1222: Hanne Wilhelmsen Book Eight (A Hanne Wilhelmsen Novel 8)

1222 metres above sea level, train 601 from Oslo to Bergen careens off iced rails as the worst snowstorm in Norwegian history gathers force around it. Marooned in the high mountains with night falling and the temperature plummeting, its 269 passengers are forced to abandon their snowbound train and decamp to a centuries-old mountain hotel. They ought to be safe from the storm here, but as dawn breaks one of them will be found dead, murdered. With the storm showing no sign of abating, retired police inspector Hanne Wilhelmsen is asked to investigate. But Hanne has no wish to get involved. She has learned the hard way that truth comes at a price and sometimes that price just isn't worth paying. Her pursuit of truth and justice has cost her the love of her life, her career in the Oslo Police Department and her mobility: she is paralysed from the waist down by a bullet lodged in her spine. Trapped in a wheelchair, trapped by the killer within, trapped by the deadly storm outside, Hanne's growing unease is shared by everyone in the hotel. Should she investigate, or should she just wait for help to arrive? And all the time rumours swirl about a secret cargo carried by train 601. Why was the last carriage sealed? Why is the top floor of the hotel locked down? Who or what is being concealed? And, of course, what if the killer strikes again? Review '1222 is an homage to Agatha Christie's Miss Marple - or Miss Marple as a badass, paralysed Norwegian lesbian detective... Holt translates the classic locked room mystery into a modern thriller.' The Times 'Like a mash-up of Steig Larsson, Jeffery Deaver and Agatha Christie.' Daily Mirror 'Step aside, Stieg Larsson, Holt is the queen of Scandinavian crime thrillers.' Red 'Anne Holt is the latest crime writer to reveal how truly dark it gets in Scandinavia' Val McDermid 'A splendidly chilling read' The Observer 'If you haven't heard of Anne Holt, you soon will... A variation on the classic locked room mystery, Holt had capitalized on old-fashioned suspense to great effect' Daily Mail 'It's easy to see why Anne Holt, the former minister of justice in Norway and currently its bestselling female crime writer, is rapturously received in the rest of Europe - the build up of tension is slow but superbly effective. Holt's vivid depiction of claustrophobia, petty squabbles and mob hysteria is just as convincing as her evocation of the storm outside.' The Guardian Review "* 'Anne Holt is the latest crime writer to reveal how truly dark it gets in Scandinavia' - Val McDermid * 'A pleasure from start to finish... a dazzling and classic crime story and a brilliant thriller' - Bokavisen, Norway * 'A fascinating, extremely modern homage to the classic detective novel' - Der Spiegel, Germany * 'Holt updates the classic locked-room-mystery with such bravado that on the last page the reader can only give a deep sigh of contentment' - Aamulehti, Finland * 'A masterpiece in the genre, a real non-stop read' - Skanska Dagbladet, Sweden" From Norway’s bestselling female crime writer comes a suspenseful locked-room mystery set in an isolated hotel in Norway, where guests stranded during a monumental snowstorm start turning up dead. A TRAIN ON ITS WAY to the northern reaches of Norway derails during a massive blizzard, 1,222 meters above sea level. The passengers abandon the train for a nearby hotel, centuries-old and practically empty, except for the staff. With plenty of food and shelter from the storm, the passengers think they are safe, until one of them is found dead the next morning. With no sign of rescue, and the storm continuing to rage, retired police inspector Hanne Wilhelmsen is asked to investigate. Paralysed by a bullet lodged in her spine, Hanne has no desire to get involved. But she is slowly coaxed back into her old habits as her curiosity and natural talent for observation force her to take an interest in the passengers and their secrets. When another body turns up, Hanne realizes that time is running out, and she must act fast before panic takes over. Complicating things is the presence of a mysterious guest, who had travelled in a private rail car at the end of the train and was evacuated first to the top floor of the hotel. No one knows who the guest is, or why armed guards are needed, but it is making everyone uneasy. Hanne has her suspicions, but she keeps them to herself. Trapped in her wheelchair, trapped by the storm, and now trapped with a killer, Hanne must fit the pieces of the puzzle together before the killer strikes again. A snowbound mountain pass, a derailed train, a locked, shuttered and heavily guarded carriage, an apocalyptic storm, an ancient hotel, old betrayals, murder and state secrets. 1222 metres above sea level : train 601 from Oslo to Bergen careens off iced rails as the worst snowstorm in Norwegian history gathers force around it. With night falling and the temperature plummeting, its 269 passengers are forced to abandon their snowbound train and find shelter in a centuries-old mountain hotel. Before dawn breaks, one of them will be murdered. Trapped by the killer within, trapped by the deadly storm outside, Hanne Wilhelmsen's unease is mounting. Why was the last train carriage sealed? Why is the top floor of the hotel locked down? And, of course, what if the killer strikes again? Follows The Experiences Of Travelers Who Are Stranded By A Blizzard In A Decrepit Hotel Where One Of Their Number Begins Killing Off The Rest. Anne Holt ; Translated By Marlaine Delargy. Scribner Fiction Original Hardcover. Translation Previously Published: London : Corvus, 2010. Translated From The Norwegian.