Kjell Ola Dahl, Translated by Don Bartlett – Little Drummer @OrendaBooks @ko_dahl @RandomTTours #LittleDrummer #SharonBTB

I am part of the Orenda Books tour for Little Drummer by Kjell Ola Dahl. Tha ks to Anne Cater and Orenda Books for my copy of the book.

When a woman is found dead in her car in a Norwegian parking garage, everyone suspects an overdose … until a forensics report indicates that she was murdered. Oslo Detectives Frølich and Gunnarstranda discover that the victim’s Kenyan scientist boyfriend has disappeared, and their investigations soon lead them into the shady world of international pharmaceutical deals.

While Gunnarstranda closes in on the killers in Norway, Frølich and Lise, his new journalist ally, travel to Africa, where they make a series of shocking discoveries about exploitation and corruption in the distribution of foreign aid and essential HIV medications.

When tragedy unexpectedly strikes, all three investigators face incalculable danger, spanning two continents. And not everyone will make it out alive…

Exploding the confines of the Nordic Noir genre, Little Drummer is a sophisticated, fast-paced, international thriller with a searingly relevant, shocking premise that will keep you glued to the page.

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Little Drummer is book number eight in the Oslo Detective series featuring Detective Frølich and Gunnarstranda. This is the first book I have read from this series. I have read other books from Kjell Ola Dahl and always thoroughly enjoyed them.

I wasn’t too sure how much I would enjoy this with it being so far into the series. I must say, I did enjoy getting to know the two detectives. This book start as it means to go on, a case that ends up on Frølich and Gunnarstranda’s desk. A woman, dead from a suspected overdose, until a coroners report tells them different.

As they work the investigation, it sends them in the direction of a Kenyan scientist. Frølich travels to Kenya. The journalist who found the dead woman is on the same plane too, as she is carrying out her own investigation. This soon begins to cross with the police’s investigation. Gunnarstranda stays in Norway to continue investigations there. As both branches of the investigation play out there are multiple shocking twists. They uncover secrets in the world of foreign aid and prescription medications which takes the case to a global scale, and puts everyone at risk.

A dark and clever thriller. One that ramps up the gritty suspense of chasing international criminals to the max, while still keeping it grounded within reality. The two detectives are both very well-rounded. Both unique and with their differences, but they strengthen each other and make a brilliant team. Even Lise, the journalist is a character that stands out. She shows us a perspective from a different angle and eventually becomes interwoven with the detectives.

The way Kjell Ola Dahl uses the settings to create an atmospheric read is so clever. The tension and threat that is so apparent in Kenya is almost touchable. The differences between how the Kenyan police act, shooting first,and how the Norwegian counterpart would,are clear to see.

The translation of Don Bartlett is again pitch, nuance and word perfect. This allows us to read Little Drummer as the author meant it to be read. I was hooked from the first page to the last! An entertaining and engrossing read that has introduced me to yet another series I need to catch up with at some point.

Author Bio

One of the fathers of the Nordic Noir genre, Kjell Ola Dahl was born in 1958 in Gjøvik. He made his debut in 1993, and has since published thirteen novels, the most prominent of which is a series of police procedurals cum psychological thrillers featuring investigators Gunnarstranda and Frølich. In 2000 he won the Riverton Prize for The Last Fix and he won both the prestigious Brage and Riverton Prizes for The Courier in 2015. His work has been published in 14 countries, and he lives in Oslo.