Les secrets de l'île

Sandhamn Murders #4

by Viveca Sten, Rémi Cassaigne (Traducteur)

Une froide journée de septembre, l'étudiant Marcus Nielsen est retrouvé mort dans son appartement de Nacka. Tout semble indiquer un suicide. Mais sa mère, convaincue qu'il a été assassiné, supplie la police de ne pas classer l'affaire.
Quand l'inspecteur Thomas Andreasson commence à enquêter, les pistes semblent mener à la base militaire de Korsö, devant l'île de Sandhamn, où le corps d'un autre homme vient d'être retrouvé. Contactée par Thomas, Nora Linde, qui depuis sa séparation passe beaucoup de temps sur l'île, essaie d'en savoir plus sur cette base fortifiée où, pendant des décennies, ont été formées les unités d'élite des chasseurs côtiers. Y a-t-il dans ce passé-là quelque chose qui ne doit à aucun prix surgir au grand jour ?

Nº1 sur la liste des best-sellers en Suède, la nouvelle enquête de l'inspecteur Thomas Andreasson et de Nora Linde, le couple qui a inspiré la célèbre série télévisée Meurtres à Sandhamn diffusée sur Arte.

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Fiction, Thriller, Nordic Noir, Audiobook, Scandinavian Literature

367 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 10, 2011

About the author

Viveca Sten made her author debut with crime novel Still Waters. It soon became a huge hit with both critics and readers and today the author has sold almost 3 million copies of her books worldwide.

In May 2014, her seventh novel, The Price of Power, was published in Sweden. It was hugely successful and Viveca cemented her place as one of the country’s most popular authors. Her Sandhamn Murder Series continues to top the best seller charts, not to mention the whopping success of the TV mini-series that is based on Viveca’s novels. An estimated 30 million people around the globe have been watching the adventures of Nora and Thomas unfold on the TV screen.

Today, Viveca lives in Stockholm with her husband and three children. During the summer months she leaves for Sandhamn to write and spend the holidays with her family. This year she has also been working on a cookbook that features stories from the Stockholm archipelago
.

Reviews

[Tulay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good murder mystery.

While reading this book, forgot the fact author was female. She did created strong and caring male character. This kind of a military training doesn't grab this grandmother. Male readers, about thirty will enjoy this story.

[Eline Van Der Meulen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vannacht ben je dood is het vierde boek in de Sandhamn reeks van Viveca Sten. Het verhaal draait opnieuw rond Thomas de rechercheur en Nora de bankjuriste. Thomas wordt op een dag benaderd door de moeder van Marcus Nielsen, een student die dood in zijn flat wordt aangetroffen. Het lijkt om zelfmoord te gaan, maar Marcus’ moeder is een heel andere mening toegedaan. Zij gelooft niet dat haar zoon zijn leven niet meer zag zitten en smeet Thomas om een verder onderzoek. Marcus bleek bezig geweest te zijn met een schoolopdracht rond een legereenheid die gestationeerd was op Korsö. Daarnaast krijgt de lezer dagboekfragementen voorgeschoteld die een ware hel laten zien. De soldaten dienen er quasi onmogelijke proeven te voltooien en indien ze niet slagen volgt er nog een zwaardere hel en bestraffingen. Uiteindelijk worden alle verhaallijnen mooi verweven met elkaar en is de spanning continu voelbaar. Opnieuw een meer dan geslaagd deel in deze reeks! Ik geef dit boek dan ook weer 4 sterren.
https://elinevandm.wordpress.com/2024...

[Kylie H · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 4th book in the Sandhamn murders series, set in Sweden. Thomas is the main character in this instalment having reconciled with his ex-wife. When a young psychology student is found hanging in his apartment it is dismissed as suicide. The student's mother visits Thomas and begs him to reconsider and as Thomas starts to dig deeper things seem not to quite add up. Then a link is found back to a unit of Coastal Rangers who trained together in the 1970's and Thomas finds himself delving into some dark places.
Great series and I am looking forward to book 5.

[Natasha Niezgoda · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 ⭐️ No blatant spoilers. Just basic observations.

This was my least favorite book in the series. It’s not that it was poorly written (though, I think some of the translations were awkward this time around), it’s just that it was disjointed and slow.

