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The Swedish Girl

(DCI Lorimer #10)

Alex Gray

3.88 · Rating details · 786 ratings · 67 reviews

Eighteen-year-old Kirsty Wilson can't believe her luck when she lands a room in a luxury Glasgow flat owned by the beautiful Eva Magnusson, a wealthy fellow student from Stockholm. But her initial delight turns to terror when Kirsty finds the Swedish girl lying dead in their home and their male flatmate accused of her murder. Kirsty refuses to accept that he is guilty and, ...more

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Hardcover, 368 pages

Published March 7th 2013 by Sphere (first published January 1st 2013)

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Jan 11, 2018 Magdalena aka A Bookaholic Swede rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2018

I couldn't pass up the chance to read this book with a title like this. I mean The Swedish Girl. It's like it's written just for me...

Anyway, I have read a couple of Lorimer books by now and this one is one of the best so far. I quite enjoyed the storyline with a young girl getting murdered it what seems like an open an shut case. But, is it really so. Jo Grant, the police in charge seem to think so. However, Kirsty, one of the roommate with Eve, the Swedish girl, doesn't believe that her fellow ...more

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Apr 16, 2015 Linda Strong rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: edelweiss-librarything, read-in-2017

3.5 Stars

DS Lorimer is back to his old station, but is now the boss. It doesn't take long for a new murder investigation only this time he has to wait for his team to keep him updated.

Eva Magnusson a beautiful, rich college student. Her flatmates are Kirsty, daughter of another detective and Colin, Roger and Gary ... all handpicked by her father.

Kiisty is absolutely horrified to find Eva lying dead in their home, a vicitm of murder. And she is horrified when the police arrest the one man Kirsty ...more

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Jan 14, 2018 Georgia rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, ebook, reviewcopy, readathon18, b-r-a-ce-2018, 2018

Find more in Chill and read
DCI Lorimer, now DS Lorimer, is back in his old division, only that he is now the boss. He has a team of capable officers working for him in the 10th installment of the series taking place in Scottish city of Glasgow.

Eva Magnusson is a beautiful Swedish student at the University. She is leaving in a newly owned flat, her father bought for her, in a poss district of the city. Her flatmates, all hand picked by her father, are four. Kirsty, a detective’s daughter and the Find more in Chill and read
DCI Lorimer, now DS Lorimer, is back in his old division, only that he is now the boss. He has a team of capable officers working for him in the 10th installment of the series taking place in Scottish city of Glasgow.

Eva Magnusson is a beautiful Swedish student at the University. She is leaving in a newly owned flat, her father bought for her, in a poss district of the city. Her flatmates, all hand picked by her father, are four. Kirsty, a detective’s daughter and the only other girl in the flat, Colin, Roger and Gary. Two girls and three boys, what could go wrong?

Truth be told, the five of them make a very good company all together. Until one night, when Kirsty returns to the flat after work expecting to find it it empty, as all her mates were at a party, and she actually finds Eva, the Swedish girl. Only she is dead. Murdered actually. As one of her friends is accused with the murder and being locked up until the trial, Kirsty finds it difficult to believe that this kind boy would be capable of such an act, Therefore, she contacts DS Lorimer, who is now her father’s boss and ask for his help in finding the Eva’s killer.

To be honest here, this is the first of the Lorimer books I’ve ever read. However, I had no difficulty connecting the dots and following the Detective’s character along the book, neither that of any other character in the story. The author does a pretty good job displaying all the information to make the reader understand who is who and their characters, without having to go back in time to understand the very essence of their existence. Whenever there is reference to the past, it is done in such way that the abstract information is there and out for the reader, without implying any hidden stories.

Lorimer’s character is the series star, however, it seems that the whole investigation team as well as other characters play significant role into the narration, which is a very good thing actually. I loved the fact that he is not a detective with issues and that he does enjoy a good cup of coffee or tea through the book!

The story is told from different angles and we can see how the different characters are built, how the feel and what they think during the course of the story. There are a few suspects that could be responsible for the girl’s death and the author is taking us from one to the other by revealing every little detail that could be each one’s motive. There’s even a parallel case that the detective’s team is working on, on what turns out to be a serial killer, that could be connected to Eva’s case. It works as a hope for the girl and detective as well, so as to set free the poor boy they believe to be innocent.

One thing that I did not like about the book is a female character that played significant role in the boy’s arrest. Eva’s case is headed by DI Jo Grant, a beautiful, strong opinionated, tough female cop that dresses pretty fashionably and arrests people with very little evidence. How could a district attorney allow this arrest with only so little in hand? And even if this is not how things are done in Scotland, why should there be a female character making that mistake? It goes without saying that a cop’s job is harder for women, as they have to work twice hard as their male colleagues to prove themselves. I would not expect a female writer to support the idea that female cops don’t do a good job and jump into conclusions very easily. Even though, there were second thoughts from the DI’s side, no matter how she did not like the fact that her superior was investigating a case she considered closed, behind her back.

