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Rebecka Martinsson #1
The Savage Altar
On the floor of a church in northern Sweden, the body of a man lies mutilated and defiled–and in the night sky, the aurora borealis dances as the snow begins to fall....So begins Åsa Larsson’s spellbinding thriller, winner of Sweden’s Best First Crime Novel Award and an international literary sensation.
Rebecka Martinsson is heading home to Kiruna, the town she’d left in disgrace years before. A Stockholm attorney, Rebecka has a good reason to return: her friend Sanna, whose brother has been horrifically murdered in the revivalist church his charisma helped create. Beautiful and fragile, Sanna needs someone like Rebecka to remove the shadow of guilt that is engulfing her, to forestall an ambitious prosecutor and a dogged policewoman. But to help her friend, and to find the real killer of a man she once adored and is now not sure she ever knew, Rebecka must relive the darkness she left behind in Kiruna, delve into a sordid conspiracy of deceit, and confront a killer whose motives are dark, wrenching, and impossible to guess....
From the Hardcover edition.
Rebecka Martinsson is heading home to Kiruna, the town she’d left in disgrace years before. A Stockholm attorney, Rebecka has a good reason to return: her friend Sanna, whose brother has been horrifically murdered in the revivalist church his charisma helped create. Beautiful and fragile, Sanna needs someone like Rebecka to remove the shadow of guilt that is engulfing her, to forestall an ambitious prosecutor and a dogged policewoman. But to help her friend, and to find the real killer of a man she once adored and is now not sure she ever knew, Rebecka must relive the darkness she left behind in Kiruna, delve into a sordid conspiracy of deceit, and confront a killer whose motives are dark, wrenching, and impossible to guess....
From the Hardcover edition.
310 pages, Paperback
First published April 15, 2003
871 people are currently reading
21618 people want to read
About the author
Åsa Larsson
46 books1,083 followersÅsa Larsson is a Swedish crime-writer. Although born in Uppsala, she was raised in Kiruna in the far north. Prior to becoming a full-time writer, Larsson was a tax lawyer, a profession she shares with the heroine of her novels, Rebecka Martinsson.
Series:
* Rebecka Martinsson
Series:
* Rebecka Martinsson
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,426 reviews
July 24, 2012
I can't believe the high ratings. I am so disappointed by this. It's extremely bad written, and 80% of the book is just uninteresting. The ending was laughable at least. No one would believe that.
I absolutely hated all the characters with no exception. All of them were flat and unrealistic. And I dunno why they are swearing all the single time. I found them to be rude, unpolite, and disgusting.
Especially hated Rebecka and Sanna. Rebecka was extremely annoying as a main character. She doesn't have charisma or a good personality: she seems angry all the time and is pretty stupid and boring for being likeable.
Another thing that annoys me is that there is no investigation at all.
I don't care if the characters are playing with their dog one entire chapter or doing other boring actions that have no relation with the main mystery. So yeah, the whole book is all about random stuff the characters do, and at the very end, the "clever" Rebecka sees a connection and finds out who the murderer is. And with no investigation whatsoever. Like if someone would believe that.
I am done with this author.
I absolutely hated all the characters with no exception. All of them were flat and unrealistic. And I dunno why they are swearing all the single time. I found them to be rude, unpolite, and disgusting.
Especially hated Rebecka and Sanna. Rebecka was extremely annoying as a main character. She doesn't have charisma or a good personality: she seems angry all the time and is pretty stupid and boring for being likeable.
Another thing that annoys me is that there is no investigation at all.
I don't care if the characters are playing with their dog one entire chapter or doing other boring actions that have no relation with the main mystery. So yeah, the whole book is all about random stuff the characters do, and at the very end, the "clever" Rebecka sees a connection and finds out who the murderer is. And with no investigation whatsoever. Like if someone would believe that.
I am done with this author.
February 12, 2016
I needed to find a first-in-a-series book to read and had a hankering to read a crime novel. Having not previously read a Scandinavian crime book, I thought this was as good a time as any to give one a try. The thought of some astonishing landscape thrown into the mix appealed to me as well. I grabbed Sun Storm since it was readily available and I was happily entertained.
"The Aurora Borealis twists and turns like a dragon in the night sky. Stars and planets are compelled to give way to her, this great miracle of shimmering light, as she makes her unhurried way across the vault of heaven."
This stunning phenomenon endures even as the prominent evangelist Viktor Strandgard lays dying on the floor of his beloved church of The Source of All Our Strength set atop a hill in Kiruna, Sweden. Viktor Strandgard is eventually found dead by his sister, Sanna, who goes to the church following a bedside vision of her brother. Fearing for herself and her two daughters, Sanna contacts her old friend Rebecka Martinsson. A former member of this fundamentalist church, Rebecka is forced to face some stinging memories that she thought were finally behind her. As Sanna finds herself a possible suspect in Viktor's murder, Rebecka finds her role as a Stockholm tax attorney perhaps not quite suited to representing a "friend" with whom she has a very tenuous relationship at best. But Sanna is counting on their old bond and entrusts her case as well as the care of her young daughters to Rebecka.
Enter Anna-Maria and Sven-Erik, two investigators assigned to the case. I really liked Anna-Maria – pregnant, she has been placed on desk duty but still seems to be all too eager to get to the bottom of this case and away from her desk. She's one tough woman! Nothing seems to intimidate her, including the overly zealous band of hypocritical and evasive pastors of The Source of All Our Strength. Rebecka, too, must confront this group and does so with the strength of several years of animosity stemming from her history with the church and these leaders. I'm not quite certain of my feelings for Rebecka. I was definitely in her corner, but she was not always very likeable. Her caring for the little girls was commendable and her determination was admirable, but I couldn't always tolerate her personality. Perhaps she would grow on me in later installments of the series.
Overall, this was fast-paced, reasonably gruesome, and ultimately satisfying as a diversion from my usual form of reading. I have come to realize that I need to pick up a good mystery/crime novel from time to time. I enjoyed trying to guess whodunit and this book definitely kept me on my toes. It took me a decent amount of time to figure things out. The last part of the book, even if not completely believable, was tense and exciting! Throw in some fabulous scenes of the Aurora Borealis and the lonesomeness and desolation of the expansiveness of the snowy landscape and you have a respectable, solid start to this series. 3 stars.
"The Aurora Borealis twists and turns like a dragon in the night sky. Stars and planets are compelled to give way to her, this great miracle of shimmering light, as she makes her unhurried way across the vault of heaven."
This stunning phenomenon endures even as the prominent evangelist Viktor Strandgard lays dying on the floor of his beloved church of The Source of All Our Strength set atop a hill in Kiruna, Sweden. Viktor Strandgard is eventually found dead by his sister, Sanna, who goes to the church following a bedside vision of her brother. Fearing for herself and her two daughters, Sanna contacts her old friend Rebecka Martinsson. A former member of this fundamentalist church, Rebecka is forced to face some stinging memories that she thought were finally behind her. As Sanna finds herself a possible suspect in Viktor's murder, Rebecka finds her role as a Stockholm tax attorney perhaps not quite suited to representing a "friend" with whom she has a very tenuous relationship at best. But Sanna is counting on their old bond and entrusts her case as well as the care of her young daughters to Rebecka.
Enter Anna-Maria and Sven-Erik, two investigators assigned to the case. I really liked Anna-Maria – pregnant, she has been placed on desk duty but still seems to be all too eager to get to the bottom of this case and away from her desk. She's one tough woman! Nothing seems to intimidate her, including the overly zealous band of hypocritical and evasive pastors of The Source of All Our Strength. Rebecka, too, must confront this group and does so with the strength of several years of animosity stemming from her history with the church and these leaders. I'm not quite certain of my feelings for Rebecka. I was definitely in her corner, but she was not always very likeable. Her caring for the little girls was commendable and her determination was admirable, but I couldn't always tolerate her personality. Perhaps she would grow on me in later installments of the series.
Overall, this was fast-paced, reasonably gruesome, and ultimately satisfying as a diversion from my usual form of reading. I have come to realize that I need to pick up a good mystery/crime novel from time to time. I enjoyed trying to guess whodunit and this book definitely kept me on my toes. It took me a decent amount of time to figure things out. The last part of the book, even if not completely believable, was tense and exciting! Throw in some fabulous scenes of the Aurora Borealis and the lonesomeness and desolation of the expansiveness of the snowy landscape and you have a respectable, solid start to this series. 3 stars.
August 10, 2016
Απο την αρχη της ιστορίας αντιλαμβάνεσαι το ρόλο των εκκλησιαστικών θεσμών της κοινότητας αλλα ειναι αδιανόητο ποσο βαθειά χωμένοι και παγιδευμένοι μεσα σε μια ιστορια του παρελθόντος που επανέρχεται στο προσκήνιο με αφορμή έναν φόνο ειναι όλοι τελικά οι εξέχοντες κάτοικοι της κωμόπολης και ειδικά οι βαθειά θρησκευόμενοι.
Εγωιστές,εκμεταλλευτές,βολεμενοι,άξεστοι και επηρμενοι απολαμβάνουν κυρίως τα υλικά αγαθά που απορρέουν εκμεταλλευόμενοι την πίστη και την αφοσίωση των απλών ανθρώπων.
Μεταξύ τους επικρατεί η σάπια μυστικότητα, η μακάβρια ενοχή,η ασυνείδητη χειραγώγηση της μάζας ομως ειναι το μυστικό της επιτυχίας τους.μια δυστυχισμένη επιτυχία βασισμένη στην παράνοια τη χαμερπεια και το αίμα.
