The Ice Beneath Her

Starred review from September 26, 2016
The decapitation of a young woman propels Grebe’s exceptional solo debut, which examines three lives broken by failures to take responsibility in a Stockholm where “even the sky is crying.” Peter Lindgren, the detective investigating the crime, is afraid of commitment and still hasn’t accepted the teenage son he never wanted; shop assistant Emma Bohman, whose now-missing wealthy lover appears to be the prime suspect in the murder, dwells on her painful dysfunctional childhood; and profiler Hanne Lagerlind-Schön, who’s trapped in a suffocating marriage, faces early-onset Alzheimer’s while helping the police with the case. The present-day crime resembles a 10-year-old cold case during which Peter and Hanne shared a short, tragic relationship. In alternating chapters, the three central figures regret what could have been, grieve for what’s been lost, and lament what seemingly can never be, until their bone-rattling self-revelations are redeemed at last by human love. Grebe has collaborated with her sister, Åsa Träff, on the crime series featuring psychologist Siri Bergman (More Bitter than Death, etc.). Agents: Astri Von Arbin Ahlander and Christine Edhäll, Ahlander Agency (Sweden).

A trio of narrators gives voice to Grebe's psychological thriller, told from alternating points of view. John Lee, portraying the the Swedish police detective Peter, brings out the internal conflict of his character while highlighting his unlikable cowardice. Justine Eyre portrays the police department's profiler, Hanne. Eyre delivers Hanne's struggle with early-onset dementia well, but ultimately her character comes across as whiny and consumed with self-pity, making her less believable as a respected professional--and, even worse, a negative stereotype for females. What saves this mediocre plot is Katharine McEwan's portrayal of Emma, the poor shop girl who is wronged by her wealthy boyfriend. McEwan single-handedly delivers the chills, and her performance makes this worth a listen. J.F. � AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine