A review by cj_mo_2222
Guiltless by Viveca Sten
4.0
In the summer, the small Swedish island of Sandhamn is known for its "beautiful beaches and delightful regattas", but on a stormy Fall night, a young woman named Lina Rosen has disappeared. Four months later, the case is still unsolved and it's up to D.I. Thomas Andreasson, his partner Margit Grankvist, and his friend Nora Linde to find out the truth about what happened to Lina.
I've read quite a few Scandinavian mysteries and I really like this novel by Viveca Sten. This is third in a series, but the first I have read. I feel like I didn't get to know Margit very well from this book and it could be that background was given in one of the prior two books. I liked Thomas as a person and an investigator and his friend Nora is likeable, sympathetic, and intelligent.
In addition to the current mystery, the narrative includes flashbacks to a Sandhamn family going back as far as 1899. The tragic events related in those chapters are eventually and smoothly tied in to the present. I couldn't wait to see what, if anything, these characters from the past had to do with the current case.
The book is well-written and suspenseful. The writing style and the use of history paired with current event reminds me of Swedish author Camilla Lackberg, who is one of my favorites. As mentioned above, not all of the characters are as fully fleshed out as I would have liked, but that could be due to reading this book without reading the prior installments. The case is solved by the end of the book, but I was disappointed that a huge cliffhanger regarding an important character was left unresolved. Luckily, the next book comes out in English later this year. Until then, I plan to catch up on the first two books of this series. I'm so glad I was able to read this book and discover a new author that I really like.
I received this book from the Goodreads First-Reads program. The book was provided to me and in turn, I have provided an honest review.
I've read quite a few Scandinavian mysteries and I really like this novel by Viveca Sten. This is third in a series, but the first I have read. I feel like I didn't get to know Margit very well from this book and it could be that background was given in one of the prior two books. I liked Thomas as a person and an investigator and his friend Nora is likeable, sympathetic, and intelligent.
In addition to the current mystery, the narrative includes flashbacks to a Sandhamn family going back as far as 1899. The tragic events related in those chapters are eventually and smoothly tied in to the present. I couldn't wait to see what, if anything, these characters from the past had to do with the current case.
The book is well-written and suspenseful. The writing style and the use of history paired with current event reminds me of Swedish author Camilla Lackberg, who is one of my favorites. As mentioned above, not all of the characters are as fully fleshed out as I would have liked, but that could be due to reading this book without reading the prior installments. The case is solved by the end of the book, but I was disappointed that a huge cliffhanger regarding an important character was left unresolved. Luckily, the next book comes out in English later this year. Until then, I plan to catch up on the first two books of this series. I'm so glad I was able to read this book and discover a new author that I really like.
I received this book from the Goodreads First-Reads program. The book was provided to me and in turn, I have provided an honest review.