The intrigue of the murder doesn’t start until you’re 200 pages in, which to me is too long for a build up... especially because the build up was for such a predictable ending (I honestly didn’t need to read the last 50 pages).

This was also the first book in the series to deal with mental illness and I don’t think it was handled all that well. There was so much finger pointing and blaming rather than opening up the psychology behind it, that was was slightly offensive. I mean, there was one chapter that kinda explored the topic but with one word answers. I guess with mental illness becoming more prominently discussed, I think some more research and tact could have been used. Also the topics surrounding mental illness were so heavy that it shouldn’t have been glided over: suicide, mental torture, and post traumatic stress.

When it came to the ending, I was still left with questions. Like who killed Marcus and truly why? Why was he even a pivotal role in this? Why introduce the character in Australia if only to never follow up on him? The detergent part: was that really the reason it was used? Etc...

Eh, I wasn’t too impressed. And I’ve also noticed a theme within the last 3 books of of using a narrative that’s both present and past. It was clever the first time, but now is starting to complicate a simple storyline.

And then unlike the first two cases (books) in this series, Nora had no role in this one. She was like an afterthought. And her storyline was so forced - just to keep her name in the series. It was kinda off putting.

To be honest, I would read the first two books of this series and then stop.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thomas, now reunited with his former wife following the incident concluding the previous installment, returns to work and investigates murders in the present-day which seem to be linked to Coastal Ranger training on the island of Korsö during the 1970s. A student's death while researching sociological aspects of military service prompts Thomas and Margit to investigate what went on there as a pattern involving them emerges. Laundry detergent plays a part in many of the murders. The author offers a few glimpses at Nora Linde's life as the waiting period for her divorce draws to a close. Unfortunately these feel like interruptions for readers because her importance to the story line is minimal. I enjoy this series, but this one was a little less captivating.

[Clarabel · Rating 4 out of 5]

C'est devenu un rendez-vous familier : pour Sandhamn, son évasion de rêve, et pour prendre des nouvelles de Thomas, Nora et les autres. On n'est pas loin de la routine, mais la série a du charme à revendre...
http://blogclarabel.canalblog.com/arc...

[Richard Derus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4* of five

The Publisher Says: Soon to be divorced, attorney Nora Linde is finding her way as a single mother, and even falling in love again, when she’s asked by her childhood friend Detective Thomas Andreasson to help in a disturbing investigation. Marcus Nielsen, a university student, has apparently committed suicide, but it’s what he’s left behind that’s so suspicious and damning: his research into the Coastal Rangers, an elite military group where, in 1976, a young cadet died under questionable circumstances, a sadistic sergeant went free, and a case went cold.

When two of Nielsen’s contacts are also found dead—and diaries of their torturous training turn up missing—Thomas and Nora are certain that whatever happened three decades ago is unforgivable. And for someone who wants to keep those secrets buried—unforgettable. Now they must fight against time to expose a cover-up that hasn’t yet claimed its last victim.

I RECEIVED THIS AS A GIFT. THANK YOU.

My Review: Much more Thomas-centered than the previous book. The crime here, in the present day, is deceptively simple...a suicide by hanging that a grieving mother cannot bring herself to imagine is what it seems.

Surprise! It isn't what it seems.

Nora's main involvement is to be asked by Thomas to look into the some aspects of the modern case as there's a personal connection to her. As her divorce approaches finalization, she's still playing nice with the family she's almost escaped from when her son's got a birthday party coming up. On the plus side she's got someone new in her life (who's actually also her tenant). The main item that contains what we all need to know about this tragedy's historical roots is, again, a found diary with deeply relevant clues. This repetitive trope would normally be grounds for a whole-star deduction in my rating schema. The reason it isn't? The sociology of military service subplot grabbed me hard. Not incidentally, in this entry Thomas and his partner Margit come more together as a detecting team for me, relying more on each other than in the last book. I'm not all the way sure why it happened now, but their previously slightly tenuous working relationship became more solidly grounded in pursuing the sadistic, evil killer.

Thomas's last-book accidental dousing, to undersell its seriousness, and subsequent loss of toes, his stint in rehab after the accident, and his reunion with self-centered Pernilla-the-ex, all make this entry in the series much more in his focus than last time. I'm still in the camp of thinking these are more Scandicozy than Nordic Noir stories, though the awful, sadistic murderer...serial killer, actually...is matched for ferocity by the "unexpected" addition of another guilty party. I won't at all say the existence or identity of the second party was surprising. It was believable, inasmuch as any mystery story's believable.

