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The Hidden Child (Fjällbacka #5)

3.87 of 5 stars 3.87 · rating details · 2,232 ratings · 226 reviews

Worldwide bestseller Camilla Läckberg weaves together another brilliant contemporary psychological thriller with the chilling struggle of a young woman facing the darkest chapter of Europe's past!

Crime writer Erica Falck is shocked to discover a Nazi medal among her late mother's possessions. Haunted by a childhood of neglect, she resolves to dig deep into her family's pas...more

Paperback, 506 pages

Published June 20th 2011 by Harper (first published 2007)

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Apr 12, 2013 Ingrid Verschelling rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011

Oorlogskind is het vijfde boek over politieagent Patrik Hedström en Erika Falck. Erica heeft in de spullen van haar overleden moeder een paar dagboeken gevonden, een oud bebloed babyrompertje, maar ook een oude nazi- medaille. Dat intrigeert haar zo, dat zij op onderzoek uitgaat, alhoewel ze eigenlijk verder zou moeten schrijven aan haar boek. Maar ze kan aan niets anders meer denken. Patrik heeft ouderschapsverlof opgenomen en zorgt voor Maja. Ze neemt contact op met een gepensioneerde geschied...more

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Feb 06, 2013 Cameling rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: crime, murder-mystery

What do entries in a diary, a Nazi Iron Cross medal, and a retired history professor found murdered in his chair by teens who broke into his house have in common? Secrets. A dreadful secret held by a scared young man who escaped into Sweden, fleeing the Germans. Secret payments to a man by the murdered victim. A horrific secret held by a group of young friends in the 1940s. Someone is out to protect those secrets at all costs.

Patrik Hedstrom has to only participate in this murder investigation...more

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Oct 07, 2012 Alex M. rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle, mystery

I'm not really sure why I'm still reading these, but I guess they're predictably enjoyable? I'm always really into the mysteries, and you pretty much know it's going to unfold really slowly.

Still, they are uncomfortably sexist sometimes, even though Lackberg seems to be making an effort to sort of drag that discussion into her story. But, like, Patrik will do things like go on an accidental two-hour errand run, while leaving the baby with Erica even though she's now working and he's on paternity...more

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May 21, 2012 Jillwilson rated it 3 of 5 stars

Countries like Sweden have to deal with elements of World War 11 that don’t pertain to a place like Australia. The Hidden Child is about a set of secrets protected by people who were teenagers during that period. It’s always interesting to wonder about how you would react in a time of moral crisis – not sure how I would stack up.

Some neo-Nazis exist in this narrative along with a man who tracks down war criminals from that era. Part of the book explores this work. What is the point of tracking d...more

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Mar 06, 2012 Doreen added it

This sequel to "The Gallows Bird" combines family life and criminal investigation. In a trunk hidden in the attic, Erica discovers her mother's wartime diaries and a Nazi war medal. She then sets out to learn more about Elsy, the mother who never showed any love or affection towards her children.

Coincidentally, a World War II historian and childhood friend of Elsy's is killed. Despite being on paternity leave, Patrik assists in the case; as expected, Erica and Patrik's searches intersect and le...more

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Feb 18, 2012 Mysterytribune rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: scandinavian-crime

Camilla Läckberg is a Swedish crime novelist and equivalent of James Patterson (in sales volume) in Scandinavia. A common theme in Läckberg’s oeuvre is that all are traditionally set in or around her birthplace, the small Swedish west coast town of Fjällbacka (Fjällbacka means ‘mountain hill’ because the village is situated near the huge stone cliff). Having all her novels as # 1 bestsellers in Sweden and being translated into 33 languages, Camilla is currently the most profitable native author...more Camilla Läckberg is a Swedish crime novelist and equivalent of James Patterson (in sales volume) in Scandinavia. A common theme in Läckberg’s oeuvre is that all are traditionally set in or around her birthplace, the small Swedish west coast town of Fjällbacka (Fjällbacka means ‘mountain hill’ because the village is situated near the huge stone cliff). Having all her novels as # 1 bestsellers in Sweden and being translated into 33 languages, Camilla is currently the most profitable native author in Swedish history, beating even Stieg Larsson.

