Review: Still Waters

Still Waters by Viveca Sten
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This is a new author for me. The story is set in Sweden, on the island of Sandhamm. A stranger's body has washed up on shore. The police are ready to write it off as an accidental drowning, when the body of a visitor is discovered in her hotel bedroom. The two victims turn out to be cousins, so both deaths are treated as suspicious. The investigation is led by Thomas Andreasson, who has lived on the island. He is recovering from a painful divorce caused by the sudden death of his infant daughter. One of the main characters in the story is Nora Linde, Thomas' lifelong friend. She is married to a sailing enthusiast and she and her husband spend summers in her island home. She aids Thomas in the investigation even as she faces a decision about her career that threatens her marriage.

I usually steer clear of Scandinavian police procedurals. I don't know if the fact that they are usually translated into English puts distance between the reader and the characters in the book tha that make it difficult for me to get invested in either the story or the characters. I had an eaiser time with this one, but I connected more with Nora than with the lead detective. I was not happy that her story line was not resolved; perhaps it will be continued in future installments.

View all my reviews