“A superbly constructed plot … but where Engberg truly excels is in creating characters every bit as compelling as the mystery”. 5/6

– Jyllandsposten 

“This novel is based on a rumour I once heard…”

A rumour is not evidence. Yet sometimes it persists because it points towards something powerful people would rather keep hidden. That unsettling possibility lies at the heart of Katrine Engberg’s new thriller, The Tooth Fairy, published by Gyldendal in Denmark.

Retired sound engineer Birger has fallen in love with Paulina, the Latvian sex worker he meets every Wednesday. When she suddenly disappears, he does not know where to turn. Then Marie, an outspoken Instagram therapist, confronts him with an uncomfortable truth: the police are unlikely to make a woman like Paulina a priority. If Birger does not look for her, who will?

Their search leads to a secluded summer house on the Danish coast, where Paulina was hired to work on the night she vanished. The host was celebrated actor Anton Kehlet, entertaining four wealthy and influential friends. The men insist that it was simply an evening of drinks and harmless fun.

But disturbing rumours surround them.

In an interview with Danish magazine ALT, Engberg discusses the rumour that inspired the novel and the uncertain territory between gossip, testimony and truth. The story concerned a powerful man who allegedly pulled out sex workers’ teeth for amusement.

Engberg has described the rumour as bizarre – but the anger it awakened as very real. What interested her was not only the alleged violence, but the people surrounding powerful abusers: those who look away, protect reputations and allow abuse to continue.

While researching the novel, Engberg explored anonymous forums such as Reddit, where false claims exist alongside stories shared by people who are too afraid to speak publicly. A rumour can be destructive, but it can also be the first warning that something has been buried.

This ambiguity drives Birger and Marie’s investigation. They cannot believe everything they hear – but they cannot afford to dismiss it either.

The Tooth Fairy is a gripping thriller about violence, rumours, powerful men and the silence that protects them.