In Hidden Child, crime writer Erica Falck is shocked to discover a Nazi medal among her late mother’s possessions. Haunted by a childhood of neglect, she resolves to dig deep into her family’s past and finally uncover the reasons why. Her enquiries lead her to the home of a retired history teacher. He was among her mother’s circle of friends during the Second World War but her questions are met with bizarre and evasive answers. Two days later he is murdered in a violent manner. Detective Patrik Hedstrom, Erica’s husband, is on paternity leave but soon becomes embroiled in the murder investigation. Reluctantly Erica must read her mother’s wartime diaries. But within the pages is a painful revelation about Erica’s past.

I found this book a very absorbing thriller. Compared to other contemporary authors from Sweden like Mankell, Camilla is not that strong in character development. However she has a great talent in shaping an appealing plot and is a good story-teller. She mixes her story with some of the current social challenges in Scandinavia and describes the mentality of today’s neo-Nazis in these countries pretty well (Note: I know a little about the country having lived there for a while).

The back and forth between the present time and the second world war period seems confusing at times but I understood it was a necessity as historical mysteries are an important part of the book. Overall I think this books deserves some good credit (more at http://www.mysterytribune.com or @mysterytribune)(less)

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Sep 14, 2012 Alex rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: the-cold-and-bloody-north, crime

The Hidden Child is easily the strongest entry in Läckberg's canon to date, and this is largely attributable to the fact that in this novel she has a masterful handle on just about all of her characters. Erica is not sidelined for the first time since The Ice Princess, and Mellberg, now that we've accepted that he doesn't do any actual work, is clearly being groomed into a lovably reformed "middle aged" man in his sixties. First you throw him a dog, and the rest will follow.

The crime here is fa...more

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Jul 10, 2012 Jane rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: passed-on

Camilla Läckberg’s last book, The Gallows Bird, the fourth of series of crime novels, set in and around in the small town of Fjällbacka on the Swedish Coast, ended with a cliffhanger. Going through her late mother’s effects, Erica Falk found a Nazi medal, a bloodstained shirt and some old notebooks, diaries from the war years.

That made me exceedingly curious, and I had high hopes for the next book in the series: The Hidden Child.

It begins with Erika going back to work, retiring to her study to r...more Camilla Läckberg’s last book, The Gallows Bird, the fourth of series of crime novels, set in and around in the small town of Fjällbacka on the Swedish Coast, ended with a cliffhanger. Going through her late mother’s effects, Erica Falk found a Nazi medal, a bloodstained shirt and some old notebooks, diaries from the war years.

That made me exceedingly curious, and I had high hopes for the next book in the series: The Hidden Child.

It begins with Erika going back to work, retiring to her study to research and write a new “true crime” book. Her husband, police detective Patrik Hedström, was beginning a period of paternity leave and the couple had agreed that it was his turn to run the house and be the full-time, hands-on parent. Needless to say, things did not run smoothly. Patrick had underestimated the demands of looking after a one-year-old, and he missed his work and his colleagues. Erika wasn’t overly concerned that Patrik’s ex-wife. another newish parent was back in town, but she was less happy that her daughter was being babysat in the police station while Patrik gave a helping hand to a murder enquiry.

And Erika found it strange, sitting upstairs, trying to work while her husband and daughter were downstairs. She couldn’t concentrate on her work, and so she began to read her mother’s diaries. She met her mother as a sociable young woman, so different from the cold, distant mother of her memory.

The history reported in Erika’s mother’s diaries and the murder that Patrik’s colleagues were investigating were linked. Erika saw that straight away and she began to investigate, seeking out her mother’s old friends, and digging for more details in the local library.

It was fascinating, seeing the young people of the diaries in old age. Much had changed, and much had stayed the same. Much was said about the effects of the war in Sweden, and the political consequences that still resonated. And there were human stories too, stories of friends, stories of families. All are well handled, and there are some wonderfully touching moments.