And that, is the background plot that adds to the story! ...more

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Jan 04, 2014 Jacky rated it it was ok

A good storyline. However some of it difficult to accept. Do the police really suggest that members of the public conduct their own investigations and carry out searches?

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Mar 30, 2014 Sandy rated it it was ok · review of another edition

This is one of a series featuring Glasgow Det. Superintendent Bill Lorimer. All the regulars are back: his wife Maggie (teacher), Prof. Solly Brightman (psychologist/profiler) & Dr. Rosie Fergusson (police pathologist/Solly's wife).
Due to cutbacks, Lorimer has been returned to his old station but now he's the boss & he's welcomed with open arms. He doesn't have long to settle in before they catch their first murder case.
Eva Magnusson seemed to have everything. Money, beauty, brains & a doting fa This is one of a series featuring Glasgow Det. Superintendent Bill Lorimer. All the regulars are back: his wife Maggie (teacher), Prof. Solly Brightman (psychologist/profiler) & Dr. Rosie Fergusson (police pathologist/Solly's wife).
Due to cutbacks, Lorimer has been returned to his old station but now he's the boss & he's welcomed with open arms. He doesn't have long to settle in before they catch their first murder case.
Eva Magnusson seemed to have everything. Money, beauty, brains & a doting father. She came to Glasgow from Sweden for university & lived with 4 roomies in a gorgeous flat. Everyone she met was struck by her perfect manners & appearance. Too bad it was all a facade.
When her flatmate Kirsty Wilson gets home late one night, she finds Eva dead on the living room floor. Her father is DS Wilson, one of the cops from Lorimer's station. Although he assigns the case to DI Jo Grant, Lorimer takes more than a passing interest in the investigation.
And so it begins. Initial evidence points to Colin, one of the young men also living in the flat & he's quickly arrested. Then a second young woman is assaulted. Her resemblance to Eva is startling...have they got the wrong guy?
Meanwhile, Kirsty can't accept her room mate is a killer & starts her own investigation. Encouraged by Lorimer, she goes through Eva's things & soon finds some clues to pass on. It becomes apparent the Swedish girl had a few secrets & as the team continues digging, they can hardly keep up with the number of credible suspects.
Sounds like a real page turner, right? Oddly enough, not. This book got me thinking about how our tastes can change as we expand our reading lists with new authors & genres. I read several of the older books in this series years ago but for some reason hadn't picked one up for awhile. I remembered enjoying them so decided to jump back in with this instalment.
But I guess my preferences have changed as I found this a slow & unchallenging read. I almost put it down several times during the first half but hate to put any book on the DNF pile so kept slogging away.
This is not the Lorimer I remember. He comes across as indecisive & constantly second guesses himself, strange qualities for a superintendent. He quickly takes an active role & it consumes his thoughts on & off the job. There's no mention of any other cases or duties that would surely require his attention. Also, it's difficult to believe an officer at his level would not only encourage a civilian involved in the case (Kirsty) to carry out their own investigation but divulge confidential information to her concerning what they've uncovered.
DI Jo Grant is a familiar stereotype as the tough young female cop (although she dressed better than most in popular fiction). She is remarkably close minded & barely skirts insubordination in her dealings with Lorimer. When her speedy arrest of Colin is questioned, her first thought is for herself & the effect on her career, not the suffering of a possibly innocent young man sitting in jail. As for the arrest itself, it's made on the basis of extremely weak evidence & just didn't seem credible. I'm hardly an expert on police procedure but I think any lawyer worth their salt would have had him out PDQ.
At the core of these novels are the relationships between Lorimer, Maggie, Solly & Rosie. The two couples are close friends & frequently get together. It's all very nice, polite and...dare I say it...bland (gasp).
There are several more assaults on pretty blondes as the book progresses (and Colin remains banged up) & this is the only aspect of the plot that creates any suspense as you'll figure out early on who killed Eva.
So this is where I apologize to the author & say it's not you...it's me. We've grown apart. Readers who have been faithful fans of these books over the years will find much the same here & no doubt enjoy this instalment as they have the others.
...more

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Jan 31, 2015 Jenifer Mohammed rated it it was amazing

Shelves: hard-boiled

This story will keep you guessing to the very end as you try to figure out who killed Eva. Gray does a wonderful job of giving you lots of clues and insights into each of the characters and their motives. Then the reader must try to figure out who the murderer or murderers are. I am hooked on Gray's mysteries and her intriguing characters.

