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Book Review of The Ice Princess (Patrik Hedstrom, Bk 1)

The Ice Princess (Patrik Hedstrom, Bk 1)
emeraldfire avatar reviewed on


After struggling biographer Erica Falck's parents pass away, she returns to her hometown of Fjallbacka, Sweden to attend their funeral. What she finds is a town in crisis; and a community on the brink of inexplicable tragedy. The apparent suicide of her childhood best friend Alexandra is the catalyst.

Erica actually discovers the frozen body of her one-time friend in an ice-cold bath with her wrists slashed. At first glance, it does appear that Alex took her own life - yet Erica is still confused. The friendship between herself and Alex may have drifted apart as they reached adulthood, but surely, Alex would never have become so desperate as to commit suicide, would she?

At the behest of Alex's parents, Erica tentatively agrees to write about her childhood friend. She conceives of writing a book about the beautiful but remote Alex, one which will strive to answer questions about their shared past and lost friendship. As Erica's interest slowly develops into an obsession, her investigation only stirs up even more unanswerable questions...

Meanwhile, local detective Patrick Hedstrom is following his own suspicions about the case. But it's only when Erica and Patrik start working together that the truth begins to emerge about this small town with a deeply disturbing past. And it seems that even after all this time, what is hidden still has the power to cause immeasurable pain and tragedy...to everyone.

I must say that I absolutely loved reading this book. I thought this story was beautifully written and I felt that I got a true taste of Sweden through Ms. Lackberg's writing style. The plot was dramatic, well-developed and it kept me guessing about who were possible suspects right through to the end. In my opinion, Camilla Lackberg is an extraordinary writer and I'm looking forward to reading more from this author sometime very soon. I would give this book an A+!