Vier Jahre

by Carin Gerhardsen

Winter 2014: Gotland ist bedeckt von einer dicken Schicht Schnee. Eine junge Frau steigt bei einem fremden Mann ins Auto, auf der anderen Seite der Stadt macht sich ein Liebespaar auf den Weg zu einem heimlichen Treffen. Kurze Zeit später wird die Stille der schwedischen Wälder zerrissen von zwei kollidierenden Autos. Ein Unfall, der nicht nur einem Mann das Leben kostet, sondern auch verheerende Folgen für alle Beteiligten hat … Doch das Schlimmste daran: Unter der Eisschicht liegt eine Wahrheit begraben, die erst Jahre später an die Oberfläche drängt.

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Crime, Fiction, Suspense, Mystery Thriller, Audiobook

400 pages, Paperback

First published September 25, 2018

About the author

From the same publishing team that brought you Stieg Larsson's Millennium Trilogy comes Carin Gehardsen, author of the Hammarby series, a series of crime novels that take place in the southern parts of Stockholm.
Originally a mathematician, which explains her clever plots and complex characters, Gerhardsen is the author of the Hammarby-series, crime novels that take place in the southern parts of
Stockholm, Sweden.
Many of the scenes depicted are self-experienced and based on episodes from Gerhardsen's own childhood.

Reviews

[Carole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Black Ice by Carin Gerhardsen takes place on Gotland, a Swedish island in the Baltic Sea. It is wintertime and the roads are dangerously icy. A vehicular accident occurs and a crime is committed. These events will have serious repercussions for three women who are unknown to each other: Sandra, Jeanette and Kerstin. The story develops over a period of four years, during which time the women’s lives will intersect, for good and for bad. Not much can be divulged about the plot, so as not to reveal spoilers. The characters in Black Ice are flawed in a fascinating way. The plot is unusual and original and makes this a challenging mystery. Black Ice is so interesting and enjoyable that I will probably read it again, to solve the puzzles all over again. This is a fast-paced story full of secrets and will satisfy the curiosity of most mystery readers. Highly recommended. Thank you to Penzler Publishers, NetGalley and the author for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Translated from the Swedish, Black Ice by Carin Gerhardsen is a standalone crime thriller by the author of the Hammarby series. Told from two perspectives, we meet Sandra, a telephone contact line counsellor and Jeanette, a married woman having an affair. A car accident on a well-marked stretch of road sets off a chain reaction and causes much grief and murder. As the stories of the two women unfold, a third voice Jan is introduced, a man who claims innocence while seemingly committing despicable acts of a criminal nature. A totally gripping read with interconnecting narratives that build to an unforeseen climax. This is quintessential Nordic noir at its best with a second bizarre twist after the ending, that makes it a five-star must read book. With thanks to Penzler Publishers and the author for an uncorrected proof for review purposes.

[Magdalena aka A Bookaholic Swede · Rating 4 out of 5]

An unfaithful couple is out driving to find a secluded meeting place. A young, lost woman gets an unexpected lift from a stranger. A man drives too fast on the snow-covered roads. Everyone involved has passed the same ravine. But only one has driven off the road, only one has left someone to die.

From not having known each other, are they now linked by an escalating spiral of violence, and although none of them know the whole picture, it is still someone who knows enough to tell the story.

What is Hidden in Snow is an unpredictable psychological thriller, where nothing is what it sets out to be. Debt, hatred, and destructiveness are the fuel that drives the story forward, and in the distance, the sweet euphoria of revenge is looming.

What is Hidden in Snow is a thrilling book that reminds me of the books by Harlan Coben or Linwood Barcley. It's the fact that so much is going on that the story twist and turns all the time that makes me think about Coben and Barcley's books. And, if there is one thing I love when it comes to books is it when the story keeps surprising me as this book do. Also, that makes this book hard to review since I don't want to reveal too much of what's going on. However, I really want to point out that nothing is what it seems in this book. One's perspective keeps changing as the story progresses. The more you learn about the traffic accident and the people involved in it the more you realize that your perspective is wrong. I did figure out the big twist towards the end of the book, otherwise, the book kept me on my toes all the way through the book.

