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Sun Storm (Rebecka Martinsson #1)

by Åsa Larsson, Marlaine Delargy (Translator)

3.57 of 5 stars 3.57 · rating details · 3,117 ratings · 291 reviews

On the floor of a church in northern Sweden, the body of a man lies mutilated and defiled–and in the night sky, the aurora borealis dances as the snow begins to fall....So begins Åsa Larsson’s spellbinding thriller, winner of Sweden’s Best First Crime Novel Award and an international literary sensation.

Rebecka Martinsson is heading home to Kiruna, the town she’d left in di...more

Paperback, 336 pages

Published December 26th 2006 by Delta (first published January 1st 2003)

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Jan 29, 2009 Laura rated it 5 of 5 stars

I've been on a Scandinavian writers' kick since I read and fell hard for 'Out Stealing Horses,' by Per Petterson last August. After reading all three of Petterson's books, (reviewing so far only the first,) I turned to the genre which Nordic writers seem to dominate these days---the suspense novel. A recent trip to Iceland prompted me to pick up first 'Voices,' by Arnaldur Indridason, which I intend later to write about, but will just say for now that it is a subject on which I am emphatically t...more I've been on a Scandinavian writers' kick since I read and fell hard for 'Out Stealing Horses,' by Per Petterson last August. After reading all three of Petterson's books, (reviewing so far only the first,) I turned to the genre which Nordic writers seem to dominate these days---the suspense novel. A recent trip to Iceland prompted me to pick up first 'Voices,' by Arnaldur Indridason, which I intend later to write about, but will just say for now that it is a subject on which I am emphatically tepid. Next, I turned to Stieg Larsson's 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,'which, with his 'Girl Who Played with Fire,' I praised highly here. Mari Jungstedts's three Anders Knutas thrillers came next---reviews to appear, but I've got to write them first, don't I?
I've just now finished Asa Larsson's 'The Sun Storm,' and felt it was just too good to push aside to write about at some later, maybe neverish, time.
Of course, YOU don't want to read about someone who's had his eyes gouged out (and that was the least of his worries), nor do you want to read about a pack of crazed Swedish fundamentalist Christians, but don't let that stop you from picking up this book. It was not the dream of my lifetime to read about those things, either. But the novel opens with a stunning description of the aurora borealis and works its way past the blood and gore to characters and a plot that gain in strength and lucidity and momentum to the extent that I couldn't put 'Sun Storm' down. This is Asa Larsson's first novel and it certainly isn't perfectly written. Its worst moments are better than many successful writers' best ones, though. If you want more info on the plot and things, you'll have to look elsewhere. I'll just say that in Rebecka Martinsson I found the best female protagonist I've encountered in a very long time. Larsson has a profound understanding of the human psyche and a powerful way of writing about it. It's not an easy book to read, but you've guessed that. Okay, but read it anyway. I've just ordered the sequel. (less)

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Apr 20, 2010 Joyce Lagow rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery

A charismatic religious leader is found brutally murdered and mutilated inside the modern church of a thriving fundamentalist congregation in a town in northern Sweden. The sister of the murdered man calls her former close friend, Rebecka Martinsson, in Stockholm, pleading for help. Reluctantly, Rebecka takes time off from the law firm for which she works to head north, just for a few days, to help out her distraught friend. Unwittingly she is drawn into the investigation for the killer.[return]...more

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Apr 27, 2013 M M rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Savage Altar (or The Sun Storm) is an example of one aspect of Scandinavian life that seems to be attracting quite a bit of attention lately: the effect of fundamentalist Christianity on society. A well-beloved man, active in an evangelist church, is found brutally murdered, with his eyes gouged out. His sister falls under suspicion, the devout and scatterbrained Sanna, who calls her oldest friend Rebecka Martinsson, the heroine of this book, to help her. Rebecka has her own bitter past link...more

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Aug 09, 2012 Manoela Padilh rated it 1 of 5 stars

After the boom that was Stieg Larsson's trilogy, several Nordic authors began to gain knowledge in the international literary world. Åsa Larsson came in their midst, and with the good fortune to have the same surname as the master, compared with it in style and story. Good luck, I say, because if I knew how it was that book wouldn’t even started it.

