Last night was the church Bookclub's January meeting and we read and reviewed Midwinter Sacrifice. I picked the book to read purely based on the fact that it had been a Richard and Judy read last year, I enjoyed Stieg Larsson and I was missing Forbrydellsen like mad. (note to self; I cannot actually speak Danish; why do I ask to turn the volume up?)
It's a scandi crime novel set in Sweden. The chief protagonist is a female detective, Malin Fors, with a failed marriage and a 13 year old daughter pushing the limits. Oh, and a possible drinking problem and a need for sex without intimacy. So far so basic whodunnit plot. The crime is gruesome, a dead body hanging mutilated from a bare tree in the deserted land, and the story is essentially a search for the killer and assorted co-conspirators for rape, vandalism, etc. Yet even though the plot has a large amount of familiar elements the book is engrossing and manages to have a different slant on the story with subplots involving ancient norse religion, family secrets and abusive relationships.
I enjoyed reading it; the translation wasn't clunky and some of the writing reaches lyrical heights. I love the emphasis at the start on the sensual aspect of the snow and cold. The landscape really acts as another character at the beginning; it is cruel, has a scent, a texture, a very real effect on the investigation,
I was only slightly disappointed that this lyricism faded out as the novel got more plot driven, although the plot and twists that drive it are good enough that they don't need the 'prettiness' of poetry.
Malin has an ascerbic character; she perhaps is not completely likeable, but she isn't absolutely hateful. There is a strange 'ghost talking' aspect that happens every so often when the first victim speaks (in italics) and sometimes even tries to talk to Malin. One of our bookclub members hated this device, but I quite enjoyed it and didn't feel it was irritating or interrupting the plot but actually provided further hints and leads to the reader.
Ending? Can't tell you, of course, but if you read it come and tell me what you think! Cop out or clever?
There are at least 3 more books available in the series; Summertime Death which I have ready to read, Autumn Killing and Savage Spring.
No comments:
Post a Comment