Customer Reviews

Unspoken

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Fascinating new Scandinavian crime novel set on the island of Gotland. The more of this genre I read, the more I like them - and the less desire I have to spend any time in a country so often drawn as cold, dark and either wet or white!

Chief Inspector Anders Knutas and his colleagues investigate the death of an alcoholic professional photographer found dead after a after a big win on the horses. Johan Berg, reporter, who featured in the first novel Unseen, returns to Gotland and does his own investigating, and between them they find a new lead. Johan has an excuse to spend some time with Emma, with whom he struck up a relationship in the first novel, although she is reluctant to proceed, torn as she is by her love for her children.

At the same time, another case of a lonely teenage girl coping with an alcoholic mother is an easy prey for a sinister older man (are the long winter nights to blame for so many alcoholics in Scandinavia?) When she vanishes the police are called in to investigate. This part of the novel is quite dark and difficult as the hunter draws close to his prey.

The book was a good read even if the denouement was a little contrived, but generally the human interest was compelling and I shall look forward to reading more by this author.