What beggared my belief was Thomas, near the end of the book (though not the story, see below), doing something that NO rational person would do who had all the information he possessed. It was stupid of him to risk so much for no commensurate possibility of gain. As it turned out, the result of his risk-taking was...tidy...but only for now, or I miss my guess. (In other words, I don't really believe it is what I read on these pages.)

The end of the book isn't an ending so much as a stopping place. There's obviously a lot more to the life-stories I'm invested in; but I am also reasonably sure there's more of the entanglements that came to light in this book to come in future entries. They're just too temptingly dangling loose for those strands not to lead somewhere new.

Again, don't start here but don't skip this one...Thomas and Pernilla have a BIG surprise for us that you won't want to miss out on.

[Esther · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is such a fun and easy to read crime/mystery series! I've been on and off with my ratings with the previous 3 books getting 4, 5 and 4 stars. Maybe I had such high, high expectations that this book fell a bit flat for me, but it was still very enjoyable! I read it pretty fast and I'm very curious about the next book.

Full review can be found at BiteIntoBooks

This book didn't score as high as the other books in this series, mainly because I had multiple cons. I did enjoy the book though, I read it quite fast and I'm still very invested in the main characters. I already put the #5 book on my soon-to-read list and I'm hoping it will be a 4 or 5 again!

[Trevor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first novel by Viveca Sten that I have read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Told from two different points in time, the story has a good pace, interesting characters, and an intriguing plot, though I did guess the final twist before it was explained in the book.

I look forward to reading other books in this series.

I was given a copy of this novel by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Carla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dit boek vond ik, zeker de eerste helft tegen vallen.

[Monica · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5/5

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve been enjoying this Sandamn Murders series from Viveca Sten. Tonight You’re Dead is the fourth book in the series. In this one, the focus is less on Nora Linde, as it was in the previous books, and more on police detective Thomas Andreasson and his partner, Margit Grankvist. Nora has only a peripheral connection to the case that Thomas and Margit are working on, instead of being a major player, and most of Nora’s scenes in the book relate to her family and a potential new love interest. I liked the change.

Sten employs a story-telling structure similar to the one that she used in the previous book, Guiltless. The two present-day strands of the narrative (focusing on Thomas and Nora, respectively) are interwoven with old diary entries from a person whose identity remains unknown for most of the book. It’s not entirely clear how the diary entries about military training in the 1970s will connect with the murder case, but as Thomas and Margit uncover more clues in their investigation, the pieces gradually fall into place.

As I was reading, I had my own suspicions about the identity of the murderer. As a reader I was privy to the diary entries, so I had more information than Thomas and Margit, and I was occasionally exasperated when I saw them heading down what I was pretty sure was a wrong path. Even so, I was surprised at the end, which I’d say is a sign of a good mystery.

I’m giving the book a four-star rating because I liked it a lot, but I think there were one or two important questions that were left unanswered at the end. That didn’t ruin it for me, but a slightly tighter wrap-up might have been even better.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked Nora better in this one. In fact, her story was more interesting than the actual mystery.

[Hedoga · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me reitero en lo dicho en el anterior ... son muy muy muy estrerenidos pero tienen más de la vida de los.prtotagonistas que de trama en sí ... que nadie se engañe.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. I think this is the first book in the series that I didn't guess the murderer. I did find some issues where things didn't add up and wasn't even addressed in the book. The ending also felt a bit rushed. I know Thomas is recovering from what happened (no spoilers) but I wish he was back to his old self. I assume it was a mechanic to help the character grow but I'm not liking him as much any longer.

I also didn't like Nora's side story which is a first in this book. Divorce is hard, being cheated on is hard but it's making her seem like a bitter old woman. She even complains about Thomas!

Since I discovered these books later, all 10 are available now so there's no wait. However, I think I need to take a break from the series and read something else. I didn't devour this one like I have the others.

I do have to credit Sten's wonderful world building. Half the excitement of these books for me is the lovely descriptions of Stockholm and Sandhamn.

