DI Jamie Johansson

Nine stars

First and foremost, a large thank you to Morgan Greene for providing me with a copy of this novel, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

Picking up immediately after the last novel came to a screeching halt, Morgan Greene provides readers with an explosive continuation to this stunning series. DI Jamie Johansson has grown so much in the past two novels (as well as her prequel trilogy) that series fans can only wonder what she will do with some of the news she garnered while almost dying in the middle of the ocean. Greene writes so fluidly that it is hard to believe that he’s not Scandinavian himself. A chilling piece series fans have come to expect!

DI Jamie Johansson has so many questions after almost dying, many of them related to a powerful and secretive organisation that may be responsible for killing her father. As Johansson prepares her next move, she must come to terms that Imperium Holdings will stop at nothing to remain in the shadows, even if that means killing those who pose a risk.

Forced to take on a new partner, DI Johansson struggles with this, as well as the apparent suicide of her superior officer, something that stinks of Imperium intervention. While she appears indifferent, Johansson wants nothing more than to race out and pull back the curtain on this group.

After losing her position within Stockholm Polis, Johansson begins her covert mission, travelling to other parts of Scandinavia. She’s immediately targeted, but it only lights a new fire under her to get answers before she can be snuffed out as well. Working an angle in Norway, Johansson pairs up with some unlikely individuals to try getting to the core of the Imperium organisation. It is only then that Jamie Johansson learns how deep and wide the group has become and what secrets they hold in their possession.

I remember stumbling upon the first novel in the prequel series, hoping that Morgan Greene would be as talented an author as some of the early hype led me to believe. I could not get enough of Jamie Johansson, who was working within the Met, and I soon became addicted to the series. When things moved to Sweden, as newly-promoted DI Jamie Johansson was seconded while she looked into her father’s apparent suicide, I became even more obsessed and Morgan Greene was one of my newest favourite authors. His writing moves from being well-crafted police procedurals to ranking right up there with some of the great Scandinavian noir authors I have had the pleasure to read. This guy is the real deal for sure!

DI Jamie Johansson has come a long way in these three books (as well as the prequel trilogy), both on a personal and professional level. Her attention to detail is matched with a grittiness that will not permit her to ignore a lead. Able to hold her own, Johansson sometimes has a difficult time following direction, but it is usually because she is determined not to let evil win again. I can only imagine where this series will take her, or what else Greene has in store for his protagonist, but I am eager to be a part of the journey.

For those who have read a number of Scandinavian noir novels, especially those that have been translated, there is a sense of fluidity to the narrative. I often comment that I am baffled that the likes of Jo Nesbø, Søren and Lotte Hammer, and Jørn Lier Horst can write so easily in another language and have their translated work come across as smoothly. Greene follows in their footsteps, without the need for a translator, telling complex stories in plot-heavy novels and keeping the reader thoroughly captivated until the final page turn. Not only is the narrative strong, but there are great characters, a strong sense of forward momentum, and powerful story arcs that do not fizzle at the end of the novel. Greene can tell a story but always leave the reader thirsty for more, something that I have found since discovering his work in October 2020. This is one author worthy of putting on your radar, if you have not already.

Kudos, Mr. Greene, for another stunning novel. It’s only been a year, but I am eager to see what the next twelve months of reading your work will do to me!

A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/248185-a-book-for-all-seasons

Eight stars

First and foremost, a large thank you to Morgan Greene for providing me with a copy of this novel, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

Morgan Greene made a name for himself with a strong prequel series, with Jamie Johansson taking centre stage. Now, moving things deeper into her career with the London Metropolitan Police, Greene pushes his protagonist into darker areas of her life and work, which can only provide the reader with more on which to feast. In this new Johansson series, the reader sees a new and much more troubled Jamie, one who doubts herself at every turn. When a case her father handled has a new victim, Jamie makes her way to Sweden to help, unravelling much of what her father discovered years ago and a new twist that could flavour the case significantly. Those who loved the early Jamie Johansson novels will want to move along to these ones and see how masterful Greene remains!

With a recent promotion under her belt, DI Jamie Johansson should be flying high. However, the elevation within London’s Metropolitan Police came at a cost, when she shot a suspect to protect herself. Muddled with the guilt, Johansson takes a leave to clear her head and reset things once and for all.

It’s during this time that Johansson receives an odd phone call. One of her father’s old cases, where they put away a serial killer, has resurfaced with a new victim. The original killer has been locked away in a Swedish prison for years, opening up new questions. Johansson rushes to join the Swedish police and help fill the boots her father left those years ago.

When she arrives, it’s like old home week for Jamie, as she recollects her early years in Sweden before being whisked away by her mother. Connecting with her father’s former colleagues, DI Johansson is able to join the team as a consultant and piece a few things together with ease. The first thing she discovers is the uncanny similarities between the former killings by the Angel Maker and the latest victim. Another young woman who appears to have been raped, tortured, and murdered, before tree boughs are inserted into her back to create makeshift wings.

While revising old crime scenes and interviewing witnesses seems tedious, it does provide some intriguing insight into a possible copycat killer. DI Johansson does not let this deter her, as some of the evidence points to a strong case of mistaken identity, or at least railroading someone into confessing to a crime they may not have committed.

Saddled with helping solve the Angle Maker case once and for all, DI Jamie Johansson must also face the truth about a father she only saw through the eyes of a child many years ago. His interactions with others and the notes he took during the investigation leads DI Johansson to come up with some truths of her own, all before she realises a stunning truth that everyone kept from her for many years.

I devoured the prequel trilogy in this series, loving how Morgan Greene presented his protagonist. Now, with a better understanding of Jamie Johansson, I am able to hash out the nuances of this more established cop in a series that is sure to offer some twists the foe dedicated reader. Greene continues to write effectively and has me begging for more at every turn.

DI Jamie Johansson is a wonderful protagonist in this piece, offering up some of her saltiness for which she became known in the past series. Her past in both the UK and Sweden emerges throughout the book, though the reader sees how ‘childhood blinders’ forced Jamie to see her father in only one light. Now, she is reader to face the truth, even if it is raw and gritty. DI Johansson uses her policing skills throughout the uncover pieces of the puzzle that were lightly glossed over b the Swedish authorities all those years ago, discovering what works for her and offers a much-needed voice for the victims of these horrible crimes.

Greene does well to keep the supporting cast strong throughout this piece, developing a decent connection with all the characters. There are revelation moments throughout this piece, mainly for Johansson, but also as it relates to the Angle Maker case. Juggling the two truths helps enrich the story and those who grace the pages of this book do well to make this an even more intriguing read.

As I have said about the other books in the prequel series, Morgan Greene can surely write and pull the reader into the middle of the story. There is always so I much going on that I cannot get enough of what Greene has to say. With a strong narrative and short chapters, the story flows with ease and keeps me wanting to devour just a little more to understand what’s going on. The reality of the Swedish experiences is heightened by use of the native language throughout, permitting the reader to get that feeling of being right there. Greene does well to balance it out and offers translation moments when needed to allow the reader to stay with the story. If this is what is to come, I am fully committed to this series and cannot wait to see what’s next. With a strong cliffhanger at the end of this book, I can surmise it will be a rough ride in the next publication.

Kudos, Mr. Greene, for a stunning series opener. You never cease to amaze me.

A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/248185-a-book-for-all-seasons