Some universal memes exist that seem to exemplify Scandinavian mystery fiction: They are all ineffably sad, they all seem to focus on domestic mysteries with crime close to home, there is a ton of self-contemplative navel gazing, and they’re not afraid to use less-than-glamorous characters as our main focal points. This can be done very well (Åsa Larsson) or very poorly (Christian Jungersen). Thankfully, Johan Theorin’s ECHOES FROM THE DEAD falls squarely into the former category.
Julia is a damaged case, a woman who lost her son at a very early age. One day, her little boy disappeared over the wall around the house and was never seen again, thought accidentally drowned at sea. And then, 20 years later, the boy’s sandal is sent in an unmarked envelope to the grandfather. What twisted web of evil has been uncovered? A remarkably realistic one, tastefully and sensitively written, with believable characters.
The mother, Julia, is familiar enough to fans of this type of fiction in that she’s a mental mess and having trouble coping with society. It’s her father Gerlof, the boy’s grandfather, who really shines here. He’s an old man living in a home, and he’s often confused, but you can feel his spark in the way Theorin writes about him, and he’s a wonderful star around which the story orbits. Julia and Gerlof confront their own damaged family dynamics, and attempt to discover the eventual fate of the poor lost little boy in this strong effort from the winner of Sweden’s Best First Crime Novel Award.
That award was very much deserved. Theorin is a real talent with a beautiful, suspenseful style. This book is definitely worth your attention. —Mark Rose
Related posts:
- Dead Street
- A Killer’s Kiss
- Dead Wrong
- Dead Man’s Hand: Crime Fiction at the Poker Table
- The Book of the Dead
