Sohlberg and the Gift — Jens Amundsen

Sohlberg and the Gift is about murder and the worst of betrayals. And who is the best person to investigate the worst of betrayals? Chief Inspector Harald Sohlberg. A cranky misfit. A contrarian. Politically incorrect in the extreme. Definitely not part of the mindless herd. He hates social groupthink and always thinks outside the proverbial box. He certainly does not buy into the myth of Norway as a happy socialist paradise. Inspector Sohlberg investigates not one but many betrayals and miscarriages of justice. As he does so, he delves deeper into the true nature of Norwegian society, which is not a multicultural utopia. Oslo suffers a crime rate far greater than New York City and all is not well with immigrants in this realistic portrayal of Oslo and Norway. It's Christmas and Inspector Harald Sohlberg risks losing his recent promotion to Chief Inspector of the Oslo politidistrikt. Why? Because of a recent visit from a mysterious female -- Astrid Isaksen. Her visit triggers a chain reaction of events that exposes the worst of betrayals. Because the greatest betrayal is from those closest to you. Chief Inspector Sohlberg breaks into sealed court files. He sneaks into an insane asylum under false pretenses and likewise trespasses into the high-security mountain fortress holding the National Archives of the Norwegian government. He intervenes in another detective's “open-and-shut” case. The level-headed Sohlberg violates department protocol for his young visitor. Could the happily married detective be cheating on his wife? Even the straight arrow can bend or break. C.I. Sohlberg puts himself at risk of getting disciplined or fired. Has he been duped into playing the part of an unsuspecting pawn? Regardless, he must take the blame and the inevitable fall from grace if he gets caught. It's Christmas: a season of hope and redemption and gift-buying and parties and vacations. It's certainly not the best time for Chief Inspector Sohlberg to investigate a homicide case that is full of dead ends and not even his to investigate. After all, the case is considered “closed” and “over and done with” at the highest levels of the Norwegian Police Service.