---
product_id: 402453083
title: "Bitter Flowers"
price: "5834 som"
currency: KGS
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 5
url: https://www.desertcart.kg/products/402453083-bitter-flowers
store_origin: KG
region: Kyrgyzstan
---

# Bitter Flowers

**Price:** 5834 som
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** Bitter Flowers
- **How much does it cost?** 5834 som with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.kg](https://www.desertcart.kg/products/402453083-bitter-flowers)

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## Description

Fresh from rehab, Norwegian PI Varg Veum faces his most complex investigation yet, when a man is found drowned, a young woman disappears, and the case of a missing child is revived. The classic Nordic Noir series continues… ‘As searing and gripping as they come’ — New York Times ‘One of my very favourite Scandinavian authors’ — Ian Rankin ‘The Norwegian Chandler’ — Jo Nesbø ***Now a major TV series starring Trond Espen Seim*** ________________________ PI Varg Veum has returned to duty following a stint in rehab, but his new composure and resolution are soon threatened when a challenging assignment arrives on his desk. A man is found dead in an elite swimming pool and a young woman has gone missing. Most chillingly, Varg Veum is asked to investigate the ‘Camilla Case’: an eight-year-old cold case involving the disappearance of a little girl, who was never found. As the threads of these apparently unrelated crimes come together, against the backdrop of a series of shocking environmental crimes, Varg Veum faces the most challenging, traumatic investigation of his career. ________________________ 'Every inch the equal of his Nordic confreres Henning Mankell and Jo Nesbø' — Independent ‘Staalesen continually reminds us he is one of the finest of Nordic novelists’ — Financial Times ‘There are only two other writers that I know of have achieved the depth of insight in detective writing that Staalesen has: Chandler, and Ross MacDonald …’ — Mystery Tribune ‘Employs Chandleresque similes with a Nordic Noir twist … simply superb’ — Wall Street Journal ‘Masterful pacing’ — Publishers Weekly 'The Varg Veum series is more concerned with character and motivation than spectacle, and it’s in the quieter scenes that the real drama lies’ — Herald Scotland ‘Unsettling, moving, sad, hopeful and hopeless … it’s rich and it’s sharp and it’s cynical and sentimental all at once’ — NB Magazine ‘A complex, layered plot in which human tragedy and mystery combine to play out beautifully in a classic Nordic noir with a touch of Christie’ — Live & Deadly

Review: good read - All in all, a decent plot. Story reasonably well told. I read it out of sequence but that was wasn’t a big deal; it stands on its own.
Review: Another very well-written complex investigation - I've read most of these Varg Veum mysteries. This one is particularly complicated. The writing is lovely, and the descriptions of the western Norwegian land and seascapes are vivid. In the spirit of the genre, the cops are never happy with Varg, just as they were not pleased to see Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe or Dashiell Hammett's Sam Spade intrude on their turf. If you are a fan of this type of lonely, hard-boiled-with-a-heart-of-gold private eye, you'll love all the Varg Veum mysteries. Varg in Norwegian is an older word for Wolf. Veum means sacred place. The idiom Varg i Veum - Wolf in a sacred place, means Persona non Grata. That is how Varg is perceived just about wherever he goes. However, like Inspector Morse, he solves all his cases but gets little credit for being such a great detective.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #10,629 in Crime Fiction (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.0 out of 5 stars 756 Reviews |

## Images

![Bitter Flowers - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71TgLJhzuZL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ good read
*by L***N on 8 February 2025*

All in all, a decent plot. Story reasonably well told. I read it out of sequence but that was wasn’t a big deal; it stands on its own.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Another very well-written complex investigation
*by R***G on 30 November 2021*

I've read most of these Varg Veum mysteries. This one is particularly complicated. The writing is lovely, and the descriptions of the western Norwegian land and seascapes are vivid. In the spirit of the genre, the cops are never happy with Varg, just as they were not pleased to see Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe or Dashiell Hammett's Sam Spade intrude on their turf. If you are a fan of this type of lonely, hard-boiled-with-a-heart-of-gold private eye, you'll love all the Varg Veum mysteries. Varg in Norwegian is an older word for Wolf. Veum means sacred place. The idiom Varg i Veum - Wolf in a sacred place, means Persona non Grata. That is how Varg is perceived just about wherever he goes. However, like Inspector Morse, he solves all his cases but gets little credit for being such a great detective.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Another classic Varg Veum mystery
*by J***R on 1 January 2022*

Oh it is good to be back in the company of Varg Veum. Gunnar Staalesen has created a series that is full of mystery and challenge, with great characters, and a narrative that always takes us to the heart of the story and makes us feel as though we are walking along side Veum as he navigates the increasingly perplexing investigations. Brought to life by a beautiful and seamless translation by Don Bartlett, no matter which book you pick up you will find yourself transported, through time and space, to Veum's Norway, with a sense of place that is second to none. Although the stories are always typically centred around a single inciting event, there is often a topical, socially relevant element to the stories that Gunnar Staalesen creates. Bitter Flowers is no different. As the story opens we find Veum at a pivotal moment in his life, fresh out of rehab and fighting his reliance upon his good friend, 'Aquavit'. Whilst not fully back in his investigative saddle, he is offered a chance to work as a house sitter, a nice simple task that should apply no undue pressure. That is until the discovery of a dead body in the home he is to look after, and the subsequent disappearance of the person who arranged it all. Veum is soon embroiled in a murder investigation, for which he is sure to be. suspect. Being the inquisitive chap he is, Veum cannot help but look into the life of the victim, bringing up a surprising connection to a missing child case from some years before. Not only that, he find himself at the door of the victims employer, a company under suspicion of serious environmental crimes. How the two different threads tie back to the murder victim is cannily and carefully probed, the intertwining of these separate threads taking us, as readers, in a surprising and often threatening direction. I love the sense of mystery that permeates the story. As the book is told in first person, from Veum's perspective, we discover truths at the same time as Veum. I love the matter of fact style of his narration, conversational and still challenging, both of himself and of others. We are privy to his personal struggles and the way in which that affects his investigations. We see his limitations, but also his determination. It also leaves us with no room for doubt about his innocence or guilt in the murder investigation, meaning we can simply try and piece together the clues as Veum uncovers them. I have to be honest, I didn't see this one coming at all, the reasons for the murder, or the unfortunate turn of events which came to pass. There is an air of tragedy from the very first page of this book, some acutely observed emotions and a varied cast of characters who will both delight and frustrate in equal measure. I loved seeing the progression of Veum's relationship with Karen, but also the tender and understanding way that he dealt with his new found friendship with his 'flower girl' Siv. This is a story packed with emotion, for many reasons, one in which we learn more about the fragility of Veum's own character, the underlying mystery of a child long missing, and the tragedy of promising young woman whose future is cut short by a tragic accident. It is part environmental statement, part murder mystery, but completely enthralling. Bearing in mind that this story is taking us back into Veum's past, it is fascinating to see the progression of his character. With all of Gunnar Staalesen's hallmark storytelling, that real authentic PI vibe, and a mixture of deception, tension and the occasional flash of high threat action, as a fan of the series, I am left feeling very satisfied.

## Frequently Bought Together

- Bitter Flowers: The breathtaking Nordic Noir thriller: 8 (Varg Veum)
- Mirror Image: The present mirrors the past in a chilling Varg Veum thriller: 11

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*Product available on Desertcart Kyrgyzstan*
*Store origin: KG*
*Last updated: 2026-07-16*