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emiliablixt's review against another edition
5.0
Älskar att boken börjar med en dikt och är skriven ur perspektivet från den döda. Då den är inspirerad av verkliga händelser skulle jag börja läsa författarens tack innan. Känsloväckande och spännande roman. Mycket tillbakablickar och flera synvinklar vilket ger djup i berättelsen.
kathydavie's review against another edition
5.0
Fourth in the Rebecka Martinsson mystery series set in Sweden and revolving around a prosecutor in a small village.
I have read this series out of order, and I don't recommend it. I find myself questioning why this relationship or that one is so different from what I remember. Then I remember my out-of-whack start…
I couldn't find The Black Path, 3, anywhere, and I finally gave up and moved on to this one. Mistake. Something terrible happened in The Black Path, and I must go hunt it down.
My Take
This is a book about guilt, gossip, and game-playing, of change in how the police operate with each other and with Rebecka. It seems Kiruna too is under threat of change.
The start is a change-up as well. Creepy …*shudder*, and Larsson drifts in and out with Wilma's perspective. What a way to grab your attention and make you want to read on and learn more. And, yep, it made me cry right from the start. It does provide a lesson, if you will, of why you want to tell people where you're going. It would have helped. Some.
Wilma isn't the only one to drift in and out. I do enjoy how Larsson takes us back into history in her stories. We go back to Kerkula's start as a truck hauler. Kerttu's true nature. It's a tale of sympathy toward Germany before it turns to hatred. It was odd to find Wilma's ghost going back in time as well. That's an angle I did not expect and am still not sure about. I know, I know, the whole ghost idea is…quirky?, but I've never encountered a ghost character (outside of Cassandra Palmer) who could time travel. And it's Anni's memories of her time with Wilma that spur Rebecka's own memories of her grandmother and provides us with a look at her own past.
It's scary, how cocky these two are. The only positive is that what happened when their killers showed up was inevitable. It doesn't matter how much I cry why didn't you? None of the choices they made or didn't make would have made any difference. And so the tension begins for us, even as the tension they needed disappeared.
It is balanced by the joyful memories Anni has of the times she spent with Wilma and Simon. A balance that only makes the loss worse.
It's also a look at the worries of old people. Of no longer being capable of living on their own, caring for themselves. Of being stored away in a nursing home. It's how the disappearances of loved ones affect the families. Again, with the tears. It doesn't matter that I know this is just a story. It's the sort of thing that does happen to people, and I can't help but cry for them.
The horrors that have happened to Rebecka. Jesus. Those murdering bastards in Sun Storm, 1, followed by Lars-Gunnar in The Blood Spilt, 2. I'm not surprised Rebecka cracked. Yet, these horrors create a bridge between her and the guilty.
So many people are unhappy in this one nor is anyone communicating, except for the gossip that will doom too many. The victim. Her great-grandmother. Anna-Maria. Simon's parents. Sven-Erik in his anger and making stupid mistakes. Anna-Maria so miserable after Regla and with her husband. Even Lars is miserable. Rebecka and Måns each poking away at each other, the petty games.
There is such raging conflict in the Kerkula family — and I'll say it again, some people shouldn't be allowed to breed. I don't know the father's story, but the rest are driven by guilt and glee. It's frustrating that Hjalmar allows all this. If he'd taken that stand at school, I have to wonder how different this would be. How much happier he'd have been. How can a parent not want their child to follow their dreams? Their dreams, not their parents'. It's Krister who sums it up: love is about giving, and the Kerkulas never learned that one.
There's also a peaceful quality. Rebecka is so happy being here, even if the other cops and lawyers aren't, lol. There's a small town quality in how people keep an eye out for each other, as long as you leave the Kerkulas out of it! And Krister is always pleased to be with his dogs.
Ooh, yeah…the cops get sneaky. Those "poor" murderers worked so hard to obscure their crime, and yet the body has so much to tell us as do mannerisms, habits, and reputation. I know Anna-Maria wants the Kerkulas to be guilty, and I can't blame her, but there is nothing, no clues, no sightings, other than their nasty behavior that warrants this thought.
