Black Lies, Red Blood

January 20, 2014
Ann Lindell, a not-so-young single Swedish mother, is surprised to find love in Eriksson’s enjoyable fifth mystery featuring the Uppsala detective (after 2011’s The Hand that Trembles). When her talkative lover, journalist Anders Brant, tells her that he will be gone for a while, and his phone number is discovered on the body of a murdered homeless man shortly afterward, Ann must figure out how Anders is connected to this crime. How long can she keep her relationship with him secret from her colleagues? Yet, can she suddenly mistrust a man who means so much to her? Meanwhile, Ann investigates a cold case involving a girl who went missing on her 16th birthday “as if swallowed up by the earth.” Eriksson keeps the reader guessing, but his real strength is his ability to create descriptive details that bring even his minor characters alive.

January 1, 2014
Police inspector Ann Lindell tackles an investigation that's painfully close to home. Love comes unexpectedly to workaholic Swede Ann in the person of Anders Brant, who is emotional, loving and utterly unlike the brooding, unavailable men she usually falls for. He even seems to understand her commitment to her work. But she's not used to such turbulent and unsteady feelings, which dog her on the job. Her current case, the disappearance of teenager Klara Lovisa several months ago, is frustratingly, bafflingly cold. As Ann sets about the tedious task of interviewing friends and family members again, the murder of Bosse Gransberg, a homeless sometime handyman, is also under investigation. The detectives on this case, Ola Haver and Beatrice Andersson, face unusual hostility and resistance from members of the community. Thoughts of Brant provide Ann a much-needed respite during her grim task. But when Brant goes missing, her emotions get a tumultuous workout. Worse, Brant's phone number is found on Bosse's person. Fortunately for her, Ann has not shared any details of her new relationship with colleagues. Inconveniently, Brant happens to be in Brazil. Unable to defend himself, he emerges as the prime suspect. What else can Ann do but solve the crime in order to save him? Eriksson (The Hand that Trembles, 2011, etc.) adds each piece of his complex murder puzzle to the picture with masterly control, and the heroine at the center of it all is compelling.

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March 15, 2014

Police officer Ann Lindell has been alone longer than she cares to admit. When taciturn journalist Anders Brant enters her life and sweeps her off her feet, she can't believe her luck. But just as suddenly as he appears, he vanishes. Ander's departure coincides with the killing of a homeless man, who happens to have the journalist's phone number in his pocket. As Ann struggles to find Anders and hopefully clear his name, another person related to the dead man is also found dead. Lindell and her fellow officers are confronted with too many clues and too few conclusions. And when Brant finally responds with a message mentioning murder, Lindell must face the evidence that's right in front of her. Eriksson's latest mystery (after The Hand That Trembles) ups the ante, piling up bodies, clues, and multiple narrators. But the numerous voices, dead ends, and open cases ultimately lead to a confusing stew full of way too many ingredients. VERDICT Voracious mystery lovers will likely pick up this title enthusiastically; the more discerning reader will end up disappointed and frustrated. [See Prepub Alert, 10/20/13.]--Jennifer Rogers, J. Sargeant Reynolds Community Coll. Lib., Richmond

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2014
The fifth book in Eriksson's Ann Lindell police series (following The Hand That Trembles, 2011) sticks to its procedural format but also lets the reader into more of Lindell's personal life. For the most part, the Uppsala, Sweden, homicide detective keeps busy with her demanding job and young son. Letting journalist Anders Brant into her life is a big step for her. Making it all the more distressing when his phone number is found on a homeless man's murdered body. Hoping that there's a logical explanation for the connection, Lindell doesn't tell her fellow offices about her relationship with the reporter, who claims to be out of town on a story. Instead, she buries herself in work, taking on the cold case of Klara Lovisa, a teenage girl who disappeared on her sixteenth birthday. Lindell knows the girl is most likely dead, but when the body is found, it is a watershed for the grief that has been overwhelming her since Anders left. Eriksson, nominated five times for Sweden's best crime novel award, effectively combines procedural and psychological detail in this involving mystery.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)