First Born - Will Dean

I really enjoyed Will Dean's previous book, The Last Thing to Burn. (my review). He has just released a new title - First Born. 

Molly Raven. Katie Raven. Identical twins. Ah, when twins are involved it seems like there's a suspense story just waiting to be uncovered. Molly lives in Britain close to her parents. Katie has travelled to the US to go to school. The girls are very different from each other though. Molly worries, is introverted, but quite smart. Katie is the extrovert and is more daring.

But..... and this is not a spoiler as it's announced in the first few pages... Katie is dead, perhaps murdered. Molly and her parents fly to New York to find out more. Molly takes it upon her self to start an investigation of her own. The book is told by Molly.

I thought Molly was an unusual lead character. I found her and her parents to be somewhat, well, odd in their actions and discussions. Everything is staccato - short sentences, off kilter conversations and more. The parents have spoken to the police, but don't really have any answers to give Molly. When the detective in charge meets with Molly, it's the same side stepping. Would a family be satisfied with this wait and see attitude? The investigation seemed almost sketchy to me. Molly meets another person looking into the murder and she embraces him on face value. Which doesn't match her OCD tendencies that have her preparing for any and all danger that might come her way.

Just as awkward for me was the investigation that Molly mounts. It continues on much longer than would be realistic and the interactions and situations that Molly forces are just as unbelievable for me. There is, of course, a twist involved.It was telegraphed much earlier in the book than I expected to see it. And therefore the ending seemed almost tacked on. And it too, was over the top.

Sorry to say, that this was just an okay read for me. 

The Long Shadow - Liza Marklund

The Long Shadow is the eighth North American release in Liza Marklund's Annika Bengtzon series.

The Long Shadow picks right up from the last book, Lifetime. Annika's personal life is in shambles - her husband has left her for another woman, he has custody of their children and her home has burned down. She's just learned that she'll now be reporting to a man who used to be her subordinate at the Swedish newspaper she works at.

She's sent to Spain to report on the death of a former Swedish national. It looks like they were originally just targets of the latest European crime wave - pumping gas into the victim's home until they pass out, then robbing them. (This is frighteningly true!) But something went wrong this time - he and his family have been killed. Or was it deliberate?

Annika is a tireless reporter. Or perhaps obsessive is a more apt description. She's headstrong, impulsive and plunges headlong into her stories, often to her own detriment. But, she trusts her own instincts and follows them regardless. It often pays off - she saved the life a young boy in the last book. And this time is no exception. Annika knows this current story is much deeper than her editor thinks. When he wants her to move on to other pieces, she lets him believe she has - then pursues her own leads.

Marklund's plots are quite detailed and intricate. I do enjoy her style as it really keeps the reader engaged and on their toes. Having followed the series, I was easily able to keep up with the players and past references. But new readers might find the number of characters, established relationships and connections a mite confusing. Much of this book's plot is tied to previous cases. An interesting twist is slowly revealed through flashbacks to someone's childhood.

Woven throughout is the secondary storyline of Annika's personal life. I think Marklund has handled and written this very well throughout the series. . Although I've heard some other readers remark that this secondary storyline muddies the waters of the main plot, I disagree. I quite like seeing the two sides of Annika's life - personal and professional. For me, it makes the character more realistic and believable when we see vulnerability in such strong personality.

The setting was brought to life with detailed descriptions of ex-pats and luxury. And corruption and crime.

This is an excellent series with a character I quite like, even though she's not always likable. Definitely recommended. I'll be watching for the next in the series. Read an except of The Long Shadow. And on a side note, I was thrilled to discover that the Annika books have been made into films. And my library carries them! You can find Liza Marklund on Facebook .

The Disappeared - Kristina Ohlsson

I quite discovered Swedish author Kristina Ohlsson by accident when I picked up her first book "Unwanted". Fortuitous accident - because it was the first in a fantastic crime series featuring Investigative analyst Fredrika Bergman. The third book, Disappeared, is newly released and it too was a fantastic read.

The prologue's opening lines, set in the past, grabbed me immediately....

"When the film begins she has no idea what she is about to see. Nor does she realise what devastating consequences this film and the decisions she then makes will have on the rest of her life."

Present day. Two years after she disappears, the dismembered body of Rebecca Tolle is found by a dog walker in a shallow grave.  When the crime scene team expand their excavation of the grave site, they find another body. But the second body has been buried for at least thirty years.

Are the two connected? Is this the work of a serial killer spanning thirty years?

Frederika and the special unit of the Swedish Federal Police are called in. Their case builds slowly, with multiple suspects - one of them close to a member of the team. I really enjoy Ohlsson's character building. She has given each main character a rich personal life that provides a more intimate reading experience. 

Ohlsson is extremely clever with her plotting and delivery of her story.  Interspersed with the investigation are Internal Affairs interviews held after the case has ended.

"You're here because you were in charge of an investigation that ended in disaster."

We get wee snippets of information that heighten the tension, provide subtle clues, provide teasers - and kept this reader up far too late. Midway through, I went back to read that prologue again as the pieces started to fall into place.

An intelligent, well written series (with a side of grisly) that I can easily recommend. I do hope Ohlsson plans to continue with this series.  Read an excerpt of The Disappeared.