CRIME REVIEW: The Quarry - Johan Theorin

Release Date: 23/06/11

SYNOPSIS:

As the last snow melts on the Swedish island of Öland, Per Morner is preparing for his children’s Easter visit. But his plans are disrupted when he receives a phone call from his estranged father, Jerry, begging for help.

Per finds Jerry close to death in his blazing woodland studio. He’s been stabbed, and two dead bodies are later discovered in the burnt-out building.

The only suspect, Jerry’s work partner, is confirmed as one of the dead. But why does Jerry insist his colleague is still alive? And why does he think he’s still a threat to his life?

When Jerry dies in hospital a few days later, Per becomes determined to find out what really happened. But the closer he gets to the truth, the more danger he finds himself in.

And nowhere is more dangerous than the nearby quarry...


REVIEW:

I love a good crime story and whilst it’s the exotic and unusual that attract the majority of readers, its refreshing to get one that goes back to good old fashioned basics to present the reader with a story motivated mystery that can have echo’s with true crime.

What makes the genre particularly exciting for me currently is the influx of Scandinavian authors who not only devote the time to crafting meticulous stories but also present the reader with a whole landscape to envisage that is as hard as those decended from the original inhabitants. What works very well with this title by Johan is the characters who endear themselves to the reader, in this case, I had a particular affinity to Gerlof Davidson, who whilst he wasn’t the story linchpin was a cast member to helped make this story more than memorable.

Add to this a wonderfully flowing translation from the original language, a great plot line alongside a whole host of characters that I’d like to meet and it’s a story that really will create something special for the reader. Back that up with a wonderful sense of prose alongside decent dialogue and it’s easy to see why, in crime circles, the ancient warning again echoes throughout the land “The Scandinavians are coming…”

CRIME FICTION: The Darkest Room - Johan Theorin

BOOK BLURB:

'For several hours I believed that my daughter had drowned and my wife as alive, when in fact the reverse was true'. It is bitter mid-winter when Katrine and Joakim Westin move with their children into the old manor house at Eel Point on the Swedish island of Oland. But their new home is no remote idyll. Just days later, Katrine is found drowned off the rocks nearby. While Joakim struggles to keep his sanity, Tilda Davidsson - a young policewoman fresh out of college- becomes convinced that Katrine was murdered. Then, on Christmas Eve, a blizzard hits Eel Point. Isolated by the snow, Joakim does not know that visitors - as unwelcome as they are terrifying - are making their way towards him. For this is the darkest night of the year, and the night when the living meet the dead.


REVIEW:

With publishers looking further afield than their native lands to discover new talent its probably comes as no surprise to many that the Scandinavians are being picked up by the Crime publishers over in the UK. Here in Johan’s second novel is a tale of intrigue told almost from an Urban Fantasy point of view rather than the pure crime angle which gives this a new flavour within the genre as well as steadily building to a conclusion that leaves the reader wondering which way its going to go. A definite author to watch and with this being Johan’s second novel will definitely make him a force to reckon with in future releases. Cracking.