Wenn die Nacht endet

Hallandssviten #3

by Christoffer Carlsson

Det var någon som ville ta död på pojkarna från Skavböke. Så sa man i trakten, efteråt.

1990-talet går mot sitt slut och en grupp pojkar är på väg att ta klivet ut i vuxenlivet. Men så inträffar någonting, och en av dem bestämmer sig för att lämna bygden, en annan hittas ihjälslagen och snart mister ännu en livet. Poliserna som försöker förstå hur allting hänger ihop återvänder ständigt till två namn: Sander Eriksson och Killian Persson.

En het julidag mer än tjugo år senare sker ett nytt mord och återigen har det blivit farligt därute i Skavböke. Porten mellan de levande och döda har öppnats.

Levande och döda är en roman om uppbrott, skuld och nåd. Det är tredje delen i Christoffer Carlssons svit med kriminalromaner från Halland.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Crime, Nordic Noir, Mystery Thriller, Suspense

449 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 21, 2023

About the author

I was born, I started writing stories, I haven't died yet

Reviews

[Ceecee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rural West Sweden, Stavböke, December 1999, the Eriksson family home.
Police officer Siri Bengtsson questions Sander Eriksson about a dead body, that of Mikael Söderström aged 18. Both young men have been at a party the previous night with Sander and his friend Killian leaving it very late to make their respective ways home. Police question both young men and the one thing they are sure of is that both are lying but it will take twenty years to establish who kills Mikael. In the interim, there are way more incidents which includes a 17 year-old missing boy, another death and a police officer who will leave the force never to return.

It’s no secret that I love Scandi noir and I’m not surprised that this one has won so many awards as it’s a definite page turner. What makes this one stand out is the tantalising chapter endings, sometimes a cliffhanger or perhaps a revelation that keeps me ploughing on. The author also gives a great sense of place. This small rural community where everyone knows everyone, where they don’t always rub along and there are plenty of undercurrents, some anger and tensions. It’s a very good portrayal of a small community hit by tragedy and the subsequent motions it causes and then how much darker everything becomes. It’s typical of this genre in that it is very atmospheric and at times it’s bleak and dark as the truth makes this inevitable way to the surface, albeit twenty years on. It gets very twisty as it reaches the conclusion and so concentration is needed.

Although the non-linear format of telling the story works very well as it means it unfolds organically, the only negative I have is that there are a lot of characters to sort out but that eventually resolves itself with familiarity.

Often Scandinavian crime novels can emotionally detached slow burners and what occurs is reported in direct straightforward terms. This one is a bit different because it’s written with more emotion than most and so perhaps has a profounder effect on me. If you like this genre then this one is well worth checking out.

It can easily be read as a standalone although it is the third in the series. I’ve not read the previous two and had no issues whatsoever.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Michael Joseph for the much appreciated early copy in return for an honest review.

Publishes in the United Kingdom on 8/2/26.

[Linzie (suspenseisthrillingme) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lyrical tale of murder and mystery in a small Swedish town, The Living and the Dead was my first real taste of Nordic noir. Dark and intense but also filled with plenty of emotional depth, the thought-provoking tale of two murdered teens kept me intrigued as the many secrets and lies dropped at my feet. With short, cliffhanger chapters and a non-linear timeline, I was kept happily in the dark all while feeling that something truly sinister was going on behind the scenes. That being said, the timeline—plus the multiple POVs—gave me some trouble as I attempted to follow along. With a large cast of characters and somewhat convoluted plot lines, the jumping around in the beginning made it tough to get fully immersed in the story. Once I passed the halfway point, however, the pace picked up steam and I found myself desperate to know all of the whos, whats, and whys in this intricate murder mystery.

All said and done, I’m fairly certain that I was thrown off somewhat by the fact that it was a translation. Sounding slightly odd in my head, it kept me from connecting with the characters despite how truly well developed they all were. One thing I absolute loved, though, was the vivid sense of time and place. Evocatively describing the small village and its various inhabitants, both the interpersonal dynamics and the rough landscape were sketched out in detail. Suspenseful and atmospheric but also deeply introspective, while it took more time to become absorbed, I still enjoyed every single minute. After all, the multilayered characters and complex relationships delivered a story with a truly cinematic feel. Perfect for fans of Jo Nesbø or Fredrik Backman, I now totally understand why people love this genre so much and, in spite of my issues with this one, I call it a hesitant win. Rating of 3.5 stars.

SYNOPSIS:

On a snowy winter night in 1999, Sander and Killian leave a house party together outside a small town in rural Sweden. The very best of friends, the two seventeen-year-olds imagine they will remain so forever. But by the next morning, a corpse is found in the trunk of a car, and each boy is a suspect in the murder. Each has something they want to conceal from the police. And from the other.

The hunt for the killer will take more than twenty years. It will see the lead detective leave the force forever. And it won’t end until a second body turns up in similar circumstances, and the tight-knit community’s secrets are finally brought to light.

Thank you to Christoffer Carlsson and Hogarth Books for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

PUB DATE: December 2, 2025

Content warning: murder, miscarriage, animal death, car accident

[TheConnieFox · Rating 3 out of 5]

This Nordic crime novel was an overall good read! It comes with very mysterious vibes and emotional depth. This is a whodunit book that kept me interested, because it kept me guessing, while reading it! The novel did start off really slow for me and it took me a while to fully immerse myself into the storyline. However, once it started picking up, it started getting more intense and entertaining. Towards the middle, I was fully immersed in the story. It is a dark story that takes place in Sweden. Two teenage best friends end up finding a corpse in 1999, then twenty years later another corpse is found in the same area.

This book comes with multiple points of views, the teenagers and the detectives. It also comes with a dual timeline, one set back in the nineties and the other one twenty years later. Reading this novel, I could tell that this author knew what he was writing about, when it came to detective work for solving crimes. While reading this, I found it to be very picturesque, it had a great structure and a well rounded plot! I recommend this to anyone that loves reading crime novels, mysteries, enjoys multiple characters and a dual timeline. Overall, I give this novel a 3 out of 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Christoffer Carlsson and Random House Publishing Group for this eARC in exchange for my honest review! All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

This book is part of the “Hallandssviten” series, but can be read as a standalone.

This book is expected to be published on December 2, 2025!

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Christoffer Carlsson, Random House Publishing Group, and Hogarth for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

Always eager to find authors new to me, I turned to this ARC by Christoffer Carlsson. A Scandinavian crime thriller that has amassed a number of awards is now published in English. After a snowy winter night leads to a raucous party, two eighteen-year olds return to their homes in a small Swedish community. Sander and Killian are very close and vow to keep this connection for as long as they live. However, when a body is found in the back of a car, both boys become murder suspects, as the victim attended the same party. It would seem that the police begin their investigation and there is something missing. Interviews with both boys lead to the assurance that they are hiding something, while also deceiving one another. In a case that spans two decades, the authorities must piece it all together. The discovery of a second body, found in a similar manner, pulls things together and sends the suspect into a spiral as the truth surfaces. Carlsson delivers an intriguing story that is sure to keep some readers busy well into the night.

I have always enjoyed crime thrillers that span a great deal of time. It gives the story time to develop and provides the reader with the chance to really understand the community and all its moving parts. I find Scandinavian noir novels usually appeal to be, as chapters come together to create an impactful piece. I did feel less of a connection to Christoffer Carlsson's story than I would have liked, though the momentum was present, once I got into the groove. I did not connect with the story for reasons I mention below. While I can see what Carlsson was doing, perhaps it just did not land with me as I might have hoped.