I had a few odd niggles. One is a mechanical issue in that a few passages read stiffly. What I think of as a loose thread with Simon getting left in the lurch, especially after Wilma's initial protestations that she wanted someone to find him. Lastly, Rebecka ticked me off. She's been ignoring Mån's text messages and voicemails for days, then when she sends him a few and he doesn't respond, she gets angry. Hah. Wait till she's waited longer than Mån's had to wait, then complain.
It's funny how an an in-your-face reality check can change your attitude.
The Story
Wilma and Simon are eager for their adventure, the one for which they've prepared all summer. It's Östen Marjavaara who finds them, and he swears off river water for the rest of his life.
The Characters
Rebecka Martinsson is content in her new life as a prosecutor in Kiruna and living in her grandmother's house in Kurravaara. Måns Wenngren was her boss at Meijer & Ditzinger in Stockholm. Now he's her lover. Maria Taube is a friend and former colleague from the firm.
Bella is a German pointer who belongs to Sivving Fjällborg, her neighbor. A practical man who lives small in his basement.
The police
Inspector Krister Eriksson is the horribly disfigured dog handler in love with Rebecka. He's a sweet man, and I keep hopin'. Tintin is his pregnant black German Shepherd; Roy, the new dog, is a chocolate-brown. Inspector Anna-Maria Mella is his boss and heads up this crime team, which includes the very angry Sven-Erik Stålnacke, Fred Olsson, and Tommy Rantakyrö.
Lars Pohjanen is the pathologist who resents interference. Anna Granlund is a technician who carefully looks out for her boss, Lars. Alf Björnfoot is Rebecka's boss and the chief prosecutor.
Robert is Anna-Maria's clueless husband; Marcus is the oldest, a teen with a typical teen frustration for adults; Jenny is their daughter; Petter is another son; and, Gustav is the youngest. Ebba is one of Jenny's friends at the stables. Airi Bylund is Sven-Erik's girlfriend; Mattias was her brother. Boxar is their cat.
Wilma Persson was seventeen when she died. Before that, she was a gift to Anni Autio, her great-grandmother, who was so grateful for her great-granddaughter's lively presence and joyous outlook. She saw Wilma as her best friend. Simon Kyrö is her boyfriend and such a sweetheart. All the old folks in the neighborhood enjoyed their spirited play.
Göran Sillfors is a talkative bugger, but with useful information that his wife, Berit, corroborates. Hjörleifur Arnarson is a character and the Sillforses' neighbor. He lives off the land and prefers to be au naturel, even for court cases! Vera is the name of his dog. Jan Viinikainen is charge of the town hall's archives.
The Krekulas
Kerttu is Anni's sister who married up. Isak Krekula made his fortune with his hauling firm, Krekula Haulers, during the wars. Hjalmar Krekula is the older brother, a math whiz who has no hope, an unfeeling vicious bully under his mother, brother, and father's thumb. Tore is a psychopath, considering his actions as a young child. Combine it with those parents, well, the whole family is vicious, brutal to everyone including themselves. They'll hurt you for the fun of it. Reijo is their miserable dog. Laura is Tore's abused wife. Interesting what guilt can do to a man.
Johannes Svarvare and Hugo Fors are employed by the Krekulas. Elmina Salmi is the one who takes Hjalmar in after the forest episode. Stig Rautio owes rent to the Krekulas. Mr. Fenström was Hjalmar's schoolteacher; Mr. Bergvall was the headmaster. It really is best to have no interaction with the Krekulas.
The Characters in World War II
Oberleutnant Walther Zindel was in charge of the storage depots in Luleå. Martin Waldenstöm is the managing director of the mining company, LKAB. Sicherheitschef William Schörner is the SS man in charge of security.
The Fox was the nom de guerre for a spy lurking amongst them.
Karl-Åke Pantzare is in a retirement home now, but back in the day, he was a member of a resistance group, XU, working to keep an intelligence base, Kari, supplied. Axel Viebe was also a member of the resistance who helped hide three Danish prisoners-of-war. He shouldn't have gossiped. Vilhelm Moberg is writing against the Germans, revealing the truth of those trains.
Farmor is Swedish for grandmother, and Rebecka's grandmother, Theresia, shows up at one point.
