy. They work together brilliantly and their working life, journalist and Detective, spills over in the personal in an almost paternal bond. It really is perfect the way in which they clearly care for each other, but the story is not dominated by that kinship. Their characters may be more alike than they realise - determined, fiercely independent and with a kind of natural intuition for a case or story and it makes for a dream team. It was nice to get to know more about Kovic, to see how the previous case has affected her and not just our protagonists. This time around she has her own chance to shine a little, stepping out of Blix's shadow as she takes on her first lead in a murder case whilst everyone else is preoccupied. As partner's go, she is perfect for Blix and I hope we see and learn even more of her in books to come. I also hope that they go a little easier on Emma, but that's an entirely different story.Tense, thrilling and with a beautifully emotive narrative, this series just seems to be getting better. Thankfully we are getting at least a book three and I, for one, cannot wait.

I'll order more from these authors

I enjoyed the first book by this partnership and this one was just as good. The title is very apt as nothing is as it seems and just when you think you have it figured out, something else pops up to throw you.Following on from the first book, Emma is attending the New Years Eve celebrations but is anxious that something is going to happen. When there is an explosion, her fears are justified. There is also a personal cost involved which sets her off on her quest to investigate what happened. This brings her back into the world of Blix. Alongside that, the discovery of a body of a certain person has links to a missing child investigation from ten years before so we have several investigations intertwining.I really enjoyed this. I like the characters of Blix and Emma, each with their own ways of dealing with things, rightly or wrongly. The writing is excellent and only for the authors names on the cover, you wouldn't know that two different people wrote this as it is totally seamless.I hope there are plenty more books left in the series.