Book Musings - Inborn by Thomas Enger

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour of Inborn by Thomas Enger. I am quite excited to present my musings to you.

Blurb :

 When the high school in the small Norwegian village of Fredheim becomes a murder scene, the finger is soon pointed at seventeen-year-old Even. As the investigation closes in, social media is ablaze with accusations, rumours and even threats, and Even finds himself the subject of an online trial as well as being in the dock … for murder?

Even pores over his memories of the months leading up to the crime, and it becomes clear that more than one villager was acting suspiciously … and secrets are simmering beneath the calm surface of this close-knit community. As events from the past play tag with the present, he’s forced to question everything he thought he knew. Was the death of his father in a car crash a decade earlier really accidental? Has his relationship stirred up something that someone is prepared to kill to protect?

It seems that there may be no one that Even can trust. But can we trust him?

A taut, moving and chilling thriller, Inborn examines the very nature of evil, and asks the questions: How well do we really know our families? How well do we know ourselves?.

AMAZON

My Musings :

Source : ARC from Random Things Tours - this doesn't impact my review
Date read : February 18,2019
Rating : 5/5
Reread factor : 3.5/5

This was unlike any other book I had read so far. Because it was written in such a way that it kept me tied to the story till the end. One thing I found interesting was the new locale and the culture and the names. Almost all of them were exotic to me. This really underscored the fact that I don't usually read international books. I really need to expand my horizon.

That aside, the other thing was the narrative style. It was a combination of a courtroom drama in the present with flashbacks to the mysterious crime of the death of two students in a small town. It was captivating and intriguing. It was alternating in the way that it kept me updated on the past and the present and wondering about the future. The prose was tightly written with no place for errors or space for boredom. It was as if the author had decided to keep me guessing till the end.

The way the book started had me sure about the identity of the culprit.  Oh my! I was so wrong. The author sure does know how to spin a tale of twisty turns and murky minds. I really need to acknowledge the fact that the story was one of the best ones I have read so far this year. The characters are no less intriguing with each of them having separate agendas. I liked Even from the beginning and at one point I was sad about this future. But I didn't realise the path the author was taking me on and that was one of the best surprises in the book. The ending with the aftermath twist is another one I didn't see coming, at all. All my guessing throughout the book had nothing on the plotting genius of the author.

Intriguing crime, twisted plot, murky reasons all come together to give a  brilliantly captivating read. I have no more words other than to say that I am looking forward to reading the author's other books ASAP.

My one line review : Intriguing crime, twisted plot, murky reasons = brilliantly captivating read.


About the Author :

Thomas Enger is a former journalist. He made his debut with the crime novel Burned in 2010, which became an international sensation before publication, and marked the first in the bestselling Henning Juul series. Rights to the series have been sold to 28 countries to date. In 2013 Enger published his first book for young adults, a dark fantasy thriller called The Evil Legacy, for which he won the U-prize (best book Young Adult). Killer Instinct, upon which Inborn is based, and another Young Adult suspense novel, was published in Norway in 2017 and won the same prestigious prize. Most recently, Thomas has cowritten a thriller with Jørn Lier Horst. Enger also composes music, and he lives in Oslo.