I’ve followed this series from the beginning, and it was one of my favorites. The last one was very dark, and its focus on sadistic domestic abuse really was not for me. However, I read the summary of this book, and it sounded like it might be a good choice. Big mistake. Nora, the protagonist, who was always a strong and intelligent woman, is falling apart, haunted by the last case and the threats made against her and her family. She drinks too much, starts fights with everyone that cares about her, devolves into paranoia and, stretching credibility, starts investigating a 10 year old case she has no business looking into, presenting herself a prosecutor, when she actually has no ties to the police department. Even the premise of the book is puzzling. When the police are notified that human bones have been found on an island and they are unable to identify the gender, would they immediately launch a full scale investigation into two women missing for 10 years? I would classify this more as psychological suspense, but I prefer the traditional Nordic Noir mysteries. I received an advance copy from Netgalley.

I received and Advanced Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a review.

It wasn't until after I started reading the novel I realized that this was book #10 in the Sandhamn Murders series. Thankfully, that cleared up some of the confusion I had in the first few chapters as I felt there was no real introduction to the main characters. Thankfully, aside from a few backstory items that confused me; I was still able to carry on like this was a standalone novel.

What initially drew me into the book was that one of the potentially victims was named "Astrid" - the same name we named our new puppy. This may be a poor reason to pick a novel; and I would agree with you. I am not normally a fan of Nordic Noir, and the Sandhamn Murders series is very stereotypical Nordic Noir. The story had a very slow build up. I got about 26% of the way through and then I stopped reading for about a month. I didn't want to leave this one as a DNF; so I did skip ahead in the novel so I could leave an accurate review on the writing.

I must say, the story was absolutely enchanting once it began to pick up. Viveca Sten ability to describe Nora's thoughts and feelings made me feel I was right there the entire time experiencing the fear with her. I am not sure what the original Swedish text read; but I do want to give a shout out to Marlaine Delargy - the translator of the novel - as I felt there were no gaps that left me confused about the story line.

I don't know if I would go back and read the first nine books of the series....but I would check the 11th book out of a library to figure out what happened after that cliffhanger.

This story is ingenious. Thanks to the author. A dead body/skeleton///part of one...who is it? One of three? Then one of two? The author weaves a story that is difficult to put down...theme of murder...mayhem...friendship...love...romance...I did not care for the actions of the main character most of the time...she kept neglecting her child...and she and her husband...the dynamics were not there...that is part of what made this book believable...fantastic...not storybook characters...real life...although the story moved slowly at times, the conclusion was worth it...at times, I held my breath...that makes for a good novel. I look forward to more books by Sten...thank you to this author...the book was sent to me electronically by Netgalley for review...I appreciate the chance to review it.

I’ve read every book in this series, and they are always solid, engrossing mysteries. Whether I like them more or less depends on the suspects. This one has a good cast, from psychopaths to nice guys, as well as emotional messes. When human bones are found on an island close to Sandhamn, Thomas has to look into two disappearances and possible murders. The evidence was destroyed long ago and all witnesses forgot the details. One was a young girl with a terrible family life, the other a successful woman with an overly suspicious husband. Since Thomas doesn’t even know who the victim was, or if there was even a crime, the plot is not easily predictable. My problem was with Nora. I’ve always liked her, but this time she’s a mess. She has good cause after the previous volume, but her erratic behavior kept getting on my nerves and making me care less and less about what happened to her. It was still an entertaining novel.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/#Amazon Crossing!

My thanks to Amazon Crossing, Vivica Sten and Netgalley.
I quit this book at 63%.
Sure, I was curious about the ending. I suppose I could still cheat and look, but that's not my style. Once I've quit, then I'm finished.
I wasn't bored at all with this story. I actually thought it was great! What I truly couldn't stand was Nora. I had it up to my eyebrows with that sorry excuse. She finally wore me out.
This is my second Sten book. I wasn't impressed either times.
Again, I liked the story, but one character ruined it all.
4 stars for the story. 1 star for a bullshit, whiny, wow is me character!
3 stars total.

This is a typical Scandinavian police procedural, too slow and with too many unnecessary descriptions. The storytelling is very smooth, however, and it's an easy read despite the jumping around in time. What I really don't like, is the stupidity of a main character.

Trail Of Darkness…
The tenth in the Sandhamn Murders and a trail of darkness, deception and secrets is discovered on Sandhamn Island as the reopening of cold cases is prompted by the discovery of remains. A solid investigation with an intriguing plot and populated with a wholly credible cast of characters. A compelling read and a worthy addition to this long running series.

nothing radically ground breaking to me but engaging while confronting some real issues surrounding fear. Nora's self-destruction was difficult to read through but I understand why the choice was made. Stands alone which is good as this is #10 in the series...(

Though this is #10 in the Sandhamn Murders series, it's my first novel & I read it as a standalone. The connections amongst the central roles remained difficult for me to understand as all hold a history. I really hadn't seen that it was #10 while requesting a copy from Netgalley. But I have no qualms as the account was super exciting & the twist, in the end, was totally stunning.

What a roller-coaster read it has been for me with the title & it is a first for me from Viveca. Now I ought to read her other works later, recognizing how stimulating this one was. Bless you, Netgalley, the Author & the Publisher for an e-ARC of the novel. I am giving my review voluntarily in exchange for a complimentary copy. Thriller fans can read the book as a standalone or as part of the series.

BinSecret by V. Stern, published by Amazon Crossing, is book ten in the Sandhamn Series.

Thomas Andreasson is assigned to a cold case. He's investigating the find of skeletons. His friend, Nora Linde, gets involved too. But she has to deal with some serious issues.
This story is set in Sweden and contains dark elements. This mystery/thriller is told in a dual pov, jumps between past and present and is a fast paced, action packed read thta had me in suspense from start til the last page, til the spectacular showdown, 4,5 stars.

