Good Night, My Darling
This novel by yet another accomplished Swedish crime writer takes a while to get going, but once it does, readers had better hang on. Originally published in 1998, and available here for the first time, the very atmospheric, somewhat claustrophobic story concerns Justine, a wealthy woman approaching middle age, who, after a tormented childhood and a not-much-better adulthood, figures it's time to free herself of the horrible memories that are beating her down. This involves a considerable amount of revenge against the people who made her life so miserable, but rather than go the traditional slice-and-slash route, the author focuses more on what's happening inside Justine's head, the emotional toll that settling old scores takes on her. It's an interesting approach--we don't exactly root for Justine, but we empathize with her--and the novel is one of those psychological thrillers that settles into a dark corner of your mind and just sits there, hanging around long after you have moved on to other things.David PittCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved