Tusenskönor

Tusenskönor Silenced

Fredrika Bergman #2

A teenage girl is assaulted and raped on a Midsummer’s Eve. 15 years later, a man is killed in a hit and run. He has no identification on him, he is not reported missing nor wanted by the police. Then, a priest and his wife are found dead in an apparent suicide. Alex Recht’s federal investigation unit is assigned to the seemingly unrelated cases. The investigations lead to a clandestine people-smuggling network: a new player on the international human smuggling market. The police slowly uncover the shocking hypocrisy behind the network, which points them in directions they could never have anticipated. Skillfully crafted and highly suspenseful, Silenced is a gripping thriller, where the demise of one family is mirrored in the general failure of human rights – and where the casualties of one tragedy abuse the victims of another.

Awards

Shortlisted for the Swedish Academy of Crime Writers’ Award (Best Crime Novel of the Year) Sweden 2010
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Reviews

  • “If you like conspiracy theories, corruption and finely-honed crime fiction, it'll be right up your street.”

    Madhouse Family Reviews, UK

  • “There are many twists, turns and seemingly unrelated threads to this book which kept my imagination running at fever pitch throughout./…/ A wonderful, wild roller-coaster of a read which had me totally engrossed and which I have come to expect from Kristina Ohlsson.”

    Today I'm Reading, UK

  • “Often crime series are very much plot based with little development given to the characters and their personal lives but Ohlsson gives her characters personal development in spades. /…/ I really like the way Ohlsson has constructed the investigative team, shaping them and evolving their work relationships…”

    1 Girl 2 Many Books, UK

  • “The skillful way that the seemingly disparate story threads eventually begin to weave together is very effective, and works well. The final revelations lead to a satisfying twisted conclusion.”

    The Eloquent Page, UK

  • “Kristina Ohlsson has turned her gaze in another direction this time, and woven an intrigue that is very different from that in Unwanted. She uses a simple, effective prose and her storytelling is driven.”

    Hallands-Posten, Sweden

  • “[Plot structure] is one of the numerous strengths of Kristina Ohlsson’s storytelling. She is skilled at keeping the reader at the edge of his or her seat, and she doesn’t give more than vague clues about where things are headed, the underlying reasons, and who can be trusted. One doesn’t know how it will end until the very last pages.”

    Kristianstadsbladet, Sweden

  • “Ohlsson has succeeded in creating a mystery that stays unpredictable until the very end. Not least the uncertainty concerning who is who of two sisters is a winning stroke that further delays the revelation of truth. If Ohlsson’s debut was unique in its academic’s perspective of police work and the extreme depictions of violence, it is now above all the subject matter that is innovative. The problematic role of the Church of Sweden in relation to the smuggling and sheltering of refugees sets the scene for interesting conflicts.”

    Smålandsposten, Sweden

  • “Kristina Ohlsson impresses greatly with her second crime novel Silenced, and makes me realize that I must read her debut novel Unwanted as well.”

    Värmlands Folkblad, Sweden

  • “Kristina Ohlsson made her debut last year with Unwanted – an impressively confident and well-written crime novel. Now she follows it up with Silenced and proves that she is one of the most promising crime writers right now. /…/ Kristina Ohlsson is particularly skilled at making her readers enjoy the book (despite the dark content) and above all believe in the characters she creates. She is not a writer that tries to revolutionize the genre and find new tricks. Instead she demonstrates, both in her debut and in the follow-up, that one can still use all that we associate with a classic Swedish police procedural, and do it both well and with a personal touch. As an avid Sjöwall & Wahlöö nostalgic it makes me happy and it makes me look forward to much, much more from Kristina Ohlsson in the future.”

    Skånska Dagbladet, Sweden

  • “The strength of Kristina Ohlsson's crime novels is her ability to maintain a merciless cadence in plots where private issues [of the respective characters] don’t feel like cosmetic imperatives, but rather dynamic and integrated parts of a whole.”

    Jyllands-Posten, Denmark

  • Silenced is a great, driven crime novel about guilt, shame and unworthiness.”

    Moss Avis, Norway

  • “Well-written and with clear and good characters.”

    Haugesunds Avis, Norway

  • “A Chinese box of a procedural that manages to link together not only a varied bunch of felonies and motives, but its detectives’ equally unruly personal lives as well.”

    Kirkus Reviews, US

  • “Kristina Ohlsson is one of those authors that I've added to my growing 'follow' list. /…/ One warning: be prepared to stay up late because when you get towards the end, you will soon find that you've reached the fabled 'point of no return'!”

    Coffee and Chocolate, US

  • “Ohlsson distributes out the tension in a perfect way and she creates a plot that makes the reader realize the solution as late as possible.”

    Olvasóterem, Hungary

  • “Wonderfully written. Kristina spins the plot superbly. It is horrifying to read about the secrets deeply hidden in souls.”

    Gabó olvas, Hungary

  • “The story slowly unfolds, revealing layer upon layer of deception. The interplay between the detectives adds another level of interest to this intriguing puzzle, as do the inner workings of a foreign police department. This Scandinavian procedural, though less grisly than most of the genre, should appeal to international-mystery fans.”

    Booklist, US

  • “Suspense to the very last page!”

    Jolie, Germany

  • “Extremely fascinating… /…/ If you are not already familiar with this Swedish author, you should definitely read the novels in chronological order. Continuous pleasure!”

    Gong, Germany

Author
Photo: Anna-Lena Lundqvist Kristina Ohlsson
Published
2010
Genre
  • Crime
Pages
400
Reading material

Swedish edition

English edition

Rights sold

Arab World, Al Arabi

Denmark, Modtryk

Estonia, Rahva Raamat

Finland, WSOY

France, J’ai lu

Germany, Blanvalet

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 Ghost Detectives

The Bohus Coast Trilogy

August Strindberg

Martin Benner

The Monster Trilogy

Fredrika Bergman

The Glass Children Trilogy

Stand-alone