BMalin and Henrik Andersson have used an agency to rent out their home on Faro, a tiny island in the Baltic Sea that was the longtime home of Swedish filmmaker Ingmar Bergman. But when they return, their house has been trashed, and photos of the couple and their two children have had their eyes poked out. The investigation is handed to Detective Fredrik Broman on his first day back from a two-year medical leave necessitated by a massive concussion and cerebral hemorrhage. Östlundh (The Viper, 2012) has conceived an imaginatively disturbing threat to the Andersson family and skillfully builds suspense and tension. Primary characters are very closely observed, and Östlundh highlights the stark differences between their veneers of Swedish calm and their inner turmoil. These character expositions add complexity, but they occasionally threaten to dissipate the tension and sense of menace Östlundh creates. Nevertheless, U.S. readers of Swedish crime fiction should persevere and appreciate another talented Scandinavian crime novelist.--Gaughan, Thomas
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Taken from the Toronto Public Library's reviews.
