The Boy in the Suitcase

The Boy in the Suitcase has everything I normally look for in a good thriller: a strong, likeable and driven protagonist; a creative yet plausible plot; lots of action and suspense; and a setting which allows me to do some armchair travel through the vivid images of foreign lands evoked by the author/s.

Nina Borg, a nurse in a Red Cross Centre in Copenhagen, is a voice for the city’s forgotten and unwanted people, especially the many Eastern European women and children immigrants who find themselves in trouble, either in abusive relationships or trapped in the *** trade in order to remain in the country. Her total absorption in her role has caused some trouble between Nina and her husband, who feels that Nina is neglecting her own family whilst trying to save the world. But when Nina receives a panicked phone call from one of her oldest nursing friends, Karin, to pick up a parcel for her from a locker at the city’s main train station, she is again unable to refuse to come to the rescue. The contents of the locker shock Nina – a small boy, naked, drugged and zipped into a small suitcase. Fearing the worst and unable to contact Karin, Nina soon finds herself on the run with the child, hunted by the people who want the boy back.

This Scandinavian thriller, set in Denmark (and Lithuania), contains all the enjoyable hallmarks of its genre without being overtly dark and depressing. The authors skilfully explore the atmosphere of modern day Copenhagen and its problems whilst providing some hope by introducing a strong female protagonist who fights for justice amidst despair. I wholeheartedly liked Nina, and could relate to her on many levels. As a modern day woman she struggles to juggle family with career and marriage, whilst trying to make a difference in the world, a balance which is often her undoing. In her quest for justice she stumbles across the path of dangerous individuals and not only has to fight for her life but also for everything else she holds dear.

Having a nurse as protagonist, rather than a policewoman or PI, gave a completely different angle to the story and provided a refreshing change from your normal murder/mystery/thriller. Introducing each of the novel’s characters with a separate, seemingly unrelated, chapter in the beginning of the book whetted my appetite to find out more and kept me reading until late into the night, until the threads all came together to form a violent, thrilling and surprising conclusion. In the course of the book the authors introduce several strong, interesting women characters, who drive the story towards its finale. However, I also liked how the “badies” in the novel contained a strong human element, which allowed for compassion despite their dangerous and dark sides. The authors insightfully explore each character’s motives for their actions, grounding the story and giving the reader the opportunity to see each person as a three dimensional human being. As a nurse, Nina is also able to remain empathetic at all times, displaying her need to help and nurture in a very surprising act towards the end of the book – which I won’t give away here.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and am looking forward to reading more from this dynamic author-duo, Lene Kaaberbol and Agnete Friis. Highly recommended – 4.5 stars.