Mystery and Crime · Hardback

The Blackbird’s Song

Norwegian title: Svarttrostens sang

When two women with ties to a rising political star disappear, the case leads back to the war-torn Balkans and to the secrets that refuse to die.

In The Blackbird’s Song, war trauma and psychological suspense intertwine on Norway’s dark and rain-soaked west coast. Psychiatrist Carmen Wiese, a newly appointed profiler in the Bergen police, is drawn into an investigation that challenges both her professional integrity and her sense of self. At the same time, Victoria Valkendorf, a privileged mother hiding a secret from her time as a soldier in Kosovo, feels her carefully built life begin to unravel.

As the investigation unfolds, disturbing connections emerge between Norway and the chaos of post-war Kosovo, where crime and power fed on human suffering. For Carmen and Victoria, confronting the past becomes a question of survival and of how far we will go for truth, justice, and forgiveness.

Rich in atmosphere and psychological depth, The Blackbird’s Song explores guilt, responsibility and moral courage across generations and borders. It’s a haunting, character-driven thriller about how the shadows of history still shape the present and how silence can be the most dangerous form of complicity.

The title refers to Kosovo’s name, which means blackbird in Serbian an echo from the medieval “Field of the Blackbird,” where history and myth still haunt Europe’s collective memory.

"Provides insight into several themes rarely encountered in this genre (...) Interesting, but also exciting – as it should be (...) A successful narrative approach, and well balanced."Samtiden

Material available

  • ✓ Synopsis & author CV
  • ✓ Full manuscript (Norwegian)
  • ✓ Sample translation on request

Original publisher

Cappelen Damm

Publication

2026

Length

335 pages

Format

Hardback

Genre

Mystery and Crime

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