The Butterfly House - by Katrine Engberg (Paperback)

About the Book

"A compelling new crime thriller featuring Copenhagen-based police detectives Jeppe Korner and Anette Werner, who work to solve a series of sordid murders that have roots in the care of vulnerable hospital patients and at-risk children-- and to expose a murderer who who specializes in cold, cold blood."--

Book Synopsis

Detectives Jeppe Kørner and Anette Werner race to solve a series of sordid murders linked to some of the most vulnerable patients in a Danish hospital in this sequel to the #1 international bestseller The Tenant that is "brimming with personality, eccentric characters, and plenty of mystery and intrigue" (Crime by the Book).Hospitals are supposed to be places of healing. But in the coronary care unit at one of Copenhagen's leading medical centers, a nurse fills a syringe with an overdose of heart medication and stealthily enters the room of an older male patient. Six days earlier, a paperboy on his route in central Copenhagen stumbles upon a macabre find: the naked body of a dead woman, lying in a fountain with arms marked with small incisions. Cause of death? Exsanguination--the draining of all the blood in her body. Copenhagen investigator Jeppe Kørner, recovering from a painful divorce and in the throes of a new relationship, takes on the case. His partner, Anette Werner, now on maternity leave after an unexpected pregnancy, is restless at home with a demanding newborn and an equally demanding husband. While Jeppe pounds the streets looking for answers, Anette decides to do a little freelance sleuthing. But operating on her own exposes her to dangers she can't even begin to fathom. As the "thrillingly nerve-racking" (Shelf Awareness) investigation ventures into dark corners, it uncovers the shockingly depraved greed that festers beneath the surface of caregiving institutions--and what Jeppe and Anette discover will turn their blood as cold as ice...

Review Quotes

Praise for The Butterfly House "A second engrossing piece of Nordic noir, after the best-selling The Tenant (2020), from Engberg, who brings skills acquired as a dancer and choreographer to her writing. There is not one misstep, not one moment or movement out of sync...Once again, Engberg's two detectives are impeccably defined, especially postpartum Anette, and a host of supporting characters are also sensitively portrayed. The theme is troubling yet timely."-Booklist (starred review) "Well-crafted . . . By addressing the issue of society's treatment of the mentally ill, Engberg brings the complexities of life into this superior Danish police procedural. Fans of Scandinavian noir will hope this series has a long run."-Publishers Weekly "Original and absorbing. [Katrine Engberg] is a name to look out for." -- The (London) Times "Engberg has crafted a fine police procedural. She is an author to look out for, one who will be cited years hence as a key player in Nordic noir."-BookPage "Satisfying...[It] will please fans of police procedural."-Kirkus Reviews "Taps into the fear of every civilized nation that its lauded health care system might be leaning toward inhumane end-of-days medical practices. The philosophical issues are worth debating."-The New York Times Book Review "I loved The Butterfly House, and would highly recommend this engaging, inventive Danish crime novel for fans of Nordic Noir and police procedurals . . . brimming with personality, eccentric characters, and plenty of mystery and intrigue."-Crime by the Book "It is my fervent wish that Katrine Engberg continues to write and never stops."-Bookreporter "Engberg isn't sentimental or preachy-Tara Chace's translation keeps the tone lively and colloquial-but she is insightful about why people act as they do, making this an unusually rich police procedural."-Air Mail "Finely wrought...Like The Tenant, The Butterfly House makes terrific use of its setting's cultural institutions and social mores. The novel's roaming perspective has a thrillingly nerve-racking effect: each time the viewpoint shifts, readers can't help but wonder if this is the character who's going to get it-or give it."-Shelf Awareness "Brazen and original...[with] stellar sleuthing."-The Toronto Star

About the Author

A former dancer and choreographer with a background in television and theater, Katrine Engberg launched a groundbreaking career as a novelist with the publication of her fiction debut, The Tenant. She is now one of the most widely read and beloved crime authors in Denmark, and her work has been sold in over twenty-five countries. She lives with her family in Copenhagen.