Publisher: Random House Audio
Published: December 27, 2016
Source: Library
Summary:
Acclaimed Swedish author Camilla Grebe makes her solo American debut with a psychological thriller as cunning in its twists as it is captivating in its storytelling – for fans of the celebrated crime fiction of Camilla Läckberg, Jo Nesbø, Ruth Ware, and Fiona Barton.
Winter’s chill has descended on Stockholm as police arrive at the scene of a shocking murder. An unidentified woman lies beheaded in a posh suburban home – a brutal crime made all the more disturbing by its uncanny resemblance to an unsolved killing 10 years earlier. But this time there’s a suspect: the charismatic and controversial chain-store CEO Jesper Orre, who owns the home but is nowhere to be found.
To homicide detectives Peter Lindgren and Manfred Olsson, nothing about the suave, high-profile businessman – including a playboy reputation and rumors of financial misdeeds – suggests he conceals the dark heart and twisted mind of a cold-blooded killer. In search of a motive, Lindgren and Olsson turn to the brilliant criminal profiler Hanne Lagerlind-Schön. Once a valued police asset, now marooned in unhappy retirement and a crumbling marriage, she’s eager to exercise her keen skills again – and offer the detectives a window into the secret soul of Jesper Orre.
But they’re not the only ones searching. Two months before, Emma Bohman, a young clerk at Orre’s company, chanced to meet the charming chief executive, and romance swiftly bloomed. Almost as quickly as the passionate affair ignited, it was over when Orre inexplicably disappeared. One staggering misfortune after another followed, leaving Emma certain that her runaway lover was to blame and transforming her confusion and heartbreak into anger.
Now, pursuing the same mysterious man for different reasons, Emma and the police are destined to cross paths in a chilling dance of obsession, vengeance, madness, and love gone hellishly wrong.
My thoughts:
I read this back in 2017 on the recommendation of Abby at @crimebythebook and really enjoyed it. I was thrilled when it was selected as a buddy read for a NordicNoir pick by @readbydusk. I love the discussions we have with our group and so it was a no-brainer for me to pick this one up again. Plus I have found that while I don’t reread books often, when I do, I always pick up something new and that was definitely the case again here.
Reading this one again was just as good, and being that it had been a few years, I found I had forgotten the intricate details of the book. One of the strengths of this book is the character development. I loved being inside these characters’ heads and having the story told from multiple points of view really adds not only to the depth of each character, but also to the overall suspense of the story. I also loved that these characters are so flawed as it makes them that much more relatable.
I loved the slower pace of this book and even though it is a police procedural, I did feel it was a bit more character-driven, not that I minded. I liked the way everything unraveled in its own time. And because I am once again attached to these characters, I want to continue with this series as Camilla has written a few more books since first read this book. I’ve already read book 2, After She’s Gone, but I will definitely reread that one and then I need to get my hands on the third book somehow as it hasn’t been published here in the states yet. And hopefully by the time I get around to reading those two, book 4 will have been translated to English!
Books in this series:
- The Ice Beneath Her
- After She’s Gone
- The Hideout
* My original review of The Ice Beneath Her
