The Shadow Woman: A Chief Inspector Erik Winter Novel
Swedish crime-novelist Edwardson writes thrillers that bristle with psychological intrigue. In this fifth entry in his series featuring Chief Inspector Erik Winter, the policeman investigates the murder of Helene Anderson, whose body was found in a local park. Armed with few clues, Winter soon learns that the young woman left behind a child who may still be alive. Further probing leads him more than two decades back in time to a bank robbery in Denmark that a very young Helene likely witnessed. (The perpetrators remain at large, a source of great frustration for local law enforcement.) Winter travels to Denmark, and soon a cold case turns hot. Back on the home front, the inspector must contend with the annual Gothenburg Party, a hedonistic free-for-all that prompts riots among nativist gangs. This time Edwardson compensates for a somewhat sluggish plot with a cast of compelling characters and vivid renderings of a landscape that is by turns beautiful and bleak. --Allison Block