The Hidden Child by Camilla Lackberg – Published by Harper (in English) 2011
This is the latest in Camilla Lackberg’s series of psychological thrillers featuring writer Erica Falck and her detective husband, set in the present but delving into terrible events which took place in the Second World War.
When Erica finds a Nazi medal amongst her late mother’s possessions, she is prompted by her writers’ instinct to find out more. Her curiosity leads to a murder and the uncovering of a secret held by only the people directly involved. Who they are, why and how they acted that way and what links them today makes for a tense and gripping story.
Yes, this is yet another Scandi-crime-drama, but what sets it apart is the way Ms Lackberg mixes the darkness of recent crimes, the terrible events surrounding the Nazi era and the lightness of 21st century domestic life. And, yes, there are a few too many coincidences and an ending which is maybe a bit too neat but, frankly, none of that matters….it’s just a very good read.