Nordic noir atmospheric tension in this twisty crime thriller.
This start to a new series introduces Finnish crime inspector Elea Baker. Ten years after her 12 year old daughter Liisa vanished in Provoo, Elea is called to Lincoln, England, to consult on a series of chilling child abductions. The new kidnappings seem to mirror what happened in Finland and Elea has high hopes that she might actually find her missing daughter. Then, a surviving girl emerges and clues indicate that these disappearances might be related to the “Ice Angels” case. Elea has to work alongside her estranged husband as they try to piece together what might have happened during these long years.
This was incredibly enjoyable as the police procedural describes realistic investigative methods. The narrative moves through different points of view and time jumps. Although this is a cold case from Elea’s perspective, the current events in Lincoln rachet up the tension as the reader wonders if her daughter is dead or alive. There is also a bit of focus on the emotional as the mother and daughter bond is explored. I liked the setting and the writing style and honestly, I wasn’t sure how I hoped it would end but the author did a decent job of wrapping it all up. I assume that there were be future books featuring these characters though I could be done with all that angsty stuff with her soon to be ex husband Swann. He’s moved on and has a family and I’m sick of messy domestics. And of course she has the rogue cop trope going on and I hope this series doesn’t fall down that hole. I’ve mixed emotions about continuing. So many authors go down this same path and I’m hoping this doesn’t go there.
I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book ARC, both provided by the publishers. The narrator, Aryana Ramkhalawon, did a really good job of handling the various characters and their accents. Her pronunciation of the places and phrases was good. Also appreciated how she didn’t overact the voice of the 12 year old. Definitely captured the atmospheric tension. Her performance enhanced my enjoyment of the book as it created an appropriate immersive experience.
This looks to be the first in a new series.
Genre and tags: crime fiction, kidnapping, Finland, England, police procedural, mothers and daughters
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