Category: Agnes Ravatn

The Seven Doors by Agnes Ravatn

The Seven Doors by Agnes Ravatn

Translated by Rosie Hedger

Summary:

University professor Nina is at a turning point. Her work seems increasingly irrelevant, her doctor husband is never home, relations with her difficult daughter are strained, and their beautiful house is scheduled for demolition.

When her daughter decides to move into another house they own, things take a very dark turn. The young woman living there disappears, leaving her son behind, the day after Nina and her daughter pay her a visit.

With few clues, the police enquiry soon grinds to a halt, but Nina has an inexplicable sense of guilt. Unable to rest, she begins her own investigation, but as she pulls on the threads of the case, it seems her discoveries may have very grave consequences for her and her family.

Exquisitely dark and immensely powerful, The Seven Doors is a sophisticated and deeply disturbing psychological thriller from one of Norway’s most distinguished voices.

My Review:

Being such a big fan of Nordic noir I really enjoyed The Bird Tribunal back in 2016 and now at last the long awaited return of Agnes Ravatn with The Seven Doors now out through Orenda Books and is a dark psychological thriller and follows the story of Nina who is a university professor and is trying to cope with the fact that their home that she loves is to be demolished, she has an adult daughter but her relationship is somewhat strained let alone Mads her husband.

Nina is dealing with the loss of the home she has lived in for many decades as Mads has agreed to the sale so that a railway can be built. Now that her daughter Ingeborg has arrived needing somewhere to stay as her own home has a problem with Silverfish. Ingeborg is pregnant with her second child. We find out that the Nina and Mads have a second home that they have rented out to Mari Nilsen. This is where the story becomes darker and tragic as Ingeborg has twisted the arms of her parents to allow her to move into the second home. When Ingeborg arrives she is more than just persuasive with her attitude and confronts Mari.

Nina is dealing with the loss of the home she has lived in for many decades as Mads has agreed to the sale so that a railway can be built. Now that her daughter Ingeborg has arrived needing somewhere to stay as her own home has a problem with Silverfish. Ingeborg is pregnant with her second child. We find out that the Nina and Mads have a second home that they have rented out to Mari Nilsen. This is where the story becomes darker and tragic as Ingeborg has twisted the arms of her parents to allow her to move into the second home. When Ingeborg arrives she is more than just persuasive with her attitude and confronts Mari.

 The following day Mari has disappeared and her young son, there is no trace of Mari. This has sent shock waves through Nina and Mads and it is Nina who decides that she cannot just leave it as it is and decides she needs to look into what really has happened to Mari and if her daughter played any role in her disappearance.

This is really why I am really taken with Agnes Ravatn’s writing as she weaves a story as seen through the eyes of Nina as she tries to uncover what happened to Mari, did Ingeborg play a part or was it Mari’s ex-husband. The more Nina tries to uncover the more she sees and is disturbed by her findings. Agnes Ravatn brings many characters to the plot and Nina is beginning to look at members of her own family. This is a very atmospheric novel and the plot will have the reader looking closely at each of the main characters. But Nina is one that many will warm to. A thoroughly engrossing psychological thriller and wonderfully translated by Rosie Hedger.

276 Pages

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Thank you to Orenda Books for the review copy of The Seven Doors by Agnes Ravatn.

The Seven Doors by Agnes Ravatn was published by Orenda Books and was published on 17th September 2020 and is available through Waterstones, Amazon and through your local independent bookshop.

The Bird Tribunal – Agnes Ravatn

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The Bird Tribunal – Agnes Ravatn

The Last Word Review

The Bird Tribunal by Agnes Ravatn a story of a possessive love affair between two people who are thrown together as two people whose own lives are damaged. The book has been excellently translated by Rosie Hedger.

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The story is told by Allis Hagtorn in her own words and for Allis who has run away from her own life as a TV presenter and her partner and has sort sanctuary in a remote house close to a fjord. Taking on a job that is very different from the glamorous life as a TV presenter now Allis is a housekeeper and gardener. The owner is something of a strange 44-year-old man called Sigurd Bagge who is surly and at times his mood swings from silent to questioning. Something about Sigurd is not right. Sigurd’s wife is away travelling and he wants help to look after the house and garden. From early on in this psychological thriller something starts to build. This is the ultimate slow burner that you know something is coming but not quite in what form. Meanwhile as the two start to get to know each other something of an obsession starts from Allis towards Sigurd.

The reasons for Allis running away is nothing short of a scandal yet here she is starting something that you know should not be happening to a damaged soul but here is Allis starting an obsession that becomes something more serious as she tells her story. This book will get under your skin as you can feel yourself becoming involved in ‘why are you doing this Allis’ and ‘just why did you run away in the first place’ you just feel yourself saying to the book as you read.

The centre of this story is the home of Sigurd and the never ending feeling of claustrophobia is deeply foreboding, you feel the walls of the story closing around Allis and she tries to get Sigurd to open up and talk to her. Tension is palpable all the way through this thriller to the dramatic closing moments of the story.

I have to admit to being not at all at ease with Allis she seemed to be setting herself up for a trap and sleepwalking into a nightmare scenario. Sigurd is just plain odd a creepy character that you would not want to get too close to. But it seems they were drawn to each other. Possession and obsession. The ultimate car crash was going to happen. I have to commend Rosie Hedger on the translation. Superb.

This is my first Norwegian thriller and another hit for Orenda Books who have found some of the most incredible writers of recent times with more set to come in the future.

This is a gripping thriller although short at just under 200 pages you will consume this gem easily in one sitting on a chilly autumn evening.

The Official Bird Tribunal Blog Tour 2016

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