- Hardcover: 393 pages
- Publisher: Pegasus Books; 1 edition (15 Jun 2010)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1605980927
- ISBN-13: 978-1605980928
- Product Dimensions: 23.1 x 16.3 x 3.5 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (56 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 3,493,583 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
The Ice Princess
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk
Now that Scandinavian crime fiction is very firmly on the map (along with much other crime in translation), it has become clear to readers that Henning Mankel -- the Trojan horse for the breakthrough of Swedish crime writers -- was only the tip of the iceberg. Now readers in Britain and America are starting to discover that there are other writers of real accomplishment out there. And a name that will soon be on many lips is that of Camilla Leckberg -- already a very well-known name in her native Sweden, with five novels under her belt. The first to reach these shores, however, is The Ice Princess -- and its phenomenal success in Sweden looks set to be replicated over here. Leckberg has been described as Sweden's new Agatha Christie, and although there is some truth in the description, it doesn't tell the whole story. We have a Christie-like provincial village (here, Fjällbacka, in which Leckberg herself was born) and a variety of suspects for a very unpleasant murder. Also Christie-like is the machine-tooled precision of the plot, but Leckberg is very much a contemporary writer, offering a picture of modern society that is as penetrating as her narrative is involving.
The writer Erica Falck has returned to her home town on the death of her parents, but discovers the community in turmoil. A close childhood friend, Alex, has been found dead. Her wrists have been slashed, and her body is frozen solid in a bath that has turned to ice. Erica decides to write a memoir about the charismatic but withdrawn Alex, more as a means of overcoming her own writer’s block than solving the mystery of Alex's death. But Erica finds that her interest in Alex is becoming almost obsessive. She begins to work with local detective Patrik Hedstrom, and the duo soon find that some unpleasant secrets are buried beneath the comfortable surface of the town.
On the evidence of this first book of Leckberg’s to be translated, we have yet another authoritative crime writer from abroad to add to an ever-growing list. Let's hope translations of her successive novels follow quickly. --Barry Forshaw --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
Praise for 'The Ice Princess': 'Heart-stopping and heart-warming, 'The Ice Princess' is a masterclass in Scandinavian crime writing' Val McDermid 'Camilla Lackberg is a more than welcome addition to the growing ranks of Scandinavian crime writers translated into English. With its sharp emotional nuances and psychological insight, The Ice Princess builds in suspense as the author turns her clear eye on the buried secrets and contemporary relationships of a small, isolated community. I predict that Fjallbacka and its crimes and people will soon be as poplular here as they are in her native Sweden' Peter Robinson European reviews for 'The Ice Princess': 'The plot is simply superb, in an almost Agatha Christie-style. The cast of characters emerge with clarity and feel quite genuine! secrets come out in the 331-page book that bring about more things than murder. I read it in one go. A book that you can't put down' Sala Allehanda 'Camilla Lackberg is a Crime Queen' Bild am Sontag 'Strong portrayals and ice-cold suspense from Sweden's new Agatha Christie' My Life 'Ingenious' Metropol 'This is unputdownable. Lackberg keeps the thrills coming until the very end' Viva 'Camilla Lackberg was voted Swedish Writer of the Year for 2005. Bring on the next one!' Crimezone.nl 'An amazingly mature, well thought-out and exciting criminal novel!Leckberg stands out as the best first-time offender of the year' Jury
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
(wow -- did we read the same book???),
This review is from: The Ice Princess (Patrik Hedstrom 1) (Paperback)
I'm astonished. I just finished "The Ice Princess" -- and clicked on on AmazonUK to order three more Camilla Lackberg books. I absolutely loved "Princess", thought it was well written, tightly plotted, interesting, unique and filled with little thought-provoking tidbits (eg, "The silence was something he couldn't take back.") Then -- just for the heck of it -- I decided to see how much everyone else had loved it too, so I came to read other reviews. I was astonished at the negativity! Really? Did we read the same book? Steven Murray, the translator? I found little if anything to criticize -- I live in Israel, and as one might assume, the cultural differences between Sweden and Israel are considerable. In spite of that, what I enjoyed so much about Ms Lackberg's book was that her characters were all people I knew, which is to say, I saw people I knew in them. They came across as real people. I've read Jo Nesbo, Karin Fossum, loved Henning Mankell until I decided for political reasons not to buy his books anymore. I liked those authors too, but the difference, I think, was in characterization. Nesbo's characters, as well as some of Fossums and certainly Mankells, tended toward the stereotype of silent and depressive Scandinavians, whereas Lackberg's seemed relatively normal. And calling this "chic lit"? Wow -- the ultimate insult, both to women and literature! I don't see anything trivially romantic, trite or "beach read" about this book at all. Well -- there you have it! At least we've given potential readers two very different opinions -- readers run hot or cold, not much in between.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Unreadable charity shop fodder,
By M P Hall "Peruser of yellowed pages" (The barren wastes of the East) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Ice Princess (Patrik Hedstrom 1) (Paperback)
This is poor.The plot is both weak and revealed way to slowly.The male characters are either ridiculous old fashioned sexist stereotypes,brutal misogynists or in the case of the main detective,Patrik Hedstrom,wishy-washy nonentities.The main female character,Erica is so tedious,I wanted her dead right away(are we supposed to like her?)This story has no wit nor style,indeed the whole book does not ring true.I was not transported in any way and my favourite activity-reading- became a dreary uphill struggle.Who is the killer?I dont care.As I venture more into the Nordic crime universe,I come across good stuff(Henning Mankell,Sjowall and Wahloo,Arnaldur Indridason,Yrsa Sigurdardottir and Stieg Larsson)and unreadable charity shop fodder like Jo Nesbo,Asa Larsson,Hakkan Nesser and now Camilla Lackenberg.
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
LOVE AND CRIME IN A COLD CLIMATE,
By
This review is from: The Ice Princess (Patrik Hedstrom 1) (Paperback)
The interest in Scandinavian crime novels seems to be increasing exponentially due largely to the Millenium-factor, perhaps?
I read an interview with Camilla Lackberg in the French press : the contrast between her apparently traditional lifestyle : small-town childhood, cop husband and children, and the subjects of her novels led me to look for her books in English. The Ice Princess, which might sound like a cliché title is actually a very appropriate one, describing the victim on many levels. The style captivates your interest; the young female character, a former friend of the victim, is drawn willy-nilly into the circle of the stricken family, and incidentally makes contact with a an old school friend now a policeman involved in the investigation. As the gory and lurid details of the story unfold, they fall in love. Naturally, there is a deep dark family secret which must be exposed in order to reach a satisfactory conclusion to the inquiry. And the ending holds a hint of future partnership in love and detection for the main characters. Good descriptions of Stockholm and the changing face of picturesque coastal villages taken over by city slickers eager for a panoramic view. A very good read
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