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From Publishers Weekly
Huber's slightly nasal, vaguely Middle-American drawl is a strange fit for a murder mystery set in northern Sweden. I The strategy is mostly effective, though, rendering Larsson's novel about the puzzling death of a priest more familiar to American listeners than it might otherwise appear. In her reading, Sweden is just next door to Michigan, and the aggressive normalcy of Huber's no-nonsense voice brings the terrible conundrum of lawyer Rebecka Martinsson, embroiled in guilt and anger and a desire to understand after an accidental death, to life. Huber makes no effort to sound Swedish, other than pronouncing names and places properly, and in the end, this gives Larsson's mystery a familiar, well-worn feel it might otherwise lack.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.
From Booklist
*Starred Review* Larsson's chilling American debut, Sun Storm(2006), won Sweden's Best First Crime Novel award in 2003. In it, she introduced readers to Rebecka Martinsson, a Stockholm tax attorney who kills three men to stop a bizarre homicidal spree. (The trouble began with the slaying of a church founder in Rebecka's native Kiruna, the northernmost city in Sweden). Two years later, just as Rebecka is finding some semblance of sanity in her life, a case brings her back to Kiruna, where another member of the clergy has been murdered. (The victim this time is Mildred Nilsson, an outspoken feminist priest who had as many enemies as friends.) Rebecka soon renews her acquaintance with shrewd but kindly policewoman Anna-Maria Mella and meets a host of townspeople who run the gamut from suspicious to serene. Rebecka's return to her hometown prompts memories of her childhood, which keep her grounded as she plunges deeper into the case. Larsson, who was born and raised in Kiruna, delivers plenty of suspense, but her real gift lies in her ability to climb inside the minds of her characters, analyzing their motivations for doing damage and good. She vividly evokes midsummer in rural Sweden, where endless daylight is no deterrent to dark deeds. Allison Block
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
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Most helpful customer reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
A new Scandinavian Mystery Writer,
By Kelly Rossiter (Toronto, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Blood Spilt (Hardcover)
I seem to have quite a lot of Scandinavian mystery stories on my reading pile these days. I find them very different in tone from English or North American mysteries. There is a kind of formality and perhaps more civility to them. I'm not sure if that comes from their society or if it is a function of reading a work in translation. The urban mysteries don't have the kind of nastiness and grit you associate with Ian Rankin or Ken Bruen and the small town mysteries don't have the kind of fey charm of something by Simon Brett. There is also a very strong sense of place in most of these novels. This seems to me to be true of The Blood Spilt, the second novel by Asa Larsson. I enjoyed this book, but my biggest complaint is that the plot is too close to her first novel, Sun Storms. I should let you know that if you read this book first, then you'll know who committed the murder in the first novel. I always find that annoying in mysteries with recurring characters, but in this case you can see that Larsson wrote herself into a corner and really had to reveal the information, otherwise the behaviour of her main character wouldn't make sense. I'll certainly give her third novel a try when it appears.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
3.1 out of 5 stars (20 customer reviews) 10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
north country,
By time traveler - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Blood Spilt (Paperback)
Curiosity about its northern Swedish setting might drive the American mystery-fan to follow this woman-centered crime series. If there is a North American analog to the setting such might be Canada, where folk from a difficult rural north have tended to migrate away to the few more sophisticated southern cities. The lead characters: Rebecka, Stockholm lawyer returned-for-a-while to her northern birthplace, and a local woman-man police team. Though the story is female-centered, the action is plenty brutal. The environment is as rough as you like. The book's weakness is too much focus on returnee Rebecka's re-awakened conflicts around having deserted her roots. It's really the local police pair who identify and seize the murderer. Your decision to continue or not reading this series might depend on how long its off-beat environment still intrigues you.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
A taut and brooding thriller,
By D. Rail "music nut, history buff" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Blood Spilt (Paperback)
This novel takes place Kiruna, in northern Sweden. A woman priest is found murdered, and it seems as though she had few friends. An attorney winds up involved in the case along, with a female inspector. The story makes some dark flashbacks as we see that the spirit of despair lurks in more than one character's life. Infighting among the town residents, church politics, and the puzzle of who could be the criminal, all compel the reader through this tautly paced book. Although it has some weak spots, overall I enjoyed it. (This review is based on the audio book.)
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A "thriller" for those who like rich detail & great characters,
By Wehrly - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Blood Spilt (Hardcover)
The reviews aren't really doing this book justice--although as an ex-lawyer my connection to the main character's mixed feelings about her job and colleagues might have swayed me a bit. Larsson deserves enthusiastic praise for the naturalness of the writing, plenty of detail about the characters' thoughts and dilemmas, and the well-described settings. She also is very skilled at making almost every character appealing in some way, despite major flaws, bad judgment, or mental disorder--all that, and still nothing seemed overdone, sentimentalized, or "romancey". The limited amount of police procedure and forensic chops is really not a problem--the book is still engrossing and entertaining. Can't wait for the next...where is it?Oh, and the wolf Yellow Legs--hope she appears again, too! A neat element of the story brought to life. |
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