| Title | : | Silenced (Fredrika Bergman and Alex Recht, #2) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 143919890X |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781439198902 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 344 |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 2010 |
| Awards | : | Svenska Deckarakademins pris för bästa svenska kriminalroman (2010) |
A teenage girl was assaulted and raped on a midsummer’s eve fifteen years ago. Cut to present: a man is killed in a hit and run. He has no identification on him and is not reported missing. The same day, a priest and his wife are found dead in an apparent suicide.
Fredrika Bergman and her colleagues are assigned to all three of the seemingly unrelated cases. What is the thread of evil that connects them all?
SILENCED is a skillfully crafted and gripping thriller, where the casualties of one tragedy abuse the victims of another.
Silenced (Fredrika Bergman and Alex Recht, #2) Reviews
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Silenced is a perceptively written, captivating crime thriller by Swedish author, Kristina Ohlsson.
On Midsummer’s Eve in 1993 a teenage girl is violently assaulted in the garden of her family home in Sweden. Fifteen years later, a man is killed in a hit and run and a well-respected couple is found dead in a suspected murder suicide. The two daughters of the dead couple are M.I.A and Alex Recht’s federal investigation unit are trying to piece together how these two crimes are related and track down the missing women, Johanna and Karolina.
Silenced is the second book in Fredrika Bergman detective series following on from Unwanted, which I am yet to read. It can easily be read as a standalone novel though I’m sure it would have helped to know a little of the background information on the members of the investigation unit.
Fredrika Bergman is a female detective who has recently toned down her feisty attitude since she became pregnant despite sparking curiosity among her colleagues about her personal life. Fredrika is the “other woman,” she’s been in a decade-long relationship with a married man who has agreed to father her child while remaining committed to his marriage.
Peder Rydh is the only permanent employee on the team, but the security this brings him is soon shaken up when he is commanded to meet with the HR department regarding his inappropriate behaviour in the workplace, followed by compulsory therapy. Peder is not a likeable guy, he is sexist, rude and selfish- but I did find him fascinating. I’m glad he developed some insight as the story evolved.
Joar Sahlin is a mysterious character and probably the least developed, but as a controlled, polite guy he contrasted nicely against Peder’s brashness. Alex, the leader of the team was quite a likeable character- he’s got some family issues happening and out of fear of receiving bad news he avoids dealing with it head-on. I sympathised with him at times, he was somewhat isolated in his role, despite the long hours he spent with his colleagues.
What Ohlsson does remarkably well is create a team of investigators who are just as interesting as suspects and victims they are scrutinising. The crime plot unfolds bit by bit revealing a huge international human trafficking scandal which explores issues associated with immigration and the difficulties faced by refugees arriving in a foreign country. I had absolutely no idea until near the very end who was responsible for what. Ohlsson left me guessing the entire time and it was this along with the fascinating characters that made me fall in love with the book. I highly recommend Silenced! -
There are a lot of mysteries - cozy, thriller, police procedural, law and more. For a reader like me who want an interesting and intricate plot, characters that are believable and good writing, it's always fun to find an author who is able to do all this so well. Kristina Ohlsson is one of those authors that I've added to my growing "follow" list. This is the second of her books that has been translated and published in the USA. In "Unwanted" we are introduced to the special team that has been set up to investigate murders. It includes Fredericka, a civilian analyst whose first love is music. After a serious accident, she is unable to use her arm for any long length of time. She is still coming to terms with the fact that a career in music is no longer feasible. In addition, the police team views the new position of civilian analyst with suspicion, and her insights are at best ignored and sometimes even ridiculed. However, now Fredericka has proven herself to her colleagues. She is also pregnant and working fewer hours as her due date approaches. The team is asked to investigate a murder and what appears to be a murder/suicide. What seems to be two very different cases turn out to be connected. There are so many twists, turns and red herrings in this book leading to a shocking ending. One warning: be prepared to stay up late because when you get towards the end, you will soon find that you've reached the fabled "point of no return!"