The main character is Rebecka Martinsson, a tax attorney from a firm in Stockholm. And by that I mean: an annoying girl who always seems to be a litt...more After the boom that was Stieg Larsson's trilogy, several Nordic authors began to gain knowledge in the international literary world. Åsa Larsson came in their midst, and with the good fortune to have the same surname as the master, compared with it in style and story. Good luck, I say, because if I knew how it was that book wouldn’t even started it.

The main character is Rebecka Martinsson, a tax attorney from a firm in Stockholm. And by that I mean: an annoying girl who always seems to be a little irritated, without charisma and that doesn’t win the heart of the reader. Nothing of her personality or her past contribute to make us like her, or cheer for her deeds. I need to compare her to Lisbeth Salander, the anti-heroine of the Millennium trilogy, which unlike Rebecka, makes us like her with her unusual personality.

After hearing about the brutal murder of Viktor Strandgärd, Rebecka goes back to her hometown, in a silent request from Viktor’s sister and her old friend, Sanna. She is psychologically shaken by the death of her brother, so much she can barely take care of her two daughters. Sanna's character can be the better characterized character in the entire book, but her attitudes and her personality almost make us want to tear the pages off and set if on fire. Some scenes are even ridiculous, as much as for the things that Sanna says or does as for the reactions of other characters to it.

“Nice outfit,” sniggered Sanna. “It’s good to see you’ve adapted to the classic look up here so quickly.”
“Still,” she sighed when Rebecka didn’t respond, “it’s lucky for the rest of us that most men like a girl with something to get hold of. Although of course I think it’s really attractive to be flat-chested like you.”

Seriously? I wanted to tear my eyes off, and was still only the beginning of the book.

Then, about a third of the book, I begin to wonder: where's the police investigation? That's what the book said it was, wasn’t? Big mistake. If there was some research in this book, it must have been lost in translation, because I found nothing that could compare to a real investigation story. There are some inspectors, officers and a prosecutor, but the only thing they did was put Sanna as one of the crime suspects.

And that is how Rebecka see herself as Sanna’s lawyer, having to defend her and bear her sentimental instability. Because of her profession, she also decides to investigate the finances of the church that had been created by Viktor, and from which almost the whole city was adept. But here too, "investigate" is the wrong term. Rebecka seems to simply guess that there is something rotten in the city and again simply deduce correctly what it is. Research for what, right?

But if you think that at least this weak and poorly structured plot is permeated by some good scenes and some action ... Forget it. The course of the book is just so boring to the point of the author spends a chapter talking about the character playing with the dog in the snow. I read a chapter and had no desire to read the next, simply because nothing significant happened to keep me interested in the book.

Maybe I found the book a waste of time partly because I started reading thinking it was a kind of plot and it was totally different from what I wanted, but I believe the fault is also by the author. Some times, when there are animals or children, for example, the story changes completely and looks like a children's book, with attitudes that I can’t see an adult doing, or even an animal (also quite childish). Attitudes and actions of the characters that, to me, didn’t look very real, justified or logical ... And so on. I think that not even as a psychological thriller this is a good book, because it’s more like a bunched of moments with no relevance with some scattered memories of Rebecka’s past. The story unfolds very slowly, and only in the last 40 pages we can find something you may call "action." Still, there wasn’t a good ending, but too quick, dull, almost laughable.

Definitely I have no intention of reading other books by the author, and not even ending this series.(less)

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May 07, 2012 Rob Kitchin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Savage Altar is the first novel by Asa Larsson and won Sweden's best first crime novel award. The book has a police procedural feel to it, and it does have that side to it, but it primarily focuses on Martinsson's efforts without ever really straying into legal thriller territory. Rebecka Martinsson is a feisty character, and is easy to identify with. Indeed, the characterisation throughout the book is strong, with a good range of supporting cast and I felt the pregnant cop had a lot of pote...more

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Mar 06, 2012 Karen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: crime, scandinavian

When she discovers the mutilated body of the revivalist preacher and her brother, Viktor, laid out in ritualistic style, on the floor of The Source of All Our Strength church, Sanna turns to her old friend Rebecka Martinsson for support. Despite her demanding work schedule as a Tax lawyer in a large law practice in Stockholm, and her reservations about her own past in connection with the church, Rebecka heads back to the small town and community to help.

