Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.52 AVERAGE
3.52 AVERAGE
Enjoyed reading this book, similar to other Nordic crime novels.
slow-paced
3.5 stars for me-- I had a hard time getting through the first half of the audiobook (I even considered not returning to it after putting it down for book club), but the second half picked up quite a bit.
Thriller with an unbelievable twist! A kin to the style of Steig larrson with a definite feminine touch.
First of all, I have to say the cover is gorgeous. The ice, the shades of blue, the mysterious woman fit the novel perfectly. I have to admit that part of the reason I wanted to read this was the Sweden setting, and I wasn't disappointed. The setting is important to the book, gave it a unique atmosphere.
It's a character driven novel. Erica herself is very likeable, and I could understand where she was coming from. On the one hand she did feel some loyalty to her old friend, wanted to find out what happened to her. At the same time, Erica is a writer and she sees the book potential of the story. Digging into all the secrets, all the background, adds more depth to the novel she can see evolving from Alex's death, and life.
Patrick is apparently the only competent cop on the force. He is good at his job, trusts his instincts and Erica's. He doesn't back down from uncomfortable confrontations, but the romance between Erica and him seemed like an unnecessary addition. Maybe their dates just broke up the story for me. I was into the whodunnit, why, what secrets were being hidden, and their dates just interrupted it for me. But that's a small quibble because they are the two best characters in the story.
The mystery was well-done, although sometimes the main characters made discoveries that weren't immediately shared with us, which was kind of annoying. However, the plot had lots of layers and questions about the characters' motives and choices. It was interesting to see how the current tragedy connected back to an event that had occurred decades before. It deals with some difficult issues, and I can see this one leading to a lot of discussion, more so than most mysteries.
It's a good one, complex but not overly so, if that makes sense.
It's a character driven novel. Erica herself is very likeable, and I could understand where she was coming from. On the one hand she did feel some loyalty to her old friend, wanted to find out what happened to her. At the same time, Erica is a writer and she sees the book potential of the story. Digging into all the secrets, all the background, adds more depth to the novel she can see evolving from Alex's death, and life.
Patrick is apparently the only competent cop on the force. He is good at his job, trusts his instincts and Erica's. He doesn't back down from uncomfortable confrontations, but the romance between Erica and him seemed like an unnecessary addition. Maybe their dates just broke up the story for me. I was into the whodunnit, why, what secrets were being hidden, and their dates just interrupted it for me. But that's a small quibble because they are the two best characters in the story.
The mystery was well-done, although sometimes the main characters made discoveries that weren't immediately shared with us, which was kind of annoying. However, the plot had lots of layers and questions about the characters' motives and choices. It was interesting to see how the current tragedy connected back to an event that had occurred decades before. It deals with some difficult issues, and I can see this one leading to a lot of discussion, more so than most mysteries.
It's a good one, complex but not overly so, if that makes sense.
Riding the coat-tails of Steig Larsson, here's another Scandinavian mystery series with a small town full of inbred crazies, a rich family with secrets and a lot of Swedish stoicism and implied criticism of their socially responsible society.
Läckberg's first crime novel shows the deft touch of a patient author who doesn't feel the need to inject flash into her murders or their investigations. The combination of Patrik Hedström's police work with Erica Falck's domestic issues, her grief and her professional curiosity make for a book that is arresting without ever being gripping - but not in a bad way. This novel is a conspiracy to bring the two characters together, and it doesn't commit any of the usual annoyances; not for Läckberg is the all too common crime novel instinct of a character putting him or herself in too deep.
Erica's character is surprisingly robust enough to weather her endless consumption of coffee, and Patrik's incompetent colleagues are only a looming problem rather than an active one. I'll admit that I picked several of the twists hundreds of pages before they occurred, and the characters seem surprised by some of the answers they get even though they know the precise questions to ask, but The Ice Princess is an effective, if largely bloodless, crime novel. This is an effective introduction to characters I'm willing to spend more time with.
Still, this is a translation, and as such some sentences seem superfluous, and some subjects are mentioned too many times in too small a space. It's not an entirely natural flow, but it's not a big enough problem to derail the piece.
Erica's character is surprisingly robust enough to weather her endless consumption of coffee, and Patrik's incompetent colleagues are only a looming problem rather than an active one. I'll admit that I picked several of the twists hundreds of pages before they occurred, and the characters seem surprised by some of the answers they get even though they know the precise questions to ask, but The Ice Princess is an effective, if largely bloodless, crime novel. This is an effective introduction to characters I'm willing to spend more time with.
Still, this is a translation, and as such some sentences seem superfluous, and some subjects are mentioned too many times in too small a space. It's not an entirely natural flow, but it's not a big enough problem to derail the piece.
Really good mystery, with a lot of character POVs, which I loved. My one complaint is the MC's obsession with her weight and how 'fat' she is.
This book is incredibly slow to get started. Keep with it and you will be rewarded! Terrific story with compelling characters. Not as gritty as Henning Mankell or gratuitous as Stieg Larsson. Wished the map in the front was better. Another reason to visit Sweden.
