This is a twisty, fast paced thriller that you don’t want to miss!
It’s set in Scandinavia and is super atmospheric. It’s about an old murder that shook a town and now, the crime is back in the spotlight

Imagine it... you are only fourteen years old and you are accused of a horrendous crime. As a result your parents turn their back on you, the community considers you a monster, you are sent away to a detention facility for youth. But you cannot remember doing the crime! The authorities don't believe you. They keep saying "We know you remember".

If I take one thing away from this beautifully written crime novel it would be the sense of place. I honestly felt as though I was in Sweden while reading it - such were the immersive descriptions and overall feel.

The characters were convincing in their authenticity. The police woman, Eira Sjödin, is native to the area where the crime took place all those years ago and her local knowledge proves invaluable. She was an interesting woman with a multi-layered personality. She worked in Stockholm until she realized that her mother's dementia had progressed to a point where she shouldn't be living on her own. Now she divides her days between caring for her mother and police work. The age-old dilemma of being torn between private life and work life - and she is being rendered apart. She is extremely lonely, but her home life precludes any after work social life. She is bowed down by the weight of her responsibilities. I've not liked a protagonist this much since Manon Bradshaw of the Susie Steiner novels.
The plot includes present day murders and historic cold cases. The police force are few in number for such a far ranging rural area. The police depend on the assistance of local patrols made up of volunteers to report any unusual circumstances or activities.

Normally Eira works on the beat in Angermanland, but in this book she is seconded to help in the murder investigation by Violent Crimes Detective, Georg Georgsson, aka GG.

The book's slow but steady pace revealed the multi-layered and complex plot much the way you would delicately peel away the layers of an onion.

The ending might not suit all readers as it was quite abrupt and did not address all of the many strings that might signify a 'tight' conclusion. It was however, realistic, and the perfect segue to the second novel in the series "You Will Never Be Found" which I cannot wait to read. Highly recommended to lovers of police procedurals and Nordic noir.

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book! I will be posting my review on social media, to include Instagram, Amazon, Goodreads, and Instagram!

Thanks to NetGalley & Harper for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was fine; it had a nice balance of present-day mystery and long-ago mystery, but it didn't break any new ground with the story. The protagonist, Eira, is OK, but her daily life is soul-crushing, as is often the case with Scandi Noir. Her mother is in the throes of dementia, her father left long ago and has a new life elsewhere, and her older brother is a bit of a lout, thinking Eira is a bossypants who wants to run everyone's life when she just wants help with taking care of their mom.

I believe this is the beginning of a series for Alsterdal, and I'm intrigued to see whether there's improvement. She definitely has talent, and the A mystery & B mystery intertwine well without being obnoxiously complicated (which is not always the case!). I look forward to her next outing.

This book had me on the edge of my seat . I read it in one sitting. It has a great plot , enjoyed the dialogue . I love a police procedural and love when a cold case connects with a current one . Details in this case were weaved well with the character developments .

My Highly Caffeinated Thought: A look at the consequences of actions, the secrets of those around us, and the underbelly of human nature all the while exploring multiple crimes.


In WE KNOW YOU REMEMBER, Alsterdal constructs a carefully plotted and skillfully written suspense novel showing the grittiness of our world. The author doesn’t hold back when dealing with crimes within these pages. She lays it all out there as we, along with police detective Eira Sjödin, head down a path littered with secrets, lies, and unforeseen consequences to actions long ago.

I will admit that at times, some of the scenes were difficult for me to read. The brutality towards women seems to be a device for many authors. However, in the context of this story, there was never a moment when it appeared to be used as a crutch or to exploit a particular situation. There was a purpose in all the scenes in the book to propel the narrative forward as well as to inform the reader about the type of characters we are meeting.

What I really liked about the book is the way detective Eira Sjödin investigates not only the present but the past as well. It heightens the tension and allows the reader to explore the cast of characters.

Even though there are still loose ends at the conclusion of this mystery, I still truly was captivated by the story. It was a perfect setup for book two.

I’m so happy to have another great series of police procedurals to add to my TBR.

I really loved Eira as the protagonist. Although she’s young, there isn’t any plot wasted on her trying to prove herself in her police force. I enjoyed her relationship with her superior GG, and appreciated that her colleagues treated her as an equal. She was clever, but attributed her success as a detective to hard work rather than natural skill. She also had a complicated home life to balance with a busy work schedule. I don’t know anything about the next book in the series at this time, but I’m hoping she’s the protagonist again.

The plot unfolded at a comfortable pace. It helped that we were following multiple cases at once: one in present-day with multiple threads as well as a cold case that Eira decided to look into of her own volition.

There were a lot of characters to follow here, many with Swedish names that I’m still not sure how to pronounce. I’d be interested to get my hands on an audiobook to figure out how the names are meant to sound. I got the hang of the various characters by the end of the book, but certainly had to flip back a little at the beginning to recall who was who.

Overall, this author is certainly one to watch. Fans of Swedish noir and Swedish crime fiction should definitely pick up a copy of We Know You Remember.

WE KNOW YOU REMEMBER A Novel (The High Coast Series, Book 1) by Tove Alsterdal, an international mystery and crime novel, has compelling characters and the author layers the book by utilizing multiple points of view. Hearing from the villains makes the read more interesting. This would make an amazing TV series, if it hasn’t already been optioned. (Reminiscent of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo).

I’m so glad that Swedish author Tove Alsterdahl’s work has been translated to English and released in the US. This book is filled with suspense, twisted plot lines, fabulous characters, and a surprise ending to shock. Can’t wait for the next installment.

