The Ice Princess

Starred review from March 28, 2011
Läckberg arrives in the U.S. with a first-class mystery (the first in a series), making her the latest Swedish import of Scandinavian intrigue and murder. Erica Falck is an author of biographies who has come to the small coastal town of Fjallbacka to attend to the affairs of her recently deceased parents. While she's there, she comes across the body of an old childhood friend, Alexandra ("Alex") Wijkner, frozen in a bathtub, an apparent suicide. But when she is asked to write a tribute to her friend, Erica begins to suspect that the woman did not take her own life, a suspicion confirmed by the autopsy results that Alex was murdered. What follows is a subtle, character-driven, mystery that David Thorn presents with a calm, cool delivery, perfectly suited to the material. His characterizations are expressed simply, with no over-the-top theatrics, but he still manages to give each character his or her own unique voice while keeping the story moving at a measured, easy to follow pace. His pronunciation of the Scandinavian names and locations deserves special mention. A Pegasus hardcover.

After her parents die in a car accident, author Erica Falck moves back to her childhood home to put their affairs in order. When she discovers her friend Alex with his wrists slit in a bathtub of icy water, Erica learns how intricately tangled life in a fishing village can be. Narrator David Thorn's accents and rhythms bring the Swedish origins of this translated novel to life, increasing the listener's connection with the setting. As Erica and Detective Patrik Hedstrom work together to determine how Alex died, they discover they share more than the desire to solve the case. Listeners will appreciate hearing the correct pronunciations of names and places as Thorn skillfully handles multiple points of view and a variety of voices in this character-driven mystery. C.B.L. (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine

February 15, 2011

Erica Falck returns to her hometown of Fjallbacka, Sweden, now a budding resort town, to wrap up her late parents' estate and is devastated to learn of the suspicious death of her childhood friend, Alex. Writing a thinly disguised novel based on Alex's life, she becomes romantically involved with the detective on the case. Through the lives of the suspects, Lackberg reveals the sordidness of the town's wealthy families and the resounding effects of child abuse. Though this first entry in a new seven-book series, the author's U.S. debut, has been highly acclaimed on the European continent, North American audiences wanting to immerse themselves in the Swedish setting may find that narrator David Thorn's British pronunciations and dialect make for a disjointed listening experience. Recommended only where Scandinavian crime fiction does well. [The Harper hc was recommended for "readers who enjoy Louise Penny's small-town atmosphere," LJ 5/1/10; the Free Pr. pb will publish in March 2011.--Ed.]--Sandy Glover, Camas P.L., WA

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