by Mons Kallentoft
Fiction, mystery & détective
Hodder - 2012
503 pages - 15,99$
En Français ici
Why that book
Well, as for Chris F. Holm, I met the author during at QuebeCrime festival end of October this year. He was very friendly and I wanted to try reading more Scandinavian thrillers. I had already read Stieg Larsson and Camilla Läckberg and appreciated it.
Summary
It is Autumn in Linköping and the heavens have opened, but not even these biblical rains can wash away the blood of crimes past and present.
Then the brutally-stabbed body of self-made Internet billionaire Jerry Petersson is discovered floating facedown in the moat surrounding his home, the imposing Skogså Castle.
Malin Fors, the brilliant but flawed star of the Linköping police force, is already struggling to keep her life together following the recent murder attempt on her teenage daughter, Tove. Now, as the Petersson case forces Malin to delve deep into Linköping's history and her own family's past, the secrets she uncovers threaten to drown her, too . . .
What I think
Fans of psychological drama and suffocating atmosphere will enjoy it. Kallentoft creates a very special atmosphere. I found it as special as Millenium, but power 10. Autumn appears almost as a character in itself as it takes a lot of place, especially at the beginning, which made me a little scared I must admit - as I don't especially like that.
The author has fun destabilizing the reader through a game going back and forth between different points of view - the police, Malin in particular, the victims (dead I should tell ...), the witnesses. He even make short sentences that follow on one another, but do not talk about the same thing. Which is quite special to me, but may appeal to some.
An excerpt?
'Let's get it to Börje,' Malin says.
'OK,' Zeke Replies.
Malin goes for the passenger seat. Zeke can do the driving.
The dog whimpers in the back seat.
Daniel Högfeldt's naked body.
What's wrong with me? Malin thinks.
Malin Fors, the brilliant but flawed star of the Linköping police force, is already struggling to keep her life together following the recent murder attempt on her teenage daughter, Tove. Now, as the Petersson case forces Malin to delve deep into Linköping's history and her own family's past, the secrets she uncovers threaten to drown her, too . . .
What I think
Fans of psychological drama and suffocating atmosphere will enjoy it. Kallentoft creates a very special atmosphere. I found it as special as Millenium, but power 10. Autumn appears almost as a character in itself as it takes a lot of place, especially at the beginning, which made me a little scared I must admit - as I don't especially like that.
The author has fun destabilizing the reader through a game going back and forth between different points of view - the police, Malin in particular, the victims (dead I should tell ...), the witnesses. He even make short sentences that follow on one another, but do not talk about the same thing. Which is quite special to me, but may appeal to some.
An excerpt?
'Let's get it to Börje,' Malin says.
'OK,' Zeke Replies.
Malin goes for the passenger seat. Zeke can do the driving.
The dog whimpers in the back seat.
Daniel Högfeldt's naked body.
What's wrong with me? Malin thinks.
Let's be brief
A book dedicated to a particular public who appreciates the very cold atmosphere, where the characters have the spotlight over the action, where the psychological takes precedence over events. This is not a page-turner, it took me almost three weeks to read it... probably a record length of time for reading a thriller in my case!
I must admit we do not choose a Scandinavian book for its action, but to plunge into a village or town, to know his protagonists and their torments and joys, in short for the atmosphere, but I thought that the action was not enough present - well enought to say I really love action in a crime fiction!
Good to know
Mons Kallentoft grew up in Linköping where the Malin Fors series takes place. This book is the third in the series following Fors.
I must admit we do not choose a Scandinavian book for its action, but to plunge into a village or town, to know his protagonists and their torments and joys, in short for the atmosphere, but I thought that the action was not enough present - well enought to say I really love action in a crime fiction!
Good to know
Mons Kallentoft grew up in Linköping where the Malin Fors series takes place. This book is the third in the series following Fors.
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