Shame [Paperback]

Karin Alvtegen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 24, 2006

Two women are trapped by a past that won't let them go. As Maj-Britt festers malevolently in her hermetic apartment, appeased only by an endless supply of food, Monika blots out her pain by ceaselessly working, punishing herself unforgivingly for any failure. They have nothing in common but the determination to obliterate their memories and be left alone - but when a letter and a tragic accident force each of them to confront the past, their lives become inextricably intertwined. As the emotional void of their lives threatens to engulf them, each woman proves the catalyst for the other's destruction - or salvation. A taut psychological thriller, "Shame" subtly explores the devastating powers of fear, oppressive religion and forbidden sexuality. With all the elements of classic noir, Alvtegen has written her finest book to date.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Compassionate and gritty... Alvtegen is a name to watch." GUARDIAN "Reminiscent of Ruth Rendall at her best." HERALD "A compulsive thriller." METRO "Alvtegen keeps up a cracking pace." UNCUT"

About the Author

Karin Alvtegen is regarded as one of the most exciting crime writers in Scandinavia. Author of Missing, which was awarded the premier Scandinavian crime-writing award and has been made into a TV series, her third novel, Betrayal, has already been published in ten countries.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Canongate Books Ltd (August 24, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 184195747X
• ISBN-13: 978-1841957470
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,923,558 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An author to stick with, September 20, 2010

By 

J. L. White "fiction addict" (Milwaukee, WI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Shame (Paperback)

I've been reading novels by Scandinavian authors for the last year but they have been crime dramas/murder mysteries. I was told by one of amazon's sellers that this book is more of a psychological thriller. It is very much a character study, and excellently written. I plan to purchase/read more of Karin Alvtegen's novels (which are not carried in my local library).

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Lutheran Death Wishes, September 16, 2010

By 

Joel Graber (New York City) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Shame (Paperback)

Excruciating slow-building psychological novel delving deep into the psyche of two female characters apparently overburdened by the strict religious ethos and disciplines of Lutherans in those parts. Beautifully rendered, and literary, without any of the contrivances of the Scandanavian policers so popular now. Yes, three died, but all in the backstory. Heart-rending in parts, as re the death of a small child.

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Recommended, July 26, 2010

By 

hulya-izmir - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shame (Paperback)

I'd read Alvtegen's Missing and Betrayal before and liked her skillful writing. Shame was as good as the others. Those who like crime novels with real characters and psychological motives will no doubt like it.