The Ice Princess

Starred review from March 28, 2011
Läckberg arrives in the U.S. with a first-class mystery (the first in a series), making her the latest Swedish import of Scandinavian intrigue and murder. Erica Falck is an author of biographies who has come to the small coastal town of Fjallbacka to attend to the affairs of her recently deceased parents. While she's there, she comes across the body of an old childhood friend, Alexandra ("Alex") Wijkner, frozen in a bathtub, an apparent suicide. But when she is asked to write a tribute to her friend, Erica begins to suspect that the woman did not take her own life, a suspicion confirmed by the autopsy results that Alex was murdered. What follows is a subtle, character-driven, mystery that David Thorn presents with a calm, cool delivery, perfectly suited to the material. His characterizations are expressed simply, with no over-the-top theatrics, but he still manages to give each character his or her own unique voice while keeping the story moving at a measured, easy to follow pace. His pronunciation of the Scandinavian names and locations deserves special mention. A Pegasus hardcover.

February 15, 2011

Erica Falck returns to her hometown of Fjallbacka, Sweden, now a budding resort town, to wrap up her late parents' estate and is devastated to learn of the suspicious death of her childhood friend, Alex. Writing a thinly disguised novel based on Alex's life, she becomes romantically involved with the detective on the case. Through the lives of the suspects, Lackberg reveals the sordidness of the town's wealthy families and the resounding effects of child abuse. Though this first entry in a new seven-book series, the author's U.S. debut, has been highly acclaimed on the European continent, North American audiences wanting to immerse themselves in the Swedish setting may find that narrator David Thorn's British pronunciations and dialect make for a disjointed listening experience. Recommended only where Scandinavian crime fiction does well. [The Harper hc was recommended for "readers who enjoy Louise Penny's small-town atmosphere," LJ 5/1/10; the Free Pr. pb will publish in March 2011.--Ed.]--Sandy Glover, Camas P.L., WA

Copyright 2011 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from April 5, 2010
At the start of Läckberg's haunting U.S. debut, the first of her seven novels set in the Swedish coastal town of Fjällbacka, biographer Erica Falck returns home to sort through her deceased parents' belongings and work on her next book. But this is not the same hometown she grew up in. Summer tourists are turning the former fishing village into a thriving resort, and Erica's controlling brother-in-law is pressuring her to cash in by selling the family home. The apparent suicide of childhood friend Alexandra Wijkner contributes to Erica's grief. Once inseparable, they drifted apart before Alex's family abruptly moved away, and Erica feels compelled to write a novel about why the beautiful Alex would kill herself. Läckberg skillfully details how horrific secrets are never completely buried and how silence can kill the soul. A parallel between the town's downward spiral and the fate of one of Fjällbacka's wealthiest families adds texture.