Scandi Noir at its best

• Book: The Boy at the Door
• Location: Sandefjord
• Author: Alex Dahl

Review Author: Bev Bookless

This book is set in Norway, which I’ve never visited but got a sense for in this debut novel by Alex Dahl. Cecilia the main character is complex and I found quite intimidating. What lengths would she go to to protect the life of affluence and success she has created? She orchestrates almost every step of her life but has many layers to her personality.
It is a page turner and written in a quite different style. You get to meet and learn about the main characters through the chapters. About a quarter of the way through one of the characters is mentioned by Cecilia. Up to this point you do not know that she knows this character. I started to wonder whether I had had a senior moment and missed something, but no it is just the way this psychological, dark novel is constructed. In addition, Cecilia does thinks, like take a little boy home that has been left behind at the swimming pool that just does not seem real, but read on.
What struck me was the way women were portrayed in the book, almost having to be successful at everything, work, motherhood, relationships and societal standing.
I very much enjoyed this book and the backdrop of a Scandinavian country worked well with the theme.

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