4.5 Stars
The setting is Storholmen, an island in the Stockholm Archipelago. Emma Lindahl, an art expert and appraiser, is sent to the island to the manor house of the Gussman family, one of the wealthiest in Sweden, to catalogue their collection. The Gussman estate has a bit of a history; nine years earlier the body of a teenaged girl, the victim of a ritualistic killing, was found hanging from a tree on the property. Inspector Karl Rosén investigated this case of Sofia Axelsson’s murder, but it remains unsolved.
Emma’s hours at the Gussman manor house are strictly regulated so she spends time at the island’s café and gets to know the owner, Anneli Lund, and other island residents. Then the body of another teenaged girl is found in waters nearby; Maria Sjögren seems to have been killed in the same way as Sofia. Karl is brought in to investigate, even though he has recently experienced a tragic loss. Emma makes some discoveries at the house and ends up assisting Karl.
The novel is told from three perspectives: those of Emma, Karl, and Viktoria, a housekeeper in the manor. Each is narrated in the first person in present tense. Whenever first person point of view is used, I always question the reliability of the narrator. I was correct to do so here because two of the narrators, though perhaps not deliberately deceptive, do withhold vital information; only slowly is it revealed that they have a personal connection to and interest in the murders.
One of the revelations is totally shocking and will leave the reader questioning all that s/he has read thus far. A clarification concerning Viktoria and her employers also upends assumptions. I love books that manage to shock me with twists, and this one does that more than once. I found myself re-reading portions to make certain I had not read incorrectly. What is wonderful is that this is a fair-play mystery. The clues are there, subtle though they are, but I missed them. There were times I suspected that something was not quite right and periodically I had questions, but I didn’t stop to analyze because I was just so compelled to continue reading. To say that the author is a master of misdirection and complex plotting is an understatement.
Lovers of Gothic fiction will find the elements they enjoy because there is definitely an unsettling atmosphere. The island, though not remote, feels isolated because it’s car-free. Then there’s the large, gloomy manor house with its tragic past and rather strange residents and the dark and cold of a Scandinavian winter.
Both Karl and Emma are flawed but likeable. They are both determined to uncover the truth of what happened to Sofia and Maria. Though intelligent, they are sometimes duped by others. The two also carry heavy personal burdens, including guilt, so it’s impossible not to feel compassion for them. I did find myself sometimes questioning my conclusions about characters, but in the end all is made clear so even shocking behaviour makes complete sense. This book is apparently the first installment of a projected series, the Lidingö Mysteries, so I wonder whether either or both will reappear.
The novel also has thematic depth. It explores family relationships like sister/sister and mother/daughter. Fathers do not fare well; they are either absent, distracted, abusive, or embarrassed. The book suggests that people often have hidden personalities: more than one person has an alternate ego. I loved Lulu, Emma’s best friend, who is both a university professor/papyrologist and a drag queen. The book also reinforces the idea that trauma in the past affects the present. And the information about Norse mythology adds another dimension to the narrative.
I loved this book. Some of the shocks made me feel as if I had, like the Swedes, taken a dive into freezing water. I challenge anyone to see all of the author’s sleights of hand. I can’t wait for the next book in the series.
From the author: "Thank you so much! So happy you enjoyed it this much!" (https://twitter.com/JoGustawsson/status/1759631936736092551).
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