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Jan 03, 2019 Patty rated it it was amazing

The Swedish Girl
By
Alex Gray

What it's all about...

Murders of young joggers are occurring and actually increasing in frequency. The women who are murdered are similar in appearance. However a young girl is murdered in the house she lives in. The problem is trying to establish a connection with the other murders or even if there is one. And a housemate has been accused and jailed for this murder. But is he the one? Many secrets and lies come out about the murdered housemate that connect other peopl ...more

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Jan 17, 2015 CuteBadger rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I've read a few of Alex Gray's Lorimer books, but not for a while so it was great to meet the regular characters again and find out what they're up to. The plot was clever, with a satisfying reveal, and we get to spend some time in Sweden - an interesting comparison with Glasgow.

All in all I enjoyed it a great deal and will now be filling in the gaps with the series' books I haven't read.

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Aug 30, 2016 Jane rated it liked it

This is the first book by Alex Gray I have read. I quite enjoyed this although at times I thought it was quite predictable and the interaction between the police and a member of the public "sleuthing " didn't quite ring true. Another Scottish author but for me well behind Ian Rankin or James Oswald in terms of the quality of the writing - not sure if I will read another one.

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Jun 08, 2014 Christine Lapping rated it it was ok

This was so obvious, the dialogue was clunky, the relationship between Kirsty and Lorimer was unbelievable - as if a senior police officer would act in that way! I won't be wasting any of my time reading more of these.

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Nov 23, 2013 Connie Wisniewski rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This is probably one of the best books I have ever read. Plot and characters are unforgettable. This is the first Alex Gray book I have read, but it won't by my last.

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Nov 25, 2014 Colin David rated it it was ok

Rambling storyline, and poor police work even for Glasgow! Story could have been so much better, my times in a flat in Hyndland were much more exciting and no one got killed!

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Oct 18, 2015 Lucy rated it it was ok

I thought the plot was ok, but the writing was a bit overblown and simplistic. Glad I only paid 50p!

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Feb 02, 2014 Jon rated it liked it

Decent enough but the premise seems a bit shallow.

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Jan 07, 2018 Zeb Kantrowitz rated it really liked it

Shelves: edleweiss-read

Review of “Swedish Girl” by Alex Gray

This is the tenth (of fourteen) installment of the “Lorimer and Brightman” series of police procedurals based in Glasgow Scotland. Lorimer has just been returned to his old precinct and been promoted to Detective Superintendent. His biggest problem is to be the senior detective and not being out on “the streets” doing the actual investigations.

Eva Magnusson is the only daughter of a wealthy Swedish manufacturer. Not only is she a well-to-do exchange student b Review of “Swedish Girl” by Alex Gray

This is the tenth (of fourteen) installment of the “Lorimer and Brightman” series of police procedurals based in Glasgow Scotland. Lorimer has just been returned to his old precinct and been promoted to Detective Superintendent. His biggest problem is to be the senior detective and not being out on “the streets” doing the actual investigations.

Eva Magnusson is the only daughter of a wealthy Swedish manufacturer. Not only is she a well-to-do exchange student but she is also the stereotypical Scandinavian blond, thin and attractive. She has an outgoing and pleasing personality, and all the men at school are attracted to her.

In order to help her get used to Scotland, her father has bought her an apartment that allows her to rent rooms to four other students. Her father ‘interviews’ her prospective roommates, and settles on one girl and four boys. The girl (Kirsty) happens to be the daughter of one of Lorimer’s colleagues, a detective sergeant. The five students seem to get along well and have settled into school.

They tend to party together and on a Saturday night they are all at a friend’s flat. Eva leaves early, as does one of the boys. When Kirsty returns to the flat, she finds Eva on the floor, she is dead, and she has been strangled. One of the boys is arrested for the murder. Kirsty knows the boy is not just a ‘gentle’ soul but the last person you would suspect of murder.

Without her father knowing, Kirsty goes to Lorimer, telling him about her suspicion. Lorimer is at sixes and sevens. He doesn’t want to interfere with the first murder investigation as a Superintendent. The investigation discovers that Eva has had multiple assignations, so there are multiple suspects as to which lover could be the killer.

The story is nicely paced and the major characters are all well described. There are no red herrings, but you have to pay attention to all the peripheral information that Gray throws out.

