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This Norwegian drama is set in the countries far north, above the Arctic Circle. As it opens a young woman is seen leaving a party; the next time she is seen is when her murdered body is found in a camp site many miles away. The police soon make an arrest but Maja Mathisen, a criminal psychologist from the area but now living in London, is convinced that they have the wrong man. She returns home and starts asking questions and her claims that this is the work of a well-disciplined serial killer don't go down well with the local police.

I thought this was a solid enough series. The mystery is intriguing even after we are shown the killer preparing for his next murder. The characters can be a bit irritating at times, most notably Maja who can be a bit preachy, although the more we learn about her past the more understandable that becomes, and the senior police officer who stubbornly refuses to listen even after it is clear that serious mistakes have been made... that doesn't make them too unrealistic though. There is plenty of tension and some surprises. As is often the case in this sort of series the setting adds to the story as well as looking fantastic. The strong language is less fantastic and may put off some viewers. Overall I'd recommend this to fans of Scandi-crime dramas.

These comments are based on watching the series in Norwegian with English subtitles.

This eight-part, Italian crime drama is set in the City of Bari in 1991. Sergeant Pietro Fenoglio believes that trouble between is brewing between local mafia clans but his seniors don't even accept that there is a local mafia. Inevitably he is about to be proved right. Vito Lopez, a senior member of the Grimaldi, turns on his increasingly paranoid boss after his friend, and more importantly for him, his dog are killed. It isn't long before violence flares and a child disappears. Away from the main investigation the prosecutor looks into the death of her brother some years before and Pieto's increased work leads to strains in the relationship with his girlfriend.

I thought this was a solid addition to the number of Italian dramas that have been available in the UK in recent years. The story gripped me from the start and got more tense as it progressed; especially after the kidnapping of Grimaldi's ten year old son. The characters, on both sides of the law, are interesting and the cast do a fine job bringing them to life. I liked how the story managed to incorporate certain real events without it feeling forced; one might think they were just 'part of the story' if one didn't know about them already. Overall I'd definitely recommend this to fans of Italian drama. I hope we get more of this.

These comments are based on watching the series in Italian with English subtitles.

As this eight part Norwegian drama opens we are introduced to protagonist Victoria Woll, She is in prison being escorted to meet a man. Alone in a locked room he takes a kukri from under the table and lunges at her. The action then cuts back eighteen years and Victoria is a police officer leading a unit that specialises in high profile cases. The man from the opening is shown to be police chief Jan Devold; a man keen to see the unit fail. Each episode features a 'case of the week' as well as being top & tailed with scenes in prison showing Victoria's determination to prove that it is Devold who deserves to be there, not her.

I thought this was an enjoyable series. The individual cases are interesting as is the question of how Victoria might prover her innocence. The characters are solid with the actors doing a good job bringing them to life. The ending does feel more like an end-of-season rather than end-of-series which is a pity as it leaves one wanting more and leaves important questions unanswered. Overall I'd say it is worth a watch if you enjoy Scandi-crime dramas.

These comments are based on watching the series in Norwegian with English subtitles.