Dual review with Swedish first and then English!

SWEDISH REVIEW

Häxan är den senaste boken i Fjällbacka serien. Tro det eller ej, men jag hade faktiskt aldrig läst någon bok i serien innan jag läste denna. Men jag tyckte att handlingen verkade så spännande och bestämde mig för att testa serien genom att läsa denna bok. Nu är böcker med barnamord något av det jobbigaste som finns att läsa och det var definitivt jobbigt att sitta med vetskapen att Linnea var död medan skallgångskedjan pågick, man vet vad som kommer att ske, men man hoppas ändå att man ska finna henne vid liv.

Handlingen i denna bok är uppdelad i tre olika berättelser som alla är länkade med varandra. Dels för vi följa mordutredningen i nutid, men vi får även följa mordutredningen på flickan som dog 30 år innan. Sedan har Läckberg även lagt till ännu en berättelse om en kvinna som anklagas för att vara häxa 300 år tidigare. För att vara riktigt ärlig så fann jag berättelsen om häxan som en onödig del. Inte för att den var dålig, men det kändes som att läsa en helt annan bok när berättelsen växlande över till häxberättelsen. Visst har berättelsen en koppling till den nutida berättelsen, men det känns ändå som om boken hade varit bättre utan den. Dock gjorde häxberättelsen mig nyfiken på om fler generationer påverkades av vad som skedde på 1600-talet.

Häxan var intressant, tragiskt och stundtals även roande mitt i allt det hemska tack vare en knäpp polischef och en krävande svärmor som ska gifta om sig. Slutet var hemskt tragiskt och jag tycker att boken mycket bra speglar det moderna svenska samhället med mobbning, rasism och utanförskap. Speciellt en scen var så typiskt svenskt, när en man klagar på alla invandrare i Sverige och det är därför han har flyttat till Spanien.

Jag är oerhört glad att jag tog mig tid att läsa denna bok och ser fram emot att läsa de tidigare publicerades böckerna!

Tack Bokförlaget Forum for recensionsexemplaret!

ENGLISH REVIEW

Tragic memories are brought back to life when four-year-old Linnea disappears from a farm outside Fjällbacka. Thirty years earlier a little girl disappeared from exactly the same farm and was later found murdered. That time, two thirteen-year-old girls were accused of killing the girl. They were found guilty in court, but escaped prison because of their age. After that, one of them lived a quiet life in Fjällbacka. The other has just returned for the first time since the event, now as a celebrated actor to portray Ingrid Bergman in a movie to be recorded in the neighborhood.

The people of Fjällbacka search for Linnea, and eventually, they find her. Nude, next to the same forest lake where the first girl was found. The horror spreads in the small society. Can more girls be in danger? Patrik Hedström thinks it seems farfetched, but he and his colleagues at the Tanumshed police start to investigate whether there are any similarities between the two cases. To help them, they get Erica Falck, who has long been working on a book about the old murder. The investigation opens ups many wounds, and the inhabitants' fear of the unknown has terrible consequences.

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The Witch is the latest book in the Fjällbacka series. Believe it or not, but I hade never read any book in the series before I read this. But the story seemed interesting and I decided to test the series by reading this book. Now, books with children being murdered are some of the hardest to read and it was definitely hard to read with the knowledge that Linnea was dead while they searched for her, I knew what's going to happen, but I still hoped they would find her alive.

The book is divided into three different stories, which are linked to each other. We are following the murder investigation today, but we also follow the murder investigation of the girl who died 30 years earlier. Läckberg has also added another story about a woman accused of being a witch 300 years earlier. To be honest, I found the story about the witch an unnecessary part. Not because it was bad, but it felt like reading a completely different book when the story shifted to the witch story. Sure, the story has a connection to the present story, but it still feels like the book had been better without it. However, the witch story made me curious if more generations were affected by what happened in the 17th century.

