Synopses & Reviews
In the chilling follow-up to Some Kind of Peace, Siri Bergman returns to investigate a brutal murder case centered in the dark world of domestic abuse.It’s a rainy evening in a Stockholm suburb, and five-year-old Tilde is hiding under the kitchen table playing with her crayons, when a man enters and beats her mother to death in cold blood. Tilde can’t quite see the murderer, but she’s the only witness.
Across town, psychologist Siri Bergman and her friend Aina are meeting with their old friend Vijay, who wants them to host a self-help group for victims of domestic abuse. Over the course of several evenings, five very different women share their stories of impossible love, violence, and humiliation. At the same time, Siri finds herself at a crossroads—she’s carrying her boyfriend’s child, but is still beset by doubts and fears.
Swedish sisters Camilla Grebe and Åsa Träff weave all these threads together so that the search for healing and the ability to love again are soon transformed into a hunt for Tilde’s mother’s killer. Everyone is a suspect: the many men in the victim’s life, her own son, even some of the women in the self-help group. Grebe and Träff combine the chills of first-rate crime novels with palpable emotion and personal experience (Träff is a real-life psychologist), as More Bitter Than Death builds to a shocking conclusion.
Review
Praise for
Some Kind of Peace:
“The intensity of Scandinavian crime fiction, its intimacy and human scale, is impressively on display in this novel by Swedish sisters Grebe and Traff. I often feel freezing when reading a thriller from the North, but from the very first page, this compelling fiction paints a warm and lively portrait of a Swedish summer, its beauty and lighthearted spirit, its customary celebrations — so ironic a background for a dark, wrenching, and compelling story.” —Barbara Peters, The Poisoned Pen, Scottsdale, AZ
"This book was phenomenal! I did not want to put it down. When I was forced to, I could not stop thinking about it. Atmospheric, intense , riveting and creepy! The writing is wonderful, the characters nicely developed. I loved that sisters wrote it. What interesting women they must be. I know I should rehash the plot, but I just want to rave about the book. I will insist my mystery book group reads it and recommend it whenever possible. My only regret is that I have read it and now have to wait until the next one comes out. Please tell them to hurry. There are not enough great mysteries out there. Lastly, one of my favorite author's is Tana French. These authors are right up there with her. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read it." —Carole Pozmante, B&N Bookseller
"Tense and chilling, this is a thriller for readers who also enjoyed Camilla Lackberg’s The Ice Princess." —Booklist
"Sisters Camilla Grebe and Åsa Träff dig deep into the cold climes of the human heart in this sharp, atmospheric thriller. First rate writing and unusually absorbing characters. Loved this book.” —Perri O'Shaughnessy, bestselling author of Unlucky in Law and Show No Fear
"Some Kind of Peace is a fast-moving psychological thriller whose plot unfolds from the authors' expert and sensitive consideration of character. Dr. Siri Bergman, haunted by her own loss, finds herself in the midst of danger, the threat coming from a number of possible suspects. Camilla Grebe and Åsa Träff spin a tantalizing story of menace and longing in this provocative and richly rendered novel." —Lee Martin, author of Break the Skin and The Bright Forever
“Grebe and Träff break new ground in the Scandinavian crime literature genre, and they do it brilliantly. Using unique insights and experiences from their own professional backgrounds, they tell a smooth-paced yet utterly intriguing story about man’s inability to let go of the past.” —Kristina Ohlsson, author of Unwanted
Review
“Swedish authors excel at novels of dark suspense, and sisters Grebe and Träff (Some Kind of Peace, 2012) top off this fine psychological thriller with a final, chilling twist.”
Review
“Swedish authors excel at novels of dark suspense, and sisters Grebe and Träff (Some Kind of Peace, 2012) top off this fine psychological thriller with a final, chilling twist.” < -="" b="" -=""> - < -="" i="" -=""> - Booklist - < -="" -=""> - < -="" -="">
Synopsis
It’s a rainy evening in a Stockholm suburb and five-year-old Tilda is hiding under the kitchen table playing with her crayons when a man enters and beats her mother to death in cold blood. The only witness, Tilda can’t quite see the murderer or figure out who he is. But she’s still a witness.
Across town, Siri Bergman and her best friend, Aina, are assisting their old friend Vijay with a research project on domestic abuse. They host a weekly self-help group for survivors, and over the course of several dark, rainy evenings, these women share their stories of impossible love, violence, and humiliation. When the boyfriend of one of the women turns out to be a prime suspect in a high-profile murder case, it isn’t long before Siri finds herself embroiled in the investigation. But as she draws closer to finding the murderer, unexpected developments in her own life force her to wonder: Can she learn to trust a man again in spite of being surrounded by women who have been so deeply betrayed by love?
Synopsis
It’s a rainy evening in a Stockholm suburb and five-year-old Tilda is hiding under the kitchen table playing with her crayons when a man enters and beats her mother to death in cold blood. The only witness, Tilda can’t quite see the murderer or figure out who he is. But she’s still a witness.
Across town, Siri Bergman and her best friend, Aina, are assisting their old friend Vijay with a research project on domestic abuse. They host a weekly self-help group for survivors, and over the course of several dark, rainy evenings, these women share their stories of impossible love, violence, and humiliation. When the boyfriend of one of the women turns out to be a prime suspect in a high-profile murder case, it isn’t long before Siri finds herself embroiled in the investigation. But as she draws closer to finding the murderer, unexpected developments in her own life force her to wonder: Can she learn to trust a man again in spite of being surrounded by women who have been so deeply betrayed by love?
About the Author
Camilla Grebe is a graduate of the Stockholm School of Economics. She was a cofounder of Storyside, a Swedish audiobook publisher, where she was both CEO and publisher during the early 2000s. She lives in Stockholm, Sweden.
Åsa Träff is a psychologist specializing in cognitive behavioral therapy. She runs a private practice with her husband. She lives in Älvsjö, Sweden.