Character development is a key to keeping the reader invested in the piece. Carlsson builds many decent individuals to serve the story well. He manages to create a connection for the reader to the teen boys who are in the middle of the murder investigation, as well as the Swedish authorities seeking to put this case to bed. Told over a number of years, the reader is able to see connections and developments to help create that needed connection to the larger reading experience. Perhaps this is why I did not walk away with as strong a feeling about the book, as I did not feel invested in Sander, Killian, or anyone else in the book.

Christoffer Carlsson takes the reader on a detailed murder investigation, making sure to develop a number of twists along the way. The surprises that lurk in the shadows helps create the hunger for the reader to push onwards, always seeking to find the truth amongst the lies and deception. Carlsson keeps this front and centre in this piece, which is likely why it received many awards when first published. I might try to look at the start of this series, as it seems there were two previous books. Perhaps once I develop that connection, I can return to respect the book even more.

Kudos, Mr. Carlsson, for a decent read that others will likely really enjoy!

Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/

[Debbie H · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️ This Scandinavian crime thriller had me guessing til the very end. Lots of twists in this one.

Atmospheric and dark set in the small town of Skavboke Sweden set in 1999. The book follows a group of friends in a dual timeline 1999 and 2022.
Sanders and Killian, best friends, Felicia, the girl crush of both, Mikael and his brother Filip, and Jacob all attend a party one night that ends in a murder that was never solved. New eyes on the police force years after the crime finally break the case wide open.

Well written with great characters that lead down varying paths and an ending I never saw coming!


Thank you Net Galley and publishers for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Sarah Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wieder ein stimmungsvoller Spannungsroman mitten im wunderschönen Schweden.

Eine Hälfte des Buches spielt um die Jahrtausendwende und unsere Protagonisten sind noch Schüler.. einer von ihnen stirbt - erschlagen nach einer Party.
Schnell wird ein Verdächtiger gefunden - ein Mitschüler, der die Gelegenheit und kein Alibi hatte.

Heute, 20 Jahre später kehrt neue Bewegung in den Fall, Vidar Jörgensson ermittelt, als auch der Bruder des ersten Opfers stirbt - ebenfalls erschlagen. Wie hängen die Todesfälle zusammen?

In gewohnt bildhafter und fast schon poetischer Sprache schafft es der Autor die wunderbare Natur Schwedens, das Midsommarflair und die Unbedarftheit der Jugend einzufangen. Aber auch das Böse, das Einzug gehalten hat in dieses unschuldig anmutende Dorf.
Wie jeder seiner literarischen Krimis, hat mir auch dieser sehr gut gefallen! Ich habe 4,5 Sterne vergeben!

[Katie’s Bookshelf · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐️
A Scandinavian crime thriller about two boys who leave a party, only for one of them not to make it home. This story had a solid plot and a lot of promise but it just didn't do it for me. It just felt so cold, like I was reading a textbook or a case file. It just kept me from connecting with any of the characters and from caring, tbh

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishing team for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[lisamargar3ta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jag var peppad men spänd inför läsning pga höga förväntningar, men jajemen, jag fick även denna gång en mörk svensk glesbygdshistoria helt i samma anda som Brinn mig en sol. Tack!

[Jannelies (living between hope and fear) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of Sander and Kilian, two eight-year-olds who are best friends. Living in a small Swedish village all teenagers are closely connected, but some more than others. One night after a party they become suspects of murder, as a body is found in the back of a car.
The whole story spans over twenty years, but we are gradually introduced to some key points from the ‘then’ and ‘now’. This story shows in an excellent way how things we do in our teens have their influence on the way we develop as adults.
Except for Sander and Kilian Detective Siri Bengtsson plays a crucial role in this story and it was very interesting to see how this case was a major influence on her too.
Not a thriller with bodies galore and a lot of blood, but a deeply emotional story that will make you think about your own teenage years and the person you are now.
I enjoyed it from the first to the last page and it fully deserves a five star rating.
Thanks to Penguin and Netgalley for this review copy.

