After the sudden and tragic death of her parents, Erica Falck returns to her hometown of Fjällbacka to settle their estate.  Her sister and brother-in-law want to sell the house; actually, it’s mainly her brother-in-law wanting to sell off the house, her sister is just kowtowing to his demands.  But she is there, uprooted and back in her childhood home, questioning what she’s going to do with her life, wondering what she has accomplished already at age 35, trying to deal with her grief, trying to change her sister’s mind, and also working to finish writing a biography that is nearing its deadline.

To complicate matters, her best friend from childhood, Alex, whom she has had little contact with over the years, is found dead in a bathtub, her wrists slashed. By all accounts, Alex was not a candidate for suicide.  Successful, full of life, and always sure of herself, Alex’s suicide is quickly discovered to be a murder.  Erica tackles this mystery, wanting to ease Alex’s parents’ suffering, and to do one last thing for her former childhood friend.  Helping her in this endeavor is Patrik Hedström, another friend from childhood, who is now a police detective working the case.

As you can imagine, Erica and Patrik form more than a working relationship.  That little side story is what helps to make The Ice Princess an enjoyable read.  Camilla Läckberg has created two very genuine, very real and down to earth, characters in Erica and Patrik, and they are two characters that are instantly recognizable and enduring.  Their frustrations, neuroses, and their courtship is relatable.  The scene where they are in their separate houses getting dressed for their evening together is one of the best, and most honest, passages to be found in crime fiction, or any fiction.  It’s funny because it’s true.

Now, all that aside, it’s also those passages that seem to derail this crime fiction entry at times.  There is a lot happening, several little subplots, and it feels crowded here and there.  The side stories don’t help to make the central mystery too compelling.  These are minor troubles, though, and maybe a weak complaint on my part, because Läckberg ties everything together nicely, and makes the end result a great little read.  She fills The Ice Princess with wit, suspense, and nice touches of reality.

Crime and mystery fans, be it those interested in small towns with secrets to hide, or those, like me, who have developed an interest in Scandinavian crime literature (thank you Stieg Larsson) should be sure to pick up this book.  I look forward to reading more of Camilla Läckberg’s adventures of Erica and Patrik in Fjällbacka .

4.5 out of 5
John Jason