The plot was strong, and a little less guessable, than many of Camilla Läckberg’s mysteries. And she’s as good as ever at bringing out just the right details of domestic life, opening out the stories of Fjällbacka’s detectives, making all of her characters and their lives seem utterly real.

Camilla Läckberg writes very human mysteries. And though this book could easily be read as a stand-alone, there is much to be gained from reading her books in the right order. There’s a nice variation to the mysteries, consistency and evolution in the ongoing storylines, and after reading five I can’t pick one standout or one dud.

But I do have to say that, with this book, the story took some time to get going, and though I like the plain straightforward style, one or two things bothered me that hadn’t before. There’s a little too much exposition through dialogue, and one or two scenes were a little laboured. But as soon as the plot began to move I forgot my concerns and I was happily engrossed; and now I’ve seen the synopsis for her next book I realise that those scenes were lining up another story.

I’m hoping for another intriguing mystery, and more interesting developments in the lives of characters I’ve come to like very much.
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Aug 02, 2011 Lind0463 added it · review of another edition

Läckberg gør det jo ganske godt - på et tidspunkt, hvor jeg ellers godt kan blive ret træt af tendensen til serie-skrivning inden for krimigenren, med noget svingende resutater, formår hun alligevel med sikker hånd at trække mig igennem de knap 500 sider med lysten og nysgerrigheden i behold! Bogen starter lige på, og man er hurtigt hvirvlet med i handlingen - det kan godt være lidt forvirrende, da Läckberg skifter mellem flere forskellige personer og handlinger uden at skifte kapitel - men man...more

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Oct 08, 2012 Maria João Fernandes rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own

"Os Diários Secretos" é o quinto livro da série sueca de sucesso do Patrik Hedström, da autora Camilla Läckberg. A escritora de romances policiais transporta-nos, mais uma vez, à localidade de Fjällbacka e às suas personagens, a quem já nos afeiçoamos: o casal Erika Falk e Patrik Hedstrom e a sua filha Maja; Bertil Mellberg com a sua personalidade peculiar; Gösta Flygare e sua eterna paixão pelo golfe; Annika Jansson e sua paciência infinita, como secretária de Mellberg; Martin Molin e o seu des...more "Os Diários Secretos" é o quinto livro da série sueca de sucesso do Patrik Hedström, da autora Camilla Läckberg. A escritora de romances policiais transporta-nos, mais uma vez, à localidade de Fjällbacka e às suas personagens, a quem já nos afeiçoamos: o casal Erika Falk e Patrik Hedstrom e a sua filha Maja; Bertil Mellberg com a sua personalidade peculiar; Gösta Flygare e sua eterna paixão pelo golfe; Annika Jansson e sua paciência infinita, como secretária de Mellberg; Martin Molin e o seu desejo de se tornar tão bom como Patrik.

Neste livro, como muitos pais suecos, o detective Patrik Hedstrom decide tirar licença de paternidade para ficar em casa a tomar conta de Maja, que fez um ano. Assim, Erika, que é agora sua mulher, pode voltar ao trabalho e escrever o seu novo livro. Esta nova situação não é fácil para nenhum dos dois e ambos tentam adaptar-se à nova rotina, ao mesmo tempo que tentam resolver um mistério relacionado com Elsy, a mãe de Erika.

Os diários azuis, a medalha Nazi, a camisa de bebé manchada de sangue e o assassínio de um especialista na história da Segunda Guerra Mundial dão origem a esta história, que nos leva a uma viagem pelo passado. Nesta viagem somos confrontados com a Suécia em tempo de guerra e as histórias de amizade, amor e traição vividas por um pequeno grupo de amigos. As ligações por eles criadas não resistiram ao passar do tempo, mas o seu segredo permaneceu nas trevas do silêncio até agora. Passaram-se 60 anos e a verdade virá ao de cima. E, como não podia deixar de ser, Patrik deixa-se envolver e aproveita todas as oportunidades para participar na resolução da investigação.

