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A review by perednia
The Second Deadly Sin by Åsa Larsson
1.0
The Rebecka Martinsson mysteries written by Asa Larsson were among the top reasons Scandinavian crime fiction became a favorite of mystery readers years before Steig Larsson's books were published. They are dark, with insights into souls whose lives were far from perfect but who carried on until the day or night they could not.
The series also has always been as much about Rebecka Martinsson's search for herself after she left a succssful law practice in Stockholm and returned to her rural roots. Over the course of the books, she has become a little bit more comfortable about herself and has become closer to other people, especially to some who are as damaged on the outside as she thinks herself to be on the inside. That is one of the most interesting aspects of this series -- Martinsson thinks she deserves the worst, yet in earlier books readers don't see the validity of that opinion.
But now, Martinsson has been maneuvered by her creator into performing a terrible deed in the climax of a murder investigation, apparently to make it more believable why she would seek comfort from a corner where she should have sought it long ago. That the source of that comfort does something out of the kindness of his heart that looks cruel and ridiculous on the outside -- as two scandal-seeking reporters prove -- doesn't make this manipulation any more fitting.
Until that happens, however, and after a graphic opening involving a hunting dog and a bear, The Second Deadly Sin is an interesting investigative novel. A neighbor of Martinsson's is found dead one day, killed and marked as a whore, a reference to old gossip. The grandson she was caring for is missing. Martinsson and her friends are first on the scene, and the story is suspenseful, tighty written and as good as any thriller. Because it is also character-based as much as plot-based, it provides a highly satisfying reading experience.
Martinsson is taken off the case by her prosecutor boss out of the jealousy of a colleague, who is portrayed as well as any other power-hungry, egotistical character who gets in the way of a crime fiction leading character. This one, however, refers to Martinsson and a female police officer as "little [n-word] boys", which is one of the most egregious use of that hate word seen in quite some time. A white male character does not have to refer to two white women as that word to be shown as a clueless jerk; there were plenty of other examples. Whether the author originally used this hate word in her work or whether it was used by the translator, "inappropriate" is about as calm a description as can be used.
That word choice and violence against animals tip the balance against recommending this book, because the main story is as good as the earlier Martinsson novels. The story of the murder victim and her family, including passages from the past in which the unfortunate family tree originated, are fascinating and well-written.
This is a series I shall miss.
The series also has always been as much about Rebecka Martinsson's search for herself after she left a succssful law practice in Stockholm and returned to her rural roots. Over the course of the books, she has become a little bit more comfortable about herself and has become closer to other people, especially to some who are as damaged on the outside as she thinks herself to be on the inside. That is one of the most interesting aspects of this series -- Martinsson thinks she deserves the worst, yet in earlier books readers don't see the validity of that opinion.
But now, Martinsson has been maneuvered by her creator into performing a terrible deed in the climax of a murder investigation, apparently to make it more believable why she would seek comfort from a corner where she should have sought it long ago. That the source of that comfort does something out of the kindness of his heart that looks cruel and ridiculous on the outside -- as two scandal-seeking reporters prove -- doesn't make this manipulation any more fitting.
Until that happens, however, and after a graphic opening involving a hunting dog and a bear, The Second Deadly Sin is an interesting investigative novel. A neighbor of Martinsson's is found dead one day, killed and marked as a whore, a reference to old gossip. The grandson she was caring for is missing. Martinsson and her friends are first on the scene, and the story is suspenseful, tighty written and as good as any thriller. Because it is also character-based as much as plot-based, it provides a highly satisfying reading experience.
Martinsson is taken off the case by her prosecutor boss out of the jealousy of a colleague, who is portrayed as well as any other power-hungry, egotistical character who gets in the way of a crime fiction leading character. This one, however, refers to Martinsson and a female police officer as "little [n-word] boys", which is one of the most egregious use of that hate word seen in quite some time. A white male character does not have to refer to two white women as that word to be shown as a clueless jerk; there were plenty of other examples. Whether the author originally used this hate word in her work or whether it was used by the translator, "inappropriate" is about as calm a description as can be used.
That word choice and violence against animals tip the balance against recommending this book, because the main story is as good as the earlier Martinsson novels. The story of the murder victim and her family, including passages from the past in which the unfortunate family tree originated, are fascinating and well-written.
This is a series I shall miss.