[Kasa Cotugno · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carlsson's expertise as a criminologist is apparent here. Told in two time periods, the murder of a boy following a party just before Christmas is the central issue, but it is the life in a small, remote Swedish township that is examined most closely. As with his first two books, he does a deep dive into the community ("...it's only in the city that men get divorced for their mistresses. Out here, you get divorced so you don't kill each other.") Loyalties as well as connections run strong ("They shared a very particular sense of humor, which was perhaps not unusual for two people who had a tragedy in common,")

[Maven_Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Living and the Dead by Christoffer Carlsson is a haunting, multi-layered Nordic noir about how a brutal murder in a tiny Swedish town in 1999 fractures friendships, buries terrible secrets, and then resurfaces more than twenty years later when another death forces truth out of silence and repression. It interweaves past and present investigations in the remote village of Skavböke where lies, loyalties, and guilt shape every life long after the crime itself.

Opening this novel felt like walking into winter’s quiet tension, the snow muffling more than just sound, it muffles meaning and certainty until gradually everything sharpens and reveals itself. Christoffer Carlsson’s background in criminology feels purposeful here, his prose crisp and observant as he lets us sit with Detective Siri Bengtsson in 1999 as she begins to untangle the death of a teenager, and then with a new investigator two decades later when the past refuses to stay buried.

The emotional depth of the story surprised me most, especially how friendships, jealousy, and small betrayals echo outward into long shadows, making the setting almost a character itself. While the pacing is deliberate and sometimes slow in a way that makes you settle deeply into the texture of the narrative, I found it ultimately rewarding because the slow burn allowed me to feel the weight of regret and the burden of secrets alongside these people.

This is a mystery that lingers not because of shocks but because of its insistence that the past is never truly past. I would give The Living and the Dead 4 out of 5 stars for its atmospheric writing, richly drawn emotional landscape, and its powerful meditation on memory, guilt, and community.

[Gunnar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vidar Jörgensson begegnet uns auch im dritten Halland-Roman, wenn auch erst recht spät in der Geschichte. Diese beginnt im Dezember 1999, kurz vor der Jahrtausendwende. Die Jugend Hallands bereitet sich auf große Festivitäten vor, die ältere Bevölkerung ist teilweise leicht hysterisch, hebt in Sorge vor dem Millenniumscrash das Ersparte von der Bank ab. In einer Nacht in den Weihnachtstagen kommt es im Dorf Skavböke zu einer tragischen Nacht: Nach einer Party wird der 18jährige Mikael Söderström erschlagen aufgefunden, gleichzeitig wurde das Ersparte einer Bauernfamilie geraubt. Das Dorf ist erschüttert, der Verdacht liegt nahe, dass der Täter einer der weiteren Jugendlichen ist. Ins Visier gerät ein ungleiches Freundespaar: Killian Persson und Sander Eriksson. Weitere tragische Ereignisse erschüttern in den nächsten Wochen im wahrsten Sinne des Dorf. Doch erst zwanzig Jahre später kommt die Wahrheit über die Ereignisse von damals als Licht.

Als man aufwuchs, waren die Wege und Pfade so selbstverständlich wie die Menschen, die alten Steinmauern und die Häuser. Die Welt ringsum war schon immer da gewesen, und so würde es immer bleiben. […] Es gab kein Ende, und es war unmöglich, dass etwas oder jemand eines Tages nicht mehr existieren, nicht mehr da sein sollte.
Dann holte der Tod Mikael, und alles veränderte sich. (Auszug E-Book Pos. 886)

Auch dieser Roman zeugt von der enormen Fähigkeit Carlssons, in die Psychologie seiner Figuren einzutauchen. Das Buch erzählt von der Jugend und dem (manchmal abrupten) Erwachsenwerden, von Freundschaft, Verrat, Schuld und Vergebung. Und wieder schwingt im Hintergrund auch eine gesellschaftliche Komponente mit. Für meinen Geschmack war dieser Roman manchmal eine Spur zu langsam erzählt. Zudem bringt Jörgensson hier einige Wendungen bzw. Zufälle, die mir einen Tick too much waren. Dennoch wiederum ein guter Roman des schwedischen Autors und auch in der Form des Regionalkrimis eine wohltuende Alternative zum schematisch gewordenen Nordic Noir.

