54. Unspoken by Mari Jungstedt

Following the success of her first mystery (Unseen), Jungstedt returns to the Swedish island of Gotland for her newest murder mystery. Detective Superintendent Anders Knutas and his partner, Detective Inspector Karin Jacobsson, start out investigating the murder of local alcoholic and gambler Henry Dahlstrom. Henry won five consecutive races at the local track and received 80,000 kronor. His body turns up a week later in his basement where he was developing photographs at the time of his death. Also on the island, 14-year-old Fanny Jansson goes missing after leaving her stable job after school. Her body soon is found strangled to death, and police also find pictures of Fanny that Henry Dahlstrom seems to have taken of Fanny having sex with an older gentlemen. Are the two murders connected? Is the man in the photographs the killer police are looking for?

Full of dramatic suspense and well-placed clues toward the end of this mystery makes the identity of the murderer unexpected for readers. The stark coastal Swedish winter is also a perfect setting for the two murderers. Also important to the book is the relationship between television reporter Johan Berg and Emma Winarve, who are continuing their love affair started in the first mystery. For a review of Jungstedt’s first book, please see http://www.tcpl.org/sarah/2007/01/test.html.