'Brilliantly entertaining and fiendishly fun' - PHILIPPA EAST 'A rollicking and masterfully crafted tale' - CHRIS FROST 'A charming and witty murder mystery' - GUY MORPUSS A dead art historian. Cold War skulduggery. A reluctant Danish sleuth. And an extremely hungry dog. Dame Charlotte Lazerton - eminent art historian and mentor of Danish academic Torben Helle - is dead. And to make things worse, she was found partially eaten by her Irish wolfhound, Mortimer. While the police believe that she died of natural causes, Torben becomes convinced that Charlotte was murdered, although as usual no one pays any attention to him. That is, until he gains the confidence of a policeman who has watched too many Nordic Noir television shows and is ready to listen to any Scandinavian in a fetching woolly jumper. Aided by his old friend Leyla, Torben soon realises that there are plenty of people who might have wanted Dame Charlotte dead, from her competitors for a prestigious academic presidency to old enemies from her time in intelligence during the Cold War. One thing is for sure: Torben Helle is woefully unqualified to catch a killer, and the killer knows it... This witty murder mystery puts a modern spin on the classic Golden Age whodunnit. A must-read for fans of Tom Hindle, Richard Osman and Janice Hallett. PRAISE FOR HELLE AND DEATH: 'A sparkling new voice in crime fiction' - S.J. BENNETT 'If this is the start of Scandi-Cosy, I'm all for it' - IAN MOORE

The new novel from the highly acclaimed author of Helle and Death, this is Golden Age crime for the twenty-first century

About the Author
Oskar Jensen is an author and academic. He researches songs at Newcastle University, and has written scholarly tomes on Napoleon, ballad-singing, and most recently the London streets, with 2022's Vagabonds. He is a BBC New Generation Thinker, appearing frequently on Radios 3 and 4, as well as showing up in the New Statesman, on Who Do You Think You Are?, and as historical advisor for 2018's Vanity Fair and a forthcoming major motion picture. His debut adult novel, Helle and Death, was published in 2024.

Reviews
Downbeat and funny at the same time. Oskar Jenson's writing is a delightful mix of classic crime fiction and Robert Galbraith's Cormoran Strike -- Ian Moore, author of DEATH AND CROISSANTS
Torben and Leyla is the most engaging partnership since Cagney and Lacey. A delicious whodunnit to curl up with -- Marion Todd, author of OLD BONES LIE
A brilliantly entertaining murder mystery with a fiendishly fun puzzle and characters I completely fell for. I'm quickly becoming a firm fan of the Torben Helle series -- Philippa East, author of LITTLE WHITE LIES
Another rollicking and masterfully crafted tale by Oskar Jensen. Blending elements of a classic golden-age mystery with the intensity of a contemporary thriller, the story is skillfully laced with sharp humour and Jensen's signature wit. While I thoroughly enjoyed Torben's first case, this latest instalment elevates the series to new heights -- Chris Frost, author of THE KILLER'S CHRISTMAS LIST
A charming and witty murder mystery with a wonderfully eccentric protagonist and an ingenious solution! An excellent return for the unlikely sleuth Torben Helle -- Guy Morpuss, author of FIVE MINDS
PRAISE FOR THE AUTHOR 'Combines classic country house murder mystery with an ensemble comedy caper in a glorious debut * Sunday Express *
Nicely done, with some entertaining asides about the nature of detective fiction: recommended reading for a long winter night * Guardian *
A solid gold revival of the golden age whodunnit, with a delicious Danish twist -- Janice Hallett
A love letter to the classic country house murder mystery -- J.M. Hall
Wonderfully descriptive and loaded with atmosphere -- Ian Moore



Book Information
ISBN 9781800811775
Author Oskar Jensen
Format Paperback
Page Count 352
Imprint Viper
Publisher Profile Books Ltd