Unspoken

First novels have an especially difficult task...needing to establish a principal chacter, endow him or her with charcter, background and skill. It is unlikely lthat any sucessful mystery writer can succeed without such attributes. No problem forMari Jungstedt. She meets these tests and many more woth "Unseen" It is certainly a "swedish" nove...but with a transposiition pf names, places and plots, it should succeed anywhere. I've never before given a five-star rating to a new novelist. Well done, Mari

I hadn't read the first book in this series, but I really loved this mystery novel and will be looking for more by author Mari Jungstedt. I can only imagine how powerful this book must be in Swedish; needless to say, this intertwined story of the death of former newspaper photographer turned alcoholic Henry Dahlstrom and the missing 14-year-old Fanny is a page turner. Set in Gotland, off the coast of Sweden, the book's greatest strength is the character development. As a reader, I came to care about both victims and empathize with inspector Anders Knutas (around whom the series is developed). The only detraction for me was the side story of TV reporter Johan Berg. However, this would not stop me from recommending this book wholeheartedly. A joy to read!

On wintry Gotland Island, Sweden Police Detective Superintendent Anders Knutas leads the investigation into the homicide of alcoholic former news photographer Henry Dahlström. They uncover a tenuous link between Henry and missing fourteen year old Fanny Jansson. Before his murder Henry won a lot of money at the racetrack while Fanny cared for the horses at a local stable. The police find Fanny's strangled corpse on a remote heath. They also discover poorly shot pictures of Fanny in explicit poses with a male stranger in Dahlström's darkroom. Knutas believes an American working at the stables committed the double murders, but the suspect is away on vacation. Stockholm based TV journalist Johan Berg is assigned to report on the two cases, which enables him to see his married lover Emma Winarve, whom he first met last summer (see UNSEEN). The official investigation is cleverly designed to keep the audience attention on this strong Swedish police procedural. The cast is fully developed especially the contrasts between the superintendent who does not want to be there and the reporter who does (but not for the story). However, with a terrific whodunit filled with strong characterizations, the island in winter steals the show as readers will feel the bitter cold while the story line twists and turns in the wind. Harriet Klausner