3.5 stars

This is #3 in a series featuring Swedish cop Fabian Risk. After events in previous books, he probably thought he’d seen it all. He’d be wrong. It seems in the world of serial killers, there’s always some cheeky up & comer looking to make a splash.

Body #1 is fished out of a car driven into Helsingborg harbour. It’s no surprise the autopsy reveals a high blood alcohol level. But it’s a bit of a shocker when the coroner shares that the victim actually died 2 months ago. All his dip in the harbour did was thaw him out. Fabian & his team begin to pick away at this impossible puzzle, dogged by a sobering thought. What if the killer is just getting started? (spoiler: they are)

In a separate chapter a wealthy composer is interrupted in his home studio when a van driver attempts to deliver a freezer. There must be some mistake, he’s already got 2. But the driver insists it’s for him. And sadly, it is.

Meanwhile, cop Dunja Hougaard is back pounding the streets. She was a respected homicide detective but after a run-in with her skeevy boss, she’s lucky to even be in uniform. She catches a strange case of her own & begins to quietly investigate, unaware her old nemesis is plotting revenge.

As we follow the hunt for the killer there are many side plots unfolding, each with different narrators. Fabian’s private life plays a prominent role. After events of the previous books, his family is barely intact & his wife & 2 kids are all undergoing their own personal dramas. All these threads lead to the one criticism I have about the book.

There’s a lot going on here, maybe too much. I can easily list at least 7 different story lines & even more narrators. The result is some are lightly touched on & lack the time/space for the reader to get truly invested. Dunja’s journey alone could be a separate book if fleshed out. And I thought a couple of the others could be dropped entirely without affecting the overall arc of the story. It would make for a smoother read & allow the remaining plot lines to be more fully explored.

As for my twisted self, I just wanted to get back to the hunt for our “frosty” killer. Through their words & actions, we’re left in no doubt they are as meticulous as they are clever. The investigation gradually ramps up for an explosive & bloody finish. Many of the big pieces fall into place but not everyone will survive. As for Fabian, some surprising revelations at the end make it clear he has more work ahead of him.

I recommend reading the series in order as the past greatly informs where these characters are now, particularly in regard to the Risk family. So if you’re in the mood for a run-in with a creepy bad guy, grab a cup of tea & curl up with this dark Scandi thriller. But if you’re interrupted by a delivery man with a freezer….just sayin’.

The cover is of this book is gorgeous! I went into this book with no expectations; other than it sounded like a page turner. I have not read the other Fabian Risk stories but I don’t think it took away from reading this one. I was right on this being a page turner! Holy smokes - maybe don’t read this at night when you are home alone!

The story built quickly and had me on the edge my seat. Trust me when I can honestly say there is a twist and I was blown away! The plot was great, I enjoyed the characters and the author has set this up beautifully for another book in the series.

I am excited to read the others in the series now and see how they fit together.

Thank you, NetGalley & House of Anansi for the opportunity to read this …. alone, in the dark on a Friday night!

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advance copy of Eighteen Below. I had previously read - and enjoyed - "Victim Without A Face" and "The Ninth Grave", so I had great expectations for this third entry in the Fabian Risk stories; and I was not disappointed.

Although this one started out a little slower than the first two, it did gain momentum as the - as per Ahnhem's wont - multiple storylines played out: identity theft of the deadly kind (with a twist that I really didn't see coming, but made sense when it was revealed) and thrill killing that struck a little too close to home for one of the characters.

Stefan has included all of the characters from previous Fabian Risk stories in this one, and has added some additional 'flesh' to them. The interactions are as expected and he expertly weaves one story through the other.

The stories came to a satisfactory but violent ending. And the epilog set us up for the next book in the series. I for one cannot wait.