I really enjoyed this. I generally like Scandi-Noir anyway but this really is Scandi-Noir with a difference – not a straightforward murder mystery at all, and all the better for that. The characterisation is really good and interesting – you’re not just following a detective and his sidekick as is normally the case with novels in this genre; instead you’re drawn in to the story by a woman who’d suffered a family tragedy in the past, and a photographer who happens to sometimes take photographs for the police but as a sideline. You become caught up in their lives, as well as in the deeper, darker mystery of what is happening in Mossmarken, and who might be behind it – or whether it might be a tale of the supernatural after all. Fascinating and gripping – would definitely recommend.

The Forbidden Place brought something new to the exciting realm of Scandi noir - it gave us an intelligent sense of place through its history and ancient legends. The reader learns quite a lot about Swedish cultural superstitions and beliefs. Nathalie's work as a biologist studying the peat bog delivered even more interesting information about our environment, evolution and wetlands. But, this is not the first time Nathalie has been to Mossmarken. It wasn't solely the peat bog that brought her here. She has a history of her own with this haunted place and hopes to find some answers whilst undergoing her work.

I didn't feel I clicked with Nathalie much. She seemed rather one dimensional but that may have been the intent given the trauma she suffered when young. This story really flows from ancient beliefs and how they mold the people who live in relatively remote locations. I loved the ominous feel of this novel and the tidbits of knowledge scattered throughout. The Forbidden Place seemed more than a thriller and, thankfully, lacked a bloody body count. Instead it gave us thoughtful information, a great education and a juicy mystery needing solving.

An elegant, philosophical thriller set in the remote peat bogs of Sweden. Nathalie is a biologist who has come to study the effects on the peat of climate change. She lived in the area of Mossmarken as a child and we know from the outset that something terrible has happened to her. Not long after she arrives she discovers an unconscious man whose pockets contain gold coins. Whilst he lies in the hospital it is up to policeman Leif and his police photographer, Maya, to discover what has happened. Soon enough the bog begins to give up more bodies, also laden with gold coins.

This is a very atmospheric novel and the author beautifully creates the foreboding background of marsh, mist and bogs. This is a place with a history of ritual and sacrifice and you begin to wonder if it is this which has prompted the killings.

At the outset I described this novel as philosophical and it is in the conversations the characters have concerning science, belief and consciousness. It is very clever and I enjoyed it a great deal.

I received a complimentary copy of the book from NetGalley and publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you.

A slightly different take on the Scandinavian thriller genre: murders, but not as graphic and gruesome as they usually are. The story twists between past and present and the mysterious bog where bodies have been lost and found. An unusual and absorbing read.

When I started reading this book, I wasn't sure it was my kind of book, but I persevered and enjoyed it immensely. Lots of suspicion, and lots of history with the characters. An unexpected ending.

I find Scandinavian Noir mystery thrillers difficult. I enjoy the atmospheric settings and the underlying menace, but I find the pacing inexorably slow and the characters hard to empathise and understand.

All these things are true of 'The Forbidden Place', so from that point of view it fits well into this genre, the ending is good, and the author's ability to create suspense is not in doubt, it's just for me the slow pace, and the characters' insular, inherent coldness negate this.

Nathalie, a biologist, returns to her childhood town to finish her PhD dissertation. She is troubled and eventually, you find out why. The bog steeped in folklore and tragedy is part of her study but when someone is attacked, and the bodies start appearing she is forced to relive her past, face her demons to ensure she has a happier future.

It is suspenseful, and the mystery throws up lots of false suspects, if you are happy with a slow-paced read and accept the characters lack vivacity, this is worth reading.
I received a copy of this book from Hodder& Stoughton- Mulholland Books via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

The Forbidden Place is a dark atmospheric creepy story set in Sweden .Biologist Nathalie has returned to Mossmarken her home town that she left when she was 12 yrs old because of a traumatic event she now returns to study the peat bogs and find some closure after all these years .This to me was a great premise for a story but it took a long time to get there ,a lot of the story was centred round the biological composition of the bogs which went right over my head and and I found Maya the Police photographer quite boring as well again too many technical things that I was just not interested in ! I felt the plot was good but it took too long to get all the answers .Many thanks to the Publisher .the Author and NetGalley for my review copy in return for an honest review .

