The Blood Spilt (Rebecka Martinsson, #2)

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

The Blood Spilt (Rebecka Martinsson #2)

3.67 of 5 stars 3.67 · rating details · 1,799 ratings · 153 reviews

It’s midsummer in Sweden—when the light lingers through dawn and a long, isolating winter finally comes to an end. In this magical time, a brutal killer has chosen to strike. A female priest—who made enemies and acolytes in equal number—has been found hanging in her church. And a big-city lawyer quite acquainted with death enters the scene as police and parishioners try to...more

Hardcover, 339 pages

Published January 30th 2007 by Delacorte Press (first published June 1st 2004)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson

Silence of the Grave by Arnaldur Indriðason

Scandinavian/Nordic Mysteries

58th out of 141 books — 221 voters

Best Scandinavian and Nordic Literature

349th out of 513 books — 498 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 2,882)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Jun 29, 2009 Trilby rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: classic, detective-story, sweden, mystery

After requiring weeks of psychotherapy and psychotropic drugs after reading Larsson's mega-bummer "The Black Path," I was very hesitant to pick up this novel, which precedes the aforementioned blackness. "Blood" has a similar setting and similar cast of characters as "Black," but it's not nearly as, well, black, or even bloody.

I can see why "Blood" was voted Sweden's best mystery novel of 2007. Larsson's psychological perceptiveness as she sketches out a number of minor characters is impressive....more After requiring weeks of psychotherapy and psychotropic drugs after reading Larsson's mega-bummer "The Black Path," I was very hesitant to pick up this novel, which precedes the aforementioned blackness. "Blood" has a similar setting and similar cast of characters as "Black," but it's not nearly as, well, black, or even bloody.

I can see why "Blood" was voted Sweden's best mystery novel of 2007. Larsson's psychological perceptiveness as she sketches out a number of minor characters is impressive. Of course, many of these people are insecure, or neurotic, or depressive, or bonkers, or, as in the case of the killer, sociopathic. But that should come as no surprise, as they are Swedes. (Cf. Bergman. Strindberg, Josephson. Need I say more?)

The most sane of the major characters is police detective Anna-Maria Mella. She manages to keep her head when all about her are losing theirs and blaming it on her. Her male partner, Sven-Erik Stålnacke, plays a much smaller role in this book than in "Black." In this case, he spends a lot of time worrying about his cat, which has mysteriously disappeared.

The craziest major character is the protagonist, psycho-attorney Rebecka Martinsson. In the previous book in the series, Martinsson kills three people in self-defense, and this has messed her up badly. She's a quivering blob of self-doubt and paranoia, anxiety and agoraphobia (as she still is at the beginning of "Black"). Her emotional problems are so severe, it's hard to read some of her scenes.After a while, I thought, "Why doesn't she get help? Why do I have to be repeatedly given tours of her damaged psyche?" The only explanation I can suggest is that Martinsson is Larsson's alter ego, an lawyer from Kiruna. Perhaps writing out the madness is Larsson's therapy.

Canine imagery plays a large role in the novel, both dogs and wolves. One of the "characters" is a wolf named "Yellow Legs." (By whom she is named is another mystery.) The anthropomorphic Yellow Legs bothered me. It's one thing to present the cerebral musings of people, another to do this for a wild animal. Wolves don't have names; they don't think in Swedish or English.

