The Second Deadly Sin by Åsa Larsson - out 12th of August 2014

Quercus Books (US) - MacLehose Press

352 pages - 26.99 $

Another Scandinavian author (Swedish to be precise). This is definitely trendy, but I did not want to stay on an aftertaste of disappointment with my reading of The Hypnotist by Lars Kepler. So here I am, trying agin a new Swedish author whose name appears regularly on networks.

The blurb

Oprah.com raved that Åsa Larsson’s Rebecka Martinsson is a crime fighter who has all the needed gut insticts," and listed the series as "Mysteries Every Thinking Woman Should Read." In The Second Deadly Sin, dawn breaks in a forest in northern Sweden. Villagers gather to dispatch a rampaging bear. When the beast is brought to ground they are horrified to find the remains of a human hand inside its stomach. In nearby Kiruna, a woman is found murdered in her bed, her body a patchwork of vicious wounds, the word WHORE scrawled across the wall. Her grandson Marcus, already an orphan, is nowhere to be seen. Grasping for clues, Rebecka Martinsson begins to delve into the victim’s tragic family history. But with doubts over her mental health still lingering, she is ousted from the case by an arrogant and ambitious young prosecutor. Before long a chance lead draws Martinsson back into the thick of the action and her legendary courage is put to the test once more. 

What's about that book

Larsson knows how to make us feel what experience her characters... including the dog. And just for that, it blew me away. I think especially of a scene where the Brat, Martinsson's puppy runs around the house in all directions until he can go out, it's a scene you may find useless because it adds nothing to the plot, but it brings a lot to the atmosphere! There is also how Maja portrays von Post, a moment of pure happiness (well, in your teeth von Post!) Or, the day spent with Martisson in her house, drinking moonshine and doing trips to the sauna, while investigating, along with Pohjanen (and we learn a bit more about Swedish culture). It thus makes us feel good in the presence of Martisson, wanting to get to know her. That create a sense of familiarity with the characters and it's very nice. 

The plot follows two stories that, as so often, join in the end, one explaining the other. This has already been done, of course, but when it's well done, as is the case here, it's nice. A story unfolds in the early twentieth century, while the other is in the present. Ultimately, it is the story of a family that we can judge cursed as misfortune rained down on her, a family cursed by greed. 

Aside from the very human and endearing characters, the two-story plot, Larsson sprinkles her story of political shenanigans, low blows and cowardice. Martinsson's success doesn't please everyone and Von Post, the detestable prosecutor, will do anything to counter her. There are few references to the past, especially with regard to Martinsson's psychological past which uses von Post, but not having read the other books did not prevent to understand how this man is a shabby. 

In a nutshell

A clever writing, very endearing characters, a plot well done, a dark atmosphere, cold and sad, but hopeful at the same time. This is a 4.5 / 5 for me.

Disclaimer: An e-galley of this title was provided to me by the publisher. No review was promised and the above is an unbiased review of the novel.

The Hypnotist by Lars Kepler

McClelland & Stewart; 1st Edition edition (June 12 2012)

512 pages - 17.99 $

Scandinavians are still a hit on the sales charts. Lars Kepler is a Swedish couple writing together. I must say that I didn't seeing it. I do not know about you but  I like less than others books written by two hands. Anyway, Scandinavian authors are often very good, the story was very promising and a friend gave me this book, so I said to myself I could give it a shot!

The blurb

Tumba, Sweden. A triple homicide, all of the victims from the same family, captivates Detective Inspector Joona Linna, who demands to investigate the grisly murders - against the wishes of the national police. The killer is at large, and it appears that the elder sister of the family escaped the carnage; it seems only a matter of time until she, too, is murdered. But where can Linna begin? The only surviving witness is an intended victim - the boy whose mother, father, and little sister were killed before his eyes. Whoever committed the crimes intended for this boy to die: he has suffered more than one hundred knife wounds and Lapsed into a state of shock. He's in no condition to be questioned. Desperate for information, Linna sees one mode of recourse: hypnotism. He enlists Dr. Erik Maria Bark to mesmerize the boy, hoping to discover the killer through his eyes. It's the sort of work that Bark had sworn he would never do again - ethically dubious and psychically scarring. When he breaks his promise and hypnotizes the victim, a long and terrifying chain of events begins to unfurl.

What I think of it

The story is original, I must admit it. I was intrigued to see how the author would deal with hypnosis, knowing that this kind of method is not always well seen. This is pretty well written, even if the description of the sensations during hypnosis is a bit too metaphysical for me. It reminds me of the book Eat, Pray, Love, when the author tells about the blue reflections that invade her during a transcendent moment of meditation... it was not my favorite part of the book. 

For the rest, one word comes to mind: long. This book is far too long! One example among many other,: when Joona wants to ask a colleague to look for information, it may take a whole page. (Yes Sir!) Because he must take the time to talk about his years of swimming with her, all that... Everything is detailed - and whether in Frédérique Molay's book it was well done and quite useful - here it is often unnecessary. Reading this book that aims to be a thriller (thus normally a breathless thing), is a bit like running in slow motion. There is always something happening, it must be said, but multiple hyper detailed unnecessary actions that revolve around the main plot breaks the flow. As I said recently, too much detail kills the plot. This is the major concern of this novel.

Small bonus point for the tip of humor at the end of the book when Joona called Erik and can not prevent his quirks to step through. 

In a nutshell

This is good, but too long. A 2.5 / 5 for me.