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Still Life: Ten Crime Stories
These 10 sharp yet deeply human stories show how people from all walks of life can end up on the wrong side of the law, regardless of their intentions.
A compelling portrait of modern Sweden that speaks to universal questions about crime and morality, from the internationally bestselling author of Quicksand.
A police officer fresh out of the academy becomes acutely aware of the deadly consequences of prejudice and how biases color our actions, leading us to justify faulty choices. A teenager has lost her voice and resorts to violence to get heard, even against those she loves. A university student breaks a law on a night of youthful revelry, which soon has fatal consequences that plunge those involved into an abyss of remorse. A mother commits the very same crime her son is being prosecuted for, in order to protect him. A man extends a helping hand in defiance of state restrictions, keeping a refugee safe from the harsh Swedish winter and deportation.
With her unique and prominent voice in Swedish literature, Malin Persson Giolito sheds light on the lives of people at all levels of the society through these ten thought-provoking and emotionally charged stories. She delivers a poignant portrayal of societal failure, vividly illustrating that actions driven by good intentions may still be considered criminal in the eyes of the law, underscoring that the legal system doesn’t always shield those who need protection the most.
A compelling portrait of modern Sweden that speaks to universal questions about crime and morality, from the internationally bestselling author of Quicksand.
A police officer fresh out of the academy becomes acutely aware of the deadly consequences of prejudice and how biases color our actions, leading us to justify faulty choices. A teenager has lost her voice and resorts to violence to get heard, even against those she loves. A university student breaks a law on a night of youthful revelry, which soon has fatal consequences that plunge those involved into an abyss of remorse. A mother commits the very same crime her son is being prosecuted for, in order to protect him. A man extends a helping hand in defiance of state restrictions, keeping a refugee safe from the harsh Swedish winter and deportation.
With her unique and prominent voice in Swedish literature, Malin Persson Giolito sheds light on the lives of people at all levels of the society through these ten thought-provoking and emotionally charged stories. She delivers a poignant portrayal of societal failure, vividly illustrating that actions driven by good intentions may still be considered criminal in the eyes of the law, underscoring that the legal system doesn’t always shield those who need protection the most.
285 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 31, 2026
About the author
Malin Persson Giolito
16 books272 followersMalin Persson Giolito was born in Stockholm in 1969, and grew up in Djursholm. She has worked as a lawyer for the biggest law firm in the Nordic region and as an official for the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium.
Persson Giolito has published three previous novels. Her latest novel, Quicksand (Störst av allt), was published by Wahlström & Widstrand in June 2016 and has been sold to 24 countries and was awarded the Best Crime Novel of the Year Award 2016, Sweden’s official suspense literature award, which is given by the Swedish Crime Writers’ Academy.
She lives in Brussels together with her husband and their three daughters.
Persson Giolito has published three previous novels. Her latest novel, Quicksand (Störst av allt), was published by Wahlström & Widstrand in June 2016 and has been sold to 24 countries and was awarded the Best Crime Novel of the Year Award 2016, Sweden’s official suspense literature award, which is given by the Swedish Crime Writers’ Academy.
She lives in Brussels together with her husband and their three daughters.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
5 stars
This amazing book is one I would have never picked up but for the stellar reviews that made me branch out from my usual reading of novels to short story collection of crime stories set in Sweden.
What makes this book remarkable is its focus on what leads a person to criminal behavior: from teenage drug use to opportunity hand in hand with greed. There’s the new policeman Anders exhausted and guarding his first murder scene when he gets startled by the appearance of two people approaching him threateningly. An abused child Lilian who sees her Dad get murdered by a knife and ends up sharing with the police her version of events, heavily influenced by her trauma.
Each chapter corresponds to a section of Swedish criminal code (it would have been awesome to have footnote specify what each is!) and before you know it you’ve been completely immersed in each scenario. The shades of gray morality underlies all the powerfully told stories.
Amazing!
Thanks to Other Press for an advanced reader’s review copy.
This amazing book is one I would have never picked up but for the stellar reviews that made me branch out from my usual reading of novels to short story collection of crime stories set in Sweden.
What makes this book remarkable is its focus on what leads a person to criminal behavior: from teenage drug use to opportunity hand in hand with greed. There’s the new policeman Anders exhausted and guarding his first murder scene when he gets startled by the appearance of two people approaching him threateningly. An abused child Lilian who sees her Dad get murdered by a knife and ends up sharing with the police her version of events, heavily influenced by her trauma.
Each chapter corresponds to a section of Swedish criminal code (it would have been awesome to have footnote specify what each is!) and before you know it you’ve been completely immersed in each scenario. The shades of gray morality underlies all the powerfully told stories.
Amazing!
Thanks to Other Press for an advanced reader’s review copy.
April 19, 2026
These stories are somewhat uneven. The first two, Anders and Lillan, were excellent and then the one about Liam rang true. Also the final story exposes an issue to which there is no answer. The others are either too contrived on not realistic. The longest one about Sara and B. was disappointing and too long. Nevertheless, all of the stories are well written and worth reading.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews