Pursued by Death by Gunnar Staalesen

When Varg Veum reads the newspaper headline ’YOUNG MAN MISSING’, he realises he’s seen the youth just a few days earlier – at a crossroads in the countryside, with his two friends. It turns out that the three were on their way to a demonstration against a commercial fish-farming facility in the tiny village of Solvik, north of Bergen.

Varg heads to Solvik, initially out of curiosity, but when he chances upon a dead body in the sea, he’s pulled into a dark and complex web of secrets, feuds and jealousies.

Is the body he’s found connected to the death of a journalist who was digging into the fish farm's operations two years earlier? And does either incident have something to do with the competition between the two powerful families that dominate Solvik’s salmon-farming industry?

Or are the deaths the actions of the ‘Village Beast’ – the brutal small-town justice meted out by rural communities in this part of the world.

Shocking, timely and full of breathtaking twists and turns, Pursued by Death reaffirms Gunnar Staalesen as one of the world's greatest crime writer

About the author

One of the fathers of Nordic Noir, Gunnar Staalesen was born in Bergen, Norway, in 1947. He made his debut at the age of twenty-two with Seasons of Innocence and in 1977 he published the first book in the Varg Veum series. He is the author of over twenty titles, which have been published in twenty-four countries and sold over four million copies. Twelve film adaptations of his Varg Veum crime novels have appeared since 2007, starring the popular Norwegian actor Trond Espen Seim. Staalesen has won three Golden Pistols (including the Prize of Honour). Where Roses Never Die won the 2017 Petrona Award for Nordic Crime Fiction, and Big Sister was shortlisted for the award in 2019. He lives with his wife in Bergen.

Review

I'm always excited to pick up a book from the Varg Veum series and this was no exception. For some reason my brain categorizes them as ‘cosy Nordic noir’ - they deal with dark topics but it is done with a lightness of touch that keeps them full of hope in a weird way. They feel unique, fresh and brilliant.

When Varg is forced to get a bus, he spots two girls meeting a boy with a camper at a bus stop by Solvik. A few weeks later whilst reading a newspaper he sees that the boy is missing and he was last sighted at a demonstration against a fish farm in Solvik, the day Varg saw him on the bus. His natural inability to not investigate sees him travel to Solvik and ask around. At the local store he meets the owner Stein and local Edvard. Edvard offers to show him the area and whilst at the local pier they see a camper van in the sea. Is this where the missing boy has ended up?

‘Pursued by Death’ has a slow beginning where the author builds layers and layers to the story and it captured my attention from the get-go. I flew through this in one day. The latter half of the book ramps up the tension with some stunning consequences. I certainly did not see them coming or work out who the ‘bad guy’ was. I love it when that happens as it really makes you take a deep breath full of wonder and surprise.

The storyline highlights a growing environmental topic in Norway, the growth of large-scale fish farms and the damage that they cause to the environment. Whilst dealing with salmon lice, some of the chemicals can leak into the surrounding water and have a lasting impact. Of course, there is the debate of needing to provide locals with jobs, especially in small rural areas like Solvik. I love it when I learn about new things and this part of the narrative did steer me down a few internet rabbit holes! It's this part that of story that drives the mystery as the missing boy was part of the demonstrators even though he grew up in Solvik and his family was part of the industry. It highlights the divides in the community and the links between the characters and the industry.

I love Varg, as he is inquisitive, and loyal and doesn't let up with his investigation even under immense pressure. It feels as if he is at a stage in his life where he is beginning to question a few things, like his relationships with his son and grandson and his reflection around his birthday. His dry humour really helps give that lightness to the story.

Let me know if you pick this one up!