The Forbidden Place has an unusual plot set in Sweden which was the reason why I wanted to read this. It’s gripping, frightening, it will make your heart race with plenty of twists to keep you wanting to read more.

A dark and gripping tale. This is well plotted out and you get a real understanding of the characters, Its a slow starter but slowly allows the tension to build making this a very enjoyable read.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. What a great debut novel based in the remote Swedish wetlands. Thoroughly enjoyed this book

I enjoyed the sense of place and environment in this book and could imagine why the local people were so superstitious about the bog and believed the myths that surrounded it. I liked the characters although it felt a bit like an Agatha Christie novel at the end with the detective having all the suspects gathered in one room for the final denouement!
Unfortunately the kindle copy I had didn't have any breaks between the narratives which made it difficult to follow at times, but I found it a page turning, well translated debut novel and look forward to reading more by this author.

This was an interesting read and well written. I liked Nathalie's character and the storyline in general, but I did feel that some of the descriptions and biological details went on a bit long. The whole premise of a bog that demands sacrifice was intriguing and the whole story of the bog bodies was great. The police investigation is great and I loved the supernatural elements that continued right up to the very end. The entire novel has a rather creepy feel to it and the atmosphere surrounding the bog was so well done. Overall, I enjoyed the book, but the long descriptions sometimes took me out of the story and I found myself skimming to get back to the action. There are lots of twists and things that I wasn't expecting but on a whole, I'd have to give this 3.5 stars.

The core plot and mystery made this a really good read and I definitely wanted the questions raised to be answered. The historical and scientific facts provided as background certainly helped add credibility and Jansson's portrayal of the main character ensures you become involved in an emotional way.
However, although the whole point of the book is the evil element of the bog, I somehow found the references to this fact were too obvious and this became an overstated factor.
Generally a sound read for fans of mystery.

Thank you to NetGalley and MulHolland Books for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is an unusual idea for a book but it works very well. The characters are believable and the story is exceedingly well translated and,presumably,equally well written in the original. The childhood angst of the main character,Nathalie,is challenging too. I thought had guessed who had committed the murders early on and thought that spoiled the book but I was absolute wrong! There is a lot of padding and environmental detail but that is important to the atmosphere.

This is an unusual story> A Swedish bog that locals believe demands sacrifice. I found it a little difficult to get into and I believe that the download that I received was flawed as the different threads of the story were not separated. This was quite confusing at times as a different thread would begin within the same paragraph as the last one. The main characters were believable and interesting and the link with the famous 'bog bodies' in Denmark was another area of interest for me. Eventually the story is resolved from a police investigation - but the supernatural theme continues to the end.
Different, interesting and a good read.
Certainly worth recommending.

Maybe it was the style of writing but I found this really hard to get into. Good if you’re a fan of Scandi Noir but otherwise I’d stear clear.

Didn’t enjoy this I’m afraid.

Thank you Mulholland Books and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

An unusual novel with a very eerie feel. The atmosphere of the bog is conveyed very well and we are not surprised to find evil at its core. The back story of the heroine's past connection with the area is also intriguing. However, I had to skim read a lot to get to the point. The lengthy descriptions are fine, but all the detailed scientific knowledge seriously slowed the pace down .
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC

A seriously good book. The translation of a book can either make or break it, this one, I think makes it. I get the feeling that the writer's words and flow are reproduced clearly. The story is excellent, making it one of the best books I've read in a long time. I could see and feel the bog, and the people around it. The story opens up in front of you and the denouement, when it comes, works perfectly..

Dark and atmospheric, a slow burn of a book, building up to twists you weren't expecting. It was a little confusing at times but lived up to what Nordic based suspense stories should be. I enjoyed reading this book, a great debut novel.
3.5 Stars

I am a great fan of Nordic thrillers, movies and TV-series so I’m always curious after new interesting titles/authors. Nordic thrillers tend to be nicely dark with interesting characters. In my opinion, The Forbidden Place could have done with a little less description of the landscape and the atmosphere and more character development. It was at times rather slow and I thought it a bit unbalanced because only almost at the end of the book more details about Nathalie’s past become clear.
It is very nicely written and maybe I should have just read it with a little different mindset. As I’m surrounded all day by people who can talk about nothing else than climate change, it might have been a bit much for me to have to read about it in this book again. Especially because it has nothing to do with the story as such.
I’m looking forward to reading another title by this author.

Thank you Netgalley and Hodder for the digital copy of this book.