The Cover
The cover is almost quilt-like in its textures with the icy lines of white above blending into the deep dark blues below, an arm drifting with the current.
The title is from Job 14:13:-22 in the Bible, and I suspect Until Thy Wrath Be Past particularly applies to Hjalmar.
I have read this series out of order, and I don't recommend it. I find myself questioning why this relationship or that one is so different from what I remember. Then I remember my out-of-whack start…
I couldn't find The Black Path, 3, anywhere, and I finally gave up and moved on to this one. Mistake. Something terrible happened in The Black Path, and I must go hunt it down.
My Take
This is a book about guilt, gossip, and game-playing, of change in how the police operate with each other and with Rebecka. It seems Kiruna too is under threat of change.
The start is a change-up as well. Creepy …*shudder*, and Larsson drifts in and out with Wilma's perspective. What a way to grab your attention and make you want to read on and learn more. And, yep, it made me cry right from the start. It does provide a lesson, if you will, of why you want to tell people where you're going. It would have helped. Some.
Wilma isn't the only one to drift in and out. I do enjoy how Larsson takes us back into history in her stories. We go back to Kerkula's start as a truck hauler. Kerttu's true nature. It's a tale of sympathy toward Germany before it turns to hatred. It was odd to find Wilma's ghost going back in time as well. That's an angle I did not expect and am still not sure about. I know, I know, the whole ghost idea is…quirky?, but I've never encountered a ghost character (outside of Cassandra Palmer) who could time travel. And it's Anni's memories of her time with Wilma that spur Rebecka's own memories of her grandmother and provides us with a look at her own past.
It's scary, how cocky these two are. The only positive is that what happened when their killers showed up was inevitable. It doesn't matter how much I cry why didn't you? None of the choices they made or didn't make would have made any difference. And so the tension begins for us, even as the tension they needed disappeared.
It is balanced by the joyful memories Anni has of the times she spent with Wilma and Simon. A balance that only makes the loss worse.
It's also a look at the worries of old people. Of no longer being capable of living on their own, caring for themselves. Of being stored away in a nursing home. It's how the disappearances of loved ones affect the families. Again, with the tears. It doesn't matter that I know this is just a story. It's the sort of thing that does happen to people, and I can't help but cry for them.
The horrors that have happened to Rebecka. Jesus. Those murdering bastards in Sun Storm, 1, followed by Lars-Gunnar in The Blood Spilt, 2. I'm not surprised Rebecka cracked. Yet, these horrors create a bridge between her and the guilty.
So many people are unhappy in this one nor is anyone communicating, except for the gossip that will doom too many. The victim. Her great-grandmother. Anna-Maria. Simon's parents. Sven-Erik in his anger and making stupid mistakes. Anna-Maria so miserable after Regla and with her husband. Even Lars is miserable. Rebecka and Måns each poking away at each other, the petty games.
There is such raging conflict in the Kerkula family — and I'll say it again, some people shouldn't be allowed to breed. I don't know the father's story, but the rest are driven by guilt and glee. It's frustrating that Hjalmar allows all this. If he'd taken that stand at school, I have to wonder how different this would be. How much happier he'd have been. How can a parent not want their child to follow their dreams? Their dreams, not their parents'. It's Krister who sums it up: love is about giving, and the Kerkulas never learned that one.
There's also a peaceful quality. Rebecka is so happy being here, even if the other cops and lawyers aren't, lol. There's a small town quality in how people keep an eye out for each other, as long as you leave the Kerkulas out of it! And Krister is always pleased to be with his dogs.
Ooh, yeah…the cops get sneaky. Those "poor" murderers worked so hard to obscure their crime, and yet the body has so much to tell us as do mannerisms, habits, and reputation. I know Anna-Maria wants the Kerkulas to be guilty, and I can't blame her, but there is nothing, no clues, no sightings, other than their nasty behavior that warrants this thought.
I had a few odd niggles. One is a mechanical issue in that a few passages read stiffly. What I think of as a loose thread with Simon getting left in the lurch, especially after Wilma's initial protestations that she wanted someone to find him. Lastly, Rebecka ticked me off. She's been ignoring Mån's text messages and voicemails for days, then when she sends him a few and he doesn't respond, she gets angry. Hah. Wait till she's waited longer than Mån's had to wait, then complain.