[Mari · Rating 4 out of 5]

År 1999 går mot sitt slut, ungdomarna i Skavböke är på fest och den natten hittas en av de unga männen död i bagaget på en bil. Vem är den skyldige, finns den kanske närmare än någon tror. Mer än 20 år senare ser det på ytan ut som att de flesta har gått vidare. Men så dör ytterligare en man i Skavböke, en som fanns där då allt skedde för så länge sedan.

Saker nystas upp och familjer kommer förstöras.

Man kan inte gå in i den här berättelsen i tron att det ska vara någon sorts deckare för det är det inte, ganska långt därifrån egentligen, trots att det mesta kretsar kring ett mord. Det viktiga här är inte polisens arbete, utan det är människorna i det lilla samhället. Hur de agerar eller inte agerar i de situationer som de ställs inför, hur vissa människor och familjer i stort sett faller sönder och gör dåliga val, medans andra verkar kunna leva vidare utan problem. Men väldigt mycket finns hela tiden under ytan och hotar att komma fram.

Jag gillar Carlssons sätt att berätta dessa historier på, det är väldigt lågmält och går ganska långsamt framåt så att det knappt känns som att något händer, men så plötsligt sker något som han har byggt upp för hela tiden och det blir så självklart i efterhand.

[Amanda Almén · Rating 2 out of 5]

När jag för några år sedan började läsa boken Där kräftorna sjunger av Delia Owens var jag övertygad om att den skulle handla i första hand om ett mord. Den visade sig istället främst vara en uppväxtskildring, en lång startsträcka för att lära känna huvudpersonen och mordet kom varken i första eller andra hand, knappt ens i tredje. Jag kände mig lite snuvad på konfekten, att boken parerade det jag helst hade sett den ta upp.

Jag får en liknande känsla när jag läser Levande och döda. Boken innehåller en mordhistoria men den är så obetydlig att den bara förnims i bakgrunden, som en tunn dimma anas den endast någonstans i periferin. Istället innehåller Levande och döda framförallt relationer, en uppsjö av karaktärer och en oändlig ström av väl valda ord. Det är förstås intressant det också, men inte i en bok på nästan fyrahundra sidor.

Det är många som hyllar Carlssons sätt att inte berätta mordgåtan primärt utan istället fokusera på annat. Jag kan bara konstatera att jag känner precis tvärtom. Det är ju mordet som är spännande! Allt annat är vanlig vardag och det har jag runt mig ändå så att det räcker och blir över, med vardag, jobb och hamsterhjul. Mord, däremot, hoppas jag att jag slipper uppleva – därför vill jag gärna läsa om det i böcker.

Brotten, morden och det som sker med och runt pojkarna i Skavböke är spännande och intressant – det är kronologin och berättarsättet jag har svårt för. Att istället få följa Vidar och dennes utredning hade varit mer min kopp te – vilket förvisso hade omvandlat boken till mer av en deckare. Men å andra sidan är väl deckare bland det finaste vi har?

[Hannah Svare · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bra och spännande bok, dock får man inte lära känna/få en relation till karaktärerna vilket jag saknar. Slutet och ploten var lite konstig och svår att förstå.

[Kate Victoria RescueandReading · Rating 3 out of 5]

A meandering, twisty, dark and cold crime thriller.

I liked the shifting perspectives and narratives. At times I felt impatient, wanting more immediate resolution to the puzzles and mysteries. The book felt a bit longer than necessary, but that’s just my opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author/translator, and Random House/Hogarth for a copy!

