Another really enjoyable read in the Sandhamn Murders series.

The books in this series are always enjoyable to read, with believable characters, realistic plots and good writing. The character development of the series has been great, and each book bringing an additional dimension or facet to the lead characters, but always developing upon what we have been told in previous books.

As always this book has an interesting plot, this time involving tax fraud and battered wives, an unlikely mixture but one which works.

I look forward to reading the next instalment in this series.

Great thriller which kept me turning the pages well into the night. Great characters and plot. Highly recommend to others!!

A step into the dark underbelly from Midsomer Sandhamm and it doesn't miss a beat. The characters develop as Viveca Sten has been building them since the start of the series. I am already reading the next book

Another excellent addition to the Sandhamn Murders series!
Viveca Sten never disappoints and this solid mystery kept me guessing.
Great characters and tightly knitted plot.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Excellent book! I liked the characters and the constant tension. Going back to tell a childhood tale is interesting. I typically avoid books about abuse. It is just beyond me to understand being in an abusive relationship of any kind. But this book is also an excellent thriller. The story is well told and the setting is different too. I read this book in one sitting. It was a page turner.

In Bad Company is the ninth instalment in the Sandhamn Murders series, featuring prosecuting lawyer Nora Linde and set on Sweden’s idyllic vacation island of Sandhamn. Chief Prosecutor of the Office against White Collar Crime Nora Linde is facing perhaps the most complicated case of her career: getting one of Stockholm's biggest drug lords, Andreis Kovač, convicted of financial crime - tax evasion, to be exact - as they simply can't convict him for his drug trafficking or money laundering offences as there's not enough evidence. When Andreis' wife, Mina, is hospitalised with serious injuries, it turns out that she is being subjected to systematic violence by her husband. It has gone on for a long time but this time he beat her so viciously he nearly killed her. Mina and her little son are brought into hiding in a residence in the Stockholm archipelago with the help of her friend, the investigator Thomas Andreasson. She is the key person in the upcoming legal process, provided Nora can convince her to testify. Nora has been trying for years to arrest Andreis and a statement from Mina would help a lot. But Mina is absolutely terrified of her husband. Andreis Kovač carries gloomy secrets that trace back to the war in Bosnia and was emotionally scarred as a child by the Serbs’ ethnic cleansing; he will go all the way to get his wife and son back. He feels he has nothing to lose which makes him extremely volatile and dangerous.

People close to Mina are sacrificed in Andreis’ war and Thomas Andreasson is drawn into the case. As he struggles with his crumbling marriage, he must watch as Nora takes increasing risks to save Mina from doom. Nora is playing with fire as the situation is on a knife-edge; can she successfully achieve her aim of getting Kovac imprisoned for something even if it's not what she’d like it to be? Can Mina overcome her anxiety and stand up to the man she fears most? And are Nora and Thomas even able to protect her? This is a riveting and compulsive legal thriller and from the first page Sten draws you in and immerses you in the stunning setting of rural, isolated Sweden. It's impeccably plotted, as ever, and has enough action, intrigue, mystery, twists and misdirection to keep you enthralled right through to the last page. I must admit, that I haven't been managing to read as many books in a single sitting lately but that all changed with In Bad Company; I was scintillated and raced through it. Nora is a strong, independent female and a highly engaging protagonist who is resourceful and seeks justice in whatever way she can. This is a quick-paced and well-written piece of Scandi noir and there is no effort spared with regards to the characterisation. It's propulsive and the precarious balance between going after kingpin Andreis and keeping his wife, Mina, safe was heart-poundingly tense. Highly recommended.

Andreis Kovac came to Sweden from Bosnia as a child to escape the war. Involved in the drug trade, his high-powered lawyer has managed to keep him out of jail but now evidence has come to the Economic Crimes Authority confirming tax fraud. Before prosecutor Nora Linde can file charges, he is arrested for beating his wife. Mina claims that Andreis loves her, but the beatings have become more frequent and she fears for her life. When she is released from the hospital, Nora arranges for her Mina and her son to be taken to Freya’s Haven, a shelter for abused women. After his release from jail, Andreis’ priority is to find his wife and get his son back.

