A body washes up on the beach of the island of Sandhamn, in Sweden, and at first it looks like an accident. It takes a while to identify him, but Krister Berggren seemingly just had an accidental fall off a boat, and wasn't noticed in time. Police Detective Thomas Andreasson identifies him, and talks to Krister's only close relative, his cousin Kicki Berggren, in Stockholm, and is about to close the case when Kicki turns up dead, apparently badly beaten, in a bed-and-breakfast on Sandhamn.
Circumstances make this effectively the first major murder investigation that Thomas has led, and his local knowledge of Sandhamn, where he spent many a childhood summer, and his friendship with local lawyer Nora Linde give him some badly needed advantages in a very puzzling case.
Sten is a Swedish writer, and I discovered her books while mucking around with my new-to-me Kindle fire. I'm glad I did. It's a really good, solid mystery by someone i wouldn't ordinarily be seeking out. Thomas and his colleagues, and Nora and her friends and neighbors, are well worth getting to know, and the story is solidly plotted. It's worth noting that Sten didn't feel compelled to make Nora and Thomas a romantic couple. They each have their own romantic and relationship issues, but their relationship with each other is just longstanding, solid, reliable friendship.
Since I'm not Swedish, have never been to Sweden, and am overall unlikely to go to Sweden, this book also gave me a bit of an out-of-culture experience, and that's always enjoyable, an added benefit to the good mystery and good characters.
Recommended.
I bought this audiobook.
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