What is Hidden in Snow is the first book I've read by Carin Gerhardsen and I'm really impressed by it. I'm looking forward to reading her previous books.

Thanks to Bookmarks förlag for the review copy!

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Translated from the Swedish, Black Ice by Carin Gerhardsen is a standalone crime thriller by the author of the Hammarby series. Told from two perspectives, we meet Sandra, a telephone contact line counsellor and Jeanette, a married woman having an affair. A car accident on a well-marked stretch of road sets off a chain reaction and causes much grief and murder. As the stories of the two women unfold, a third voice Jan is introduced, a man who claims innocence while seemingly committing despicable acts of a criminal nature. A totally gripping read with interconnecting narratives that build to an unforeseen climax. This is quintessential Nordic noir at its best with a second bizarre twist after the ending, that makes it a five-star must read book. With thanks to Penzler Publishers and the author for an uncorrected proof for review purposes.

[Kurkulis (Lililasa) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pēc izjūtām es varētu grāmatu sadalīt 3 daļās: pirmā - lieliska. Lai arī šāds paņēmiens nav nekas jauns, bet - nekas nav tā kā izskatās un, manuprāt, autorei tas ir veikli izdevies (un man patīk, kad man veikli jauc prātu!). Otrā trešdaļa - izstaipījusies kā vecu treniņbikšu gumija (šim salīdzinājumam autortiesības pieder kādai citai personai, es tikai neatceros - kam), var teikt, ka nekas nenotiek, iepriekšradītā interese izplēn (un sajūta, ka darbojošies tēli ir tādi nekādi, tāds saulesbrāļu kompānijas laisks zvilnis uz soliņa piesaulē). Pēdējā trešdaļa - hmm, brīžiem neticami veiksmīgas nejaušības un neizteiksmīgs psihopāta tēls.

Stabilas 3 zvaigznes.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had no idea going into Black Ice by Carin Gerhardsen that it was based on something that actually happened, and it kind of made me wish I had read the acknowledgments prior to starting the book. The story definitely hit me harder after knowing this, and even though the acknowledgments themselves were written in an odd way, you will want to make sure to read them. The story itself was both atmospheric and heartbreaking, and it was also completely unpredictable. The biggest issue I had with the book was that it was tough for me to keep all of the characters straight, and there were quite a few viewpoints as well. This is one of those books where it would probably be helpful to write them down, so you don't miss anything, especially if you decide to listen to the audiobook (which I'm actually not sure I recommend doing).

I also really enjoyed the pacing of the story and even though this is character-driven, it still moves at a decent enough pace that it doesn't get boring. It was also really interesting to see how the characters ended up tying together, and there really is a method to the madness that is ALL of these viewpoints. I did enjoy Black Ice on audio, but there is only one narrator for all the different POVs, and I think this really would have benefited from a full cast. I loved listening to Christa Lewis narrate, but there are just too many people in this book to keep straight. For this reason, I would definitely recommend reading a physical copy as opposed to the audiobook or even an eBook. I found myself looking back at things that had happened, so I didn't miss any connections. I thought this was a really solid story, and the suspense is there at times, but the highlights for me were the end and watching how it all unfolded.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

[Heather~ Nature.books.and.coffee · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's January, on an icy road on the island of Gotland. A terrible car accident between 2 cars, leaving one dead. It leads to a group of strangers being connected by the event. It is thought that there was only 1car involved, but there were actually 2. They also think there were no witnesses, but there are 3, who were all hiding something. Four years later, one of them receives a phone call. One of the witnesses is now dead, and there is evidence that will bring back the past, and the truth. The story is told in dual timelines which totally works, and also told through multiple POV. I was intrigued right from the beginning. It's a character driven story, and the characters are well developed. There were many twists, and I was definitely caught off guard by them. A pretty suspenseful, fun, atmospheric read This would definitely be a fantastic book to read in the winter. I'll be looking forward to more by this author, I thought her writing was really good.


Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Melissa Borsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

For me, this book sounded way more interesting than it was. I think for plot twist reasons we were never really able to get properly involved with or invested in the story of the characters and that made me a little disinterested towards the middle when the story began to drag. It is a good story, I just feel like it could have been much better. I thank Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Jessica Woodbury · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. I picked this up because it showed up on a Best Mysteries of the Year list, but it did not work for me. The prose felt flat, there was so much time spent in characters heads processing the same information over and over again, and then each character would jump in to have their own thoughts on the matter, so you end up going over the same facts about 100 different times.

This starts off with elements of the central crimes, centered around a car accident on an icy road. But the early chapters are purposely vague, and not in a "I would like to learn more" kind of way. Later it becomes clear that they withhold so much so that the author can reveal more to you as you go along, but this frustrated me rather than intrigued me. It just made it clear that I could not count on any version of events as the complete one. I think the concept could have been disorienting and a way to keep the reader on their toes, it just didn't execute.

Some of the twists were pretty good, but most of them were easy to predict or not all that interesting. None of our major characters really goes on much of an emotional journey. And Sandra in particular is one of those characters who keeps escalating an already-dangerous situation for no good reason.

I did like that some of the main characters were "misfits," people on the edges of society and the kind of community they form with each other. But that sense of remove, which is strongest with Jeanette, who does not actually care about anyone, even herself, kept it from feeling like you really got to know them.

If you try it and the style and tone work for you, then by all means give it a go. But I didn't like it much from the beginning, I assumed from the rave review that it would improve.

[Caroline Bartlett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read my full review and link to join the spoiler discussion on my blog: https://www.howdidthatbookend.com/bla...

I’m thoroughly impressed by this book. You may start off with an impression of what role each character plays, but each chapter reveals more twists and secrets until the reader realizes that nothing is as it seems.

I really enjoyed how the plot unfolded, and thought Black Ice was perfectly paced. The alternating POVs were the perfect way to tell this story. At times we saw multiple perspectives of the same scene, and at others we jumped back and forth between past and present. I was never bored and was constantly surprised--although I did guess one culprit successfully.

I will say that I did do a lot of flipping back and forth to re-read previous scenes once I read a new plot twist, so I would definitely recommend reading a physical copy of this book rather than an ebook or audiobook. I had to do a little bit of reminding myself who was who, because my perspective of the characters was constantly changing.

Black Ice just goes to show how much of an impact one person’s actions can have on the lives of so many people. This one brief moment changed so many lives irrevocably, and the ripple effects of that one night carry out five years in the future.

I’m not sure what else to say without giving away spoilers, but this book is definitely worth the read. I just wish I had read it in winter in the middle of a blizzard!

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

Betyg: 4,5 av 5.

Carin Gerhardsen är en av mina favoritförfattare. Jag har tyckt väldigt mycket om alla åtta böckerna i hennes Hammarbyserie. Här är länkar till mina recensioner av alla böckerna, i den ordning dom har getts ut: Pepparkakshuset, Mamma, pappa, barn, Vyssan lull, Helgonet, Gideons ring, Hennes iskalla ögon, Tjockare än vatten och Falleri fallera falleralla.

Hammarbyserien är ju kriminalromaner/polisromaner. Men Det som göms i snö är mer av en psykologisk thriller. Och fast den är helt olik författarens tidigare böcker, så är den precis lika bra.

Boken är väldigt spännande, är helt oförutsägbar, och har vändningar som jag inte alls hade räknat med. Den är välskriven, lättläst, stundtals gripande, och den är mycket svår att lägga ifrån sig.

Jag rekommenderar varmt boken, till alla som tycker om välskrivna psykologiska thrillers. Och jag hoppas på fler böcker i liknade stil av Carin Gerhardsen.