Andreis uses intimidation and terror to get what he wants. As he searches for Mina his frustration grows and he becomes more violent. Dino Herco, his driver and best friend for years, attempts to control Andreis’ anger, but even he becomes afraid of him. When Mina finally realizes that he will kill her if he finds her she agrees to co-operate with Nora to put him away.

Vivica Sten alternates Andreis’ search for Mina and Nora’s investigation with scenes from his childhood. An alcoholic, controlling father helped shape his personality. He was also a witness to the violence in the Bosnian War. While he was initially a loving husband to Mina, he became more controlling and his violent episodes escalated. Anna-Maria, the director of Freya’s Haven, saw her own daughter destroyed by spousal abuse and is determined to keep Mina safe. Sten paints a vivid picture of the psychological effects of these relationships through Anna-Maria’s and Mina’s stories. It is both informative and heartbreaking. Fans of psychological thrillers will find this entry in Sten’s Sandhamn Murder Series hard to put down. I would like to thank NetGalley and Amazon Crossing for providing this book for my review.

#bookreview
Nora Linde with the Economic Crimes Authority is looking into a case involving drug trafficking, tax evasion, and possibly domestic abuse. A Serb named Andreis Kovač has been under investigation by the Narcotics Division.

Andreis’s wife Mina whom he hits constantly has been approached by Nora who’s trying to persuade her to cooperate with the police and have her husband arrested. But Mina insists she tripped on her vacuum cleaner and fell. An engaging read. Would recommend.
Thank you to Viveca Sten, NetGalley, and Amazon Crossing for the ARC of this book.

🌅Compelling tale of fear and violence in the Stockholm archipelago🤕

This is only the second or third book I've read in Sten's Sandhamn series and it was just as thrilling and captivating as the previous. Though it focuses on Andreis, one violent Bosnian immigrant/wife beater and Mina, his terrified, classic Swedish beauty wife, it goes much further. Flashbacks to Andreis' traumatic childhood in Bosnia and his family's harrowing flight from the Balkans give his violent character some context.

The two main characters in the series, detective Thomas and prosecutor Nora, are back and, though the story recounts their personal lives and Thomas' struggle to deal with the separation from his wife Pernilla, the focus is always kept on Mina's precarious escape and the ever-widening legal case building up against Andreis whose shady business dealing brought him to the attention of the Financial Crimes Unit where Nora is compiling the case against him.

There was plenty of action, violence that escalates and some mystery to keep me fully engaged right through to the end with a bit of ominous foreboding. Altogether, an excellent read🤗. I'm ready and anticipating the next in the series!

Thanks to Amazon Crossing and NetGalley for providing a complimentary advance copy; this is my voluntary and honest review.

This latest installment in a complex series that's fine read as a standalone, sees Nora Linde, a prosecutor hoping to finally, finally convict Andreis of financial crimes directly attributable to his narcotics empire. Nora thinks his wife Mina, who he has abused, is the key but she's got to keep the woman safe, which is not easy given Andreis' reach. This is Swedish noir with two good characters- Nora and Thomas Andreasson of the Serious Crimes Unit. Their relationship has obviously (even to those of us who haven't read more than a couple of the books) matured over the years; they interact well and sympathetically with one another. Andries is just loathsome, Mina tougher than she appears, and the story zips along. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

I first started reading the Sandhamn Murders series a few years ago and have really enjoyed each of the books I have read. I like the characters of prosecutor Nora Linde and her best friend DI Thomas Andreasson both individually and when they’re spending time together as friends or discussing a case. I also like learning about life in Sweden through the descriptions included in these books.

Unfortunately, “In Bad Company” is my least favorite of the books in this series. I was disappointed in how dark this book is compared to earlier books in the series. It is more of a domestic thriller than a mystery which would be okay if it wasn’t so depressing. Domestic violence is the focus of the book and there is so much tension and foreboding that I had to keep putting the book aside. Tension and suspense are a good thing in a thriller, but drug dealer and abuser Andreis Kovac is such a vile character, my feelings kept turning to dread. We are given every reason to despise the character, even before some of his worst acts have occurred, before the author starts to reveal his backstory. Andreis witnessed terrible things as a child in war-torn Bosnia, but it didn’t make me feel sympathetic towards the adult Andreis.