A narrativa alterna entre os acontecimentos que tiveram lugar entre os anos 1943 e 1945 e a a investigação do presente. Esta obra tem um equilíbrio perfeito. A escrita inteligente da Camilla Läckberg é simples: a autora vai sempre directa ao assunto que tem em mãos, não perde tempo com descrições alongadas e aborrecidas. Estas características aliadas à originalidade e excelente qualidade do enredo tornam muito fácil virar as páginas, umas atrás das outras, fazendo o leitor perder a noção do espaço e do tempo.

As histórias e personagens secundárias são tão intrigantes e envolventes como o fio condutor principal. O que mais me fascinou nesta obra foi a combinação entre o desenvolvimento da investigação e os detalhes da vida familiar e relações entre as personagens. Em "Os Diários Secretos" conhecemos de uma forma mais intima cada uma das personagens que temos vindo acompanhar desde "A Princesa do Gelo".

A homossexualidade, a demência, o alcoolismo, as relações complexas entre pais e filhos, o racismo e a distinção entre o bem e o mal são alguns do temas abordados pela autora.

Apesar de não ser o meu preferido da série do Patrik Hedstrom, apreciei muito a leitura desta obra e a Camilla Läckberg continua a fazer parte dos meus autores preferidos. Fico ansiosa que o próximo livro seja publicado para satisfazer a minha curiosidade relativamente ao desenvolvimento da vida das personagens, que cada vez mais me parecem pessoas reais.

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Jul 22, 2012 Lynn rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery

The Hidden Child is the fifth in Camilla Lackberg's Patrik Hedstrom/Erica Falck series. Hedstrom is a detective in the small town of Fjallbacka. His wife, Ericka Falck, is a writer whose specialty is true crime books. They have a one year old daughter Maja and at the beginning of the book Hedstrom is beginning his paternity leave. Falck has been going through her late mother's possessions and found a Nazi medal. She takes it to a retired historian for him to do some research on it. A few days la...more

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May 27, 2012 Susan rated it 5 of 5 stars

What I find so compelling about Läckberg’s Swedish crime novels is how far they go beyond the crimes and investigations themselves. She involves her readers in family stories about her recurring characters. Such family history plays a key role in “The Hidden Child” with chapters alternating between World War II times and the present.

At first I was mildly put off with the World War II flashbacks and subplots, thinking Läckberg had just jumped onto a popular bandwagon. However, I soon found myself...more

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Jun 26, 2012 Ashley rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: library-book

Review will be up on the blog in the coming weeks: http://ashleysgotbookcitement.blogspo...

My Thoughts: This book wasn't too bad. I really should have started with the first book in this series though. I was very confused as to what was going on and who was who at the beginning of the novel. This is another darn good Swedish mystery.
I loved the mystery aspect to the book. It was only at the last 30 pages that everything started coming together and the killer was finally revealed. I also liked ho...more

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Sep 06, 2012 Sally Rivers rated it 2 of 5 stars

I've read two books by this author and it's only fair to say that she's not for me. However, I don't want to put you off. I've given it a low rating because I have to, to me it was just 'okay', but I knew as I was reading it that many others would think far more of it.

I like my crime fiction, and in all sorts of shapes and sizes, but there were just too many tangents here, too many distractons, and to be blunt, too much character contemplation of the navel.

Everyone has their own tastes. I am qui...more

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Nov 03, 2012 Lyla rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, suspense

I seem to have started the series out of order, but to be honest, it reads as a stand alone as well.

I don't normally read mystery type books (which is what this felt like to me), but I found myself liking this and unable to set it down for too long. This was also an exception since it's loosely based around a topic I'm fascinated by, which is WW2. The references were mild compared to what I had hoped for, but it was still interesting enough. I never thought of Sweden and Norway being in the mix...more

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Apr 25, 2013 kit rated it 4 of 5 stars

