Blaze Me a Sun by Christoffer Carlsson

 

First Line: It was the summer Evy Carlén got very sick, realized she didn't have long to live, and confided in me that she knew what had happened to Sven Jörgensson and his son, Vidar, up in Tiarp.

 

February 1986. Halland police officer Sven Jörgensson is frustrated with the lack of support his murder investigation is getting, but there's a reason for it. Jörgensson's murder occurred on the same night as the assassination of Sweden's prime minister, and there's no way the focus is going to be anywhere else but Stockholm. But Jörgensson could care less. He can't concentrate on anything else but "his murder". The phone call he'd received telling him of the attack also told him it was going to happen again. To make matters worse, he hadn't reached the woman in time, arriving as she was taking her last breaths.

Two more murders occur, and the police officer's obsession grows. Sven remains haunted by the murders he cannot solve, and he eventually retires from the police force, passing his obsession on to his son, Vidar, who joined law enforcement to be closer to his father.

But Vidar can't solve the murders either and he, too, retires. Decades pass, and it's not until a novelist returns home to Halland to lick his wounds from a failed marriage and a floundering career that the murders come under the spotlight once more. Working with Vidar, the novelist begins to unravel the many strands of the investigation in order to finally unmask a killer.

~

When Stieg Larsson's The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo was released, Scandinavian mysteries were "flavor of the month" for a while but their popularity finally waned. After reading Christoffer Carlsson's Blaze Me a Sun, I think a renaissance may be in order.

Although readers do learn what's going on from the novelist as he becomes fixated on the unsolved mysteries, they also see how Sven Jörgensson and his son Vidar become obsessed with finding the killer over a period of decades. As residents and witnesses are spoken to once again, Sven is seen to ignore his own health in favor of finding a killer. It is incomprehensible to him how something like this could happen in this quiet part of Sweden. His son Vidar finds himself examining his own father with the eyes of an inquisitor. Why was Sven charged with manslaughter by negligence? Did Sven actually know the identity of the killer? And while I was trying to unravel this mystery along with Sven, Vidar, and the writer, I was also learning a few things about Sweden as well, which is always the mark of a good book. 

 

In Carlsson's Blaze Me a Sun, he says, "Everything could be uncovered. Everything could be brought to light. As long as you were stubborn enough and didn't give up." These three men are more than stubborn enough, and they do uncover everything... but are they correctly interpreting everything as they bring the facts to light? Can obsession warp a person's judgment? Carlsson not only knows how to write a compelling mystery, but he can also give readers plenty of food for thought. I'll be looking for more of his books.

 

Blaze Me a Sun by Christoffer Carlsson

Translated from the Swedish by Rachel Willson-Broyles

ISBN: 9780593449356

Hogarth © 2023

Hardcover, 448 pages

 

Thriller, Standalone

Rating: A-

Source: Purchased from The Poisoned Pen.

An Elderly Lady Must Not Be Crossed by Helene Tursten

First Line: Maud let out a loud sigh of relief as she sank into her comfortable seat on the plane.

 

Things were rather tense in eighty-nine-year-old Maud's Gothenburg apartment after a dead body was found there, and just as she was thinking that everything was back to normal, two police inspectors, Huss and Nyström, knock at her door once more. She evades their questions with ease, but Maud thinks that it's best if she takes a vacation. Someplace warm. Someplace far away.

These six interlocking stories blend Maud's present with some of the problems she's dealt with in the past. And if there's one thing that Maud knows how to deal with quickly and efficiently, it's a problem.

~

Part of me wants to be just like Maud. This woman is eighty-nine and still more than able to go on safari. She's got all her marbles. Her health and mobility are good. She's got enough money to live the life that she wants. Good for her! There's just one fly in the ointment: her attitude towards taking a life-- and this is one reason why some people will not see the humor in these stories, and why I call them a guilty pleasure. This is fiction, not real life. In fiction, isn't it nice to be able to do away with a thoroughly nasty human who's causing harm to others? I figure as long as I think a little fictional murder is okay does not stray into the real world, I should be okay.

What's so unsettling is Maud herself. She's irascible, yet once you learn of the life she's had to lead, she's sympathetic, too. You're not supposed to feel sympathetic toward a killer. The humor these stories contain can also keep you off balance. Just the thought of a little old eighty-nine-year-old woman carrying out a murder or two... shouldn't she be sitting in front of the fire with her knitting?