Ολα αυτα καλείται να τα ξεδιαλύνει σε γενικό επίπεδο η αστυνομικός της ιστορίας η Άννα -Μαρια Μελα με σύνεση και ευαισθησία αλλα σε ειδικό επίπεδο ολα τα κομμάτια του παζλ κολλάνε μονο με τη βοήθεια της Ρεμπέκα δικηγόρου απο Στοκχόλμη,ωστόσο φίλη του νεκρού και γνωστή - άγνωστη όλων των εμπλεκομένων στην υπόθεση αφού η κωμόπολη Κιρουνα στην οποία διαδραματίζονται ολα ειναι το μέρος που μεγάλωσε έζησε και πέρασε απο πολλές καταστάσεις πριν αναγκαστεί να φύγει.
Διαφθορά ψυχών, ηθικών αξιών, συμπλεγματικοι χαρακτηρες όλων των ψυχωτικων αποχρώσεων, άψογοι οικογενειάρχες,που κρύβουν τοξικές αρρώστιες και εθισμούς σε κάνουν να αμφιβάλλεις μέχρι την τελευταία στιγμή, γιατι ενω απο νωρίς μπορεις να καταλάβεις τον " ένοχο" ,ειναι πραγματικά δύσκολο να διανοηθείτε μεχρι που μπορεί να φτάσουν κάποιοι άνθρωποι με σκοπό την προσωπική τους απολαβή αξιών αξιωμάτων και
χρημάτων
Εγωιστές,εκμεταλλευτές,βολεμενοι,άξεστοι και επηρμενοι απολαμβάνουν κυρίως τα υλικά αγαθά που απορρέουν εκμεταλλευόμενοι την πίστη και την αφοσίωση των απλών ανθρώπων.
Μεταξύ τους επικρατεί η σάπια μυστικότητα, η μακάβρια ενοχή,η ασυνείδητη χειραγώγηση της μάζας ομως ειναι το μυστικό της επιτυχίας τους.μια δυστυχισμένη επιτυχία βασισμένη στην παράνοια τη χαμερπεια και το αίμα.
Ολα αυτα καλείται να τα ξεδιαλύνει σε γενικό επίπεδο η αστυνομικός της ιστορίας η Άννα -Μαρια Μελα με σύνεση και ευαισθησία αλλα σε ειδικό επίπεδο ολα τα κομμάτια του παζλ κολλάνε μονο με τη βοήθεια της Ρεμπέκα δικηγόρου απο Στοκχόλμη,ωστόσο φίλη του νεκρού και γνωστή - άγνωστη όλων των εμπλεκομένων στην υπόθεση αφού η κωμόπολη Κιρουνα στην οποία διαδραματίζονται ολα ειναι το μέρος που μεγάλωσε έζησε και πέρασε απο πολλές καταστάσεις πριν αναγκαστεί να φύγει.
Διαφθορά ψυχών, ηθικών αξιών, συμπλεγματικοι χαρακτηρες όλων των ψυχωτικων αποχρώσεων, άψογοι οικογενειάρχες,που κρύβουν τοξικές αρρώστιες και εθισμούς σε κάνουν να αμφιβάλλεις μέχρι την τελευταία στιγμή, γιατι ενω απο νωρίς μπορεις να καταλάβεις τον " ένοχο" ,ειναι πραγματικά δύσκολο να διανοηθείτε μεχρι που μπορεί να φτάσουν κάποιοι άνθρωποι με σκοπό την προσωπική τους απολαβή αξιών αξιωμάτων και
χρημάτων
January 30, 2009
I've been on a Scandinavian writers' kick since I read and fell hard for 'Out Stealing Horses,' by Per Petterson last August. After reading all three of Petterson's books, (reviewing so far only the first,) I turned to the genre which Nordic writers seem to dominate these days---the suspense novel. A recent trip to Iceland prompted me to pick up first 'Voices,' by Arnaldur Indridason, which I intend later to write about, but will just say for now that it is a subject on which I am emphatically tepid. Next, I turned to Stieg Larsson's 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,'which, with his 'Girl Who Played with Fire,' I praised highly here. Mari Jungstedts's three Anders Knutas thrillers came next---reviews to appear, but I've got to write them first, don't I?
I've just now finished Asa Larsson's 'The Sun Storm,' and felt it was just too good to push aside to write about at some later, maybe neverish, time.
Of course, YOU don't want to read about someone who's had his eyes gouged out (and that was the least of his worries), nor do you want to read about a pack of crazed Swedish fundamentalist Christians, but don't let that stop you from picking up this book. It was not the dream of my lifetime to read about those things, either. But the novel opens with a stunning description of the aurora borealis and works its way past the blood and gore to characters and a plot that gain in strength and lucidity and momentum to the extent that I couldn't put 'Sun Storm' down. This is Asa Larsson's first novel and it certainly isn't perfectly written. Its worst moments are better than many successful writers' best ones, though. If you want more info on the plot and things, you'll have to look elsewhere. I'll just say that in Rebecka Martinsson I found the best female protagonist I've encountered in a very long time. Larsson has a profound understanding of the human psyche and a powerful way of writing about it. It's not an easy book to read, but you've guessed that. Okay, but read it anyway. I've just ordered the sequel.
I've just now finished Asa Larsson's 'The Sun Storm,' and felt it was just too good to push aside to write about at some later, maybe neverish, time.
Of course, YOU don't want to read about someone who's had his eyes gouged out (and that was the least of his worries), nor do you want to read about a pack of crazed Swedish fundamentalist Christians, but don't let that stop you from picking up this book. It was not the dream of my lifetime to read about those things, either. But the novel opens with a stunning description of the aurora borealis and works its way past the blood and gore to characters and a plot that gain in strength and lucidity and momentum to the extent that I couldn't put 'Sun Storm' down. This is Asa Larsson's first novel and it certainly isn't perfectly written. Its worst moments are better than many successful writers' best ones, though. If you want more info on the plot and things, you'll have to look elsewhere. I'll just say that in Rebecka Martinsson I found the best female protagonist I've encountered in a very long time. Larsson has a profound understanding of the human psyche and a powerful way of writing about it. It's not an easy book to read, but you've guessed that. Okay, but read it anyway. I've just ordered the sequel.
October 28, 2022
This is the first in a series by the Swedish Noir writer Asa Larsson. It has good things to recommend it. I enjoyed the tax forensics, the story of evangelism in a small Swedish town (didn’t know such a thing existed there) and the general winter landscape. I also learned that gherkin sandwiches are not an unusual thing to eat for breakfast.
However Hmmmm. It SEEMS like a first novel and could have been easily improved by a competent editor. There are multiple small mistakes that leave you scratching your head. One of the two major characters is a petite and very pregnant take-charge policewoman (ripped directly from the movie Fargo). The other female character calls her “horse face.” Nice. That other character veers from inexplicable behavior to all out unlikeable. The ending is ridiculous.
To top it all off, the author has a character sadistically kill off an innocent little dog (thank God off stage). Astoundingly, the dog is barely mentioned again. The children don’t mention it and no one else is boo hooing either. If you google “book writing + don’t kill the dog” you will find dozens of entries with this basic advice—unless you are writing the new Old Yeller. Now that was a book I couldn’t stand!
However Hmmmm. It SEEMS like a first novel and could have been easily improved by a competent editor. There are multiple small mistakes that leave you scratching your head. One of the two major characters is a petite and very pregnant take-charge policewoman (ripped directly from the movie Fargo). The other female character calls her “horse face.” Nice. That other character veers from inexplicable behavior to all out unlikeable. The ending is ridiculous.
To top it all off, the author has a character sadistically kill off an innocent little dog (thank God off stage). Astoundingly, the dog is barely mentioned again. The children don’t mention it and no one else is boo hooing either. If you google “book writing + don’t kill the dog” you will find dozens of entries with this basic advice—unless you are writing the new Old Yeller. Now that was a book I couldn’t stand!
August 11, 2021
Un famoso predicador de una "nueva" y exitosa religión es hayado brutalmente asesinado en una alejada iglesia de Kiruna, Suecia. Su hermana Sanna encuentra el cadáver y se convierte en la única posible sospechosa. Rápidamente llama a Rebekah, una antigua amiga que huyó de la ciudad y de su unión con esta religión muchos años atrás. Ante la petición de su amiga, Rebekah se verá obligada a revivir todo su pasado, mientras trata de encontrar las claves que le ayuden a descubrir que ha ocurrido en el presente.
Si soy sincero, haciendo un repaso a posteriori, el misterio no es tan contundente como los amantes del género solemos esperar, pero aún así me ha encantando. No quiero decir que el misterio no sea interesante, o esté bien creado, si no que no hay muchos giros o golpes de efectos que te dejen asombrado. Pero aún así, la autora consigue mantenerte en vilo y enganchado durante toda la novela. Creo que esto ocurre por dos razones principales. La primera de la razones es la ambientación, esa Kiruna fria y helada, lugar de auroras boreales, donde la noche está muy presente. Con una ambientación tan bien creada y tan opuesta a donde vivo, la autora ha conseguido sumergirme totalmente en la historia.
La segunda razón ha sido esa crítica bastante evidente a la religión, y es que presenta una imagen de los altos cargos de las organizaciones religiosas bastante negativa, con constantes referencias al uso de la fe ciega de sus seguidores como negocio, vaya lo que viene siendo una secta. Una opinión que al encajar mucho con la mía, me hacía disfrutar bastante leyendo cada nueva información sobre los tejemanejes de los pastores.
Otra cosa que me ha encantado, que ha sido más una impresión que un obviedad, pero por su personaje principal, Rebekah, y otros personajes femeninos de la obra, es que le he visto cierto punto feminista a la autora. El machismo con el que se describía a la mayoría de los personajes masculinos, ayudaba a reforzar la teoría, y esta se me confirmó al leer la sinopsis del segundo libro, donde habla directamente de feminismo.
En definitiva un thriller que pese a no ser espectacular en su parte de suspense, sí que cumple con ella, pero que destaca más por su ambientación y por lo que cuenta. Pocas veces me ocurre que un thriller me guste más por lo que no es suspense, pero cuando ocurre, lo valoro muchísimo. Pienso leer esta serie policiaca bastante seguidita, porque a poco que mantenga el nivel de crítica y ambietación de esta primera, lo voy a flipar. Y si ya encima mejora la parte de tensión, no me quiero ni imaginar.
