Daily Archives: May 4, 2011

  by Camilla Lackberg

Princess

 

Story:  A writer returns to her hometown on the Swedish coast and stumbles into murder and romance.


Good Stuff

  • Lackberg writes sharp characters, most of whom seem real, flawed, and quirky.
  • The little burg of Fjallbacka, which bustles with busybodies and buried secrets, is a fun setting for a mystery.
  • The identity of the killer surprised me.
  • Princess has a believable plot and denouement – not bad for a first-time novelist.

 

Bad Stuff

    • Yet another crime novel in which a key plot point is childhood sex abuse.  Whatever happened to the good old days, when routine peccadilloes like blackmail and ruined reputations were essential ingredients?  I guess they were usurped by the serial-killer novel, which has now given way to omnipresent child molesters.
    • There is an abundance of continuity slips and groan-inducing clichés.  From page 90: “It was so quiet in the room that you could have heard a pin drop.”  Did Lackberg actually write that, or was it the English translator’s contribution?
    • Stupid Cop Syndrome, in which the amateur heroine makes crucial discoveries that the cops, inexplicably, overlook.  Sure, it’s possible, but no, it’s not plausible.

 

Report Card:  B

 

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