Inspector Huss is on the job.

 Helen Tursten, author of the Swedish series featuring Inspetor Irene Huss, was a nurse and a dentist before she turned to writing. This series has been translated into 21 languages and made into a television series. The latest mystery novel in the series is titled Protected by the Shadows. 
 With gang violence escalating in Goteborg, Sweden, the Organized Crimes Unit pairs with the Violent Crimes Unit to help defuse the situation. But could there be a mole on the force? In this  installment  the gang warfare that has been brewing in Goteborg is about to explode. And that's not the only thing going up in flames. Someone has planted a bomb under Irene's husband's car. Fearing for her family's safety, Irene sends her husband and daughters into hiding and takes up residence at a colleague's apartment. Still, she can't shake the feeling that she is being stalked. Somehow, the gangs are always one step ahead of the police. Someone is leaking information. But who? Irene's life depends on discovering the answer. Moody and atmospheric. ML

Nordic Noir!

Helene Tursten has written a fine series featuring Detective Inspector Irene Huss, a compelling and flawed heroine. As in all character driven series we get to know Irene as a person, and so are interested in her life and the approach she brings to solving crimes. Also compelling is the sense of place, Sweden and Swedish culture. Police politics are observed and commented on, which adds to the complexity.
This latest installment, The Treacherous Net, explores the dark side of the Internet. Young girls, looking for a sense of adventure and acceptance are lured to unfortunate ends, and its up to Inspector Huss and her team to find the killer. ML

The Girl Who Went to the Movies

Have you gone to see the Hollywood remake of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, based on the book by Stieg Larsson? I saw it last weekend, and though I was very impressed with the actors and enjoyed the story's reinterpretation, I'm still in love with the Swedish original (and Noomi Rapace's chilling portrayal of Lisbeth Salander). Check it out -- along with the other two films in the trilogy, The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest.


Have you seen both versions? What do you think? HM

Brrrrrrrr!

For those who maybe aren't ready for winter or don't even want to hear the word, "snow," this book might make you feel a little bit better about Michigan weather. In The Palace of the Snow Queen: Winter Travels in Lapland, travel writer and translator Barbara Sjoholm journeys from her home in Washington to the arctic circle -- in December. Just a reminder here: the winter solstice usually occurs around December 20th, marking the shortest day of the year. In the far north, that means that for weeks before and after the solstice, the sun never actually rises. Sjoholm recounts her adventures in this perpetual twilight, including a trip to the original Ice Hotel, a visit to Santa's Village, an ill-conceived dog-sledding excursion, and an outdoor film festival where the movies are projected onto a giant sheet of ice. Along the way, she slowly comes to realize that the untouched north is full of vibrant and sometimes irreconcilable stories. HM

A Chilling Read

Harbor by John Lindqvist (translated from the Swedish) is the story of a man but it is also the story of a place, of a thing. Anders and Cecilia and their daughter Maja are out exploring the frozen channel when Maja disappears, practically right in front of her parents. Unable to get over this the couple split and two years later Anders returns back to the scene. Strange happenings build into a feeling of dread that makes the book hard to put down. The character development is outstanding with a wonderful flow to the history of the harbor and it's inhabitants. Don't let the 'epic-ness' of the book be a deterrent. John Lindqvist is the author of Let the Right One In, which was made into a popular, must see horror film. SG