The chief prosecutor on the case seems to...more When she discovers the mutilated body of the revivalist preacher and her brother, Viktor, laid out in ritualistic style, on the floor of The Source of All Our Strength church, Sanna turns to her old friend Rebecka Martinsson for support. Despite her demanding work schedule as a Tax lawyer in a large law practice in Stockholm, and her reservations about her own past in connection with the church, Rebecka heads back to the small town and community to help.

The chief prosecutor on the case seems to have already decided that Sanna is guilty and she is charged after vital evidence is found hidden in her home. Rebecka reluctantly finds herself trying to provide legal and emotional support to the emotionally fragile Sanna as well as care for her friend's two daughters and keep everyone safe. Inspector Anna-Maria Mella shares Rebecka's doubts over Sanna's guilt and despite her own very advanced pregnancy, stays working on the case right up to the birth of her own baby.

There's a very dark, subdued aura hanging over SUN STORM. The setting is freezing, snowed-in small-town Sweden. The atmosphere around the church is equally dark and foreboding. The relationship between Rebecka and Sanna is difficult, each has some past baggage of joint and separate experience of the church, Sanna's family and personal events which tore them apart and turned Rebecka into an outcast from the community years ago.

The interesting thing about SUN STORM is the strength of the writing and the story being told. The two central characters, Sanna and Rebecka are equally unsympathetic, almost unlikeable. Despite that, they are engaging and you are kept reading to find out the truth of what is really going on. The atmosphere is oppressive, sad, everyone seems to be damaged, troubled, unhappy or questioning, and yet the reader is pulled through the story. As a card carrying member of the "dead people: fine, harmed animals: bad" sector of crime fiction fans, even the albeit brief and off-camera fate of an engaging pet dog, whilst shocking, is probably more distressing because of the reactions of the central characters.

An intriguing and ambiguous ending is the perfect finish for a story in which characters are living lives that are real, complicated, challenging and raw. Highly recommended for readers who like their fiction to challenge them, make them think and don't mind the story staying with them way after the book itself has gone.(less)

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May 18, 2011 Vicent rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: novel·la, intriga_i_detectius

[copio el comentario que hice en books.livingsocial.com]

Lo añadí a mi lista de lecturas, aunque los comentarios no son muy alentadores; pero me gustó la reseña. Me lo regalaron (primer libro que me regalan gracias a mi "wishlist"), y me lo he leído en unas semanas (porque leo en pequeños ratos, cuando puedo).

Le pongo un 8,5 al libro, pero un 6 a la traducción. Hay expresiones que, en mi opinión, podrían haberse traducido mejor: "Hizo una PREGUNTA MÚLTIPLE sobre el propietario. Juzgado por maltra...more

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Feb 27, 2011 Black Dog Reviews rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: crime-crime-noir-mystery

Reading Swedish crime fiction makes me wonder: is Sweden really so full of murder and evilness? Or do the dark, cold winter days and nights encourage sinister novels focused on the dark area of the human psyche?

Sun Storm, winner of Sweden’s Best First Crime Novel Award, deals with religion, hypocrisy, abuse, mental illness, and perhaps redemption over the course of the story. It’s setting of Kiruna, the northernmost city in Sweden, is important. Its remoteness and isolation are integral to the s...more

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Jul 13, 2010 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, scandinavian

I had to return this to the library once because I had checked it out for so long. I got laid off and suddenly found myself with more time... and thought a Fourth of July holiday at the beach was the most appropriate time to start a murder mystery set in the north of Sweden in the darkest, coldest parts of winter.

Really liked the two main characters of this mystery. Rebecca Martinson is a likable lawyer who works too hard and tries too diligently to distance herself from her small town past in...more

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Oct 25, 2009 Nms rated it 5 of 5 stars

The first of three books by Asa Larsson, a Swedish lawyer who also writes mysteries.
Rebecka Martinsson is a tax attorney (now how boring is that?) in Stockholm, but travels back to her childhood home in Kiruna (in the far north of Sweden) at the request of the sister of a man who was murdered.
From the first pages of the book:
-When Victor Strandgard dies it is not, in fact, for the first time. He lies on his back in the church called The Source of All Our Strength and looks up through the enormo...more

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May 02, 2013 Use-your-imagination rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: home-library