It's funny how an an in-your-face reality check can change your attitude.
The Story
Wilma and Simon are eager for their adventure, the one for which they've prepared all summer. It's Östen Marjavaara who finds them, and he swears off river water for the rest of his life.
The Characters
Rebecka Martinsson is content in her new life as a prosecutor in Kiruna and living in her grandmother's house in Kurravaara. Måns Wenngren was her boss at Meijer & Ditzinger in Stockholm. Now he's her lover. Maria Taube is a friend and former colleague from the firm.
Bella is a German pointer who belongs to Sivving Fjällborg, her neighbor. A practical man who lives small in his basement.
The police
Inspector Krister Eriksson is the horribly disfigured dog handler in love with Rebecka. He's a sweet man, and I keep hopin'. Tintin is his pregnant black German Shepherd; Roy, the new dog, is a chocolate-brown. Inspector Anna-Maria Mella is his boss and heads up this crime team, which includes the very angry Sven-Erik Stålnacke, Fred Olsson, and Tommy Rantakyrö.
Lars Pohjanen is the pathologist who resents interference. Anna Granlund is a technician who carefully looks out for her boss, Lars. Alf Björnfoot is Rebecka's boss and the chief prosecutor.
Robert is Anna-Maria's clueless husband; Marcus is the oldest, a teen with a typical teen frustration for adults; Jenny is their daughter; Petter is another son; and, Gustav is the youngest. Ebba is one of Jenny's friends at the stables. Airi Bylund is Sven-Erik's girlfriend; Mattias was her brother. Boxar is their cat.
Wilma Persson was seventeen when she died. Before that, she was a gift to Anni Autio, her great-grandmother, who was so grateful for her great-granddaughter's lively presence and joyous outlook. She saw Wilma as her best friend. Simon Kyrö is her boyfriend and such a sweetheart. All the old folks in the neighborhood enjoyed their spirited play.
Göran Sillfors is a talkative bugger, but with useful information that his wife, Berit, corroborates. Hjörleifur Arnarson is a character and the Sillforses' neighbor. He lives off the land and prefers to be au naturel, even for court cases! Vera is the name of his dog. Jan Viinikainen is charge of the town hall's archives.
The Krekulas
Kerttu is Anni's sister who married up. Isak Krekula made his fortune with his hauling firm, Krekula Haulers, during the wars. Hjalmar Krekula is the older brother, a math whiz who has no hope, an unfeeling vicious bully under his mother, brother, and father's thumb. Tore is a psychopath, considering his actions as a young child. Combine it with those parents, well, the whole family is vicious, brutal to everyone including themselves. They'll hurt you for the fun of it. Reijo is their miserable dog. Laura is Tore's abused wife. Interesting what guilt can do to a man.
Johannes Svarvare and Hugo Fors are employed by the Krekulas. Elmina Salmi is the one who takes Hjalmar in after the forest episode. Stig Rautio owes rent to the Krekulas. Mr. Fenström was Hjalmar's schoolteacher; Mr. Bergvall was the headmaster. It really is best to have no interaction with the Krekulas.
The Characters in World War II
Oberleutnant Walther Zindel was in charge of the storage depots in Luleå. Martin Waldenstöm is the managing director of the mining company, LKAB. Sicherheitschef William Schörner is the SS man in charge of security.
The Fox was the nom de guerre for a spy lurking amongst them.
Karl-Åke Pantzare is in a retirement home now, but back in the day, he was a member of a resistance group, XU, working to keep an intelligence base, Kari, supplied. Axel Viebe was also a member of the resistance who helped hide three Danish prisoners-of-war. He shouldn't have gossiped. Vilhelm Moberg is writing against the Germans, revealing the truth of those trains.
Farmor is Swedish for grandmother, and Rebecka's grandmother, Theresia, shows up at one point.
The Cover
The cover is almost quilt-like in its textures with the icy lines of white above blending into the deep dark blues below, an arm drifting with the current.