One of the things I found most enjoyable about this latest collection of Maud stories is that Maud gets drawn outside of herself and becomes involved in the lives of others. It's how she plans the next stage of her life that really put the smile on my face. I'm hoping that we might hear from this little old lady at least one more time.

 

An Elderly Lady Must Not Be Crossed by Helene Tursten

Translated from the Swedish by Marlaine Delargy.

eISBN: 9781641291682

Soho Press © 2021

eBook, 272 pages

 

Short Stories

Rating: B+

Source: Net Galley

Snowdrift by Helene Tursten

 

First Line: The front door slowly opened a fraction of an inch.

 

Detective Inspector Embla Nyström was fourteen when her best friend Lollo disappeared from a nightclub, and Embla has been haunted by it ever since. When she recognizes her friend's voice on the phone before the call was cut off, Embla is thrilled that her friend is still alive, but before she can begin to search for Lollo, work intrudes. 

 

A man has been found shot dead in one of the guest houses run by Embla's relative. Can she come take a look? When she arrives, she's stunned to see that the dead man is a well-known gang member and one of the last people seen with Lollo. Moreover, the same night that Milo was killed, his brother Luca was also. Who's targeting these brothers-- and where is brother number three? Embla launches her investigation with the help of a local detective and his police dog in training and hopes against hope that she will finally find Lollo and put an end to her nightmares.

 

~

 

Helene Tursten is skilled at crafting mysteries that keep you wanting more. I love her Detective Inspector Irene Huss series, but for some reason after reading three books in this new series, I can't seem to warm up to Embla Nyström. I think it is partly due to the fact that this younger woman keeps everyone at a distance and has a tendency to look down on anyone who doesn't eat as healthy as she does. Lighten up, Embla! For whatever reason, I can't quite put my finger on why she leaves me cold. (But I certainly appreciate Tursten keeping us informed about Irene Huss who works in the same unit.)

What I can put my finger on is that Snowdrift needed some tightening up by fifty pages or so-- and that the twist at the end which is supposed to be a shocker didn't surprise me at all. Not every book in a series can be a barnburner, and for me, Snowdrift was decidedly flat. Combine that with the fact that I can't get enthused about Embla, and I have doubts about continuing with this series.

 

Snowdrift by Helene Tursten

Translated from the Swedish by Marlaine Delargy.

eISBN: 9781641291613

Soho Press © 2020

eBook, 384 pages

 

Police Procedural, #3 Embla Nyström mystery

Rating: B

Source: Net Galley

The Golden Cage by Camilla Läckberg

First Line: "Couldn't she just be injured?" Faye said.

It's an age-old story: young woman, deeply in love with her husband, forsakes her own studies to ensure her husband graduates and then gives her all in order for the new business to succeed. And what happens? The husband dumps her without a bean for a new model.

This is exactly what happened to Faye, but unlike so many other women, two things set Faye apart. One, she has a brilliant mind for business-- which is why husband Jack is so successful-- and two, her childhood was full of violence. When the shock wears off, Faye will make Jack pay... but how?

As I said, Faye has two things that set her apart from so many other women who are dumped unceremoniously by their rich husbands looking for something fresh and new to play with. The one I liked best was Faye's head for business, and since the author is a businesswoman herself, I enjoyed watching this part of The Golden Cage unfold. The second thing-- her violent childhood-- keeps readers off-balance throughout the book, mostly because her past is revealed very slowly, one crumb at a time. Is Faye going to decide that reducing Jack and his business to dust isn't enough and go for something more visceral? Wondering about this is what fuels the pace of the story and keeps us wanting more.

There's a large amount of graphic sex in The Golden Cage, and I have to admit that I got tired of it after a while. All right, all ready. I know where the various parts go. I know the feelings produced when this part meets that part. Can we please get back to the rest of the story? I know why Läckberg does this. Men-- especially rich men who are used to having every whim catered to-- can be tools in the hands of a woman who knows how best to use all those working parts to make the man's eyes roll back in his head. Sex is a tool. But I was still glad when Faye got past that part of her plan.

If you're in the mood for a sexy, fast-paced thriller with a main character who doesn't reveal her complete agenda, The Golden Cage is one fine read.

