Death of a Nightingale by Lene Kaaberbøl and Agnette Friis
This novel is part of the series featuring Nina Borg, a nurse, but the first one that I've read. Here, Nina is working at Coal-House Camp, a camp for refugees on the outskirts of Copenhagen. She has developed a relationship with Natasha Doroshenko and her daughter Rina as Rina suffers from asthma. Natasha and Rina are from Ukraine and Natasha fled when her husband was murdered.
When she attacks her Danish husband, she is imprisoned and Rina is housed at Coal-House Camp. When Natasha is taken to police headquarters one day, she overhears a conversation and takes the opportunity to escape. Natasha knows that she has nothing to do with either her husband's death or subsequent deaths, but has only minimal clues to the woman she believes is behind them, a woman she knows only as The Witch.
Nina tries to protect Rina from harm, and calls on her friend Soren who is with the police when an attack is made on the Camp.
A parallel story takes place in Ukraine in the mid 1930s where a family is torn apart through politics, ambition, and resentment. Of course there is a link between these two stories, that we finally see near the end.
The outcome of this case will turn Nina in a new direction, as she finds her husband's criticisms hit home.
This is an interesting novel, with a complex plot.
Are you planning to go back and read the earlier books? I think they add very interesting layers to Nina's characters. The series is my new favourite for mystery reading.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure. I've got so many books that are urgently on my reading list. I think if I come across one, I'd likely pick it up and read it. But I am trying to get through more of my own books this year than I have previous years too.
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