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“Silenced” by Kristina Ohlsson, Narrated by Justine Eyre, a Dreamscape Audiobook
Ohlsson has written another entertaining novel in the series featuring Alex Recht and Fredrika Bergman of the special crimes division of the Swedish police. This time there is an apparent murder - suicide. Only it turns out there are some loose ends that don’t support the initial conclusion. The police make errors taking evidence at face value versus digging into the details and asking the right questions about signs that don’t support the investigation. This seeming incompetence highlights the skills of the lead investigators as they broaden scope and uncover new players and facts that lead them to the proper analysis. The author’s use of this uncertainty in the plot keeps my nose in the book.
I really appreciate the publisher’s use of the same narrator, Justine Eyre, throughout the series. She has a pleasant voice and gives the characters distinctive male and female inflection so at once I know which character is speaking as scenes change.
Audiobooks are great ways to stay calm in awful traffic commuting. 😱
Excellent series, highly recommended. -
What a disappointing ending, after being strung along for 300+ pages. It's a non ending, really, after so many of the chapters vaguely referencing characters with no names. Parts of the book were suspenseful, but the story was diminished by the fact that too many facts were with held. There's mystery and then there's vague messiness. This one was messy and disjointed. And parts were unbelievable, particularly the woman stranded in Bangkok. No one has that power and reach to mess with that much technology and that many witnesses.
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Stilul acestei scriitoare mi-a atras atentia dupa primele randuri citite. Pacat ca urmatoarele carti din serie nu sunt traduse, dar asta nu e un impediment pentru mine. Actiunea continua pentru Alex si frumoasa lui echipa. Crimele petrecute in Stockholm trebuiesc elucidate si Alex nu se lasa pagubas.
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Krimi mit Märchentitel..
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Kristina Ohlsson is a new-to-me Swedish author, though her books have been available in the U.S. since 2009. This is the second book in her Fredrika Bergman series, set in Stockholm. The mystery is complex, and I had to concentrate to follow it, with so many threads in the past and present and frequent changes of point of view, but it was well worth the effort. It's beautifully written (and translated), and the characterization is outstanding. There are three more in this series currently available, and fortunately my local library has them all. If you enjoy Scandinavian crime fiction, Ohlsson is an author who should not be missed.
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Me gusta mucho esta serie. Deseando que se publique la tercera entrega
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Nakon njezinog odličnog, prvog romana "Pepeljuge" moram priznati da sam očekivala više od Ohlsson. Isto je triler, počinje ubojstvom pastora i njegove žene pa se onda, tijekom istrage, otrkiva priča oko iskorištavanja izbjeglica koji žele započeti novi život u Švedskoj. Aktulana tematika, zanimljiv uvid u neke stvari.. Nije loše-loše, ali ono...moglo je i bolje..
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Είναι ένα καλογραμμένο αστυνομικ�� με έντονο μυστήριο και ενδιαφέροντες χαρακτήρες, όμως πάσχει σε έναν τομέα όπου θεωρώ ότι πάσχουν πολλά σύγχρονα αστυνομικά.