Note: this was a free eBook from Edelweiss

Zeb Kantrowitz zworstblog.blogspot.com zebsblog@gmail.com
...more

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Jan 16, 2018 Joan rated it liked it

This novel is another great one featuring DCI Lorimer. I have read several in the series and continue to enjoy the combination of police procedure and character development. I am getting to know Lorimer, his wife and their friends better. The plot revolves around finding a murderer through understanding the personalities of the victim and the suspects. While there were some hints along the way, the culprit was a surprise to me.

I recommend this novel and the series to those who like a mystery in ...more

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Jul 12, 2020 Morag rated it liked it

Another enjoyable read from Alex Gray.
Eva, a young Swedish woman is found dead in her Glasgow flat (recently bought for her by her businessman father). One of the flatmates is chief suspect and sent to Barlinnie to await his trial. Another flatmate, Kirsty, is convinced of his innocence and persuades DCI Lorimer to look more closely into the case, while she does a bit of 'digging' herself.
The neighbour across the landing is dour and complaining. His daughter wants to sell his flat and move to a ...more

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Dec 09, 2017 Kathleen Gray rated it it was amazing

I've not read all of the Lorimer novels (they're only now being issued in the US) so this was a more or less a standalone for me- but it was also a return to some terrific characters. Lorimer and his pals Solly, Rosie, and Jo are all well rounded and entirely believable as a team who investigate murder in Glasgow. Lorimer has his issues to be sure but he's not the tortured detective cliche. In this case, the team takes on the case of a student accused of killing his wealthy flatmate- Eva. Who wa ...more

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Jan 24, 2018 Kerry Pickens rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-2018

This was a book that was a dark horse for me, and I enjoyed reading it. I had never heard of the author before. The story involves some Glasgow college students living in a shared apartment, and one of the girls is murdered in the apartment. The plot thickens as it is discovered that the victim, the Swedish girl, was very promiscuous and had sex with another roommate, Colin, prior to her murder. So Colin is sent up awaiting his trial for murder, while more murders occur with the same MO. Finding ...more

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Aug 15, 2018 Alison Cairns rated it it was amazing

Another excellent Lorimer story from Alex Gray. As always I love the Glasgow references and following the settings of the story. This was a good one, uncomfortable at times, but I had my trust in Lorimer, back in his native A Division. It will be interesting to see how the dynamic with DI Grant works out in future stories and how Lorimer settles into his senior role. I enjoy the relationships between the characters - Lorimer and Maggie, Solly and Rosie - that we follow from book to book. I felt ...more

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Jul 11, 2018 Vivien rated it liked it

Shelves: 2018-read

Another audio book which was quite enjoyable.
It was clear without reading the blurb on the back that the wrong man was arrested initially and it made me cross as there did not seem to be any evidence on which to charge him (although why he and all his friends felt the need to lie to the police was beyond me!). Apart from that the investigation was interesting but not gripping.

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Mar 16, 2020 Paul rated it really liked it

I really enjoyed this crime story and the outcome was not entirely predictable with a few red herrings thrown in. I read it very quickly to find out who did what. There was quite a lot of incidental information about family lives of the characters which I thought unnecessary though might be character building for follow ups.

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Dec 06, 2017 Joyce rated it really liked it

Shelves: alex-gray-di-lorimer

Enjoyed the book although I had an ingling that it was the old man who committed the murder although I didn’t know why. In comparison to Peter May/Peter James, Alex Gray is a bit of an easier read!!!!

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Jul 17, 2017 Joanne rated it it was ok

Writing and characterisation OK, but the plot and in particular the ending was weak and implausible. Not sure if I'd read another book by this author.

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Sep 29, 2017 Karen wadey rated it really liked it

This was a very enjoyable solid Scottish crime novel. I loved the characters and enjoyed the story especially the swedish twist. I will certainly be reading more by Alex Gray.

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Nov 13, 2017 Nicky Mottram rated it liked it

Shelves: crime

Ok read, though thought that the Detective Inspector made massive frustrating errors in arresting the suspect with a distinct lack of evidence!!

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Mar 02, 2018 AILEEN TAYLOR rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

A good read

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It brought Glasgow to life. Looking for ward to reading another of this author's books.

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Mar 14, 2018 Robert Dunn rated it really liked it

Good police murder mystery set in Glasgow. Who killed Eva was obvious from the beginning. Who was Eva took most of the book to determine. Good read.

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Mar 17, 2018 Siobhan Harrop-McDiarmid rated it liked it

Good solid story

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Jun 03, 2018 Louise Grant rated it it was amazing

best Alex gray book I have read yet!

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About Alex Gray

Alex Gray

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Alex Gray was born and educated in Glasgow. She worked as a folk singer, a visiting officer in the DSS and an English teacher. She has been awarded the Scottish Association of Writers Constable and Pitlochry trophies for her crime writing.