Henning Juul is defined by tragedy. The fire that killed his young son destroyed his family and left him isolated, guilt-ridden, and focused on finding out what really happened. This personal investigation runs parallel to his work as a crime journalist, and the two often intersect in dangerous ways. Juul’s grief makes him both more driven and more reckless as he pursues stories that might reveal connections to his son’s death.
As a journalist rather than a police officer, Juul has different tools and different limitations. He can ask questions without official authority, cultivate sources in criminal circles, and publish information that forces action. But he also lacks police resources, operates outside legal protections, and sometimes crosses ethical lines in his investigations. His personal stake in uncovering the truth makes him willing to take risks that other journalists might avoid.
The series explores Oslo’s criminal underworld through Juul’s investigations while following his gradual uncovering of what happened to his son. The books examine how trauma shapes behavior, how obsession can both drive and destroy, and what happens when the search for truth becomes indistinguishable from the need for revenge. Juul is an unreliable investigator in some ways—his judgment clouded by grief—but that’s precisely what makes him effective in reaching the answers others cannot.
Reading Order
See the complete Henning Juul reading order for all books in the series.