The Ice Princess
Scandinavian authors have recently blossomed in the United States, thanks to the popular works of Steig Larrson and his "Millennium" trilogy. Simon and Schuster has recently begun to import popular Scandinavian mystery series to US readers, including Camilla Läckberg and her long-runnning series starring detective Patrik Hedström. For those of Läckberg's native country, there are seven sequels in the series; for Americans, five have been translated and released for avid readers. The Ice Princess marks the first in the series and the premiere novel from Läckberg; a fairly young writer, Läckberg was inspired by a creative writing class and ran with the passion.
Despite its fairy tale-esque title, The Ice Princess details a serious crime case about a woman who is found murdered in her bathtub, an apparent suicide that doesn't fit the lifestyle the woman had previously led. Erika, an author working in the town of Fjällbacka, is sucked into the case because she had been best friends with the victim in her past; as Erika uncovers the clues about the murder, she meets Patrik, a lonely detective working on the same case. From there, The Ice Princess blossoms into a twisting double-murder mystery with complex characters and a frigid mood.
The cold of Fjällbacka's winter is heightened by Läckberg's heavy descriptions and dense metaphorical images. Her prose is especially refined for a woman with such a short background in writing; characters appear significantly more complex with her blend of third-person point of view and poignant remarks on life events.
It is the characters that make up the bulk of The Ice Princess, as they should: the suspects' participation in the case - and the secrets they hide behind - take precedence over espionage or action, and allows for a more realistic presentation of detective work, which in turn heightens the sensation that Patrik and Erika are real people working in a dark world. The fact that the victim's sinister secrets have seeped into the small town of Fjällbacka exemplify the current malevolence of daily life, an inescapable danger no matter where one goes. Läckberg recognizes this, and despite readers' ignorance of Scandinavian life, a cultural gap is bridged because of the commonalities shared.
Slash to the Point: The success of Läckberg's series is no surprise after the strength of The Ice Princess. It's also not hard to identify with her main characters, two lovable, average people who happen to be the accidental heroes of the novel's case. Though The Ice Princess does often shift unnecessarily to minor characters' viewpoints, the depth of the novel ensures a quick but chilling read.
Scandinavian authors have recently blossomed in the United States, thanks to the popular works of Steig Larrson and his "Millennium" trilogy. Simon and Schuster has recently begun to import popular Scandinavian mystery series to US readers, including Camilla Läckberg and her long-runnning series starring detective Patrik Hedström. For those of Läckberg's native country, there are seven sequels in the series; for Americans, five have been translated and released for avid readers. The Ice Princess marks the first in the series and the premiere novel from Läckberg; a fairly young writer, Läckberg was inspired by a creative writing class and ran with the passion.
Despite its fairy tale-esque title, The Ice Princess details a serious crime case about a woman who is found murdered in her bathtub, an apparent suicide that doesn't fit the lifestyle the woman had previously led. Erika, an author working in the town of Fjällbacka, is sucked into the case because she had been best friends with the victim in her past; as Erika uncovers the clues about the murder, she meets Patrik, a lonely detective working on the same case. From there, The Ice Princess blossoms into a twisting double-murder mystery with complex characters and a frigid mood.
The cold of Fjällbacka's winter is heightened by Läckberg's heavy descriptions and dense metaphorical images. Her prose is especially refined for a woman with such a short background in writing; characters appear significantly more complex with her blend of third-person point of view and poignant remarks on life events.
It is the characters that make up the bulk of The Ice Princess, as they should: the suspects' participation in the case - and the secrets they hide behind - take precedence over espionage or action, and allows for a more realistic presentation of detective work, which in turn heightens the sensation that Patrik and Erika are real people working in a dark world. The fact that the victim's sinister secrets have seeped into the small town of Fjällbacka exemplify the current malevolence of daily life, an inescapable danger no matter where one goes. Läckberg recognizes this, and despite readers' ignorance of Scandinavian life, a cultural gap is bridged because of the commonalities shared.
Slash to the Point: The success of Läckberg's series is no surprise after the strength of The Ice Princess. It's also not hard to identify with her main characters, two lovable, average people who happen to be the accidental heroes of the novel's case. Though The Ice Princess does often shift unnecessarily to minor characters' viewpoints, the depth of the novel ensures a quick but chilling read.
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