The setting is Midsummer in the wilds of northern Sweden, a time and place echoed by my memories of June in northern Minnesota. It struck me that the two regions have cultural similarities as well as physical ones. In both places one finds hunters vs. conservationists, rural vs. city, male chauvinists vs. feminists, all clashing in a distinctive, understated Nordic manner. (less)

like 2 likes · see review

Jun 11, 2011 Lisa Lewis rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: crime-fiction, set-in-places-i-want-to-go

This is the second book in an interesting series by this author, a Swedish crime fiction writer. I enjoyed it in some ways better than the first, maybe due to the poetic inclusion of scenes from the point of view of a wolf who plays a small role in the story. Unfortunately, the primary character of the first book, Rebecka Martinsson, plays a smaller role in this book and seems such a pathetic character, I found myself wishing at times that the author could have been a little kinder to her. The p...more

like 1 like · see review

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

Not long ago, attorney Rebecka Martinsson had to kill three men in order to stop an eerily similar m

...more

like · see review

Feb 20, 2012 Mysterytribune rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: scandinavian-crime

Review: The Blood Spilt By Åsa Larsson

Åsa Larsson is one of the Swedish crime-writers whose name is now very well-known; thanks both to her style and also the recent appeal of Scandinavian crime. Although born in Uppsala, she was raised in Kiruna (North of Sweden). Prior to becoming a full-time writer, Larsson was a tax lawyer, a profession she shares with the heroine of her novels, Rebecka Martinsson. Her first novel published in the UK (under the title The Savage Altar), was shortlisted for th...more Review: The Blood Spilt By Åsa Larsson

Åsa Larsson is one of the Swedish crime-writers whose name is now very well-known; thanks both to her style and also the recent appeal of Scandinavian crime. Although born in Uppsala, she was raised in Kiruna (North of Sweden). Prior to becoming a full-time writer, Larsson was a tax lawyer, a profession she shares with the heroine of her novels, Rebecka Martinsson. Her first novel published in the UK (under the title The Savage Altar), was shortlisted for the Duncan Lawrie International Dagger. Her second novel, Det blod som spillts (Blood Spilt), won the Best Swedish Crime Novel Award.

The story of this book happens in the midsummer period in Sweden—when the light lingers through dawn and a long, isolating winter finally comes to an end. A female priest is found hanging in her church. And a big-city lawyer quite acquainted with death enters the scene as police and parishioners try to pick up the pieces.

Not long ago, attorney Rebecka Martinsson had to kill three men in order to stop an eerily similar murder spree—one that also involved a priest. Now she is back in Kiruna, the region of her birth, while a determined policewoman gnaws on the case and people who loved or loathed the victim mourn or revel in her demise. The further Rebecka is drawn into the mystery, the more the dead woman’s world clutches her.

Although this book can be read as a stand-alone story, it is a sequel to ”Sun Storm” in which introduced us to Rebecka Martinsson, a lawyer forced to kill three men to stop a homicidal spree (as we highlighted above). In Blood Spilt, Martinsson is severely disturbed and traumatized by her previous adventure, yet she gets involved in another psychopathic murder.

While this book is certainly an entertaining read, compared to the first book in the series, Sun Storm, which was a very well-crafted piece of fiction, it might seem less appealing: There are pieces of the story which are disjointed and the graphic scenes of animal torture might not be appealing to all readers.

(More at http://www.mysterytribune.com or @mysterytribune)(less)

like 1 like · see review

Jun 30, 2011 Tonile {My Cup and Chaucer} rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I must apologise for my lack of posting lately; my personal life has been fairly hectic and I have also been in the unfortunate situation of reading a book that didn’t really grab me. This rarely happens to me, and I find it quite uncomfortable when it does happen, because who am I to judge someone’s writing? Yes we are all entitled to our opinions, but this author is a well regarded Scandinavian author, and that is far more than I can say for myself. So I persevered, as I will always do, becaus...more I must apologise for my lack of posting lately; my personal life has been fairly hectic and I have also been in the unfortunate situation of reading a book that didn’t really grab me. This rarely happens to me, and I find it quite uncomfortable when it does happen, because who am I to judge someone’s writing? Yes we are all entitled to our opinions, but this author is a well regarded Scandinavian author, and that is far more than I can say for myself. So I persevered, as I will always do, because someone spent a great deal of time and effort writing this novel, and it’s the least I can do.

