COUNTDOWN

Ottosen’s first installment in a thriller series contends with international terrorism and an ancient warning.

Søren Storm is a former United Nations weapons inspector who lives in Denmark. Thanks to Søren’s time with the U.N., he is an expert on radiation, and due to his expertise, Danish authorities ask for his assistance in a peculiar murder case. Hassan al-Nouri, a former member of Saddam Hussein’s inner circle, was serving a life sentence for his complicity in the killings of some 300,000 Kurds. He was also receiving treatment for lung cancer. When one of his treatments goes awry with a lethal amount of radiation, it is cause for concern. The ensuing investigation leads to a connected murder and the discovery of Polonium-210 in al-Nouri’s treatment, a substance that could be used in an explosive meant to spread radioactive contamination (commonly known as a “dirty bomb”). Meanwhile, Copenhagen-based journalist Kurt Østergaard is conducting an inquiry into a different matter—he receives a mysterious DVD from the estate of his late stepfather that leads him down a winding path through a secret history that appears to culminate in a warning for the present day. To further complicate matters, festivities for the Queen of Denmark’s Jubilee are just around the corner. What could possibly go wrong? The story unfolds in a series of short chapters that keep things moving at a lively pace. Early portions of the narrative explore other characters aside from Søren and Kurt, like Hans Jensen, a radical Islamicist; it is clear that Hans is part of the threat that the good guys must combat. But much like the other aspects of the plot, what exactly he’s up to takes some time to unfold. The story deftly builds anticipation for what will happen next—but along with the anticipation comes plenty of throwaway dialogue. (Characters often make generic statements like, “Thanks, I’ll do that,” or, “The doctor tells me you’re fine.”) Despite this, the novel delightfully conveys an ever-increasing sense of danger.

While chatty, this Scandinavian caper offers plenty of hard-boiled tension.