Στις κλασικές αστυνομικές ιστορίες (Σέρλοκ Χολμς, Ηρακλή Πουαρό, πατέρα Μπράουν κοκ) έχουμε συνήθως ένα απλό στη σύλληψη και την εκτέλεση έγκλημα που λύνεται από τον ικανό ντετέκτιβ χάρη στις λεπτομέρειες που έχουν ξεφύγει στην σχεδίαση. Επειδή προφανώς το να μαζέψει ο ντετέκτιβ όλους τους υπόπτους στο σαλόνι μετά το βραδινό και να τους εξηγήσει ότι δολοφόνος είναι ο μπάτλερ δεν είναι πια ενδιαφέρον, ο συγγραφέας πρέπει αν όχι να βρει πιο σύνθετα κίνητρα, να οργανώσει ένα πιο σύνθετο σχέδιο δολοφονίας. Οπότε όταν φτάνουμε στο τέλος αυτού του μυθιστορήματος και βλέπουμε ότι
*******************Σπόιλερ***********************
********************Σπόιλερ Λέμε*****************
Μια κόρη που νοιώθει προδομένη από τους γονείς της με την συνεργασία ενός αστυνομικού που είχε φάει χυλόπιτα από την αδερφή της οργανώνει ένα σχέδιο δολοφονίας των γονιών της και εξαφάνισης της αδερφής της με την συνεργασία ατόμων από το περιβάλλον των γονιών της και ενός διεθνούς δικτύου διακίνησης παράνομων μεταναστών. Η CIA, οι Μασόνοι και οι Εβραίοι γιατί έμειναν έξω από το σχέδιο; Τι μας κρύβουν;
Για να μην μακρηγορώ, Τα πρώτα 3/4 του βιβλίου είναι πολύ καλά, όμως όταν φτάνουμε στην λύση του μυστηρίου προσπαθεί σε τέτοιο βαθμό να εντυπωσιάσει τον αναγνώστη με το πολύπλοκο σχέδιο που τελικά εμένα τελικά με απογοήτευσε. -
The only reason I gave this book even one star is that I did finish reading it. The characters are unbelievable, the plot and the many poor subplots are unbelievable, the writing is amateurish and disjointed.
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Fredrika Bergman and her colleagues works on a case where a preist couple is found dead in what looks like a suicide but turns out to be murder. The plot goes many ways and the story don't follow one condense plot but Kristina Ohlsson pulled it of. It was a decent read but I don't have rush to get to the next book. I'm not sure I want to continuing on with the series. None of the two books I've read far have been quite my type of crime novel and I'm not attached to the characters
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Verhaal las heel vlot en ik heb het boek eigenlijk ook niet meer weggelegd toen ik er aan begon. Ik kende deze schrijfster nog niet dus ik was heel benieuwd. Goed geschreven en interessant onderwerp.
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***3.5 Stars***
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Kristina Ohlsson u svom drugom romanu ponovno je okupila tim policijskih i civilnih istražitelja koji čine Alex Recht, Fredrika Bergman i njihovi kolege iz Stockholmskog policijskog odjela za teške zločine. I još jednom, ovaj tim imat će pune ruke posla.
Smrt supružnika Jakoba i Marje Ahlbin, koja na prvi pogled izgleda kao ubojstvo i samoubojstvo, otkrit će čitav niz drugih kriminalnih aktivnosti i obiteljskih tajni zakopanih u sjeni života ovog naizgled mirnog i povučenog bračnog para. Obiteljske nesuglasice i razilaženja, krijumčarenje ljudi i oružane pljačke samo su dio cijele priče koja je povezana s ovim slučajem, a za otkrivanje koje će Rechtov tim morati uložiti sva svoja znanja i vještine.
Budući da je prilično kompleksna i složena od različitih zasebnih, međusobno povezanih, priča (tj. slučajeva), ne moram vam ni reći kako se ovdje radi o vrlo zapetljanoj priči. Naizgled nepovezani slučajevi isprepliću se na najrazličitije načine, a ključ rješenja slučaja ubojstva supružnika Ahlbin čitavo je vrijeme skriven od pogleda i podložan nagađanju. Naravno, kad se sve rasplete, rasplest će se na posve drugačiji način od očekivanog.
Nakon priče o nestaloj djeci koju nam je ispričala u 'Pepeljugama' Ohlsson još jednom u centar zbivanja stavlja neki aktualni problem, a ovoga puta radi se o imigrantskoj krizi i krijumčarenju izbjeglica. Problem izbjeglica provlači se kroz čitav roman, povremeno izlazeći, a zatim opet ulazeći u fokus, cijelo vrijeme podižući svijest o tome s kakvim se sve problemima moraju suočiti ljudi koji bježe iz ratom zahvaćenih područja, s jedinom željom da u zemlji u koju stignu uspiju započeti miran život. Nažalost, kako Ohlsson iznosi u ovom romanu, Europa se pretvorila u svojevrsni Fort Knox za ove izbjeglice, otežavajući im put do novog života ogromnim cijenama koje moraju platiti kako bi uopće stigli u neku europsku zemlju, po život opasnim putovanjima do tamo i čestom izrazitom negostoljubivošću i predrasudama kada konačno stignu.
