Although a bit of a slow start, by the end I was gripped. This is a story whereby you could really feel the madness of Lelle's grief, (his daughter is missing) exacerbated by the constant light of the Midnight Sun. A really beautiful description of this part of Sweden. I really enjoyed this book.

What a fascinating and absorbing book, so well written/translated. The characters are so well drawn and the tale haunting and heart-rending. A father, Lelle, who spends his life still searching for his daughter who has been missing for 3 years. A young girl, Meja, who is looking for a settled life with a family because her mother cannot look after her. This story was exhausting because the characters were so well portrayed that I felt invested in their despair and sense of loss. A riveting read which I recommend highly. Hard to believe this is a debut novel.
Many thanks to Netgalley/Stina Jackson/Atlantic Books for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

Set in northern Sweden, The Silver Road by Stina Jackson is a haunting and atmospheric novel about loss and endurance. In this part of Sweden the sun doesn’t fully set in the summer months so Lelle, a schoolteacher, spends his nights driving the Silver Road searching for his daughter Lina who went missing three years earlier. He was the last person to see her alive after giving her a lift to the bus stop and he blames himself for her disappearance. His marriage has crumbled, he believes the police haven’t done enough to find Lina and he is smoking and drinking far too much. He comforts himself with memories of Lina and often imagines her speaking to him and sitting in the passenger seat of the car whilst he searches for her.

Meja and her mother Silje move to the area after Silje meets a local man online and for Meja this is yet another move and new start. Silje is a troubled woman who has mental health problems and who has dragged her daughter from place to place to find a man who will look after them. Meja is a sad and lonely young woman who is uncomfortable in her new house in the middle of the forest. When, she meets a boy and falls in love with him and his family she discovers a life she didn’t think she would ever have.

Stina Jackson has written a beautiful and atmospheric book. The midnight sun and its disorientating effect seeps everything in an almost other world quality. It feels like there are two types of people; those who live in the daytime and those for whom the nighttime hours are their haven. The landscape of a dense, dark forest filled with abandoned houses, lakes and secrets encroaches upon everything. It is always there in the corner of your eye, a wall of trees hiding God knows what, just waiting for you to enter. This setting tinges everything with an air of menace and malevolence, especially when another teenage girl who bears more than a passing resemblance to Lina goes missing.

At its heart this is a mystery but it is also an examination of humanity and the dogged determination of a father. It takes a skilled hand to write characters with such nuance and sensitivity. Meja’s sadness is palpable whilst Lelle’s desperation leaps from the page and I took both of these people to my heart.

Brilliant and evocative writing combine to make this a stand out novel in the Scandi-noir genre. This isn’t a book with a grizzled detective investigating brutal and violent deaths, it is a slow character driven novel which gets firmly under your skin. I say slow as a positive, it is a beautiful, literary, weighty and immersive read which gently unspools in front of you, much like the Silver Road which Lelle religiously drives. Translated by Susan Beard this is a standout novel and comes highly recommended.

Totally gripped from the start! This is a story of love, loss and grief and a father's obsession with searching for his daughter who went missing three years ago. Set in the beautiful and isolated North of Sweden, he spends most nights driving along the Silver Road looking for her or clues to her disappearance. A gripping crime thriller

This a brilliantly atmospheric debut novel that, although was a bit slow to start with, was definitely worth persevering with.

I am looking forward to reading more books by Stina Jackson in the future and will absolutely be recommending this book.

‘The Silver Road’ is Stina Jackson’s debut novel, translated from the Swedish by Susan Beard.

Three years ago Lelle’s daughter, Lina, went missing while she waited for a bus in a remote part of Northern Sweden. Lelle blames himself for not waiting to see her safely board the bus. So does his wife, who has since left him.

Lelle is a broken man who spends all his free time driving the Silver Road searching for any trace of Lina. While the local police are sympathetic, the trail has gone cold.