Si soy sincero, haciendo un repaso a posteriori, el misterio no es tan contundente como los amantes del género solemos esperar, pero aún así me ha encantando. No quiero decir que el misterio no sea interesante, o esté bien creado, si no que no hay muchos giros o golpes de efectos que te dejen asombrado. Pero aún así, la autora consigue mantenerte en vilo y enganchado durante toda la novela. Creo que esto ocurre por dos razones principales. La primera de la razones es la ambientación, esa Kiruna fria y helada, lugar de auroras boreales, donde la noche está muy presente. Con una ambientación tan bien creada y tan opuesta a donde vivo, la autora ha conseguido sumergirme totalmente en la historia.
La segunda razón ha sido esa crítica bastante evidente a la religión, y es que presenta una imagen de los altos cargos de las organizaciones religiosas bastante negativa, con constantes referencias al uso de la fe ciega de sus seguidores como negocio, vaya lo que viene siendo una secta. Una opinión que al encajar mucho con la mía, me hacía disfrutar bastante leyendo cada nueva información sobre los tejemanejes de los pastores.
Otra cosa que me ha encantado, que ha sido más una impresión que un obviedad, pero por su personaje principal, Rebekah, y otros personajes femeninos de la obra, es que le he visto cierto punto feminista a la autora. El machismo con el que se describía a la mayoría de los personajes masculinos, ayudaba a reforzar la teoría, y esta se me confirmó al leer la sinopsis del segundo libro, donde habla directamente de feminismo.
En definitiva un thriller que pese a no ser espectacular en su parte de suspense, sí que cumple con ella, pero que destaca más por su ambientación y por lo que cuenta. Pocas veces me ocurre que un thriller me guste más por lo que no es suspense, pero cuando ocurre, lo valoro muchísimo. Pienso leer esta serie policiaca bastante seguidita, porque a poco que mantenga el nivel de crítica y ambietación de esta primera, lo voy a flipar. Y si ya encima mejora la parte de tensión, no me quiero ni imaginar.
dnf
February 16, 2022What is it with Scandinavian writers and animal torture? The 3 Scandinavian novels I'd read before this one, by different authors, all featured animal torture or abuse — so when an absolutely adorable dog started accumulating page time here I went on full red alert. Stopped reading, started scanning reviews... Thankfully my paranoia enabled me to bail out BEFORE I got to the scene where the dog is tortured to death — and it's shown from the dog's POV. What the actual fuck. Some things are too loathsome to imagine; torturing animals or children falls into a category of things I never, ever want to read about. Åsa Larsson went on my Never Again list. Oh, and this book was the nail in the coffin for my venture into reading Scandinavian fiction as well. "Never again" to that, too.
June 9, 2018
Sun Storm by Asa Larsson, audiobook version.
A popular young priest is brutally murdered in his church in northern Sweden, and his sister who found the body is accused. Sanna Strandgord turns to her friend, attorney Rebecca Martinsson for help. Martinsson is a tax attorney and has no experience with high profile murder investigations. But Rebecca is smart and tough and goes to work.
To say this is a thriller would be putting it mildly. The characters are well developed and our heroine is admirable and will not be pushed around. The setting is Sweden in winter where there is bitter cold, constant snow and the aurora borealis is highly visible. Another key character is the church itself where Victor Strandgord was murdered. The other priests have built quite a business around the church and use “God’s Word” to justify graft, tax evasion and even murder.
I have enjoyed a number of Swedish authors and Asa Larsson has put together a terrific first novel. Highly recommended
A popular young priest is brutally murdered in his church in northern Sweden, and his sister who found the body is accused. Sanna Strandgord turns to her friend, attorney Rebecca Martinsson for help. Martinsson is a tax attorney and has no experience with high profile murder investigations. But Rebecca is smart and tough and goes to work.
To say this is a thriller would be putting it mildly. The characters are well developed and our heroine is admirable and will not be pushed around. The setting is Sweden in winter where there is bitter cold, constant snow and the aurora borealis is highly visible. Another key character is the church itself where Victor Strandgord was murdered. The other priests have built quite a business around the church and use “God’s Word” to justify graft, tax evasion and even murder.
I have enjoyed a number of Swedish authors and Asa Larsson has put together a terrific first novel. Highly recommended
October 5, 2018
Un libro que, desde hace meses, tenía muchas ganas de leer, y hoy lo termino muy decepcionada, no me gusto el final, no me gustó la historia, un libro predecible, que no me deja con ganas de leer otras cosas del autor.
June 19, 2024
Amo el nordic noir, adoro los paisajes gélidos (siempre tan idóneos para esconder los infaltables cadáveres) y, después de leer tantos y tantos, ya no es fácil que se me revuelvan las tripas. Tampoco que me resulten extraordinariamente sorprendentes aunque, a veces, todavía pasa. Este no fue el caso. El debut literario de Åsa Elena Larsson me resultó más bien cuesta arriba. Claro que hay un manejo convincente de las reglas de la novela negra y una multitud de personajes potencialmente interesantes, pero también hay un montón de disgregaciones que no cumplen ninguna función comprensible y una resolución que pudo haber sido un poco más sorprendente (¿No?) Sin embargo, vale la pena recordar que es el primer paso en una serie que le otorgó gran reconocimiento a Åsa en su país, así que ¿quién sabe? al vez me anime a leer algo más sobre la desmesurada pero valiente Rebecka Martinsson.
September 23, 2024
Strange enough, but somehow respecting the classic line of Nordic dark thrillers, the novel isn't the most pleasurable one: the atmosphere is more than gloomy, the characters are dark, the story is from our times but the customs are from the middle ages.
And yet you end by liking it.
Probably because the author has some talent, but also because, from what is told, she loves animals and children. So she gains at least one extra star...
And yet you end by liking it.
Probably because the author has some talent, but also because, from what is told, she loves animals and children. So she gains at least one extra star...
January 6, 2015
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 28, 2016
Iako se danas mnogi romani nazivaju "psihološkim trilerima", Sunčeva oluja je upravo jedan takav roman u punom smislu značenja tog naziva.
Radnja se, naravno, vrti oko istrage umorstva, ali je veliki dio priče posvećen psihološkoj karakterizaciji likova.
Ali, da prvo kažemo nekoliko riječi o zbivanjima u knjizi.
Odvjetnica Rebecka Martinson koja živi i radi u Stockholmu, na poziv svoje prijateljice iz djetinjstva, Sanne Strangarda, vraća se u Kirunu, mjesto na sjeveru Švedske u kojem je odrasla, a gdje je okrutno ubijen Sannin brat Viktor, karizmatični, vjerski vođa, poznatiji kao "Dječak iz raja".
Rebecka, iako nerado, vraća se u svoj rodni grad kako bi pomogla Sanni koja je, u međuvremenu, optužena za bratovo ubojstvo.
U Kiruni susreće i ostale osobe iz svoje prošlosti, te se, povremeno podsjeća na događaje koji su doveli do njezinog odlaska, a to nas interesira jednako kao i pitanje tko je ubojica jer je očito da se nešto ozbiljno odigralo u tim davnim danima među sudionicima današnje tragedije.
I tu dolazi do izražaja autoričino odlično psihološko opisivanje likova koji, svi do jednoga imaju nešto što ih vodi pa se tu izmjenjuju: pohlepa, korupcija, naivnost, religiozni zanos, slijepa poslušnost, mentalno oboljenje, osjećaj odgovornosti... Neki djeluju sami dok se neki udružuju zbog istog cilja.
Također je odlično opisano kako ljudi manipuliraju jedni drugima te kako sami sebi dopuštaju biti izmanipulirani.
Moram spomenuti i da su likovi su vrlo životni npr. inspektorica Anna- Marija Mella sudjeluje u istrazi u osmom mjesecu trudnoće i muče ju svi oni trudnički problemi sa kojima se žena susreće tijekom tog perioda. I sama Rebeca nije, možda, tipična, dobra i požrtvovana, heroina koje najčešće susrećemo; ona ima svoje frustracije, neki je ljudi nerviraju, ne libi se iznijeti svoje mišljenje i onda kada bi ga bilo bolje prešutjeti, svjesna je svojih pogrešaka i uvijek je spremna reći nekome u lice ono što ga spada.
Posebnu snagu ovoj priči daju mjesto i vrijeme radnje, a to je Kiruna, gradić na najsjevernijem djelu Švedske u doba najjače zime koje su u ovom djelu zemlje najhladnije i najmračnije. Zbog hladnoće i mraka koji su stalno prisutni pratitelji događanja imate osjećaj kao da se sve to odvija ne nekoj udaljenoj, ledenoj planeti.
To je užasna hladnoća: ledeni zrak štipa i grize obraze, ako se diše kroz usta, boli u grlu i plućima, ako se diše kroz nos, nosne dlačice lede se pri svakom udisaju; na pramenovima kose koji nisu ispod kape stvara se led pa zaleđeni vrhovi zveckaju.
A tu je i, mistična, Sunčeva oluja tj. polarna svjetlost koju susrećemo već na prvim stranicama kada ona prolazeći po nebu, kroz krovni prozor crkve, "promatra" unakaženog Viktora Strangarda kojeg život napušta na podu ispred oltara.
Sunčeva oluja rijetka je pojava koja, po nekim vjerovanjima, upućuje na katastrofu tako da je autorica odlično ukomponirala i naslov romana, a i opis polarne svjetlosti već na samom početku, paralelno sa ubojstvom. Ali, ona je i dalje sveprisutna u romanu, taj sjaj na noćnom nebu, ta velika "plamena" zavjesa pod okriljem koje se odigravaju svi događaji i slomovi opisani u romanu.