In the recent years Scandinavian novels have gathered a lot of popularity among the readers from various countries and one wonders what makes them so appealing and different from other books on the market. Personally, I am drawn into the cold climate, the heap of snow outside the window and murderous temperatures that are a feature of those countries which make the crimes look even more mysterious and dark.
The success of those books can be partly accounted for the release of the film ‘’The girl...more In the recent years Scandinavian novels have gathered a lot of popularity among the readers from various countries and one wonders what makes them so appealing and different from other books on the market. Personally, I am drawn into the cold climate, the heap of snow outside the window and murderous temperatures that are a feature of those countries which make the crimes look even more mysterious and dark.
The success of those books can be partly accounted for the release of the film ‘’The girl with the dragon tattoo’ as well at the sudden death of Stieg Larsson, the author of the series with the same title, which was speculated to consist of 10 books, but only 3 making it into publishers hands before Larsson’s death, which fuels the interest around the book even more.
Therefore, the character played by Daniel Craig and the impulsive heroine at his side contributed to the spread of popularity of those books. So far, I had a chance to read 3 books by Scandinavian authors: Stieg Larsson, Camilla Lackberg and Asa Larsson. And although this review is about Asa Larsson’s book – The Savage Altar, I’d like to look at it through prism of all the books and compare it.
Asa Larsson’s book The Savage Altar is the first book in the Rebecca Martinson series, a tax lawyer (a profession shared with the author herself) who is drawn into the murder mystery at the small town she was born into. Asa Larsson’s book ticks the boxes of a good crime mystery novel with the beautiful scenery of Scandinavian country that keeps us engaged in the story and keeps us guessing who the murderer is. However, having revealed that at the end, I wasn’t happy with the way Larsson executed the story plot and I felt like she chose the easy way out
There were a lot of similarities to the books of Camilla Lackberg which also take place in the small town in Sweden. However, if I were to choose which book to recommend to a friend I would wholeheartedly recommend Camilla Lackberg. Why? The aspect I love about her novels is the way she goes into depth of each character and their past so eventually makes us understand why the crime occurred through psychological perspective. Lackberg is a brilliant writer in her description in depth of characters that by the end of the book we know them very well and their motives behind. The psychological picture we get is the aspect I love the most in her books which makes them full and complete.
However, to finish of the review of The Savage Altar, I think it is an ‘okay’ novel, it is not bad written at all, however there are better novels out there, whether Scandinavian ones or not.
Although this review isn't strictly of The Savage Altar, consider it as a review of the Scandinavian literature I have read so far and my thoughts on it! And I will be looking forward to reading more Scandinavian novels by Henning Mankell and others!
(less)

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Feb 15, 2011 Biaksla rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Me encantan las historias en las que hay que investigar asesinatos, en las que no sabemos que pasará hasta el final. Sin embargo, Aurora Boreal es algo predecible... Aunque mantiene la intriga hasta el final, durante los días que van pasando la hipotesis correcta se formula facilmente. A mi entender falta un poco de chicha en el proceso de investigación del asesinato pero es muy entretenido y no cabe duda de que buscaré el resto de sus libros,... aunque el hecho de que la protagonista salga inve...more

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Jul 24, 2012 Laura rated it 1 of 5 stars

I can't believe the high ratings. I am so disappointed by this. It's extremely bad written, and 80% of the book is just uninteresting. The ending was laughable at least. No one would believe that.

I absolutely hated all the characters with no exception. All of them were flat and unrealistic. And I dunno why they are swearing all the single time. I found them to be rude, unpolite, and disgusting.

Especially hated Rebecka and Sanna. Rebecka was extremely annoying as a main character. She doesn't h...more

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Jul 15, 2012 Libby Chester rated it 4 of 5 stars