The Blood Spilt is the second novel by Asa Larsson, and the second in the Rebecka Martinsson series, and it follows on within a couple of months of the events of The Savage Altar. Rebecka is still reeling from the incident in Kiruna where she was kidnapped by and ultimately forced to kill three men, and she has been unable to return to work full time. The darkness surrounding the religious community in Kiruna has not subsided, when a controversial female priest, Mildred Nilsson, is brutally murdered and left hanging from the organ in the parish church. When Rebecka’s law firm is contacted by the parish about some legal matters, Rebecka (not aware of the murder) and a colleague venture back to Kiruna to assist the other priests.

What follows is an interesting and complex, albeit somewhat drawn out, look into the lives of a small, tight-knit community when a new and dynamic figure shakes up some long-standing order. Inevitably when this happens, the proverbial feathers are ruffled and some people don’t like seeing change in their comfort zone. To Larsson’s credit, she explores this area really well. In a town that is still quite dominated by male-centric ideology, the reader is given a deep insight into the effect an innovative person (who in this case happens to be a woman) can have when what is considered the norm is torn down. In a sort of “adapt or perish” atmosphere, those who cannot embrace change are left behind, and those who are under pressure to introduce change either comply or are branded as backward, sexist and elitist. In hindsight, the profound psychological themes make the long back story far more readable, but many readers may be put off by the lack of action. Compounded with this, we are also made aware of the personal war being waged inside Rebecka as she comes to terms with what happened to her, and tries to figure out how to piece her shattered life back together.

I would be lying if I said I loved it, but I would be lying again if I said I didn’t like it. The Blood Spilt is not what I was expecting, and will definitely appeal more to readers who prefer to know their characters in depth, rather than merely observe all the action.(less)

like 1 like · see review

Jul 15, 2010 ICPL Staff Picks added it

Shelves: staff-picks-blog, susan, mysteries

Author Asa Larsson won Sweden’s Best First Crime Novel Award for her mystery, Sun Storm. I found her second effort, The Blood Spilt, on the Library’s New Fiction shelves. The main character, Rebecka Martinsson is a tax attorney recovering from events that occurred in the first book (she shot several people in order to save some children….or so I gathered). She gets pulled into the death of a murdered female priest that is being investigated by team leader Anna-Maria Mella, just back from materni...more

like 1 like · see review

Feb 23, 2012 Anna rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: the fans of Nordic crime

Shelves: 2012, bookcrossing

I'd recommend reading this series in order, otherwise you'll get a painful start. Sun Storm is the book #1, which I didn't have the patience to wait to find before reading this one. When starting with this book, Rebecka is introduced as a depressed, barely functional (PTSD) woman who just casually is mentioned to have killed three men. Wait, what? An attorney who just happened to kill three men and is now on sick leave? They left it like that, so it's only 40 pages later when they go back to the...more I'd recommend reading this series in order, otherwise you'll get a painful start. Sun Storm is the book #1, which I didn't have the patience to wait to find before reading this one. When starting with this book, Rebecka is introduced as a depressed, barely functional (PTSD) woman who just casually is mentioned to have killed three men. Wait, what? An attorney who just happened to kill three men and is now on sick leave? They left it like that, so it's only 40 pages later when they go back to the detail, how she essentially happened to kill them.

Let me summarize it for anyone else who starts the series from book #2: Rebecka has PTSD and is on sick leave because of the first book in the series. She had to kill three men accidentally or as in self defense, and "unlike the people in the books" it's a lot harder to get thru that, but she's making progress. She's doing some freelance work for the office she was working earlier. So just bare with the first 50 pages and you'll get much better into the story. She starts to warm and come out of her shell.

