This entry in the series is a major shake-up of the Seriesverse. Everything I say now forward is a HUGE SPOILER. You've been warned.

Nora, previously a bank-lawyer, has switched gears and become a public prosecutor in the Economic Crimes investigations unit. This makes a lot of sense as the stories need to include her more organically. Thomas being a police inspector will, quite naturally, need to interact with her more often and on less flimsy pretexts. Given the scumminess of her boss's behavior towards her in the last book, it's a good thing she's left that bank...and even better that she's left banking.

Jonas is, four years after the last book's events, her partner and the father of her first daughter. Take that, Henrik! Of course this means she's got Wilma, Jonas's daughter the teenager, to contend with, though that's a treat for another book as she's entirely absent from this one. As her own two sons with Henrik (in this book, they're vacationing with him) enter their teens...poor lamb, she's really walked into a buzzsaw with this...she's going to face some troubles! Heaven only knows the blended-family issues this presents are fertile, if well-trodden, fictional grounds. They call these tropes "evergreens" for a reason.

On the Thomas end, the Scoobygroup's changed. Margit's been promoted and is no longer his loyal sidekick. Aram, whose foolishness in the last book earned my snorts and eyerolls, is now in Margit's spot. His Iranian ancestry sould let Author Sten do some serious soul-searching about Swedishness. Erik, another Scoobygroup character that I myownself never found interesting, has gone into the private sector and is tempting Thomas to follow him with better pay and easier working conditions. Will Thomas leave the police just as Nora joins them? Stay tuned...not in this book, though.

THIS story, the mystery we're here to watch unfold, is about Carsten Jonsson, a bigfootin' vulture capitalist whose finances are teetering, also with no taste and no class, violating Sandhamn's cultural norms. He builds his family a gigantic McMansion that's aesthetically out of place (shades of book one!) and might be legally questionable regarding property rights...but there's a suspicious fire as he invites the whole island over to "welcome" him and his family...and, of course, there's a dead body in the mix. Thomas must investigate, since it's a murder not an arson case. Nora is involved because a) prosecutor who used to work in banking, 2) longtime Sandhamner thus included in the party invitation, iii) woman whose spidey-senses have gone off at the ménage chez Jonsson because wife-component's behavior is making her very, very edgy. Was the Sandhamn neighbor who's made it his mission to oust Jonsson and family from the neighborhood guilty of setting the fire? Was the dead body killed in the fire, or dead before it? And who, exactly, was it who died?

Nora's change of career makes her involvement in the case so much more logical. It's also good that so much hinges on her banking background, where she was driven off by the shadiness of the banking business's deals with criminals. Here's a victim whose involvement in that shady, not-quite-illegal but clearly immoral world of Russian big money has led to consequences.

Things are resolved, of course, and ugly secrets kept by both the Jonssons are aired. Sandhamn's pretty surface is again revealed to be draped over the usual human ugliness. Thomas does something stupid again, but it made more sense to me this time. Or I'm just getting inured to it....

The themes of environmental change and related business turpitude are, as expected, much to my taste. I've really only got one really big "do what now" moment in this read: WHO THE HE** IS EVA?!

Another great read from Viveca Sten, with all the twists and turns in the narrative that you expect.

As always the characters have moved on and there is lots to discover in both their personal and professional lives, all of which adds to the plot.

This is a great read.

When I chose to read this book from Netgalley, I didn't realize it was the 7th book in the series. However, I was able to quickly figure out what was happening and followed along with the characters easily. I enjoyed the book and particularly enjoyed the last 25% of the book. The story really developed and wrapped up quickly.

What a wonderful, well-plotted mystery. I did not realize that this was book #7 in the series; therefore, some of the characters are a little hard to follow since I don't have the history. (I think I'm going to try and read this series from the beginning). There is a lot that happens in each scene and you constantly learn something new.

The book description gives a good overview but there are so many twists and turns and dark secrets that it doesn't even begin to describe this book. There is a long list of suspects among the Sandhamm Island after the eye soar of a house is burned to the ground after the house warming party to show off the estate. Not only is the house burned but a body is found in the ruble. Everyone seems to have secrets especially Carsten and Celia. The book does start out a little slow but it helped with the character and world building since I have not read the other books in the series. I simply could not put the book down until I got to the end! I normally would not read a 7th book in the series unless I had read the other books but I am so glad that I did so now I have to read the other 6 books.