"Sunčeva oluja" prvi je roman Ase Larsson napisan 2003god. koji je odmah privukao čitalačku publiku duljem svijeta, a za koji je, te iste godine, dobila nagradu Akademije švedskih pisaca kriminalističkih romana za najbolju debitantsku knjigu. U Švedskoj je prema romanu snimljen i istoimeni film 2007.god.
Nakon Sunčeve oluje, Larsson je napisala još četiri romana u kojima je glavni lik Rebecka Martinson, od kojih su čak dva bila proglašena najboljim krimi romanom godine od strane Akademije švedskih pisaca, a ja se nadam da će neki od tih romana čim prije biti objavljen i kod nas jer, nakon ovakvog prvijenca, možemo samo zamisliti što nam još Asa Larsson ima za ponuditi!
Radnja se, naravno, vrti oko istrage umorstva, ali je veliki dio priče posvećen psihološkoj karakterizaciji likova.
Ali, da prvo kažemo nekoliko riječi o zbivanjima u knjizi.
Odvjetnica Rebecka Martinson koja živi i radi u Stockholmu, na poziv svoje prijateljice iz djetinjstva, Sanne Strangarda, vraća se u Kirunu, mjesto na sjeveru Švedske u kojem je odrasla, a gdje je okrutno ubijen Sannin brat Viktor, karizmatični, vjerski vođa, poznatiji kao "Dječak iz raja".
Rebecka, iako nerado, vraća se u svoj rodni grad kako bi pomogla Sanni koja je, u međuvremenu, optužena za bratovo ubojstvo.
U Kiruni susreće i ostale osobe iz svoje prošlosti, te se, povremeno podsjeća na događaje koji su doveli do njezinog odlaska, a to nas interesira jednako kao i pitanje tko je ubojica jer je očito da se nešto ozbiljno odigralo u tim davnim danima među sudionicima današnje tragedije.
I tu dolazi do izražaja autoričino odlično psihološko opisivanje likova koji, svi do jednoga imaju nešto što ih vodi pa se tu izmjenjuju: pohlepa, korupcija, naivnost, religiozni zanos, slijepa poslušnost, mentalno oboljenje, osjećaj odgovornosti... Neki djeluju sami dok se neki udružuju zbog istog cilja.
Također je odlično opisano kako ljudi manipuliraju jedni drugima te kako sami sebi dopuštaju biti izmanipulirani.
Moram spomenuti i da su likovi su vrlo životni npr. inspektorica Anna- Marija Mella sudjeluje u istrazi u osmom mjesecu trudnoće i muče ju svi oni trudnički problemi sa kojima se žena susreće tijekom tog perioda. I sama Rebeca nije, možda, tipična, dobra i požrtvovana, heroina koje najčešće susrećemo; ona ima svoje frustracije, neki je ljudi nerviraju, ne libi se iznijeti svoje mišljenje i onda kada bi ga bilo bolje prešutjeti, svjesna je svojih pogrešaka i uvijek je spremna reći nekome u lice ono što ga spada.
Posebnu snagu ovoj priči daju mjesto i vrijeme radnje, a to je Kiruna, gradić na najsjevernijem djelu Švedske u doba najjače zime koje su u ovom djelu zemlje najhladnije i najmračnije. Zbog hladnoće i mraka koji su stalno prisutni pratitelji događanja imate osjećaj kao da se sve to odvija ne nekoj udaljenoj, ledenoj planeti.
To je užasna hladnoća: ledeni zrak štipa i grize obraze, ako se diše kroz usta, boli u grlu i plućima, ako se diše kroz nos, nosne dlačice lede se pri svakom udisaju; na pramenovima kose koji nisu ispod kape stvara se led pa zaleđeni vrhovi zveckaju.
A tu je i, mistična, Sunčeva oluja tj. polarna svjetlost koju susrećemo već na prvim stranicama kada ona prolazeći po nebu, kroz krovni prozor crkve, "promatra" unakaženog Viktora Strangarda kojeg život napušta na podu ispred oltara.
Sunčeva oluja rijetka je pojava koja, po nekim vjerovanjima, upućuje na katastrofu tako da je autorica odlično ukomponirala i naslov romana, a i opis polarne svjetlosti već na samom početku, paralelno sa ubojstvom. Ali, ona je i dalje sveprisutna u romanu, taj sjaj na noćnom nebu, ta velika "plamena" zavjesa pod okriljem koje se odigravaju svi događaji i slomovi opisani u romanu.
"Sunčeva oluja" prvi je roman Ase Larsson napisan 2003god. koji je odmah privukao čitalačku publiku duljem svijeta, a za koji je, te iste godine, dobila nagradu Akademije švedskih pisaca kriminalističkih romana za najbolju debitantsku knjigu. U Švedskoj je prema romanu snimljen i istoimeni film 2007.god.
Nakon Sunčeve oluje, Larsson je napisala još četiri romana u kojima je glavni lik Rebecka Martinson, od kojih su čak dva bila proglašena najboljim krimi romanom godine od strane Akademije švedskih pisaca, a ja se nadam da će neki od tih romana čim prije biti objavljen i kod nas jer, nakon ovakvog prvijenca, možemo samo zamisliti što nam još Asa Larsson ima za ponuditi!
January 9, 2016
La primera entrega de la serie protagonizada por la abogada Rebecka Martinsson. Conoceremos al personaje, asistiremos al primer crimen de los muchos que tendrá que investigar a lo largo de toda la serie, y nos adentraremos en la mentalidad de una población de la Suecia rural, con un clima brutal, y unos habitantes que esconden más de lo que muestran a sus vecinos. Junto a la protagonista, conoceremos a la inspectora Anna-Maria Mella y a su compañero Sven-Erik, que tendrán que investigar el asesinato de un sacerdote en su propia iglesia. A partir de ahí se teje una interesante novela, en la que descubrimos por qué Rebecka es reacia a regresar a su tierra natal, ya que arrastra unos recuerdos de su pasado bastante desagradables. También se abordan temas de trasfondo social polémico, como son el tema de la religión y el del aborto.
Lo que más me ha gustado de la novela es la descripción, tanto de los paisajes como de las personas implicadas en la trama. Lo que no me termina de convencer es el personaje central, Rebecka, que no termina de estar bien perfilado, aunque en sucesivas entregas conoceremos más datos que nos ayudarán a comprenderla un poco mejor.
Los lectores más susceptibles tendrán que tener en cuenta que hay pasajes bastante escabrosos, nada agradables de leer si no te pillan en un buen momento. La propia protagonista ha sido víctima de alguno de esos pasajes, así que la lectura pude ser un poco desagradable para ellos.
Por último, destacar que la autora ganó algunos premios por su novela en su país natal, donde se convirtió instantáneamente en un best seller. La serie debe constar de seis libros, de los que cinco han sido ya publicados, aunque el último, “Sacrificio a Molek”, se publicó ya hace tres años.
Lo que más me ha gustado de la novela es la descripción, tanto de los paisajes como de las personas implicadas en la trama. Lo que no me termina de convencer es el personaje central, Rebecka, que no termina de estar bien perfilado, aunque en sucesivas entregas conoceremos más datos que nos ayudarán a comprenderla un poco mejor.
Los lectores más susceptibles tendrán que tener en cuenta que hay pasajes bastante escabrosos, nada agradables de leer si no te pillan en un buen momento. La propia protagonista ha sido víctima de alguno de esos pasajes, así que la lectura pude ser un poco desagradable para ellos.
Por último, destacar que la autora ganó algunos premios por su novela en su país natal, donde se convirtió instantáneamente en un best seller. La serie debe constar de seis libros, de los que cinco han sido ya publicados, aunque el último, “Sacrificio a Molek”, se publicó ya hace tres años.
October 15, 2019
A fairly standard Swedish mystery. Nothing more - nothing less.
November 25, 2021
2,5 / 5
Polisiye miydi şimdi bu 🤔
Polisiye miydi şimdi bu 🤔
January 14, 2025
Die Geschichte ist wahrscheinlich ganz in Ordnung für einen durchschnittlichen Thriller. Religiöser Fanatismus und Vergangenheitsbewältigung. Alles nichts neues auch die Figuren bieten sich nicht gerade an, länger im Kopf zu bleiben als unnötig. Es hätte also ein entspanntes Lesen ohne nennenswerte Höhepunkte werden können, was für mich völlig okay gewesen wäre.
Aber diese simple Schreibstil und die teils fürchterliche Übersetzung haben mir die Freude schon nach wenigen Seiten verdorben. Bei einem Debütroman frage ich mich da schon, ob es die Autorin nicht besser kann oder ist sie so versiert, dass sie das Stilmittel der kurzen Sätze, teilweise sogar nur einzelne Worte, bewusst einsetzt, um eine bestimmte Stimmung zu erzeugen. Ist ja auch egal, was sie will. Wichtig ist, was bei mir ankommt und das ist ein Buch, dass wesentlicher primitiver geschrieben ist als die Groschen- und Schundromane, die ich oft lese. Wenn schon langweilig und Schablonenhaft, denn wenigstens in schönen Worten.
Aber diese simple Schreibstil und die teils fürchterliche Übersetzung haben mir die Freude schon nach wenigen Seiten verdorben. Bei einem Debütroman frage ich mich da schon, ob es die Autorin nicht besser kann oder ist sie so versiert, dass sie das Stilmittel der kurzen Sätze, teilweise sogar nur einzelne Worte, bewusst einsetzt, um eine bestimmte Stimmung zu erzeugen. Ist ja auch egal, was sie will. Wichtig ist, was bei mir ankommt und das ist ein Buch, dass wesentlicher primitiver geschrieben ist als die Groschen- und Schundromane, die ich oft lese. Wenn schon langweilig und Schablonenhaft, denn wenigstens in schönen Worten.