Like in the first book of the series, a priest is murdered in a small city in the armpit of Sweden's and Finland's Lapland. This is much different an environment (much more exotic) than e.g. Mankell's Sweden or Nesser's gibberish Sweden-like-Dutch-whatever. A small town in the armpit of Sweden, and there are strong influences of Lapland and of Finland too. A lot of people have Finnish first or last names. A bunch of items are still in Finnish in the book (the original book was in Swedish; Swedish and Finnish are about as close as English is to Portuguese), but I guess for a Swedish reader it'll be easier to find someone who can help translate some of the texts still in Finnish in this book. A few that I remember from the book: "Ei saa peittää" on a radiator = "do not cover". "Äiti" = mum, "älä lyö" = "don't hit". If there were others, just comment and I'll be glad to help :)

Like in the first book, Rebecka ends up helping solve the murder. The murdered female priest was very liked, at least by the loser type women in the town. She also had a lot of enemies. The story goes in two tenses, now (in past tense), and in the past tense (where the story is told in the present tense - this was something that also irritated me for the first 30 % of the story). There are a lot of interesting characters whose side is followed now and in the past. There's also a wolf whose story is told every now and then, yet I'm not that sure the wolf really binds that well to the story.

The characters are interesting and something that pull the story together and forward. The location is exotic, yet this is a bit like most of the Finnish crime stories: there's a huge benefit if you know a bit of the culture before you read it. The exotic things are not explained as you run to them; a sign that this is a translation from Swedish. (If you want to try some Nordic exotic crime stuff but without learning everything about the culture beforehand, try James Thompson's Kari Vaara books. He writes two versions, one for the Finns where there's no need to explain the stuff that isn't exotic to them, and an other for everyone else, who don't need to know everything as the exotic things are explained as you run to them). I don't offhand remember any of the exotic bits but they'd be as banal as the milk cartons and tupperware or Swedish wellingtons. (less)

like 1 like · see review

Jan 01, 2012 Lane rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: foreign-setting, scandinavian, mystery

I haven't been able to find Sun Storm, so I had to start with this, the second in the series. I liked it very much. I agree with Lisa that the author has painted Rebecka Martinsson as rather pitiful, but after what she has been through, I feel that it,s probably pretty realistic. The wolf story didn't aggravate me as much as it did some of you, but I tend to be pretty literal, so if it was laden with lots of symbolism, it was lost on me. I did like the fact that the wolf made her own way, got he...more I haven't been able to find Sun Storm, so I had to start with this, the second in the series. I liked it very much. I agree with Lisa that the author has painted Rebecka Martinsson as rather pitiful, but after what she has been through, I feel that it,s probably pretty realistic. The wolf story didn't aggravate me as much as it did some of you, but I tend to be pretty literal, so if it was laden with lots of symbolism, it was lost on me. I did like the fact that the wolf made her own way, got her needs met (even if she did have to mate beneath her normal standards...so to speak). I also thought that since she was headed for the area of Kiruna, we might meet her in later books.

When I read novels set in foreign countries I always get out a map. Kiruna is waaaaay up in the Far North, as they say in Sweden. I enjoyed the insights into the native cultures up there, how they relate somewhat to the 'southerners' , reindeer culture, etc.

Something to keep in mind is that in this book, the main character is more Anna-Maria than Rebecka, which is great by me. Anna-Maria seems to be a very normal type person, contrasted with Rebecka,s antisocial, nerdy traits. The two offset one another and the author does a good job of bringing their 'partnership' to life gradually. A development of trust and mutual interest. (this is more in the next novel, which I am reading now.) I also very much like her partner, Sven-Erik. Of course I love cats like he does, so I warmed up to him right away.

Personally I didn't mind having Rebecka easing back into civilization and civility. I thought it made sense, was a logical step Base d on Rebeckas experiences. I liked the cafe, Mimmi, and Mike...Nalle's coming into Rebecka,s life.

Something I liked a lot in this book was the presentation of the character, 'Mildred, and the people she affected. IMO like so many dogooders, Mildred DoES do a lot of good, but also takes a lot for granted and causes a lot of pain, too. I thought the book did a good job of making her and the people around her very complex. It wasn't easy to tell who was the "good" person and who was the "bad" person at any one point in time. I would have had a hard time getting a lot with Mildred, no doubt in my mind, yet I had to admire much of what she challenged.

