A body lies in the frozen wastes on Svalbard, slowly becoming part of the landscape. It will lie here preserved until spring, when it will then thaw, decay, and feed the animals.
Climate scientist Njål was married to Sol for a long time. They wanted children, but only had miscarriages. Njål leaves her for Nina, his student at the Center for Climate Change. They have a daughter, Lotta, before their relationship falls apart. As Nina suffered from postpartum depression, Njål made her establish him as the main custodian, and she now sues him for joint custody. They both keep secrets about the dramatic events that lead to their breakup, secrets that can harm them both in this battle for custody. The couple is also rivals for research credit and a seat in a climate expedition to Svalbard. Sol watches them from afar, enviously stalking Njål and his child as well as mourning her loss.
The novel is dark, expressed with the narrative power of tense stories and the sophistication of good literature.
Solo Libri, Italy
Raging Bear is a burning hot thriller that effectively tackles thorny issues such as motherhood, parenting, professional competition between men and women, environmental issues, and leaves us various food for thought long after closing the book. Yet another confirmation that Scandinavian writers rarely disappoint.
Thriller Nord, Italy
“… the new book by Berg Holm is not just a great thriller that gets you to read all in one go, but also, but above all, a book that gets you emotionally involved and opens up for reflection.”La Sicilia, Italy
Ingebjørg Berg Holm’s Raging Bear is an unusual, subdued and subtle thriller. But it is no less suspenseful for that reason.
NRK
Intense psychological thriller (…) The book is well written, the language free of clichés, and the many sensuous descriptions of Bergen (and Svalbard) give the story a pulse and create life in the story. "
Bergens Tidende
The excitement in this book is mostly on a psychological level… And this threesome community of destiny eventually ends up in Svalbard – in a crescendo of action with blizzards, Arctic cold and polar bears.
Nettavisen
Raging Bear is a brave step from an author with a lot of talent. It is well composed, linguistically good.
Adresseavisa
The author brings her characters to life and makes their thoughts and feelings visible, while we are constantly left with the feeling that she is also hiding something from us.
Bok365
The author is a good narrator….The story between the two women and the man unfolds dramatically, and the tension only continues to rise all the way to the book’s final page.
Dagen
“Thrilling, compelling, fast-paced, Raging Bear is an enthralling ride into a land of pure ice, following the deepest human obsessions.”
Anna Leoncino, Editor at Carbonio
“I was really impressed by the upmarket writing and the darkly complex characters. I have the feeling that we’re gonna hear about this tense literary thriller. We’re very glad to welcome Ingebjørg Berg Holm at le cherche midi. It’s always exciting to discover a talented author».
Marie Misandeau, Editor at le Cherche Midi
A terrific triangular drama. The book is extremely well written, in a living and sensual language – this is first class fiction.
Gunnar Staalesen, Author
