The action in the second novel featuring Sarah Lund takes place two years after the first. After having been banished to the small town of Gedser in southern Denmark to act as a border guard, Lund is recalled to Copenhagen when the police are unable to make any progress in solving the murder of a lawyer. What follows is an intriguing and complicated investigation that extends to involve national politicians and the army. Once again, Lund’s single-mindedness in pursuing the truth causes havoc, not only to herself, but also to others involved in or affected by the investigation. Hewson creates an intense atmosphere as the body count rises and the case progresses which holds the reader’s attention until the dramatic conclusion.

I watched the series and loved it, and when I came across the book I thought I would give it a go! It was a good move...understanding the motivations of the characters thanks to the added descriptions and thought processes in the book added another layer to an already excellent story. Thankfully I could only remember bits of the series so it was like finding it anew. Lund is a great protagonist, and her complex personality and the relationships with those around her are clarified thanks to this more in-depth understanding.

If you liked the series, read this! If you love thrillers, read this. If you love good stories, read this!!! ( )

Na een paar mislukte pogingen om De killing te lezen dit toch maar opgegeven. Ik heb namelijk het eerste seizoen van de tv serie gezien en kon daarom, om een of andere reden, niet in het boek komen. Toen maar beslist om De killing 2 te gaan lezen en dit is wel gelukt. Dit boek is mij wel goed bevallen. Niet echt een heel bijzonder boek maar toch spannend genoeg voor mij om hem uit te lezen. Misschien dat ik ook nog de tv serie ga kijken van seizoen 2, maar met seizoen 3 wacht ik toch weer totdat ik het boek heb gelezen. ( )

I have to be honest, I expected that I would quickly abandon this book in the same way that I gave up on the television series, The Killing, it is based on. Instead I found myself completely engrossed by a complex plot populated by strong, intriguing characters, such as Detective Sarah Lund and Detective Ulrik Strange.

Set in Denmark, The Killing II begins with the grisly discovery of a woman staked to a World War 2 monument, stabbed multiple times, her throat slit. The police assume it is a domestic murder and arrest her ex husband but head of Homicide, Lennart Brix, isn't so sure and recalls disgraced Detective Sarah Lund from exile to Copenhagen to examine the scene. With her instinct for the truth that ignores protocol and politics, Lund leads the team on a chase for a phantom suspect through the underground of domestic terrorism to the battlefields of Afghanistan and office corridors of the Danish government.

Lund is introduced in the The Killing, a complicated woman who, in her dogged pursuit for the killer of teenage Nanna Birk Larsen, destroys both her professional and personal life. Exiled to customs control she is reluctant to respond to Brix's summons to assist him with the sensational murder that launches The Killing II, but capitulates and quickly finds herself caught up in the investigation. Determined and intuitive, Lund's ability to 'think outside of the box' reveals clues other investigators miss but her impatience and drive puts her at odds with both her partner and the police hierarchy. Though prickly and reserved I really enjoyed Lund's unique character and her extraordinary focus.

Detective Ulrik Strange is paired with Lund by Brix. An ex-military man, Strange is uncomfortable with Lund's unpredictability and a bit of an enigma, I was never exactly sure whose side he was on, though to his credit he quickly recognises Lund's skills and backs her up. The professional tension between Strange and Lund eventually morphs into a subtle romantic tension that humanises them both.

The plot of The Killing II is complex with viable suspects flitting in and out of the frame and it takes some level of immersion in the story to follow the various possibilities. Just as I felt I had everything worked out, my theories would completely fall apart and the story would forge a new path. Thankfully Hewson brings everything together in the end, but it is an exhaustive process. The pace can drag at times as truth and lies become irrevocably entangled and at times I was a little frustrated with the dense intrigue but I was still gripped by the story.

The Killing II is an enthralling crime novel, with plenty of action and intrigue among well developed characters. Fans of the television series may be surprised to learn the ending is different to that of the show but not having watched it all the way through it wasn't a concern for me. ( )