What is it with these Nordic writers? I've read Steig Larsson's 'Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Jussi Adler-Olsen's 'The Keeper of Lost Causes,' and now, 'Sun Storm,' by Asa Larsson. They really have quite a flair for building a suspenseful story with characters who are intriguing, flawed, and intensely credible. Although, I haven't felt compelled to pick up the sequels to 'Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,' I enjoyed Steig Larsson's style of writing. 'The Keeper of Lost Causes,' and 'Sun Storm,' have...more What is it with these Nordic writers? I've read Steig Larsson's 'Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Jussi Adler-Olsen's 'The Keeper of Lost Causes,' and now, 'Sun Storm,' by Asa Larsson. They really have quite a flair for building a suspenseful story with characters who are intriguing, flawed, and intensely credible. Although, I haven't felt compelled to pick up the sequels to 'Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,' I enjoyed Steig Larsson's style of writing. 'The Keeper of Lost Causes,' and 'Sun Storm,' have been, for me, more enjoyable. However, 'Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,' was my first venture into crime and suspense novels by Nordic authors, so perhaps it was the one on which 'I cut my teeth.' When 'Sun Storm,' opens up, I'm swept up in the 5 star literary movement of Asa Larsson's beautiful language. The first line, "When Viktor Strandgard dies it is not, in fact, for the first time," invokes weighty mysteries. As Viktor lies dying in the Crystal Church, he contemplates the Aurora Borealis through the roof's windows. "And as if his thoughts have touched her, she (the Aurora Borealis) stops for a second. Breaks her endless journey. Contemplates VViktor Strandgard with her cold winter eyes. Because he is as beautiful as an icon lying there, to tell the truth, with the dark blood like a halo round his long, fair, St. Lucia hair. He can't feel his legs anymore. He is getting drowsy. There is no pain." The language catches me up like music, a beautiful heartrending melody of prose poetry. Asa Larsson's protagonist, Rebecka Martinsson, is a tax lawyer, as was Asa Larsson in a former life. Rebecka is called upon by Sanna Strandgard, Viktor's sister to come and help Sanna with the situation. So Rebecka leaves her job in Stockholm to travel to Kiruna, her childhood home, to aid an old friend. Pregnant Inspector Anna-Maria Mella, and her colleague, Sven-Erik Stalnacke, probe the details of the crime. Populating the story also, are the three pastors of 'The source of All Our Strength' church and their wives, and Sanna's children, Sara and Lova. Asa Larsson animates the story greatly with these secondary characters. The climate of Kiruna, as the northern most city in Sweden, also becomes a character in the story. By describing their clothing, the snow, the cabins, and how they travel on sledges, the reader becomes seeped in the setting. Here's an example of Asa Larsson's narrative style as she describes the landscape. "As a child she had often traveled the whole way from Kiruna down to the village on her kick sledge. It was a happy memory. Especially in the late winter when the road was covered with a wonderful layer of thick, shining ice, and nobody spoiled it with sand, salt, or grit. The moon lit up the snow-covered forest around her. The snowdrifts along the sides of the road formed a frame." Beautiful. This book has moments of profound greatness and beauty, and rates a 4.5. One critique of the story is that they're too many characters and that it's difficult to remember who's who because the names are so different. At the beginning of the story, when the characters are introduced, it is more challenging, but as the reader settles into the story, the extra work required to remember who Thomas, Vesa, Gunnar, Sven-Erik, and other Nordic characters are is well rewarded. (less)

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May 06, 2012 Chiara (Oscuro y Seductor Romance) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2012

3,5 de 5 puntos

El libro me recuerda a La princesa de hielo de Camilla Lackberg y también a la forma de escribir de Stieg Larsson. Pero eso no quiere decir que sea una copia barata y que no la recomiende, todo lo contrario, pues es normal que con tantos libros, alguno coincida en alguna cosa con otro. Pero aparte de esas mínimas coincidencias, el libro promete.

Nos cuenta como Rebecka descubre por la tele el asesinato de un antiguo amigo, recién convertido en ídolo religioso tras resucitar literal...more 3,5 de 5 puntos

El libro me recuerda a La princesa de hielo de Camilla Lackberg y también a la forma de escribir de Stieg Larsson. Pero eso no quiere decir que sea una copia barata y que no la recomiende, todo lo contrario, pues es normal que con tantos libros, alguno coincida en alguna cosa con otro. Pero aparte de esas mínimas coincidencias, el libro promete.

Nos cuenta como Rebecka descubre por la tele el asesinato de un antiguo amigo, recién convertido en ídolo religioso tras resucitar literalmente. Cuando las sospechas recaen sobre la hermana,Sanna, ella no duda en viajar de vuelta a su antigua ciudad para ayudarla a limpiar su nombre y cazar al culpable. Mientras la historia avanza, investigando a cada uno de los sospechosos, a la vez vamos desenterrando viejos recuerdos de Sanna y Rebecka, que nos harán ver como sus relaciones con ciertos personajes son ahora como son. Yo, la verdad, es que me he quedado muerta con algunas de las historias. La autora ha sabido contar lo inesperado y darle un toque de dramatismo en ciertos momentos de la historia. El final no es el típico de los libros, cerrado, y es algo normal pues se trata de una saga.