Sam naslov romana - 'Tratinčice' - odnosi se upravo na izbjeglice, ali ne u nekom lijepom smislu. Tratinčice u ovom romanu su ljudi koji su dali sve što imaju kako bi sebi i svojim obiteljima omogućili neki bolji život, ali umjesto da im je omogućeno da svojim nastojanjima ispletu lijepi novi vjenčić života, njih se iskorištava, gazi i odbacuje poput uvelog cvijeća koje više nitko ne želi.
U usporedbi s 'Pepeljugama', koje su bile jedan od onih trilera koji se čitaju u jednom dahu, 'Tratinčice' su roman koji puno sporije teče. Usporedo s radnjom vezanom uz slučaj koji istražuju, Alex i ekipa bave se i privatnim problemima, koji čine roman zanimljivijim, ali ne i bržim. Već u samom početku tragovi vezani uz slučaj ubojstva supružnika Ahlbin su škrti, a otkrivanje novih tragova odvija se izrazito polako, dok istražitelji temeljito istražuju svaki novi trag, koji ih često odvede tek u nove zagonetke. Rasplet se dogodi tek na posljednjih nekoliko stranica, a za doći do njega potrebna je izvjesna strpljivost, koja će mnogim čitateljima koji su očekivali roman više nalik 'Pepeljugama', možda manjkati.
Bez obzira na brzinu radnje, Ohlsson, po meni, piše jako dobre i detaljno razrađene trilere, temeljito profilirajući likove i pazeći na svaki njihov idući korak. 'Tratinčice' možda nisu brze kako 'Pepeljuge', ali zanimljivosti im nikako ne manjka. Kristina Ohlsson još je jedno skandinavsko ime čiji ću svaki novi roman sa zadovoljstvom pročitati. -
2 de 5 estrellas ⭐️⭐️(No está mal)
Las 100 primeras páginas enganchan muchísimo, la historia promete y todo sucede a una velocidad que cuesta desengancharte de la lectura. Poco después de esas 100 primeras páginas se va haciendo densa, lenta y poco lógica.
Hay muchos sinsentido, mucha pieza que no encaja, mucho que no me ha gustado.... -
https://procitajto.com/2016/07/25/tra...
Breivik je bio u pravu, s gnušanjem je ustvrdio bezimeni čuvar parkirališta, sasvim sporedan lik u Vallgrenovu romanu Dječak iz sjene promatrajući tamnoputog muškarca snimljenog u prolasku tim istim parkiralištem. Naravno, u društvu poput švedskog, na tako visokom stupnju razvoja, nema mjesta za klasnu, rasnu i ine netrpeljivosti rezervirane za pripadnike manje sretnih, nazadnijih zajednica, a jedini razlog uvođenju takvih likova u priču jest kako bi se ismijala zaostalost njihovih stavova i istaknula nevažnost njihova postojana. Kako za radnju romana tako i za tok svakodnevnog života na švedskim ulicama. U to vas pokušavaju uvjeriti i sami autori u svojim intervjuima. To nismo mi, to su oni, jednaki su nam po boji kože, ali u stavovima su bitno različiti i mi nismo kao oni. Tako kažu.
No je li Breivik bio u pravu zapitat ćete se uronite li dublje u svijet skandinavskog trilera. Gotovo da i ne postoji tekst novijeg datuma čija se radnja barem ne naslanja na problem s izbjeglicama, useljeničku krizu, imigracijsko pitanje… I što vrijeme više odmiče, to su ti stavovi jasnije izraženi, a njihovim se nositeljima pridaje sve veća važnost. Više nisu samo bezimeni čuvari čiji u prolazu dobačeni komentari ostaju na marginama priče. Sada postaju suci, odvjetnici, policajci pa i svećenici i njihove riječi imaju određenu težinu. Njihovi postupci još i veću.
