Travelling with Heidi Amsinck to Copenhagen
Travelling with Heidi Amsinck to Copenhagen
What about a visit to Copenhagen?
Book map of The Woman in the Wall
Each of my books featuring Copenhagen crime reporter Jensen is set in or around a specific neighbourhood of the Danish capital. For the fifth book, The Woman in the Wall, I chose Frederiksstaden, constructed in distinctive rococo style by King Frederik V in the 18th century.
(c) Heidi Amsinck
Book map of The Woman in the Wall
Among other notable buildings in this rather exclusive part of town, you will find Amalienborg Castle, home to the current King Christian X and Queen Mary. Stand on the octagonal plaza in front of the palace and you can look across the harbour to the modern Opera House, which featured in book three in the series. With its broad streets and open spaces, the area is great for a stroll away from the bustle of Strøget, Copenhagen’s main shopping drag.
Book map of The Woman in the Wall
The Marble Church
Book map of The Woman in the Wall
The Woman in the Wall starts with the gristly find of a woman’s body behind a wall of a luxury apartment in Frederiksstaden. No one knows who the woman is or for how long she has been there. As DI Henrik Jungersen arrives on the scene, he looks out of a window in the flat and sees Frederik’s Church, also known as the Marble Church, which is a prominent feature of the district. Crime reporter Jensen, who is at home on maternity leave, reads the news on her phone while out for a walk with her daughter Ea.
Frederiksberg Gardens
Book map of The Woman in the Wall
No sooner has DI Henrik Jungersen opened the investigation into the woman in the wall than another case lands on his desk. A woman is found brutally beaten and raped in Frederiksberg Gardens. Again, Jensen follows the news from afar. By this point, she is busy herself, having been contacted by a man who claims to be her father. The man, a well-known fantasy author, wants her to help find a stalker who is threatening to ruin his life.
The King’s Garden
Book map of The Woman in the Wall
No plot spoilers, but something else happens in a top-floor flat in one of the colourful buildings overlooking the King’s Garden. Eventually, Henrik and Jensen’s paths cross, and the two of them must work together against the clock before someone else gets hurt. The King’s Garden is one of my favourite green spaces in the city centre. In good weather, you will find the lawns full of Copenhageners enjoying the sun.
Rosenborg Castle
As a child in Copenhagen I loved Rosenborg Castle, which to me looked like something out of the fairy tales I loved to read. In The Woman in the Wall DI Henrik Jungersen spots the castle from the window of a crime scene. At different points in the story, both he and Jensen find themselves almost envious of the tourists who are out enjoying the city, oblivious to the crimes happening behind its pretty facades.
Book map of The Woman in the Wall
Book map of The Woman in the Wall
Sankt Peders Stræde
I love the Copenhagen food scene, and so do my characters. In The Woman in the Wall Jensen eats pastries from this bakery, washed down with coffee from a small van parked in the same street. The van is run by her friend Liron from Jerusalem, an enigmatic type who knows more than most about Copenhagen and its people and comes to play a key role in the drama.
Thank you so much Heidi!
BookTrail Boarding Pass: Books of Heidi Amsinck
Twitter: @HeidiAmsinck1
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