The Seventh Child

By: Erik Valeur, K. E. Semmel - translator

Narrated by: Mikael Naramore

Winner of the 2012 Glass Key Award given by the members of the Crime Writers of Scandinavia

All the best homes are by the water, or so the matron of Kongslund Orphanage tells her small charges. But at this particular house by the sea, not all is as it appears.

On September 11, 2001, on a desolate beach on the outskirts of Copenhagen, police begin investigating the strange death of an unidentified woman. Surrounding the body are what appear to be offerings to the deceased: A book, a small noose, a dead golden canary, a linden tree branch, and a photo of the Kongslund Orphanage. As the police puzzle over their bizarre findings, the Twin Towers fall in walls of flame and the case is quickly overshadowed by the terror half a world away.

Years later, as the 60th anniversary of the matron’s reign at Kongslund approaches, identical anonymous letters are sent to six of the home’s former residents, hinting at a cover-up that has allowed Denmark’s most influential to hide away their dirty secrets and keep their grip on power. As one tenacious reporter hunts for clues, he begins to unravel the true parentage of some of Kongslund’s "orphans". Can he figure out who is sending the mysterious letters and who murdered the woman on the beach years earlier before it is too late?

©2011 Erik Valeur og JP/Politikens Forlagshus A/S; Translation © 2014 by K. E. Semmel. (P)2013 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

Thank goodness for a good narrator

Would you try another book from Erik Valeur and K. E. Semmel (translator) and/or Mikael Naramore?

Maybe Erik......I would like to give him another chance.
I definitely liked the narrator. He kept me listening when I was ready to give up. I would listen to him again if the book was in my genre.

Would you recommend The Seventh Child to your friends? Why or why not?

No.....unless people like long, long overly detailed books.

What does Mikael Naramore bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I always like a narrator who can read the opposite sex and not be able to notice that it is the opposite sex trying too hard to sound like the opposite sex!.....I hope that isn't too redundant!
He was able to really bring to life all the different characters in the book. Even if the character wasn't announced, I knew it was that particular person.
He had a perfect tone of voice for the book. I always dislike narrators that make a mystery or thriller sound like a dumb joke....Mikael did not do that and I would listen to his narration again in a minute if he were to narrate another mystery/thriller.
His narration kept me hoping this book would actually get more interesting.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from The Seventh Child?

So much of the background of each character. There was so much repetition to each characters background that I got exhausted listening to it.

Any additional comments?

This book could have been so much better if it was half the length.
Even though there was a "twist" in the last part of the book.....it came as no surprise at all. I knew the ending less than a quarter of the way in the book.
I know that some books mean for you to know....but I don't believe it was the authors intention for us to know.....unfortunately the cat was out of the bag because of too much information.

Could not get into the story.

Any additional comments?

Almost gave up a number of times. *Exhaustingly* descriptive with too many shallow characters to care about.