THE SANCTUARY

4 stars out of 5

This book, the fifth in the series, begins with Danish police investigator Jeppe Korner on leave from the Copenhagen department and his partner, Anette Werner - and passing the time working in a sawmill on the nearby island of Bornholm while he tries to recover from losing the love of his life. Meanwhile, Anette is investigating the gruesome murder of a man who apparently died while being sawed in half lengthwise; one half has turned up in a discarded suitcase. The first obstacle, though, is identifying the body - which probably would be easier if they could locate his missing half. Also on the island, writer Esther de Laurenti is staying in the home of Ida Dybris, who has invited Esther to pen the biography of her late mother Margrethe, a noted anthropologist.

As might be expected, links begin to emerge between Anette's investigation and what's happening on the island, which means Anette must turn to Jeppe for help - which, at least at first, he's reluctant to provide. But even his surface digging forces him to realize that the island - and the people he works for and with - hold many secrets that some will go any lengths to keep that way. Following the story was a little hard for me just because there are a few too many characters for my mind to keep straight (even though I take notes along the way), but by the end I was "with it" enough to have enjoyed the whole thing just as I did the others in the series I've read (everything pretty much got sorted except for the meaning of the title). The ending wraps things up with a couple of surprises - one of which makes me look forward to the next book. Till then, I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review this one. Well done once again!

The Sanctuary by Katrine Engberg (Gallery/Scout Press, February 2023); 336 pp.