[Tanja Berg · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a short unabridged audio book, just over eight hours that felt interminable. Had I read it on paper, it would have been a wall banger.

A car drives down a ravine. None of the witnesses call an ambulance - they have their various read not to. The guy who caused the accident has just raped a woman and is drunk. The two lovebirds having affair prefer to make off with the content in the trunk.

The accident haunts everyone involved. The guy in the car wasn’t found for days and had a cold and lonely death. The story is told in pieces from different perspectives. It’s tremendously cliched and brings nothing new. Most of the characters are unlikeable.

[Sarmīte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Latviski - Karina Gerhardsena, MELNAIS LEDUS.
Izcila grāmata. Sākums diezgan maldinošs - it kā vienkārša avārija, tomēr lēnām tiek atšķetināts šis notikums un izstāstīts stāsts par iesaistītajām personām. Īsti gan nav ne spožu izmeklētāju, ne mis Mārplas;), bet stāsts drīzāk par mums - par mūsu rīcību, kas reizēm, kā sniega lavīna, var izaukt gluži neparedzamu rezultātu.

[Sonica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Scarlet Suspense for my copy of Black Ice by Carin Gergardsen, in exchange for my honest review.  This title publishes on June 29, 2021.

Bravo to a new voice in nordic noir, aka Scandinavian crime fiction!  

An atmospheric character-driven story that follows a group of strangers following a terrible car accident one stormy January night and whose lives are unknowingly connected by the tragic events of that night.

The story is told in alternating POVS and dual timelines, which sounds complicated but I can assure you that the author does an impeccable job and seamlessly weaving these storylines and characters together in the most brilliant way.  

Gerhardsen's writing will immediately pull you in from the first page and her clever use of misdirection will keep you guessing right until the end.  The suspense will keep you on the edge of your seat as you think you know where the story is headed but then they take a darker turn.  Once the story completely unfolds and the reveals delivered, you will be gobsmacked. 

This was a cleverly plotted storyline with a cast of well-developed characters, you will be turning pages late into the night to finish.  I highly recommend picking this one up when it hits shelves on June 29, 2021 and add to the buzz I am certain it will create.

[Monika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jag har väntat så länge på något nytt från Carin Gerhardsen. När jag såg att Det som göms i snö var på väg så blev jag eld och lågor. Äntligen! Och en thriller skulle det vara, dessutom en psykologisk. En av mina favoritgenrer av en av mina favoritförfattare. Hur skulle det gå? Den korta versionen är att det gick bra, den längre kommer här. min blogg

[Reading With Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tak tohle bylo NĚCO!!!
KDO HLEDÁ VÝBORNÝ THRILLER, TAK TOTO JE TO PRAVÉ OŘECHOVÉ!

Nemám slov! To si prostě musíte přečíst! A ten konec? Ten vás naprosto dostane spolu s poděkováním autorky. Bože můj to byla jízda. IHNED SI TO BĚŽTE PŘEČÍST A NEVÁHEJTE!!
Vážně nemám slov! TOTO JE JEDNO VELKÉ DOPORUČENÍ!

[Stella Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 this book was confusing at times and had some sensitive topics I wasn't aware of going into it. It kept me interested however. A good mystery.