The Golden Cage by Camilla Läckberg

eISBN: 9780525657989

Borzoi Books © 2020

eBook, 315 pages

Thriller, Standalone

Rating: B+

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

Winter Grave by Helene Tursten

First Line: Her heart was pounding and her stomach contracted with fear.

Twenty-eight-year-old Detective Inspector Embla Nyström is still recuperating from her recent brush with a killer. Those injuries prevented her from defending her title of Nordic light welterweight boxing champion. She doesn't have time to dwell on that, however, when a little girl goes missing.

The last person the missing girl was seen with was a mentally disabled teenager who gave her a ride home from school. The investigation is made more difficult because the boy will hardly say a word. Public tempers are running high, and when another child goes missing and a police officer is found dead, all hell is about to break loose. Embla and her fellow detectives definitely have their hands full. It's absolutely crucial to find those missing children, and time is running out.

Tursten has created an excellent mystery involving the disappearance of two young children that shows us how easy it is for public opinion to find a scapegoat... and how some people have no business being around children at all, let alone being parents.

For those readers still missing Tursten's Irene Huss, she does make a token appearance. And while we're on the subject of characters, the lives of Embla's fellow officers are fleshed out more, and that adds a lot to the story without bogging down the pace.

I'm having a difficult time warming up to Embla. She's constantly judging people on what they eat, on their weight, how they dress, how they smell. I know human beings do this without even realizing it for the most part-- and to be honest, Embla doesn't voice many of her opinions-- but I do get tired of reading about them. She's abrasive and she knows what she wants. A lawyer in Winter Grave learns that the hard way.

Embla has recurring nightmares about the disappearance of her best friend Lollo when they were both teenagers. Embla feels a great deal of guilt because she hindered the police investigation. Winter Grave ends on a cliffhanger (I can hear groans from some of you) that leads me to believe that we may find out what happened to Lollo in the next book in this series. Even though I don't really care for Embla, I have to admit that I am interested in learning what happened to Lollo. We shall see...

Winter Grave by Helene Tursten

eISBN: 9781641290777

Soho Crime © 2019

eBook, 336 pages

Police Procedural, #2 Embla Nyström mystery

Rating: A-

Source: Net Galley

Still Waters by Viveca Sten

First Line: Everything was completely still and peaceful as only winter can be when the archipelago belongs to those who live there, and the raucous summer visitors have not yet taken over the islands.

Police detective Thomas Andreasson is first on the scene when a body tangled in a fishing net washes up on the shore of Sandhamn, one of Sweden's idyllic vacation islands. The body is identified, and everyone believes the death to be an accident until another corpse is found at a bed-and-breakfast, and this second corpse happens to be the cousin of the first victim.

When an old friend, lawyer Nora Linde, helps Thomas with needed information on the investigation, he finds himself spending more time with her and her family. Nora and Thomas both have issues in their lives that need to be straightened out.

I loved the setting of Still Waters and the little tidbits of information I gleaned from the story. For instance, a sweltering summer day in Sweden is merely a winter's day here in southern Arizona. Another piece of trivia was learning what the Swedes call geraniums and impatiens. Perhaps it's because I do have a trivial mind, but I enjoy learning about things like this. As in other Swedish crime fiction that I've read, the author tends to be very precise about the streets traveled and the towns passed through as the police conduct their investigation. At this point, I've gotten used to it.

Viveca Sten's precision includes her characterizations. The main characters are described, warts and all. Nora's husband, Henrik, is a "wonderful" combination of spoiled brat and doctor-with-a-God-complex, so it's easy to see there's going to be some tension there. The characterization I found most rewarding was that of Thomas. He's a good police officer, hardworking, and very caring and understanding of others, but his reaction to his infant daughter's death definitely shows that he's not perfect.

Sten has written an excellent, multi-layered mystery in a vivid setting; however, I felt the entire book suffered from descriptive diarrhea. I think this was done in order to show the actual progression of a murder investigation. These things do not get solved within the hour timeframe of a television drama, as most people are accustomed to. But there are better ways of doing this than describing the exterior and interior of every building the characters enter (believe me, I don't think they left any building unentered), the clothing worn, or by each character having large periods of introspection.

