What a great noir mystery set in the Swedish countryside!

I found this story to be an engaging and thrilling read. As an American, I expected the geography and language barrier in understanding the characters and location of this story to cause me some issues, however, the barriers weren't as large as I assumed, and I enjoyed every chapter.  The characters were so well written that you believed what they believed, and so real in their portrayal that you felt what they felt.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes character-driven mysteries in the noir fashion.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Hogarth for providing me with an advance e-galley of this book in exchange for an honest review. Look for it in your local and online bookstores and libraries on February 27, 2024.

Under the Storm is a complex novel that covers a time period of over twelve years. There are three different timelines showing how the death of a young woman affects her small Swedish hometown. Specifically. Lovisa's death permanently changes the lives of Vidar, one of the police officers who helped investigate the crime, and Isak, the nephew of the prime suspect in Lovisa's death. Of course the life of the suspect, Edvard, is also changed, but the story goes further than that. The characterization is detailed and well done, even when the characters are hard to like at times. The book also has an overwhelming atmosphere of sadness surrounding almost all of the characters.

The book was translated into English from Swedish and sometimes the results are poetic and sometimes it's confusing. The first part of the book is very intriguing but the middle of the book is slow. There is so much going on in the story, including a hurricane, so some of the information that slows the pace of the book is unnecessary, especially details about Vidar and Isak's encounters with the women in their lives. I enjoyed the twists and turns the case takes and like that things are resolved at the end. However, after all of the lengthy descriptions of events throughout the book, I was disappointed that things regarding the main characters were left somewhat vague. The author is a leading criminologist in Sweden, so this is an interesting crime novel that included much more than a typical procedural, but didn't always keep me fully engaged. I'm glad I read this book, which I would rate 3.5 stars, but I liked the author's Blaze Me a Sun more.

I received an advance copy of this ebook at no cost from NetGalley, Hogarth Books, and Random House, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

Complex and tragic Swedish whodunit🔥

I love the way the author inserts real events into this story of a tragic fiery death and the aftermath in a small village in southern Sweden. The victim, the prime suspect and his whole family, including the nephew who adores him, even a policeman drawn into the case initially because he lives in the vicinity, are devastated. And the mystery of whether the right person was convicted continues for years even though the local villagers are mostly happy to point the finger early and never waver in their certainty.

For me, this was a sad story, tragic because a father's violent character leads the community to paint his son Edvard and grandson Isak with the same brush. It's no wonder that young Isak acts out and believes what others say despite his formerly close and loving relationship with his uncle Edvard.

I had plenty of surprises, not least of which was the arson case's effect on Vidar the policeman who takes another look at the investigation that jeopardizes his career. And the plot kept me guessing and perplexed right until the end.

Definitely recommended.

Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy; this is my voluntary and honest opinion. My review will be shared on Amazon, kobo and Barnes & Noble sites.

This is a mystery set in Sweden. It starts and finishes strong but seemed to drag a little in the middle. I read this author's previous books which is much better and I'll probably read what he writes next.

Wonderful story, great character development, great writing! Highly recommend this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it

I was frankly disappointed by Under the Storm. Given its international success I expected a thriller that was more, well, thrilling. Instead, I found it slow going with few thrills and characters who were only modestly interesting. Perhaps it's just me -- I like chase scenes -- but this didn't quite work for me.

2.5 to 3 Stars. Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for this compelling, character-driven Swedish crime story. The plot is moody, brooding and slow-moving. It has 403 pages, and with 90 chapters, it felt even longer to me. The opening was gripping, but the momentum slowed, and I struggled until its conclusion. It focuses on the psychological insights and beliefs of the two main characters, and that part is brilliantly written. Secondary characters, including a perpetrator, are mentioned but barely developed. There is a prevalent melancholy and hopelessness, and I thought the story lacked urgency.

The setting is a small town, Marback, in Sweden, and it studies small-town dynamics. The cold winter climate, the hot summers, and a devastating hurricane are vividly described, giving it an atmospheric sense of place.

In 1994, a farmhouse burned. The body of a well-liked, popular young woman, Lovisa, is found in the ruins. Forensic reveals that she had been murdered and that the fire was deliberately set to cover up the crime.

Vidor Jorgensson, a rookie policeman, finds Lovisa's boyfriend, Edvard Christensson, injured near the scene of the fire. Edvard had some history of violence but was an attentive and loving uncle to his eight-year-old nephew, Isak Nyquist. Isak adored his uncle and thrived on his attention. Vidor charges Edvard with the crime, and the court sentences him to prison for life. Isak is heartbroken and lonely, but his feelings soon turn to anger. He is convinced that his uncle must be guilty of murder, or he would not be in prison. Isak believes he must have an inborn dark and violent streak that is found in male members of his family, such as his uncle and grandfather. When he is taunted or bullied, he reacts angrily and finds he enjoys fighting and hurting people. Vidor is proud of solving the crime. When Isak is caught stealing, Vidor advises him against theft and violent behaviour and suggests counselling.

