The inner circle
(Book)

Jungstedt's third Anders Knutas mystery finds the Swedish inspector glum and depressed, still upset over the events of the past winter (Unspoken, 2007). With the confined island setting of Gotland and Knutas' previously more upbeat manner, this series has leaned toward cozy, but this entry often adopts a morose and fatalistic tone, almost in the manner of Sjowall and Wahloo's landmark Martin Beck series. As Knutas is not the only featured character, however, the mood is not entirely bleak. Journalist Johan Berg continues to play a strong supporting role, and happy, gluttonous Kilhgard, from the National Criminal Police, makes a welcome appearance. Short chapters from multiple viewpoints killer, victims, investigators, and bystanders move the story along at a rapid clip, from the discovery of a decapitated horse to the ritual-infused dramatic climax. Suggest this solid addition to a fine series to readers who enjoy Helene Tursten's capable and stable Detective Inspector Huss or those who liked the island setting of Johan Theorin's recently released Echoes from the Dead (2008).--Moyer, Jessica Copyright 2008 Booklist

In summer the Baltic island of Gotland, Beowulf's old stomping ground, offers stunning scenery for tourists and white nights for love and lust, all of which shape the backdrop of Det. Supt. Anders Knutas's investigation into one horrifying crime after another in Swedish author Jungstedt's absorbing third police procedural (after 2007's Unspoken). The decapitation of a harmless pony is followed by the "threefold" Viking ritual murder of a female archeology student, who's been carrying on a torrid affair with a secret lover, then two more grisly executions, all punctuated by chilling glimpses into a psychopathic mind. The fluid translation evokes the stark economy of the ancient sagas, where all that mattered was how one fought and died. A little of that old warrior spirit still inhabits Jungstedt's tired, frustrated Swedish policemen and journalists, facing monsters within and without and, like Beowulf, never giving in. (Dec.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

When the body of a decapitated pony is found in a field, residents of the town of Visby on the Swedish island of Gotland are shocked. Police Supt. Anders Knutas and his team soon have their hands full when a young archaeology student disappears after a party and is then found dead. Just as the pony's blood has been drained, so has the student's at the scene of the crime. Is her killing connected? Jungstedt's third police procedural to be released here (after Unseen and Unspoken) features shockingly brutal murders and a tightly plotted story with an unexpected ending. This is one of the best reads of the year. [See Prepub Mystery, LJ 8/08; library marketing.] (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

The murder of a Dutch student on a Gotland dig has roots more sinister than any Viking remains. Architect's daughter Martina Flochten is using the long days of the Swedish summer to excavate artifacts at a site supervised by Staffan Mellgren. She likes to party, she likes to flirt, and she's evidently enjoying an affair with someone else on the dig. All that ends when she disappears one night and her body is found hanging from a tree. Det. Supt. Anders Knutas and his team (Unspoken, 2007, etc.), called to the scene, soon discover that Martina's abdomen was slashed only after death and that she was drowned before she was hanged. The inference that follows is even more chilling. Her death is clearly linked to the inexplicable beheading of Pontus, a gentle farm horsean incident already well-publicized by the interfering of TV reporter Johan Berg, who's happy to report any horrors that allow him to be close to his lover, schoolteacher Emma Winarve, when she has their baby. A killer who'll drain both an old horse and a young woman of blood, reasons Knutas, is likely to seek out more victimsa theory that's unpleasantly supported by the discovery of a horse's head that doesn't belong to Pontus. The investigation, as usual, crackles with tension, and the constant shifts in viewpoint are expertly managed. But the bizarre denouement is likely to make the third of Knutas's cases to appear in English the hardest sell to an American audience. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

"Jungstedt's third Anders Knutas mystery finds the Swedish inspector glum and depressed, still upset over the events of the past winter (Unspoken, 2007). With the confined island setting of Gotland and Knutas' previously more upbeat manner, this series has leaned toward cozy, but this entry often adopts a morose and fatalistic tone, almost in the manner of Sjowall and Wahloo's landmark Martin Beck series. As Knutas is not the only featured character, however, the mood is not entirely bleak. Journalist Johan Berg continues to play a strong supporting role, and happy, gluttonous Kilhgard, from the National Criminal Police, makes a welcome appearance. Short chapters from multiple viewpoints—killer, victims, investigators, and bystanders—move the story along at a rapid clip, from the discovery of a decapitated horse to the ritual-infused dramatic climax. Suggest this solid addition to a fine series to readers who enjoy Helene Tursten's capable and stable Detective Inspector Huss or those who liked the island setting of Johan Theorin's recently released Echoes from the Dead (2008)." Copyright 2008 Booklist Reviews.

When the body of a decapitated pony is found in a field, residents of the town of Visby on the Swedish island of Gotland are shocked. Police Supt. Anders Knutas and his team soon have their hands full when a young archaeology student disappears after a party and is then found dead. Just as the pony's blood has been drained, so has the student's at the scene of the crime. Is her killing connected? Jungstedt's third police procedural to be released here (after Unseen and Unspoken) features shockingly brutal murders and a tightly plotted story with an unexpected ending. This is one of the best reads of the year. [See Prepub Mystery, LJ 8/08; library marketing.]

In summer the Baltic island of Gotland, Beowulf's old stomping ground, offers stunning scenery for tourists and white nights for love and lust, all of which shape the backdrop of Det. Supt. Anders Knutas's investigation into one horrifying crime after another in Swedish author Jungstedt's absorbing third police procedural (after 2007's Unspoken ). The decapitation of a harmless pony is followed by the "threefold" Viking ritual murder of a female archeology student, who's been carrying on a torrid affair with a secret lover, then two more grisly executions, all punctuated by chilling glimpses into a psychopathic mind. The fluid translation evokes the stark economy of the ancient sagas, where all that mattered was how one fought and died. A little of that old warrior spirit still inhabits Jungstedt's tired, frustrated Swedish policemen and journalists, facing monsters within and without and, like Beowulf, never giving in. (Dec.)