Still Waters has a wonderful setting, a very good mystery, and some interesting characters, but all the added extras were exhausting. I doubt I will continue with the series.

Still Waters by Viveca Sten

eISBN: 9781503945708

AmazonCrossing © 2015

eBook, 448 pages

Police Procedural, #1 Sandhamn Murders mystery

Rating: C+

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good by Helene Tursten

First Line: The shrill sound of the doorbell sliced through the silence.

Eighty-nine-year-old Maud keeps herself to herself. To the other tenants in the apartment building, they see an old lady who lives in an apartment that's much too big for her, and-- worst of all-- she doesn't pay a penny in rent! What those neighbors don't know would fill an encyclopedia.

Just as Maud entered university at the age of eighteen, her beloved father died. Her mother couldn't cope with the shame of finding out there was no money left, rapidly faded away, and died. Fortunately, a real estate deal was done that gave Maud and her sister their apartment rent-free for as long as they were alive.

For the next few decades, Maud was burdened with the care of an emotionally fragile sister who should've been put in assisted living but refused because, well, that was what Maud was for. Finally, when she was in her sixties, Maud was free to live her life as she chose. Perhaps she should be forgiven for wanting to stay where she'd lived her entire life and for all the traveling she does. Hasn't she paid her dues? (Take that, nosy neighbors!)

All this and more is what you learn as you read Helene Tursten's short story collection, An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good. I've been asked before what my "guilty pleasure" books are, and I've always responded that I never feel guilty about the books that I read. Life's too short and all that. But maybe... just maybe... I should call Maud a guilty pleasure character. In these stories, Maud runs into several folks who take one look at her and think that she's going to be easy to cheat. After all, she's a little old lady who uses a walker to get to the shops. Her mind's got to be going, right? Think again!

In this collection, Maud has to outwit someone trying to take her apartment away from her and someone else who's trying to steal her antiques-- and she's not above a little murder to take care of these people either. It's a pleasure to watch this old lady take care of her youngers and supposedly betters, and lest you get the idea that "it's all about Maud," that's not true. She's also willing to help out others she comes in contact with, although she certainly doesn't seek them out.

When I read one story that was written from an outsider's point of view, I thought to myself, "Why couldn't we get this story from Maud?" The very next story told us the events from her perspective. Tursten read my mind. Tursten also had fun having her two other characters, Detective Inspectors Irene Huss and Embla Nyström test their wits against Maud. An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good is a light, fun read that proves something I've always known: never underestimate the elderly.

An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good by Helene Tursten

eISBN: 9781641290128

Soho Crime © 2018

eBook, 185 pages

Short Stories, Standalone

Rating: B+

Source: Purchased from Amazon.


 

The Wolf and the Watchman by Niklas Natt och Dag

First Line: Mickel Cardell is floating in cold water.

One morning in the autumn of 1793, one-armed watchman Mickel Cardell is awakened from his drunken stupor and dragged to the Larder, a putrid bog on the outskirts of Stockholm. The body he hauls from the raw sewage is bizarrely mutilated, and Cecil Winge, the lawyer it is entrusted to, insists that Cardell helps him solve the case. But time is short: Winge is in the last stages of tuberculosis, the monarchy is in shambles, and rumors of what is happening in France are everywhere.

The two men's investigation peels back layer after layer of a brutal world, and it would appear that every level of society has had something to do with the corpse from the Larder.

The Wolf and the Watchman immediately immerses the reader into the world of 18th-century Stockholm-- and be sure to cover your nose. People take a bath once a year, and they're completely unconcerned about the raw sewage that seems to be everywhere. After all, it's so cold for much of the year, it's frozen so it won't smell. Much. While navigating through the filth on Stockholm's streets and listening to the rumors of guillotines in France, the brawn of Mickell Cardell and the brains of Cecil Winge go to work to uncover the identity of the corpse that was dumped into the Larder. Winge has to steer a path through all the corruption, paranoia, and conspiracies in the Chamber of Police while Cardell and his violent temper must work the mean streets of the poorest sections of Stockholm for clues. They are a good pair for both are more than the sum of their parts.

We then learn about a poor farm boy, Kristofer Blix, who comes to Stockholm for a better life and learns just exactly what he will do to survive. In a similar situation is orphan Anna Stina Knapp, who's turned over to the workhouse by a parish priest more concerned with his own comfort than that of the welfare of his congregation.

