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Welcome to my stop on the blog tour celebrating the release of The Heart Keeper by Alex Dahl! Thank you to Berkley Publishing for the invitation! Stay tuned for information on how to win a copy at the bottom of this post!

I read and loved Dahl’s debut The Boy at the Door last summer.

About the Author:

Half-American, half-Norwegian, Alex Dahl was born in Oslo. She graduated with a B.A. in Russian and German linguistics with international studies and went on to complete an M.A. in Creative Writing at Bath Spa University, followed by an M.S. in Business Management at Bath University. Alex has published short stories in the U.K. and the U.S. She is a serious Francophile and currently lives in both London and Sandefjord. The Boy at the Door (2018) was translated into ten languages and longlisted for a CWA Dagger award. The Heart Keeper (2019) is out now. Next up- Playdate (2020). Instagram @authoralex

My Thoughts:

Set in Norway, Alison’s daughter, Amalie, drowns, and she feels her life is over. In the darkness of winter,  Alison is at an all-time low. 

By contrast, for another family, Amalie’s death means new life. Kaia, riddled with health problems, receives Amalie’s heart. Iselin is Kaia’s mom and things are finally looking up for them. They even have a wealthy new friend and benefactor. 

Alison should not have crossed the line, and she knows it, but she can’t help herself. She only wants to be a support to Iselin and Kaia. She can give them a better way of life they wouldn’t have on their own. Alison finds Kaia to be just like Amalie and an obsession is born. 

The Heart Keeper is full of raw emotion. Alison’s grief is visceral, so I could almost understand the trip she took to obsession. Dahl is skilled at capturing authentic grief. I am drawing a line in the sand and not telling you too much more. 

Overall, The Heart Keeper is a powerfully emotional, character-driven mystery-thriller, and I am on the edge of my seat waiting for what’s next from Alex Dahl! 

I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.  

About the Book:

Critically acclaimed author Alex Dahl explores how love can turn darkly sinister when a desperate mother looks to reconnect with her lost daughter in this riveting Norwegian set psychological suspense novel.

Two mothers. Two daughters. One heart.

When Alison’s beloved daughter Amalie drowns, her world turns impenetrably dark. Alison tries to hold it together throughout the bleak Fall, but in the darkest days of the Norwegian Winter she completely falls apart.

In another family, Amalie’s passing is a new beginning. After years of severe health problems, young Kaia receives a new heart on the morning after Amalie drowns. Her mother Iselin has struggled to raise Kaia on her own and now things are finally looking up. She’s even made an affluent new friend who’s taken a special interest in her and her daughter.

Alison knows she shouldn’t interfere, but really, she’s just trying to help Iselin and Kaia. She can give them the life they never had, and by staying close to them, she can still be with her daughter. Kaia is just like her, and surely, something of Amalie must live on in her. As her grief transforms into a terrifying obsession, Alison won’t let anything stop her from getting back what she has lost. (less)

***Book Giveaway***

For a chance to win a paperback copy of The Heart Keeper, please visit my instagram page!  Giveaway generously sponsored by the publisher. 

Have you read The Heart Keeper, or is it on your TBR? Happy Reading! ~ Jennifer THR