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Synopsis (From Goodreads):
In a small backwater town in Sweden, a young boy with a dark secret comes across a diary. As a cold case investigation suddenly becomes eerily current, a police investigator mysteriously disappears. What links these seemingly random events?
As atrocious acts from the past haunt the present and lives are changed forever, some will struggle to remember - while others struggle to forget . . .
Review:
Most of the time, I get advance copies of books through services such as Netgalley or Edeilweiss. So I was surprised when I got a request directly from a publisher to review this book. I looked up the description on Goodreads and was intrigued. I've been wanting to read more crime mysteries. This book had some of the same elements that hooked me on the novels of Louise Penny: a flawed police detective, a small town full of interesting characters, and of course, a murder. Even though this is a darker version of the crime novel, I was still thoroughly entertained and excited to find out who the murderer was.
What I Liked:
Setting:No one would want to live in the fictional village of Sweden known as Ormberg. A once thriving small town, the area is full of shuttered factories, and unemployed townspeople. The abandoned buildings are used as a refugee center, first during the Bosnian conflict, and now to aid people fleeing the violence in Syria. The townsfolk are bitter about the government helping these recent immigrants, while ignoring the suffering of the long-term residents.
Characters:
The book is filled with memorable characters that fall into two groups: The police officers investigating the murder, and the local townsfolk.
I liked the main character, Malin, a young woman who grew up in Ormberg, but left to find a more exciting life in Stockholm. She clashes with a small town cop named Andreas. His boring life of sitting at home and watching television after work represents everything she is trying to flee. But, there's something about him that attracts her, as well.
Malin's colleagues, Hanne and Peter, are older (in their fifties), and involved in a passionate affair. But as the book progresses, we learn that Hanne is suffering from the beginning stages of dementia. Through her diary, the reader sees how scared she is about her future. It would be terrifying to be such a capable, confident professional and realize that you are going to lose all of that. And will Peter stick around?
The townspeople are equally interesting. Jake, is a teenager struggling to understand their gender identity. Jake's sister, Melinda, is an older teen who has stepped into the role of parent after their mother dies of cancer. Their father, Stefan, is an alcoholic who blames the Muslim refugees for his misfortunes. He's a mess, but could he also be a murderer?
As Malin is forced to stay with her mom, we meet a host of locals, including her aunt Margarita, and her cousin Magnus. Each character knows their place in this village, and each of the villagers look out for each other.
Narrative Style:
I liked the way the book was set up. Jake shows us the perspective of the tiny village, with all of its strengths and faults. The diary of Henne shows us the perspective of the police, who are outsiders. But most of the action is seen through Malin, who is both a local and an interloper. All these perspectives add up to a full picture of a complex society.
What I Was Mixed About:
The Ending: The ending was exciting and wrapped up the plot points nicely. But then the author added one more twist that I felt was unnecessary. It was like when someone adds just one more side dish to a perfectly balanced meal. It throws everything just a bit off. I get that the author did this to make the some of the characters more relatable to the reader. But it was really more of a distraction.
Rating:
Release Date: February 7th, 2019
Author: Camilla Grebe
Publisher: Zaffre Publishing
Genre: Crime Fiction
Page Length: 400 Pages
Source: Publisher
Format: E-Book
Recommendation: A solid crime thriller. Full of unforgettable characters, this was a compelling read.
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