Book Review: The Torso

Reviewed By: Lynn Harnett

The Torso     Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
Helene Tursten
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Police Procedural   Woman Main Character   Noir
Series: Detective Inspector Huss # 2
Soho Press, 2006, 360pp

Swedish cop Irene Huss makes her second appearance (after “Detective Inspector Huss”) with the other members of the Goteborg Violent Crimes Unit when an eviscerated torso turns up on the beach. DNA evidence determines the deceased was male but the only clue to his identity is an expertly crafted tattoo. A similar unsolved crime in Copenhagen, Denmark, takes Irene there where she finds the tattoo’s source on a sign for a gay sex shop.

Then a young girl she has been looking for is similarly murdered in Copenhagen and Irene is shaken, feeling responsible. This fear deepens as more murders occur in Irene’s wake. Could the killer be a cop? Someone with inside information? Is her family at risk?

The killings themselves are beyond grisly, featuring necrosadism – murder for sexual enjoyment of the mutilation of a dead body - but the focus is more on people and setting than gore.

With elements of Ed McBain’s 87th precinct series in the friction, co- operation and competition between the differing personalities of the cop team, and a fascinating glimpse of cultural dynamics in Scandinavia, this is an absorbing, character-driven series. At 40, Irene has a busy, satisfying family life with her chef husband, twin teenage daughters and energetic dog, and a focused dedication, which doesn’t mind bending the rules when it suits.

The writing is spare, vivid and atmospheric. This is a series for readers who like procedurals with a strong psychological component.

Lynn Harnett

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Lynn Harnett