Review by Booklist Review
In terms of setting, bogs are very appealing to mystery writers. Bodies can stay perfectly preserved for centuries, while the clues about how or why they were deposited there decompose and disappear. Biologist Nathalie returns to Mossmarken, Sweden, to study the physical aspects of the marsh. Shortly after she arrives, she finds an unconscious man lying in the wetlands, and decades of secrets about the place begin to surface. A visiting artist (and side-gig crime-scene photographer) finds another man shortly thereafter, this time dead. The resulting investigations force Nathalie to confront what happened to her parents when she was a child, and the lengths to which this tight-knit community would go to protect their own. This debut hits on some of the same themes of nature, legend, and isolated village creepiness as Paula Hawkins' Into the Water (2017).--Karen Keefe Copyright 2018 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Biologist Nathalie Ström, one of the two heroines of Jansson's uneven first novel, is living temporarily in a cottage in Mossmarken, Sweden, where she's measuring greenhouse gases on the local peat bog, reputed to have been the site of human sacrifices long ago. She becomes friendly with art school student Johannes Ayeb, who regularly jogs past her cottage. One day, Johannes is found unconscious on a jogging path; a head injury suggests he had been assaulted. Artist and forensic photographer Maya Linde becomes involved in the subsequent investigation, which leads to a chain of grisly bog-centered discoveries-and each woman to new realizations about her life and career. Nathalie is haunted by the loss of her parents in an apparent murder-suicide, while Maya, who lived in the area in years past, tries to repair a damaged relationship. Fascinating historical material, especially about "bog bodies" found through the ages, compensates only in part for shallow characterizations and awkward plotting. Hopefully, Jansson will do better next time. Agent: Astri Von Arbin Ahlander, Ahlander Agency (Sweden). (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
DEBUT Biologist Nathalie grew up in the Swedish village of Mossmarken, on the edge of a mire where, centuries ago, humans were sacrificed to the gods. She's returned for the first time in years to research the mire and seek peace with her childhood, when a tragic incident made her an orphan. Shortly after her arrival, an acquaintance is found unconscious in the mire, the victim of an assault; his pockets are filled with gold coins, reminiscent of the ancient practices. The investigation of the attack leads to the discovery of several bodies possessing the same type of gold coins, but these bodies are from recent years. Artist and forensic photographer Maya, also originally from the village, wonders if -Nathalie's unfortunate past is connected to the deaths. VERDICT Jansson's debut novel falls short of its potential as an engaging thriller. Uneven pacing and poorly developed characters hinder the tension, and the ending doesn't have much impact. [See Prepub Alert, 3/26/18.]-Anitra Gates, Erie Cty. P.L., PA © Copyright 2018. 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.