Andreis’s wife Mina makes some questionable decisions, but I liked her and kept reading because I wanted things to work out for her. Nora and Thomas are able to team up and get a resolution of a sort to the case, but the book ends on a very creepy note. I look forward to reading these books by Viveca Sten whenever they are released in English, but would only rate this one as 3.5 stars. Even though this one wasn’t my favorite, I will still continue to follow the series.

I received this ebook from NetGalley through the courtesy of Amazon Crossing. An advance copy was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This is the 2nd book I've read by Viveca Sten, and it's the 9th in the series. I read book 8 earlier this year and liked it too.

If you like Nordic police procedurals with some legal/ courtroom drama thrown in, I definitely recommend these. This one was a very fast read and I was sucked in the whole time. I actually had anxious twists in my stomach at the end. Even though I kept telling myself "she's going to be OK!" So that's a sign of good suspense as well.

CW for domestic violence. Very extreme, and the story talks about it in depth since the main storyline is around a woman who is fleeing her abusive husband and how she manages with the police, the shelter, and deciding if she'll testify against him or not.

It's a heartbreaking story but it's not unrealistic (at least the domestic violence part and the struggles she has making her choices).

I like the main cop and prosecutor characters too - I can tell that there is a lot of history there and I'd looks to read the earlier books sometime.

There is also a storyline about the war in Bosnia and the refugees who fled to Sweden.

The writing and language are very good, and the subject is important, but there are way too many words for such a simple little plot.

The Sandhamn Murders series has been a favorite for years, but this last volume was a little disappointing. The “Bad Company” in the title seems to refer to Mina’s husband, Andreis, a refugee from the war in Yugoslavia who is now so abusive that it’s a miracle he hasn’t killed her. The action on Sandhamn combines with flashbacks of Andreis’ flight from Yugoslavia. Nora Linde is looking into his shady business deals, but gets involved in allegations of domestic violence and can’t turn a blind eye. Now, in the real world, this is a horrific and serious problem. In the plot of this novel, it sounds like a PSA about an abusive husband who borders on caricature. There are too many twists that don’t really pan out and, as terrible as the was in Yugoslavia was, the flashbacks slowed down the rest of the action, as well as the pace. I still enjoyed reading about Nora and her police friend Thomas, working together.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/AmazonCrossing!

Swedish attorney Nora is trying to get a depraved Bosnian-born criminal convicted, but first she must get his frightened young wife to testify that he beats her up. Alternate chapters flash back to his childhood in war-torn Bosnia, but if they were supposed to make me feel sympathetic, it didn’t work. I found this novel extremely disturbing; violent abusers are one of my off limits subjects, and the threat at the end was very unsettling. If all this isn’t a problem for you, this is a well written and suspenseful mystery by one of my favorite Nordic Noir authors, ably translated by Marlaine Delargy. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Mina is married to a monster of a man, Andreis. She’s afraid to leave but knows that if she stays, he will end up killing her, and then what will happen to their beloved son Lucas, just a baby. This last attack has been the worse so far, and finally, Nora, who has been working on arresting Andreis for income tax evasion tied to his ways of earning money, convinces Mina to leave Andreis, promising her that she will be hidden and protected. Many of the characters in this story come from previous stories by Viveca but you can read it as a stand-alone. We are taken back to Bosnia several times in the story to tell Andreis story, but that didn’t change my opinion of him! It was a good read, and I look forward to more in this series. Thank you to NetGalley for my copy of In Bad Company.

