Burning Guilt

 

Burning Guilt is a Scandi-noir crime procedural thriller from Inger Gammelgaard Madsen. Originally released in Danish, this English language translation was released 30th March 2021 by Saga Egmont. It's a compact 141 pages and available in ebook format. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free.

This is a very fast paced procedural novel with a police/investigative reporter duo digging into a deadly accidental fire which might have led to the death of another policeman who was investigating it.  The characters are archetypal but well rendered. The dialogue is sometimes a trifle stilted but I am fluent in Norwegian and Danish (they're very similar, at least the written languages are), and I believe that's more to do with fidelity in translation than that the dialogue is awkward. 

There are several subplots which entwine and culminate in a generally satisfactory (if a bit over the top) denouement and resolution.  The language is PG/R rated and there is some graphic violence. The author is talented and competent, however I wasn't entirely satisfied with the depiction of mental illness in the book which I felt was inaccurate, and frankly, lazy writing. 

Three and a half stars. Probably worth a look for procedural fans. Additionally, the author is worth watching for further works in translation. I'm tempted to find this book in Danish to read it in the original edition. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.