Askungar

Askungar Unwanted

Fredrika Bergman #1

In the middle of a rainy Swedish summer, a little girl is abducted from a crowded train. Despite hundreds of potential witnesses, no one noticed when the girl was taken. Her mother was left behind at the previous station in what seemed to be a coincidence. The train crew were alerted and kept a watchful eye on the sleeping child. But as the train pulled into Stockholm Central Station, the girl was nowhere to be found. Inspector Alex Recht and his special team of federal investigators, assisted by the investigative analyst Fredrika Bergman, are assigned to what at first appears to be a classic custody row. But when the child is found dead in the far-north of Sweden with the word “unwanted” scribbled on her forehead, the case soon turns into the investigation team’s worst nightmare – the pursuit of a brilliant and ruthless killer.

Unwanted is the first installment in Kristina Ohlsson’s crime series featuring Fredrika Bergman.

Reviews

  • “A fully fledged crime début. /…/ First-time author Kristina Ohlsson skillfully builds up the reader’s unease, and speeds up the pace by letting the perspective oscillate between investigators, murderers and accomplices.”

    Dagens Nyheter, Sweden

  • “Swedish author Kristina Ohlsson's debut novel Unwanted is an impressive piece of crime-writing, which takes the reader into a complex investigation that for a long time fumbles in darkness. Ohlsson, however, doesn't fumble, but grips the readers on the very first page. /…/ The language, the ability to enter into the minds of different characters, and to paint a solid picture of the investigators makes one hope for more books about [Fredrika Bergman] in the future.”

    Moss Avis, Norway

  • “[Fredrika Bergman] is a romantic heroine, whom we readers for one reason or another love.”

    Jyllands-Posten, Denmark

  • “A well-crafted crime novel, with suspense and horror in effective interplay.”

    Aftenposten, Norway

  • “In reading the first chapter of Unwanted you know for sure: this book and author can not go wrong. /…/ Unwanted has everything you expect from a crime novel, an excellent plot, interesting and sympathetic characters and a pleasing style. A very satisfying book that thanks to the many changes of perspective continues to fascinate.”

    ★★★★

    VN Detective & Thriller Guides, Netherlands

  • “This first-time writer has successfully created a frightening story where evil plays the main role.”

    Aftonbladet, Sweden

  • “[Kristina Ohlsson] is a security policy analyst for the National Swedish Police Board, and she uses her inside knowledge to great effect in this compelling debut.”

    Sunday Times, UK

  • “Superbly crafted, and with a set of police detectives who are all too human, it seeps into your subconscious, as only truly good thrillers can do.”

    Daily Mail, UK

  • “In Sweden [Kristina Ohlsson] is already a star of crime fiction, in Germany she soon will be.”

    Hörzu, Germany

  • “An excessively exciting debut!”

    Woman, Austria

  • “Breathless suspense!”

    Laura, Germany

  • “Superior prose, plotting, and characterization… Readers will look forward to spending more time in the company of the intriguing [protagonist Fredrika] Bergman.”

    Publishers Weekly, US

  • “Entertaining and thrilling.”

    Bücher, Germany

  • “Courageous. A solid thriller made in Sweden.”

    Wienerin, Austria

  • “Ohlsson's English-language debut is a tour de force… This is an enthralling page-turner and a perfect read-alike for fans of Jo Nesbo's serial-killer novels, and hopefully it's only the first of many novels to come from this talented new author… expect Ohlsson to join Nesbo on most readers' can't-miss lists.”

    Booklist, US

  • “Kristina Ohlsson's first novel is just perfect… It's very much more than 'just' a thriller.”

    Leser-Welt, Germany

  • “A suspenseful thriller, in which the investigation is constantly shifting direction and is described so realistically that one has the feeling of sitting at the table together with the detectives.”

    Neue Presse, Germany

  • “One of Sweden’s best younger writers … [Ohlsson's] four novels about detective Fredrika Bergman are strongly plotted, low key and well told.”

    Los Angeles Times, US

  • “Ohlsson should be added to reading lists that include other Scandinavian suspense authors, such as Jo Nesbo. However, Ohlsson's work stands apart for its female protagonist who seems to break many stereotypical roles.”

    City Book Review, US

  • “This is a brilliant debut novel for the author and what a page turner!”

    Book Coasters, US

  • “[Unwanted] is a winner … the blend of crime-solving and investigative team friction is deft, the twists of the plot are rapid and intriguing, and the characters are unforgettable. That goes especially for Fredrika Bergman … I'm celebrating finding Kristina Ohlsson's work.”

    Kingdom Books, US

  • “A well-crafted crime novel, with suspense and horror in effective interaction.”

    Aftenposten, Norway

  • “A book full of suspense, with frequent twists which make the reader live in the very middle of this detective story.”

    Revista de povestiri, Romania

  • “Wow, Ohlsson sure knows what suspense means!”

    Grazia, Germany

  • “With her first book Kristina Ohlsson positioned herself among the elite of Swedish crime fiction – and that's saying a great deal!”

    Laviva, Germany

Author
Photo: Anna-Lena Lundqvist Kristina Ohlsson
Published
2009
Genre
  • Crime
Pages
400
Reading material

Swedish edition

English edition

German edition

French edition

Spanish edition

Rights sold

Arab World, Al Arabi

Denmark, Modtryk

Estonia, Rahva Raamat

Finland, WSOY

France, J’ai lu

Germany, Blanvalet

Hungary, Animus

Iceland, Forlagid

Netherlands, House of Books

Norway, Gyldendal

Sweden, Piratförlaget

UK, Simon & Schuster

US & Canada, Emily Bestler Books

Film rights sold

Sweden, NICE Drama

Sweden, Black Spark Film & TV

More From Kristina Ohlsson

The Bohus Coast Trilogy

The Ghost Detectives

August Strindberg

Children's stand-alone

Martin Benner

The Monster Trilogy

Fredrika Bergman

The Glass Children Trilogy

Stand-alone