Paradise [Paperback]

Liza Marklund (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2004

A hurricane sweeps across Sweden leaving chaos in its wake. Two men lie dead in Stockholm, shot in the head at point-blank range. A young woman runs for her life, finding refuge in Paradise, a foundation dedicated to those whose lives are in danger. Newspaper sub-editor Annika Bengtzon is trying to piece her life back together following the violent death of her fiancé, and covering the story of Paradise is just the break she needs. But as she’s about to find out, neither the young woman nor Paradise are quite what they appear to be.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for Liza Marklund
 
“[Marklund’s] books are as much a continuation of her fight against injustice as they are suspense-filled page-turners.”
—Irish Independent
 
“Marklund plays with Swedish history, politics, and current events all the while maintaining the integrity of her characters.... This is a series to savor.”
—The Globe and Mail
                                                                                                                                                      
“Marklund is one of the most dynamic and popular crime writers of our time.”
—Patricia Cornwell

“No tells a story like Liza Marklund.”
—Karin Slaughter
 
“Liza Marklund is in a league of her own thanks to her intelligent stories, her confident writing and her radical view on society. There is no doubt about it.”
––Henning Mankell

“An astonishing talent.... Liza Marklund’s thrillers are stellar examples of those qualities inherent in the best fiction: She wholly immerses the reader in her world, and she writes with consummate intelligence, con... --This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

About the Author

Liza Marklund is a newspaper and television journalist, who lives in Stockholm with her husband and three children.

Product Details

• Paperback: 441 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK (August 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743469070
• ISBN-13: 978-0743469074
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,232,809 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great Second Mystery in the Series by Marklund, September 18, 2009

By 

Sleepy (RI United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Paradise (Paperback)

Another gripping story in the Annika Bengstrom series. Set in Stockholm they give a glimpse not into only Swedish life but also how a newspaper there operates. The fourth book, "The Bomber" was a hit here but I thought the first two were even better. I'm going on to the third, "Primetime" next.

Annika, a young newspaper reporter, deals with resentment from many of the permanent staff at the newspaper as the result of a shocking incident in the first book, "Studio 69", while she tracks down a mysterious organization that seems too good to be true. In the process she is involved with the Yugoslavian Mafia and the dangerous Ratko. A gripping story all the way.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars My first Swedish crime novel I haven't finished, January 29, 2009

By 

Bezweifeln "Bezweifeln" (USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Paradise (Paperback)

How can one write a review when one has not finished the book in question? I have to because I'm mad at this one. This book comes on the heels of many detective stories, Swedish police procedurals and Travis McGee books I've enjoyed very much. I was on such a good run of books and authors! One good book led to another. I achieved two thirds of this one and just could not go on.

It is a story of the main character's pursuit of knowledge about an organization that sounds too good to be true and is, a sudden stroke of her beloved Grandmother, (Annika just sobbed....again and again and oops! again), a killer (with assumed psychic powers) looking for anybody connected with the theft of a truck of cigarettes from a Serbian crime syndicate and a man who suddenly decides that there just has to be more to life than his rich wife and council meetings.

There was no depth to any of it! This Annika says "I love you" to another character their first night together, beginning this future relationship based on... what? Great sex? How many hospital visits to the sick grandmother can we stand? The clichéd fights with mother..... How much sobbing must we endure? All in the pursuit of... oh, what was the main goal of the story? The Serbian criminals? Where are the cigarettes? The debt ridden faux charity? The heroine's redemption by writing one good newspaper story instead of editing others' pieces? Because of the lack of descriptive depth, and thus the vision in one's own mind's eye; I didn't care for any of it after a while.

Read Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö, Henning Mankell or Håkan Nesser for a glimpse of Swedish procedurals and the society of Sweden itself. This book left me very disappointed.

7 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Honest gritty portrayal of woman writer, December 1, 2006

By 

Regina Kiser "Gina: british books, other book... (Saint Paul MN USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Paradise (Paperback)

I thought this was a very realistic intense book. I have enjoyed all of Marklund's book - they provide a birds-eye view of another culture. Even the meals in restaurants were deliciously described.