THE TENANT by Katrine Engberg
Gallery/Scout Press; 1/14/20
CBTB Rating: 3.5/5
The Verdict: A compelling mystery and new series to watch
Katrine Engberg’s star is on the rise. The author of the critically-acclaimed Korner & Werner series, Engberg has amassed dedicated readers in her native Denmark and around Europe—and this week, Engberg’s debut novel hit American bookstores. THE TENANT effectively blends elements of bookish suspense, human drama, and police procedure to deliver a story that, despite is Nordic setting, refuses to be confined to the “Nordic Noir” category—or to any single crime fiction category at all, for that matter. Engaging, offbeat characters and an intricate mystery drive THE TENANT: readers follow two Copenhagen police officers who are tasked with solving a bizarre murder, one which appears to be heavily inspired by the unpublished manuscript of the victim’s landlady. What secrets do the landlady and her manuscript hold? What motivation could she possibly have had for murdering her tenant? And if she didn’t do it, who did? In her debut crime novel, Engberg takes readers down a twisty path filled with plenty of red herrings, a moody Danish atmosphere, and a dash of humor, too. THE TENANT is a strong debut, a slow-burning story that will surely earn Engberg a loyal American fan-base.
Plot Details:
When a young woman is discovered brutally murdered in her own apartment, with an intricate pattern of lines carved into her face, Copenhagen police detectives Jeppe Korner and Anette Werner are assigned to the case. In short order, they establish a link between the victim, Julie Stender, and her landlady, Esther de Laurenti, who’s a bit too fond of drink and the host of raucous dinner parties with her artist friends. Esther also turns out to be a budding novelist—and when Julie turns up as a murder victim in the still-unfinished mystery she’s writing, the link between fiction and real life grows both more urgent and more dangerous.
But Esther’s role in this twisted scenario is not quite as clear as it first seems. Is she the culprit—or just another victim, trapped in a twisted game of vengeance? Anette and Jeppe must dig more deeply into the two women’s pasts to discover the identity of the brutal puppet-master pulling the strings in this electrifying literary thriller.
Categorization of crime novels is a funny thing. Individual experiences of any given book can be so very different, it can feel nearly impossible to come to the exact right way of categorizing that very same book. I’m a reader for whom categories matter immensely; if you’ve been around Crime by the Book for a bit, you’ll know that I am always trying to set appropriate expectations for every book I cover here. This has perhaps never been as important as I believe it is for THE TENANT. There are so many components to Engberg’s debut that readers will love: its bookish mystery, its eccentric and quirky cast of characters, its larger-than-life plot… the list goes on. But if you go into this book expecting a traditional Nordic Noir novel or a true thriller, you run the risk of being disappointed. I consider it to Engberg’s credit that she has pushed the envelope here, but it also makes a book like hers even harder to fit into a neat box. Yes, this book has elements of police procedural; it does, after all, follow two detectives through their investigation. It also has elements of bookish suspense; the killer central to THE TENANT is inspired by an unpublished manuscript as he acts out his twisted crimes. There are also moments of gentle humor and plenty of interpersonal drama in Engberg’s work, brought to life by her novel’s vivid cast of characters. But this book is not exactly your next Jo Nesbo-like obsession, and it’s not an all-out thriller, either. And that’s not a bad thing—Engberg has proven that her work can stand on its own two feet in her debut. By my best estimation, THE TENANT is something of a human drama-meets-police procedural - a fresh take on familiar crime sub-genres, and one that will reward readers looking for a unique new voice to follow.
THE TENANT begins with a shocking discovery: an elderly man, walking down the stairs in his Copenhagen apartment building, trips and falls into his neighbor’s apartment - only to discover her lifeless corpse. The victim, Julie, is horrifically mutilated, a series of strange lines carved into her face. The police are called, and slowly but surely begin to discover a web of suspicious characters on the outskirts of Julie’s life—perhaps none more suspicious than Esther, her landlady and upstairs neighbor. Esther, you see, is an aspiring author, and has written a yet-unpublished mystery about the gruesome murder of a young woman… a character who turns out to be inspired by none other than Julie, our real-life victim. As police delve into Esther’s manuscript, they discover just how shockingly similar Julie’s real-life fate is to that of Esther’s fictional victim. Suddenly, Esther - and everyone around her - is a suspect. Could the landlady have gone a bit too far in “researching” her novel? Could someone in Esther’s colorful circle of friends have picked up her manuscript and used it as a guidebook for murder? Engberg weaves an intricate tale of intrigue in THE TENANT, one replete with numerous red herrings and slights-of-hand that will keep readers on their toes.
Engberg’s skill and unique voice shine most of all in her debut’s eccentric, larger-than-life cast of characters. THE TENANT follows crime solving duo Jeppe Korner and Anette Werner, two Copenhagen-based police officers whose professional relationship is delightfully rife with the mundane irritations of real life. As Jeppe and Anette delve deeper into the bizarre mystery surrounding Julie’s murder, their interplay and rapport contribute comedic relief and a touch of realism to an otherwise dramatic, unapologetically over-the-top crime story. But it’s not just our story’s protagonists who come to vivid, cinematic life here. Esther, the landlady, is every bit worthy of mention; her eccentricities and inner dramas, not to mention her wild circle of artistic friends, become increasingly significant to this mystery’s ultimate solution. Every individual Jeppe and Anette encounter over the course of their investigation bears a unique personality and style, and every individual similarly has their own hidden secrets and potential motivation for murder. There is a free-wheeling, highly original quality to the way Engberg crafts her characters; these are men and women painted in bold strokes, individuals who don’t have to be totally realistic to be truly enjoyable to read. Engberg’s characters were my favorite part of her debut novel. I loved watching this story’s human drama play out through the lives of its characters—the good, the not so good, and the very suspicious alike.
If I had one stumbling block in my experience reading THE TENANT, it came down to what is perhaps a personal issue: a struggle to connect with the story from the outset. Taken as a whole, I thoroughly enjoyed this crime novel and absolutely plan to continue following Engberg’s series. However, it took me about 100 pages to feel truly in sync with the novel’s pacing and plotting. This could very well have been due to my own incorrect expectations about what exactly this book is; I went into it expecting something more traditionally in the “Nordic Noir” vein, and it took me quite a while to fall in sync with THE TENANT’s unusual blend of procedural, suspense, and drama. Don’t misunderstand: I didn’t dislike the book’s first 100-odd pages, I simply felt a bit removed and distant from the story. It took time to feel truly invested in this mystery, but my patience was ultimately rewarded. When you are determining if this book is for you, just be aware that you may need to give this story time to really grab - and hold - your attention.
THE TENANT introduces Katrine Engberg to American readers, highlighting her raw talent, unique voice, and clever imagination. Part police procedural, part human drama, THE TENANT is a compelling, larger-than-life crime novel that, despite a few rough patches, no doubt heralds the arrival of a new crime writing talent. THE TENANT is sure to win Engberg devoted American fans, and I for one will be looking forward to the next Korner and Werner series installment.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. All opinions my own.
Book Details:
Hardcover: 368 pages
Publisher: Gallery/Scout Press (January 14, 2020)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1982127570
ISBN-13: 978-1982127572
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