- Paperback: 480 pages
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster Ltd (29 Sep 2011)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1847379591
- ISBN-13: 978-1847379597
- Product Dimensions: 23.4 x 15.2 x 3.2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 167,155 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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More About the Author
Product Description
Review
`The author...uses her inside knowledge to great effect in this compelling debut'
--The Sunday Times
--The Sunday Times
Review
.
--This text refers to an alternate
Paperback
edition.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
22 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I thoroughly enjoyed this debut crime novel by Ohlsson and hope it will be
the first of many. What I particularly enjoyed was the pacing of the
investigation which made me feel as a reader utterly involved- a true sense that
you were solving the crime at the same time as the detectives with no unfeasible
leaps in the plot or twists and turns for the sake of it. We all knew that Sara
was concealing something in the murky recesses of her past but what was it and
how did it connect to the killer? I liked the way the theme of `family' was
cleverly explored with not only the murder cases destroying two families but how
the detectives Peder and Fredrika were brought into this theme as well- Peder
who was practically destroying his own family by his affair with a colleague,
and conversely how Fredrika was undergoing her own mental turmoil in deciding
whether or not to have a family of her own. On the subject of Fredrika, I
thought her battle to have her voice heard in the investigation was a very
strong hook in the novel and reminded me of the characters of Elinborg in the
Arnaldur Indridason books and Alice in the excellent Swedish TV adaptations of
the Sjowall/Wahloo `Beck' stories. I think we all knew that Fredrika had the
makings of a good detective but didn't necessarily have the strength of her own
convictions and came across as cold and unyielding until her own investigative
tangents kicked in earning her the respect of her colleagues.
All in all, Ohlsson has proved herself as another star to add to the fine
Scandinavian crime stable and I will be wholeheartedly recommending this novel.
An extremely good read.
the first of many. What I particularly enjoyed was the pacing of the
investigation which made me feel as a reader utterly involved- a true sense that
you were solving the crime at the same time as the detectives with no unfeasible
leaps in the plot or twists and turns for the sake of it. We all knew that Sara
was concealing something in the murky recesses of her past but what was it and
how did it connect to the killer? I liked the way the theme of `family' was
cleverly explored with not only the murder cases destroying two families but how
the detectives Peder and Fredrika were brought into this theme as well- Peder
who was practically destroying his own family by his affair with a colleague,
and conversely how Fredrika was undergoing her own mental turmoil in deciding
whether or not to have a family of her own. On the subject of Fredrika, I
thought her battle to have her voice heard in the investigation was a very
strong hook in the novel and reminded me of the characters of Elinborg in the
Arnaldur Indridason books and Alice in the excellent Swedish TV adaptations of
the Sjowall/Wahloo `Beck' stories. I think we all knew that Fredrika had the
makings of a good detective but didn't necessarily have the strength of her own
convictions and came across as cold and unyielding until her own investigative
tangents kicked in earning her the respect of her colleagues.
All in all, Ohlsson has proved herself as another star to add to the fine
Scandinavian crime stable and I will be wholeheartedly recommending this novel.
An extremely good read.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
'Unwanted' is a very sound,readable debut police procedural novel.
A young girl goes missing from the Gothenburg to Stockholm express
train.As the girl's mother is estranged from the father,Inspector
Alex Recht from Stockholm police considers that they are dealing
with a custody battle.However his colleague,the inexperienced
Investigative Analyst Fredrika Bergman,has her doubts.When the
child's dead body is found in Northern Sweden,the investigation
turns on its head,and they come to chase a ruthless, skilful
killer.
This is a novel of some depth,convincing characterisation,and
an interesting plot,although at 468 pages, it could have been
made somewhat shorter without losing anything.Nevertheless an
enjoyable book ,and I look forward to reading the next one in
the series.
A young girl goes missing from the Gothenburg to Stockholm express
train.As the girl's mother is estranged from the father,Inspector
Alex Recht from Stockholm police considers that they are dealing
with a custody battle.However his colleague,the inexperienced
Investigative Analyst Fredrika Bergman,has her doubts.When the
child's dead body is found in Northern Sweden,the investigation
turns on its head,and they come to chase a ruthless, skilful
killer.
This is a novel of some depth,convincing characterisation,and
an interesting plot,although at 468 pages, it could have been
made somewhat shorter without losing anything.Nevertheless an
enjoyable book ,and I look forward to reading the next one in
the series.
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
A debut novel from yet another Scandanavian author and well up to the standards set by her contemporaries. I note that there is a new book coming next year which I hope will feature the police team created in this first novel. Perhaps, too, its translation into English will not be as long delayed as this novel which, by the way, is very adeptly dealt with by Sarah Death.
