Review: The Drowning by Camilla Lackberg

The Stonecutter, the third in the Fjallbacka crime series,  and The Drowning, the seventh and most recent novel, both have themes of bodies found in or near the sea. The cover of The Drowning has a picture of a young woman seeming to float under water.

This is a police procedural set in the town of Fjallbacka, Sweden, with detective Patrik Hedstrom as the main character, and Patrik's wife Erica working unofficially as his sidekick. Erica is pregnant with twins, but this doesn't stop her from her editing job in a publishing company or from trying to solve the death of a friend of her current author, Christian.

Christian has been receiving threatening letters, which he hides from everyone including his wife, until the truth is discovered by Erica and the detective team. Erica and Patrik both delve into Christian's past, looking for clues while more strange and threatening events begin to happen to Christian and his childhood friends.

Lackberg's writing is suspenseful, though the plot is slow in parts. The author throws out clues and events that seem unconnected, till the plot threads come together toward the end to reveal a startling and disturbing reality involving the author Christian and his friends.

The main characters, detective Patrik Hedstrom and his wife Erica, are likeable and realistic, as are the other members of  the police team.

Some themes: childhood trauma, family dynamics, police procedural, and interestingly, working pregnant women (there are three in the novel, two of them on the crime solving police team!)

My objective rating: 4.5/5
Thanks to Pegasus Crime for an advance reading copy of the book which was published September 2015.

Sunday Salon: Snow in November and some New Mysteries

Welcome to the Sunday Salon where bloggers share their reading each week. Visit The Sunday Post hosted by The Caffeinated Bookreviewer. Also visit Mailbox Monday.

It's snowing in November, and it's quite pretty outside, but.....too soon, I am thinking. But it doesn't matter if it's colder, we are still painting that bedroom today. 

Two books came in. One a drama set in a newsroom, always good fodder for a novel. The other is a South American crime novel.

Betty Boo by Claudia Pineiro, to be published February 9, 2016 by Bitter Lemon Press
Genre: crime fiction set in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Source: publisher
When a Buenos Aires industrialist is found dead in an exclusive gated community called La Maravillosa, the novelist Nurit Iscar (once nicknamed Betty Boo owing to a resemblance to the cartoon character Betty Boop) is contracted by the editor of a national newspaper, to cover the story. Nurit teams up with the paper’s veteran crime reporter. Soon they realize that they are falling in love, which complicates matters deliciously.

The murder is no random crime. Five members of the Argentine industrial and political elite have died in apparently innocent circumstances. The Maravillosa murder is just the last in the series and those in power in Argentina are not about to allow all this brought to light. (publisher)

The Newsmakers by Lis Wiehl, to be published January 19, 2016 by Thomas Nelson
Genre: mystery
Source: publisher
Television reporter Erica Sparks has just landed her dream job at Global News Network. Erica moves to Manhattan to join GNN, leaving Jenny, her adored 7-year-old daughter, in the custody of her ex-husband. Erica witnesses a horrific Staten Island ferry crash. Then she lands a coveted interview with presumptive presidential nominee Kay Barrish. During the interview Barrish collapses. Erica valiantly tries to save her with CPR. The footage rivets the world—GNN’s ratings soar and Erica is now a household name.

What a strange coincidence that both events should happen on her watch. It’s almost as if they were engineered. Erica’s pursuit of the truth puts her life and that of her daughter in danger. 

Both of these novels sound riveting. Hoping to read them before they are published next year.

Current reads from the library: 
Am still reading that thick novel, The Bone Tree by Greg Iles, and glad to say I'm a little more than half way through. 

Picked up another crime novel, this one set in Thailand, The Hot Countries by Timothy Hallinan.

From my shelves, I've found I had overlooked this crime novel by Camilla Lackberg, 

The Drowning by Camilla Lackberg, published September 15, 2015 by Pegasus
Genre: crime novel
Source: ARC from publisher

Christian Thydell’s debut novel, The Mermaid, is published to rave reviews. So why is he as distant and unhappy as ever?
When crime writer Erica Falck learns he has been receiving anonymous threats, she investigates the messages and the author’s mysterious past…Erica’s husband, Detective Patrik Hedström, has his worst suspicions confirmed as the mind-games aimed at Christian and those around him become a disturbing reality. But, with the victims themselves concealing evidence, the investigation is going nowhere. And what is the secret they would rather die to protect than live to see revealed?  (publisher)

I seem to have all mystery novels this week. I guess they are still among the books I prefer reading, though women's fiction comes in a close second. 

What are your reading preferences this week/month?