Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

In Ten Swedes Must Die Max discovers his connection to two of the crime scenes, his investigation uncovers what could be the most shameful episode in Sweden’s history. The deeper he gets, the harder it becomes to distance himself from the dark sins of the past—and to secure a future with the woman he loves. For Max, and for the killer, the countdown to a terrifying end begins.

Great story that kept me interested until the very end.

A massive novel, with changing settings and times, but it's not too complicated. It's well written, including a very good translation, and the characters are very well described. The plot is dependent on some strange decisions by the main characters, and there is too much about fertility, but it's a very enjoyable book.

A blend of international politics, espionage, and treachery, Ten Swedes Must Die is an action-packed, spy thriller that will keep you turning the pages.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

The sinking of the Kursk, a Russian nuclear-powered submarine, in August of 2000 opens Martin Osterdahl’s second book in the Max Anger series. As an analyst for Vektor, a think tank concerned with security, Max becomes involved in their efforts to mount a rescue attempt for any survivors. With a meeting arranged with a government official, he arrives to discover that his contact has been murdered, with the number 8 and an odd symbol engraved into his skin. Max is drawn into the investigation when he is connected to another murder in this string of serial killings. The first body that had been found was in a trunk at an auction on the island where Max had grown up. Maj-Lis, his old teacher, still lives on the island, but Max finds her body with the number 10 and another symbol carved into the skin. While he waits for the police he searches her home and finds a silver arm band with the SS runes carved into it.

Osterdahl reaches into Sweden’s past to create a story fueled by the desire for revenge for the treatment of refugees at the end of WWII. Ozols, a Latvian who fought with the Germans, made his way to Sweden at the end of the war to find his girlfriend and son. Arrested and confined to a camp, he was later sent back to the Soviet Union with others who had fled. Vowing revenge for their treatment, he has finally found the means to exact that revenge. Max and Inspector Sofia Karlsson must find a way to decipher the symbols found on the bodies before the countdown continues to its’ final devastating attack.

Max and his girlfriend Pashie have lived through traumatic events and are now looking forward to moving on from the past. Their attempts to start a family have been frustrating and unsuccessful. Their relationship is strained further when Max becomes involved in the investigation with Sofia. As the body count and tension rises, there are also unknown persons who are are working against them. With history, political maneuvering and murder, this is a solid entry in Scandinavian mystery and I look forward to seeing where Osterdahl takes Anger in the future.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Amazon Crossing for providing this book for my review.

During a farm auction in Roslagen, (the area just outside of Stockholm - the archipelago)  a dead man is found in a coffin. Not in the way you would expect either - he's been chopped in half and has some unsightly symbols engraved on his forehead. When it becomes apparent that this man was the head of the Swedish Miogration Board, all hell breaks loose. The police start to investigate his work which was very senstive to many.

He's only the first high-ranking Swede to fall victim to this killer.

The Swedish archipelago is a  important setting with a lot of meaning for this thriller - when you involve the Russian storyline. Roslagen is the name of the northern part of the archipelago and the island of Arholma is where the Estonian cemetery is in the novel. Estonian Swedes fled from Soviet troops during World War II and many of them ended up at Björkö-Arholma in Roslagen. This area is therefore very historically interesting and where the novel really comes into its own by mixing fact and fiction with a heavy dose of dark true life history.

We hear of the Kursk and its role in the war, the significance of the islands since and during the war and the link between Russia, Estonia and Sweden. Too much to mention in one review but believe me , it's a fascinating part of history.

The thriller plot, combined with the level of research and history really makes this novel shine. It's a tough and gripping read which I was enthralled by throughout.