I loved watching all the various pieces of plot and story come together. Would Winge survive long enough to solve the case? Would Cardell survive his PTSD-induced rages and alcoholic blackouts? I have to admit that the wealth of historical detail went a bit overboard for me. Especially when it comes to lack of personal hygiene and any sort of sewage containment, a little goes a very long way. It even-- no pun intended-- bogged down the pace of the book from time to time.

The true strength of The Wolf and the Watchman was in its characters, and its strongest character, for me, was Anna Stina Knapp. It was not an era for a poor and pretty female, and I loved how she refused to give up. Yes, watching the bits and pieces of the story slot into place like a Rubik's Cube and watching every character fight against the odds made this book a winning read. I will be interested to see what Niklas Natt och Dag writes next.

The Wolf and the Watchman by Niklas Natt och Dag
Translated from the Swedish by Niklas Natt och Dag.

eISBN: 9781501196799

Atria Books © 2019

eBook, 384 pages

Historical Mystery, Standalone

Rating: B+

Source: NetGalley


 

Hunting Game by Helene Tursten

First Line: After nine rock-hard rounds, the sweat was dripping from both contestants and their movements were noticeably slower.

Twenty-eight-year-old Embla Nyström has learned to channel her anxious energy from her chronic nightmares into sports and into her position as Detective Inspector in the mobile police unit in Gothenburg, Sweden. Taking a vacation from her high-stress job, she is attending the annual moose hunt with her family and friends.

When Embla arrives at her uncle's cabin, she sees a new face: the handsome, newly-divorced Peter, who isn't welcomed by everyone in the hunting party. (He's unlucky number thirteen.) Sure enough, strange things begin to happen which all culminate in the disappearance of two hunters. Embla takes charge of the search, and one of the missing men is found floating facedown in a nearby lake. Now, with the help of local reinforcements, Embla has to begin looking into the pasts of her fellow hunters in order to find a killer.

For readers who are ardent opponents of hunting, I would suggest they give this book a miss. Since my grandfather was a hunter, I found this look into the moose hunting traditions of Sweden very interesting and a good backdrop to the story. I also loved Tursten's descriptions of the forest-- otherworldly, sometimes menacing, but always beautiful. She actually made me feel as though I were walking through those trees alongside Embla.

I was sad to see the author end her Irene Huss series, but at the same time, I looked forward to seeing something new. Fellow Irene Huss fans, never fear. I think you're going to like Embla. Huss was a prizewinning kickboxer; Nyström is a prizewinning boxer. Yes, both women certainly know how to take care of themselves. I was a bit anxious to see how tormented Nyström was by her nightmares-- sometimes I tire of psychologically damaged main characters and enjoy reading about someone who could be considered normal. Thankfully, Nyström isn't all that far off from normal.

Hunting Game tells us a bit about Embla's backstory and the cause of her nightmares, and I think that's going to add some interesting angles to future books in the series. I was a bit disappointed that I wasn't made to work very hard to deduce the identity of the killer, but that was just the mood I was in. This book is more of a whydunit than a whodunit, and the why certainly keeps the pages turning.

I may have been forced to say good-bye to Irene Huss, but I am looking forward to more encounters with Embla Nyström, and I think you will, too.

Hunting Game by Helene Tursten
Translated from the Swedish by Paul Norlen.

eISBN: 9781616956516

Soho Crime © 2019

eBook, 289 pages

Police Procedural, #1 Embla Nyström mystery

Rating: B+

Source: NetGalley


 

Slowly We Die by Emelie Schepp

First Line: The woman opened her eyes and looked straight up at me.

A patient is damaged for life after a tragic incident on the operating table, leading a young surgeon to leave the profession. Now, years later, a scalpel is the instrument of choice in a series of senseless murders within the medical community.

Special prosecutor Jana Berzelius is in charge of the investigation. She and her team must find out who is preying on these victims and why. What she can't know until she is finally closing in on the killer is how her own mother's recent death is connected to the investigation.

