The femme fatale is a classic of literature and art, the “mysterious, beautiful, and seductive woman whose charms ensnare her lovers, often leading them into compromising, deadly traps.” The character goes back to ancient times and is so familiar that a writer who calls upon the archetype employs her at their peril.

But when a modern, sexy, complex version shows up in a novel, it can result in an excellent path to exploring the dark underworld of the soul.

The Fourth Man (2005 with translation in 2007) by the Norwegian writer K.O. Dahl is a smart, dark, complex, and ultimately very satisfying crime novel which served as Dahl’s U.S. debut. We meet Detective Inspector Frank Frølich of the Oslo Police in the third sentence, as he is participating in a stakeout. An unexpected woman inadvertently enters the scene, endangering both the police raid and her own life. As bullets begin to fly, Frølich throws her to the ground and lays on top of her. The inspector and Elisabeth Faremo, the dark-haired beauty with mysterious eyes and a unique tattoo, meet by chance a few weeks later and their affair begins. It is only after Frølich is hopelessly in love that he learns that Faremo is the sister of a hardened and wanted member of a local crime gang. And his wary colleagues suspect that their original meeting was no accident.

Through a fast-paced, compelling, and very believable story, Dahl has Frølich explore the seamier sides of Norwegian life and his very conflicting emotions about Elisabeth. The inspector’s fortunes takes an unforgettable turn in the middle of the night when he’s awakened by a call to come and investigate the murder of a shipyard guard. He rolls over to find that Elisabeth is no longer beside him in bed. We are then introduced to stolen art, wealthy investors who are not all that their public personas suggest, another of Elisabeth’s lovers, icy Norwegian waterfalls that make excellent places to push unsuspecting victims to their deaths, and isolated ski chalets that can be torched to cover up other murders. Frølich has to seek the truth — and his true feelings for Elisabeth — while suspended from the police force. His gruff, firm, yet sympathetic colleague with his own challenges in love helps do the tough police work that gets us to the unexpected ending that is as complex, emotional, and smart as the rest of the book.

The Fourth Man — my sixth murder mystery this year — was another recommendation from the good booksellers at Brookline Booksmith. It was a satisfying discovery in this year of reading dangerously.

More to come…

DJB

---

To see reviews of the other books in my year of reading mystery novels, click here for January, February, March, April, and May.

---

The Weekly Reader links to written works I’ve enjoyed. I hope you find something that makes you laugh, think, or cry. 

---

Image by Chris from Pixabay