Editorial Content for The Deathwatch Beetle
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Reviewer (text)
Award-winning Swedish author Kjell Eriksson joins the wave of writers living under the literary umbrella of Nordic noir. His latest novel, THE DEATHWATCH BEETLE, is the ninth installment in his popular mystery series featuring Ann Lindell.
At the book’s dark center is the disappearance of a young woman that took place four years earlier. Cecilia Karlsson vanished from the island of Gräsö off the Swedish coast and has not been seen or heard from since. That is, until rumors begin about alleged sightings of her. None of this is lost on Ann, who cannot bear to have a cold case hanging over her head, even though she is no longer a member of the police department.
"THE DEATHWATCH BEETLE is a dark novel, and Cecilia is not an easy character to like. It is the integrity of Ann Lindell that drives the book as she is a believer in justice and neat, happy endings."
Despite being a big fan of nature shows, I confess that I wasn’t familiar with the deathwatch beetle, which we learn is a species of woodboring beetle. Eriksson uses the deathwatch beetle as a metaphor throughout the story, making it a perfect title for the novel.
With this in mind, a young lady leaves her cabin and walks down to a nearby body of water. As she peers out over the islands that surround her, we find out that she is indeed Cecilia. The product of her rough upbringing, she is thinking that with the death of an individual named Olga, she would have no further obstacles. What this means will become clear as we read more about the very much alive Cecilia.
Ann returns from her retirement from the police force to continue her search for Cecilia. She examines the people in her life who were closest to her, beginning with her parents, who still seem devastated by her absence. Yet they live in a house that is full of secrets waiting to be discovered. Then there is Nils Lindberg, who has carried a torch for Cecilia since high school. Now, the often-intoxicated Nils still pines for her, and he keeps to himself what he witnessed just prior to her disappearance.
Ann and her lover, Edvard, are invested in getting to the bottom of the mystery that is Cecilia. We learn that she uses people as if they are mere chess pieces in a game she is playing with herself. This all could come to an end when someone she may have wronged appears to take revenge on her.
THE DEATHWATCH BEETLE is a dark novel, and Cecilia is not an easy character to like. It is the integrity of Ann Lindell that drives the book as she is a believer in justice and neat, happy endings.
Teaser
Four years have passed since Cecilia Karlsson disappeared from the island of Gräsö in Roslagen. When Ann Lindell receives a tip that she has been seen alive, she cannot help getting involved, even though she is no longer with the police. The black sheep of the island, Nils Lindberg, has never forgotten Cecilia Karlsson, with whom he was in love as a teenager. He may not be completely sober all the time, but he has no doubt of what he saw out on the bay just before Cecilia disappeared. While Ann struggles to put the jigsaw puzzle together, she is trying to establish herself in her new life together with her lover, Edvard. At the same time, someone is hiding in a cottage in a remote part of the island. Someone who is looking for revenge.
Promo
Four years have passed since Cecilia Karlsson disappeared from the island of Gräsö in Roslagen. When Ann Lindell receives a tip that she has been seen alive, she cannot help getting involved, even though she is no longer with the police. The black sheep of the island, Nils Lindberg, has never forgotten Cecilia Karlsson, with whom he was in love as a teenager. He may not be completely sober all the time, but he has no doubt of what he saw out on the bay just before Cecilia disappeared. While Ann struggles to put the jigsaw puzzle together, she is trying to establish herself in her new life together with her lover, Edvard. At the same time, someone is hiding in a cottage in a remote part of the island. Someone who is looking for revenge.
About the Book
Kjell Eriksson's next Ann Lindell book, THE DEATHWATCH BEETLE is an atmospheric thriller and a tender depiction of the countryside and the people of Roslagen.
Four years have passed since Cecilia Karlsson disappeared from the island of Gräsö in Roslagen. When Ann Lindell receives a tip that she has been seen alive she cannot help getting involved, even though she is no longer with the police.
The black sheep of the island, Nils Lindberg, has never forgotten Cecilia Karlsson, with whom he was in love as a teenager. And he carries a secret. He may not be completely sober all the time, but he has no doubt of what he saw out on the bay just before Cecilia disappeared. Cecilia's parents are desperate, not knowing what happened to their daughter. Yet their silent house contains many things that have been left unsaid.
While Ann struggles to put the jigsaw puzzle together, she is trying to establish herself in her new life together with her lover Edvard who, like herself, is marked by life. At the same time, someone is hiding in a cottage in a remote part of the island. Someone who is looking for revenge.