[Ken Fredette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book as Viveca has changed, who the book is mostly about, and this time it is Thomas. We were left with him falling through the ice in the last book, and in this one he has made his ex-wife pregnant with a little girl. It doesn't leave Nora for long but mostly we feel for her new love with her tenant. The story unfolds with 8 men in their basic training which lasts for eleven months. Unknown to us it was the reason for the first suicide to take place that lead to the murders of 3 of the former solders. It goes back and forth 30 years for us to learn why it happened. It's really interesting how everything turns out. In the end Thomas and Margit end up in a storm trying to stop the killer. Quite an interesting read. Can't wait for the next one.

[Alba · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cuarto libro de la serie y creo que, junto con el primero, es el que más enganchada me ha tenido en cuanto a la evolución y resolución del caso policial. La verdad que en los anteriores me interesaba más la relación de Nora con su marido, pero en este el policia Thomas ha sabido (al fin) tomar más presencia y que su parte sea la más entretenida. No vi venir al culpable así que eso es un plus :D

[Evelina Holst · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spännande!

[Elina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mielestäni kirjan juoni oli rakennettu hienosti. Ärsyttävää toistoa on joissain kohdissa, mutta se ei nyt haitannut kokonaisuutta kuitenkaan.

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

I read the Kindle English edition.

Detective Thomas Andreasson returns to work after doing a month in rehab following his falling through the ice. He lost two toes and is getting used to walking again. He responds to a body in the student housing section of Stockholm University. They find Marcus Nielsen hanging from a fixture. It’s an apparent suicide.

Marcus’ family insists that he did not commit suicide. He was as normal as can be on the Saturday before his demise. Thomas goes to look at his room again and interviews the family. Marcus’ cell phone is found, but his laptop that he took everywhere is missing.

Thomas’ friend Nora Linde who is a lawyer is in the process of divorcing her husband (at last!). Nora and her soon-to-be ex-husband share joint custody of their two boys. Thomas and Pernilla are back together and doing well.

Thomas asks Nora to help him with his investigation into Marcus’ death. His suicide is not so cut and dried for he left behind some research into the Coastal Rangers. They are an elite military squad that suffered a mysterious death in 1977.

When two more people turn up dead – acquaintances of Marcus’ – it begins to look like whoever perpetrated the cover up in 1977 is still trying to keep what happened a secret. The team is having a difficult time trying to track down the surviving members of the Coastal Rangers squad from 1977. The investigation intensifies and then they discover that the murderer is killing the men in alphabetical order. So they know the name of the next victim.

The identity of the murderer comes as a real surprise.

This book is well written and plotted as are all of Viveca Sten’s novels. The suspense begins slowly in the book, but picks up speed. In an exciting and action-filled conclusion the name of the murderer is revealed. I like Thomas and Nora. I appreciate their relationship as friends. There was enough information given about the main characters’ personal lives to flesh them out as people, but not so much that it intruded on the story. I’ve enjoyed all of Ms. Sten’s novels thus far and will continue to read them.

I want to thank NetGalley and AmazonCrossing for forwarding to me a copy of this fine book to read and enjoy.

[Lisbeth Bardal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Herlig og spennende krim fra Sverige som tar oss rundt i skjærgården i Stockholm. Hovedfigurene virker ekte og kunne vært naboen din. Et spennende møte med Viveca Steens forfatterskap.

[Tanja Berg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ännu en helt okej, men ytterst medelmåttig deckare. Åtminstone är det inte fler som dör med direkt anknytning till lilla Sandhamn. I det här tillfället är det en student som hittas hängd. Före fallet hinner avskrivas hittas en person vedkommande varit i kontakt med också död och det visar sig att inte vara en olyckshändelse eller självmord. Så Thomas och Margit försöker att hitta sambandet.

Det mest intressanta med den här boken är förhållandena huvudpersonerna emellan. Thomas har hittat tillbaka till sin Pernilla. Nora har en flört på gång med en långt yngre pilot. Jag som varit så övertygad om att det skulle bli Nora och Thomas, men tji fick jag. Noras umgänge med sitt ex är också underhållande. Så jodå, det här räckte för att jag ska gå rakt över på nästa bok i serien!

