Chilling, unsettling, and damn intelligent. That pretty much sums up this book, which is a prime example of a Nordic crime novel. That genre has become immensely popular in the last couple of years, and rightly so. They are set in the exotic countries of the far North, the body count doesn't follow the logic of an American thriller, and usually, there is no pretty, tidy solution. Rather, they portray cases which are quite close to real life, which is refreshing in one hand, and disturbing in the other. Nonetheless, they usually delve deeply in the human psyche, and oftentimes expose social problems.
Pettersson managed to do all that, and more. There are quite a lot of thought-provoking ideas in this novel, although it starts off in a classic way - inspector Harald Lindmark has a murder on his hands. The morbid crime (it becomes clearer what's it about in the original Swedish title "Give me your eyes") is a deviation from the peaceful everyday life in the Finnish town of Forshalla. However, the case becomes cold quickly, and Lindmark struggles with not only the investigation, but also with life.
That brief summary doesn't do the novel much justice. Pettersson created an interesting social study of life on the North, showing us that it's not paradise up there, and that they also have their own set of problems. But he did that so subtly and organically, that it's more like a subtext to the centerpiece, the murder mystery. The author presents us with a deconstruction of a novel in which, using various, on the first glance unrelated, points of view and literary techniques, the reader has the main part. It's the reader, and not Lindmark, who is solving the case(s). And that necessary mental engagement the reader must make to be an active participant in the novel is what makes this novel so good.
What I also loved in this novel is that the author concentrates on characters which are, for lack of a better term, ethnically interesting. I'm talking about Finns who talk Swedish, or Swedish Finns. (The sole existence of such a minority is fascinating, but of course, it just shows us how people can be democratic and tolerant.) There is also a display of interest towards immigrants and places of turmoil elsewhere in the world, which is extremely sensible. Such a lack of self-absorption left a very positive impact on me. Coupled with an original composition, and that crazily fabulous last page, "Ge mig dina ogon" is something well worth reading.