The Ice Princess, by Camilla Läckberg

The Ice Princess
Camilla Läckberg

Publisher: Free Press
Release Date: March 29, 2011 (1st: 2002)
Series: Patrik Hedstrom (#1)
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Pages: Paperback, 400
Source: Publisher
Rating: 4/5 (Avg 3/5)

The American debut of internationally bestselling Swedish writer Camilla Lackberg’s haunting first novel. Returning to her hometown of Fjallbacka after the funeral of her parents, writer Erica Falck finds a community on the brink of tragedy. The death of her childhood friend, Alex, is just the beginning. Her wrists slashed, her body frozen in an ice-cold bath, it seems that she has taken her own life.

Erica conceives a book about the beautiful but remote Alex, one that will answer questions about their own shared past. While her interest grows into an obsession, local detective Patrik Hedstrom is following his own suspicions about the case. But it is only when they start working together that the truth begins to emerge about a small town with a deeply disturbing past.

I don't get to read mysteries and thrillers much anymore. When I do, I hold them to a standard a little higher than I set most books. I think that it's safe to say The Ice Princess lived up to that obligation.

This was an enjoyable read. It held everything that a good mystery should. There was a lot of plot, a good deal of suspense and just the right amount of background to help the story move along, as well as setting up information for the next book. Not only was the story well-written, but the characters really popped for me. They had dimension, complete with their own personalities that set them apart from others in the book. The main character was great. You really felt as though you were right there with Erica the entire time.

From the crime to the mystery, almost everything in this book was good. The only place I felt that it fell short was when things really started falling into place - it almost felt a little stale at moments. Stale or not, it wasn't enough to make me not finish the book. This was definitely a nice read to sit down to on a dreary day.