For a long time, I was the sort of reader who had to start reading each series in strict numerical order. If I had trouble getting my hands on the first book in a series, it could be years before I began reading it, but that's what I did. Now that I have more years in my rearview mirror than I have out on the road in front of me, I've been bypassing this rule of mine from time to time. There are several writers who are adept at giving you just enough background on their characters in each book that you can jump in anywhere and don't feel lost. If you discover that you love the series, you can go back and read all those missed books. Or not. You have that choice. But there are some writers who are not skilled at doing this.

Emelie Schepp is one of the writers whose series you should read in order if you want to feel a connection with her characters. Slowly We Die is the third book in the Jana Berzelius series, and although I could admire the pacing and plotting of the novel, I could never warm to the characters. Since I am a character-driven reader, I was at a disadvantage throughout the book, so keep that in mind. If the story is more important to you as a reader, you shouldn't have a problem reading and enjoying Slowly We Die. However, if the characters are your focus, you just might. Sometimes deviating from my rule backfires. Oh well.

Slowly We Die by Emelie Schepp
Translated from the Swedish by Suzanne Martin Cheadle.

ISBN:  9780778319665

MIRA © 2018

Paperback, 432 pages

Law Enforcement, #3 Jana Berzelius mystery

Rating: B-

Source: the publisher 

Protected by the Shadows by Helene Tursten

First Line: The delivery car moved slowly along Ringövägen as the driver spoke agitatedly on his cell phone.

Gang warfare is about to explode in Göteborg, Sweden. A member of a notorious biker gang has been burned alive. Anticipating a counterattack, Detective Inspector Irene Huss, her Violent Crimes Unit, and the Organized Crimes Unit band together to patrol a lavish party given by a rival gang, but that doesn't stop another murder from occurring practically right under their noses.

And when it rains, it pours. A bomb is planted under Irene's husband's car, and-- fearing for her family's safety-- Irene sends her husband and daughters into hiding and moves in with a colleague for the duration. She is not going to stop until the killers are behind bars and her family is safe, and it's not going to be an easy task. Not only does Irene have the feeling that she's being stalked, the gangs are always one step ahead of the police.

It's sad to see this series come to an end, but it certainly goes out on a strong note. Protected by the Shadows is filled with bodies, bombs, informants, and danger. Tursten keeps the level of suspense high from beginning to end. I was particularly happy to see that everything was handled intelligently. When Irene's family is forced into hiding, every detail is done the right way. Irene may be very frightened, but she keeps her head and keeps on working-- refusing to stop until the bad guys are caught and everyone is safe. It is such a treat to read a high-octane story like this and not witness any of the characters doing something stupid.

This series has been a favorite of mine from the first book, both for the investigations and for the characters and the insight into their daily lives. I will miss reading the new adventures of Irene Huss, but I have to admit that I'm wondering if Helene Tursten has something new up her sleeve.

Protected by the Shadows by Helene Tursten

Translated from the Swedish by Marlaine Delargy

ISBN: 9781616958459

Soho Crime © 2017

Hardcover, 288 pages

Police Procedural, #10 DI Irene Huss mystery

Rating: A-

Source: the publisher 

My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman

First Line: Every seven-year-old needs a superhero.

Seven-year-old Elsa's seventy-seven-year-old grandmother is her best and only friend. At night, the little girl takes refuge in her grandmother's stories because in the Land-of-Almost-Awake and the Kingdom of Miamas, everyone is different and no one needs to be normal.

When Elsa's grandmother dies, she leaves behind a series of letters apologizing to people she has wronged, and when Elsa begins to deliver them, her adventure begins.

Now that some time has elapsed since I read this book, I'm able to look upon it more charitably. I loved A Man Called Ove, and I think that made my expectations of this book much too high. 

The two main characters-- Elsa and her grandmother-- are characters who can tug at your heartstrings. Elsa is scary smart for a seven-year-old, and at times she's very funny. Her grandmother is known for speaking her mind and doing crazy things like standing on the balcony and shooting paintball guns at passing strangers. Even though she could be very funny, I never lost sight of the fact that the old lady would be a real pain in the neck to deal with. If I represented the middle generation between these two, I'd probably be escorted briskly (and gently) to the nearest rest home. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200.

What I never expected was the fact that this book very quickly became a chore to read. It needed editing and tightening (beginning with the unwieldy title) because the gradual unfolding of key elements of the plot was much, much too gradual. I almost abandoned the book several times, but I just couldn't. I had to know if life was going to be happier for Elsa. So... I found Backman's book to have a great idea that was poorly executed-- and this has made me leery of reading his next book.