[Asia (zupa.czyta) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trzy kobiety, kilka tajemnic i kryminalna zagadka sprzed kilku lat, która domaga się rozwiązania. Czy z tych elementów powstał dobry thriller psychologiczny? Polemizowałabym.
Zacznę od tego, że podoba mi się pomysł na fabułę - uwikłanie w intrygę kilku, pozornie ze sobą niezwiązanych osób, całkiem nieźle autorce wyszło. Początkowo z zainteresowaniem śledziłam losy trzech bohaterek, po kilkudziesięciu stronach lektury odczułam jednak lekkie zmęczenie ich towarzystwem. Nie polubiłam żadnej z kobiet, ciężko było mi im współczuć i kibicować, stały mi się właściwie całkowicie obojętne, a nie ma chyba nic gorszego od odczuwania apatii podczas lektury. Mimo, że samej zagadce kryminalnej nie mam nic do zarzucenia, autorce nie do końca udało się mnie zainteresować rozwojem wydarzeń. W pewnym momencie miałam nawet wrażenie, że fabuła wyhamowała, jakby stado owiec przez pasy przepuszczała. Przyspieszyła dopiero pod koniec powieści, jednak uczucie zawodu nie opuściło mnie aż do samego finału.
Sięgając po tę książkę nie nastawiajcie się na czytelnicze fajerwerki, klimat powieści jest raczej przygnębiający, co nie każdemu może odpowiadać. Jeśli jednak lubicie, gdy autor skupia się na warstwie psychologicznej i stara się rozłożyć postępowanie bohaterów na czynniki pierwsze, może to być wybór idealny dla Was. Ja przyznaję "Opowiedz mi o nim" trójczynę i ciekawa jestem, czy inna powieść autorki bardziej przypadłaby mi do gustu.

[Cassie’s Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who knew a strip of an icy backroad would leave the lives of a group of strangers forever intertwined. An evening in January of 2014 on the island of Gotland two cars collide after sliding on black ice. The accident is fatal and leaves a car in the ravine, No witnesses come forward and the accident is presumed to be a a single car accident. What no one knows is that there were three witnesses that night, one of them was driving drunk and had just attacked a woman , the other two were hiding an illicit affair. When the past doesn’t stay hidden and the accident still haunts everyone especially when the victim wasn’t found for four days, one fateful call four years later changes everything, it appear someone witnessed everything that night and has proof. When one of the witnesses is found dead, it appears the past isn’t going to stay in the past and nothing is as it appears! Told in multiple POV and told in two timelines it really adds to the tension of the story. What appears as a car accident sets off a domino effect that is more slipperier than the black ice! Five stars!

[LIsa Noell "Rocking the chutzpah!" · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thanks to Penzler Publishers, Carin Gerhardsen and Netgalley. This was a rollercoaster of a book! Twists, turns and a who the heck? Finding out the real identities and their place in the scheme of things was fun, and tense! The viewpoint of the character's was intense. They made me shift my likes to dislikes, and vice versa! I would definitely read more from this author!

[Sina · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Sterne. Leider insgesamt total unglaubwürdig und für einen Thriller 0,0 spannend 🙄

[agata_reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bardzo dobry thriller, jednak dopiero przez ostatnie 150 stron. Z początku totalnie nie mogłam się wgryźć i nie mogłam zapamiętać kto jest kim. Jednak ostatnie strony pochłonęłam z otwartą buzią, nie mogąc doczekać się jak to wszystko się rozwiąże. Jeżeli szukacie thrillera na jesienny wieczór, to ten mogę wam polecić, mimo tego, że nie wciągnęłam się od samego początku.

[Sara Dalengren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spännande och klurig utan att bli allt för läskig.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Black Ice is a domino effect of choices, each leading to bigger and bigger consequences.

This story starts as a big knot, and as you continue to read, tugging at all the extruding strings you begin to unravel the knot, finding out which ends are actually connected, and slowly the whole thing comes together, until…

I’m blown away. Like many seasoned mystery/suspense readers, I often see a twist a mile away, but wow… Carin Gerhardsen got me - she got me good. I definitely found myself surprised multiple times.

The dual timeline and a multiple point of view narrative explored the fateful night of the accident and the days that followed from everyone’s perspective. As the story slowly unravels the reader learns not everyone is as reliable as they may seem and everyone has something to hide. Even though it was a bit slower paced than I prefer, Black Ice still was shocking that it definitely needs to be a 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 for all mystery/suspense lovers - I know for sure I’m adding Gerhardsen to my auto buy list.