Thanks Netgalley for the opportunity for an honest review of a book that I probably never would have read otherwise!

The new summer house on Sandhamn Island is an architectural dream for its owner, Carsten Jonsson. It’s a nightmare for the locals. The venture capitalist has flouted local traditions, property lines, and the natural beauty of the coastline. He’s also too wealthy and arrogant to heed the anonymous warnings to leave. The threats escalate when his guest lodge is burned to the ground and an unidentifiable corpse is found in the charred ruins.

Another great book in the series. Loved the plot.. Simply amazing.

This title is another entry in what I feel is an under publicized Scandinavian mystery series.  Sten writes relatively long novels which I enjoy as I know that I will get to read each book for a while. 


In this novel, readers old and new will enjoy spending time with police officer, Thomas, and lawyer, Nora, as they again become embroiled in a case with murder and complexity.  The story is about Carsten Jonnson, his family and his business associates. Carsten, in the beginning of the novel, is one of those titans who has a lot of money and believes that this pretty much lets him do what he likes.  This includes building a large summer home on Sandhamn.  But, of course, being a mystery series a number of bad things will happen. The suspense builds right up until the end.


Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book in exchange for an honest review. I recommend this series.  The titles are attractively priced and the setting, characters and stories are all interesting.

Amazing read!
I came across this book via one of my Goodread's friends who highly recommended "In the shadow of power". I liked his review and his thoughts about the book.

As usual in Nordic litterature, the novel starts slowly and the author takes all her time to set up the plot. The context is introduced and described thouroughly.

"In the shadow of power" is brilliantly written, full of suspense and wonderful characters. I hope there is more to come soon from Viveca Sten.

Four stars for In the Shadow of Power by Viveca Stein. This is the seventh book in Sten’s Sandhamm series, and like the others, it is a comfortable mystery with the same characters we know and love.

Sten makes two interesting choices at the beginning of this novel. The novel jumps several years into the future following the completion of the last book. For those who are reading in order, it feels a bit jarring at first, but it does allow the characters to experience new emotions and life challenges and gets them out of repeating the same concerns (I.e., Nora has moved on from the will-they-won’t-they of her marriage to Henrik, and Thomas no longer worries repeatedly about losing his new daughter, Elin).

The second interesting choice is that the murder does not occur until a third of the way into the novel. While this allows Sten to focus on building understanding of the one-off characters that will come into play with this mystery, it does feel like this portion of the book could be a little tighter.

If you are a fan of this series, you’ll welcome this entry and will enjoy its contributions to the overall story arc. If you are new to the series, you may be playing a little catch-up on the relationships among and history of the recurring characters.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is vivid. It hooked me right from the beginning and I enjoyed it to the core. The characters, plot, and description are amazing. Though it is a part of a series, it can be read as a stand alone. I enjoyed the experience of reading this book.

Another murder mystery on Sandhamm, the Midsomer of Sweden, that keeps you engaged throughout the story.
Descriptions of the environments and populace draw you into the book all the way through.

Sandhamn Secrets....
Engaging suspense. A summer house on Sandhamn Island is destroyed by fire and a corpse found in the remains - so begins an investigation which will uncover long buried secrets. The seventh book in the series and a worthy addition.

An Intriguing Approach To A Murder Mystery

This is the second novel in a row that I have read that the murder does not start at or very near to the start of the novel. The murder doesn’t occur until 40% into the novel. By this time the reader has much information on the characters, their personalities, and the relationships between them. I rather enjoy this unusual approach.

The novel opens in the past with the physical and verbal bullying of a student. This is the genesis of the events that unfold in this novel. The novel jumps to 2013 in which the novel is set. Maria the nanny for Carsten and Celia Jonsson is the victim of a gasoline vapor explosion. Then, the action shifts to Sandhamn Island. The reader will see Carsten’s unrelenting drive to show his success, his source of funding to build a large house on Sandhamn, and how his neighbor fights Carsten. The tension mounts within his family, on the island and internationally.

