The Princess of Burundi [Hardcover]

Kjell Eriksson (Author), Ebba Segerberg (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 7, 2006

A runaway bestseller in Sweden, The Princess of Burundi introduces Inspector Ann Lindell to U.S. mystery readers.

 

When a jogger finds a dead body in the snow, the members of Sweden's Uppsala police force uncover a victim with an unsettling history. John Jonsson, known to everyone as Little John, was a respectable family man and a local expert on tropical fish. But he had been quite a troublemaker, and his delinquent past seems to have caught up with him.

 

Despite being on maternity leave, Inspector Ann Lindell is determined to find John's murderer. The cruel cat-and-mouse game that follows leads Ann to a deadly confrontation with a treacherous killer. Ann must decide whether to take a huge risk that could result in many more dead bodies in the snow, including hers and that of her unborn child.

 

Written by one of Sweden's bestselling crime writers, The Princess of Burundi is an outstanding American debut.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. When the badly mutilated body of John Harald Jonsson—a working-class family man and an expert on the tropical fish known as cichlids—is found in the snow in the provincial Swedish town of Libro, homicide detective Ola Haver and his colleague, Ann Lindell, quickly identify a suspect, an embittered sociopath. The brilliance of Eriksson's richly detailed crime novel, his second (after The Illuminated Path) but his first to be translated into English, lies in its psychological and even sociological insights. Eriksson not only reveals a deep, sympathetic understanding for his large cast of characters but also evokes a pervasive sense of despair, reminiscent of Henning Mankell's, in the face of the violent, amoral nature of contemporary society and the challenges it places on the police. The title derives from the common name of one of Jonsson's beloved cichlids, and the aquarium is a neat metaphor for the dynamics of smalltown life. This suspenseful, intelligent and perceptive book is terrific. (Feb.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From School Library Journal

Adult/High School An ordinary crime novel is made extraordinary through Eriksson's exquisite character descriptions and circuitous plot. Former small-time crook Little John Jonsson is found brutally murdered, with clear evidence of torture. The Uppsala police force investigates and eventually identifies the killer. The author skillfully constructs the personality of each character, revealing, for example, the weaknesses inherent in policeman Ola Haver and Ann Liddell versus the hidden strengths of the victim's brother, Lennart Jonsson, and son, Justus. Haver leads the investigation while managing a strained relationship with his wife and an attraction to his former boss, Liddell. Lennart Jonsson's guilt and grief over his brother's death eventually destroys him, but not before he exacts his revenge (albeit unrecognized) and becomes a hero. Justus had a secret pact with his father that may have saved Little John's life had he shared it with his mother or the police. The likely suspect is a demented, pathetic person who knew his victim as one of his tormentors in school a period that haunts him in his adult life. The entangled relationships among the police, the victim, and the victim's family are compelling. Teens will be drawn to deconstruct the intelligent puzzle created by Eriksson, right down to the book's title. Claudia C. Holland, Chantilly Regional Library, Fairfax County, VA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books; 1st edition (February 7, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312327676
• ISBN-13: 978-0312327675
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.9 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #509,833 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent Swedish police procedural, February 8, 2006

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Princess of Burundi (Hardcover)

In Libro, Sweden, everyone is stunned when the mutilated corpse body of husband and father John Harald Jonsson, out on a job, is found in the snow. Based on the disfigurement, whoever killed the renowned cichlids tropical fish expert, passionately hated John. Death had to be a relief for the obvious evidence like three cut off fingers that shows he suffered while alive. Thus, homicide detectives Ola Haver and Ann Lindell, who comes off maternity leave to work the case, hone in on a forty-two year old troubled person, his family, and especially an acrimonious nutcase who apparently had a run in with John.

However, proof proves difficult to come by making the two sleuths wonder if they are going down a wrong path. Reassessing what they know and suspect, Ola and Anna continue to search for the motive by someone who obviously detested the victim, but could it have to with his personal life or his work at the aquarium that led to this vicious homicide.

This tranlastion of an award winning Swedish police procedural reads in many ways more like a deep insightful psychological thriller though the detectives diligently work the homicide. The characterization is top rate as the audicne undertsnads what motivates several key players while the support cast enhances that perception. Fans will enjoy the excitng tale and look forward to hopefully more translations of the works of Kjell Eriksson, perhaps THE ILLUMINATED PATH.

Harriet Klausner

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Princess of Burundi, April 7, 2007

By 

Driver9 (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Princess of Burundi (Paperback)

Well written and toward the end, the suspense really does begin to build. But I found the first two thirds of the novel to be arduous to navigate. There did not seem to be any suspense at all for much of the novel, rather a delving into the dark side of this Swedish University town. It was well written, in a spare and elegant style. It's just that I was expecting something a little more entertaining and suspenseful. Perhaps that is my own fault and I am not willing to give too low a rating for this novel. But it is no page turner if that is what you are looking for, which I was.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars 100 Pages Too Long, December 21, 2008

By 

Donna Fulkerson (Lake Placid, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Princess of Burundi (Ann Lindell Mysteries) (Paperback)

I too was disappointed in the novel. I like Scandinavian mysteries: the darkness of the sky and of the soul. I like Ed McBain, too. This ain't them. This novel is like a bland version of your favorite Chinese entree. The murder is interesting, the intro is promising, then it goes "off" for about 100 pages. The shift of view from one member of the force to another is badly paced. The lack of evidence bores rather than involves us in the police's frustration. The female police officer is a yawn. True, the book picks up in the last few chapters, but that almost feels like punishment: you have to keep reading.