Hidden in Shadows is the second book in this series. The book is a gripping police procedural, and I like all the members of the investigation team. However, so many of the potential suspects, as well as other side characters, are horrible. In their personal lives, Hanna has to deal with a cold, judgemental mother and Daniel an immature and demanding partner. The case is very interesting and holds your attention. However, some details are hard to read, such as the abuse a young pastor's wife goes through, as well as some other violent scenes. However, I still enjoyed the book overall and look forward to more in this series.

I received an advance copy of this ebook at no cost from NetGalley and Amazon Crossing, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

A Complex, Difficult, and Gripping Police Procedural

Anna Larrson is driving her seven-year-old son, Hugo, to Dived for slalom training. Hugo must relieve himself, so Anna stops in a wide part of the road. Hugo returns too quickly to the car and tells his mother that a hurt man is lying in the snow. Anna does not want to be late for the slalom training, but Hugo does not lie. Anna exits the car to see for herself. She finds a man with his hands bound behind him. His face is bloody. He has a severe wound to the back of his head. From here, a complex murder investigation starts.

This novel is the second in the Åre Murders series. The main storyline has two threads. The first is the investigation of Johan Andersson’s murder. The second thread tells the story of Rebecka Nordhammnar’s abusive marriage. Detectives Hanna Ahlander and Daniel Lindskog narrate the investigation. After some progress, the investigation seems to slow down significantly as the victim’s movements could not be determined after he left his business partner. The person seems to have the best motives for wanting his partner dead. The investigation focuses heavily on him. The lead detective, Daniel, has a severe domestic problem with his wife. She is having problems taking care of their baby daughter. Her demands for his time are affecting his work very seriously. I was hooked on this novel very quickly.

Two background threads provide much new information on Hanna and Daniel. Hanna’s background is expanded with her relationship with her sister, who comes to spend some time with her. Daniel’s relationship with his wife, who has severe problems with being a mother trying to cope with her first newborn, provides much insight into Daniel’s response to domestic stress. Professionally, the most significant change is in Hanna’s character. In the first novel, she did some very unprofessional acts. In this novel, the reader will see a maturing detective. There is one B-storyline between one of the detectives in an inappropriate relationship with a witness. Hanna’s previous indiscretions probably won’t come to light, but this detective's actions may turn into a multi-novel B-storyline. It will be interesting to see how it starts. These aspects of the novel increased my enjoyment of reading.

Several intimate scenes are present for the aspects of a novel that can make some readers stop reading. Most instances are simple sentences that it occurred. The one that wasn’t centered on what it meant emotionally. Vulgar and rude language, as well as impious language, occur at a low level. Violence is described almost exclusively after the fact, so it is not as edgy. The translation was excellent without any issues for me. There are some references to the first novel, but I did not see any that required reading the first novel. I had to access the Internet on my e-reader to discover all the novel's locations. I found this very handy. I believe none of these aspects should stop most from reading this novel.

I did not have an issue that I disliked, but the Rebecka Nordhammar thread was puzzling as it appeared not to have any correlation to the Johan Andersson murder investigation. After each chapter in that thread, I kept wondering what was the relevance of this thread. When it became clear, there was a relationship, but as I suspected and not as I expected. I liked Hanna's transformation as he stopped her shenanigans, but she was tempted once. There were no loose ends except what might be a multi-novel B-storyline I mentioned previously. This novel had all the aspects that I enjoy. The investigation is complex and, at times, perplexing. The author has seamlessly woven a rich background and B-storylines with the main storyline. I literally could not stop reading when I needed to sleep. After reading several of her Sandhamn series, the author earned a Must-Read rating for me. If police procedurals interest you, definitely try this Nordic version. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel and am looking forward to reading the next in the series. I rate this novel with five stars.

I received this novel's free prepublication e-book version through NetGalley from Amazon Crossing. My review is based solely on my own reading experience of this book. I wish to thank Amazon Crossing for the opportunity to read and review this novel early.

