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A review by novelvisits
A Nearly Normal Family by M.T. Edvardsson
5.0
{My Thoughts}
A couple of years ago I might have said that legal thrillers weren’t my thing, but not anymore. A Nearly Normal Family joins the ranks, that already includes books like Miracle Creek (my review) and Quicksand (my review), to make the sub-genre one of my favorites. This latest courtroom thriller by Swedish author M.T. Edvardsson may be my favorite yet!
A terrible crime has been committed. A man was stabbed to death. An 18-tear old girl, Stella Sandell, is arrested for the crime. Many facts point to her guilt, but could Stella have done such a thing and if so, why? How can she be saved from a life behind bars? These are the questions her parents must wrestle with.
M.T. Edvardsson let the story of A Nearly Normal Family unfold in three different parts, one from each member of the Sandell family. From Adam, Stella’s father and a pastor, we heard a frantic history of Stella’s youth (including indiscretions) and all he knew about his daughter on the night in question.
“I consider myself to be a good person. That sounds arrogant, of course, if not self-important or superior. But I don’t mean it like that. I’m a person with an abundance of failings, a person who has made innumerable mistakes and errors. I am acutely aware of this and the first to admit it. What I mean is that I always act with good intentions, out of love and care. I have always wanted to do the right thing.”
But, when it comes to his daughter, what is the right thing? From Stella we got a much different perspective on her past and a close up view of the night of the murder. And from Stella’s mother Ulrika, a criminal defense attorney, we heard a calmer version of the past and a mother’s hopes for her daughter’s defense. The three parts were told in succession, picking up speed with each one. They beautifully wove together the mystery of how a normal family could have fallen so far. Whether in print or on audio, I highly recommend A Nearly Normal Family. Grade: A-
Narration: The three narrators really couldn’t have done a better job bringing their characters to life. Richard Armitage embodied the anguish of a father who both loves and fears his own daughter. Georgia Maguire delivered the heart of the story in Stella’s perspective, coming across as young, but world-weary. And, Emily Watson was outstanding reading a woman torn between her need to follow her own legal instincts and her love for her daughter. You could feel her anguish! Grade: A
For more reviews and bookish news: https://novelvisits.com/
A couple of years ago I might have said that legal thrillers weren’t my thing, but not anymore. A Nearly Normal Family joins the ranks, that already includes books like Miracle Creek (my review) and Quicksand (my review), to make the sub-genre one of my favorites. This latest courtroom thriller by Swedish author M.T. Edvardsson may be my favorite yet!
A terrible crime has been committed. A man was stabbed to death. An 18-tear old girl, Stella Sandell, is arrested for the crime. Many facts point to her guilt, but could Stella have done such a thing and if so, why? How can she be saved from a life behind bars? These are the questions her parents must wrestle with.
M.T. Edvardsson let the story of A Nearly Normal Family unfold in three different parts, one from each member of the Sandell family. From Adam, Stella’s father and a pastor, we heard a frantic history of Stella’s youth (including indiscretions) and all he knew about his daughter on the night in question.
“I consider myself to be a good person. That sounds arrogant, of course, if not self-important or superior. But I don’t mean it like that. I’m a person with an abundance of failings, a person who has made innumerable mistakes and errors. I am acutely aware of this and the first to admit it. What I mean is that I always act with good intentions, out of love and care. I have always wanted to do the right thing.”
But, when it comes to his daughter, what is the right thing? From Stella we got a much different perspective on her past and a close up view of the night of the murder. And from Stella’s mother Ulrika, a criminal defense attorney, we heard a calmer version of the past and a mother’s hopes for her daughter’s defense. The three parts were told in succession, picking up speed with each one. They beautifully wove together the mystery of how a normal family could have fallen so far. Whether in print or on audio, I highly recommend A Nearly Normal Family. Grade: A-
Narration: The three narrators really couldn’t have done a better job bringing their characters to life. Richard Armitage embodied the anguish of a father who both loves and fears his own daughter. Georgia Maguire delivered the heart of the story in Stella’s perspective, coming across as young, but world-weary. And, Emily Watson was outstanding reading a woman torn between her need to follow her own legal instincts and her love for her daughter. You could feel her anguish! Grade: A
For more reviews and bookish news: https://novelvisits.com/