Reviews

• “Lina Bengtsdotter varies her theme extremely skillfully and adds another piece of the puzzle to the big picture of what you’ve tried to forget about your past. /…/ As usual, it is Lina Bengtsdotter’s way of building a condensed atmosphere that is decisive. To travel to Silverbro with Vega is to end up in another world, uncannily similar to the real one but with more dangerous creatures. And it is not only the others who are dangerous, you can also see yourself in the mirror and get a shock.”

• “In the midst of all the misery, there is a love for the small town, a community where you stick together despite all the trouble. /…/ The plot grows bit by bit and after just a few chapters it’s a page-turner.”

• “Lina Bengtsdotter has constructed a thrilling story with guilt, shame and jealousy as salient ingredients. In short, it’s a page-turner that you will have a hard time putting down.”

• “Bengtsdotter’s strength lies in the portrayal of the poor working-class society where alcohol and drugs flow, violence is always present, and everyone is broken in their own way. Where the possibilities for the youth are few and dreams die even before they have time to fly. [Bengtsdotter] is talented at creating moods and not least a harsh teenage reality – it’s really convincing. “Play With Fire” is one of the best Swedish psychological thrillers this year so far.”

• “Lina Bengtsdotter skilfully constructs an intriguing plot that leads to an ending with many unexpected twists and secrets unveiled. It deals a lot with guilt and jealousy, as well as with creating relationships and emotional bonds between the characters. The characters are depicted very vividly, as are the milieus. /…/ A truly well-written novel that is hard to put down.”

• “Many thrillers use parallel stories and flashbacks. Few do it as well as Lina Bengtsdotter. Sober and gripping.”