DI's Hanna and Daniel find themselves with a mysterious murder in this latest offering from a prolific Scandi-noir author. A ski champion has been killed. And then there's Rebecka, who has been abused by her husband. It's not clear for a good while how these two strands will weave together but they do. I missed the first book but that wasn't a problem- this was fine as a standalone. It would, however have benefited from another edit to tighten (shorten) it a bit. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

Hanna is a police officer in a small Swedish town. She has just finished with a complicated case when she and her team get word that there has been a murder. There is a parallel story about a young woman in a cultlike religion with an abusive husband, and the two stories come together in a surprising way. The bleak and snowy landscape makes this a great Nordic Noir escape for fans of the genre. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I real liked this one . It’s the second in a series but can be read as a stand alone also . It’s very fast paced and keeps you wanting yo read .
It’s ver good and she is a good writer.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book

My thanks to Net Galley and Amazon Crossing for allowing me to review this arc.

A former famous skier Johan Anderson is found brutally murdered. A pastor s wife, Rebecca Nordhammar is living in a very abusive marriage and goes missing. How are these 2 connected? That is the premise of this book.

I did like this book. A very engaging read. However my only issue is it took awhile to build up the sub story of what Rebecca s angle was. I'd be reading a few chapters of Johanns murder, then it would digress to Rebecca s story. Then keep repeating this process. It finally did and I understood it, but I wish it was a bit faster paced with that part only.

If you like fast paced crime novels with twists and turns, Viveca Sten's Hidden in Shadows is the book for you. I had a hard time putting this one down. Hidden in Shadows follows two police detectives Hanna and Daniel as they work to solve the murder of a notorious local skier in the Swedish countryside. The case becomes much larger than they initially bargained for and will continue to keep you guessing.

Although Hidden in Shadows is the second in the Are series by Viveca Sten, the two books could be read independently. There are references to the first novel Hidden in Snow throughout Hidden in Shadows, but not having read the first novel would not necessarily hinder reading Hidden in Shadows.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book for consideration and review.

In the Swiss Alps, a picturesque city of beauty. And within this place lies murder, an abused minister’s wife controlled by a Christian church which her husband happens to be the minister, but said church appears to function more like a cult. We have a police officer trying to find his footing in his secret personal life, but I like working relationships of the police department members out to solve their 2nd murder so close after the first one has taken place and the sister dynamic. Working long hours has caused tensions at home, and maybe a romance could be on the horizons.
This is a thrilling book, and Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to love Hidden in Shadows but I really struggled with this one. While some parts of the storyline felt too dragged out, others felt too rushed.

I was a big fan of her first series (I even pay to stream the Swedish TV series they made based on it) but didn't love the first book in this new series. It was fine but this one is so much better! Same setting but the characters really pulled together in a way I didn't think they did before. I didn't think it was the most mysterious mystery ever but it was entertaining and I loved the setting.

The book was quite slow and the main plot was rushed to a conclusion as though the author had run out of ideas. I didn’t find it as interesting as the Sandhamn series. I don’t know if I would be continuing with the series.

I like reading about smart people, especially smart women, but here we have several really stupid ones. What I don't like are stories that are too long, filled with a lot of unnecessary descriptions, like this one and most Scandinavian books. That said, the writing is good and easy to read, even with the jumping around in time, and the setting and the characters still make the book entertaining.

Murder in paradise, penned in the beautifully written hand of a Scandinavian master. Master of prose, master of realistic characters, master of plot, master of suspense. ❤️

In the Swedish resort of Åre, the brutal murder of a former Olympic skier sets Detective Inspectors Hanna Ahlander and Daniel Lindskog on the hunt for the culprit. With a gripping small town atmosphere, religious cult vibes, and beautifully written characters, Sten leads us on a thoroughly enjoyable nailbiter. Suspect everyone. 😂 Absolutely loved this one!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital reader's copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

It used to be that murder didn’t occur in Åre, and many would prefer to keep thoughts of the Swedish resort as idyllic. Johan Andersson’s body, a former Olympic skier brutally murdered and discovered by chance in the forest, will change not only the landscape.

