Kjell Eriksson (1) (1953–)

In this, Eriksson’s second book to be translated into English, we once again meet up with Ann Lindell and her team from the Uppsala police department’s Violent Crimes division. This time, the team is called in to investigate the seemingly motiveless deaths of three elderly men, all very quiet, all living alone. The police, in the search for anything which might lead them to a killer, try to fathom why these men were killed and what tied their lives together. Lindell gets the idea that show more perhaps she should make the examination broader, and begins comes up with a man who turned up missing around the same area some time back. It seems that a Laura Hindersten had turned in a missing person report when her father, a professor with a love of Petrarch, went missing. Laura’s story interweaves with that of the police investigation, and the combination of the two lead to an incredible read.

I love the way Eriksson writes and I love the slow and methodical pacing of this novel, even though many readers complained that it was too slow for their liking. I liked the characters and I liked the dual plotline. What I didn’t like was that the author allowed his main character, Lindell, to make a really stupid mistake that I don’t think was in keeping with the police side of her character, in order to build to a bit of a hair-raising climax. This error, especially for a writer of Eriksson’s caliber, would normally be (for me) an unforgiveable lapse, but the rest of it was so good that I could overlook it, once I got past my initial annoyance. I can definitely recommend Cruel Stars of the Night to those who enjoy a really good police procedural, and to those who also enjoy psychological suspense. It’s also a bit more gritty than the lighthearted books cozy readers tend to enjoy, so I probably wouldn’t recommend it for that crowd. This author is also definitely a must for those who are exploring the realm of Scandinavian crime fiction. show less

This claustrophobic character study may not be the best choice for readers who like action and puzzle-solving, but if you take the time to savor it, it’s very good. An elderly man living in a prestigious neighborhood has just received news that he’s going to receive the Nobel Prize for medicine. We soon learn that he may not actually deserve it, and in any case he’s a mean, demanding, self-important tyrant of his own home. The demands he puts on his loyal elderly housekeeper, the third show more woman in her family to work for this wealthy family, is reaching the end of her tether. In some ways this is an inside-out mystery. The series detective, Ann Lindell, appears late in the book, and so does the crime. What’s fascinating is to watch this highly traditional household slowly unravel. Translated by Paul Norlen. show less

I've read two of Eriksson's Ann Lindell series and they were competent. The series has not been translated into English and published in order, which made for some confusion about Ann's conflicted life: lovers, pregnancy, motherhood, etc. But this one was just awful. Written by a man about a woman's purported sexual and emotional awakening by an absolute jerk. She daydreams through meetings about all the things this guy does with his tongue, and how she has finally met the man who will show more unfold her soul... a guy who "makes her feel seen and desired," by never listening to or caring about a single thing she thinks, does, feels, how her day is, anything, and tells her nothing at all about his either. Her son is now five and barely appears on the scene except to mention when he's conveniently at a friend's house. What was Eriksson drinking when he wrote this one? I ditched this one fast and won't read another. show less

So this is a Swedish detective novel. Slow start but it picked up and ended well. Great use of the stark Swedish gestalt of land, sea, and outlook. Didn't expect at least part of the ending. I am back and forth about the use of India but it was a good contrast to sweden. Will definitely read another KE book and will put Uppsala on the list.