June 11, 2017
3.5 stars
After encountering the feisty Rebecka Martinsson in the fifth outing of this series and enjoying it immensely, it is interesting to see how Åsa Larsson's writing has acquired a certain polish as this series has progressed. At times I felt like the narrative in this first outing was a little awkward, the character of Rebecka Martinsson still carving out a role and personality for herself, whilst also being faced with the unenviable task of returning to a childhood home that she was effectively cast out of a decade previously. Memories are raw for Rebecka and as Larsson ventures more deeply into Martinsson's claustrophobic home it isn't hard to see why her hackles are quickly raised and her outward demeanour is so prickly. At times the translation appears somewhat clunky and the narrative occasionally jarring, but all in all this is a highly competent debut which sees a tax lawyer in Stockholm break out of her predetermined role to return to a home town where she has plenty of unfinished business.
Protagonist Rebecka Martinsson, is a tax lawyer who has seen her hard work take her from the northernmost town in Sweden (Kiruna) to a career in prestigious Stockholm law firm, Meijer and Ditzinger. Working seventy-hours a week to bill for an average of forty-two, Rebecka is living the life of a corporate bunny with a stressful workload, limited social fulfilment and nights of broken sleep. The shocking news of the murder of a religious celebrity in Kiruna, however, takes Rebecka right back to her earlier years when his identity is disclosed as Viktor Strandgård, a man who she knew well, along with his sister, Sanna. Having lost touch with her former friends when she was effectively ostracised from the town, she has no intentions of returning home but a call from Sanna, who discovered Viktor's mutilated body and has been identified as prime suspect sees Rebecka returning north. Contrary to all her intentions, Rebecka risks her job and forces herself to face the legacy of a past and confront the demons that drove her from the town and left her reputation in tatters but she is less certain that she will be able to help Sanna.
A near death experience saw Viktor Strangård devote his life to God and instigate an impassioned Christian following in Kiruna, which involved unifying three separate churches. With a congregation of two-thousand, the combined entity, The Source of All Our Strength, is something of an institution that has secured the finances of its three full-time pastors, which the charismatic and manipulative Thomas Söderberg heads up. With the murder weapon and Viktor's bible found in the home of Sanna amounting to circumstantial evidence only, Rebecka is left to focusing on a possible motive and who might have framed Sanna for the murder. A close-lipped community makes things even tougher but threatening to expose some financial scandals proves fortuitous as the truth comes into sight. Admittedly there is little opportunity to see Rebecka do more than prying into tax/financial accounts and ruffling a few feathers. Sanna swings between truculent slights and silence and makes it difficult to believe a former close friendship ever existed between her and Rebecka. Given that Rebecka's specialism is in tax law her investigations are very intuitive and it proves easy to follow her logic. Taking on responsibility for Sanna's two daughters, Sara (11) and Lova (4) and keeping them out of the clutches of Sanna's domineering father, Olof Strandgärd, sees Rebecka return to her grandmothers remote home in Kurravarra and cabin in Jiekajärvi and forced to rely on her grandmothers elderly neighbour, Sivving.
Investigating Inspector Anna-Maria Mella is heavily pregnant with her fourth child and her second in command, Sven-Erik Stålnacke officially takes the reins but is somewhat overawed by the press interest and defers to Mella. Inspector Fred Olsson and eager younger Sergeant Tommy Rantakyrö assist but it is jumped up Assistant Chief Prosector Carl von Post (aka von Pisspot) who sees this an opportunity to overturn his lowly outposting and get his talents recognised. Rebecka cooperates with Inspector Anna-Maria Mella who are both united in believing that Prosector Carl von Post is blinkered in his determination for a open and shut case and failing to see past Sanna as the guilty party. Much of this story felt very familiar but I think this was due to my reading in quick succession with another case which focused on a religious sect (The Inspector and Silence by Håkan Nesser).
The unique setting and feel of an insular community is well conveyed but if there is one thing lacking it in interaction between characters which struggles to appear natural at times. Skipping to the fifth instalment, shows the considerable improvement in Larsson's writing but this relatively straightforward investigation with very few distractions works as an excellent introduction to the characters. Larsson leaves readers to piece together the fallout from the crime and impact on life in Kiruna but does hint at a future romance for Rebecka with her quick to inflame boss, Mäns Wenngren.
After encountering the feisty Rebecka Martinsson in the fifth outing of this series and enjoying it immensely, it is interesting to see how Åsa Larsson's writing has acquired a certain polish as this series has progressed. At times I felt like the narrative in this first outing was a little awkward, the character of Rebecka Martinsson still carving out a role and personality for herself, whilst also being faced with the unenviable task of returning to a childhood home that she was effectively cast out of a decade previously. Memories are raw for Rebecka and as Larsson ventures more deeply into Martinsson's claustrophobic home it isn't hard to see why her hackles are quickly raised and her outward demeanour is so prickly. At times the translation appears somewhat clunky and the narrative occasionally jarring, but all in all this is a highly competent debut which sees a tax lawyer in Stockholm break out of her predetermined role to return to a home town where she has plenty of unfinished business.
Protagonist Rebecka Martinsson, is a tax lawyer who has seen her hard work take her from the northernmost town in Sweden (Kiruna) to a career in prestigious Stockholm law firm, Meijer and Ditzinger. Working seventy-hours a week to bill for an average of forty-two, Rebecka is living the life of a corporate bunny with a stressful workload, limited social fulfilment and nights of broken sleep. The shocking news of the murder of a religious celebrity in Kiruna, however, takes Rebecka right back to her earlier years when his identity is disclosed as Viktor Strandgård, a man who she knew well, along with his sister, Sanna. Having lost touch with her former friends when she was effectively ostracised from the town, she has no intentions of returning home but a call from Sanna, who discovered Viktor's mutilated body and has been identified as prime suspect sees Rebecka returning north. Contrary to all her intentions, Rebecka risks her job and forces herself to face the legacy of a past and confront the demons that drove her from the town and left her reputation in tatters but she is less certain that she will be able to help Sanna.
A near death experience saw Viktor Strangård devote his life to God and instigate an impassioned Christian following in Kiruna, which involved unifying three separate churches. With a congregation of two-thousand, the combined entity, The Source of All Our Strength, is something of an institution that has secured the finances of its three full-time pastors, which the charismatic and manipulative Thomas Söderberg heads up. With the murder weapon and Viktor's bible found in the home of Sanna amounting to circumstantial evidence only, Rebecka is left to focusing on a possible motive and who might have framed Sanna for the murder. A close-lipped community makes things even tougher but threatening to expose some financial scandals proves fortuitous as the truth comes into sight. Admittedly there is little opportunity to see Rebecka do more than prying into tax/financial accounts and ruffling a few feathers. Sanna swings between truculent slights and silence and makes it difficult to believe a former close friendship ever existed between her and Rebecka. Given that Rebecka's specialism is in tax law her investigations are very intuitive and it proves easy to follow her logic. Taking on responsibility for Sanna's two daughters, Sara (11) and Lova (4) and keeping them out of the clutches of Sanna's domineering father, Olof Strandgärd, sees Rebecka return to her grandmothers remote home in Kurravarra and cabin in Jiekajärvi and forced to rely on her grandmothers elderly neighbour, Sivving.
Investigating Inspector Anna-Maria Mella is heavily pregnant with her fourth child and her second in command, Sven-Erik Stålnacke officially takes the reins but is somewhat overawed by the press interest and defers to Mella. Inspector Fred Olsson and eager younger Sergeant Tommy Rantakyrö assist but it is jumped up Assistant Chief Prosector Carl von Post (aka von Pisspot) who sees this an opportunity to overturn his lowly outposting and get his talents recognised. Rebecka cooperates with Inspector Anna-Maria Mella who are both united in believing that Prosector Carl von Post is blinkered in his determination for a open and shut case and failing to see past Sanna as the guilty party. Much of this story felt very familiar but I think this was due to my reading in quick succession with another case which focused on a religious sect (The Inspector and Silence by Håkan Nesser).
The unique setting and feel of an insular community is well conveyed but if there is one thing lacking it in interaction between characters which struggles to appear natural at times. Skipping to the fifth instalment, shows the considerable improvement in Larsson's writing but this relatively straightforward investigation with very few distractions works as an excellent introduction to the characters. Larsson leaves readers to piece together the fallout from the crime and impact on life in Kiruna but does hint at a future romance for Rebecka with her quick to inflame boss, Mäns Wenngren.
March 26, 2014
Dark as the usual Scandinavian, but somehow this one has superior characterizations to more than equal the gritty. This new author is starting well with Sven-Erik, Rebecka, and Anna-Maria. Northern Sweden and the aurora borealis dance and flicker throughout. Yes, the characters are all considerably flawed and some not at all likeable. Not a cozy.
March 13, 2016
There probably is a bit too much exposition. But if you can't remember when you last got more than about 5 hours sleep, that is, frankly, absolutely fine. You'd miss anything more subtle. Unless, possibly, you're the ghost of Maggie Thatcher.
Can't put my finger on why, but I found this a little more clumsy and infodumping than Anne Holt. This one, in fairness, is a first novel and I've only read Holt's later books.
The crime is a typically bizarre and fantastical event - the murder and dismemberment of a beautiful man who was the figurehead of a cultish evangelical-type church in the far north of Sweden. (The first chapter tells us that he was unconscious or dead before the really gory stuff happened, which makes it somewhat less horrible. There also isn't a huge amount of detail about the mutilation and we hear about how hideous it is more via living characters' reactions than through descriptions of the corpse.)
It's common for murder mysteries to have a female victim who's portrayed as alluring; this is the first time I can recall one featuring a man who's considered hot by one or more characters (also inaccessible and ethereal due to his religious asceticism). Making it even more of a role reversal, he was once romantically rejected by the central detective characters, Stockholm lawyer Rebecka Martinsson, when they were both small-town teenagers.
One of the main reasons I'm reading these things, aside from the armchair tourism, is for the normal-working-life aspect of the investigators and supporting characters, it's mostly about work rather than the endless cooking and ruminating scenes that populate the mundane side of litfic, and seem somehow less realistic in terms of what takes up the headspace of someone who actually has a job. Thrillers and crime fiction are mostly about people doing stuff, literary fiction about thinking. (Sometimes you want a break from all that second-hand thinking.)
