1222: The Hanne Wilhelmsen Novels, Book 8

By: Anne Holt

Narrated by: Kate Reading

From Norway’s #1 best-selling crime writer comes a suspenseful locked-room mystery, the US debut of a new series, set in an isolated hotel where guests stranded during a monumental snowstorm begin turning up dead.

A train on its way to the northern reaches of Norway careens off the track during a massive blizzard, 1,222 meters above sea level. The passengers abandon the train for a nearby, century-old hotel that is practically empty except for the staff. With plenty of food and shelter from the storm, the passengers think they are safe - until one of them turns up dead. With no sign of rescue and the storm continuing to rage, retired police inspector Hanne Wilhelmsen is asked to investigate. Paralyzed by a bullet lodged in her spine, Hanne has no wish to return to police work. Bitter and antisocial, she is slowly coaxed back to her old habits as curiosity and a natural talent for observation compel her to take an interest in the passengers and their secrets. When another body turns up, Hanne realizes that time is running out and she must act fast before panic takes over. Trapped in her wheelchair, trapped by the storm, and now trapped with a killer, Hanne has to fit the pieces of the puzzle together before they strike again.

Anne Holt’s books have sold more than five million copies in Europe, and her books are #1 bestsellers in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, and Finland. Now she is poised to gain a huge American following with this captivating new mystery that pays homage to Agatha Christie and her classic book, And Then There Were None.

Anne Holt has worked as a journalist and news anchor and spent two years working for the Oslo Police Department before founding her own law firm and serving as Norway’s Minister for Justice for part of 1996 and 1997. Her first book was published in 1993, and her work has been translated into 25 languages. She lives in Oslo with her family.

©2007 Anne Holt. Translation 2010 by Marlaine Delargy (P)2011 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“Anne Holt is the godmother of modern Norwegian crime fiction.” (Jo Nesbo, New York Times best-selling author)

" 1222 is a splendidly chilly read." ( The Observer, UK)

"Anne Holt is the latest crime writer to reveal how truly dark it gets in Scandinavia.” (Val McDermid, author of Fever of the Bone)

Disappointing story and performance

Maybe it's the cold Norwegian climate, but I found this book dull and the performance so dry as to be seriously annoying. The narrator has a quirky delivery with odd pauses and rising inflections that detract from the story's emotional impact. The main character is a bad tempered misanthrope - very hard to warm up to. I know this is book 8 of a series, so perhaps earlier books were more compelling, but I found this one very disappointing.

One of the best

Really wonderful, plot well crafted- imagery amazing. Great to hear Hanne’s voice in such depth.

Interesting mystery

Although apparently this is the Eighth novel in this series, it is the first English translation of this authors work. I found the narrator of the audiobook very good. I think she captured the mood and ambience of the novel quite well. I own both the Kindle and audio versions of this novel and it was helpful at times to follow along in the novel listening to the narrator. I'm not quite sure I would've finished the novel without the narration in the audiobook which helped move the story along. It Was good but not exceptional. I do think I would read another of her novels in the future if it's translated into English.

A Great Winter Read

Anne Holt delivers. This is a great listen. I love Scandanavian mysteries and I also am partial to strong female protagonists. Hanne Wilhemsen is unique. I hope that more of this series is translated into English.

Decent but slow

I love murder mysteries set in an isolated environment. This book met that requirement, but it struggled to keep my interest. The characters weren't very interesting, and the story dragged. With some tweaks, it could have been a lot better.

A Norwegian homage to Agatha Christie

Although I typically like to read series in order, I purchased this in one of the Audible sales. It does work as a stand-alone novel. Holt gives an homage to Agatha Christie in the setup to this novel -- the classic trapped strangers scenario (she has her protagonist reference "And Then There Were None", during the early scenes.) The forced closeness of a group of trapped strangers in a hotel in wintry Norway adds edginess, as does the plight of the protagonist herself, a paraplegic former detective, who is doubly confined without full mobility in a multi-story hotel. Yes, most will find Hanne rather irredeemable, but I love the misanthropic detective (like Lovesey's Peter Diamond) and I love strong female characters and we find both in Hanne Wilhemsen.

I found Kate Reading's delivery a bit uneven in this volume, which gave the story a bit of stilted feel. However, this is still a good read I would recommend to any lover of classical mysteries.

Outstanding series

Complex tale with twists and turns and last minute surprises. A nod to a few Agatha Christie classics.

I loved this book

If you could sum up 1222: The Hanne Wilhelmsen Novels, Book 8 in three words, what would they be?

Chilling mystery.

What other book might you compare 1222: The Hanne Wilhelmsen Novels, Book 8 to and why?

None come to mind. This book was unique.

Which scene was your favorite?

Most of the scenes take place in a hotel, but the psychological aspect is gripping.

Any additional comments?

Please, Audible, get more of Wilhelmsen's work.

More, please.

Would you consider the audio edition of 1222: The Hanne Wilhelmsen Novels, Book 8 to be better than the print version?

In English, please.

Narrator could not have been more perfect. A quiet book. More, please.

Fantastic

a fantastic mystery set in Norway during a blizzard with everyone trapped inside a hotel. the key for me was the woman who uncovered the mystery was restricted to a wheelchair . the there are not many stories where the heroine is is a disabled person. as someone who has a disability, I was very much drawn to her ability to solve the mystery without ever having to move. a great story well read.