Who can be trusted? Who is on your side? Digging up the past can be an iffy job, poking around and finding out things that have been laid to rest can bring you to finding out things you maybe did or didn't want to know. Family ties and crime!

A woman is murdered, her house is set on fire. A suspect is quickly found, and duly convicted.

More than 20 years later, two people’s lives are still disrupted: the police officer who first discovered the suspect in the woods near the burning house, and the suspect’s nephew, who worshipped his uncle and was devastated when the uncle was arrested.

This is an interesting read, and not a typical mystery novel. The murder investigation is closed within months of the crime. The story is really about the lives of the policeman and the nephew, about how they keep getting drawn back to the crime even as they try to put it behind them, about how they are both restricted and given strength by their ties to the place they were born and still live.

The policeman agonizes over the investigation, questions whether justice was done or other suspects were overlooked in rushing to convict a local from a “bad family.” This preoccupation disrupts both his career and his personal life. When he tries to put it behind him, his path crosses that of the nephew and he is drawn back in.

The nephew, just a young boy at the beginning of the story, at first is just shocked by his uncle’s arrest and conviction. Then he is angry that his uncle has ruined their relationship by being sent away, and never wants to see him again. The community is wary of the nephew, for his grandfather was known as a violent drunk, and now his son is a murderer. Can the nephew be trusted, or is he destined to be a violent criminal also? The nephew hopes he has risen above this legacy, but every time he gets angry he worries that he the community is right in being wary of him.

The loose ends are tied up at the end of the story. We and the characters know who has done what, and that they can go on with their lives. Something was lost in the 20-plus years it took to reach this certainty, but in the end it is time to move on with their lives

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. When a woman is found murdered, it will be up to Vidar to find out who did it. This case will take many twists and turns and will go in directions that Vidar did not see coming. I liked this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read and review this book.

Vidar is a policeman in a small town in Sweden, when he he sees a house in flames. When they find a body, the investigation begins. A suspect is found and convicted, destroying a family. However, lives are affected and changed. Years later, Vidar finds too many inconsistencies in the case, and he becomes obsessed.

I like Scandinavian mysteries, but I started losing interest along the way. Vidar eventually solves the case, but there were too many surprises for me.

A thriller written by a professor of criminology, yes please! You can tell the amount of knowledge that went into writing this book. Way to go!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review! | 2.5 stars, rounding up.

I have an explanation for my review here, and some of you might have different tastes that lead you to feel differently, so keep reading for my explanation.

In 1994, a farmhouse in Sweden is burned to the ground with a young woman inside. Autopsy reports show she had suffered head trauma, and a criminal investigation launches. The main suspect is her boyfriend, who is ultimately convicted, though he swears his innocence.

Under The Storm follows the next 17 years, focused on his nephew, whose life and perception of self are forever changed by his uncle's conviction, and the police officer who played a role and fears he may have taken a wrong turn at some point.

First of all, it's on me not realizing this book was written in Swedish and translated to English. I should have figured that out on my own, but rather I realized it about 50 pages in. While the writing is pretty good for not being in English from the jump, I definitely feel like it probably lost some of its integrity, that's just the nature of translated works. Also, there are a TON of Swedish names/places in here. Like, I was questioning if books in English have this many names and places and I just don't notice it -- I really struggled with this because I felt it broke up the flow of the story for me.

The plot was mostly one note for me. I found myself waiting for something big to happen, even though there wasn't a ton of dramatic build up, and when there was finally an interesting plot point it happened at 90% of the way through so that felt rushed and left me with some unanswered questions.

This was marketed on NetGalley as a mystery/thriller, but I'd say it's more of a crime/police procedural novel. Nothing wrong with that, but not the type of thriller trope I lean towards. If this is something you enjoy, you'd honestly probably find this a lot more interesting than I did. Like I said, writing is decent, but overall this just wasn't my cup of tea.

While the pace of this book was slow and calculated, it lends to developing a great mystery that spans over decades. A small town murder impacts so many people including a young boy and the detective who is assigned to the case. This book kept me engaged and guessing the entire time. I did feel a bit rushed in the end when it was suddenly wrapped up but maybe that was for the best.

A young woman is found murdered in a farmhouse that has burned down. The most likely suspect is the boyfriend of the murdered woman. After a quick investigation he’s found guilty and sentenced to life in prison. The rookie cop that responded to the fire and helped put the boyfriend behind bars prides himself on solving the murder. But little does he know, it’s a defining act in his career and personal life.

I was expecting it to be fast paced but that’s not how I experienced the book.

Under the Storm is an interesting combination of a slowly revealed mystery and a coming-of-age story. In the village of Marbäck, Sweden a house burns to the ground and a young woman is found murdered inside. Isak Nyqvist is a young boy at the time of the fire, but he has to grow up a bit when his uncle Edvard Christensson is sentenced to life in jail for the crime. Vidar Jörgensson was a rookie police officer at the time of the fire and contributed to solving the murder; in fact, it was the defining event of his career. But is Edvard really guilty? This crime haunts the small community with ripples extending to almost everyone years later.