This is only the second novel in these series that I read. The other was the first book in the series. The only characters I recognize from that novel is Thomas Andreasson, a police detective, who now as a life changing decision to make, and Nora Linde, who changed jobs. The B-storyline centers most on these two characters and their families and their future. Generally, for me, the B-storyline is icing on the cake, but in this novel, it captured my attention. In fact, some of the B-storyline threads merge with main storyline threads at times. Another reason may be because the first 40% was telling a story that I knew was going to result in a murder, but didn’t have the normal suspense to capture my attention.

There are a few F-bombs and even fewer of less vulgar language. There is some violence, but not emphasized or titillating. There was hint to sexual activity. Overall, I believe most readers will not be offended. Next, this is translated from Swedish by the same person who translated the first book. My criticism of the first book was the use of idiomatic British term that sounded out of place in a Swedish setting. The translation never caused me any concern with this book. Lastly, as the sixth novel in the series, will not reading the previously novels hinder the enjoyment in reading this novel. As I did not read the intervening five novels, I’m almost in the same boat. I did do not believe I was so hindered. The author provides adequate backfill. Lastly, reading this novel on an e-reader was of great benefit for at least ready access to the Internet to find the various locations in Sweden.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this novel. I liked the murder occurring near the middle of the novel as this method provides a much deeper insight into the main characters of the novel. Overall, I rate this novel with four stars.

I have received a free kindle version of this novel through NetGalley from Amazon Crossing with an expectation for an honest, unbiased review. I wish to thank Amazon Crossing for the opportunity to read and review this novel.

Set on an island in Sweden the residents are established old hands at island life. They are not happy with the newcomers who have built a monstrosity of a house on this island, ignoring local rules and regulations. There is a feeling of unrest running through the community at the brashness and overpowering aggression of the newcomers but notwithstanding that a house warming party ensures that everyone attends to gawp and look at how the other side lives.

When on the opening day itself a fire breaks out in the guest house adjoining the main house and the charred body of a man is found, it is no longer simply a matter of grumbling neighbours. The police called in no that the owner Carsten has many enemies - he is rude and overbearing even to the police and not co operative at all. Unknown to the islanders Carsten is facing his own demons and is facing financial ruin.

The story develops slowly but it is very apparent that Carsten is heading for a breakdown mentally and with that he will take his family down as well. His wife Celia is not the most loved of people either but the two young children are in danger and the story builds up to a crisis very well. The characters are well rounded and believable and the island is described simply and well.

Reading a new installment of a favorite series is like visiting an old friend, or having a fond family reunion -- and Viveca Sten's Sandhamn books are no exception. Set in the Stockholm archipelago, these books carry a sort of English-village mood: a little bit Old World, and a bit of 21st-Century cosmopolitan vibe, thanks to the proximity of Stockholm by ferry.

Readers who have been with this series from the beginning have grown to love the matchless setting, the loyal friendship between attorney Nora and policeman Thomas, and the culture clash between the traditions of the island-dwellers and the entitlement of the tourists who flood in during the season.

In this outing, a venture capitalist builds an ostentatious summer home on the island, spending obscene amounts of cash and social capital in an effort to impress. He's definitely not a nice guy, so when someone sets a deadly fire on his property, there are plenty of suspects.

Thomas is dispatched from Stockholm to investigate the crime, unaware that his friend Nora was at the party where the fire was set. The two work together again seamlessly, with Nora's civilian status and empathetic personality giving her access to people, places and situations denied to Thomas.

I enjoyed this book, as I have the previous six, but was still startled at a couple of sudden, unexplained references to earlier events and characters (in one case, to a child who had died, without so much as a sentence to clarify. I had a "where did that come from" moment-- and I've read all the books!)

Thanks to NetGalley for an advance readers copy.

This was such an amazing read that I couldn’t put it down. It went everywhere with me. To the doctors office, the dentist, the eye doctor. IT WENT ABSOLUTELY EVERYWHERE. I was so sad when it ended that I immediately went and bought more books from this author!