The story now shifts to 2004, when Isak is seventeen. A strong, destructive hurricane is approaching. Vidor and Isak have begun to have doubts about Edvard's guilt. Vidor has become obsessed with finding someone else who may have killed Lovisa. He has been cautioned by legal and police authorities to stop his investigation, as the crime has already been solved. He has discovered clues that point toward two notorious burglars who may have committed murder in carrying out their crimes. He is disappointed when he finds proof that they are innocent of killing Lovisa and quits the police force. During a torrential hurricane, Isak falls down a well in the dark and fears he may die. His mind reviews his happy childhood with Edvard and how his life has been on a destructive downward path since his uncle's arrest. The townspeople believe him to be bad, and he fulfills their opinion of him. He is rescued. Will he change and lead a better, more law-abiding life?

Vidor, no longer a policeman, is still obsessed with whether he was correct in arresting Edvard or whether he is serving a lengthy prison sentence due to a rush to judgment. Now a private citizen, Vidor continues to search for the truth.

This multi-faceted study of a crime has affected both Isak's and Vidor's behaviour and beliefs. A feeling of despair prevails and has negatively damaged their romances, marriages, families, friendships and work ethics. Some explicit and uncomfortable sex scenes add little to the story. Is Edvard freed from his long imprisonment? It is only in 2017 that the truth of what happened to Lovisa is revealed, and her murder is finally solved. I failed to feel much intensity or suspense.

Recommended for readers who enjoy Nordic-Noir, stories of possibly wrongful imprisonment, and police procedurals. The expected publication is February 27th

Under the Storm by Christoffer Carlsson

Kymig...at the beginning of the story we learn what the word means. That word, that feeling, the unpleasantness of a place, thing, or person, makes its presence known throughout this story. That word haunts the story, the people, the place, and keeps anyone affected by it from breaking free of its unbearable weight.

In 1994, Edvard Christensson and Lovisa were in love. When Lovisa is murdered, Edvard is convicted of her murder. Of course he was, there was always something "off" about Edvard, just like there was something "off" about his father.

Isak Nyqvist, Edvard's nephew, is eight when Lovisa is killed. Isak felt closer to Edvard than he ever felt to his own father. Edvard spent time with Isak, taught him things, gave him the attention he needed, helped him to feel good about himself and life. Isak feels betrayed by what Edvard has done, it's ruined everything good about life. Worst of all, Isak thinks he has that thing in him too, whatever it is that made his grandfather and Edvard to do bad things.

Vidar Jorgensson is following in his father's footsteps by becoming a policeman. There was never any question about that decision. Now Vidar is just as obsessed and pin point focused on solving this crime of Lovisa's murder as his father used to be obsessed with his files of unsolved crimes. Vidar's the one who discovered Edvard in the undergrowth, after the murder and the fire. But something doesn't seem right about all of this, something seems very off about it. Yes everyone is telling Vidar to leave it alone, to let go of it, but guilt feelings of getting it wrong keep Vidar from moving on.

There are three parts to the story, 1994, nine years later and then twelve years after that. Throughout the story Isak is struggling with the thing inside of him. Whether it is real or not, Isak thinks it's real which makes it real. Vidar's life has good and bad to it. He's married the woman he loves and has a daughter but eventually he's thrown away the only career he ever wanted because his convictions cannot allow him to let this go. An obsession like his can't just be set aside for any reason, only death can stop what is driving him to keep digging.

The story carries such a heavy blanket of foreboding and sadness over it. It seems everyone has been hit by one or more downturns in life, whether it is loss to man or nature. Vidar's friends have mostly moved on from him. Isak's friends have been able to move on from their childhoods. But Vidar and Isak are stuck and they don't seem to be making any good progress forward, out of the mire of their minds and their situations. It doesn't seem like it had to be this way but they are stuck so hard where they are, the hopelessness seems to be a living thing. I enjoyed the story, enjoyed wondering where it was going, and I appreciate that we get answers. I've already downloaded the audiobook that comes after this book because, as much a downer as this story could be, I can't help wanting another look at these people and these places.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Random House, Hogarth, and NetGalley for this ARC.

This was a good murder mystery which grabbed my attention from the first chapter. It is also a coming of age story of a young boy that truly enjoyed his uncle who was accused of the murder and sent to prison which sets in place the future for Isak. Other characters in the story are Edvard’s sister, her husband and how this entire case affected the policeman that investigated the case.

The story kept my attention most of the way through, it fell a bit flat in the middle but picked back up again for a great ending. I would highly recommend if you enjoy police procedurals, it is well written.

