The Ice Princess

Erica Falck returns to her hometown of Fjällbacka, Sweden, now a budding resort town, to wrap up her late parents' estate and is devastated to learn of the suspicious death of her childhood friend, Alex. Writing a thinly disguised novel based on Alex's life, she becomes romantically involved with the detective on the case. Through the lives of the suspects, Läckberg reveals the sordidness of the town's wealthy families and the resounding effects of child abuse. Though this first entry in a new seven-book series, the author's U.S. debut, has been highly acclaimed on the European continent, North American audiences wanting to immerse themselves in the Swedish setting may find that narrator David Thorn's British pronunciations and dialect make for a disjointed listening experience. Recommended only where Scandinavian crime fiction does well. [The Harper hc was recommended for "readers who enjoy Louise Penny's small-town atmosphere," LJ 5/1/10; the Free Pr. pb will publish in March 2011.—Ed.]—Sandy Glover, Camas P.L., WA