Following the Inspector Irene Huss canon has been a welcome labor of love for those in the United States who have discovered and enjoyed the series. The books have been published somewhat out of chronological order and some years after their initial appearance abroad. This has occurred through no fault of Soho Press, which has brought Helene Tursten’s work to these shores, or of Marlaine Delargy, who does yeoman’s work in translating them. Thus THE TREACHEROUS NET, the latest Irene Huss novel to be published in the US, first saw the light of day in 2008. The relatively short gap between then and now does not tarnish the shine of this work one bit, whether or not one is familiar with the prior installments.

"The Huss books combine solid police procedural elements with echoes of a traditional mystery that have great appeal to readers of both genres."

THE TREACHEROUS NET is actually two stories, and very loosely joined at that. The primary plot kicks off with the discoveries of the bodies of two teenage girls in the area surrounding Göteborg, Sweden. One is found in the woods and the other near water. There is an important clue that links the murders, as well as an indication that the killer may just be getting started. Huss and her team are racing against the clock practically from the onset. The question arises as to how the murderer is selecting his victims, given that the young women had no apparent connection to each other. Huss and her team follow a number of clues to little or no effect before coming across a thin lead that they pursue before embarking on a very dangerous plan to apprehend him, even as they have no idea who he is or what he looks like.

Meanwhile, Huss must also deal with the manipulating machinations of Efva Thylqvist, the Violent Crimes Unit supervisor, as well as the sudden illness of a loved one. Those familiar with the series know and appreciate how Tursten has advanced the personal lives of the primary and supporting characters. She does so to great effect here, the results of which undoubtedly ripple into future books in the series.

You’re probably wondering about that second story. Tursten brings back Superintendent Sven Andersson, who, as a prelude to retirement, has been working in the Göteborg Police Cold Case unit. His involvement occurs when some workmen demolishing a building discover a body concealed in a chimney block. The victim appears to have died as a result of a gunshot wound. The soon-to-retire Andersson gets dragged into the case by the conniving Thylqvist, but is soon intrigued on his own. His research indicates that the victim had been reported missing since 1983, and that the victim’s father was murdered by a gunshot wound from an unknown assailant in the 1940s. Andersson also discovers that father and son were both killed with the same weapon. Given Sweden’s statute of limitations regarding homicides --- and his own retirement --- Andersson has just a relatively short period of time to solve a perplexing murder that occurred some 25 years ago. It’s a long shot, but bet on Andersson.

The Huss books combine solid police procedural elements with echoes of a traditional mystery that have great appeal to readers of both genres. Kudos to all involved in bringing THE TREACHEROUS NET to these shores, including the author, her translator and her publisher.