La vida amorosa de la protagonista da para escribir un culebrón. Rebecka estaba enamorada de su amigo, ahora víctima, Viktor. El no le correspondía, sin embargo. Ella terminó liada con la persona más inesperada y tuvo que superar las consecuencias de esa breve relación.

El libro está lleno de referencias religiosas y algunas citas bíblicas, haciendo ver la doble moral de algunos de los personajes: los pastores (curas) vestidos con traje y corbata para hablar en la Iglesia y cuyo afán es seguir amasando dinero del material que venden, el chico que ayuda a los niños en la parroquia y luego, sin dudar, abusa de aquellos que más confianza tienen en él...

Lo que menos me ha sorprendido pero más me ha gustado es el cambio en los sentimientos de Mans hacia su empleada Rebeca. Como, al principio, era la última a la que intentar ligarse en una fiesta y, con el tiempo, por la que más se preocupa y sufre. Eso lo dice todo.

Solo digo que merece la pena leerlo y es muy rápido de leer y ameno. Dadle una oportunidad porque no os defraudará.(less)

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Dec 02, 2010 Maria rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own

Depois de ler Aurora Boreal não fiquei surpreendida pelo próprio Stieg Larson ter confessado ser seu admirador incondicional. De facto, este foi dos melhores policiais que li nos últimos tempos.
Adorei a escrita da autora que nos transporta de uma forma sublime para uma pequena localidade sueca e nos faz viver a própria estória. Envolve-nos nos meandros de uma comunidade espiritual que via em Viktor Strandgard um exemplo a seguir, colocando-o quase no mesmo prisma de Deus. Seguiam todos os seus p...more

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Sep 06, 2010 Jerry rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, mystery-thriller

Sun Storm's is a Well written Scandinavian murder mystery. The title references the magnetic storms responsible for the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights). I love the way Larsson captures the feel of winter in the far north. I've traveled to Bodo, Norway, which is quite near the setting of the novel in Kiruna, Sweden.

This book won Sweden's Best First Crime Novel Award. Whenever I read a novel that has been translated, I wonder how closely the original text has been followed. In any case, Marla...more

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Oct 28, 2012 Ubik 2.0 rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Il più simpatico è il cane

Come poliziesco "Tempesta solare" è un fallimento pressochè totale: un frullato di luoghi comuni dalla prima pagina (il cadavere di un religioso nella navata della chiesa in stile Da Vinci Code) a seguire (la poliziotta gravida all'ultimo trimestre in stile Fargo), una spruzzata di abuso sui minori che ormai non si nega più a nessuno e via dicendo fino a un finale rabberciato e illogico: stimati "pastori" (e più di uno, non un solo pazzo...!) che arrivano al punto di a...more

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Apr 26, 2010 PJ Taylor rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: whodunnit, 2010-books-i-ve-read

Well, I just finished Asa Larsson's "Sun Storm" and have very mixed feelings. I really enjoy the feel of Nordic crime thrillers like Steig Larsson's Millenium Trilogy, but "Sun Storm" wasn't as strong, although I liked the lead character, tax-attorney turned sleuth Rebecka Martinsson very much. One problem I had was some confusion with character names; there's Inspector Anna Maria, and then two other minor characters named Anna and Maria. It's a small detail but I don't understand why not three...more

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Jan 23, 2010 Alber Vázquez rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

De puta madre, me ha gustado. El libro ha empezado flojo, pero ha ido cogiendo impulso a medida que la historia avanzaba. Lo que menos me gusta: esos flashbacks que, como recurso narrativo, son una mierda: si tienes que explicar cosas que le pasaron a un personaje, móntatelo como puedas, pero no escribas flashbacks porque apestan. Lo que más me gusta: Åsa Larsson carece de ese sentimiento de culpa tan propio de los escritores negros escandinavos. Cuando escribe, le importa tres cojones el hambre...more

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Feb 21, 2013 Jeremy Megraw rated it 4 of 5 stars

You can also find the full review also at http://www.crimefictionlover.com/2013...