My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman

Translated from the Swedish by Henning Koch.
ISBN: 9781501115066

Atria Books © 2015

Hardcover, 384 pages

Fiction, Standalone

Rating: D+

Source: Paperback Swap 


 

The Voices Beyond by Johan Theorin

First Line: The ghost ship came gliding out of the darkness across the black waters of the Sound, giving way to nothing and no one.

It is summer on the beautiful Swedish island of Öland, and visitors are arriving in their thousands to enjoy the sun and the water. Among the visitors is young Jonas Kloss, who's looking forward to staying with his aunt and cousins. But one moonlit night when he takes a small boat out on the water, a ship looms out of the darkness and the horror the young boy finds on board has him fleeing for his life.

Jonas finds himself on the doorstep of elderly Gerlof Davidsson, a man of the sea and native to Öland. Once Gerlof is able to convince Jonas to talk to him, the old man knows that this summer will be like no other. The Homecomer has returned, and he's waited a lifetime to exact his revenge. 

I loved the previous three books in Theorin's Öland Quartet. The man is a master at creating complex characters and building suspense. Unfortunately The Voices Beyond fell flat for me. Gerlof was still his charming curmudgeonly self with his loneliness and painfully aching legs, and young Jonas was wonderfully complex as well. And that setting! Theorin is also a master at building a setting so vivid and detailed that it counts as one of the characters in his books.

Where the book fell flat was in its pacing. The point of view was constantly shifting from Gerlof to Jonas to a young musician named Lisa to the Homecomer himself who spoke both from the present day and from the time of Stalin's reign of terror. The constant shifting didn't confuse me at all, but the very short chapters moving from one character to the next actually slowed the pace down to a crawl and made the book a chore to read.

As a whole, would I still recommend the Öland Quartet? Yes, I would. The first three  (Echoes from the Dead, The Darkest Room, and The Quarry) are superb, and who knows? The slow pace of The Voices Beyond may not bother you at all. For anyone with a fondness for Scandinavian crime fiction, evocative settings, and complex characters, Johan Theorin's Öland Quartet should not be missed.
   

The Voices Beyond by Johan Theorin

Translated from the Swedish by Marlaine Delargy

ISBN: 9780857520067

Doubleday © 2015

Paperback, 475 pages

Suspense, #4 Öland Quartet

Rating: C+

Source: Purchased from Waterstones, Cambridge, UK

 

Who Watcheth by Helene Tursten

First Line: With me they are safe.

A dead woman, strangled and covered in plastic, is found in a cemetery. Just days earlier the woman had received a flower, a photo of herself, and a nonsensical note. With neither clue nor motive, Detective Inspector Irene Huss and her colleagues in the Violent Crimes Unit in Göteborg, Sweden, have nothing to go on, and when similar murders occur, they are all desperate for a lead to find this killer. 

While all this is going on, strange things are happening at Irene's own home. Items are moved, things are damaged, and she receives a threatening package with no return address. Is Irene on the killer's list, or is she just being paranoid?

Helene Tursten's latest Irene Huss mystery is even leaner and meaner than previous novels. While changes continue to occur in the lives of empty nesters Irene and Krister, Irene is under a very real-- and very creepy-- threat. When no connections are found between the victims, it is steady, dogged police work that wins the day. Never give up. Keep knocking on doors. Keep asking questions. Keep going over and over the evidence for that one tiny clue that will break things wide open. There's something to be said for police officers in crime fiction who are lavishly endowed with intuition, but I also admire a never-say-die attitude and plenty of hard work. 

Tursten does an excellent job of ratcheting up the suspense in this very enjoyable police procedural, and Irene Huss continues to be one of my favorite characters. The author also addresses a couple of points that drive me crazy not only in crime fiction and film but in real life. Whether in a vehicle or on foot, you should always have good knowledge of your surroundings. Know the neighborhood in which you live. Don't travel the streets wearing earbuds or with your face buried in a cell phone. And for crying out loud, close your curtains when it gets dark! Don't provide any- and everyone with something they can't resist watching. I learned the hard way: no matter how uninteresting you may feel yourself to be, there is always someone who finds you fascinating. Tursten is well aware of these things, and she's used them to write an exciting tale that can make your skin crawl.
 

