Monday, January 16, 2017

Spring Tide

     The Beach Case.
It sounded so trifling, he thought. A beach and a case. So harmless. But he himself had never called it the beach case. He thought it degraded one of the most repulsive murders he had investigated. It sounded like a newspaper headline. He himself had always referred to the case as the Nordkoster. Concrete. What a policeman would say.
     And unsolved.

This is the cold case police student Olivia Ronning decides to investigate over her summer break, partly because it's a case her father once worked, partly because the murder victim, a pregnant woman drowned by the spring tide, was never identified. But it's not an easy case on which to find out any new information; Olivia's father is dead, and the other officer who investigated the murder is missing. Still, Olivia is persistent. She even makes a special trip to Nordkoster Island. But the more questions she asks, the closer she comes to some very ugly truths...and to certain people who do not want her digging up the secrets of the past.

There are several other story lines in this Scandinavian crime thrillers: some young toughs have not only been beating up the homelss, but filming the horrific attacks to post online, and protests have ramped up against Bertil Magnuson, one of Sweden's richest and most influential businessmen, and his illegal mining practices in Africa. But while there's a lot to keep track of, authors Cilla and Rolf Borjlind do an expert job of weaving all the separate parts together into one compelling and suspenseful thriller.  I really liked Olivia as a character, along with Jelle, one of the homeless men. And I found the overall mystery intriguing. Some of the twists I guessed, but there were others I didn't. At 473 pages, Spring Tide is a long read, but it's also a good one. I never bogged down once. Here's hoping the Borjlinds write more just like it!

Happy Reading!

8 comments:

  1. This sounds like an intriguing read. Scandinavian crime thrillers are often a hit or miss to me so most of the times I rely on recommendations if I want to try them out. Thanks for your thoughts, Lark. :)

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    1. I've run into a few duds along the way, too, but this one read well, read fast, and the ending didn't disappoint. :)

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    1. It was good! I'd read these authors again. :)

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  3. Ah, there is nothing like a good page turning thriller! In that case, the length does not matter as long as the story skips along.

    I am usually wary of books written by two authors, but this does sound good.

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    1. The writing is pretty seamless, and for me it read very fast.

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  4. That is a long read, lol. I prefer them in the 300 pg range or it takes me eternity to finish but I'm glad you enjoyed it!

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    1. Honestly? I prefer them in the 300-page range, too. And if they're over 500 pages... I quickly cross them off my list, because who has the time for a book that long? :)

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