The Ice Beneath Her (Flickorna och mörkret, #1) in Nordic Book Club

Oct 12, 2016 Abby • Crime by the Book rated it it was amazing

This. Book. Is. Amazing!!!!

Scandinavian crime fiction at its best. Vivid atmosphere, rich character development, and whip-smart plotting. I absolutely loved this book and simply could NOT put it down.

This story alternates between 3 narrators, and I loved the way Camilla Grebe draws you slowly but surely toward the heart of the story through the unique perspective of the 3 narrators. This is much more character-driven, less procedural-heavy than other Scandinavian authors, and Grebe has clearly ...more

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Feb 28, 2019 Dimitris Passas (TapTheLine) rated it liked it

''The Ice Beneath Her'' is the first novel of Camilla Grebe that I've read and though not disappointing in broad terms, it certainly lacks in freshness and innovation as far as the plot is concerned. The story is narrated through three different viewpoints, that correspond to the leading characters of the novel, that is Peter, Hanne, and the mysterious Emma.

To read my review, visit https://tapthelinemag.com/post/the-ic... ...more

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Jan 23, 2017 Kristin (Always With a Book) rated it really liked it

Shelves: audible-credit-purchase, arc, e-book, review-book, read-in-2021, series-book, audio-book, reread, netgalley-request, on-ipad

Read in 2021
I read this back in 2017 on the recommendation of Abby at @crimebythebook and really enjoyed it. I was thrilled when it was selected as a buddy read for a NordicNoir pick by @readbydusk. I love the discussions we have with our group and so it was a no-brainer for me to pick this one up again. Plus I have found that while I don’t reread books often, when I do, I always pick up something new and that was definitely the case again here.

Reading this one again was just as good, and being Read in 2021
I read this back in 2017 on the recommendation of Abby at @crimebythebook and really enjoyed it. I was thrilled when it was selected as a buddy read for a NordicNoir pick by @readbydusk. I love the discussions we have with our group and so it was a no-brainer for me to pick this one up again. Plus I have found that while I don’t reread books often, when I do, I always pick up something new and that was definitely the case again here.

Reading this one again was just as good, and being that it had been a few years, I found I had forgotten the intricate details of the book. One of the strengths of this book is the character development. I loved being inside these characters’ heads and having the story told from multiple points of view really adds not only to the depth of each character, but also to the overall suspense of the story. I also loved that these characters are so flawed as it makes them that much more relatable.

I loved the slower pace of this book and even though it is a police procedural, I did feel it was a bit more character-driven, not that I minded. I liked the way everything unraveled in its own time. And because I am once again attached to these characters, I want to continue with this series as Camilla has written a few more books since first read this book. I’ve already read book 2, After She’s Gone, but I will definitely reread that one and then I need to get my hands on the third book somehow as it hasn’t been published here in the states yet. And hopefully by the time I get around to reading those two, book 4 will have been translated to English!

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Read in 2017
I feel like I have been very fortunate with all the thrillers I have been picking up lately – and this one was no exception!!! Once again, Abby from Crime by the Book alerted me to this one and as soon as I heard about it, I couldn’t wait to pick it up!

Having this book told from three perspectives is what, in my opinion, really makes this book stand out. Two of the perspectives – that of Peter, the police office, and Hanne, a profiler who sometimes consults with the police – are told in the present; while Emma’s is told starting three months prior to the murder. This is such a clever way to tell this story and just hooked me right from the start – once I got used to the time change.

I also loved being able to get inside the different characters heads – I’m always a big fan of that – but in this case, it just seemed to add more to the story. It added more depth to each of the characters and it added more suspense. You know a woman was murdered, but it’s not clear who and you are left wondering just who she is and what her relationship is to the narrators. Are they as reliable as you hope and want them to be?

This book is gripping and captivating, pulling you in and taking you for quite a ride. The characters are all deeply flawed, with their own struggles and burdens; there’s questions that come up with each twist and you want so desperately to know what is going on. The plot is complex and the mystery will keep you guessing until the end.

This is Camilla Grebe’s first solo debut – prior to this, she’s written books with her sister, Asa Traff. I don’t know if this is book is intended to be a stand-alone or the start of a series, but either way, it’s a great start to a solo writing career and I for one will certainly be eager to see what comes next from her!

Audio thoughts: I really enjoyed this audio book production and thought it was really well done! Having three narrators was just perfect for this book and each one did a fantastic job with their sections. Each one brought their own unique voice to their section and their pacing and tones were spot on.

My reviews can also be found on my blog: Always With A Book ...more

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