Carsten Jonsson might remind you of other high flying people who have ignored local customs and built huge eyesores in resort areas. In this case, it's on Sandhamn Island and there are a number of angry locals, any one of whom could have burned down the guest house- but what about the body? Nora Linde, a local attorney and DI Thomas Andreasson find themselves investigating. She's in touch with Carsten's wife Celia, who is keeping a secret. Thomas is doing the more traditional investigation but the two of them work well together. This is a series and if you, like me, have read only one (or none at all) you'll be fine with the characters although I suspect those who have been following along will see developments I missed. The mystery is good, the setting is wonderful, and it's a less noir Nordic noir read. Oh- and don't forget the Russians! Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I'm going to look for more as I'd like to know what Thomas decides about his future.

Viveca Stern never disappoints....great mystery.
Carsten has spent his life trying to overcome his past and prove that he is rich, powerful, and should have the best of everything no matter the cost. He builds an extremely large, and extravagant house on Sandhelm for his wife and two children. The locals are very upset and believe he is disregarding their laws and building codes and want him to leave. The night of the housewarming party, a fire is set that takes the life of an unknown person. The list of arson suspects is long, and Thomas and the other detectives are worried the trouble is going to continue if they do not figure out who is behind the fire. Meanwhile, life for Carsten and his family is not what it appears from the onset, and Nora once again finds herself in the middle of danger, where she must find a way to save the lives of two innocent children and their mother.
Great story filled with betrayal, lies, shady deals, and danger.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Carsten Jonsson builds a huge, showy house on Sandhamm Island, using his money and power to ignore local customs and property lines. After a party he throws to show off his home, a fire is set and a dead body is found that is beyond recognition. Detective Inspector Thomas Andreasson with help from his friend, attorney Nora Linde, must determine if this was deliberate murder or a terrible accident. The dynamics in the Jonsson family, along with Carsten's reputation for shady business dealings, make it difficult to determine suspects and possible motives for the crime.

I have read three of the prior books in this series and liked each one. After reading the first couple of chapters, I quickly became reacquainted with the main characters. I came into the middle of the series, so I think new readers could pick this book up and enjoy it just as much. Sten is a skilled writer and although clues were given, I was surprised when the killer and the motive was ultimately revealed. The book opens with a little boy being bullied at school and I tried to figure out the identity of that unknown boy and how it fit in with the rest of the story, but I guessed incorrectly. Carsten and Celia's story was interesting and heartbreaking and I didn't guess the extent of what Carsten was capable of. His business dealings with Russia were also presented in an interesting way that adds to the story.

The best parts of this series are the beautiful setting, the individual characters of Thomas and Nora, and the close, platonic friendship they share. They are believable characters as they try their best to succeed in their jobs, raise their families, and make a difference in the world. It's refreshing that Thomas and Nora get along so well together and make a great investigative team, but have their own separate romantic lives. Nora has had her ups and downs in the prior books I've read, but things are currently going well for her. Thomas is feeling burned out in his job and is considering making a change. The investigation builds and ends with a dramatic and scary scene that had me on the edge of my seat. Even though the main plot is resolved by the end of the book, both Thomas and Nora have unanswered questions in their lives. While I'm waiting for the next book to come out, I am going to go back and read some of the earlier books in the series that I missed.

I recommend this book and the entire series for readers who enjoy Camilla Lackberg or Leena Lehtolainen.

I received this book from NetGalley through the courtesy of Amazon Crossing. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.

I'm a fan of Viveca Sten and of the Sandham series and this book was up to my expectations.
I appreciated how Ms Sten make us met her characters older and learn about their development.
I think that the characters and the setting are two strong points in this series and Ms Sten didn't fail to deliver.
The book starts slowly and takes speed when the mystery part starts.
It's a good mystery and I liked it.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

I always enjoy Viveca Sten's books. I love the Swedish setting and I love the platonic relationship between Thomas and Nora. This mystery did not disappoint even though it didn't follow the traditional mystery format--we got to know the killer quite well before the major crimes were committed. I did find it odd that this was the second book in the series that had a sister committing crimes to avenge her dead, bullied brother. It's not a bad storyline but one we just had 3-4 books previous.