Kristina Ohlsson

I read this more or less in one sitting, and it is my favourite of the series so far, although I'm not sure what the blue dress on the cover of my edition had to do with the story.

This concerns the discovery of the body of a student who went missing two years ago, and then widens out as more bodies are discovered. I liked the interview snippets from the subsequent review of 'the catastrophe', which increased the sense of suspense. I will be interested to see how many of the recurring show more characters make it into the next book.

Recommended. show less

This novel was something of a disappointment to me, but not enough of a disappointment to turn me off on the series. "The Disappeared" is number three in Ohlsson's Fredrika Bergman/Alex Recht series, and I was eagerly looking forward to it, having found "Silenced" in particular a very compelling read. "The Disappeared" shares some of the positives of the earlier novels -- a high and sustained level of suspense, well rounded and (in some cases!) very likable characters, and a fluent writing show more style. But the improbability that occasionally popped up in the earlier novels swings into high gear in this entry. There are too many coincidences, too many links between the case and the investigators' private lives, and too many really bad people in really high places. By the time it was over my interest had descended to the level of "OK, what's she going to come up with next". It's not that expect Scandinavian mysteries to present a totally realistic portrait of modern day Scandinavian society: a lot of what's enjoyable in mystery fiction is having "the evil in our midst" identified, apprehended, and taken out of circulation. But the suspension of the will to disbelieve, for me at least, has limits. Now, all that said, I am still looking forward to reading the latest installment in the series, "Hostage". Ohlsson may go over the top, plotwise, but she is a really good mystery writer. show less

Kristina Ohlsson has written such a skillfully complex story filled with nuanced characters that I wish I had read the first book in this series, Unwanted. Silenced is definitely an ensemble book in which the supposed lead, Fredrika Bergman, really doesn't play a substantially larger part than her cast mates.

The lives of the police officers play an important role and give the book even more believability and depth. Fredrika is in her thirties and has decided to have a child by a much older show more married man. One of the most touchingly honest scenes in this book involves a mandatory dinner at Fredrika's parents so they can meet the father of her child. Each police officer's private life (to varying degrees) is woven into the story to show how personal matters can affect their job performance. One officer in particular, Peder Rydh, has gone through a messy separation from his wife and children, and his life has begun to implode. He's become a boor, a jerk, and in many other books, that's how he would have remained-- a figure of derision. But in Ohlsson's hands, we are given the chance to understand him and to hope that he can pull back from the brink. It may sound as though all this character examination would bog down the plot, but it is enhancement, not hindrance.

Speaking of plot, Ohlsson's is first-rate, with several elements that I'm not going to mention so you can get the full effect if you decide to read the book. As I've said before, the plot is complex, with things not being how they first appeared. Layer upon layer of deception is gradually revealed, all the way to the book's conclusion. Silenced may not be quite as tough or as graphic as some of the other Scandinavian crime fiction we've been introduced to, but I like Ohlsson's approach to her subject matter. Her characters show us all the differing sides, and her conclusions pack a wallop. This is a series that I definitely want to continue reading. show less

Fifteen years ago a young girl was brutally attacked as she picked flowers in a meadow near her parents’ Swedish country home. Fast forward to the present. It's a cold February morning in Stockholm, when the federal investigation unit is assigned two new cases. A man has been killed in a hit and run. He has no identification on him, he is not reported missing nor wanted by the police. Investigative Analyst Fredrika Bergman has the task of finding out who he is. At the same time, a priest show more and his wife are found dead in their apartment. All evidence suggests that the priest shot his wife and the committed suicide. But is that all there is to it?

Two different cases, seemingly unrelated. But it is not long before the investigations begin to converge and the police are following a trail that leads all the way back to the ’90s, to a crime that was hushed-up, but whose consequences will reach further and deeper than anyone ever expected.

Silenced starts off slowly but quickly builds into something that manages to be thoroughly absorbing. I was a fan of the first Fredrika Bergman novel, The Unwanted, and plan to pick up the next in the series, The Disappeared as soon as I can. show less