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.

©2019 ©2019 Katrine Engberg. All rights reserved. English language translation copyright ©2021 by Tara Chace. Originally published in Denmark in 2019 by People’s Press as Vådeskud. Published. (P)2022 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

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." (AudioFile Magazine)

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

Relationships, parenting … and mystery on the side

This installment was all about the domestic lives of Jeppe, Annette, and Esther. Jeppe has a girlfriend with a kid. Annette is a new mom and is sorting out the new dynamic with her husband. Esther is still trying to live young while coming face to face with the aging dilemmas of her fellow seniors.

You can listen to this as a standalone, however you may be confused as to why Jeppe keeps consulting with an elderly lady with zero law enforcement background. Esther is essentially the third detective of the series, even if she’s not included in the series moniker.

The mystery side was also heavy on domestic issues and especially child rearing. Compared to the other books in the series, this one had fewer grizzly bits. The sordid noir flavor is still present however, just redirected towards child exploitation. I like that this one has Jeppe and Annette working with each other to a greater degree (the next book, Sanctuary, has them working apart for almost the whole book and was my least favorite of the series). The mystery was decent, but rather typical when all was said and done.

Difficult listening

I think the plot is creative and smart, but the character names were confusing and I had trouble keeping them straight.

Exploring the expected

Probes what constitutes family amid murder, loss, and treachery. Compelling read. Prepare to become a fan.

Hard to Follow Storyline

Undistinguishable scene changes made this story very difficult to follow which caused me to hit rewind way too often.

A Missing Son

This mystery gets off to a quick start with the disappearance of a teenaged son, with lots of possibilities for where he went ... or was he abducted?

Narration by Graeme Malcolm is good.

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.