This book reminds me of what I love about Nordic noir. The auspicious debut of the Rebecka Martinsson series opens with an achingly beautiful rendering of the aurora borealis against the winter night’s sky, seen from the perspective of the murder victim in his final death-throes – a priest in his own chapel, no less! Here, already, the three essential elements of Scandinavian crime fiction are juxtaposed: the rugge...more You can also find the full review also at http://www.crimefictionlover.com/2013...

This book reminds me of what I love about Nordic noir. The auspicious debut of the Rebecka Martinsson series opens with an achingly beautiful rendering of the aurora borealis against the winter night’s sky, seen from the perspective of the murder victim in his final death-throes – a priest in his own chapel, no less! Here, already, the three essential elements of Scandinavian crime fiction are juxtaposed: the rugged beauty of nature, the evil that men do under its merciless sun, and an artfully brutal act of homicide.

Gazing from the window of a modern office in downtown Stockholm, junior law partner Rebecka Martinsson daydreams about her wholesome childhood in Kiruna, a rural town in northern Sweden, unaware that she will soon receive a phone call summoning her to return there. When the local spiritual guru is found brutally murdered, the dead leader’s sister Sanna becomes the accused and calls on her childhood friend Rebecka to help sort things out.

Reluctantly, Rebecka finds herself thrust into the multiple roles of detective, lawyer, and protector of her client’s two children, all while coming to terms with her own disgrace in the small town. Eventually we get more of Rebecka’s backstory and the nature of her disgrace and consequent flight. She must summon all her strength to face the claustrophobic morals of the town which she struggled so hard to escape, solve the mystery, and try to keep her abandoned job at the law firm intact.

Another strong female character underpinning the story is the down-to-earth and very pregnant detective Maria Mello, who pursues the truth despite the imminent birth of her child, and the disruptive ego of the head prosecutor. As the nominal detective, Mello necessarily works parallel to Rebecka, and is another figure, among many, around whom Rebecka must navigate in her new role as lawyer for the defendant and self-imposed investigator of the mystery. You’ll realise early on why the series is not called Maria Mello.

Answers are hard to come by as the tax lawyer turned detective tries to ferret out the truth from the emotionally brittle Sanna, and the tight-lipped church community which bears a deep grudge towards Rebecka herself. When the clues suggest religious zealotry is the motive, Rebecka senses that the community’s moral crises and hypocrisy point towards to more disturbing secrets. The story is peppered throughout with flashbacks that serve to clarify present events concerning the charismatic church leader and the many lives in his orbit. Larsson’s ambitious narrative technique, telescoping into the past without warning, is a risky one that threatens to confuse early on, but we soon feel in capable hands.

The suspense builds to the very end wherein it seems almost everyone is a suspect. The investigations of Mello and Rebecka begin to converge at this point, as do certain tropes regarding their choices regarding having children, and when the truth is revealed our hero and her little charges are at their most vulnerable to harm from the killer. Larsson packs in a lot of characters, including a kindly old man and two dogs, perhaps to the detriment of character development. She even manages to insert the possibility of a love interest into Rebecka’s Martinsson’s investigation, just as the story reaches its white-knuckled and startlingly violent denouement.

For a debut novel Sun Storm is quite impressive, and lovers of Scandinavian crime fiction will find it very satisfying. I’m reserving my copy of the second installment, The Blood Spilt.(less)

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Feb 07, 2013 Al rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A church in the glittering frozen wastes of Northern Sweden. Inside, a sacrifice: the body of a man - slashed to pieces, hands severed, eyes gouged out.The victim's sister, Sanna, is first to discover the body and immediately finds herself the police's only suspect. Terrified and confused, she calls on a friend: hot-shot city lawyer Rebecka Martinsson.Rebecka hardly wants to return to Kiruna - the small town she fled in disgrace years ago. But Sanna is frightened and she needs a loyal friend to

...more

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Dec 23, 2011 Susan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery

This is a first novel which according to its cover received rave reviews and winner of Sweden's best first crime novel award. I wasn't that impressed with the novel. It took quite awhile to actually get into the story. The main Character,Rebecka Martinsson is a likeable tax attorney who goes north to help out a friend in distress. Problem is Sanna is not really her friend. She comes across as a lying, woman who plays the "litle girl" In fact, I'm not sure why Rebecka goes to her aid since everyo...more

