Sun and Shadow: An Erik Winter Novel (A Chief Inspector Erik Winter Novel)

This is not a relaxing read. The world is on the verge of the new millennium, and everybody's nerves are on edge. The cops are out in force, expecting every celebration to turn into a riot. For his part, Erik Winter, the cool-headed Chief Detective Inspector of Gothenburg, is facing enough major life changes to shake anyone's composure. His father is dying, his pregnant girlfriend Angela is moving in, and he's about to turn forty. What's more, his neighborhood has just become the scene of perhaps the nastiest murder case in Swedish history. A man and wife are found dead in their apartment, black metal music screeching in the background. Their bodies have been gruesomely desecrated - I won't say how. Even the author is slow to give us the details, as if horrified by his own plot. The investigation opens up "abysses lurking in the human condition." Even the cops are having anxiety attacks. The vicar who offers counseling to the police is kept exceedingly busy. The mood of anxiety and alienation that we expect of Scandinavian writers is very much present in Edwardson's style. At the same time, the reader feels somewhat protected from evil by the strength of Winter's character and the forces of good. (Erik "sometimes" believes in God.) Here and there Edwardson drops a chunk of storyline, leaving too many details to our imagination. I'm not fond of this type of literary vagueness. But all in all, SUN & SHADOW is an absorbing book, and I'll be going on with the series.

I am a very big fan of Scandinavian crime novels, being from Norway I guess that is a no-brainer. While I have thoroughly enjoyed Mankells series, I was looking for something a bit more contemporary and edgier. I found it with Erik Winter. I think he breaths of fresh air into the genre. He's not an aging detective but a rising star in the force. He is smart and very complex, but also has a softer side when it comes to his family/personal life. Don't expect a Henning Mankell type novel. Both 'Erik Winter' books are very much worth reading and I recommend reading them in sequential order. I'm anxiously waiting for the third to come so I can pour me a glass of wine and have an evening with Mr. Winter.

Ake Edwardson's "Sun and Shadow" is a worthy addition to the rapidly growing genre of Scandinavian crime dramas being translated for consumption for the English speaking market. Edwardson, however uses a slightly different formula. He devotes nearly one third of his novel developing both his characters, particularly protagonist, Detective Chief Inspector Erik Winter and his setting, Gothenberg, Sweden. He gives us brief glimpses at the heinous crime that will become Winter's focus. Gothenberg is at the onset of both Christmas and the celebration of the new millenium when a brutal double murder with obvious sexual overtones is uncovered. Inspector Winter whose life is in flux owing to the anticipation of fatherhood, had recently been jetting back and forth to the Costa del Sol in Spain. His father lying on his deathbed had succumbed to his illnesses. With personal issues cluttering his mind, he now must focus on coordinating the investigation of this killing. We soon learn through the ongoing inquest that the murder seems in some way related to couples who fulfill their sexual fantasies by wife swapping. Eyewitnesses around the crime scene report that a man in uniform was seen around the time of the murders. Could Winter possibly be searching for one of his own? Edwardson leads us through his plot at a leisurely pace not revealing too much but concluding is a frenetic fashion as time is of the essence, as the murderer is poised to strike again.

I'm rating this book 5 stars just to bring up the abysmal rating given by the only other reviewer so far; it deserves better. I'm an aficionado of Scandinavian detectives (see my manic list elsewhere). Edwardson's books are as enjoyable as any. "Never End" - the sequel to this book - is maybe richer, but "Sun and Shadow" serves as an excellent introduction to the icy world of Winter & company. The plot evolves in several dimensions and casts its own bleak spell. Connoisseurs of crime fiction won't want to miss it.