Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Solving a murder is no walk in the park…”

It felt SO good to be reunited with Torben Helle! I really enjoyed reading the first book in this series – Helle & Death – last year, so as soon as I heard about a new book from Oskar, I just had to read it! It’s another slow burner, but so compelling and as always, so entertaining! Get your detective hats on team – we’ve another mystery to solve! SO happy to be sharing my review of Helle’s Hound, book two in the series!

About the book

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…

The beginning

A good ol’ mystery + a massive dog (specifically an Irish wolfhound named Mortimer) = my kinda read, especially when I’m reunited with characters I already recognise and love! We begin book two with a brief recap of the happenings at Bastle House throughout book one, and by getting reacquainted with a few familiar characters. I’d probably recommend you read Helle & Death first – even though this book is perfectly fine as a standalone, there are some references to parts of Helle & Death which may confuse you if you haven’t read it! I’d also forgotten just how much I loved Oskar Jensen’s humour, but it soon came back to me from that first chapter. I fell in love with it all over again! The first chapter ends quite unexpectedly, with the news of Dame Charlotte’s death. I’d grown fond of Torben’s friend/mentor, and although it first appeared as though Charlotte’s death was a tragic accident, Torben (of course) feels like there is much more to this death. In true Torben style, he just has to get involved!

“Look, sir, perhaps you’d better call me back as soon as possible. Basically, she’s dead. And, well, it’s not a pretty sight.”

Charlotte’s funeral is what really sets things in motion for Torben. There are some suspicious characters in attendance. Combine this with snippets of information from Charlotte before her death and we have a mystery on our hands once again. I did really like how we’re introduced to all this, how Leyla is reluctant at first to help Torben unravel the truth about Charlotte’s death after last time, but soon comes round. I loved their banter so much and just how they communicate in general. In fact, every bit of dialogue feels so brilliant, witty and just so fun. Torben’s Danish outbursts always make me smile! The pair begin to put together a case, gathering documentation, notes, and memoirs from a big old desk left to Torben in Charlotte’s will. In fact, she’d left the whole house to him. I already had a little theory of my own going on. Maybe she knew death was coming? Maybe she was in too deep and wanted Torben to have access to her notes so he could work out what happened? (Ha!) I was so excited to dive deeper into Charlotte’s life to find the truth!

The middle

Like the previous book in this series, this one is also a slow burner, but I didn’t really see it as much of a negative. As a result, we really get to see Torben and Leyla’s relationship develop, as well as join the pair as they get to work on unravelling the truth about Dame Charlotte’s death. Leyla is kept busy by profiling the people from the funeral, with another friend, Ruth (a soon to be ex-police officer) helping to gather what intel she could before she’s officially off the force. New cop, Meera, seems to be a big help too in their quest, as well as taking Mortimer under her wing. I was desperate for more Mortimer time, but he didn’t seem to be star of the show yet. I hoped it was coming, though! It’s a complex case with so much information to go through and a lot of characters to bear in mind, but the author writes it all in a way that makes it digestible, that builds curiosity and that just feels so satisfying. One by one, Torben and Leyla interrogate (or should I say, interview) their suspects, and I loved playing detective with them.

“There just might be a moral there, if you care to fish for it, about what really matters between two people, and what is just distraction.”

Some of their suspects are eliminated due to their alibis (even though in a way, Torben still blames all of them for his friend’s death) and some of the suspects made me think they had some involvement, even if they weren’t directly responsible. After saying these interviews were for a book, he probably should write it after all the effort he was going to… I was so drawn into all these new characters, and it was addictive trying to slot them into the date and time of Charlotte’s death. I was always excited for the next conversation, what information would come out next, just what the truth even was. Just like when reading the author’s last book, it was all so unpredictable. There’s intrigue laced throughout every chapter and I was forever needing to read just-a-bit-more. I really liked one of the last people Torben speaks to, Charlotte’s neighbour, Lucia, who gives him a very interesting story. Things were getting exciting! Leyla’s confidence growth and character development was truly brilliant here, and I was excited to know what surprise she had up her sleeve for the ending!

The end

I loved the comparisons to Holmes and Watson that Leyla makes between herself and Torben. I could really see it! We see how Torben and Leyla’s investigation takes them in separate directions, competing with each other to get the desired results first. I quite liked the healthy competition and it gave the ending of the book such a fun edge, which of course worked so brilliantly alongside everything else. Leyla speaks to Charlotte’s cousin, Beryl, and what a brilliant character, even if she was introduced to us late in the book! I loved learning more about Charlotte from Beryl’s point of view, and there is a crucial piece of information revealed that could answer SO many questions Torben had along the way. The pacing was excellent here, and I was on the edge of my seat waiting for everything to be resolved. After removed pages from Charlotte’s memoir and a clean up of the crime scene prior to forensic examination, surely the explanation of it all had to be good! And what we learn made me love Oskar’s clever mind even more. (Is that even possible?!)

“A lesson for the ages. Never trust a Swede.”

With another unexpected death (I did not see THAT coming) it’s safe to say that the final chapters were pretty chaotic! I loved the fast pace, the potential danger, the chase to catch the person responsible. They finally had their theory and the right suspect. All they had to do now was take them down in such a memorable way, and my god does Oskar nail it! I will never understand how mystery authors in particular manage to organise such complex plots, clues and characters into a book that makes sense and feels super satisfying at every turn. This book is such a great example of how to do just that. I will admit though that I had to reread a couple of sections due to the complexity of it all, but there was a really good round up at the end which really helped me tie everything together. I also wanted more Mortimer! But that is just me being me 😂 After this latest dose of an Oskar Jensen mystery, I can’t wait for the next! What on earth will Torben and Leyla find themselves involved in next time?!

Overall thoughts

Helle’s Hound is a complex, witty and thoroughly entertaining mystery with brilliant characters and a baffling new murder to solve. If you ever want to really feel like you’re a part of a murder mystery, Oskar’s books are the ones for you. His words completely pull you in and transport you somewhere else entirely, and he creates genuinely hilarious characters you will love! The second book in this series is such a absorbing read, unravelling the mystery of Dame Charlotte Lazerton’s unfortunate death alongside Torben, Leyla and Co. was a ride I’ll not forget in a hurry. It’s a slow burner for the most part, but certainly picks up by the end, and it will leave you satisfied and hungry for book three! Another triumph, Oskar! Brilliantly done! 😊

Huge thanks to the author, Oskar Jensen, and the brilliant team at Viper Books for my proof copy! You can grab your copy of Helle’s Hound TOMORROW (30th Jan) or get your last minute pre-orders in via Amazon (or wherever you buy your books!) Make sure you’re following Oskar on X/Twitter and Bluesky for more updates.

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