Unwanted A novel

Review by Booklist Review

*Starred Review* Ohlsson's English-language debut is a tour de force that will draw eager readers of Scandinavian crime thrillers. When a young girl is abducted off a train in Stockholm, it seems like a classic custody crime, as the parents are divorced and hostile. But Frederika Bergman isn't willing to accept the easy answer, even though she's only a civilian researcher working for one of the most revered detectives in Sweden, Alex Recht. Then the girl's body appears in a remote town in the north with the word Unwanted written across it. Bergman is the only one who isn't surprised, but that still doesn't make the investigation any easier. Realizing that he is up against a highly intelligent serial killer, Recht acknowledges that it's going to take a combination of his experience and Bergman's research skills to track down the sociopath. This is an enthralling page-turner and a perfect read-alike for fans of Jo Nesbo's serial-killer novels (including The Snowman, 2011), and hopefully it's only the first of many novels to come from this talented new author. With the release of the American movie version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and interest in Scandinavian crime only standing to increase, expect Ohlsson to join Nesbo on most readers' can't-miss lists.--Moyer, Jessica Copyright 2010 Booklist

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

---

Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

Superior prose, plotting, and characterization lift this procedural set in Stockholm, the first in a series. When Sara Sebastiansson steps off a train to Gothenburg for a moment at an intermediate station, she leaves her six-year-old daughter, Lilian, asleep in a coach. A stranger's request to help with a sick pet ensures that Sara fails to reboard in time. Despite the conductor keeping an eye on Lilian for most of the trip to the next stop, the little girl is nowhere to be found on arrival there. Lilian's father, suspected of physically abusing her mother, is an obvious suspect, especially given conflicting stories about his whereabouts. Frederika Bergman, a police investigator who's less than comfortable interacting with people, and her colleagues soon realize they're dealing with a twisted monster whose motives are as obscure as his methods are horrific. Readers will look forward to spending more time in the company of the intriguing Bergman. Agent: Niclas Salomonsson, the Salomonsson Agency. (Feb.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

---

Review by Library Journal Review

A train is delayed, a mother is distracted, and in an instant, a little girl is gone. Veteran investigators assume the abusive father is the kidnapper, but Fredrika Bergman, a newly hired investigator in a male-dominated police force, isn't so sure. The discovery of the child's body with the word "Unwanted" on her forehead raises the stakes. As the death count rises, so does Fredrika's determination to find the killer. Presented in multiple viewpoints, Ohlsson's series starter gives the listener access to everyone's deductions as well as their character flaws and biases. Justine Eyre's excellent narration adds depth to an already fully realized cast of characters. With twists and red herrings, this is a classically told mystery in a present-day setting. Ohlsson's clever observations on relationships, modernism, and feminism weave into the characters seamlessly in this chilling page-turner. verdict For fans of Still Missing by Chevy Stevens and other twisty tales of suspense, as well as of Scandinavian authors such as Anne Holt and Jo Nesbo. ["Fans of detective or thriller fiction will delight in discovering this excellent addition to the Scandinavian mystery genre," read the review of the Emily Bestler: Atria hc, LJ 2/1/12.]-Terry Ann Lawler, Phoenix P.L. (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

---

Review by Kirkus Book Review

Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

---

Whenever he let his thoughts wander, for some reason they always came back sooner or later to the case notes. It usually happened at night. He lay quite still in his bed and looked up at the ceiling, where a fly was moving. He had never been much good at darkness and rest. It was as though his defenses were stripped away the moment the sun disappeared and the fatigue and darkness crept up to enfold him. Defenselessness was something at odds with his entire nature. A large part of his life had revolved around being on his guard, being prepared. Readiness demanded wakefulness. He registered that it had been a long time since he had been woken at night by his own tears. It had been a long time since the memories hurt him and weakened him. In that respect, he had come far in his attempt to find peace. And yet. If he shut his eyes really hard, and if it was totally, totally quiet all round him, he could see her in front of him. Her bulky form detached itself from the dark shadows and came lumbering toward him. Slowly, slowly, the way she always moved. The memory of her scent still made him feel sick. Dark, sweet, and full of dust. Impossible to breathe in. Like the smell of the books in her library. And he could hear her voice: " You stubborn good-for-nothing ," it hissed. " You worthless abortion ." And then she grabbed him and gripped him hard. The words were always followed by the pain and the punishment. By the fire. The memory of the fire was still there on parts of his body. He liked running his finger over the scar tissue and knowing that he had survived. When he was really small, he had assumed the punishment was because he always did everything wrong. So he tried, following his child's logic, to do everything right. Desperately, tenaciously. And yet: it all turned out wrong. When he was older he understood better. There simply was nothing that was right. It wasn't just his actions that were wrong and needed to be punished, it was his whole essence and existence. He was being punished for existing. If he had not existed, She would never have died. "You never should have been born!" she howled into his face. "You're evil, evil, evil!" The crying that followed, that came after the fire, must always be silent. Silent, silent, so she wouldn't hear. Because if she did, she would come back. Always. He remembered that the accusation had caused him intense anxiety for a long time. How could he ever come to terms with what she said he was guilty of? How could he ever pay for what he had done, compensate for his sin? The case notes. He went to the hospital where She had been a patient and read Her notes. Mostly to get some conception of the full extent of his crime. He was of age by then. Of age but eternally in debt as a result of his evil deeds. What he found in the notes, however, turned him, entirely unexpectedly, from a debtor into a free man. With this liberation came strength and recovery. He found a new life, and new and important questions to answer. The question was no longer how he could compensate someone else. The question then was how he was to be compensated. Lying there in the dark, he gave a slight smile and glanced sideways at the new doll he had chosen. He thought--he could never be sure--but he thought this one would last longer than the others. She didn't need to deal with her past, as he himself had done. All she needed was a firm hand, his firm hand. And lots and lots of love. His very special, guiding love. He caressed her back cautiously. By mistake, or perhaps because he genuinely could not see the injuries he had inflicted on her, his hand passed right over one of the freshest bruises. It adorned, like a dark little lake, one of her shoulder blades. She woke with a start and turned toward him. Her eyes were glassy with fear; she never knew what awaited her when darkness fell. "It's time, doll." Her delicate face broke into a pretty, drowsy smile. "We'll start tomorrow," he whispered. Then he rolled onto his back again and fixed his gaze on the fly once more. Awake and ready. Without rest. © 2009 Kristina Ohlsson Excerpted from Unwanted: A Novel by Kristina Ohlsson All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.

---