Elsebeth Egholm Denmark
Author and journalist, born 1960. Elsebeth Egholm's first novel, De frie kvinders klub (The Free Women's Club) was published 1999 followed by Scirocco and Opium. In 2002 Egholm introduced us to the journalist Dicte Svendsen from Aarhus in the suspense novel Skjulte fejl og mangler (Hidden Mistakes and Shortcomings), followed by Selvrisiko (Personal Risk) and Personskade (Personal Injury) turning this into the Dicte Svendsen series.
Translation rights to the successful series have been sold to a long list of countries such as Germany, Sweden, The Netherlands, Italy, Poland, Norway, Italy, Iceland and France. Miso Film have aquired television rights to the first six Dicte Svendsen novels.
Elsebeth Egholm divides her time between living in the countryside in Jutland and on the small Maltesian Island Gozo.
New novel:
Tre hundes nat
(Three Dog Night)
Politikens Forlag, 7. april 2011
The first night of the year 18 year old Nina Bjerre disappears from a New Year’s eve party in Grenå. The day after - at Nina’s home on a cliff 13 km from Grenå - Dicte Svendsen’s son, Peter, finds the body of Ramses Bulai, a regular with the police. On the cliff that day is also Peter’s new neighbour, a mysterious woman called Felix. Peter tries to put the past behind him. He denies any of knowledge of Ramses and later he understands that also Felix is hiding something. Together they try to find out why Ramses had to die and why Felix had to be involved in an accident and suffer irreparable loss. All signs point towards precious cargo in a sunken ship on the bottom of Kattegat. Cargo that someone will do anything to find. At the same time, local police officer, Mark Bille Hansen, must accept that his lover is now head of the operation. The team from Århus set up head office at Grenå Police Station. Two days after the disappearance of Nina Bjerre, the female diver, Kir, finds the body of a young girl in the harbour: She is naked and attached to an anchor and her face has been torn off. Is this the body of Nina Bjerre? Were the killings of Nina and Ramses connected? Peter Boutrup must accept that the answer lies hidden in the past which he is trying to forget.
Excerpt from reviews:
"On one hand the book is unputdownable once you start reading it. On the other, you want to put off saying goodbye to the characters and their harrowing experiences for as long as possible." (Jyllands-Posten)
"Egholm is a better storyteller than most other female crime writers ... It's thrilling and brutal." (Ekstra Bladet)
"Three woofs for Elsebeth Egholm's new series featuring Dicte Svendsen's son." (Fyens Stiftstidende)
"The story is captivating and well told. The book has some cleverly turned twists in a focused narrative where the expected truths emerge during the dramatical final stand-off." (metroXpress)
"Add to this the supple language and the evocative descriptions of beauty as well as ugliness on Djursland, and the result is a highly recommended, bleak and captivating crime novel." (Information)
"Both plot and characters are go full throttle ... How it all connects is both surprising and imaginative." (Politiken)
Vold og magt
(Against All Odds)
Politikens Forlag, August 2009
Two bombs go off in the middle of Århus. The one in a tanning salon where Dicte Svendsen and a friend should have been; the other in mayor candidate Francesca Olsen’s car. A young disabled woman is found dead in the tanning salon and traces of DNA throw suspicion on Dicte’s estranged son. Peter Boutrup has recently been released from prison, but he has now disappeared. I her search for him Dicte sets out on a journey into an underworld where the authorities set the agenda, distribute medication and diagnose diseases and where the value of a person’s life depends on whether they function normally. Against All Odds is a story of assault against those who need protection the most, committed by those who have the ultimate responsibility.
Rights sold:
Germany: Aufbau Verlag
Italy: Einaudi
Iceland: Forlagid
Liv og legeme
(Life and Limb)
Politikens Forlag, 2008.
Nærmeste pårørende
(Next of Kin)
Gyldendal, 2006
Personskade
(Personal Injury)
Gyldendal, 2005
Selvrisiko
(Self Risk)
Gyldendal, 2004
Skjulte fejl og mangler
(Hidden Mistakes and Shortcomings)
Lindhardt & Ringhof, 2002
Opium Lindhardt & Ringhof, 2001
Scirocco Lindhardt & Ringhof, 2000