Some aspects of the investigators' private lives may be a little soapy, but there is something normal about them - in massive contrast to the crimes. That aspect I'm less keen on - though at least their removal from reality must make them less threatening to many readers. Whilst physically possible, they seem not a great deal more realistic than wizards and ghosts - something I hadn't quite realised before this year, not having read much crime fiction in book form since my teens, and which I'm surprised isn't pointed out more often. The action-thriller denouement of The Savage Altar was great fun - however I have a lot of respect for the storylines featuring grubby regional news kind of crimes in the Danish series Unit One; I also like social realism in an easily readable form alongside vicarious travel.
It's understandable that some reviewers don't much like Rebecka: she snaps at people frequently, she's irritable about 70% of the time, spends another 10% strongarming situations her way by quoting legislation, and if someone wants to compliment her, they call her 'fierce'. But "nice cop" DI Anna-Maria Mella is also there as a balancing force in the narrative. (It's interesting to have two parallel investigations going on where the author doesn't favour one character over the other, this is no Holmes v LeStrade setup although Martinsson doesn't see it that way.) Like Sarah Lund, Martinsson reminds me of my mother as I saw her when I was a kid, not in a way that's weird or uncomfortable, but enough that on a deep level she strikes me as unusually realistic because of a primal sense that "that's what grownups are really like", especially as regards work and dealing with people in public. Though of course, a lot of them aren't.
Four stars because I enjoyed its cheesy B-movie imperfections and excellent showdown. Having ended up with three of this series unread - 2 & 3 on special offer, got 1 to start in the right place - I'm really looking forward to reading about Martinsson and Mella again (which is more than I could say for Anne Holt's Johanne Vik, whose series I started in the same way). I suspected that I'd find the sort of female characters I wanted to hear about in crime novels more than I did in litfic - where the emphasis is on what they're doing, not a set of ideas about Being A Woman that I'm expected to relate to but don't - and here I was right.
And four stars proudly because I don't want to modify based on 'perceived quality' in a nod to snobbery. Optional rant under spoiler tag.
Can't put my finger on why, but I found this a little more clumsy and infodumping than Anne Holt. This one, in fairness, is a first novel and I've only read Holt's later books.
The crime is a typically bizarre and fantastical event - the murder and dismemberment of a beautiful man who was the figurehead of a cultish evangelical-type church in the far north of Sweden. (The first chapter tells us that he was unconscious or dead before the really gory stuff happened, which makes it somewhat less horrible. There also isn't a huge amount of detail about the mutilation and we hear about how hideous it is more via living characters' reactions than through descriptions of the corpse.)
It's common for murder mysteries to have a female victim who's portrayed as alluring; this is the first time I can recall one featuring a man who's considered hot by one or more characters (also inaccessible and ethereal due to his religious asceticism). Making it even more of a role reversal, he was once romantically rejected by the central detective characters, Stockholm lawyer Rebecka Martinsson, when they were both small-town teenagers.
One of the main reasons I'm reading these things, aside from the armchair tourism, is for the normal-working-life aspect of the investigators and supporting characters, it's mostly about work rather than the endless cooking and ruminating scenes that populate the mundane side of litfic, and seem somehow less realistic in terms of what takes up the headspace of someone who actually has a job. Thrillers and crime fiction are mostly about people doing stuff, literary fiction about thinking. (Sometimes you want a break from all that second-hand thinking.)
Some aspects of the investigators' private lives may be a little soapy, but there is something normal about them - in massive contrast to the crimes. That aspect I'm less keen on - though at least their removal from reality must make them less threatening to many readers. Whilst physically possible, they seem not a great deal more realistic than wizards and ghosts - something I hadn't quite realised before this year, not having read much crime fiction in book form since my teens, and which I'm surprised isn't pointed out more often. The action-thriller denouement of The Savage Altar was great fun - however I have a lot of respect for the storylines featuring grubby regional news kind of crimes in the Danish series Unit One; I also like social realism in an easily readable form alongside vicarious travel.
It's understandable that some reviewers don't much like Rebecka: she snaps at people frequently, she's irritable about 70% of the time, spends another 10% strongarming situations her way by quoting legislation, and if someone wants to compliment her, they call her 'fierce'. But "nice cop" DI Anna-Maria Mella is also there as a balancing force in the narrative. (It's interesting to have two parallel investigations going on where the author doesn't favour one character over the other, this is no Holmes v LeStrade setup although Martinsson doesn't see it that way.) Like Sarah Lund, Martinsson reminds me of my mother as I saw her when I was a kid, not in a way that's weird or uncomfortable, but enough that on a deep level she strikes me as unusually realistic because of a primal sense that "that's what grownups are really like", especially as regards work and dealing with people in public. Though of course, a lot of them aren't.
Four stars because I enjoyed its cheesy B-movie imperfections and excellent showdown. Having ended up with three of this series unread - 2 & 3 on special offer, got 1 to start in the right place - I'm really looking forward to reading about Martinsson and Mella again (which is more than I could say for Anne Holt's Johanne Vik, whose series I started in the same way). I suspected that I'd find the sort of female characters I wanted to hear about in crime novels more than I did in litfic - where the emphasis is on what they're doing, not a set of ideas about Being A Woman that I'm expected to relate to but don't - and here I was right.
And four stars proudly because I don't want to modify based on 'perceived quality' in a nod to snobbery. Optional rant under spoiler tag.
February 27, 2011
Reading Swedish crime fiction makes me wonder: is Sweden really so full of murder and evilness? Or do the dark, cold winter days and nights encourage sinister novels focused on the dark area of the human psyche?
Sun Storm, winner of Sweden’s Best First Crime Novel Award, deals with religion, hypocrisy, abuse, mental illness, and perhaps redemption over the course of the story. It’s setting of Kiruna, the northernmost city in Sweden, is important. Its remoteness and isolation are integral to the story.
The story starts off when charismatic religious figure Viktor Strandgard is brutally murdered in the revivalist church he created, The Source of All Our Strength. Rebecca Martinsson returns to Kiruna, her hometown, to support Viktor’s sister. The reader slowly learns Rebecca’s past as she unravels the truth and protects Sanna’s children from multiple forms of evil. Pregnant inspector Anna-Maria, her counterpart Sven-Erik, and a blow-hard Assistant Chief Prosecutor round out the cast.
Fans of Henning Mankell or Stieg Larsson’s The Millennium Trilogy will appreciate Sun Storm.
Sun Storm, winner of Sweden’s Best First Crime Novel Award, deals with religion, hypocrisy, abuse, mental illness, and perhaps redemption over the course of the story. It’s setting of Kiruna, the northernmost city in Sweden, is important. Its remoteness and isolation are integral to the story.
The story starts off when charismatic religious figure Viktor Strandgard is brutally murdered in the revivalist church he created, The Source of All Our Strength. Rebecca Martinsson returns to Kiruna, her hometown, to support Viktor’s sister. The reader slowly learns Rebecca’s past as she unravels the truth and protects Sanna’s children from multiple forms of evil. Pregnant inspector Anna-Maria, her counterpart Sven-Erik, and a blow-hard Assistant Chief Prosecutor round out the cast.
Fans of Henning Mankell or Stieg Larsson’s The Millennium Trilogy will appreciate Sun Storm.
October 16, 2019
He cogido esta lectura con muchas ganas, tenía ganas de leer algo de ella y por fin le llegó el turno 😂
Ambientada en Kiruna, se nos relata una historia en la que priman los secretos y el control que ejerce la iglesia en las personas, en como se las convence de algo que en realidad no es (como una secta). Está narrada en presente, dentro de los capítulos se narran en pasado vivencias de la protagonista que haces que entiendas muchas cosas del presente.
El final tuvo una parte que no me esperaba, no sospechaba de ese detalle. Aunque me he quedado con ganas de saber que pasa con la protagonista, lo que sucedió, las niñas, la madre....imagino que en las siguientes entregas se relatarán algunas cosas para poder cerrar la historia.
Si hay algo bueno que tiene Suecia, son sus escritores, libro de autor/a sueco que leo libro que me encanta!! 😍
Toootalmente recomendado, seguiré con los siguientes
Ambientada en Kiruna, se nos relata una historia en la que priman los secretos y el control que ejerce la iglesia en las personas, en como se las convence de algo que en realidad no es (como una secta). Está narrada en presente, dentro de los capítulos se narran en pasado vivencias de la protagonista que haces que entiendas muchas cosas del presente.
El final tuvo una parte que no me esperaba, no sospechaba de ese detalle. Aunque me he quedado con ganas de saber que pasa con la protagonista, lo que sucedió, las niñas, la madre....imagino que en las siguientes entregas se relatarán algunas cosas para poder cerrar la historia.
Si hay algo bueno que tiene Suecia, son sus escritores, libro de autor/a sueco que leo libro que me encanta!! 😍
Toootalmente recomendado, seguiré con los siguientes
August 9, 2012
After the boom that was Stieg Larsson's trilogy, several Nordic authors began to gain knowledge in the international literary world. Åsa Larsson came in their midst, and with the good fortune to have the same surname as the master, compared with it in style and story. Good luck, I say, because if I knew how it was that book wouldn’t even started it.
The main character is Rebecka Martinsson, a tax attorney from a firm in Stockholm. And by that I mean: an annoying girl who always seems to be a little irritated, without charisma and that doesn’t win the heart of the reader. Nothing of her personality or her past contribute to make us like her, or cheer for her deeds. I need to compare her to Lisbeth Salander, the anti-heroine of the Millennium trilogy, which unlike Rebecka, makes us like her with her unusual personality.
After hearing about the brutal murder of Viktor Strandgärd, Rebecka goes back to her hometown, in a silent request from Viktor’s sister and her old friend, Sanna. She is psychologically shaken by the death of her brother, so much she can barely take care of her two daughters. Sanna's character can be the better characterized character in the entire book, but her attitudes and her personality almost make us want to tear the pages off and set if on fire. Some scenes are even ridiculous, as much as for the things that Sanna says or does as for the reactions of other characters to it.