Lars-Gunnar and his son, Nalle, were an interesting pair. I could truly feel Lars anger and frustration with Mildred,s interference. That dogoodism, that moral high road, that give some people such power.
The ending came together well.
The Lisa character didn't affect me so much. I just wasn't able to feel her pain. not sure why. Was that relationship not as well developed I the story?
(less)

like 1 like · see review

Nov 25, 2011 Ellie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011ind-chal200bks, nordic-noir, series, mystery, fiction

The Blood Spilt by Åsa Larsson is the second in the series of books featuring Rebecka Martinsson, a tax lawyer working in Stockholm who has been traumatized by her involvement in a murder-three murders in fact. She has not been able to recover from the trauma that took place near her childhood home. Now she has returned to Kiruna and to the scene of another crime, one involving the murder of a priest (as had the first crime). The priest was a controversial, charismatic woman about whom people we...more

like 3 likes · see review

Feb 22, 2011 Bartek rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fanom Skandynawskiego Kryminału

Shelves: 2011

Jeśli dobrze pamiętam, miałem w zasięgu "Burzę z końca świata" wydaną parę lat temu, jednak było to zanim odkryłem uroki skandynawskiego kryminału. W efekcie z Asą Larsson zetknąłem się dopiero teraz. Oczywiście są przywoływane wydarzenia z pierwszej książki cyklu: ba, duża część zachowań bohaterki ma związek z nich wynikającą. Jednak nie są to powiązania tak ścisłe jak w np. trylogii z Oslo Nesbo.
Rebeka Martinsson, młoda prawniczka, pół roku wcześniej, w obronie własnej, zabiła trójkę ludzi. Je...more Jeśli dobrze pamiętam, miałem w zasięgu "Burzę z końca świata" wydaną parę lat temu, jednak było to zanim odkryłem uroki skandynawskiego kryminału. W efekcie z Asą Larsson zetknąłem się dopiero teraz. Oczywiście są przywoływane wydarzenia z pierwszej książki cyklu: ba, duża część zachowań bohaterki ma związek z nich wynikającą. Jednak nie są to powiązania tak ścisłe jak w np. trylogii z Oslo Nesbo.
Rebeka Martinsson, młoda prawniczka, pół roku wcześniej, w obronie własnej, zabiła trójkę ludzi. Jej świadomość bieżących zdarzeń jest mocno ograniczona. Jej szef jest jednak wyrozumiały, wysyła ją do z pozoru lekkiego zadania: ma pomóc w przekonaniu pewnej parafii do korzystania z usług kancelarii. Przy okazji zostaje wysłana do dość nieprzyjemnego zadania- wypowiedzenia mieszkania mężowi zamordowanej niedawno pastor oraz odzyskania kluczy, m. in. od sejfu.
Larsson w swojej powieści wyciąga wątki zapętlonych wzajemnych relacji społecznych - zamordowana pastor miała zdeklarowanych, śmiertelnych wrogów. Każdy z nich miał motyw - żaden nie ukrywa swojej nienawiści. Pastor wzbudzała silne reakcje - do mizoginicznego towarzystwa (interdyscyplinarne skojarzenie z "Do szpiku kości" całkiem uzasadnione) trafiła pastor - kobieta i w dodatku feministka (swoją drogą jestem ciekaw opinii "Frondy", pewnie jest druzgocąca). Dodatkowym powodem do wściekłości jest to, że pozycja mężczyzny w społeczności nie wynikała z jego umiejętności do czegokolwiek, więc mamy okazję zapoznać się z całą galerią pacanów, którzy prócz grozy budzą uśmiech politowania.
Ponadto Larsson analizuje wagę małych czynności. W zasadzie Rebeka robi tylko tyle, że przekazuje pewne dokumenty policji. Nie zajmuje się czynnym śledztwem, stoi na uboczu i powoli wraca do życia. Nie jest to jednak tak łatwe, jak się wydaje - i ona okazuje się "wrogiem z zewnątrz".
Jest to wreszcie powieść o gniewie i paranoi: a raczej o gniewie prowadzącym do paranoi.
W świecie, gdzie ludzie ludziom wilkami, ludzkie uczucia żywi tylko pewna wilczyca...(less)

like · see review

May 06, 2013 Ape rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: crime, scandinavia

