Stranger

February 4, 2013
In Swedish author Läckberg’s engaging, if subpar, fourth crime thriller set in Fjällbacka (after 2012’s The Stonecutter), Det. Patrik Hedström investigates a local woman’s death in what appears to be a D.W.I. accident. Some things don’t add up, like the off-the-charts alcohol level for a victim, who everyone says never drank. Meanwhile, the battered corpse of one of the cast members of a reality TV show filming in Fjällbacka surfaces inside a garbage truck. Läckberg skillfully handles the ensuing probe—which will stretch over half of Sweden and into crimes dating back decades, including the abduction of a young brother and sister from Fjällbacka—as well as the domestic dramas dominating the life of writer and new mom Erica Falck, who is soon to wed Patrik. Less successful are the florid chapter-opening flashbacks and the puzzle’s farfetched solution. Hints of the next installment’s plot promise a return to form. Agent: Joakim Hansson, Nordin Literary Agency (Sweden).

June 24, 2013
Inspector Patrik Hedstrom of the Fjällbacka Police Department returns in this latest tale of Swedish small town murder. A tragic car accident leaves a local woman dead and alcohol abuse seems to be the reason for the crash. But, from all accounts, the victim wasn’t a drinker. And post mortem evidence leads Hedstrom to suspect foul play. But before he can fully begin his investigation Fjällbacka is thrown into chaos when a popular reality TV show begins filming there. And, when one of the show’s young cast members is found murdered, Hedstrom and his team find themselves stretched to the limit as they search for the truth behind both deaths—a search that will take them well outside the confines of their little community. Simon Vance’s smooth, leisurely reading fits well with Läckberg’s prose, and capably draws the listener into the story. Vance effortlessly handles Swedish pronunciations and his dialogue is delivered with just enough vocal distinction to avoid confusion, but simple enough to avoid sounding forced. A Pegasus hardcover.