Member Review
Review by
Vivienne O, Reviewer
My thanks to Thomas & Mercer for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Snow Angel’ by Anki Edvinsson.
This is the first in a series of police procedurals, featuring Detectives Charlotte von Klint and Per Berg. It was translated from the Swedish by Paul Norlen.
The novel opens with a teenage boy leaping to his death from a bridge in the northern town of Umeå, Sweden. The police discover drugs scattered in the snow around his body. Recently the town has seen a dramatic rise in drug use among its youth, though the source of the pills is unknown.
Detective Charlotte von Klint has relocated from Stockholm and expected that Umeå would be a quiet backwater, a change of pace from fighting the criminal underworld of the capital.
Charlotte quickly realises that the town is not as benign as she thought following a spate of other crimes, including the murder of a pharmacist and the disappearance of two teenagers after a party.
Complicating the situation is the news that syndicate boss, Tony Israelsson, has recently been released from prison and is reportedly headed for Umeå. This is a concern for Charlotte as early in her career she had gone undercover in his household posing as a nanny. As a result Charlotte is concerned he might prove a danger to both her and her teenage daughter, Anja.
As the snow deepens and the body count rises, Charlotte and her boss, local cop Per Berg, find themselves in the middle of an increasingly complex investigation with time rapidly running out.
Anki Edvinsson is a former journalist with a number of family members working in the police. She is currently studying criminology and clearly intends to bring a greater sense of authenticity to her writing.
‘The Snow Angel’ was a gritty example of Nordic Noir and like many in this sub-genre it was quite a slow burn. It also follows the tradition of Scandinavian crime fiction of incorporating social issues into its narrative.
Overall, I found ‘The Snow Angel’ an engaging police procedural. I am a huge fan of Nordic Noir and I always enjoy discovering a new author in translation. Book 2 in the series, ‘The Mermaid’, is listed for publication next spring. I certainly plan to read it.
This is the first in a series of police procedurals, featuring Detectives Charlotte von Klint and Per Berg. It was translated from the Swedish by Paul Norlen.
The novel opens with a teenage boy leaping to his death from a bridge in the northern town of Umeå, Sweden. The police discover drugs scattered in the snow around his body. Recently the town has seen a dramatic rise in drug use among its youth, though the source of the pills is unknown.
Detective Charlotte von Klint has relocated from Stockholm and expected that Umeå would be a quiet backwater, a change of pace from fighting the criminal underworld of the capital.
Charlotte quickly realises that the town is not as benign as she thought following a spate of other crimes, including the murder of a pharmacist and the disappearance of two teenagers after a party.
Complicating the situation is the news that syndicate boss, Tony Israelsson, has recently been released from prison and is reportedly headed for Umeå. This is a concern for Charlotte as early in her career she had gone undercover in his household posing as a nanny. As a result Charlotte is concerned he might prove a danger to both her and her teenage daughter, Anja.
As the snow deepens and the body count rises, Charlotte and her boss, local cop Per Berg, find themselves in the middle of an increasingly complex investigation with time rapidly running out.
Anki Edvinsson is a former journalist with a number of family members working in the police. She is currently studying criminology and clearly intends to bring a greater sense of authenticity to her writing.
‘The Snow Angel’ was a gritty example of Nordic Noir and like many in this sub-genre it was quite a slow burn. It also follows the tradition of Scandinavian crime fiction of incorporating social issues into its narrative.
Overall, I found ‘The Snow Angel’ an engaging police procedural. I am a huge fan of Nordic Noir and I always enjoy discovering a new author in translation. Book 2 in the series, ‘The Mermaid’, is listed for publication next spring. I certainly plan to read it.
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