The Harbor

By: Katrine Engberg

Narrated by: Graeme Malcolm

This “must-read for fans of Nordic noir” (BookPage, starred review) follows detectives Korner and Werner as they search for a missing teenager and uncover the web of lies that has threatened his life—and may prevent him from ever being found.

When fifteen-year-old Oscar Dreyer-Hoff disappears in this “masterpiece” (Booklist, starred review), the police assume he’s simply a runaway—a typically overlooked middle child doing what teenagers do all around the world. But his frantic family is certain that something terrible has happened. After all, what runaway would leave behind a note that reads:

He looked around and saw the knife that had stabbed Basil Hallward. He had cleaned it many times, till there was no stain left upon it. It was bright and glistened. As it had killed the painter, so it would kill the painter’s work, and all that that meant. It would kill the past, and when that was dead, he would be free.

It’s not much to go on, but it’s all that detectives Jeppe Kørner and Anette Werner have. And with every passing hour, as the odds of finding a missing person grow dimmer, it will have to be enough.

Critic reviews

"Katrine Engberg is back with another atmospheric Copenhagen-based thriller, this one weaving family secrets and the art world. Narrator Graeme Malcolm voices Danish detectives Jeppe Kørner and Anette Werner in the fourth book in this Nordic noir series. When 15-year-old Oscar Dreyer–Hoff goes missing, the search is on to find him and untangle the disparate threads of the ties that bind. Malcolm’s British accent warms the listener to the protagonists working together against the backdrop of the harbor in this police procedural. As more bodies turn up, the heat is on, and the twists keep coming. This compelling audiobook leaves a shock in its final macabre moments."

Surprising twists

I enjoyed revisiting the cast of great characters and fun Danish setting from The Tenant. Time has passed and several things have changed, so it feels like there’s a book in between that’s maybe not available yet in English. But this is a good one with great twists and an ending I didn’t see coming. It could also stand alone. Looking forward to the next one! Excellent narration.

This was OK. However, I wouldn't call it great

The story wondered around and at times got lost in details. The performance was very good. I would say that this is an OK book. However, I certainly wouldn't have expected it to be a best seller.

Very slow

Story line was fairly slow. Too many characters and changed location and scenes with no notice so hard to follow.

intriguing story, disappointing ending

The story lines are taut and keep the reader interested, until the end when they seem to disintigrate.

Lost in translation

Overall forgettable. I think when books are translated they sometimes lose something. I felt like it dragged on and was barely listening by the end