Kada, stoga, Tratinčice Kristine Ohlsson, drugi iz serijala romana o istražiteljskom timu Alexa Rechta, započnu usporedbom useljenika sa psima iz usta djevojčice neodređene dobi i potom se nastave oštrom upadicom o ljudima koji dolaze u Švedsku i ne rade jebeno ništa čitatelj s pravom pomišlja kako pred sobom ima već pročitanu knjigu. Jer i ove su misli izrečene od, bar isprva, bezimenih, marginalnih likova. Nakon što, nedugo potom, bivaju pronađena ustrijeljena tijela Jakoba Ahibina, gorljivog borca za prava useljenika i njegove supruge Marje, čitatelj je već gotovo siguran; nije bitno tko je povukao okidač, stari je pastor život izgubio zbog svoje vjere u jednakost. I saplitanja o konce krijumčarske mreže čiju je snagu namjeravao oslabiti subverzivnim, protuzakonitim i nadasve humanim skrivanjem izbjeglica u vlastitom domu. Potpuno besplatnim, razumije se. Jer tko danas želi zarađivati na tuđoj nesreći? Zasigurno ne oni čijoj biste se pomoći, pritisnuti takvom nevoljom, prvoj ponadali. Zasigurno ne oni čije revno obavljanje dužnosti koje graniče s pozivom održava sustav na tako visokom stupnju razvoja. Isti oni u čiju se ispravnost, uče tako svako dijete u svakoj državi ovog svijeta, uvijek možete pouzdati i čiju ispravnost ne valja dovoditi u pitanje. Ili možda nije tako?
Ipak, Ohlsson je u ovom romanu izbjegličko pitanje, vrlo vješto, iskoristila na način jednak onome kojim se tim pitanjem služe u dnevnopolitičke svrhe: kako bi se pozornost skrenula s pravih, gorućih problema. U stvarnom društvu to može biti država pred financijskim slomom ili visoka stopa korupcije. U Tratinčicama su to duboko poremećeni odnosi unutar jedne naizgled skladne obitelji. Odnosi koji, zatrovani gorčinom jedne osobne tragedije, nikada nisu pročišćeni i takvi su se, prljavi i zamućeni, u valovima prikrivene mržnje i potisnute gorčine, valjali godinama kako bi se naposljetku prelili i svojim kužnim zamasima zapljusnuli i naizgled nedužne promatrače.
Tratinčica, nježan poljski cvijetak čija je posebnost skrivena upravo u njegovoj jednostavnosti, u ovom je romanu poslužila kao višestruka metafora. Kao cvijetak nezaboravak, trajni podsjetnik nečemu što je trebalo biti odavno zaboravljeno i kao šifrirano ime za nesretne ljudske sudbine. Baš kao što se iza Pepeljuga kriju žene čiju je bajku život sveo na najcrnju svakodnevicu, iza Tratinčica se kriju ljudi, većinom muškarci otrgnuti iz svog svijeta, iskorišteni i potom uništeni. Kao poljski cvijet čiji je miris upravo ishlapio.
Iako svakom svojom stranicom upiru u neke od gorućih problema švedskog društva, što je odlika kvalitetnog kriminalističkog romana, Tratinčicama nedostaje ponešto od osnovne napetosti kako bi takvim i same postale. Samoubojstvo što prerasta u dvostruko ubojstvo s predumišljajem, istražiteljski tim krajnje napetih međuodnosa, neočekivani obrati i poneka zapaljena ili odavno dogorjela ljubavna iskra pravi su sastojci, no pomiješani omjeri u konačnici ne pružaju svu puninu okusa. Tratinčice se zasigurno mogu svrstati u red vrlo dobrih socijalnih trilera i izvanredno funkcioniraju kao višestruka studija raspadanja i propadanja mnogih raznovrsnih odnosa, no čitatelj u potrazi za klasičnim, napetim krimićem čija će ga magnetski privlačna aura nagoniti na frenetično okretanje stranica, mogao bi ostati blago razočaran. Bar do grandioznog raspleta u posljednjim sekvencama romana. -
I cannot recommend this book highly enough. I have previously given the first book in the series (Unwanted) 5 stars and I have to say I like this one even more.