Who Watcheth by Helene Tursten
Translated from the Swedish by Marlaine Delargy

ISBN: 9781616954048

Soho Crime © 2016

Hardcover, 304 pages

Police Procedural, #9 Detective Inspector Irene Huss

Rating: A-

Source: the publisher  


 

The Quarry by Johan Theorin

First Line: It was March in northern Öland, and the sun was shining on small, dirty-white snowdrifts as they slowly melted on the lawns at the residential home for senior citizens in Marnäs.

Gerlof Davidsson is out of the nursing home and back in his home on Öland. He's decided to read the diaries of his beloved wife who died of cancer several years before, but little does he know that his wife's words may shed some light on the goings-on among his neighbors. 

Per Mörner and his son Jesper are in one nearby house. Per spends a good deal of his time visiting his critically ill daughter in the hospital and trying to avoid his father Jerry, a man that Per has always been deeply ashamed of. In the largest and most expensive home are writer Max Larsson and his wife Vendela, who grew up on the island. Max is filled to the brim with his own self-importance while his lonely wife remembers her childhood and lavishes her affection on their dog Ally. What none of them know is that a fire that kills two strangers is going to bring to light many secrets that they hoped would remain buried.

Johan Theorin is a master at setting a scene, and he brings the natural beauty of  Öland to life. He's also a master of atmosphere, and the feeling in The Quarry is one of slowly building dread. Secrets have remained buried for decades, and they are demanding to be brought out into the light. 

Theorin weaves stories of elves and trolls, of the early days of the Swedish porn industry, and of a long disused quarry into a riveting story of poverty and neglect, love and murder. His characters are so well drawn that you can hear each distinctive voice as you read, and your mind stays busy in an attempt to deduce how these people's lives all intersect. 

Although this book is the third in the Öland Quartet, each one can stand alone. They are only connected by their setting and by the occasional appearance of the elderly Gerlof Davidsson. Feel free to jump in wherever you like.

Johan Theorin is a master storyteller, and I have yet to read one of his books that I did not love. He is my favorite Swedish crime writer.

The Quarry by Johan Theorin

Translated from the Swedish by Marlaine Delargy

ISBN: 9780552777049

Doubleday © 2011

Paperback, 477 pages

Amateur Sleuth, #3 Öland Quartet

Rating: A

Source: Purchased from Book Depository.


 

The Girl in the Spider's Web by David Lagercrantz

First Line: This story begins with a dream, and not a particularly spectacular one at that.

In many businesses the world over, the mantra is "What have you done for me lately?" It's true in journalism, and Mikael Blomkvist's detractors take every opportunity they can to tell the world that Blomkvist is over the hill, that he doesn't have what it takes anymore. That's all about to change.

Blomkvist receives a tip from one of his sources who claims to have vital information given to him by a young female hacker. It's too intriguing for Blomkvist to ignore, and he turns to the one person he knows can help him find the truth: Lisbeth Salander. In no time at all, the two of them are drawn into a world of spies and cybercriminals, many of whom are more than willing to kill to keep their secrets.

When I learned that David Lagercrantz would be continuing Stieg Larsson's Millennium series, I was intrigued... but cautious. The first thing I did was get my hands on a copy of Lagercrantz's book Fall of Man in Wilmslow, a mystery featuring Alan Turing. I was disappointed, but I love the characters of Salander and Blomkvist so much that I couldn't stay away from this newest book. For the most part I wish I had. 

Like Fall of Man in Wilmslow, there are large sections of the book in which not much happens. In fact, it took until right around page 200 for the pace to finally pick up. 

The worst part for me was the lack of Stieg Larsson's splendid characters, Blomkvist and Salander; in fact they almost seem like pale imitations of themselves. Yes, this book is competently written, but it lacks Larsson's passion, his fire for his story and his characters. I just heard that there's going to be yet another book in the series written by Lagercrantz. I have learned my lesson. This time I'm going to leave it alone.
    

The Girl in the Spider's Web by David Lagercrantz
Translated from the Swedish by George Goulding

eISBN: 9780385354295

Alfred A. Knopf © 2015

eBook, 396 pages 

Amateur Sleuth, #4 Millennium/Lisbeth Salander

Rating: C+

Source: Purchased from Amazon