This book is the first in the Henning Juul series.  The protagonist, Henning, is a journalist who has literally been burned.  He and his son were in an apartment fire in which his son lost his life.  Henning has now returned to work and is assigned to a story involving the brutal murder/”honor killing” of a young aspiring film maker.  To throw salt on his wounds, he is partnered with his es-wife’s new boyfriend to work on the story.

Henning doesn’t buy the commonly accepted theory of the young Pakastani boyfriend committing an honor killing.  There is discussion of sharia, honor killings, and perceptions of Muslims interspersed with Henning’s investigation.  He leads a careful investigation with the help of an online informant, even at the risk of his own life.

Henning is an interesting character in that he has had this terrible tragedy occur, the loss of his son and his own injuries, and yet he doesn’t come across as whiny or self-absorbed.  He has some minor quirks as a result of his experiences but other than that, he very admirably goes about the business of moving forward.

This is an excellent thriller that hooks the reader right from the start.  Well drawn characters, good pacing, and finely crafted mystery plot all add up to a great read.  The ending gives a hint of what is to come in the series and I can’t wait to read more about Henning Juul.