Sun Storm (original 2003; edition 2006)

A really creepy, psychologically thrilling debut. Martinsson is a great heroine and the story was dark, twisted and complex - everything people have come to expect and love about Scandinavian crime. ( )

I can’t be certain (I don’t have a list of everything I’ve ever read) but I don’t recall reading any Swedish crime fiction before. Which, if this book is anything to judge by is my loss.

Savage Altar features a young tax lawyer, Rebecka Martinsson, who returns to her home town when a man she knew there is murdered and his sister, her old friend, seeks Rebecka’s help. The story features a particularly gruesome killing, cult-like religious folk, tenacious detectives and a fascinating array of minor characters. In fact the characters are the stars of this book as they all slowly reveal their secrets and true natures.

Larsson has a great eye for descriptive detail which made it easy to sink into the unfamiliar environment, weather and culture. She’s also a dab hand at building a level of suspense with both the present day murder and the story of Rebecka’s past and the reason she left the town years earlier. The book is deliciously unpredictable: I don’t think there’s anyone I didn’t suspect of being the killer at some point or other, and totally un-putdownable which is evidenced by the fact I barely saved it from a dunking as I tried to read while washing the dishes.

Apparently there’s a second book in this series being published this year and I can’t wait for it to be translated into English.
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Received as a wishlist RABCK.

I had mixed feelings about this. It's not badly written, and I might read other books by her. But while I enjoy detective fiction and thrillers I'm really not into reading more detailed descriptions of deprived crazy killers. And I'm really sick of the literary device wherein the sweet little dog gets tortured to show you how depraved the killer is. I started skimming towards the end because it was just too much for me. ( )

Popular evangelist is found murdered in his church. An old friend must come back to defend his sister and face her own past. ( )