The Princess of Burundi

The Princess of Burundi ranks up with the best of the Scandinavian mysteries I've read--including Henning Mankell's. It's almost in the same category as the magnificent classics of Sjowall and Wahloo. I particularly liked the treatment of the family of the primary murder victim. It showed a group of flawed characters but with realism and empathy. Eriksson also skillfully captures the interplay among the police investigating a series of vicious killings. Although the subject is somber and quite dark, he leavens it with some humor and some pointed commentary on contemporary Swedish politics and society. Finally, an extra shout out for the title--clever, mystifying but also relevant to the story.

I took a chance on this author and book, having read all of Henning Mankell's Kurt Wallender series, and all of Karin Fossum's books. This book kept me turning the page and was hard to put down. It is definitely a fine piece of work, and I recommend it highly to those who love dark and psychological mysteries.

I ordered this book because I saw the 2nd book (Cruel Stars of the Night) in Borders and thought it would be best to read the first; Princess of Burundi. I highly reccommend this book to anyone who enjoys crime novels. Eriksson's writing is very addicting; he really is able to draw you into each of the character's lives as well as the overall plot. Once I started, I had a hard time putting it down. I look forward to reading more novels from Eriksson.

The Princess of Burundi is not only unique in it's title but also in its emotional content. Uppsala police detectives are involved in solving the murder of John Jonsson, an expert in tropical fish and fish aquariums and former thug. The story unfolds with the secrets father and son kept from John's wife and it is also a few days before Christmas which adds to the longing and loneliness of the holidays. Princess is an excelent 87th-Precinct-like novel. The cultural differences are fascinating. Highly recommended.

In Libro, Sweden, everyone is stunned when the mutilated corpse body of husband and father John Harald Jonsson, out on a job, is found in the snow. Based on the disfigurement, whoever killed the renowned cichlids tropical fish expert, passionately hated John. Death had to be a relief for the obvious evidence like three cut off fingers that shows he suffered while alive. Thus, homicide detectives Ola Haver and Ann Lindell, who comes off maternity leave to work the case, hone in on a forty-two year old troubled person, his family, and especially an acrimonious nutcase who apparently had a run in with John. However, proof proves difficult to come by making the two sleuths wonder if they are going down a wrong path. Reassessing what they know and suspect, Ola and Anna continue to search for the motive by someone who obviously detested the victim, but could it have to with his personal life or his work at the aquarium that led to this vicious homicide. This tranlastion of an award winning Swedish police procedural reads in many ways more like a deep insightful psychological thriller though the detectives diligently work the homicide. The characterization is top rate as the audicne undertsnads what motivates several key players while the support cast enhances that perception. Fans will enjoy the excitng tale and look forward to hopefully more translations of the works of Kjell Eriksson, perhaps THE ILLUMINATED PATH. Harriet Klausner