[Adrian Dooley · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this one more than I did. A Swedish thriller about two teenage boys who leave a party, only to find out the next morning that one of their friends has been found murdered in the boot of a car and each of the boys are a suspect. It will take more than 20 years to solve what really happened that night.

Sounds great and right up my street but unfortunately I just couldn’t connect with this book at all. It’s way too long for what it is. It’s not half as intriguing as it thinks it is and really I was glad when I finally got to the (rather convoluted) end.

The characters here have no meat on their bones at all and I actually found it difficult to differentiate between them on numerous occasions.
Also the writing felt extremely clunky and odd. Now I realise I’m reading a translated version and that may account for some of it but the overall style of the book felt extremely rough and unfinished in style.

So not for me unfortunately. I would like to thank the publisher for the ARC through Netgalley.

[Sara Kelemit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jag gillar den här typen av deckare. En lågintensiv vibrerande spänning. Fantastiskt språk. Inget är svart eller vitt. Enda negativa var att jag hade lite svårt att hålla reda på alla namn (semesterhjärna) och att jag relativt tidigt fick korn på Mikaels mördare och även vem som sprängde. Men motiven var fel, så det gjorde inget.

[Monika · Rating 3 out of 5]

Turen hade då kommit till Levande och döda, tredje delen i Hallandssviten, som tydligen var tänkt att bli den sista. Nu vet vi ju att det inte är så, fjärde delen. En liten droppe blod, släpptes i veckan.

Serien kallas fristående och för en gångs skull så håller jag med. Böckerna har egentligen inget alls med varandra att göra, förutom geografiskt område och polisen Vidar, som dyker upp i varje bok. De verkar vara lite i kronologisk ordning, för denna utspelar sig 1999, gör ett litet nedslag i 2002 och nutiden utspelar sig 2022.

Jag vill inte gärna säga att jag blev besviken på Levande och döda, men jag tycker inte att den är i samma klass som de tidigare två. I andra halvan, nutiden, så är boken inte speciellt spännande och ganska händelselös. Räddningen är då-tråden. Allt eventuellt negativt jag har skrivit här ovanför gäller endast delen som utspelar sig i nutid.

OBS! Detta är en kraftigt förkortad text. Hela finns på min blogg

[Britt-Marie Kullin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Betyg: 4 av 5 - Den här boken, Levande och döda, är den tionde boken som jag har läst av författaren Christoffer Carlsson. Boken är den tredje delen i serien Hallandssviten, men den är helt fristående från dom två tidigare böckerna. Jag tycker att boken är lika mycket en relationsroman som en spänningsroman. Boken var mycket bra, och jag kan absolut rekommendera den, även om jag dock tyckte att den var något sämre än dom två tidigare böckerna. Jag lyssnade på boken, och den var helt okej inläst av författaren själv.

[Chelsea · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is more of a character study than a mystery. Unfortunately, I didn't care about the characters. The plot was interesting at first, but it got boring pretty quickly. I don't know if something just got lost in translation, but I didn't feel connected to anything happening.

[Elaine · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Living and the Dead.

I read an earlier book by the author and wasn't a fan.

But I wanted to give the author another chance.

** Minor late-90s spoilers ahead **

The mystery occurs in 1999 when two BFFs leave a house party together.

But when a third friend turns up dead, the BFFs are both suspects and each has something to hide from the police.

The investigation goes nowhere and 20 years later will pass before new information comes to light.

Secrets are unearthed, the past is confronted, and amends will be made, hopefully before blood is spilt again.

The premise was intriguing but less mystery driven and focused on how the characters dealt with the aftermath of the deaths and how their lives have changed (or not) because of it.

The most annoying aspect of the book is the confusing past and present timelines.

We get snippets of what happened in the past, little tidbits are dropped, but readers are not clued in until a few chapters later where we go back to a previous conversation with two characters about what happened that afternoon, evening, etc.

The author also provides exposition on what some of the characters have been doing in the last 20 years and where they find themselves in the present when the old case resurfaces.