A Battle Between a Battered Wife and a Drug-Dealing Husband

Mina Kovač has spent much time to ensure that her home was spotless and had prepared the favorite dinner for Andreis, her husband. He had become quite unpredictable of late. Her father shows up at the front door asking to see Lukas, his grandson. He asks her to visit for a few weeks, but Mina is afraid to leave. Finally, the father tells Mina that her mother is not doing well, a heart problem. Mina becomes quite upset. As Andreis will be home soon, the father has to leave. Mina tried to relax as the house was immaculate and food ready. There’s nothing to annoy Andreis who walks in the door. Mina remembers that the vacuum cleaner was in the middle of the kitchen. Maybe Andreis would go upstairs that would give her time to put the vacuum cleaner away.

The main storyline shifts to the regular characters in this series. First is Thomas Andreasson who works at the Serious Crimes Unit. The other regular is Nora Linde who is a prosecutor for the Swedish Financial Crimes Authority. Nora is working on a serious tax fraud case against Andreis Kovač. He has been a target of the Narcotics Division for some time but without enough evidence to charge him. Then, a tip arrives with supporting information for indicating tax fraud so it is assigned to Nora. Now, a break that can provide leverage against Andreis presents itself as his wife is in the hospital after being severely beaten. Nora needs to persuade Mina to testify against Andreis. The main storyline proceeds with high tension battle to have Mina testify or not to testify. Nora offers all the help for a battered wife to get her to testify and Andreis uses charm, threats and, finally, a legal threat to take the son to keep her quiet. My interest was captured as each side gains then slips behind in this battle of wills.

The B-storyline is rich in the Thomas’s and Nora’s private lives with the spouses which conflicts that affect these characters actions. Also, Nora tries to help Thomas’s relationship with his estranged wife. As the spousal battery brings Thomas into the case in support of Nora, their relationship as friends becomes more exposed. All this enriched my enjoyment in reading this novel.

There is a definite level of vulgar language, but not to a detrimental level for me. There are not any intimate scenes. There is violence only one instance is described as it occurs, which is more edgy. Most of the violence is described afterwards by the damage to the victims. In my reviews of previous books in this series, I recommended reading the novel on an e-reader because the British translator regularly used British informal words that required that I search the Internet to understand. That was not true with the translation with this novel. There is one aspect that did bother me. The author was very good in maintaining a high level of dread throughout the novel as to what would happen if Andreis ever caught up with his wife.

This book met all of my criteria for a high start rating. It captured and maintained my interest throughout the entire novel. There was a rich B-storyline. There even was a main storyline thread about Andreis growing up in Bosnia during that terrible war. I was reading late into the night when I should be sleeping. Unfortunately, I did not enjoy the level of dread I felt. I am ambivalent about this because it is a credit to the author’s writing ability, but it decreased my enjoyment. Let the reader be forewarned about this aspect. Lastly, there was one loose end at the end. Overall, I rate this novel with four stars.

I have received a free e-book 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 early.

I loved how Viveca Sten takes the war in Bosnia and brings it back to the here and now and even threatens Mina with the loss of her son. But lets get back to the crew that always is in her novels. Thomas and Pernilla seemed to be apart but maybe in the end they might have reconciled. Nora and Jonas seemed to be involved with each other. Mina and Andreis Kovač were in a on and off marriage relationship after their son was born. Mina's parents were worried about Mina. I've given you the main characters yet there are more which helps to fill in the missing areas of Mina and Andreis relationship with each other. We digress to Bosnia every now and then but you can see where Andreis gets his anger from. Read the story to get all the missing facts that Viveca has to offer in this novel. You won't regret it.

New characters added makes this another great chapter in the Sandhamn murder series and a harrowing topic in the form of violence against women is hit upon and once more Nora takes centre stage although Thomas is involved in the case he is more in the background than usual

Another race to the finish read

I love this series but I really do prefer the ones that take place in the summer in the Swedish archipelago. That really sets them apart from other mysteries. This mystery was solid if a bit boring---I am not terribly interested in financial crimes and thanks to Nora's job we get a lot of those but I really did feel for the characters. I thought the henchman who tried to help was especially well done.

I do find it odd she skips so much time in the books, especially since they don't take place in the summer exclusively any more. The children are so old now and barely in them and we don't get a sense of Nora's relationships with anyone but Thomas any more.