Snowdrift

This book is translated from Swedish and is third in the series about inspector Embla Nystrom. Unfortunately, I haven’t read the previous stories but this book can be read as a standalone. The background history is given where necessary. Embla who works as a police detective in Gothenburg is taking her spring break with her uncle and the 9-year-old son of her ex in her uncle’s cabin in Dalsland in a remote part of South Sweden. There she receives a phone call from a remote cousin who owns a bungalow park. One of his guests is found shot through the head in his bed. She’s surprised when she recognises the victim as Milo Stavic, a notorious Gothenburg crime boss who was also involved in the disappearance of her friend Lollo, 14 years earlier when they were teenagers. It doesn’t take long to discover that one of Milo’s brothers is shot in a car park the same day and that the other brother has vanished in Croatia 2 weeks earlier. Around the time of Milo’s murder, there was a stabbing at a party of a bandy team (sort of ice-hockey) a few kilometres down the road. Embla strikes up a friendship with Olle, the local policeman who investigates this crime. Strangely enough, none of the victim’s friends seems to be willing to talk to the police about the stabbing. I’ve read the whole ‘Erlendur’-series by now and think that I’ve found a new Scandinavian favourite. Embla is certainly a more engaging character. She is a real bad-ass cop; tough, strong and clever but with a great heart. She still has a great relationship with the son of her ex-partner. She’s also helpful, she rushes to this cousin’s bungalow park even though she’s on vacation and helps Olle out with his case. I hope he’s a stayer because he found the way to my heart and I’m a fan of his brave police-dog-in training as well. Embla is also an avid hunter and hunting is an everyday part of the life of many remotely living people in Sweden and other countries. I’m not a fan of hunting but through lack of big predators certain cute animals can become pests. Hunting for food is also something else than for sports. Of course, if we all go out hunting for food, nature will be void of animals very quickly. I find this a difficult moral dilemma because the wild animals certainly have a far better life than those we breed for food. I’ve tried being a vegetarian for a few years but in the end, I did miss eating certain dishes and I caved. Embla eats some mouth-watering recipes in her cousin’s restaurant as well. I got hungry while I read this. A special mention is about the weather that plays a role of its own in this story. I received a free ARC from Netgalley and SOHO Press and this is my honest review of it.