The Ice Princess (Patrik Hedstrom and Erica Falck, #1)

by Camilla Lackberg

The psychological thriller debut of No 1 bestselling Swedish crime sensation Camilla Lackberg.

Returning to her hometown after the funeral of her parents, writer Erica Falck finds a community on the brink of tragedy. The death of her childhood friend, Alex, is just the beginning. Her wrists slashed, her body frozen in an ice-cold bath, it seems, at first, that she has taken her own life.

Erica conceives a memoir about the beautiful but remote Alex, one that will help to overcome her writer's block as well as answer questions about their own past. While her interest grows to an obsession, local detective Patrik Hedstrom is following his own suspicions about the case. But it is only when they start working together that the truth begins to emerge about this small town with a deeply disturbing past...

• ISBN10: 1605980927
• ISBN13: 9781605980928
• Publish Date: 15 June 2010 (first published 1 April 2008)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Pegasus Crime
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 400
• Language: English

Reviews

[ibeforem]

This is the first of Lackberg's books that I've read, but I've been a fan of other "nordic noir" authors.

Biographer Erika Falck has found herself back in her childhood home in a small Swedish town after the unexpected death of both her parents. One morning, just up the road, Erika finds the body of Alex Wijkner in her bathtub. Alex had been Erika's best childhood friend until she mysteriously and suddenly moved away. Despite their long absence, Erika just doesn't believe that her death is the suicide it appears to be. She gets herself caught up in the story and with Alex's grieving family, and feels pulled to write a book about Alex.

Detective Patrik Hedstrom also has his suspicions about Alex's death, mostly centering around a local artist with a reputation for being a hopeless drunk. When he finds out Erika has a connection to Alex's family, he pulls her into his investigation as well. And it doesn't hurt that he's getting a chance to be close to his schoolboy crush.

This is a twisty turny story with a number of red herrings that doesn't end up anywhere close to where I expected it to in the beginning. I think this was a solid start to the series, and I intend to read more.