𝘚𝘶𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭, 𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘶𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥.

A slow beginning, that I must admit took me some chapters to get into it, but that at the same time it was impossible to put down. With beautiful writing, complex and well developed characters, full of twists and secrets, a bit dark and atmospheric, We Know You Remember is a great debut and I can’t wait to read more from this author.

Thank you Harper Books and Netgalley for this gifted copy.

We Know You Remember by Tove Alsterdal released September 28, 2021.

𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦: 𝘕𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘤 𝘕𝘰𝘪𝘳, 𝘔𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘺, 𝘊𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘦, 𝘚𝘶𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦, 𝘗𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘥𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘴.

https://www.instagram.com/booksandcoffeemx/

In Sweden, Detective Eira Sjödin investigates both a cold and modern case, partnered with rookie August Engelhardt and later with Violent Crimes Detective Georg Georgsson.

She ultimately finds evidence disturbingly close to home. The solutions to both the cold and the modern case are shocking, and quite unexpected. This is an outstanding police procedural.

When Sven Hagström is found dead in his shower, his estranged son Olof – who found the body – is the prime suspect. Olof is infamous in his small hometown – at age 14, he confessed to raping and killing a teenage girl, and he was sent away to a youth home, never spoken of by his family again. Police detective Eira Sjödin was a child at the time and remembers the case well – as the stuff of her childhood nightmares. Now she’s tasked with investigating Sven’s murder, while dealing with a public who is unhappy that the infamous Olof is back in the community and has not been arrested for the murder.

The mystery at the center of the book is not just what happened to Sven – it's about what happened to Lina, the girl Olof admitted to killing all those years ago. The plot has a lot of twists and turns to it that keep you guessing. I feel like it plays a little fast and loose with the abilities of forensic science (DNA? After that long being exposed to the elements?) but pretty much all books and TV shows do that anyway.

The writing style is a bit dry, but that could be down to the translator rather than the author. I sometimes found my mind wandering or realized that I had missed some key detail because it hadn’t been delivered in a way that stuck in my mind. The plot makes up for the style, though, and makes it a pretty compelling read.

CW: rape, child abuse, police coercion, fatphobia

This was a dark, twisty procedural that starts with detective Eira Sjödin investigating the murder of an old man and winds through the decades-old disappearance of a teenage girl and the effects this crime had on her hometown.

I love Nordic crime books, and this one has all of the claustrophobic small town / agoraphobic wide open spaces that make this genre extra creepy.

We Know You Remember is the first book by Swedish author Tove Alsterdal that has been translated for an English-speaking audience, and it had better not be the last!

We Know You Remember
by Tove Alsterdal
Pub Date: Sept. 28, 2021
HaRPER

I was eager to read this and read great reviews on it but it did not download for me.
Downloading and/or reviewing is currently not possible for this title. This could mean the publisher has not yet provided the final content, or the content has been removed.
Pub Date 28 Sep 2021 | Archive Date 23 Nov 2021

I like the way Alsterdal advances this story—in fits and starts, just as actual crimes are solved. The narrative is multilayered, and although one crime is solved, several others are not.
Interrogation methods, ethics, memories, family loyalty, and the difficulty in disappearing are all themes in this engrossing novel. Four stars!

This was a well written, twisty, whodunnit! I enjoyed the writing style, character development and story layering that the author utilized! Would highly recommend it to my fellow murder mystery lovers! It’s an intense read at times, but in the best way! Highly recommend!

Will buzz around platforms and use top Amazon reviewer number!

** spoiler alert ** I liked to read what the authors write when I finish reading the book and I really liked what Tove had to say about the new laws that were made after several of the actual outstanding crimes that had taken place. It's good to hear it from someone who wrote about it. Brings me closer to the actual book. This is a story about a family where the kids in it were a lot of years apart while growing up and a girl disappears, thought to be killed. Tove lets us believe what we want to. She puts several things in the way as it happens. A grownup being murdered as he was taking a bath. The son finding him and boys smoking him out as a rapist. Several things happened, Eira (the main character) finds out her brother (Magnus) was the boyfriend of the murdered girl (Lina Staved) and her mother (Kerstin) was his alibi. Eira was smitten with another policeman (August) and helped him find other evidence which proved that Magnus killed another male in jealousy of Lina. Many more things happen which never get brought up again, but Tove stays with the noir concept. At least thats how she left it. I really liked this book and give it five stars.

We Know You Remember
by Tove Alsterdal
Pub Date: 28 Sep 2021
Good mystery. It can be a little confusing due to the differences in names, places, etc. As it is a Swedish novel. I kept having to go back and see who was whom.
Some nice twists well-executed and it keeps you guessing throughout.
#WeKnowYouRemember
#ToveAlsterdal
#netgalley

Wow, this mystery is impossible to stop reading. This is one of those books that make you a little sad when you complete it, because it means you are done reading it.

1. The mysteries-
Because there are multiple mysteries, are really interesting and will keep the reader guessing.
2. The characters-
oh the characters! I love Eira, a strong female protagonist that is working hard to become an investigator and take care of her mother who suffer early dementia. Eira reads like a real human. She is flawed, but she knows it. She struggles to keep up, and when she can't even finds herself lo0king for her addict brother for help. The pull she feels towards her big brother and his friends, despite the fact they stand for everything against her own occupation, is so real.
3. The themes-
Serious themes here that handled so well!

Can we please see more Alsterdal translated for English-speaking readers?