The Butterfly House by Katrine Engberg

I didn’t realize The Butterfly House was part of a series when I requested the arc from Netgalley. Actually, to be completely honest, I didn’t realize it was part of a series until I was over half-way into reading it. I didn’t feel like I had missed out on a lot of backstories, so I feel like you can read this as a stand-alone (if you’ve read the first book of the Korner and Werner series please let us know down below if you agree or disagree). The reason I requested it from Netgalley is this COVER. Wow, wow, wow. Love it.

About The Book 📚

Title: The Butterfly House (Korner and Werner #2)

Author: Katrine Engberg

Publication Date: January 5, 2021

Publisher: Gallery/Scout Press

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Crime, Nordic Noir, Cultural (Denmark)

Synopsis

“Hospitals are supposed to be places of healing. But in the coronary care unit at one of Copenhagen’s leading medical centers, a nurse fills a syringe with an overdose of heart medication and stealthily enters the room of an older male patient.

Six days earlier, a paperboy on his route in central Copenhagen stumbles upon a macabre find: the naked body of a dead woman, lying in a fountain with arms marked with small incisions. Cause of death? Exsanguination—the draining of all the blood in her body.

Clearly, this is no ordinary murder. Lead Investigator Jeppe Korner, recovering from a painful divorce and in the throes of a new relationship, takes on the investigation. His partner, Anette Werner, now on maternity leave after an unexpected pregnancy, is restless at home with a demanding newborn and an equally demanding husband. While Jeppe pounds the streets looking for answers, Anette decides to do a little freelance sleuthing. But operating on her own exposes her to dangers she can’t even begin to fathom.

As the investigation ventures into dark corners, it uncovers the ambition and greed that festers beneath the surface of caregiving institutions—all the more shocking for their depravity—and what Jeppe and Anette discover will turn their blood as cold as ice….”

About The Author

“Katrine Engberg had already attained the status of acclaimed dancer and choreographer when she began writing. Honing her voice and authorship while simultaneously continuing to contribute to the Arts, both as a director and a choreographer, Engberg soon emerged as a virtuoso of sensitive portrayals and ingeniously intertwined plot threads. Written in 2016, The Tenant is Engberg’s crime fiction debut and the first book in the internationally acclaimed and bestselling Copenhagen series, hailed for its refreshing style and lovable characters. Four books have been written in the series to date.” https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5450196.Katrine_Engberg

My Review

› The Butterfly House takes place over six Fall days in Copenhagen. Frederik, working as a paperboy to save money for his sophomore class trip, finds a body in the town’s fountain. More people are found with the same injuries and when the third victim is found, the police discover they are all connected to a psychiatric treatment center for children and teens called The Butterfly House.

Investigator Jeppe Kørner is leading the team working this case without his usual partner, Annette Werner, who’s on parental leave. Falck is his new partner, who just returned from a long stress leave. Kørner thinks Falck isn’t ready to be back and is worried he won’t be able to solve the case without Werner. Detective Werner is a new mom, struggling to find a bond with her baby girl and missing her work. She gets tidbits of info from Kørner, and sneaks out, leaving the baby with her husband in order to try and find the murderer.

Detective Sara Saidani and Detective Kørner are secretly sleeping together. Jeppe likes her a lot, but is afraid of commitment, especially because she has kids and he doesn’t. Her partner, Larsen, is irritating, sexist, brash, and ambitious.

Simon Hartvig is a social worker at Inpatient Ward U8 for mentally ill children and teenagers. One of his patients is Isaak, almost 18, has schizophrenia and autism. Hartvig is worried about Isaak because he will soon be transferred out of U8 and into the adult system, which is broken and underfunded. Hartvig feels like he needs to take drastic measures to keep Isaak safe.

Esther de Laurenti, a retired University professor, went for therapy with psychiatrist Peter Demant. She’s experienced trauma in the past and is in denial of how much it’s affected her. Esther lives with an old friend named Gregers. She develops a crush on a new tenant in her apartment building named Alain. Gregers ends up in the hospital and realizes he’s seen Alain before, working at a restaurant. This gives Esther an uneasy feeling because Alain had told her he was a musician. Who is Alain and why is he lying?

The big question is WHO is killing people connected to The Butterfly House, and why?

“The butterfly effect. The minor indifference that leads to the end of the world.”

› I use the CAWPILE method to rate books.
0-3 Really bad
4-6 Mediocre
7-9 Really good
10 Outstanding

› Characters: 6

› Atmosphere: 6

› Writing Style: 7

› Plot: 8

› Intrigue: 7

› Logic: 6

› Enjoyment: 7

Average 6.7

1.1-2.2 = ★
2.3-4.5 = ★★
4.6-6.9 = ★★★
7-8.9 = ★★★★
9-10 = ★★★★★

My Rating ★★★

› Final Thoughts
• The Butterfly House is an interesting crime mystery with some twists, turns, and suspense. The characters are intriguing and this story reminded me of The Wolf and the Watchmen by Niklas Natt och Dog. I’m realizing that I quite enjoy crime mysteries set in other countries.