On a hot July morning on Sweden’s idyllic vacation island of Sandhamn, a man takes his dog for a walk and makes a gruesome discovery: a body, tangled in fishing net, has washed ashore.
Police detective Thomas Andreasson is the first to arrive on the scene. Before long, he has identified the deceased as Krister Berggren, a bachelor from the mainland who has been missing for months. All signs point to an accident – until another brutalized corpse is found at the local bed-and-breakfast. But this time it is Berggren’s cousin, whom Thomas interviewed in Stockholm just days before.
As the island’s residents reel from the news, Thomas turns to his childhood friend, local lawyer Nora Linde. Together, they attempt to unravel the riddles left behind by these two mysterious outsiders – while trying to make sense of the difficult twists their own lives have taken since the shared summer days of their youth.
A breath of fresh (archipelago) air! Still Waters is a breath of fresh (archipelago) air! I discovered Viveca Sten quite by accident and what a delightful surprise her writing is. Still Waters is more of a traditional mystery, maybe closer to the ‘cozy mystery’ end of the crime spectrum and definitely not a typical Nordic Noir with the usual ‘defective detective’ and social commentary tropes.This is an easy to read, thoroughly enjoyable mystery that is very much character driven and what a well developed cast of characters…
A leisurely, charming book that’s perfect reading for a day in bed This entertaining, not-very-demanding book was the perfect companion for a day in bed drinking tea-with-honey and recovering from bronchitis. It’s the perfect “beach read” since that’s where much of the action takes place. The island of Sandhamn is a popular resort near Stockholm, Sweden. Like all neighborhoods with vacation homes, there’s long-standing conflict between the “summer people” and the year-rounders. Now there’s also conflict between families who’ve owned summer…
Finally- a traditional mystery Although a lifelong mystery reader, I had always shied away from Scandinavian mysteries. I tended to think in terms of âScandinavian Noirâ- grim, claustrophobic and cold. However, Iâve become quite fond of some over the past several months so was delighted to see a translation of Vivica Stenâs first Sandham mystery available as an Amazon Kindle First pick.I enjoyed âStill Watersâ a lot. Not the least bit âNoirâ (paranoid, seedy, dealing with corrupt officials, etc.), it was…