In the Name of Truth

In the Name of Truth is the eighth book in the Sandhamn Murders series, and the last one available in English as of this review. After a disappointing seventh book, I was pleased to find Viveca Sten back on form again, with a complex and satisfying mystery that also manages to actively involve all of the principal characters. Nora Linde, now a prosecutor for an government economic crimes unit, is heading up a high-profile trial involving two former business partners. The outcome of the trial is in jeopardy due to unreliable witnesses and a lack of crucial evidence. Thomas Andreasson is investigating the disappearance of a young boy, who happens to be the son of one of the business partners. Evidence points to a known pedophile, but is show more this an isolated incident, or somehow connected to the dispute between the business partners? As Nora and Thomas advance their respective efforts, they both also face significant challenges in their personal lives which keep them from giving full attention to their work.

I was happy to see Nora get equal billing with Thomas in this book. In previous novels, her storyline tended to hum along in the background, focused on her role as a single working parent. While she occasionally brushed up against the crime investigation by providing some little-known fact that helped advance the case, she was rarely a central figure. I hope In the Name of Truth is the beginning of new things for Nora’s character. Too bad I have to wait for English translations to find out ... show less

Complex and absorbing!

Weave together a plot featuring a court case about embezzlement, a children's summer sailing camp on Sandhamn Island, a stalking pedophile, a runaway girl, a missing boy, a camp leader who suffers from deep insecurities, another couple of boys who would be at home in the Lord of the Flies; then throw in gambling and Lithuanian gangsters and you have one complicated plot for Detective Inspector Thomas Andreasson and his friend, attorney Nora Linde to work their way through. Both unbeknownst to each other pursuing independent inquiries that have them meeting somewhere in the middle. (Oh, and did I mention the wedding?)
Nora is working on the court case and Thomas on the camp front.
I swear I smelt a wiff of pine show more needles and felt the sting of the sea spray in the camp sequences. I did dream wistfully of summer and sailing.
Putting this complex Swedish crime noir together must have been exhausting and I'm seeing huge maps on white boards dotted everywhere, or maybe a zillion post-it notes joining everything together. Ok, so maybe it was a speadsheet. I say this 'cause occasionally I had to backtrack just to keep up with the divergent storylines and the action. A gripping read that kept me awake long after I'd cantered to the finish line.
This was my first read about Andreasson and Linde. It didn't deter me from enjoying the storyline. Though now I am pleased to say I have a lot of catching up to do!

An AmazonCrossing ARC via NetGalley show less

Nora Linde serves as prosecutor in an economic crime case in which a former partner's key testimony will likely indict. She receives threatening emails. Benjamin, an eleven-year-old boy, goes to sailing camp at his father's insistence. Two other boys immediately begin bullying him, but the inexperienced group leader fails to notice. This boy's father, as the reader knows, is the key witness in Nora's case. Thomas first goes to the camp when a girl disappears. When the girl shows up back at home, Thomas returns to Nacka. The Nacka unit will relocate as part of restructuring soon. His partner Margit received a promotion when he left the force, but she persuaded the powers-that-be to rehire Thomas when he found himself pushing paper in his show more new private sector position. Thomas' new partner is Aram. When Benjamin fails to show up for breakfast one day, Thomas and Aram go back to the island. Is it a case of a runaway child? Is it a case of bullying gone bad? Is it a case of kidnapping? Thomas and Aram must investigate all this as Nora finds her key witness does not share the same story he told the police once he takes the stand. Her chances of promotion look bleak. At the same time both Thomas and Nora experience trouble in relationships. Thomas and his wife find jobs getting in the way of life. When Jonah takes a flight to Thailand days before the wedding with promises of returning in time, she becomes upset. There is much going on in the installments. I'm tiring of all the personal issues in the novels and wish they would stick to the investigations. However, the mystery and the trial were both satisfying. Both story lines improved over the previous installment characterized by a "stuck in a familiar rut" scenario. show less

Kirja oli ihan ok. Osittain jouduin pakottamaan itseni lukemaan. En pitänyt oikeussali draamasta, se oli kiusallista luettavaa jostakin syystä. Muuten tarina veti ihan hyvin. Joten kirja saa minulta kolme tähteä.

Alors que Thomas enquête sur la disparition de Benjamin d’un camp de voile, Nora est procureure au procès pour escroquerie de son père. Une histoire sombre, dont on comprend certaines ficelles avant les protagonistes, ce qui en intensifie le suspens, et aux thèmes très contemporains. Un nouveau volume à cette série à la fois noire et humaine, aux personnages attachants et crédibles et qui, au fil des années, a su s’affranchir de l’influence d’abord très marquée de Camilla Läckberg.

Typisk svensk standarddeckare av alla dessa sk deckardrottningar. Stens karaktär och miljöbeskrivningar känns dock trivsamma så det är några timmars lättsam avkoppling som man glömt när man stängt igen boken.

Das Buch erzählt von einem Kind, das aus einem Segelcamp entführt wird, sowie von einem großen Wirtschaftsprozess. Es ist vermutlich ein guter Krimi, aber da ich ungern über Mobbing lese und ebenso ungern in die Gedankenwelt von Pädophilen eintauche, hat es mir nicht besonders gefallen.