The story in this 3.5-star book develops slowly, leaving the reader plenty of time to mull over questions of guilt, innocence, and culpability. It was maybe just a bit too slow for me, but I appreciated that Carlsson has written a deeper and more thoughtful mystery than usual.

Thank you to Random House Hogarth and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. This book will be published on February 27, 2024.

nother brilliant mystery by Christoffer Carlsson... I had originally given this 4-stars, but a few days of continued thinking about this story brings me to the decision that this is a 5-star book! It is one that will linger with you. The writing, the characters, the layers of story... it is just so good!

I love that the story is deeper than a who-dun-it... so much deeper. The character development that Carlsson does is masterful. There are great disappointments and the story has a very "real" feel in that the mystery is not tied up in a neat package and solved.

I highly recommend and I can't wait for the next Carlsson book to be released!

I want to thank Netgalley, Random House Publishing Group - Random House, and Hogarth for the copy. This book will be published February 27,2024.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the eARC.
This book was a disappointment to me. I had a hard time getting into it and found it a bit depressing and difficult to read. It was also too long. None of the characters were appealing either; it was just not my kind of read. Too bad, I was looking forward to it.

I enjoyed the storyline and the characters but I was not enthralled by this book. Maybe some of the magic was lost in translation?

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/165940042

Murder of a woman, the first suspect is the boyfriend. After the investigation, he is found guilty and is sentenced to prison. The Rookie cop who put him behind bars thinks he has helped the community, but there is more to be discovered.

The writing and character development were good. I think the overall premise of this book was good, but it felt a little too long to me. It could have had 100 pages lesser if it were a bit more fast-paced.

I really enjoyed this book by a new-to-me author. It was more than just a crime novel; it was thought-provoking as well.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Edvard and nephew, Isak experience traumatic childhood events. A years long mystery ensues and policeman/investigator Vidar eventually solves it. A very touching story illustrating regional biases, bullying, and trauma in families and the long term effects. Couldn't put the book down. Despite the themes, I was very pleased at the lack of foul language, so thank you for that!

This police mystery is an interesting read. It spans many years and deal with Vidar over time. His uncle is suspected and convicted of murder and arson. Over the years Vidar wonders if he might be innocent.
While quite interesting it was personally difficult to read from a technical standpoint. The names and places are not ones we see routinely and force ones train of thought to stop and digest/remember for later.
All in all a worthwhile read.
My thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the advance review copy.

Christoffer Carlsson Knows How To Tell A Story

Christoffer Carlsson has the ability to not only tell you a story but to have you live in the story. The characters are at once involved and indifferent, the guilt of the convicted killer questions your mind throughout the book, and the conscience of Sheriff Vidar is woven into his actions long after he leaves the force.

A woman found is found dead in a house that burned to the ground and soon it is discovered she was dead before the fire. There is just one suspect, her boyfriend Edvard, who is summarily found guilty and sentenced to life in prison. This shatters the life of his young nephew Isak and makes life difficult for the rest of the family living in this small town. This is not a light, fun story to read. It’s the story of a town and a family living in the aftermath of a tragic incident that changes lives forever.

I received an advance copy of Under The Storm from NetGalley, this is my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. I thought the writing was fabulous and the way it was written was different from most police novels. The story is told from the point of view of Isak, initially a young boy who is very close to his uncle Edvard, who is in his 20's, AND from the pov of Vidar who is the young office first on the murder scene, who then ends up investigating the death of a young woman in their small town. The story progresses through time from Isak at age 9, at age 18, and then 30. Vidar is initially a rookie cop, then a a detective etc, and this case haunts him as time passes. Edvard, Isak's uncle, is tried and convicted of the murder quickly. Vidar has always thought that many details and follow-ups with witnesses nd other suspects were missed/misplaced/or never even done. Isak just wonders throughout his life if the police got it right and Edvard was actually the murderer. The scenery, culture, natural environment and story are so well-written in such detail that I felt like I was there. I definitely will read more from this author! Thanks to the publisher and NG for letting me rad the ARC!!

I can't believe I didn't know about this Swedish author before now. This book is everything I look for in a Scandinavian thriller. The characters are well-developed and the plot leaves you guessing until the end.

A house burns to the ground and a body is found inside, but the female victim did not die from the fire: she was murdered. Isak Nyquist, a young boy at the time of the fire, is for some reason deeply affected by what happened. His uncle, who is the woman's boyfriend, is arrested for the murder. Isak was very close to his uncle and is afraid he might possess the same qualities as his uncle.

The twists-and-turns of this story make it a terrific read.

Under the Storm by Christoffer Carlsson is an interesting police procedural. On a cold November night, a farmhouse burns to the ground. Inside, a young woman is found dead, not from the flames but murdered. To the people in the rural community of Marbäck, the fire becomes a reference point: a before and after. For ten-year-old Isak Nyqvist, it sets in motion something he cannot control, igniting his future into an inferno.

At first, I did have a hard time reading this book, getting into it, and connecting with the characters. The more I read, it was an interesting storyline. The story was not as fast-paced as I had hoped, and the story felt too long to get to a conclusion.

I would read more by this author, though, so that I can see how other books are.

#UndertheStorm #NetGalley @randomhouse