There's a lot going on in The Hidden Child. On the one hand, it's a standard enough police procedural, following the investigation into the death of prominent local historian, Erik Frankel. Yet at the same time, there is a significant domestic element, focusing on crime writer Erica Falck and her husband Patrik Hedström, who is a policeman on the force investigating the Frankel case. Erica has been on maternity leave for a year with their daughter Maja, and now it's Patrik's turn to take his fou...more There's a lot going on in The Hidden Child. On the one hand, it's a standard enough police procedural, following the investigation into the death of prominent local historian, Erik Frankel. Yet at the same time, there is a significant domestic element, focusing on crime writer Erica Falck and her husband Patrik Hedström, who is a policeman on the force investigating the Frankel case. Erica has been on maternity leave for a year with their daughter Maja, and now it's Patrik's turn to take his four months of paternity leave while Erica goes back to writing her new book. Patrik, however, is having more trouble that he thought adjusting to life as primary carer, and is desperate to get back to the police station to help out with the case. All of this causes friction between the couple, even as Erica finds herself being drawn into the case. Because that's another significant aspect of this book - Erica's discovery of her mother's wartime diaries, and the way in which that story ties in to the murder investigation in the present day.

All these strands are dealt with really well, alternating between short chapters that focus on Erica's mother and her friends, and the main thrust of the story, which is finding out who killed Erik Frankel, and what it might have to do with a well-known neo-Nazi organisation in Sweden. The domestic storylines are also interesting, and add an additional angle to the whole thing. Erica and Patrik seem realistic as a married couple - neither doe-eyed nor disillusioned, but trying to navigate their way through parenthood and life in general. Erica's sister, Anna, has a small subplot involving a new stepfamily and the difficulties that brings, and although it wasn't really integral to the plot, it fed into an overarching theme of family, responsibility, and the dangers of parents who don't do right by their children. The crime in The Hidden Child is interesting enough, but it is the exploration of these motivations - and the reverberations right up to the present day - that made this really stand out for me. Parental responsibility, and the consequences of parents who don't stand by their children, or fail to provide for them adequately - particularly emotionally - featured heavily here, and in the end the message is clear: the past matters, and makes us who we are.

Läckberg has written a rich and interesting crime novel that makes the effort to delve into the characters' lives, which makes the whole thing a very enjoyable and compelling read. Alongside the more grisly details, a little bit of warmth was injected through various minor characters - Mellberg's burgeoning relationship with the dog, Ernst, for example - and in fleshing out her characters beyond the usual socially inept cop and faceless station buddies, the author made this one of the best crime novels I've read for a while.

Overall rating: 7.5/10

Originally posted here: http://bibliotekit.blogspot.co.uk/201...(less)

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Mar 10, 2013 João Carlos rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A escritora sueca Camilla Lackberg escreve mais um romance policial tendo como protagonistas a escritora Erica Falk e o inspector policial Patrick Hedstrom. Aparentemente nada de novo – continuidade temática na tranquila cidade de Fjallbacka.
No entanto, a escritora Erica Falk após gozar a licença de maternidade, procura respostas para as dúvidas suscitadas pela surpreendente descoberta dos diários da sua mãe, com quem manteve um relacionamento difícil. Um baú cheio de “incertezas” onde se desta...more

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May 11, 2013 Jose rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

El primer libro de esta serie, "La princesa de hielo", ha sido el que más me había gustado de todos los que había leído hasta el momento. Tengo la opinión de que las siguientes novelas son algo más flojas. Por eso me alegra poder decir que con "Las huellas imborrables" Camilla Lackberg consigue volver al nivel de ese primer libro.
En esta ocasión, hay un mayor equilibrio en el peso de los personajes, el alibio cómico que supone el jefe de policía no es tan caricaturesco como en las anteriores no...more

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Jan 21, 2012 Katie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: crime, mystery, 2012, favourites

Hidden Child was a beautifully written and well thought out book. I was both disapointed and happy to discover it is part of a series. Whilst some other books in a series presume prior knowledge and effectively give away everything that happened in the previous books, Hidden Child does not so I cannot wait to have the pleasure of reading the previous books.

The plot was interesting and I really enjoyed how domestic scenes were placed next to Police procedure and macabre murder. Some other books...more

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Aug 16, 2011 Alison Kennedy rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone who loves crime fiction with a twist

Brilliant book. In my recent readings I have become a little irritated with crime novels with what I perceive to be predictable outcomes and thinly veiled twists. However, this novel restored my faith in the abilities of the crime genre to surprise and keep the reader hooked. From the outset I was fascinated by the hints at a long forgotten mystery that needed to be solved because of its relation to a current crime.

