Although I am a huge fan of Scandi Noir TV drama, I had not previously read any books from this genre. I was tempted by After She’s Gone when I discovered that it had won the Best Swedish Crime Novel of the Year award in 2017. I was not disappointed. From the opening chapter you are caught up in the thrilling tale of a murder investigation that spans ten years.
Set in Ormberg, a small neglected Swedish town, surrounded by heavy forests, the book opens with Malin, a local teenager, discovering the skeleton of a female child. The investigation into the death of the girl was never resolved. Ten years later, Malin is now a detective herself, and is assigned to the reopened cold case. Two psychological profilers, Hanne and Peter, are also assigned to the investigation. However, the mystery deepens when they both go missing. Hanne reappears a few days later wandering in the woods, dazed and dishevelled, with no recollection of events leading to their disappearance. At the same time that Hanne reappears, the body of an unknown woman is discovered in exactly the same location where the child’s body was found years earlier. The police now need to discover if the two deaths are linked, and if and how the disappearance of the profilers fits in. Only one person in Ormberg knows what happened: Teenager Jake was in the forest at the same time as Hanne, and he found her detailed diary. However, he has his own personal reasons for not taking this directly to the police.
This is an exciting Scandi Noir thriller. The writing is very atmospheric, making you feel immersed in the dense forests, the snow and the cold. The reader is drawn in to the tightly constructed plot, instantly feeling part of the small town, which often feels claustrophobic with everyone seemingly knowing everyone else.
The characters are well written and, with the chapters written from different perspectives, you really get to know and understand them, sometimes better than their closest friends and family. The two main protagonists, Malin and Jake are wonderfully complex; both of them are confused and conflicted with their current lifestyle. They know what makes them happy, and they know what their families would like them to do, but they don’t know if this is best for them. These side stories add an interesting element to the overall plot.
As well as giving an insight into the main characters, the different perspectives also help the plot move along swiftly. The reader is teased as chapters end on cliff hangers, but you have to wait to discover what happens. The clever device of having Jake reading Hanne’s diary provides even more disquiet for the reader as they discover in advance what dangers lie ahead.
I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys an exciting and well written thriller, and especially to fans of Scandi Noir. The climax of the book alone makes it worth reading.
Set in Ormberg, a small neglected Swedish town, surrounded by heavy forests, the book opens with Malin, a local teenager, discovering the skeleton of a female child. The investigation into the death of the girl was never resolved. Ten years later, Malin is now a detective herself, and is assigned to the reopened cold case. Two psychological profilers, Hanne and Peter, are also assigned to the investigation. However, the mystery deepens when they both go missing. Hanne reappears a few days later wandering in the woods, dazed and dishevelled, with no recollection of events leading to their disappearance. At the same time that Hanne reappears, the body of an unknown woman is discovered in exactly the same location where the child’s body was found years earlier. The police now need to discover if the two deaths are linked, and if and how the disappearance of the profilers fits in. Only one person in Ormberg knows what happened: Teenager Jake was in the forest at the same time as Hanne, and he found her detailed diary. However, he has his own personal reasons for not taking this directly to the police.
This is an exciting Scandi Noir thriller. The writing is very atmospheric, making you feel immersed in the dense forests, the snow and the cold. The reader is drawn in to the tightly constructed plot, instantly feeling part of the small town, which often feels claustrophobic with everyone seemingly knowing everyone else.
The characters are well written and, with the chapters written from different perspectives, you really get to know and understand them, sometimes better than their closest friends and family. The two main protagonists, Malin and Jake are wonderfully complex; both of them are confused and conflicted with their current lifestyle. They know what makes them happy, and they know what their families would like them to do, but they don’t know if this is best for them. These side stories add an interesting element to the overall plot.
As well as giving an insight into the main characters, the different perspectives also help the plot move along swiftly. The reader is teased as chapters end on cliff hangers, but you have to wait to discover what happens. The clever device of having Jake reading Hanne’s diary provides even more disquiet for the reader as they discover in advance what dangers lie ahead.
I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys an exciting and well written thriller, and especially to fans of Scandi Noir. The climax of the book alone makes it worth reading.