I find the pacing of the book excellent - engaging right from the very start and gradually etches away at the complex plot with many little twists and turns along the way, culminating to an end.
One of the main things I like about this book is the perfect balance between the criminal investigation and the personal lives of the detectives; the criminal investigation follows a particular family and the impact the plight of refugees has had on their lives. This is told from various characters points of view which means we get great insight into them, along with empathy towards some of them in harrowing situations. Simultaneously we follow the detectives who are all dealing with different personal issues and I am keen to follow them in future.
I was engrossed in both sides of the book and the beautifully written and heartbreaking ending did not disappoint. I was left sad to have finished the book and I can't wait to read the next in the series. -
I liked this book much better than Unwanted because it was actually hard to figure out what was going on. The plot seemed to go in one direction but the twists were actually surprising. The interactions between characters are also lighter now, even if a new member of the team creates tension with Peder, who is still as much of a hothead as he was in the previous installment. Fredrika is now softer, even if pregnancy hasn’t made her lose her edge. Alex is still a great team leader who thinks outside the box. Their unorthodox personal lives are also a big part of the plot, and it makes for good background on the characters. I will be reading more books in the series.
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No sé porqué será que todo lo que vende mucho, últimamente, está siendo todo lo contrario a calidad. Sin embargo con Kristina Ohlsson la autora de novela negra, número 1 en ventas en Suecia (su país natal), da lo que se espera: una buena historia, con intriga y bien escrita.
Silenciadas es la segunda novela de esta escritora de éxito en la que prosigue la historia de los mismos personajes que de Escogidas en un nuevo crimen. La investigadora criminal Fredrika Bergman, ahora embarazada, junto a sus compañeros ven como ... >>
http://www.underbrain.com/literatura/... -
Admittedly I am a follower of Nordic Noir authors. Kristina Ohlsson, however, is one of the best of the genre. Her skills from her previous profession bring to her novels a certain precision and detail that is often lacking, with the exception of Nesbo, of course. Ohlsson gives depth to each of her characters, even those with bit parts to play in the overall story line, so that you have a complete picture of the main characters' lives and story plot. This book, the second in a series, is not to be missed.
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4,5 Sterne
Klasse Plot, hochaktuelles Thema, sehr spannend. Bei der Auflösung war ich vom Motiv des letztendlichen Täters nicht so ganz überzeugt, aber das war wirklich der einzige winzige Wermustropfen. Generell kann man sagen, dass sich diese Reihe wirklich mit jedem Buch von Band 1 - 3 gesteigert hat ("Sterntaler" gefiel mir am besten). Ich freue mich schon auf Band 4, "Himmelschlüssel", der bereits auf dem Sub bereit liegt. -
Gut gemachter, spannender Krimu, der ein interessantes Thema als Ausgangslage hat - das Schleusen von Flüchtlingen.
Allerdings verlässt das Buch die Genregrenzen nicht und geht nicht weiter in die Tiefe -
2.5 stars ☆☆*
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4.25 stars! I love everything about this Swedish mystery series. A little bit of an involved plot but so well written and thought out. I love the characters and the things that are going on outside of the workplace in their lives-it allows us the reader to know them as people rather than only detectives/police.
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Μου άρεσε περισσότερο από το "Ανεπιθύμητο". Είχε κι αυτό πολύ ενδιαφέρουσα ιστορία, με καταιγιστικές εξελίξεις, πολλές ανατροπές, αμφιβολία σχεδόν μέχρι το τέλος για τον ένοχο και αρκετή αγωνία.
Επίσης, εξελίσσονται οι προσωπικές ιστορίες των πρωταγωνιστών, οπότε τους μαθαίνουμε καλύτερα.