Does it read as filler?

Sorta.

Did I care?

Nope.

This technique can be effective in creating suspense, but it slowed the pacing of the narrative, dragged it down and created a lack of urgency and drama.

There's plenty and drama; drama between men and women, husband and wife, teenage drama, sibling drama, family drama and all of that.

Many readers may find themselves flipping back to earlier chapters to figure out what's happening and who is talking, which disrupts the flow of the story.

I liked the friendship between the two BFFs, and wished that had been better developed.

Instead, their relationship is forever changed because of...what else, a woman.

The last 30 pages the author teases the readers with this is what happens...or is it and after all the pages and words we waded through the final reveal feels...anti-climatic.

In the end, I just didn't care.

I didn't care about the characters, their families, what happened to them, and because I got distracted from all the superfluous details and people, I finally realized the mystery was one big bore.

This book may still be worth a read for some people but for those who prefer a more straightforward narrative, this isn't the book for you.

It wasn't for me.

[Missnöjd Konfirmand · Rating 4 out of 5]

En velande fyra i betyg. Gillade inte helt allt med storyn, men gillar verkligen det långsamma, långsiktiga berättandet.

[Fif · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wieder ein spannender, atmosphärischer Krimi von Carlsson, der allerdings hier und da seine Längen hatte.

[Krista | theliterateporcupine]

DNF at page 150. It started out interesting and the short chapters helped, but it still dragged for me.

[Lotten · Rating 4 out of 5]

Levande och döda är en mycket välskriven och tänkvärd spänningsroman. Men den är också så mycket mer än en spänningsroman, det är ett drama. Varje gång jag läser en bok av Christoffer Carlsson så förundras jag över hur han lyckas. Han har en väldigt hög nivå på allt han skriver. Jag tycker hans språk är fantastiskt, och njuter av formuleringar, associationer och hur han bygger en historia till den grad att jag bara vill dra ut på läsningen. Samtidigt som jag hela tiden vill läsa vidare. Levande och döda är en roman som är svårt att släppa.

Styrkan med Levande och döda, liksom de flesta av Christoffer Carlssons romaner, är att man närmar sig de stora frågorna om moral, skuld, vänskap, familj men samtidigt så vilar man i detaljerna. Det finns både ett djup och en bredd i historien. Levande och döda utspelar sig på en liten ort i Halland, Skavböke. Den lilla orten i glesbygd tecknas med värme, men också med en ärlighet i baksidorna med att bo i ”skymundan” där alla känner alla. Lojalitetsbanden blir starka, men också konflikterna när de bryts och när lögnerna tar över. Orten blir som en egen karaktär, och jag ser miljön framför mig.

Karaktärerna är intressanta, såväl huvudkaraktärer som bikaraktärer. Jag hade gärna lärt känna poliserna mer, i synnerhet Siri. Samtidigt så bidrar hennes gåtfullhet till mysteriet. Sander är jag kluven till, och blir mer så ju mer jag läser. Samtidigt så kan man känna sympati för honom. Berättelsen rör sig mellan olika tidsplan, och mellan olika karaktärer men det blir aldrig rörigt. Möjligen kan jag ibland känna att jag tappar en tråd, och kanske missar någon ledtråd. Det är spännande, men inte på ett nagelbitarsätt, utan med en konstant psykologisk spänning. Upplösningen överraskar mig.

Levande och döda är en bok som jag skulle vilja att de som har fördomar om deckare borde läsa. Men först bör man läsa de två tidigare delarna i Hallandssviten, Järtecken och Brinn mig en sol. Personligen är jag mest förtjust i Brinn mig en sol. Som jag förstått det är genom detta Hallandssviten avslutad och jag funderar faktiskt på att läsa om den från början, för att få med mig alla vindlingar i historien, och få träffa polisen Vidar, som förekommer i alla tre böcker, i olika tidsåldrar. Nästa bok av Christoffer Carlsson står förstås på autobuy.