[Marie-Christine Michels · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well I think to read number five :)

[Cristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

En esta novela, Viveca Sten enlaza de forma magistral historias del pasado con otras del presente. Se trata de una historia que está perfectamente a la altura de las de otras autoras nórdicas mucho más reconocidas.

Como sucede con la mayoría de las novelas negras nórdicas que he leído, en esta también encontramos una trama principal (y que suele dar nombre a la propia novela) y unas historias secundarias que comenzaron con la primera obra de la autora y que se mantienen en todas las siguientes. Estas historias en segundo plano son, en mayor medida, la del inspector Thomas Andreasson y la de Nora Linde.

La trama de esta novela comienza cuando aparece el cadáver ahorcado de un joven estudiante de psicología. Todo parece apuntar a que Marcus Nielsen no tenía ningún motivo para suicidarse, sin embargo, dejó una carta de despedida. La convicción de su familia de que su muerte ha sido involuntaria y la desaparición de su ordenador harán que el inspector Andreasson decida profundizar un poco más en el caso. Este fallecimiento no será el único, no obstante, el resto parecerán totalmente desvinculados del primero tanto por la edad de los muertos como por las circunstancias en las que lo han hecho.

En lo relativo a los personajes, esta es la cuarta novela que leo de la autora, por lo que algunos de ellos ya son viejos conocidos para mí. Si tengo que destacar a alguno de ellos, evidentemente, destaco a Thomas Andreasson, quien aunque ha tenido una vida complicada, ahora todo parece ir a su favor junto a su mujer Pernilla; y a Nora Linde, una mujer capaz de crecerse ante la adversidad y que será capaz de hacer eso que a veces tanto nos cuesta: dejarse llevar por el corazón en lugar de por la cabeza.

En cuanto a la forma de presentar la novela, la autora utiliza la analepsis, por lo que nos hace viajar hasta los años 1976 y 1977 de forma intercalada con capítulos narrados en el presente. Estas historias pasadas son especialmente duras, pero ilustran a la perfección lo que debieron vivir sus personajes. Por otra parte, la novela se divide en capítulos muy cortos, lo que hace que te enganche con facilidad y que se lea sin apenas darte cuenta.

En definitiva, es una novela negra altamente recomendable para los amantes del género.

[Javier Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Está bien como review.

A ver por donde empiezo, el misterio entretenido e interesante. Pero la resolución me parece precipitada y no te dan ninguna pista de quien es el culpable. Luego se nota mucho cómo es una entrega más de una serie. Yo no lo sabía y esta edición no lo indicaba, así que había muchas referencias que no pillaba. Esto es especialmente significativo con la subtrama de Nora, una mujer con un divorcio detrás que conoce a un chulazo. Bien por ella y su chulazo, pero la conexión con la trama principal es mínima. Quitando esto, es una novela entretenida que te mantiene enganchado, así que si quieres leer algo ligero de intriga ni tan mal.

[Ed Brech · Rating 3 out of 5]

By this fourth book in the series I have really got to know Thomas et al and the archipelago (fave word of the moment) of Sandhamm.

This particular volume dragged heavily at the start, and the writing was a bit clunky throughout. The female characters were poorly written, and had feeble, backstage roles. The translation struggles at times, and makes the Stern's writing come across as a bit twee. It does pick up pace eventually, and finishes strongly.

It's the first time I've thought of taking a break from the series, which has been really good up until this point.

[Christi · Rating 3 out of 5]

another solid mystery set in Stockholm and Sandhamn
this time the tie in to the past involves the elite Coastal Rangers and 1977 which was interesting enough but I do hope that book 4 just stays set in the present instead of having half the book be flashbacks to 50 years ago.

[Madeline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Viveca Sten is an amazing author who writes dual time lines with unknown connections until the big reveal.

I am in awe of her writing skills.

The only difficulty I find is keeping up with all the unfamiliar Swedish names.

[Brigitte_leest · Rating 5 out of 5]

UIT, wat een heerlijk boek was dit alweer haar 4de boek inmiddels. Een schrijfster waar ik een groot FAN van ben. Spannend,ontroerend en met een vleugje romantiek geschreven. Kan weer niet wachten op haar volgende boek, hoop dat die snel komt.AANRADER

[Kristi Lamont · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow. Sweden has a seriously dark side. Also? I wish my friend Hank was still alive so he could make fun of me for reading three books in one day.