Book Review: 1222
Touted as the next Scandinavian phenomenon, Norwegian author Anne Holt's latest crime thriller featuring the sharp and forthright sleuth Hanne Wilhelmsen, has more or less a typical Agatha Christie ring to it. This fact is reiterated when the lead character is troubled in her thoughts: "Twenty-four hours ago, there were 269 people on board a train. Then we became 196. When two men died, we were 194. Now there were only 118 of us left. I thought about Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None. I immediately tried to dismiss the thought. And Then There Were None is a story that doesn't exactly have a happy ending."
With Norway battering the worst snowstorm in history, a train bound for Bergen crashes in the Norwegian mountains of Finsenut. The 269 marooned travelers make their way to a hotel nearby, that is located 1222 meters above sea level (hence the title). But what if the place they have come to seek refuge from the storm becomes a locale for a series of shocking murders? With the killer on the prowl and the storm showing no sign of abating, it's up to Hanne Wilhelmsen, a retired police inspector, to investigate the deaths before it's too late. Paralyzed waist down after a bullet hit her spine, Hanne is trapped in a wheelchair as she tries to solve this locked-room mystery.
This being on the lines of a Christie novel, Hanne gets an opportunity to fit all the clues and identify the killer, Poirot style. The puzzle on the whole is fairly engaging, and Holt successfully captures the moments of unease shared by the travelers at having a murderer lurking amongst them. Several parallel angles involving Hanne's personal life (she being a lesbian) and a political conspiracy are taken up, but none have been pursued satisfactorily (perhaps I need to catch up on her other books). As a character, Hanne Wilhelmsen comes across as a detective who is very tough and has a natural taste for detective work, a profession she had left long time back. Probably due to the trauma, she is at times stubborn, cagey and a difficult person to deal with. Though this novel doesn't offer much to prove her mettle, 1222 delivers enough to keep you entertained, albeit in moderation.
With Norway battering the worst snowstorm in history, a train bound for Bergen crashes in the Norwegian mountains of Finsenut. The 269 marooned travelers make their way to a hotel nearby, that is located 1222 meters above sea level (hence the title). But what if the place they have come to seek refuge from the storm becomes a locale for a series of shocking murders? With the killer on the prowl and the storm showing no sign of abating, it's up to Hanne Wilhelmsen, a retired police inspector, to investigate the deaths before it's too late. Paralyzed waist down after a bullet hit her spine, Hanne is trapped in a wheelchair as she tries to solve this locked-room mystery.
This being on the lines of a Christie novel, Hanne gets an opportunity to fit all the clues and identify the killer, Poirot style. The puzzle on the whole is fairly engaging, and Holt successfully captures the moments of unease shared by the travelers at having a murderer lurking amongst them. Several parallel angles involving Hanne's personal life (she being a lesbian) and a political conspiracy are taken up, but none have been pursued satisfactorily (perhaps I need to catch up on her other books). As a character, Hanne Wilhelmsen comes across as a detective who is very tough and has a natural taste for detective work, a profession she had left long time back. Probably due to the trauma, she is at times stubborn, cagey and a difficult person to deal with. Though this novel doesn't offer much to prove her mettle, 1222 delivers enough to keep you entertained, albeit in moderation.
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