We are given a series of characters, new to us, of course who gradually, as the storyline develops so, too, does their inter-relationship - from rocky beginnings to a much firmer standing.
However, the quality of the storytelling surrounding the abduction and subsequent murder of a little girl is excellent. The police are, naturally, baffled and it's left to the two younger members on the force to look at alternative views as to how and why this happened. That one is a 'civilian' and female investigator means there is an antagonism between her male colleagues and her own view of her worth in the job.
That it is Frederika Bergman who really starts to make progress will come as no surprise to regular crime novel readers and that Peder Rydh, her doubting male colleague, worries more about his own affair with another colleague will also strike a chord elsewhere. However, the author does not waste too much time in making progress, both with the investigation and the begrudging acknowledgement that the pair of them do discover clues and events in the past histories of the little girl's mother - all this eventully leading to a disturbing finale.
Naturally enough, there is an older, more senior member of the police team, Alex Recht who plays his part but who, not for the first time, is challenged by the younger members as to his abilities on the case but who calls the shots and deals with his team, fortunately for them.
The killer is slowly but surely unmasked, the author presenting the investgation is a very real life way. Police work takes time and because it does, another body is discovered, though this creates comparisons which do lead to the why and finally to the who.
All-in-all, a very competent novel, gripping, realistic and saddening that such killers just maybe exist out there in real life. Let's fervently hope not.
We are given a series of characters, new to us, of course who gradually, as the storyline develops so, too, does their inter-relationship - from rocky beginnings to a much firmer standing.
However, the quality of the storytelling surrounding the abduction and subsequent murder of a little girl is excellent. The police are, naturally, baffled and it's left to the two younger members on the force to look at alternative views as to how and why this happened. That one is a 'civilian' and female investigator means there is an antagonism between her male colleagues and her own view of her worth in the job.
That it is Frederika Bergman who really starts to make progress will come as no surprise to regular crime novel readers and that Peder Rydh, her doubting male colleague, worries more about his own affair with another colleague will also strike a chord elsewhere. However, the author does not waste too much time in making progress, both with the investigation and the begrudging acknowledgement that the pair of them do discover clues and events in the past histories of the little girl's mother - all this eventully leading to a disturbing finale.
Naturally enough, there is an older, more senior member of the police team, Alex Recht who plays his part but who, not for the first time, is challenged by the younger members as to his abilities on the case but who calls the shots and deals with his team, fortunately for them.
The killer is slowly but surely unmasked, the author presenting the investgation is a very real life way. Police work takes time and because it does, another body is discovered, though this creates comparisons which do lead to the why and finally to the who.
All-in-all, a very competent novel, gripping, realistic and saddening that such killers just maybe exist out there in real life. Let's fervently hope not.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Shows promise in the competative genre
This a good first novel and an excellent read. The detectives (three) are well written and more than the usual two-dimensional stereotypes. Read more
Published 27 days ago by Richard Latham
not bad but
Yes this is a good read , the story rolls along and I did spend all afternoon with it BUT this should not be compared to either The Killing [ lack of depth and layering here] or Jo... Read more
Published 1 month ago by cartoon
Not for me
I dont know if it's the writing or the translation that is at fault, but either way the end result is a rather stilted difficult to read book, sometimes unintentionally hilarious. Read more
Published 1 month ago by K. Davies
Unexpected
This is the first book I've read by this author but I certainly don't expect it to be the last. The suspense is high and you keep guessing who 'the man' is. Read more
Published 2 months ago by BookishSwede
semi-wanted
This book is o-kay... Not terrible. Not fantastic. It sits on the midline. There are many areas where the translation is just awkward and messy, and I found myself wanting to get... Read more
Published 4 months ago by narnold
A good debut...
Deciding how many stars to give "Unwanted" is a little difficult. Whilst I enjoyed the plot, which I thought was quite gripping, the characters, especially Alex Recht, began to... Read more
Published 4 months ago by K. M. Paton
Interesting debut Swedish crime novel on disturbing theme
Unwanted is a readable police-procedural set in Stockholm but telling a story that takes the investigators to several Swedish cities and towns, providing for me a distinctive... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Maxine Clarke
Not Bad
I agree with the reviewer that said both male police officers were unsympathetic characters and I couldn't particularly warm to the female one either. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Book Addict
Promising Debut
Another Scandinavian crimcon writer and this is a debut novel and very accomplished it is too and setting the scene nicely and introducing characters who are obviously going to... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Elaine Simpson-long
Unwanted, debut novel by Kristina Ohlsson
Great plot, gripping read. However, some quibbles: both male police officers unsympathetic characters, the revered "boss" insubstantially drawn and his sidekick unrefined and an... Read more
Published 6 months ago by willow
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