Det tog lite tid för mig att komma igång med boken, men efter att jag hade kommit över det, var boken värt att läsa. Typiskt nog, är denna boken del två i en serie. Jag visste inte när jag började, men tänkte att det kändes som om jag hade dykit upp halvvägs i en samtal. Jag lyckas göra detta ganska ofta med den här typen av böcker! Men jag klarade mig ändå och tyckte om boken. Rebecka Martinsson eller vad hon heter... är det meningen att hon är ledmotiv i de här böckerna? För min del var det sa...more

like · see review

Jan 11, 2009 Kathleen Hagen added it

Shelves: 2007-audio-books, 2007-mysteries

The Blood Spilt, by Asa Larsson, B-plus.
Purchased on cassette from audioeditions.com.
This was a good book but with a few awkward spots which might be caused by the translation from Swedish. This is an Inspector Dunlif mystery. The police are called in because a woman priest is found hanging from the organ pipes in the church she served. As the police investigate, they find that this woman had many secrets. Also, she was either loved or hated by others. She was very much a feminist and spoke her...more

like · see review

May 05, 2013 Weaverannie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Het was al lang geleden, dat ik een Scandinavische thriller gelezen had, en deze lag er al een tijdje.
Ik wil niet zeggen, dat ik het boek in een adem heb uitgelezen, daarvoor was het te dik, maar het scheelde weinig.Het boeide me vanaf de eerste bladzijde.
Nader onderzoek wees uit, dat dit het tweede deel was van een serie van vijf boeken. Allemaal met als hoofdpersoon de advocate Rebecka Martinsson. Gelukkig was het boek prima zelfstandig te lezen.
Van VN krijgt het maar twee sterren in de Detect...more

like · see review

Apr 29, 2013 Helen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, from-public-library

The second in the series, setting is Kiruna in the far north of Sweden (lots of interesting background) and the main character is Rebecka Martinsson, a tax lawyer. I think this series probably needs to be read in chronological order (to make sense of Rebecka's rather strange behaviour). The first victim in this case is a woman who is a priest, and I found the church background interesting - not so sure about some of the "wolf" passages, and there is one rather curious unexplained episode towards...more

like · see review

Aug 01, 2011 Carol Carlson rated it 3 of 5 stars

I didn't realize this was the second in a series and I kept waiting to find out how Rebecca kills two people. I guess I should have read the first one first.
The opening is intriguing. Many of the characters are believable, from Sven to Lars. Each of the characters had flaws to deal with and I would have liked Larsson to get more into their psyches, like she did with Lars. What I found most interesting is the different perspectives of those who knew the murdered priest. The men who felt threatene...more

like · see review

Aug 03, 2012 Alberto Garcia rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: novela-negra

UFFFFFFF. A pesar de que el primero me había gustado bastante, este ha sido uno de los que más he sufrido en lo que va de año. Solo lo he terminado porque soy maniático con eso de dejar los libros a medias. Pero he de reconocer, que desde el 60% ha sido una lectura en diagonal.