Λίγο απότομο ήταν το τέλος, ειδικά το τελευταίο κεφάλαιο, και αφήνει κάποια ερωτήματα ανοιχτά (κυρίως για την ζωή της πρωταγωνίστριας) που θα απαντηθούν φαντάζομαι στο επόμενο βιβλίο της σειράς. -
Another excellent offering from the newest addition to the Scandinavian crime stable following up on her exceptional debut novel Unwanted. The plot, set in Sweden, centres on the currently prevalent topic of immigration with the murders of Jakob Ahlbin, a prominent supporter of immigrants rights and his wife Marja, with the story spiralling out to include an insightful addressing of the dangers facing immigrants in their passage to a new country and a better life. Ohlsson concisely exposes the issues from both sides of the arguments through the voices of her characters and weaves an utterly realistic and engrossing portrayal of not only the political and social implications of this thorny issue, but the inherent dangers to those involved in this field of work. With the dynamics of family loyalty and the tests of friendships woven into the main plot, the reader becomes totally bound up in this gripping thriller as people continually reveal that they are not as they appear to be with the skilful use of double-crossing and dark tension throughout.
What I particularly admire in Ohlsson’s work is her innate skill at characterisation and how she so effectively draws the readers into the lives of her main protagonists. In ‘Silenced’ the character of Fredrika Bergman, still working with the police, spirals out as a new aspect is added to her character with the impending birth of her first child by her much older married lover of some years standing. There is a wonderfully drawn scene with Fredrika bowing to parental pressure and having to introduce Spencer to them over dinner with all the awkwardness and embarrassment of bringing home your first boyfriend/girlfriend as a teenager. On a more serious note, we get an accurate portrayal of an extremely focused and intuitive woman balancing the demands of the personal and the professional whose critical thinking always adds exponentially to the course of the investigation. Ohlsson’s skill is not limited just to her female characterisation as we follow the continuing path to self-destruction through Fredrika’s wonderfully tactless colleague Peder Rydh whose marriage has now deteriorated completely and whose lover has left him. Added to this is his conflict with a new member of the investigative team Joar Sahlin for reasons that I won’t spoil here and Peder’s steep path back to acceptance and reconciliation that the book takes us on. Alex Recht, the head of the investigative team is also subject to a heartrending and all too human story line throughout the course of a book whilst retaining his clear-headed and professional demeanour in the solving of this tricky investigation so this again adds another facet to Ohlsson’s consummate skill at characterisation.
An extremely engaging read all round and yet another example of why the Scandinavian crime scene is producing such a fine body of work for crime fiction fans. Long may it continue... -
Η Υπηρεσία Εγκληματολογικών Ερευνών καλείται να ερευνήσει τη δολοφονία του κληρικού Γιόκοπ Όλμπιν και της γυναίκας του Μαρίας.
Πλάι στο ξετύλιγμα της ιστορίας μας ξεδιπλώνονται και οι ζωές των μελών της ομάδας. Ο αστυνόμος Άλεξ Ρεστ έχει αποξενωθεί από τη γυναίκα του, χρόνια πολυαγαπημένης του, Λένα... Ο Πίεντερ Ριντ χρειάζεται επειγόντως μαθήματα συναδελφικότητας και συμπεριφοράς μετά το χωρισμό του από τη γυναίκα του Ίλβα και τα δίδυμά του... Ο Γιούαρ Σαλίν, το νέο μέλος, σίγουρα είναι τόσο συγκροτημένος όσο φαίνεται; Και τέλος, η Φριεντρίκα Μπέργιμαν βρίσκεται σε προχωρημένη εγκυμοσύνη κατά τη διάρκεια του 10χρονου δεσμού της με τον παντρεμένο καθηγητή Σπένσερ Λάγκεργκρεν... Για την Έλεν Λιντ δε μαθαίνουμε τίποτα. Οι ζωές των μελών καταλαμβάνουν διάσπαρτα το μισό μέρος του βιβλίου και έχουν μια εξέλιξη που τη φυλάω για το spoiler μου.
