Firstly I wish to thank Sophie Painter, Marketing Manager of Vintage, Penguin Random House for inviting me to read and review this book, The Crow Girl by Erik Axl Sund

BOOK DESCRIPTION

The most terrifying thriller you’ll read this year

It starts with just one body – the hands bound, the skin covered in marks.

Detective Superintendent Jeanette Kihlberg is determined to find out who is responsible, despite opposition from her superiors. When two more bodies are found, it becomes clear that she is hunting a serial killer.

With her career on the line, she turns to psychotherapist Sofia Zetterlund. Together, they uncover a chain of shocking events that began decades ago – but will it lead them to the murderer before someone else dies?

HERE ARE MY THOUGHTS AND REVIEW

Firstly this is a huge book, in fact it was originally three books which have now been brought together to create the whole story containing almost 800 pages in one place. The second thing is there are some subjects throughout the story that some readers would find difficult, such as child abuse, incest, beatings and murder, just to mention a few topics.

The story is set in Denmark and Sweden and on different time lines where the most brutal people in society take pleasure in the most perverse ways. When the body of a mummified boy is discovered it begins the investigation by Detective Superintendent Jeanette Kihlberg that will uncover decades of horror and take her to the brink of insanity to find the truth. Kihlberg soon turns to psychotherapist Sofia Zetterlund and one of her patients where there is definitely a dark side to her past.

This is a story that you really have to concentrate on as at times it does seem very complex with the characters and time zones. The descriptions of these horrors are very detailed and cruelly heart breaking but I had to keep reading the story made me feel that these children could not be abandoned and forgotten. Even in the story the investigation team are greatly affected and sickened by what they find. The third section of the book, it is in three sections that represents the three books, I found to be the most harrowing but where everything finally comes together of course.

This is a dark depraved and violent Scandinavian story that really does not let you go even when it ends so do be prepared. It won’t be for everyone but I was totally engrossed. This really is a master piece of writing, one I will never forget……………

I wish to thank Sophie Painter of Vintage for a copy of this book which I have honestly reviewed.

HERE IS A LITTLE ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Erik Axl Sund is the pen name of Swedish author duo Jerker Eriksson (b. 1974) and Håkan Axlander Sundquist (b. 1965). Håkan is a sound engineer, musician and artist. Jerker has been the producer of Håkan’s electro punk band iloveyoubaby! and currently works as a librarian in a prison. Erik Axl Sund is the author of three novels so far: Crow Girl (2010), Hunger Fire (2011) and Pythia’s Instructions (2012). Together, they form the trilogy about Victoria Bergman. These dark and addictive novels became an immediate success, both critical and commercial. The Victoria Bergman trilogy is the latest literary phenomenon in Swedish crime fiction and a milestone in contemporary crime fiction in general.