Todo el ecosistema de personajes me ha parecido confuso. LLegado a un punto, con todos los Winkstromm, Largusson y Tjorvsen, además de que me parecían todos iguales, no sabía si se refería a una persona o al último modelo...more

like · see review

Jan 16, 2013 Minty McBunny rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, january-2013

I read Until Thy Wrath Be Past first, and thought it was stellar. When I realized it was the last in a series I went back and started at the beginning. I found Sun Storm a bit difficult to get through & not as enjoyable, so I wondered what The Blood Split would be like. I was pleasant surprised that it exceeded my every expectation, I'd say I liked it better even than Until Thy Wrath Be Past, which is saying a lot as that was one of my favorite books of last year. I really loved the developm...more

like · see review

May 06, 2013 Melanie rated it 2 of 5 stars

I feel that Larsson writes well. However, like her last book, she provides too much extraneous information. I felt that all the writing about the wolves was pointless and didn't contribute to the story at all. In fact, I skipped reading those paragraphs entirely.

Secondly, it's apparent Larsson hates animals. In both books, there was an unnecessary amount of animal cruelty. Especially in this second book. Was it really necessary for Lisa to kill all the chickens and dogs? Completely heartless. If...more

like · see review

Jul 30, 2011 Cheryl Bradley rated it 4 of 5 stars

Excellent book, the 2nd in the Rebecca Martinsson series. A priest is found beatened and hanged in a church organ chapel in Kiruna, near the area Rebecca grew up. On medical absence from her job as a financial lawyer after killing 3 men to save the lives of 2 children, Rebecca reluctantly finds herself drawn into her old turf by one of the firm's partners, hoping to be able to offer a deal to the local parish for legal advice regarding church matters. Rebecca finds herself drawn to stay on and i...more

like · see review

Jun 24, 2009 Jrobertus rated it 2 of 5 stars

I "read" this book as an unabridged audio on a recent trip. Her writing is good, and the plot had potential, but this never made it as a thriller. It is just waly too slow. It is really a book about feminism and psychology, which is alright, unless you are expecting a detective story. In this one, a lady minister is found murdered and hung up in her church. we then try to figure who done it via an ongoing multi-threaded narrative and lots of flash backs. The priest is polarizing, with strong bac...more

like 2 likes · see review

Sep 08, 2011 Laura rated it 3 of 5 stars

I thought the pacing here was kind of uneven; the descriptions of the location and the small parts about the she-wolf are good inclusions, but I wanted Rebecka to recover quicker than she did. Also, I'm liking some of the other local characters (Sven-Eric, Anna-Maria) less in this book than in the first. But it's an interesting read, and in some ways was stronger than her first book. I'm getting used to the spirituality that runs through her writing, and this story does take some interesting tur...more

like · see review

Jan 24, 2013 Bernie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: scandinavian-crime-fiction

The Blood Spilt is the second in the Rebeka Martinson series by Asa Larsson. Like the first novel the story revolves around a church congregation, in small rural setting. Like the first novel it features the same detectives who investigate the crime. This leaves the central character a little outside the main action but continually drawn in to the story.

A great read with an interesting the story line that draws on the jealousies of a small town and the associated communities. The main character...more

like · see review

Jan 22, 2013 Maria rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: novela-negra, biblioteca

Sorprendentemente me importa un pepino quien mató a la pastora pero quiero saber más de la gente que la rodeaba, incluso de la abogada Rebecka, unos de los personajes más insulsos de la literatura, nórdica o no, que recuerdo. Cada vez que aparece la policía ex embarazada sube el nivel, lo que no se es por que no aparece más. Me da que con este acabo la bibliografía de Larsson...

pues me ha gustado bastante más que el primero, y eso que el misterio como dije antes no me interesaba nada, pero los p...more

like · see review

Dec 10, 2012 Leanne rated it 2 of 5 stars

I can't say that I liked this book that much. I was looking into Swedish thrillers that were renowned/acclaimed/award winning/excellent and this one came up. What I didn't know by any means, is that it was the second of a sort of series about the same character.

The book seemed really limp and slow moving, and the main character was just.... ghastly. There were a lot of "memories" and throw backs to the previous book, which I'm sure made sense to others who read it, but made little sense to me.