“Nice outfit,” sniggered Sanna. “It’s good to see you’ve adapted to the classic look up here so quickly.”
“Still,” she sighed when Rebecka didn’t respond, “it’s lucky for the rest of us that most men like a girl with something to get hold of. Although of course I think it’s really attractive to be flat-chested like you.”
Seriously? I wanted to tear my eyes off, and was still only the beginning of the book.
Then, about a third of the book, I begin to wonder: where's the police investigation? That's what the book said it was, wasn’t? Big mistake. If there was some research in this book, it must have been lost in translation, because I found nothing that could compare to a real investigation story. There are some inspectors, officers and a prosecutor, but the only thing they did was put Sanna as one of the crime suspects.
And that is how Rebecka see herself as Sanna’s lawyer, having to defend her and bear her sentimental instability. Because of her profession, she also decides to investigate the finances of the church that had been created by Viktor, and from which almost the whole city was adept. But here too, "investigate" is the wrong term. Rebecka seems to simply guess that there is something rotten in the city and again simply deduce correctly what it is. Research for what, right?
But if you think that at least this weak and poorly structured plot is permeated by some good scenes and some action ... Forget it. The course of the book is just so boring to the point of the author spends a chapter talking about the character playing with the dog in the snow. I read a chapter and had no desire to read the next, simply because nothing significant happened to keep me interested in the book.
Maybe I found the book a waste of time partly because I started reading thinking it was a kind of plot and it was totally different from what I wanted, but I believe the fault is also by the author. Some times, when there are animals or children, for example, the story changes completely and looks like a children's book, with attitudes that I can’t see an adult doing, or even an animal (also quite childish). Attitudes and actions of the characters that, to me, didn’t look very real, justified or logical ... And so on. I think that not even as a psychological thriller this is a good book, because it’s more like a bunched of moments with no relevance with some scattered memories of Rebecka’s past. The story unfolds very slowly, and only in the last 40 pages we can find something you may call "action." Still, there wasn’t a good ending, but too quick, dull, almost laughable.
Definitely I have no intention of reading other books by the author, and not even ending this series.
The main character is Rebecka Martinsson, a tax attorney from a firm in Stockholm. And by that I mean: an annoying girl who always seems to be a little irritated, without charisma and that doesn’t win the heart of the reader. Nothing of her personality or her past contribute to make us like her, or cheer for her deeds. I need to compare her to Lisbeth Salander, the anti-heroine of the Millennium trilogy, which unlike Rebecka, makes us like her with her unusual personality.
After hearing about the brutal murder of Viktor Strandgärd, Rebecka goes back to her hometown, in a silent request from Viktor’s sister and her old friend, Sanna. She is psychologically shaken by the death of her brother, so much she can barely take care of her two daughters. Sanna's character can be the better characterized character in the entire book, but her attitudes and her personality almost make us want to tear the pages off and set if on fire. Some scenes are even ridiculous, as much as for the things that Sanna says or does as for the reactions of other characters to it.
“Nice outfit,” sniggered Sanna. “It’s good to see you’ve adapted to the classic look up here so quickly.”
“Still,” she sighed when Rebecka didn’t respond, “it’s lucky for the rest of us that most men like a girl with something to get hold of. Although of course I think it’s really attractive to be flat-chested like you.”
Seriously? I wanted to tear my eyes off, and was still only the beginning of the book.
Then, about a third of the book, I begin to wonder: where's the police investigation? That's what the book said it was, wasn’t? Big mistake. If there was some research in this book, it must have been lost in translation, because I found nothing that could compare to a real investigation story. There are some inspectors, officers and a prosecutor, but the only thing they did was put Sanna as one of the crime suspects.
And that is how Rebecka see herself as Sanna’s lawyer, having to defend her and bear her sentimental instability. Because of her profession, she also decides to investigate the finances of the church that had been created by Viktor, and from which almost the whole city was adept. But here too, "investigate" is the wrong term. Rebecka seems to simply guess that there is something rotten in the city and again simply deduce correctly what it is. Research for what, right?
But if you think that at least this weak and poorly structured plot is permeated by some good scenes and some action ... Forget it. The course of the book is just so boring to the point of the author spends a chapter talking about the character playing with the dog in the snow. I read a chapter and had no desire to read the next, simply because nothing significant happened to keep me interested in the book.
Maybe I found the book a waste of time partly because I started reading thinking it was a kind of plot and it was totally different from what I wanted, but I believe the fault is also by the author. Some times, when there are animals or children, for example, the story changes completely and looks like a children's book, with attitudes that I can’t see an adult doing, or even an animal (also quite childish). Attitudes and actions of the characters that, to me, didn’t look very real, justified or logical ... And so on. I think that not even as a psychological thriller this is a good book, because it’s more like a bunched of moments with no relevance with some scattered memories of Rebecka’s past. The story unfolds very slowly, and only in the last 40 pages we can find something you may call "action." Still, there wasn’t a good ending, but too quick, dull, almost laughable.
Definitely I have no intention of reading other books by the author, and not even ending this series.
July 16, 2012
What is it with these Nordic writers? I've read Steig Larsson's 'Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Jussi Adler-Olsen's 'The Keeper of Lost Causes,' and now, 'Sun Storm,' by Asa Larsson. They really have quite a flair for building a suspenseful story with characters who are intriguing, flawed, and intensely credible. Although, I haven't felt compelled to pick up the sequels to 'Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,' I enjoyed Steig Larsson's style of writing. 'The Keeper of Lost Causes,' and 'Sun Storm,' have been, for me, more enjoyable. However, 'Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,' was my first venture into crime and suspense novels by Nordic authors, so perhaps it was the one on which 'I cut my teeth.' When 'Sun Storm,' opens up, I'm swept up in the 5 star literary movement of Asa Larsson's beautiful language. The first line, "When Viktor Strandgard dies it is not, in fact, for the first time," invokes weighty mysteries. As Viktor lies dying in the Crystal Church, he contemplates the Aurora Borealis through the roof's windows. "And as if his thoughts have touched her, she (the Aurora Borealis) stops for a second. Breaks her endless journey. Contemplates VViktor Strandgard with her cold winter eyes. Because he is as beautiful as an icon lying there, to tell the truth, with the dark blood like a halo round his long, fair, St. Lucia hair. He can't feel his legs anymore. He is getting drowsy. There is no pain." The language catches me up like music, a beautiful heartrending melody of prose poetry. Asa Larsson's protagonist, Rebecka Martinsson, is a tax lawyer, as was Asa Larsson in a former life. Rebecka is called upon by Sanna Strandgard, Viktor's sister to come and help Sanna with the situation. So Rebecka leaves her job in Stockholm to travel to Kiruna, her childhood home, to aid an old friend. Pregnant Inspector Anna-Maria Mella, and her colleague, Sven-Erik Stalnacke, probe the details of the crime. Populating the story also, are the three pastors of 'The source of All Our Strength' church and their wives, and Sanna's children, Sara and Lova. Asa Larsson animates the story greatly with these secondary characters. The climate of Kiruna, as the northern most city in Sweden, also becomes a character in the story. By describing their clothing, the snow, the cabins, and how they travel on sledges, the reader becomes seeped in the setting. Here's an example of Asa Larsson's narrative style as she describes the landscape. "As a child she had often traveled the whole way from Kiruna down to the village on her kick sledge. It was a happy memory. Especially in the late winter when the road was covered with a wonderful layer of thick, shining ice, and nobody spoiled it with sand, salt, or grit. The moon lit up the snow-covered forest around her. The snowdrifts along the sides of the road formed a frame." Beautiful. This book has moments of profound greatness and beauty, and rates a 4.5. One critique of the story is that they're too many characters and that it's difficult to remember who's who because the names are so different. At the beginning of the story, when the characters are introduced, it is more challenging, but as the reader settles into the story, the extra work required to remember who Thomas, Vesa, Gunnar, Sven-Erik, and other Nordic characters are is well rewarded.
October 26, 2015
Λίγες φορές έχω προβληματιστεί τόσο για τη βαθμολογία ενός αστυνομικού βιβλίου..Συνήθως οι επιλογές και το ένστικτό μου δε με απογοητεύουν στο συγκεκριμένο είδος..Εδώ μπορώ να πω πως συνάντησα την εξαίρεση του κανόνα.
Έχω ακούσει πολλά καλά λόγια για την Asa Larsson και περίμενα πώς και πώς να διαβάσω κάποιο βιβλίο της..Σίγουρα το συγκεκριμένο αποδείχτηκε πολύ κατώτερο των προσδοκιών μου..Εκνευριστικοί χαρακτήρες - ειδικά οι 2 ηρωίδες,πρόχειρα σκιαγραφημένοι,χωρίς βάθος,αρκετά ερωτηματικά στη ροή της υπόθεσης,καθόλου αγωνία..Δεν μπόρεσα όχι απλά να ταυτιστώ με την ηρωίδα,ούτε και με κανέναν άλλον εκεί μέσα,αλλά ούτε καν να διαμορφώσω συναίσθημα.Δεν υπήρχε κάποιος να σε προκαλέσει ρε παιδί μου,να σε κάνει να αναστενάξεις,να χαμογελάσεις,να εκνευριστείς,να αγανακτήσεις...Όλο το βιβλίο ήταν απλά μια επίπεδη αφήγηση,χωρίς κορυφώσεις,χωρίς αγωνία,χωρίς ένταση,χωρίς focus στα συναισθήματα και το χαρακτήρα των ηρώων.Ακόμα και το περιβάλλον,που τόσο αγαπώ,μου φαινόταν ξένο - μάλλον επειδή η ιστορία διαδραματίζεται στα βόρεια της χώρας,με το βαρύ χειμώνα και τις διαφορετικές συνήθειες.