Whether describing the landscape or emotions, the author’s atmospheric writing immerses the reader in the scenes and heightens sensory awareness and the depth of her character’s thoughts and feelings. Captivating examples:
“Suddenly the cloud cover opens up and the sun breaks through, making the white landscape sparkle. The sunbeams create a halo around the top of each tree, and the snow crystals shimmer like hovering fairies.”
“Her thoughts are tangled, fear is crawling all over her skin like ants.”

In the 2nd novel of the series, I remain gripped by the author’s skillful character development, not only bringing to light the exploration of human emotions when confronted during an investigation, whether as perpetrator or suspect but the exploration of the changes to the lives of those directly involved in the investigation. There is an exploration of religious values used to control women in every aspect of their lives. There is also an exploration of difficulties for the police in balancing priorities of job requirements vs. personal life, the frequency the two are in conflict, and how each person responds to the pressures and expectations. There is no judgment. Only portrayals. Intriguing. Suspenseful. Gripping. Page-turning to the end.

Thank you to Viveca Sten, Amazon Crossing, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an eARC of this book.

#HiddenInShadows #NetGalley

3.5 stars

Pretty good, but I didn’t enjoy it as much as the first of the series. I think the main murder mystery was rushed to be wrapped up at the end because we spent so much time on Rebekka’s story. Still, this was an enjoyable police procedural! I think the multiple POVs were utilized well. I liked getting more of Anton’s point of view. Daniel lowkey annoys me though, but oh well. All in all, it’s a strong series that I definitely plan on continuing. Hopefully the third gets translated soon!

I love snowy thrillers and Hidden in the Shadows by international bestselling author Viveca Sten delivers. The murder mystery plot is completely new and unexpected. Part of it reminded me of Harrison Ford's classic movie Witness. The only setbacks are the overdone organized religion bashing and the cliched and forced budding romance between the two lead detectives.

Thank you NetGalley and Amazon for the entertaining digital review copy.

WOW! This may be my favorite Viveca Sten book yet!
This is actually two stories interwoven into a brilliant thriller.
Rebeka is in a controlling and abusive relationship with the pastor of her church. Desperate for a different life, she knows deep down she can never leave her husband..
Johan is a happy, go lucky man loved by all. He has a successful business, friends, and a wife who loves him. So why was he found beaten to death and left in the freezing cold?
Somehow these two people, from completely different worlds, are connected. The detectives will race against time to figure things out before any one else is hurt.
As always, the characters are well developed, the plot is captivating from the start, and the story takes a few twists and turns that I did not expect. Highly recommend.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Hidden in Shadows is a Swedish crime novel that follows detectives as they solve the murder of a local skiing legend. It’s the second in a series, however I read it as a stand-alone and found it easy to pick up as it gives all the background you need to get into the story. I don’t read a lot of translated works (although when I do, they seem to be Swedish), but I’ve noticed that sometimes the writing can be a bit clunky. This one was well done, and the translator was used for the author’s other series as well. I found this book easy to get into and I loved the wintery setting. The snowy landscape throughout the story shifts between sinister and cozy. There’s some decent character development, which I’m sure I would have appreciated even more if I’d read the first book.

Pick this up if you’re looking for an atmospheric crime novel.

"It seems like revenge of almost biblical proportions."

#hiddeninshadows is a very worthy follow-up to Hidden in Ice, by Viveca Sten. In fact, I might prefer it to the 1st in The Are Murder series. Both Hanna and Daniel seem a bit more comfortable in their own skin, and with each other. Some of the characters do evoke some strong feelings, for me at least - I find Ida to be super annoying and clingy, and Ole and his crowd are despicable. The gaslighting, emotional and then physical abuse could be triggering, for some.

Expertly plotted with twists up to the very end, I enjoyed this read very much. Also loved the Swedish mountain setting. Highly recommend.

P.S. thanks to #netgalley for the ARC.

This is another interesting addition to this series set in Sweden. I so love my Scandinavian mysteries and this one is perfect. The characters are compelling, their personal lives sometimes colliding with their professional ones. The mystery will keep you guessing and just when you think you have it figured out….well, the dramatic ending may prove otherwise.

Highly recommended!