I was excited to read a thriller set during World War II! However, I could not get into the characters! They did many horrible deeds. I also found some of the scenes that me uncomfortable reading. Still, I did like the setting of Sweden! Thus, this novel is perfect for those that love reading about World War II!

Cecilia Ekbäck's "The Historians" unveils a dark and disturbing chapter of Sweden's history, incorporating it into a riveting mystery. The story, that begins in 1943 Stockholm, moves between leads, including five who formed an inseparable group at university in Uppsala - Laura, Erik, Matti, Karl-Henrik and Britta. They were besotted with Old Norse history and the Norse faith, Asatru.

Laura and Jens (secretary to the Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs) investigate murders independently and then together. they eventually find answers, involving human experimentation and a Scandinavian Reich. Then someone powerful behind the scenes cleans up - and more die.

Don't miss the author's Note and Historical Background at the end, that discusses the Sami people, the State Institute for Racial Biology and more. Highly recommended!

I really wanted to finish this book, but I finally put it aside. The story, although interesting, was complicated and tough to follow. I enjoyed learning more about Sweden, its neutrality, and World War II. But the characters and plot jumped around and left me, quite honestly, confused.

First sentence: Clicking typewriter keys, muttering voices, shrilling phones . . . the barrage of noise in the office was constant. Whenever Laura left work, the echo in her ears made her feel for a while that she had gone deaf. Jacob Wallenberg, Laura’s boss, mentor, and Sweden’s chief negotiator with Germany, walked through the room and they watched him, to see whose desk he would stop at, so they could try to guess the latest twist.

Premise/plot: The Historians is a historical thriller set during the Second World War in Sweden. There are two primary narrators--Laura and Jens. But the book alternates between THREE focuses. (I'm sure that makes NO sense whatsoever. But the third pov isn't really so much one person as one location--a mountain with a mine--with shifting perspectives. In many ways it's a murder mystery, but, there's definitely some suspense/thriller vibes as well. Laura and Jens' lives are in danger almost the whole time as they try to get to the bottom of what's going on.

My thoughts: The Historians is historical FICTION. It flirts with the idea that Nazi Germany wasn't the only ones to do experiments on humans. Jens and Laura are on the hunt to figure out Sweden's secrets--secrets that apparently are costing people their lives if they ask too many questions. I think it is important that readers know this is fiction.

I liked this one well enough. I did. I found it a compelling enough read. The more the three shifted into one big story the more I liked it. If there was one thing I didn't quite like about this one, it was that the ending just felt a bit too abrupt. Like you've invested hours into the book and then that's the ending?!?! It is definitely an ending with some ambiguity. I don't know if there's enough to make a sequel though.

I do feel it was a premise-driven book examining how IDEAS and BELIEFS shape people, motivate people, lead to decisions, etc. For better or worse, one of the ideas is related to race and how 'the pure' Scandinavian race is superior to all others that have been tainted by mixing.

Ekbäck explores the potential for great harm that cultic commitment of this sort can give rise to, even in so moderate a country as Sweden. And she produces a convincing scenario to demonstrate how the most intelligent and well-disposed might be seduced to embrace it. A weakness of the book is that the young historians strike me as products of the present moment rather than as people born in 1920 or so. But the advantage is that the reader of today may be more prompted to examine its relevance to our present circumstances than if the issue raised could safely be consigned to the sad old days.

The entire review may be found at http://www.reviewingtheevidence.com/review.html?id=11489

Wow! I must say that my love for any and everything about WW2 is what keeps me reading historical thrillers that reference that particular war. This one is no different however it brought in a new country for me, Sweden. I loved the way the author mapped out everything in the beginning and explained to the reader so that those who my not have been that familiar could keep up. The story is filled with murder, mystery, and historical twists that will definitely keep the readers interest. I hope to find other books by this very talented author and/ or wait patiently for the next one.


Thank you to netgalley as well as the author/publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

It is interesting to read about Sweden trying to stay neutral during WWII. I’ve read a lot of books about the war, but none from the Swedish perspective. This is a complicated story of murder, betrayal, friendship and loyalty. Three very different people are thrown together to investigate a brutal torture and murder of a young woman and stumble on secrets they shouldn’t be privy to.

When I picked up this novel, I quickly realized it wasn’t your standard World War II novel. Taking place in Sweden, a country walking a tightrope with the Germans and fearful of having the Soviets as neighbors, I knew I would find it interesting. When a woman working on her master’s thesis is brutally murdered, those trying to figure out what happened find a secret Swedish program promoting Scandinavian racial purity. Characters including the Sami people who are most in danger from this program. While the loose ends were not tied up by the end of the book, what I learned about Sami culture and Swedish history make up for it.

I loved the Sweden setting of this WWII historical fiction. As I love WWII history my knowledge of the Scandinavian countries is a little lacking. The authors note in the beginning was super helpful with a quick lesson on what the countries were doing.

This started out a little slow for me, but it is incredibly detailed and gives off the dark Nordic Noir style a little bit.
But the details and in depth history are what make this book.

If you're into a mystery WWII thriller I think you'd like this.

My Thoughts:
I’ve gone back and forth on whether to give this book a good or very good rating. I’m not usually a half-star reviewer, but technically this book is 3 1/2 stars.
What I love most about the story is the location. I’ve since bought 3 Scandinavian historical fiction books. These books are Gunnar’s Daughter by Sigrid Undset, Kristin Lavrandsdatter by Sigrid Undset (3 books or volumes in this edition), and The Half-Drowned King by Linnea Hartsuyker.
A 2nd reason I love this story is the time period-World War II.
A 3rd reason I love this story is it taught me about a period in history and a country I knew little about.
What tipped the review to 3 and 1/2 stars is I feel it took too long to make it where the book came together in a form I enjoyed reading.
A 2nd point is I don’t understand the heightened affection for Britta. Britta is characterized as beloved (several times) and even idolized by Laura. Is there a background story I missed?
I also noticed the group of 5 friends had overlapping relationships where they became more than just friends. This is another background story that is not developed.
The relationship between Laura and her father is complex. Their conflict and the themes going along with it could make an excellent standalone story.
My last points made the story feel undeveloped and distracting.
Source: I received a complimentary uncorrected eBook copy from NetGalley, I was not required to write a positive review.

I can't praise Cecilia Ekbäck enough for her story. You have to read her author's note and historical background to get where she's coming from after you read the story. You start out in 1943 with Laura, then Jens, and then Blackåsen Mountain in that order. We start out with Laura working for Jacob Wallenberg, who was Sweden's chief negotiator with Germany. Then we learn of her best friend being killed. We find in her previous life Britta, Laura, Erik, Matti, and Karl-Henrik were all in as History majors with Professor Lindahl in a group that met in Laura's rooms. Jens was the secretary to Christian Günther, who was the Minister of Foreign Affairs. And Jens had a friend who was the archivist, Daniel Jonsson, who was later a suicide. At Blackäsen Mountain Taneli's older sister went missing over hundred days before, they were both Sami. These are the three stories that lead to the same conclusion and the reason for this story. Cecilia has us on pins and needles throughout the book and we have many killings to offer. I've given you what the players there are now you need to read the story to find out what happens. Like me you'll find it a book you can't forget.