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Betyg: 4+

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[Faith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to Random House and Netgalley for an eARC of this title. All opinions are my own.

This is a novel of a (very boring) crime.

I feel bad rating this book so low, but it’s just incredibly dry and not interesting.

Mikael is killed on a winter night in 1999. Years later, a teen goes missing from another rural Swedish village, and years after that, Mikael’s bother, Filip, is killed in an eerily similar fashion. How are the three teens connected, if at all? What really happened in 1999? These are the questions that plague the small area police force as they try to piece everything together.

Christoffer Carlsson’s The Living and the Dead reads a lot differently than American thriller novels. The beginning especially feels more like a piece of investigative journalism or a documentary than it does a fictional thriller. The writing is drier and much less intense than what I went in expecting. Instead of focusing much on the characters it’s more of a this happened, and then this, and then this, sort of vibe. We get from point A to B but without any of the intrigue.

There’s a lot of skipping around of characters throughout the novel, although it feels more jarring in the beginning. As well as skipping around points-of-view, it skips around with the timeline as well, which left me feeling unmoored. The time jumps get much better as the novel progresses and things start moving more chronologically. Somehow, this also means that we get a lot of chapters in the middle that add up to just about nothing. They’re not necessary to the plot and while they sort of flesh out the characters more, I just wasn’t interested. It didn’t make the characters any more dynamic and frankly, it’s not what I come to a thriller looking for.

Which takes me back to the fact that this book just isn’t compelling. Many of the chapters and characters are irrelevant. At times it felt like things were just being added to give a twist later on, but they just weren’t very twisty. I honestly couldn’t care less to find out who killed Mikael because it just didn’t feel like any of the characters cared either. I didn’t find any of them compelling, and the crime was laid out in such dry terms and without speculation, that I just wasn’t very interested.

All-in-all, I’d give this book a pass unless you’re looking for a glacially paced thriller.

[Sigrid K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kurz vor dem Millennium: Jugendliche feiern eine Party, es gibt Streit und am nächsten Morgen wird eine Leiche gefunden. Doch wer war der Täter? Gerüchte, Vorurteile, Halbwahrheiten und Lügen geben den Ermittlerinnen und den Lesenden Rätsel auf. Carlsson ist ein herausragender Krimi gelungen, der nicht auf eine klassische Kriminalhandlung abzielt, sondern auf die Auswirkungen der Tat auf die Dorfgesellschaft bzw. die betroffenen Personen eingeht. Trotz allem ist man sich bis zum Schluss nicht sicher, wer der Täter war. Wer einen außergewöhnlichen Krimi sucht, der auch sprachlich und erzähltechnisch besticht, wird hier fündig. - 4,5 Sterne!

[Eva Wennås · Rating 3 out of 5]

Först var jag förtjust men mot slutet kände jag mer hur många twist and turns orkar man med? Tror också jag föredrar andra uppläsare. Detta var författaren själv.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars
The Living and the Dead by Christoffer Carlsson is the third book in the Hallandssviten series but works perfectly as a standalone. The author is a criminologist, and it shows in the plot and characterizations of his novels. The main characters in the book include best friends Sander Eriksson and Killian Persson and police officer Siri Bengtsson and Vidar Jorgensson, whose stories eventually intersect.

This complex story unfolds at a slow and steady pace, but still has many elements of a thriller. It is tense, foreboding, and sometimes claustrophobic as characters feel trapped by their situations in their small Swedish village.Many characters are keeping secrets, and the story is twisty and filled with surprises. Some details weren't clear to me, and I don't know if this is the author's writing style or because the book was translated from Swedish to English. The ending explained a lot of things but was still ambiguous to me. However, I still enjoyed this engaging, often sad, crime novel. 

I received an advance copy of this ebook from Random House Books, Hogarth Books, and NetGalley for review consideration. My review is voluntary and unbiased.