FICTION

Norwegian by Night

by Derek B. Miller
Houghton Harcourt. May 2013. 304p. ISBN 9780547934877. $26; ebk. ISBN 9780547934884. F
COPY ISBN
Sheldon Horowitz is 82 years old and sliding into dementia, one symptom of which is that he talks to the dead. His granddaughter is concerned; Sheldon lives in Oslo with her and her husband because he can no longer care for himself unaided. One day the man witnesses a horrific murder outside the front door of their flat. He runs off with a small boy to save him from the killer, a Kosovo war criminal. Pursued by both the killer and the police, Sheldon revives his military skills from his sniper days during the Korean War.
VERDICT In this fiction debut, Miller (senior fellow, UN Institute for Disarmament Research) has written both an exciting chase thriller and a poignant story about a man who comes into his own again in his dotage. The book occasionally verges on schmaltz, but it's bigger and better than this minor failing. The many admirers of Scandinavian crime novels will enjoy this big-hearted first novel, which embeds social commentary although it doesn't wear its political persuasions on its sleeve.
Reviewed by David Keymer, Modesto, CA , Feb 15, 2013
Comment Policy:
  • Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
  • Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
  • Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
  • Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
  • If you see something objectionable, please let us know. Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.

RELATED 

FICTION

Heads Will Roll
by Winning, Josh
MEDIA

Finding Sophie
by Mahmood, Imran
FICTION

The Year of What If
by Patrick, Phaedra
FICTION

Not in Love
by Hazelwood, Ali
MEDIA

The Phoenix Bride
by Siegel, Natasha
FICTION

The Sky Was Ours
by Fassler, Joe
More
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?