- Hardcover: 208 pages
- Publisher: Doubleday (Feb 1998)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0385488661
- ISBN-13: 978-0385488662
- Product Dimensions: 21.3 x 14.5 x 2.5 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,197,550 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- See Complete Table of Contents
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More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
With Blackwater, Kerstin Ekman made one of the most memorable English-language debuts by a European author in recent years.
Under the Snow opens with a phone call from an outlying village to police constable Torsson, and the news is of a mah jong party turned sour. A brawl broke out and a man named Matti was accidentally killed. When he questions the villagers, Torsson notices some minor discrepancies in their stories, but writes them off as unimportant. It is not until a few months later that he is forced to reopen the case: David, an eccentric artist and old friend of Matti, has arrived in town for a visit with no knowledge of the death. David has an uneasy feeling about the whole affair, and when he finds Anna Ryd, the town's beautiful English teacher, running away with a bag containing a noose with human hairs on it, he makes it his business to find out what happened. Gradually the facts of the case come to light and dark deeds which were covered up in the snow and darkness of winter are finally brought to light under the relentless summer sun.
Under the Snow opens with a phone call from an outlying village to police constable Torsson, and the news is of a mah jong party turned sour. A brawl broke out and a man named Matti was accidentally killed. When he questions the villagers, Torsson notices some minor discrepancies in their stories, but writes them off as unimportant. It is not until a few months later that he is forced to reopen the case: David, an eccentric artist and old friend of Matti, has arrived in town for a visit with no knowledge of the death. David has an uneasy feeling about the whole affair, and when he finds Anna Ryd, the town's beautiful English teacher, running away with a bag containing a noose with human hairs on it, he makes it his business to find out what happened. Gradually the facts of the case come to light and dark deeds which were covered up in the snow and darkness of winter are finally brought to light under the relentless summer sun.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
An early novel but even here the wry tone of voice, distinctive humour come through. The death of a teacher in the deep north of Sweden unravels to tell the tale of a cultural clash, and its toll on a small local community. The rings sweep out into all our lives. The landscape and climate are the true movers in this novel. No one cannot be charmed by the irresponsible David, by his policeman friend's solid determination. If only he had vacationed in the south as planned!
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I have devoured so many Scandinavian police procedurals that I'm running out of titles & authors as well as bookshelves. I read 'Blackwater' a couple of years ago and enjoyed it, but didn't rave about it, which is why I didn't rush to get 'Under the Snow' - and what a mistake that was! I put it on my 2009 Christmas list and just finished it today. It's a relatively short book but it took me longer to read than many weightier books because it is utterly engrossing. The style is tight and eloquent, with some great turns of phrase, and you have to watch out not to miss the subtle wit. Parts are genuinely very funny, but you have to be paying attention. The dialogue is realistic and interesting, although I did find it quite hard to keep track of who was who among the characters. It is very well plotted and keeps you guessing to the last page, but perhaps the best thing is the sense of atmosphere. The story unfolds amid the wild landscapes of the Sami people in Lapland, and the setting really burns into the reader's consciousness. Once I had finished this book, I missed reading it. I will definitely explore more Ekman books and can only express my surprise that 'Blackwater' seems to be the most widely known.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
David travels to visit his friend, the artist Matti Olsson, but finds that he is dead. David and Constable Torsson make an unlikely pair as they try to find out the truth. The villagers are unforthcoming, and a gradual sense of conspiracy emerges, while the sense of danger mounts. Much of what is engaging about this story, sparely written, is the setting and apparent eccentricities of the local inhabitants. I kept thinking that this would make a good, slightly surreal sixties-type film. There is a freshness about it I liked.
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