Δε ξέρω αν φταίει που είναι το πρώτο της και ίσως δεν έχει βρει ακόμα τη φόρμα και τα πατήματα που χρειάζονται..ΑΥΤΟ το βιβλίο όμως,έτσι όπως είναι γραμμένο,για μένα προσωπικά δεν αξίζει πάνω από 2 αστεράκια..Μόνο και μόνο για το είδος και για το σκηνικό,τον αγαπημένο μου Σκανδιναβικό χειμώνα.
Έχω ακούσει πολλά καλά λόγια για την Asa Larsson και περίμενα πώς και πώς να διαβάσω κάποιο βιβλίο της..Σίγουρα το συγκεκριμένο αποδείχτηκε πολύ κατώτερο των προσδοκιών μου..Εκνευριστικοί χαρακτήρες - ειδικά οι 2 ηρωίδες,πρόχειρα σκιαγραφημένοι,χωρίς βάθος,αρκετά ερωτηματικά στη ροή της υπόθεσης,καθόλου αγωνία..Δεν μπόρεσα όχι απλά να ταυτιστώ με την ηρωίδα,ούτε και με κανέναν άλλον εκεί μέσα,αλλά ούτε καν να διαμορφώσω συναίσθημα.Δεν υπήρχε κάποιος να σε προκαλέσει ρε παιδί μου,να σε κάνει να αναστενάξεις,να χαμογελάσεις,να εκνευριστείς,να αγανακτήσεις...Όλο το βιβλίο ήταν απλά μια επίπεδη αφήγηση,χωρίς κορυφώσεις,χωρίς αγωνία,χωρίς ένταση,χωρίς focus στα συναισθήματα και το χαρακτήρα των ηρώων.Ακόμα και το περιβάλλον,που τόσο αγαπώ,μου φαινόταν ξένο - μάλλον επειδή η ιστορία διαδραματίζεται στα βόρεια της χώρας,με το βαρύ χειμώνα και τις διαφορετικές συνήθειες.
Δε ξέρω αν φταίει που είναι το πρώτο της και ίσως δεν έχει βρει ακόμα τη φόρμα και τα πατήματα που χρειάζονται..ΑΥΤΟ το βιβλίο όμως,έτσι όπως είναι γραμμένο,για μένα προσωπικά δεν αξίζει πάνω από 2 αστεράκια..Μόνο και μόνο για το είδος και για το σκηνικό,τον αγαπημένο μου Σκανδιναβικό χειμώνα.
July 14, 2010
I had to return this to the library once because I had checked it out for so long. I got laid off and suddenly found myself with more time... and thought a Fourth of July holiday at the beach was the most appropriate time to start a murder mystery set in the north of Sweden in the darkest, coldest parts of winter.
Really liked the two main characters of this mystery. Rebecca Martinson is a likable lawyer who works too hard and tries too diligently to distance herself from her small town past in the North. She's drawn back to her hometown by a childhood friend in trouble, Sanna... and we immediately understand why Rebecca has issues with this frail, manipulative beauty. Anna-Marie Mella aids, the lead detective, offers a smart, practical foil for Rebecca. Mella's pragmatic approach to the investigation makes the reader cheer for her, especially as she deals with blood and gore and pregnancy hormones.
Interesting subject -- I'm a big fan of books about church scandals. I was fascinated by the evangelical movement in Sweden, especially given my own background in the Southern Baptist church. The conclusion wasn't a complete shock, but the rapid-fire action at the end made me gasp a few times.
Really liked the two main characters of this mystery. Rebecca Martinson is a likable lawyer who works too hard and tries too diligently to distance herself from her small town past in the North. She's drawn back to her hometown by a childhood friend in trouble, Sanna... and we immediately understand why Rebecca has issues with this frail, manipulative beauty. Anna-Marie Mella aids, the lead detective, offers a smart, practical foil for Rebecca. Mella's pragmatic approach to the investigation makes the reader cheer for her, especially as she deals with blood and gore and pregnancy hormones.
Interesting subject -- I'm a big fan of books about church scandals. I was fascinated by the evangelical movement in Sweden, especially given my own background in the Southern Baptist church. The conclusion wasn't a complete shock, but the rapid-fire action at the end made me gasp a few times.
March 16, 2018
Soy consciente de que repito mucho lo de que un libro es "de lectura ágil y amena", pero, qué queréis: de eso es de lo que se trata precisamente; y si la historia no te ofrece ese mínimo, por más interesante que sea la premisa, entonces apaga y vámonos.
"Lectura ágil y amena" es ese mínimo exigible que le garantiza a un libro las dos estrellas (a no ser, claro está, que el argumento sea ridículo más allá de lo tolerable), porque al menos te ha hecho pasar el rato... la calidad literaria no está siempre garantizada, pero es, cuanto menos, aceptable (o simplemente pasable).
Creo que no hace falta ser muy listo para haber caído ya en la cuenta de que éste es uno de esos casos, y de ahí, acaso, la disertación... Porque de una historia que cae en lo simple y esquemático, e ídem sus personajes, poco más se puede sacar.
"Lectura ágil y amena" es ese mínimo exigible que le garantiza a un libro las dos estrellas (a no ser, claro está, que el argumento sea ridículo más allá de lo tolerable), porque al menos te ha hecho pasar el rato... la calidad literaria no está siempre garantizada, pero es, cuanto menos, aceptable (o simplemente pasable).
Creo que no hace falta ser muy listo para haber caído ya en la cuenta de que éste es uno de esos casos, y de ahí, acaso, la disertación... Porque de una historia que cae en lo simple y esquemático, e ídem sus personajes, poco más se puede sacar.
May 4, 2020
Πέρα από τη συνεργάτιδα-δικηγόρο (Μαρία Τομπ) της πρωταγωνίστριας (Ρεμπέκα), η οποία είναι και η πιο έξυπνη και ευέλικτη από όλους τους υπόλοιπους ήρωες, δεν γίνεται επαρκής ανάλυση σε κανένα από τους χαρακτήρες, ενώ μοιάζει, συνεχώς, το βιβλίο να κινείται μεταξύ ανούσιας περιγραφής και εκβιασμού της πλοκής.
Ο 'εκκλησιαστικός' και 'θεολογικός' άξονας της πλοκής του βιβλίου δεν έχει την απαραίτητη στιβαρότητα για να ικανοποιήσει ηθικά τον αναγνώστη, ενώ, σε πολλά σημεία, η συγγραφέας δείχνει να μην έχει σιγουριά και να βρίσκεται σε σύγχυση, όσον αφορά τον τελικό στόχο του μυθιστορήματός της. Από τα μετριότερα και πιο 'αδιάφορα' λογοτεχνικά ντεμπούτα.
Βαθμολογία: 1,5/5 ή 3/10.
Ο 'εκκλησιαστικός' και 'θεολογικός' άξονας της πλοκής του βιβλίου δεν έχει την απαραίτητη στιβαρότητα για να ικανοποιήσει ηθικά τον αναγνώστη, ενώ, σε πολλά σημεία, η συγγραφέας δείχνει να μην έχει σιγουριά και να βρίσκεται σε σύγχυση, όσον αφορά τον τελικό στόχο του μυθιστορήματός της. Από τα μετριότερα και πιο 'αδιάφορα' λογοτεχνικά ντεμπούτα.
Βαθμολογία: 1,5/5 ή 3/10.
September 15, 2018
An interesting, if somewhat disjointed story. I had a hard time putting all the pieces together, and I'm a great fan of mysteries/thrillers written by Scandinavian writers. This one was set in Sweden.
Rebecka Martinsson is a tax lawyer who gets caught up in the defense of a young woman accused of her brother's murder. Said brother was one of those flamboyant, religious celebrities who act as 'lighthouses' for their newly created/discovered religion, one which purports to being the only 'true' religion, or church, the one which will change the world. Okay, right.
And he's found dead, slaughtered and mutilated, in this religion's new church. He's not a minister, pastor, whatever, but he has been used to lure in the young and lost and always-seeking, fretful types who populate religions like this one. (Or in books like this one.) It's a cult, in other words, and Rebecka was once one of its most sterling members.
The story's convoluted, with so many characters I DID make a cue card. There's another major player, a pregnant investigator, but her part is relatively minor compared to Rebecka's. Anyhow, there are various twists and turns, evidence hiding in plain sight, witnesses who lie and fabricate, etc. etc.
I enjoyed the book, however, and did like Rebecka with her complex and unique back story. Ms. Larsson hasn't written many in this series, but I shall continue on with it - at least with those which have been translated from the Swedish. :D
Rebecka Martinsson is a tax lawyer who gets caught up in the defense of a young woman accused of her brother's murder. Said brother was one of those flamboyant, religious celebrities who act as 'lighthouses' for their newly created/discovered religion, one which purports to being the only 'true' religion, or church, the one which will change the world. Okay, right.
And he's found dead, slaughtered and mutilated, in this religion's new church. He's not a minister, pastor, whatever, but he has been used to lure in the young and lost and always-seeking, fretful types who populate religions like this one. (Or in books like this one.) It's a cult, in other words, and Rebecka was once one of its most sterling members.
The story's convoluted, with so many characters I DID make a cue card. There's another major player, a pregnant investigator, but her part is relatively minor compared to Rebecka's. Anyhow, there are various twists and turns, evidence hiding in plain sight, witnesses who lie and fabricate, etc. etc.
I enjoyed the book, however, and did like Rebecka with her complex and unique back story. Ms. Larsson hasn't written many in this series, but I shall continue on with it - at least with those which have been translated from the Swedish. :D
November 29, 2015
This is the first book of Rebecka Martinsson series.
Even if I liked it, there are some missing clues, such as: what happened with the kidnaped dog?? Moreover, the role as an attorney is not so well assigned to the main character.
Even if I liked it, there are some missing clues, such as: what happened with the kidnaped dog?? Moreover, the role as an attorney is not so well assigned to the main character.
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