I've seen criticisms that suggest the narrative is a bit clumsy (perhaps due to...more

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Oct 06, 2012 Denise rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: suspense

Este es el segundo libro que leo de Camila Läckberg y vuelvo a quedar complacida con esta novela policiaca. Después de comenzar el libro me percaté de que es el quinto de la serie, por lo que quedé más que invitada a leer los previos tres. Sin embargo la cronología “importante” es sólo la vida personal de la protagonista, Erica Falck. Los crímenes son independientes de ésta cronología y el lector puede disfrutar de la historia policiaca sin problema alguno.

Este libro en particular es muy intere...more

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Mar 11, 2012 Rebecca tedder rated it 3 of 5 stars

Having read the previous Lackberg books in this series, I struggled with the first half of this book. A WW2 expert is found dead when a pair of teenagers break into his home sparking a murder mystery and uncovering a number of family secrets for many of the residents of Fjallbacker.

The plot was good, the second half of the story sped by but the first half of the book, I found boring and complicated with too many characters being introduced.

It is not the best book in this series and if there ha...more

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Jan 17, 2012 Heidi Gonzalez rated it 5 of 5 stars

What a fabulous book. I loved the characters and learning about Sweden and Norway's involvement in WWII was really interesting. I was caught up in the mystery from moment one and couldn't figure out what was going on until the very last few pages when everyone else in the book figured it all out.

Unraveling the past from a few clippings, a bloody child's tshirt and an SS Nazi medal Erica and her husband Patrik find themselves caught up in a mystery that involves both of their families and secret...more

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Nov 01, 2011 Marsha rated it 5 of 5 stars

If you haven't discovered Swedish crime sensation Camilla Lackberg yet, you are in for a treat. Her first three books, in order are:

The Stonecutter
The Preacher
Gallow's Bird

Had I known, I would have begun with the trilogy in order, but the first book I happened upon was Gallow's Bird, then I found The Ice Princess, her fourth. Both have recurring characters and it doesn't really matter what order you read them in as the crimes/mysteries stand on their own. The crimes are intriguing and original a...more

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Aug 22, 2011 Karensi rated it 2 of 5 stars

I was very much looking forward to this book but in the end completely disappointed by it. I don't know if it was the translation but I found the language to be extremely irritating. It was far too simple and lacked any complex sentences. A child could have written them. The book itself was written from the point of view of far too many characters who were given too little page space at a time. It meant that they had very little beyond the surface for the first half of the book and blended into...more

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Apr 04, 2013 Alice rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviews

I loved this book because Camilla Lackberg is so good at creating characters. All the main characters are so well drawn that you feel you could actually know them. Paula was very likeable and was my particular favourite, but as this book is one of a series and she is a new character I expect many readers have already become fond of other more established characters. This is the first Camilla Lackberg I have read (read it for my reading group) but I doubt it will be my last.

The story was quite di...more

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Oct 06, 2012 Bruno rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: estante

Neste 5º volume, acompanhamos a Erica na investigação sobre o passado da sua mãe, através dos pertencentes que a Erica tinha encontrado no baú, entre quais a medalha nazi e os diários escritos pela mãe com então 16 anos de idade.

Porque razão a mãe, ao longo dos anos da vivência familiar, não tinha dado um amor maternal à Erica e à sua irmã Anna, mantendo sempre uma frieza e uma distância fisica?! Porque é que a medalha nazi estava guardada no baú e que significado ela tinha? E os diarios, o que...more Neste 5º volume, acompanhamos a Erica na investigação sobre o passado da sua mãe, através dos pertencentes que a Erica tinha encontrado no baú, entre quais a medalha nazi e os diários escritos pela mãe com então 16 anos de idade.