The book was interesting, tragical and even occasionally funny in the midst of all the horrors thanks to a not so bright police chief and Erica Falck's demanding mother-in-law who is planning to get remarried. The end was terribly tragic and I think the book very well reflects the modern Swedish society with bullying, racism, and segregation. Especially a scene was so typical Swedish when a man complains about all the immigrants in Sweden and that's why he has moved to Spain.

I'm very pleased that I took the time to read this book and look forward to reading the previously published books!

Thanks Bokförlaget Forum for the review copy! ( )

Camilla Läckberg es siempre una apuesta segura, pero este tal vez sea mi favorito de sus libros que he leído, pues es más fuerte de lo que nos tiene acostumbrados y además ¡hay un poquito de bollodrama! ( )

THE GIRL IN THE WOODS is written by Camilla Lackberg and translated from the Swedish by Tiina Nunnally. It is #10 in her Patrik Hedstrom (Fjallbacka) series. [ *personal note: During the height of the Coronavirus Lockdown in 2020, I decided to read this series. Camilla Lackberg is a favorite author of mine and the genres of Scandanavian Noir and mystery and detective stories can’t be beat. I did possess (and had read) several of the earlier titles but wanted to fill in the gaps which proved to be complicated with several of the titles. This last title, THE GIRL IN THE WOODS, was not in ebook format and a paperback had to be special ordered. The paperback had been published by HarperCollins UK. Patience and detecting paid off!* ]

“When a four-year-old girl disappears in the woods outside Fjallbacka, people are horror-struck. Thirty years ago, a child went missing from the same spot and was later discovered, murdered.” book jacket
“A Missing Child — A Murder — A Community Torn Apart — Heart-Stopping and Heart Warming — Both Chilling and Thrilling” book jacket

I like this title and series very much. The main characters (Patrik Hedstrom & Erica Falck) are realistic, interesting, complex and likable, as are Patrik’s fellow police officers at Tanumshede Police Station.
Both towns - Tanumshede and Fjallbacka - are real locations on the west coast of Sweden.
Ms. Lackberg’s writing style involves many-layered plots with secrets (always many secrets) and often historical incidents from the past that have an effect on, or a relationship to, current events.
In this title, chilling and horrifying events from 1671 in the Bohuslan area serve as a backdrop to current (both fictional and real) events in the same area. The trial, torture and death of a young woman said to be a ‘witch’ is difficult to read, but relates to current prejudices towards refugees.
We are left with a bit of a cliffhanger on the last page concerning Erica’s sister, Anna, which I hope is resolved in Ms. Lackberg’s next installment in the series.
THE GIRL IN THE WOODS is tense, chilling and horrifying in parts, but has its feel-good moments, too. I would heartily recommend this title and this series. ***** ( )

Helt greit med spennende slutt, men det får da være måte på! Det bør ikke gå lenge før Camilla starter på ny bok, for dette ble litt for spennende for min del..
Så til handlingen, jeg likte boka veldig godt!
Men jeg synes det ble mye, hun tok opp så mange temaer; heksebrenning, ungdomsopprør, flyktningkrisen og nåtidens heksejakt, for å nevne noe. Veldig viktige temaer, men kanskje ikke nødvendig å ha med "alt" i ei bok.
Men igjen, absolutt ei god bok om Patrick og Erika, og jeg beundrer Camilla for å skrive så godt om så vonde hendelser/temaer! ( )

Helt greit med spennende slutt, men det får da være måte på! Det bør ikke gå lenge før Camilla starter på ny bok, for dette ble litt for spennende for min del..
Så til handlingen, jeg likte boka veldig godt!
Men jeg synes det ble mye, hun tok opp så mange temaer; heksebrenning, ungdomsopprør, flyktningkrisen og nåtidens heksejakt, for å nevne noe. Veldig viktige temaer, men kanskje ikke nødvendig å ha med "alt" i ei bok.
Men igjen, absolutt ei god bok om Patrick og Erika, og jeg beundrer Camilla for å skrive så godt om så vonde hendelser/temaer! ( )