It...more

like · see review

Sep 03, 2011 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars

I've been going to town on the Scandinavian mystery writers. I found out belatedly that this book should be read after Sun Storm, which introduces one of the main characters. This story involves a female priest/minister who galvanizes the women in her congregation much to the displeasure of some of the men. She is killed and other bodies start dropping as well. In the mix is a lawyer (from the first book) who grew up in the same area where the killings took place and who is recovering from her i...more

like · see review

Jan 28, 2010 Karen R. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Same lead character as . I loved the beautiful descriptions of wolves and wolf behavior that were interspersed with the story line. Well worth reading for the story of Yellowlegs alone. And for all the individuals lives that are tied in. The story of the woman and her dogs and her lover is very poignant. I don't want to give away the story, but the murders are of people associated with the christian church. ?Are Swedish people particularly religious? Is their state/church linked?
Fast paced read...more

like · see review

Mar 08, 2012 Gail rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: mystery/thiller/suspense fans, especially for people who like character driven fiction

Shelves: scandinavian, mystery-thriller, library-book, 2012-best-books-read

Well, I read book 3 first and just completed book 2, The Blood Spilt. I feel the weight of this story like a heaviness in the heart and an ache of sadness for certain characters. The story of Yellowlegs is told so beautifully, at least Yellowlegs has a happy ending. This story is told with such a haunting tone, Rebecka Martinsson is certainly haunted, but so are many of the characters in this story. The fourth book in this series, Until Thy Wrath be Past, is now available for me at the library s...more

like 1 like · see review

Feb 21, 2011 Lc16 rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

like 1 like · see review

Jan 02, 2012 Maria rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own

Mais uma vez não fiquei desiludida com Åsa Larsson. Depois de Aurora Boreal, livro que já tinha lido anteriormente e que tinha adorado, parti com grandes expectativas para este Sangue Derramado e estas foram largamente superadas. Sequela de Aurora Boreal, aconselho os estreantes de Åsa Larsson a lerem o primeiro livro antes deste, até porque a personagem principal Rebecka Martinsson volta novamente a estar em destaque na resolução dos homicídios que vão surgir na pequena localidade de Kiruna.
Fig...more

like 1 like · see review

Jul 21, 2010 Jennifer rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, scandinavian

I should've liked this mystery, but it wasn't nearly as successful as #1 in the series. What I liked the most in the first one -- Rebecca Martinson -- was actually a liability in this novel. She had changed so much that she was almost unrecognizable. Her character didn't really have a purpose in this novel, so her involvement in the plot was auxiliary and unneeded.

I actually loved the victim of the murder and wished there were more flashbacks to her interactions with her congregation.

Interestin...more

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 96 97 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

combine
Other Editions (41)

More editions...

Genres

Mystery

54 users

Mystery > Crime

41 users

European Literature > Scandinavian Literature

21 users

European Literature > Swedish Literature

14 users

Thriller

13 users

Cultural > Sweden

12 users

Suspense

7 users

Novels

5 users

Thriller > Mystery Thriller

5 users

Adult

4 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

Detective Inspector Huss
by Helene Tursten
Unseen
by Mari Jungstedt
He Who Fears the Wolf
by Karin Fossum
The Darkest Room
by Johan Theorin
Sun and Shadow
by Åke Edwardson

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.

Series:
* Rebecka Martinsson

More about Åsa Larsson...

Books by Åsa Larsson

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

Till offer åt Molok (Rebecka Martinsson, #5)

Den svenske gullrekka - krimnoveller 2011

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About The Blood Spilt

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

title link	preview: The Blood Spilt
avg rating	preview: The Blood Spilt Goodreads rating: 3.67 (1799 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/498371.The_Blood_Spilt?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1175266023l/498371.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/498371.The_Blood_Spilt?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Blood Spilt by Åsa Larsson[/url]

The Blood Spilt (Rebecka Martinsson #2)

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website