Meanwhile, 17-year old Meja has moved to the area with her troubled and irresponsible mother. She has had a very unsettled life. Eager to be free of her mother, she takes up with a young man whose family have adopted a survivalist life style. Meja is also a student in Lelle’s class and their lives begin to become intertwined.

Then another 17-year old girl, who closely resembles Lina, goes missing and Lelle is convinced that the cases are connected.

I found this a powerful melancholic novel with the focus mainly upon the father of a victim who is trying in his own way to deal with a profound sense of loss and guilt. Although Meja has a story of her own, her situation also presents Lelle with a route to redemption.

I have been an enthusiast of Nordic Noir for a number of years and felt that this was a superb addition to the genre currently translated into English. It was atmospheric and beautifully written. Susan Beard’s translation was very accessible and captured the characters and a strong sense of place.

My thanks to to Atlantic Books/Corvus for an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Originally written in Swedish, this excellent story has been translated into English by Susan Beard who has done a cracking job.

Lelle’s daughter has been missing for 3 years, and Lelle is travelling the silver road searching for her when everyone else has stopped trying to find her. An emotion journey about the loss of a daughter, and the obsession of a loving father who refuses to give up. This is a truly magnificent story that stays with you long after you’ve read the final page.

A Beautifully written and gripping thriller, 5 very well earned stars.

Lelle is searching for his daughter who went missing three years ago. He spends his nights driving up the Silver Road looking for clues. Along the way he comes across Meja a young girl who moves in with her boyfriend to get away from her mother. Their lives collide and maybe finally Lelle will get his answers.

This was quite a read. It was very dark and yet haunting and so well written. The story was interesting and I hadn't predicted who was behind the abduction. I liked the way the story was told from two different perspectives. The ending was so heartbreaking and yet at the same time there was a glimmer of hope.

Lelle is so broken but then who wouldn't be in his situation. I really liked Meje she has been through so much and yet all she wanted was a life.

This was a slow burn of a read that definitely picked up in the last third. The translation was very well done and the setting perfectly atmospheric for such a story. I really felt for the two main characters Lelle and Meja and their respective issues that caused their stories to intertwine. I wouldn't call it a classic page-turner, but I definitely wanted to know what had happened!

The Silver Road is Stina Jackson's Scandi Noir debut, and it's a promising start to her literary career. Based in the beautiful sparse and isolated Northern Sweden, it's a moving, haunting and wonderfully atmospheric experience. Written in an engaging fashion we follow the story as it meanders and turns chillingly dark. The central aspect of the plot focuses on the love, loss and grief associated with losing a person that is special to you. Having just lost a close family member I can relate to the authenticity of the feelings and thoughts portrayed here.

However, the part of the plot that stands out the most is the gorgeous setting which is in itself a character. The descriptions of the cold, dark forested countryside adds an ominous feeling to the whole story. The characterisation is also beautifully done. Each of them plays their part in the plot in a compelling manner. Recommended to those who enjoy Scandi Noir and atmospheric crime fiction.

Many thanks to Corvus for an ARC.

This is the tale of Lelle, a teacher whose 17 year old daughter disappeared 3 years ago. He is guilt ridden as he was the one to drop her at the bus stop and no-one has seen her since. His wife blamed him, and she eventually left...while he stayed and drives every night along the Silver Road, searching and searching for Lina....

Stina Jackson’s expressive writing gives breathe to the cold, remote area in North Sweden.....its dark forests gave me the chills just thinking about them and that’s a credit to Jackson’s writing.

The police initially had Lelle as a suspect but with nothing found the investigation seemed to peter out but Lelle won’t give up and it’s an obsession with him to keep searching .........


Alongside this is the story of Meja, a troubled teen, brought to the area by her mother Silje, who met a man online and so moves them here to live with him..Silje drinks constantly and clearly has mental health issues Leaving Meja lonely and isolated..as a result when her boyfriend, Carl-Johan asks, she agrees to move in with him and his doomsday prepper family.......

Then another girl goes missing.......

Who has taken these two girls ? Who is it that is kept in a dank room ? And by who?