This was a good murder mystery which grabbed my attention from the first chapter. It is also a coming-of-age story of a young boy that truly enjoyed his uncle who was accused of the murder and sent to prison which sets in place the future for Isak. Other characters in the story are Edvard’s sister, her husband and how this entire case affected the policeman that investigated the case.

The story kept my attention most of the way through, it fell a bit flat in the middle but picked back up again for a great ending. I would highly recommend if you enjoy police procedurals, it is well written.

Random House Publishing and NetGalley provided this Galley edition for no requirement other than my offer to provide an unbiased review. This one comes in with 4 stars.

Under the Storm by Christoffer Carlsson is a highly recommended Nordic noir procedural with excellent character development. It is translated from the original Swedish by Rachel Willson-Broyles.

In the rural community of Marbäck, Sweden on November, 1994, a farmhouse burns down with a young woman, Lovisa, inside. The autopsy reveals she was murdered before the fire was purposefully set. The investigation focuses on her boyfriend, Edvard Christensson, after officer Vidar Jörgensson finds evidence and Edvard passed out nearby. The overwhelming opinion is that Edvard is a Christensson and violent just like his father. Edvard's nephew, seven-year-old Isak Nyqvist, who loves his uncle, cannot believe he did it, but Edvard is found guilty and sent to prison, so it must be true. This fact leaves Isak feeling like he is cursed by the same bloodlines and doomed to be violent.

Police officer Vidar is initially proud of his role in the case, but later begins to have doubts over Edvard's guilt and secretly begins to investigate the crime again. Meanwhile, Isak feels his life is preordained and that Vidar is always watching him, looking for Isak's guilt in one thing or another.

The novel is broken into three parts. The first part opens in November 1994 into 1995, and follows the original investigation and the beginning of Isak's doubts about himself. The second is 9 years later, in 2004 and follows Vidar's questioning the original investigating as he quietly reexamines the case. This time period leads up to when Hurricane Gudrun slams into Sweden. Isak is just turning eighteen and still believe genetics have doomed him to be violent, like his uncle, like his grandfather. The third is set in 2017, twelve years later, when the truth is finally revealed.

The novel shines in the character development and psychological insight into the characters of Isak and Vidar. Both characters are fully realized. They struggle with relationships and doubts. The case impacts and has consequences in both of their lives. Isak's story is especially heartbreaking.

Under the Storm does take a very measured pace in both the plot and the action. This makes it a slow-moving novel, however this deliberate pace leaves room for the atmospheric descriptions, psychological insights, and the development of the characters to take the forefront as the whole story progresses thoughtfully to a satisfying conclusion. Thanks to Random House for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The review will be published on Barnes & Noble, Edelweiss, X, and Amazon.

Under the Storm is written by Swedish writer Christoffer Carlsson and translated into English. It is a very interesting police procedural type novel that also develops several of the characters over a time span of about 13 years.

Vidar is a young policeman who becomes involved in the investigation of a fire and murder of a young woman in his community. Isak is the eight year old nephew of the man presumed guilty from the start. Isak’s entire life is then shaped by this event as he ponders his own darkness within. Vidar and Isak’s lives intersect in various ways over the next 13 years.

Fans of Tana French will enjoy this captivating, well-written story of crime in a small community. I definitely look forward to reading more from this author.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Random House & Hogarth Books for the opportunity to read this digital ARC.

I took a chance on this one from Netgalley and it was more of a slow burn than I anticipated. I was really intrigued in the beginning but then the timeline jump threw me off. I struggled to get through the second half of this book and I was left feeling let down by the rushed ending.

My first Christoffer Carlsson novel. Slow burn mystery with some great characters. The setting was fantastic and descriptions really great. Took me a little bit to catch the translations but definitely enjoyed the burn.
Thank you NetGalley, Christoffer Carlsson and Random House & Hogarth Books for the opportunity to read and review this book

For a while this was sort of tedious to get through. But in the end, I ended up liking it. It’s not a straightforward whodunit. It kind of takes a meandering approach through the lives of those affected over a time period. It becomes more about the people still living. And after a while, I became invested in them.

I do think it could have been parsed down a bit or sped up or something. But I am glad I stuck with it.

In rural Sweden, a young woman is found dead in a house that has been set on fire to cover the crime. Her boyfriend is charged with and convicted of the crime. As his beloved nephew, Isak, grows up, he fears that he may take after his uncle. The disposition of the case nags at Vidar, one of the investigating officers. Did they charge the right perpetrator? There are some indications that someone else might have committed the crime. His tortured obsession with it over more than a decade leads to some consequential decisions in his life.

Carlsson writes Nordic noir at its best. This is the second of his books that I have read. The first one, Blaze Me a Sun, which I loved, featured Vidar’s father. There is a sense of foreboding throughout the book and Carlsson captures well the vicissitudes, allure and danger of the Swedish climate.