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Feb 23, 2012 Snail in Danger (Sid) Nicolaides rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery-genre

Okay. It's a Scandinavian mystery, and I made it to the end without wanting to put it down because I was too grossed out or depressed, or without being too tempted to skip ahead to the end. That said, it was probably a little too dark for me, even with the little flashes of joy and ordinary humanity. Undecided if I want to continue. (Saw the fourth book in this series at the library, and impulsively snagged it from the bestsellers table ... but then, of course, I had to check out the first one.)...more

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Dec 05, 2011 Sara rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: mystery, thriller, Swedish thriller, Steig Larsson fans,

Dark, Swedish, Thriller

This was recommended as it is a dark mystery thriller along the same vein of Steig Larsson. In the dark freezing north, a horrendous murder has occured in a church. The police investigators have no idea why anyone would kill the godly and almost saintly Viktor. Viktor's only friend is God and he has dedicated his life to prayer, fasting and the bible. His death is brutal and bloody but the church leaders close ranks and dismiss the police.

Viktor's sister Sanna and her chi...more

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May 20, 2012 MB rated it 5 of 5 stars

Winner of Sweden's best first crime novel award. And with good reason.

Not less gruesome than some American thrillers, but handled differently. Less focus on the gruesome details and more focus on the people, on the mystery. The setting is so well described that I thought I was getting frostbite on my feet as I read.

Rebecka Matinsson is a Stockholm attorney who heads back to her home town to help a friend in need. What she slowly uncovers about her friend, and what the reader is slowly allowed t...more

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Jan 01, 2012 Susan rated it 3 of 5 stars

A Swedish mystery. This one a woman. There's a lot of cultural/local stuff that's unfamiliar, but basically a good book. Focuses on a really bizarre (and almost cult-like) fundamentalist Christian church in the Swedish far north (Lapp country). The main character is a tax lawyer, Rebecka Martinsson, who lives in Stockholm and works for a prestigious firm. She hears (it's in the news all over Sweden) of a bizarre murder of a churchman she knows and is requested by his ditzy sister to come up and...more

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May 22, 2011 harryknuckles rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Savage Altar introduces Rebecka Martinsson, a young city lawyer who is dragged back to confront the ghosts of her emotional past in her rural home town when Viktor, an ex- (friend? boyfriend?) is brutally murdered. Rebecka is a guarded, fragile achiever; clever and driven, compelled to work far too hard to make up for her insecurity. She over-reacts to a friendly approach from her boss with spiky ferocity, and many of her relationships feature awkward conversations and painful silences, wher...more

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May 27, 2012 Silverdrake rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-mysteries

WOW! I'm actually glad I read this one after the others: it's as if I'd met some people and knew a bit about them, and now we're sharing a bottle of wine, and I'm getting the detailed story about how it all began. Larsson's characters are so vivid, I keep thinking, I know that person, I know someone just like that! I love how the women have minds of their owns and don't react in a stereotypical way.

What I loved best was that Larsson doesn't need to explain everything as they do in some mysteries...more

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Mar 20, 2013 Kristin rated it 3 of 5 stars

I think it must be tough to write a good mystery. I have immense respect for mystery writers. I would actually rate this book 2 1/2 stars. This book was very captivating until the end. It left me with several unanswered questions at the end. I know who killed the victim and why, but there were circumstances surrounding the victim's death that I'm not quite sure happened. Why did some of the characters do what they did? I know there is a sequel to this book, but if an author writes a mystery I th...more

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About Åsa Larsson

Åsa Larsson is a Swedish crime-writer. Although born in Uppsala, she was raised in Kiruna in the far north. Prior to becoming a full-time writer, Larsson was a tax lawyer, a profession she shares with the heroine of her novels, Rebecka Martinsson.

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* Rebecka Martinsson

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Books by Åsa Larsson

The Blood Spilt (Rebecka Martinsson, #2)

Until Thy Wrath Be Past (Rebecka Martinsson, #4)

Till offer åt Molok (Rebecka Martinsson, #5)

Den svenske gullrekka - krimnoveller 2011

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Sun Storm (Rebecka Martinsson #1)

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