Midwinter Sacrifice
Published on 27. October 2011
448 pages
978-1-4447-2154-6 (ISBN)
Description
'An investigation consists of a mass of voices, the sort you can hear, and the sort you can't. You have to listen to the soundless voices, Malin. That's where the truth is hidden.'
Early one morning in the coldest winter in Swedish memory, police detective Malin Fors is called away from the warm flat she shares with her teenage daughter. The naked body of a man has been found hanging from a tree on the deserted, frozen plain outside the town of Linkoeping.
From the outset Malin is confronted with a host of unanswered questions: Who is the dead man? How did he end up in a tree? And where did the strange wounds on his body come from?
Malin and her team must search for the truth in a community that seems determined to keep its secrets, and follow in the frigid wake of a killer to the darkest corners of the human heart.
Early one morning in the coldest winter in Swedish memory, police detective Malin Fors is called away from the warm flat she shares with her teenage daughter. The naked body of a man has been found hanging from a tree on the deserted, frozen plain outside the town of Linkoeping.
From the outset Malin is confronted with a host of unanswered questions: Who is the dead man? How did he end up in a tree? And where did the strange wounds on his body come from?
Malin and her team must search for the truth in a community that seems determined to keep its secrets, and follow in the frigid wake of a killer to the darkest corners of the human heart.
Reviews / Votes
Meditative. Dark. Really, really cold . . . This is a worthy successor to Larsson's Millennium trilogy . . . This first installment in Kallentoft's crime series is a splendid representative of the Swedish crime novel, in all its elegance and eeriness. * <i>Booklist</i> Starred Review * Don't bother with Stieg Larsson, Kallentoft is better * Magnus Utvik, Sweden's leading critic * One of the best-realised female heroines I've read by a male writer * <i>Guardian</i> * The highest suspense * Camilla Lackberg * He has a completely unique style, an exquisite narrative that you drink in with pleasure . . . I'm convinced: a crime novel doesn't get much more beautiful than this * <i>Kristianstadsbladet</i> * A gripping opening gambit . . . Investigating inspector Malin Fors is a feisty single mother, whose flaws are intriguing and endearing . . . The chillingly suspense-filled story works up to a truly stunning finale. * <i>Easy Living</i> * Malin Fors is an intriguing and complex heroine . . . MIDWINTER SACRIFICE shows the hidden life under the picturesque surface . . . Kallentoft is an outstanding writer * Nordic Bookblog * More very impressive input from another Scandinavian writer with something refreshingly different to say and with a different way of saying it . . . the background of Sweden in the grip of a cruel and punishing winter is brought vividly to the page. His illustration of the complex character of his heroine is also impressive . . . An impressive book. * <i>Tangled Web</i> * [Kallentoft] is rightly praised for his skill at plotting, as well as his ability to create strongly-realised female protagonists . . . The author's sequence featuring his wonderfully rounded female protagonist Malin Fors is rapidly acquiring a devoted following. * <i>Good Book Guide</i> * Sharp writing and original insights add spice * <i>Literary Review</i> * This is a dark novel, full of awful people and desperate loneliness. Kallentoft is ruthless in his descriptions, but there is a great story here with solid police work leading Fors to the tale of the dead man in the tree. A must for the fans of Swedish crime novels. * <i>Globe and Mail</i> * Kallentoft is gifted . . . He has a knack for characterisation and describing the slow burn of police work. * <i>The Age</i> (Australia) * A cleverly crafted . . . dark multilayered murder mystery * <i>Courier Mail </i>(Australia) * Delivers in spades * <i>Sunday Herald Sun </i>(Australia) * Most successful as an in-depth exploration of small-town life in a country which is theoretically democratic and egalitarian, but only on the surface. * <i>Canberra Times</i> * An all-round chilling read, and an interesting beginning to what will be a fascinating five-part series of crime fiction page turners featuring the policewoman. * <i>Sunshine Coast Daily</i> (Australia) * My current favourite among the Scandinavian crime writers is another Swede, Mons Kallentoft. So far, three of his Malin Fors books have been translated into English: Midwinter Sacrifice, Summertime Death and Autumn Killing. I loved them all, particularly for the way Kallentoft gives a voice to his victims. * Alex Gray, author of <i>Sleep Like the Dead</i> *More details
Series
Edition
Digital original
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Hodder & Stoughton General Division (Digital)
Edition type
Digital original
Illustrations
None
File size
1,14 MB
ISBN-13
978-1-4447-2154-6 (9781444721546)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Persons
Mons Kallentoft grew up in a working-class household in the provincial town of Linkoping, Sweden, where the Malin Fors series is set. Before becoming a writer, he worked in journalism and is also a keen food critic. His first novel, Pesetas, was awarded the Swedish equivalent of the Whitbread Award. He has been married to Karolina for over 20 years, and they live in Stockholm with their daughter and son.
His novels are translated into English by Neil Smith.
Visit Mons' website at www.monskallentoft.se and his Facebook page at www.facebook.com/MonsKallentoft and follow him on Twitter @Kallentoft
His novels are translated into English by Neil Smith.
Visit Mons' website at www.monskallentoft.se and his Facebook page at www.facebook.com/MonsKallentoft and follow him on Twitter @Kallentoft