The title is from Job 14:13:-22 in the Bible, and I suspect Until Thy Wrath Be Past particularly applies to Hjalmar.
daelynbiendarra's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
patchworkbunny's review against another edition
4.0
Set in the northern reaches of Sweden, a young couple went missing over winter, presumed dead in a diving accident. When the spring thaw releases the girl's body, Inspector Mella and prosecutor Martinsson start investigating the secrets of a small isolated town where everyone knows everyone.
The story is narrated by the dead girl, Wilma. In a similar style to The Book Thief, the narrator doesn't make herself known on every page and the majority is told in third person. Larsson does a wonderful job of depicting the northern winter and long thaw of spring; it's a Swedish crime novel that is undoubtedly Swedish!
It is part of the Rebecka Martinsson series but I read it as a standalone novel. Whilst there are obviously some events that happened in the past that have severely affected Martinsson and Mella, I don't think lack of knowledge detracts from enjoying the overall plot. In my mind, I can work out what happened though I would personally like to read the earlier books now. I would be more than happy to add Asa Larsson to my crime shelf in future.
The story is narrated by the dead girl, Wilma. In a similar style to The Book Thief, the narrator doesn't make herself known on every page and the majority is told in third person. Larsson does a wonderful job of depicting the northern winter and long thaw of spring; it's a Swedish crime novel that is undoubtedly Swedish!
It is part of the Rebecka Martinsson series but I read it as a standalone novel. Whilst there are obviously some events that happened in the past that have severely affected Martinsson and Mella, I don't think lack of knowledge detracts from enjoying the overall plot. In my mind, I can work out what happened though I would personally like to read the earlier books now. I would be more than happy to add Asa Larsson to my crime shelf in future.
ridgewaygirl's review against another edition
4.0
This is a crime novel set in the far north of Sweden, where Finnish is the second language and there's still plenty of snow on the ground in late April. Rebecca Martinsson has come to live in the house her Grandmother owned and to work as a police prosecutor. She loves the wild, remote area, where many places can't be reached by car and doesn't regret her move from Stockholm.
The story begins with a hair-raising account from the point of view of a murdered girl. She and her boyfriend were out scuba diving on a remote lake when things go terribly wrong. She's a presence in the rest of the book, pulling our attention toward different characters. Since the reader knows who the victims were before the police do, and the perpetrators are identified fairly early on, the suspense rests on the motivations for the crime. The book looks at Sweden's role in WWII, a less neutral position than one would think, and how, even decades later, there are secrets to be kept.
I really enjoyed this novel. The investigators were all fully developed, with relationships and conflicts already underway. The location was beautifully described, from the remote lake houses, accessible only by snowmobile to the dying northern villages, with their populations aged and dwindling. There's more here than a crime story.
The story begins with a hair-raising account from the point of view of a murdered girl. She and her boyfriend were out scuba diving on a remote lake when things go terribly wrong. She's a presence in the rest of the book, pulling our attention toward different characters. Since the reader knows who the victims were before the police do, and the perpetrators are identified fairly early on, the suspense rests on the motivations for the crime. The book looks at Sweden's role in WWII, a less neutral position than one would think, and how, even decades later, there are secrets to be kept.
I really enjoyed this novel. The investigators were all fully developed, with relationships and conflicts already underway. The location was beautifully described, from the remote lake houses, accessible only by snowmobile to the dying northern villages, with their populations aged and dwindling. There's more here than a crime story.
xavi3r's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Novela negra nórdica ambientada en el norte de Suecia. Describe la investigación de una serie de crímenes contemporáneos cuyas raíces habrá que buscar en le presencia nazi en Escandinavia durante la guerra. La narración es absorbente y contiene escenas trepidantes de gran dramatismo. La intriga no pierde el interés en ningún momento, si bien la conclusión —precipitada por la confesión de Hjalmar— me resultó bastante forzada.
kcfromaustcrime's review against another edition
3.0
One of the most appealing aspects of the Rebecka Martinsson series from Asa Larsson has always been the strong sense of place and culture that the books seem to have as part of their DNA. The fourth book, UNTIL THY WRATH BE PAST, is no slouch in this department at all.