If you are a fan of Nordic noir or would like an introduction to it, I recommend this read. If you are new to this genre, do not expect a fast paced, action packed novel, but rather a slow unfolding of the plot along with developing, well crafted characterizations.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

I enjoyed this dark and gritty murder mystery set in a small village in Sweden, but it was a very slow burn. It followed the case and the people involved in the case for 20+ years, so it was as much character driven as it was plot driven. I liked the writing and the descriptions of the Swedish setting, so I would try another by this author.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review an early copy of this.

PUBLICATION DAY: February 27, 2024

Vidar is a police officer in his hometown, like his father before him. He has strong roots there. When the unimaginable occurs, a horrific murder in his small town in rural Sweden, the community’s collective innocence is lost and Vidar will do whatever he can to help solve the case. But what will he find as he digs into the case? Is it the person whom everyone believes is evil, or someone else?

PROS and CONS:
This one has a good, solid plot, and I liked the advancements in time to show growth (or lack of growth!) in the two main characters (Vidar and Isak.) I especially enjoyed reading about Isak and I felt for his life and the unwanted changes that came when his beloved uncle was arrested for the crime. It is a bit slow in places, but overall I enjoyed it very much!

READ IT?
If you’re into Nordic Noir fiction, this one is a strong contender.

3.5 Stars

Under The Storm
Written By Chrisfoffer Carlesson
Published By Random House Publishing Group
Release Date February 27, 2024

This is a slow burn mystery that contains a lot of affectation about the characters as well as the town that this story is written about. The psychological impact that occurs from what happens to not only one pe arson but the entire town is impressive. The authors writing ability is a very powerful technique that engages the readers and keeps their attention until the ending. The authors use of atmospheric writing also allows the reader to understand the characters and how developed they are. I enjoyed the characters banter and how I was able to feel as though I was right there with them. It is a great mystery that is not predictable at all and my be a struggle sometimes to keep reading as some chapters seem to have fillers that the author throws in to add more to the chapter. With great police procedural, you will see the author has done research to ensure the correct information is added.

A fire quickly burns a farmhouse in the middle of the night and when it is extinguished, a woman’s body is found inside. Her name is Lovisa Markstrom. It is a rookie cop, Vidal Jorgensen that finds her and he also finds the body of her lover, Edvard who is unconscious but still alive. Edvard has a long rap sheet of violence as does his family members. It becomes clear that the police believe Edvard killed his lover and he is arrested for it. Even though Edvard says he is innocent, he is ultimately found guilty of the crime of murder.
There is a member of his family though that still believes that what Edvard says is true and that is his nephew, Isaq. Isaq’s family and friends think that he is delusional. As. Time passes Vidar and Isaq’s lives will intertwine and this keeps Vidar searching for the answers as he feels that something just isn’t right.
Can Vidar prove that Edvard is innocent? Will the two of them be able to find something that will help Edvard case and prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that there was an injustice done when he was found guilty?

You really need to read the ending. It will certainly give you hope in humanity once again.

4 1/2 stars rounded to 5

This Swedish crime novel is a slow burn that encompasses how a single act of murder affects a small town, and in particular a young boy and the police officer involved. The writing is stunning and really gets across what it is like to live in Sweden. The story spans many years as well and follows the two main characters in such a way that you become involved with their lives.

We first meet Isak, when he is quite young. The author does a marvelous job of conveying his confusion and anger when he learns what his uncle is accused of. He was very close to his uncle Edvard, and considered him more like a father than his real father. He doesn’t quite understand how the person he knows could have hurt anyone, let alone the girl that he loves. As he grows he starts to think that maybe he is like his uncle, especially as he tries to control his anger. Isak continues to struggle with his life, and living in a small town that looks down on him for what his uncle did, doesn’t help. 

Vidar is a young police officer just trying to do what is right. Many years after the conviction he becomes obsessed with the case and struggles with contradicting the evidence and his superiors with finding the truth. He sort of befriends Isak, and tries to guide him as he grows, especially when he gets into some trouble. 

The plot of the story encompasses decades from the nineties to 2017 when everything gets resolved. It was interesting to watch both Isak come of age and Vidar’s growth as a character. The writing is well done, and you often feel immersed in what it is like to live in a rural area of Sweden. It is interesting note that small towns are the same no matter where they are geographically. They all have secrets and petty prejudices against their neighbors. The murder is slowly resolved over the course of the novel, but there were a few times that I thought for sure we would not get a final answer. I also really liked how the author worked in some real world events that affected Sweden at the time, such as the Thailand tsunami and the hurricane that devastated the country.

If you are a fan of Scandinavian noir crime fiction, this is a book that you should take a look at. It is a deep and sometimes disturbing look at the psychology of a crime and of small town dynamics. This is the first book by this author that I have read, but it won’t be the last.