⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Akin to a “meh” episode of Law & Order – something to watch and you’ll be entertained, but not 🤯.

⏰ 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫: Copenhagen. 15-year old Oscar has gone missing, so of course everyone is asking, “Did he run away?” Or did something nefarious happen? Enter Jeppe Korner and Anette Werner, the persistent duo of detectives on the case who swim through family secrets, hidden notes, and clandestine messages, and oops…. Some really dead bodies.

💡𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬: The word I would use for this police procedural mystery is “basic.” It’s basically good. Basically quick. Basically written. It’s basically effective and basically plot-driven.

I wasn’t wowed, but I wasn’t turned off. It’s what I affectionately call a “meh” read (that’s Gen Z for “ok” however I’m Gen X but I’m fluent) which is perfect for when you want to brain-wander, lost in a book but not quite up for any heavy thinking. The highlight is the plot – one that surprised me a few ways, along with some well-thought red herrings thrown in for fun.

The characters are plentiful though I didn’t feel attached to any of them (hence the 3.5); there really isn’t anyone to “cheer” for (not that this is necessary, but merely noteworthy) because they enter and exit pages quickly. Anette is by far the most interesting in the book, and the reader gets a peek into her life as a working mom detective, but it’s a mere glimpse… something that filled some pages but didn’t warrant intense or sustained FEELING.

My reaction is like that after watching a mediocre Law & Order episode- it was a way to pass some time. I was mildly entertained. So reading the book was a five-hour L&O episode, sans Jerry Orbach… or Ice-T.

𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗦𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆𝗠𝗮𝗴𝘀.𝗰𝗼𝗺 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

📚𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Police Procedural Mystery

😍𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨: If you’re in a rut and just need a quick mystery. Good airplane book. Also if you enjoy foreign mysteries – I did enjoy Googling some Copenhagen locales and now wish to ski on a garbage dump!

🙅‍♀️ 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨: If you’re craving excitement! Wow! Suspense! (Yeah, that’s not this one yo.)

Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Gallery Books/Gallery Scout Press for my advanced copy in exchange for my always-honest review and for making me add Copenhagen to my bucket list (minus the dead bodies!)