So I guess I've arrived at the party late again. Why did I not realise when I requested it. But all is not lost. It reads well as a standalone novel. But it does refer back occasionally but not enough for it to ruin the read. However, this is the 10th novel in the on going series of the Sandhamn Murders and it is set in Sweden.

It's a detective story about bones found on an island. The bones are old and could be one of three girls. The book basis itself on those three girls and who the bones could belong too.

The story kept me guessing which I really liked. I've never read this author before but I would again.

Fantastic book! A mystery with all the suspense, intrigue, history and great detectives. I will be reading more in this series.

This series just keeps going strong - thrill ride of suspense and mystery with a solid cast of characters. Great setting in Scandinavia with characters so well developed you feel you know them. Can read as stand-alone, but the series is a good one

This is the 10th book in the Sandham murder series, and unfortunately I haven't read the previous books. I did however enjoy this one thoroughly and will go back for the others now. Recommended for anyone who loves a good read that keeps you entertained until the end.

This tenth novel in the Sandhamn series builds slowly to a tense climax. The story can be read alone, but it helps to know the series characters and the previous events that impinge upon it. The friendship between Thomas and Nora faces challenges as Nora navigates the crushing fear and guilt arising from a previous case and tries to assuage them by involving herself secretly in Thomas's current investigation. This mental torment also impacts her relationship with her husband and daughter, adding to the tension of the narrative as the various plot threads weave together until the final revelation. Chapters alternate between past and present in a way that can be confusing at first, but the change in timelines and points of view builds the suspense as the plot unravels. Buried in Secret is a worthy addition to an excellent series.

Having read the previous books in this series which i enjoyed immensely i have to say that i did not find this one as good and struggled to finish

A set of bones are found on an island that have been there for a long time. Detective Thomas Andreasson is called into investigate along with his best friend, prosecutor Nora Linde. Three girls are identified missing from that area during the correct corresponding time. The chapters break into the individual perspectives of each missing girls own story to her disappearance and who the bones may be from.

Really enjoyed this . It kept me guessing and reading the whole time. My thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for this book. Highly recommend.

This is book 10 of the Sandhamn murder series set in Sweden, how did I not notice this when I requested the book? Never mind, it worked quite well as a stand alone. Development work is being undertaken on Telegrafholmen, a small island near Samndhamn. It was never going to be built on but when enough money is thrown at something - you know how it goes! But work comes to a shuddering halt when blasting of the surface rock and digging reveals what looks like human bones.

There is not enough left of the bones to make a quick identification but DI Thomas Andreasson and his sidekick Aram soon narrow it down as being (probably) one of two women who both disappeared about 10 years ago. One of them is Siri Persson Grandin who was in her late 20s when she disappeared. Her husband tried to have her declared dead in unseemly haste, even though there was no body ever found. A rather large insurance payout may have pushed him along.

The other woman, Astrid, was a couple of weeks shy of her 18th birthday and seemed to have a crappy home life with a mother who partied hard and her (the mother’s) boyfriend who displayed a creepy interest in young Astrid.

Nora Linde, a financial crimes prosecutor takes an interest in this case. She sees an opportunity to maybe help someone after she felt she let down a young woman by somehow enabling a vicious man to get bail instead of being locked away. She is a good friend of Thomas the police inspector. It turns out they are each looking into one of the disappearances but could they be somehow linked?

This was not so much a thriller as a murder mystery, it took ages before we even knew who the victim was. Despite joining the series quite late, I think the characters were well fleshed out. Nora carried a lot of guilt which coloured her interactions with everyone, even her husband. Thomas was a loyal friend to her but he had his own demons. I liked that the characters personal lives were included in a sympathetic and realistic way. The clues were dribbled out quite slowly but I did guess many things (not all) correctly so it’s a good story to pit your detective skills against! It got a bit exciting towards the end but the book was generally quite restrained with the drama being more of the cerebral variety. I did enjoy the story but I’m not sure I liked it enough to want to read all the earlier books. Thanks to Amazon Crossing via Netgalley for the complimentary ARC which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly.

3.5 stars rounded up.

Another great book in this series. You can read as a stand alone, but there are references to previous books.
There are bones discovered on an uninhabited island, and Thomas is tasked with finding out who they belong to and how the victim died. This leads him to look into cold cases. Meantime, his long time friend, Nora, starts investigating as well. The problem is, she is supposed to be on sick leave and is legally not supposed to be involved. Nora has many personal challenges in this book, and her struggles seemed real. I was a little disappointed in. her husband, Jonas, if I am being honest.
Plot is great, kept me turning the page and anxious for more. Had some nice twists and turns, and as always loved the ending. Looking forward to the next book.
I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Buried in Secret is the tenth book of Viveca Sten's Sandhamn Murder series. It works as a stand-alone, but does have some references to the previous book in the series. The story follows characters Nora and Thomas as they investigate the victim murdered and left buried, until discovered during construction on a remote island.. Who is the victim? Nora is on vacation, recovering from emotional trauma from a previous case. She finds herself instead focusing on uncovering the identity of the victim, working solo. Thomas and the police proceed with the formal investigation. The book unfolds on several levels with suspense, mystery and excellent character authenticity. Focusing not just on the investigation, but on the lives of two possible victims as well as on Thomas and Nora's marriages and personal problems, . I easily rate this as a five star mystery/ thriller and encourage rraders to start with the first book and read the series. I love how the characters have matured, deepened their friendship and dealt with their struggles. Thanks publisher, author Viveca Sten and NetGalley for this wonderful opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.