Danish intelligence races to stop a dirty bomb in Copenhagen before heads of state gather for the Queen's jubilee. Meanwhile, a 5,000-year-old calendar is unearthed. It's counting down. To Ragnarok.
Countdown is a must-read for fans of Dan Brown, Brad Thor, and Stieg Larsson, a gripping tale of international intrigue, ancient mysteries, and unbreakable bonds.
When journalist Kurt Østergaard's stepfather dies, he leaves behind clues to a devastating secret that could shake Denmark to its core. As Kurt investigates, he uncovers a chilling conspiracy reaching the highest levels of power.
Søren Storm, a former UN weapons inspector, haunted by his past, gets caught up in the mystery when stolen radioactive material and a planned attack are uncovered, With his near term pregnant girlfriend Birgitte, Storm must navigate a treacherous web of deceit to stop the unthinkable.
As the conspiracy deepens and time runs out, Kurt and Storm must risk everything to unravel the plot. An act of terror in Copenhagen forces them to trust Birgitte's mother Bodil, the CEO of Mirrin Bank with secrets of her own. They race to uncover the truth, confronting ancient prophecies and forbidden knowledge that could change history. Kurt, Storm, Birgitte and Bodil realize the attack is just the beginning, and the mastermind may be closer than they imagined. They must confront the past to uncover a truth powerful men will kill to keep hidden.
From the hidden bunkers under Copenhagen to the icy wilderness of Greenland, Countdown takes readers on a pulse-pounding ride through Danish history and culture. With razor-sharp prose Ottosen weaves together Norse mythology, Mayan doomsday prophecies, and the real-life history of Denmark's Stay Behind groups into a thriller that is both grounded in reality and wildly entertaining.
REQUEST Countdown on NetGalley today and experience the suspense, twists, and characters that have made Ottosen Denmark's master of the thriller. But be warned: once you start, you won't be able to stop until you uncover the final, shocking truth.
Book #1 of the Mirrin Bank trilogy.
Countdown is translated from Danish by the Kirkus-Award finalist and Mildred L. Batchelder Honor recipient, Sinéad Quirke Køngeskov.
WARNING: Contains descriptions of sex and violence.
**** TAGS ****
International Espionage, Terrorism, Geopolitical Crises, CIA, NATO, Vikings, Norse Mythology, Mayans, Police investigations, Crises Management, Radioactivity, Stay Behind Network, Ancient Documents, Danish Prehistory, the Middle Ages, Danish Church History, Danish Royal Family, Danish WW2 Resistant Fighters, Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Danish Defense Forces, Danish Intelligence Service, Copenhagen.
About Mirrin Bank trilogy
The Mirrin Bank trilogy spans fourteen days up to Christmas. COUNTDOWN follows the first seven days. ANGLES OF THE APOCALYPSE and ANTI-CHAOS shares the next seven days.
Ottosen spends a lot of time fleshing out his protagonists before the threads of the narrative start to converge in this historical thriller, but once the action begins it rarely lets up. As the story unfolds, the conspiracy theory that Jesus Christ fathered a child—who became the Merovingian line of kings in France—becomes a crucial cog in a plot to install Prince Henrik as the new king of Denmark, due to his supposed connection to the Merovingian line. That development connects Ottosen’s story to the Mayan calendar, counting down to Ragnarök—the Norse apocalypse.
Though tangled, the narrative’s myriad pieces eventually come together in a breathlessly thrilling pace, as seemingly trivial details become critical—and the most unlikely conspiracy possibilities become all too real. The final narrative thread belongs to Hans Jensen, an unassuming mailman with deep loyalties to Muslim terrorists. Storm, Holm, and Østergaard all must confront life-risking perils of their own, as they face consequences that suggest the very fabric of the world is in danger. This entry culminates with the trio cooperating with a mysterious counter-terrorism unit, led by surprising figures, to best a shadowy opponent who’s trying to pin the attacks on the royal family on Iran. Ottosen leaves readers with a jolting ending that sets the stage for the next in the series.
Takeaway: Conspiracies, terrorism, and a looming apocalypse unite in this breakneck thriller.
Comparable Titles: James Rollins’s Arkangel, Neal Stephenson’s Cryptonomicon.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: B
Marketing copy: B+