Porque razão a mãe, ao longo dos anos da vivência familiar, não tinha dado um amor maternal à Erica e à sua irmã Anna, mantendo sempre uma frieza e uma distância fisica?! Porque é que a medalha nazi estava guardada no baú e que significado ela tinha? E os diarios, o que eles revelavam acerca da mãe? E o mais intrigante, um historiador especializado da 2ª Guerra Mundial, Erik Frankel, a quem a Erica entregara a medalha nazi a fim de obter informações, foi assassinado pouco tempo depois desse dia.

Gostei da forma como se desenrola a história. Antes de cada capitulo, estamos em 1943, ao lado de uma mãe da Erica muito jovem, e vamos sabendo o que se passou, ao passo que no presente a Erica desvenda as pistas através dos diários e dos homicidios, somando uma mais uma, até descobrir as respostas. E achei interessante, os factos históricos que se passaram entre a Suécia e a Noruega no tempo da 2ª Guerra Mundial.
Contudo, a história não tem muita acção que pode desiludir aos mais aficcionados de thrilles acelerados à hora, porque não só fala de crimes como também fala de relacionamentos e problemas psicologicos das personagens.

Foram estas personagens que me deram uma companhia agradável e um humor garantidos. Ri-me bastante do Patrick em licença de paternidade levando a sua filhinha Maja para os sítios onde não deveria levar, e também do Mellberg em relação ao cão que foi encontrado abandonado à porta da esquadra. Foi bom reencontrar a Anna e o Dan a construirem uma vida em conjunto, com os filhos dela e a filha do Dan, estes problemas são comuns e frequentes nos dias actuais, o divorcio, os padrastos e as madrastas, as rotinas alternadas e os espaços invadidos. Foi curioso ver o estreitamento da amizade entre Patrick e a sua ex-mulher Karin, e o facto de Erica confiar no marido. Até fiquei surpreendido com a Kristina, a mãe de Patrick, que afinal não é o que aparenta de ser. Também gostei muito da nova agente Paula.

Estou desejoso por ler 6ºvolume para reencontrar estas personagens, que venha depressa!

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Sep 17, 2012 Margarethe rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2-weltkrieg, krimi, skandinavien

Ich bin etwas verwirrt, ich glaube wenn das Buch den englischen Titel gehabt hätte, wäre man als Leser schneller gewesen. Soll ich jetzt mal die deutsche Titelgebung loben? Erika Falck, die Schriftstellerin, hat nach dem Babyjahr mit ihrem Mann vereinbart, dass er die Windeln wechselt und sich um das gemeinsame Kind kümmert, klappt das?

Nach dem Mord an einem Geschichtslehrer in Fjällbacka interessiert sich Erika verstärkt um die vergangeheit ihrer Mutter, warum wurde sie so, wie sie sie als Kind...more

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Oct 31, 2011 Gemma (Passion for Novels) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book really has some twists and turns in it that will leave you shocked. I love the way this book moves from 1945 to the present day flawlessly and really keeps you gripped on the action revealing the smallest of snippits that leave you still wondering about the initial murder or Erik Frankel that we see really early on in the novel.

The links with all the characters are truly amazing and the final 100 pages leave you with so many questions that you can't help but read on til the end.

I part...more

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Oct 02, 2011 Marie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Another installment of the Patrik Hedstrom series. These are becoming essential to get me through a long night shift - gripping enough to keep me awake, light enough not to require too much concentration when I'm feeling sleepy, easy enough that I can put it down in the middle of a chapter when I get bleeped to go and do a job and can easily pick up the thread of things again when I get back. This one was much better than number 4 in my opinion (The Gallows Bird) but not as well crafted as the f...more

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About Camilla Läckberg

Born in 1974, Camilla Läckberg graduated from Gothenburg University of Economics, before moving to Stockholm where she worked for a few years as an economist. However, a course in creative crime writing became the trigger to a drastic change of career. Her first four novels all became Swedish bestsellers. Läckberg's books are always set in or around her birthplace, the small Swedish west coast tow...more

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title link	preview: The Hidden Child
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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10868182-the-hidden-child?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1349028349l/10868182.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10868182-the-hidden-child?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Hidden Child by Camilla Läckberg[/url]

The Hidden Child (Fjällbacka #5)

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