Very good, atmospheric, unusual story with well developed characters. ( )

Set in Uppsala, Sweden, as the story opens, the winter weather is terrible, and a son awaits the return of his father, John Harald Jonsson. However, John Jonsson isn't coming home that night, or any other night because he's been murdered. Not only that, but there is evidence that John has been tortured. His wife, Berit, can't think of anyone that would want to hurt him let alone want him dead. Enter the police department, with the investigation being led by Ola Haver, who has some personal issues of his own, and investigated on the sidelines by Ann Liddell, who's still on maternity leave and really wants to get back to her work on the force.

The book is not only a story of the investigation of John's murder, but focuses on the impact of this crime on not only those left behind, but on the police as individuals. Eriksson's skill here is in her ability to create characters who come off as being real, as well as her ability to create and sustain an incredibly somber atmosphere throughout the novel. The mystery is okay, but there's just something about this woman's writing and her ability to create that transcends the plot. Eriksson's skill here is in her ability to create characters who come off as being real, as well as her ability to create and sustain an incredibly somber atmosphere throughout the novel. The mystery is okay, but there's just something about this woman's writing and her ability to create that transcends the plot.

I would definitely recommend this novel to readers who want something different than what's currently out there. Readers of more mainstream-type mystery novels may be less likely to enjoy this one, but I find European mystery novels, for the most part, to be more to the point, less cutesy and more intense than what's available on most bookstore shelves. ( )

This book started out a bit dry, and the writing was a bit jumpy, though it was a translation so it may be fine in its original language. It was very low key, and eventually sucked me into the story.

There seemed to be a huge cast of characters, many in the police department, and I am still not sure I have them straight, or even know who they all are.

While the book was written for a Swedish audience, the American publisher should have done some work on it, besides the translation, for the American public.

I would have liked to have seen a map of Sweden, and then one of Uppsala. I was almost 150 pages in before I realized that the places they were talking about, which I took as home towns, were really just sections of Uppsala. Also a glossary of words would have been helpful. I have no idea what Bandy is, other than it is played on the ice. Is it hockey, curling, or something else ?

The story has a couple of crimes and no one is sure if they are the same killer of not. That part was interesting, a real mystery. The solution was not so good. A mysterious twin brother, no real foreshadowing, he just appears. There was also a duplicate wad of cash, that came in with the twin. Lazy plotting.

The other odd thing was that the cops sat around the station and had these deep philosophical discussions about crime, society, politics, and their place in the current world, and the past of their memories. This would break out during the case meeting to determine what was known from the previous day, and what the new day's tasks were and who was going to do them. Of course the criminals had the same reveries too. Image a crime film done by Bergman ! Though it wasn't that slow or boring, more like Bergman lite.

I guess even the socialist paradise of Sweden is having money problems because they are talking about cuts in social services, and police, hospitals, and libraries. But they have this one murder and it becomes the top priority, and their main perp, the victim's brother, is a small time petty thief but they treat him like a big time criminal. So perhaps they aren't used to lots of crime, or violent crime, which is nice, if bit odd. ( )

Not great, but a few clues tie into the end. A better translation would definitely have helped; the language seemed a bit stilted. ( )

Ytterligare en spännande, tät, historia av Kjell Eriksson. ( )