Πίσω στη δολοφονία τώρα... Το ζευγάρι Έλσι και Σβεν Γιουν, φίλοι των Όλμπιν, επιμένουν ότι ο Γιόκοπ δε δολοφόνησε τη Μαρία και αυτοκτόνησε μετά, όπως δηλώνει το σημείωμα της αυτοκτονίας και τα λεγόμενα του εφημέριου Ράνγκναρ Βίντερμαν. Οι μαρτυρίες λένε ότι η κόρη τους Καρολίνα ήταν ναρκομανής και πέθανε από υπερβολική δόση ενώ η δεύτερη κόρη, Γιοχάνα, έχει εξαφανιστεί. Ταυτόχρονα μας παρουσιάζεται και ένα άγνωστης διεύθυνσης κύκλωμα διακίνησης λαθρομεταναστών από το Ιράκ και μια αγνώστων στοιχείων κοπέλα στη Μπανγκόκ που κάποιος επιμελημένα εξαφανίζει την ύπαρξή της από το χάρτη. Την ίδια ώρα που σημειώνονται ληστείες και εκτελέσεις, κατά τα φαινόμενα, αλλοδαπών. Πώς μπορεί να συνδέονται όλα αυτά με το βιασμό μιας έφηβης πριν 15 χρόνια;
Εντυπώσεις: Πολύπλοκη ιστορία που με έναυσμα το κοινωνικό πλήγμα της λαθρομετανάστευσης και της δυστυχίας στηρίζεται στο προσωπικό μίσος ανάμεσα στα μέλη μιας οικογένειας. Αν και το δεύτερο βιβλίο της σειράς, είναι το πρώτο που διαβάζω και δεν μπόρεσα να "δεθώ" με τα μέλη της ομάδας του Άλεξ και της Φριεντρίκα. -
Kaltes Frühjahr
Ein älteres Ehepaar wird tot in seiner Wohnung aufgefunden, beide weisen Schusswunden auf, es sieht so aus, als habe der Mann zunächst seine Frau umgebracht und dann sich selbst. Die Ermittlungsgruppe soll eigentlich nur feststellen, dass es sich tatsächlich um einen Selbstmord handelt. Doch bald tauchen Ungereimtheiten auf, die aus der Überprüfung einen Fall werden lassen. Alex Recht, Leiter der Gruppe, deren Fortbestehen auf der Kippe steht, sorgt sich um seine Mitarbeiter. Besonders die schwangere Fredrika Bergman behält er im Blick, ihre Schwangerschaft ist nicht leicht, sie ist kaum in der Lage zu arbeiten. Um ihre Situation zu erleichtern, gibt er ihr die Akte eines Unfallopfers.
Ganz harmlos fängt es an, zwei Ermittlungsaufträge, die eigentlich keine Fälle darstellen dürften, so als solle die Ermittlungsgruppe ihre eigene Überflüssigkeit feststellen. Von den eigenen Problemen und Befürchtungen abgelenkt, beginnen die Kommissare und Fredrika, die eine zivile Angestellte ist, eher lustlos mit den Nachforschungen. Doch schon bald stellt sich heraus, dass die Ergebnisse vielschichtiger und wenige eindeutig sind als zunächst vermutet und der Eifer der Polizisten ist geweckt. Auch wenn sie vielleicht untereinander Konflikte zu lösen haben, sind sie nun mit der Hartnäckigkeit geschulter Spürhunde auf der Suche nach der Lösung.
Zu Beginn eher von den privaten Entwicklungen im Leben der jeweiligen Ermittler geprägt, entwickelt sich dieser Roman bald zu einem packenden Thriller. Mehrdimensionale Entwicklungen führen zu einem fulminanten und so nicht zu erwartenden Finale. Die vergeblichen Versuche etwas zu kitten oder auch nur aufzuhalten bringen Taten hervor, die nur in die Vorstellungswelt der behüteten Normalbürger passen. Viele Kleinigkeiten bilden schließlich ein erschreckendes Bild eines Tathintergrundes. Ein Thriller, der zu Recht hoch gelobt wird.