The opening of the book is Wilma telling the story of the day that she and Simon died. Wilma's presence remains active within the book, encouraging Rebecka, slowly explaining her own story, drawing out the details. Her body, on the other hand isn't found for months after she dies. When it is, the question is whether or not their deaths are simply a diving trip that went wrong or is it, as Rebecka is sure, murder. It's partly the idea that the victim has a voice which is sensed by Rebecka, partly the setting and the location of the death that really give this particular book the ongoing strong sense of place and culture. But there's also something about the interactions of the characters within the book, and obviously, the weather and location that contribute strongly as well.
Given that all the books in this series intertwine a lot of the personal story of Rebecka, and increasingly so her colleague Anna-Maria Mella, there's a good balancing act going on. UNTIL THY WRATH BE PAST does have a lot of voices telling this story, and there are a lot of characters moving through the narrative. and to be frank, the strength of the plot for this one is probably not it's strongest point. The murder plot wasn't completely convincing, although the people involved and the ongoing glimpses the reader is given of small-town, remote Sweden do make up for any such deficiencies. I must admit that from the start of this series, it's Rebecka, and now increasingly Anna-Maria that hold my attention, as their presence builds, I'll happily return to this series to discover what's happening with them in particular.
And that's possibly the only downside to these books, of which UNTIL THY WRATH BE PAST is now the fourth in the series. It's a series that might be best read in order. Rebecka's backstory is intrinsic to who she is, and how you go about understanding her decisions, her choice to work out in this remote, isolated part of Sweden. Anna-Maria is slightly easier to come to grips with, although hers is a story that is slowly evolving and seems to be coming more to the fore. Whilst it could very well be possible to pick this book up as your starting point, personally, I fear you'd be missing out on a quite a bit. Which, if you've not read the three earlier Rebecka Martinsson books, just means you're in for a bit of a treat.
The opening of the book is Wilma telling the story of the day that she and Simon died. Wilma's presence remains active within the book, encouraging Rebecka, slowly explaining her own story, drawing out the details. Her body, on the other hand isn't found for months after she dies. When it is, the question is whether or not their deaths are simply a diving trip that went wrong or is it, as Rebecka is sure, murder. It's partly the idea that the victim has a voice which is sensed by Rebecka, partly the setting and the location of the death that really give this particular book the ongoing strong sense of place and culture. But there's also something about the interactions of the characters within the book, and obviously, the weather and location that contribute strongly as well.
Given that all the books in this series intertwine a lot of the personal story of Rebecka, and increasingly so her colleague Anna-Maria Mella, there's a good balancing act going on. UNTIL THY WRATH BE PAST does have a lot of voices telling this story, and there are a lot of characters moving through the narrative. and to be frank, the strength of the plot for this one is probably not it's strongest point. The murder plot wasn't completely convincing, although the people involved and the ongoing glimpses the reader is given of small-town, remote Sweden do make up for any such deficiencies. I must admit that from the start of this series, it's Rebecka, and now increasingly Anna-Maria that hold my attention, as their presence builds, I'll happily return to this series to discover what's happening with them in particular.
And that's possibly the only downside to these books, of which UNTIL THY WRATH BE PAST is now the fourth in the series. It's a series that might be best read in order. Rebecka's backstory is intrinsic to who she is, and how you go about understanding her decisions, her choice to work out in this remote, isolated part of Sweden. Anna-Maria is slightly easier to come to grips with, although hers is a story that is slowly evolving and seems to be coming more to the fore. Whilst it could very well be possible to pick this book up as your starting point, personally, I fear you'd be missing out on a quite a bit. Which, if you've not read the three earlier Rebecka Martinsson books, just means you're in for a bit of a treat.
soederbacka's review against another edition
3.0
Ljudbok. Serien med Rebecka Martinsson blir bara bättre och bättre: karaktärerna djupnar och här introduceras även en avliden berättarröst. Det är skickligt hur Larsson lyckas få en advokat inblandad i alla dessa kriminella utryckningar, oftast utan medhjälpare. Det är lite märkligt men uppfriskande hur en icke-polis lyckas hamna i så många farosituationer. Någon gång måste hennes tur ta slut.
fantastiskfiktion's review against another edition
4.0
http://fantastiskfiktion.wordpress.com/2013/02/23/camillla-lackberg-och-asa-larsson/