This is a dark and disturbing tale of isolation, loss, love and the lengths we would go to for family.......the writing is so good, you can feel the stillness of the cold, the underlying tension and the chilly menace of the forest.....a masterful piece of writing and I can recommend it without reservation

I would like to thank the Author/the Publishers/NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book for free in exchange for a fair and honest review

This was a really impressive debut from this author. I am really liking the scandanavian noir books that are out at the moment, and this doesn't let me down. I look forward to reading the next book by this author. 3.5 but rounded up.

Incredibly atmospheric, Swedish bleak, profoundly sad at times, and very insightful - a father searching for his missing daughter, a teenager trying to escape life with her mentally unstable mother and a cast of eccentric forest dwellers and survivalists make for a well written, well paced, gripping story.

An enjoyable tale with a slightly predictable outcome but still very engaging. I liked most of the characters and was rooting for Lelle to find his missing daughter despite knowing as well as he did that the conclusion would not be the one he desired. The book is divided into separate mini chapters that each tell one of the main characters story. I felt that sometimes, these were a little short, resulting in it being difficult to really become engaged without being torn from the plot and deposited elsewhere.
This was less of a whodunnit than an exploration of human frailties, strengths and feelings when tested by the unfairness of life. Having said that, I confess I did succumb to some of the red herrings before it became clear what was really happening.
Thank you to the publisher for this ARC, I would definitely recommend it.

This is one of the best books I have read for a long time. A stunning debut by Stina Jackson. Very atmospheric with the cold, wet, dark days of northern Sweden described through the behaviour of the characters and its effect on them. A missing girl, a distraught father and an interesting set of support (or not) characters along with a twisty plot make for a very good book. I am very much looking forward to following this author and hope she writes more gritty stories like this one. Thanks go to NetGalley and the publishers for a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Lelle's daughter went missing three years ago. Every summer Lelle searches for his daughter. Meja arrives in the town with her mum, she is the same age as Lelle's daughter when she went missing. Is there a link between the two. Another girl goes missing does this have anything to do with his daughter. Slow in places but keeps drawing you back, hoping that Lelle can find answer and Meja the fresh start she us seeking. Mixed feelings as this is a beautiful book and ending well you have to wait and see...but there were points where perhaps I was wondering down a road to nowhere!

'The Silver Road' is a stylish thriller set in northern Sweden. Jackson's debut novel sees her protagonist, Lelle, searching for the truth about his missing daughter Lina. it's been nearly 3 years since she went missing. Even though no sign of her has been seen since, it has caused the break-up of Lelle's marriage, chain-smoking drives on the silver road and endless despair.

Jackson's writing is not necessarily that original. However, she does create a claustrophobic world where a lot happens in a small space. When a new girl and her mother arrive - and later, another girl goes missing - the story's action ratchets up a good few notches. Throwing in the elusive and private 'end of days' family definitely adds to the noir feel that this novel exudes.

I enjoyed this book - it's not something I choose to read that often but I am pleased I gave it the time.

A heartbraking story of love and loss but so much more. A creepy Scandinavian noir, my guilty pleasure. A really good read and my heart went out to the father. In some places I had to read passages several times as the translation was not good. Saying that this was a real page turner and I finished it in one sitting. Another new author for me and I wold definitely like to read more of her work. An emotional tale with a dark side. Almost five stars.
I would like to thank the author, Atlantic Books and Netgalley for the advanced copy in return for giving an honest review. I MUST add that after reading this book and sending in my review before the publication date of 7th March I find that this book has already been archived. It would have been nice to be informed.

The book seemed a bit unbalanced with a long slow first half and then all the action happening in the second. It was original though but character changes to fit the plot sometimes spoiled it for me.

Didn't get to finish this unfortunately but I enjoyed it so much I did send an email to net gallery to see if there was anyway I could get this again but unfortunately it's been archived. Would definitely love to read this again (and finish this time). I would 100% recommend this to friends and family though