Thank you @netgalley @penzlerpub @cavring @scarletsuspense for the gifted eARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good! Full review soon!

[justonemorepage_ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Black Ice is the first book I've read by this author, but I'll definitely be checking out more now. I found this quote online and I think it best describes this book; "Everything we think and say and do has consequences for ourselves and for others. Like ripples on a pond our actions spread out and affect others because everything is interconnected". That perfectly sums up this book, because one horrible, and idiotic person did something that he shouldn't have, which resulted in two major crimes and changing the lives of so many.
.
Every single little thing in this book is connected. You may think a character, or a scene shouldn't be there but everything in this book has a point. It is filled with SO many twists and turns and to truly appreciate it all, you must untangle the web of lies to get the full story. Black Ice is filled with so many coincidences, that at first I was iffy about them but in the end it made me appreciate the story that much more. We have multiple POVs. Each character and their story is just as important to this story as the next. By reading about every character and how their life has changed, it allows us to figure out the entire story of the events that happened years prior. So it isn't until the very end of the book that all the pieces of the puzzle are truly put into place. Also, if you're planning to read this one, definitely make sure to read the acknowledgment page

[Marc Bougharios · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is out on June 29th, 2021

The icy backroads can be very slippery and dangerous in the winter, but for this group of strangers the roads will change their lives forever. That's all I'll say about this novel because the less you know about this one, the better.

I loved the cold setting of Gotland and I felt like I was transported to Sweden by Gerhadsen's writing. The novel is so well-crafted and the storyline is superb. As we follow the different characters, we slowly start to see how their lives are linked by the icy roads.

The book was not how I expected it to be, but in a good way. The writing is masterful in its own way. Garhandsen makes us think we know what we are reading, but then takes us on a giant U-turn. At least this is how my reading experience was. I thought I knew what I was reading, but every time I came upon a plot twist that shocked me. Eventually, I gave up trying to guess anything about the novel.

While the story has the elements of a slow burn mystery, its shocking plot twists make it a thriller. You can picture me reading this book with gasping out loud with a gaping mouth at every twist because that's exactly how it went. The slow burn aspect didn't really affect the novel for me because I was so entranced in the amazing characters and the story. Every character is different in their own way, but they are dealing with very similar struggles. At its core, this is a story about grief and guilt and how people deal with it in their own ways.

If you love novels with these themes as well as the elements of a thriller, I highly recommend picking this one up. This is perfect for the book clubs!

Thank you to Scarlet Suspense for providing me with this an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

[Raelle | raellephant · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF @87%

I tried. I really did. But I couldn't get through this book. Perhaps I should pick up the original Swedish version and give that a try. I wanted to finish it, and I made it almost to the end, but I couldn't take it anymore, and I don't want to waste my time forcing myself to sit and read a book that I don't find interesting.

I really disliked the narrative style of this book. The entire thing felt like a big info-dump and none of it was entertaining to read. I very much like the concept, but there was no suspense or thrill in reading this and that was something I was expecting based on the synopsis.

Spoiler Alert!!
Even as one of our main characters walked away from a car wreck and left the driver there to possibly die just so she could save herself from the mortification of revealing her affair, it still felt bland and uninteresting.

I almost wonder if it's the translation, since sometimes books don't translate well, even if the translation is done really well, so maybe I'll grab the Swedish edition if I have the opportunity in the future, but for now, this was a no for me.

[Andreas Tovefalk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Första boken som jag läser av Carin Gerhardsen och det är en mycket bra bok. Det kanske inte låter så spännande med en bilolycka på Gotland. Historien får hela tiden nya vändningar och berättas ur olika perspektiv. Vilket driv fram berättelsen på ett mycket spännande sätt. Tyckte att boken var mycket bra och jag kommer att läsa hennes tidigare böcker.

[Iris · Rating 1 out of 5]

Reading this was a struggle... The idea of the plot is brilliant but writing was naive and plot is far-fetched. Didn’t like any of the characters.