The Katharina Code cover art

The Katharina Code

The Cold Case Quartet, Book 1

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The Katharina Code

By: Jørn Lier Horst, Anne Bruce - translator
Narrated by: Tim McInnerny
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About this listen

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of The Katharina Code by Jørn Lier Horst, read by Tim McInnerny.

Twenty-four years ago Katharina Haugen went missing. All she left behind was her husband Martin and a mysterious string of numbers scribbled on a piece of paper.

Every year on October 9th Chief Inspector William Wisting takes out the files to the case he was never able to solve. Stares at the code he was never able to crack. And visits the husband he was never able to help.

But now Martin Haugen is missing too.

As Wisting prepares to investigate another missing persons case he's visited by a detective from Oslo. Adrian Stiller is convinced Martin's involved in another disappearance of a young woman and asks Wisting to close the net around Martin.

But is Wisting playing cat and mouse with a dangerous killer or a grief-stricken husband who cannot lay the past to rest?

Set between the icy streets and dark forests of Norway, The Katharina Code is a heart-stopping story of one man's obsession with his coldest case.

©2018 Jørn Lier Horst (P)2018 Penguin Audio Crime Thrillers Fiction International Mystery & Crime Mystery Police Procedural Psychological Thriller & Suspense Thriller Disappearance Exciting Heartfelt Suspense Marriage

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Critic reviews

Jørn Lier Horst is one of the most brilliantly understated crime novelists writing today (Joan Smith)
Up there with the best of the Nordic crime writers (Marcel Berlin)
The Katharina Code is the best and most ingenious novel that Jørn Lier Horst has written thus far (Tvedestrandsposten)
If you haven't already, introduce yourself to Norway's Chief Inspector William Wisting - you'll warm to him even though his patch can get pretty cold (Jon Wise)
Jørn Lier Horst only gets better and better . . . The Katharina Code is a beautiful crime fiction story (Stavanger Aftenblad)
The Katharina Code vibrates with anticipation all the way to the finish (Dagbladet)
The author has employed literary devices one only rarely finds in a crime novel. And he's succeeded marvellously (Tvedestrandsposten)
With The Katharina Code Jørn Lier Horst again delivers an excellent crime novel with a credible plot . . . All that remains is to declare that Jørn Lier Horst impresses again (Østlands-Posten)
The untangling [of the mystery], the tactics, and the climax keep the suspense at a solid Horst level (Trønder Avisa)
Jørn Lier Horst has truly done it this time . . . Exceptionally well-executed (Tønsbergs Blad)
All stars
Most relevant  
An atmospheric well crafted story,always credible, beautifully narrated. Characters are well developed providing the foundation for numerous sequels.

Excellent

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That was great. Easy listening and very well read. Many twists and turns and look forward to any more stories by the writer

What an interesting story

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Really enjoyed this, I've watched the Wisting series and wanted to now try the books. Great narrator, binged it.

Gripping!

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...in the story. One would have to say, also, that this is competently, but, somehow, not very charismatically, read by Tim McInnerny. Previous titles by this author have been read by Saul Reichlin, who is much better. Can’t quite quantify how, but listen to samples of both & see if you agree!

In the end, not much suspense

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A real find for me this one. Enjoyed the story and the characters - and the narrator was good too.

A good listen

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Horst is a great procedural police thriller writer. His characters are well drawn and coloured in, his plots are complex and very tight and his endings are absolutely HOPELESS. Thus writer dies not know how to leave his readers and audiences satisfied. The TV versions have tweaked a few to make them more appealing. The producers learned that from their version of The Caveman which was the first and unaltered debut season. But what is written - and read - is written. So, as nothing much is ever left to a final page twist or reveal I suggest you stop listening five to ten minutes from the end. It will save you that deflated feeling after many hours of absorbing narrative. Tim McInnery is a great narrator. Nothing like his celebrated Percy Darlibg from his Blackadder days. One odd note: the recording of McInnery in this series are delivered NOT in real time. You need to tweak the playback speed up or down depending on the book. Oh and the editing is awful. Odd pauses in strange places and then other sections all crushed together. Apart from that. A great listen

Make up your own ending. It'll be better

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The story was a really good police procedural. The narration, however, sometimes seemed too fast & like he’d forgotten to take a breath between sentences/paragraphs.

Great story, narration okay

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Wrong person to narrate. Please don’t use him for Any future Nordic Noir. He kept changing pronunciation of the main characters name and for lesser characters made them sound like dullards.

Horrible narrator

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another book I couldn't put down. looking to start the next book tomorrow. if not sooner.

another great read

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This is a very atmospheric police procedural, in a quiet way looking at the ethics of various investigative methods while all the time keeping the tension high and the reader guessing. Tim McInnerny’s narration is superb, bringing all the characters to life and keeping the drama going.

Excellent story, excellent voice acting

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