The Preacher - by Camilla Läckberg (Paperback)

About the Book

In the sequel to "The Ice Princess, " a series of sadistic murders spanning two generations remains unsolved--and time is running out for the next victim.

Book Synopsis

Hot on the heels of her phenomenal American debut, The Ice Princess, Camilla Läckberg brings readers back to the quiet, isolated fishing village in Sweden where dangerous secrets lie just beneath the community's tranquil surface.

During an unusually hot July, detective Patrik Hedstrom and Erica Falck are enjoying a rare week at home together, nervous and excited about the imminent birth of their first baby. Across town, however, a six-year-old boy makes a gruesome discovery that will ravage their little tourist community and catapult Patrik into the center of a terrifying murder case.

The boy has stumbled upon the brutally murdered body of a young woman, and Patrik is immediately called to lead the investigation. Things get even worse when his team uncovers, buried beneath the victim, the skeletons of two campers whose disappearance had baffled police for decades. The three victims' injuries seem to be the work of the same killer, but that is impossible: the main suspect in the original kidnappings committed suicide twenty-four years ago.

When yet another young girl disappears and panic begins to spread, Patrik leads a desperate manhunt to track down a ruthless serial killer before he strikes again.

Review Quotes

Lackberg s many-layered story features plot twists and turns galore . Patrik and Erica continue to evolve, leading readers to become increasingly involved in their lives. Stieg Larsson fans seeking more Nordic crime fiction may want to try Sweden s top-selling crime writer. Lackberg is also highly recommended for readers who like mysteries set in foreign countries.

Lackberg weaves a solid thriller that will gratify fans of Liza Marklund, Stieg Larsson, and the team of Anders Roslund and Borge Hellstrom. This fast-paced tale ensures Lackberg s place on the A-list of Scandinavian crime writers.

Swedish bestseller Lackberg's worthy second thriller set in the coastal town of Fjallbacka (after The Ice Princess) opens with a grim discovery-the naked fresh corpse of Tanja Schmidt, a German tourist, on top of the skeletal remains of two young women, later identified as Mona Thernblad and Siv Lantin.... The troubled Hults, from conniving founder (known as the Preacher) to philandering spouses, show a Ross Macdonaldesque love of twisted family relationships, while Lackberg's colorful, diverse police force, staffed with the competent, the incompetent, and the merely distracted, recalls the humanist touch of Dutch author Janwillem van de Wetering.

About the Author

Camilla Lackberg worked as an economist in Stockholm until a course in creative writing triggered a drastic career change. She is now one of the most profitable native authors in Swedish history. Her novels have sold worldwide in thirty-five countries. She lives with her husband and children in a quaint suburb of Stockholm.