Fjällbacka (English)

A local woman is killed in a tragic car crash, but it isn't a clear-cut drunk driving case. The victim's blood contains high alcohol levels, but she rarely drank a drop. Meanwhile, a reality TV show begins shooting in the town, and as cameras shadow the stars' every move, tempers start to flare. When a drunken party ends with an unpopular contestant's murder, all eyes turn to the cast and crew. Could there be a murderer among them? The ratings spike as the country tunes into a real-life murder mystery. Detective Patrik Hedstrom finds himself increasingly unable to focus on the strange circumstances of the first case, but what if that holds the key to a series of other unsolved cases across Sweden? Under the unforgiving media spotlight, Patrik tackles his toughest investigation yet.

Crime writer Erica Falck is shocked to discover a Nazi medal among her late mother's possessions. Haunted by a childhood of neglect, she resolves to dig deep into her family's past and finally uncover the reasons why. Her enquiries lead her to the home of a retired history teacher. He was among her mother's circle of friends during the Second World War but her questions are met with bizarre and evasive answers. Two days later he meets a violent death. Detective Patrik Hedström, Erica's husband, is on paternity leave but soon becomes embroiled in the murder investigation. Who would kill so ruthlessly to bury secrets so old? Reluctantly Erica must read her mother's wartime diaries. But within the pages is a painful revelation about Erica's past. Could what little knowledge she has be enough to endanger her husband and newborn baby? The dark past is coming to light, and no one will escape the truth of how they came to be...

Christian Thydell's dream has come true: his debut novel, The Mermaid, has been published to rave reviews. So why is he as distant and unhappy as ever? When crime writer Erica Falck, who helped Christian discover and develop his talents, learns he has been receiving anonymous threats, she investigates not just the messages but also the young author's mysterious past. Then, one of Christian's closest friends, Magnus, goes missing. Erica's husband, Detective Patrik Hedström, has his worst suspicions confirmed as the mind-games aimed at Christian and those around him become a disturbing reality. Within Christians group of friends-a "gang of four" from childhood-is a tangle of relationships, love triangles, and family secrets that Erica and Patrick must unravel to discover what really happened to Magnus and who is still threatening Christian. But, with the victims themselves concealing evidence, the investigation is going nowhere. Is their silence driven by fear or guilt? And what is the secret they would rather die to protect than live to see revealed?

Detective Patrik Hedstrom is no stranger to tragedy. A murder case concerning Fjällbacka's dead financial director, Mats Sverin, is a grim but useful distraction from his recent family misfortunes. It seems Sverin was a man who everybody liked yet nobody really knew - a man with something to hide ...His high school sweetheart, Nathalie, has just returned to Fjällbacka with her five-year-old son - perhaps can she shed some light on who Sverin really was? However, Nathalie has her own secret. If it's discovered, she will lose her only child. As the investigation stalls, the police have many questions. But there is only one that matters: Is there anything a mother would not do to protect her child?

Discover the Queen of Scandi-crime Camilla Lackberg with these three thrillers - books 4, 5 and 6 in her 12 million copy international bestselling detective series, featuring Patrik Hedström and Erica Falck. The Stranger: A series of tragic road accidents and the murder of a reality TV contestant mark the end to a quiet winter for Detective Patrik Hedström. The Hidden Child: The discovery of a Nazi medal in her late mother's belongings leads Erica Falck to dig into her family's past, and drag a dark truth from WW2 into the light... The Drowning: When a local author and his circle of friends receive death threats, his mentor crime writer Erica Falck investigates. But as the victims conceal evidence, what is the secret they would die to protect?