The Ice Beneath Her: A Novel

by Camilla Grebe Narrated by Katharine McEwan, John Lee, Justine Eyre

Overview

Acclaimed Swedish author Camilla Grebe makes her solo American debut with a psychological thriller as cunning in its twists as it is captivating in its storytelling-for fans of the celebrated crime fiction of Camilla Läckberg, Jo Nesbø, Ruth Ware, and Fiona Barton.

Winter's chill has descended on Stockholm as police arrive at the scene of a shocking murder. An unidentified woman lies beheaded in a posh suburban home-a brutal crime made all the more disturbing by its uncanny resemblance to an unsolved killing ten years earlier. But this time there's a suspect: the charismatic and controversial chain-store CEO Jesper Orre, who owns the home but is nowhere to be found.

To homicide detectives Peter Lindgren and Manfred Olsson, nothing about the suave, high-profile businessman-including a playboy reputation and rumors of financial misdeeds-suggests he conceals the dark heart and twisted mind of a cold-blooded killer. In search of a motive, Lindgren and Olsson turn to the brilliant criminal profiler Hanne Lagerlind-Schön. Once a valued police asset, now marooned in unhappy retirement and a crumbling marriage, she's eager to exercise her keen skills again-and offer the detectives a window into the secret soul of Jesper Orre.

But they're not the only ones searching. Two months before, Emma Bohman, a young clerk at Orre's company, chanced to meet the charming chief executive, and romance swiftly bloomed. Almost as quickly as the passionate affair ignited, it was over when Orre inexplicably disappeared. One staggering misfortune after another followed, leaving Emma certain that her runaway lover was to blame and transforming her confusion and heartbreak into anger.

Now, pursuing the same mysterious man for different reasons, Emma and the police are destined to cross paths in a chilling dance of obsession, vengeance, madness, and love gone hellishly wrong.

Praise for*The Ice Beneath Her

“Exceptional.”-Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Impressive . . . a tour de force that lifts its author to the front rank among the increasingly crowded field of Nordic noir.”-Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“The Ice Beneath Her deserves to be called a page-turner-I read it in one sitting! The narrative is fast-paced and the twists superb.”-Cecilia Ekbäck, bestselling author of Wolf Winter

Editorial Reviews

MARCH 2017 - AudioFile

A trio of narrators gives voice to Grebe's psychological thriller, told from alternating points of view. John Lee, portraying the the Swedish police detective Peter, brings out the internal conflict of his character while highlighting his unlikable cowardice. Justine Eyre portrays the police department's profiler, Hanne. Eyre delivers Hanne's struggle with early-onset dementia well, but ultimately her character comes across as whiny and consumed with self-pity, making her less believable as a respected professional—and, even worse, a negative stereotype for females. What saves this mediocre plot is Katharine McEwan's portrayal of Emma, the poor shop girl who is wronged by her wealthy boyfriend. McEwan single-handedly delivers the chills, and her performance makes this worth a listen. J.F. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine

Publishers Weekly

★ 09/26/2016
The decapitation of a young woman propels Grebe’s exceptional solo debut, which examines three lives broken by failures to take responsibility in a Stockholm where “even the sky is crying.” Peter Lindgren, the detective investigating the crime, is afraid of commitment and still hasn’t accepted the teenage son he never wanted; shop assistant Emma Bohman, whose now-missing wealthy lover appears to be the prime suspect in the murder, dwells on her painful dysfunctional childhood; and profiler Hanne Lagerlind-Schön, who’s trapped in a suffocating marriage, faces early-onset Alzheimer’s while helping the police with the case. The present-day crime resembles a 10-year-old cold case during which Peter and Hanne shared a short, tragic relationship. In alternating chapters, the three central figures regret what could have been, grieve for what’s been lost, and lament what seemingly can never be, until their bone-rattling self-revelations are redeemed at last by human love. Grebe has collaborated with her sister, Åsa Träff, on the crime series featuring psychologist Siri Bergman (More Bitter than Death, etc.). Agents: Astri Von Arbin Ahlander and Christine Edhäll, Ahlander Agency (Sweden). (Dec.)

From the Publisher

Exceptional.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Impressive . . . a tour de force that lifts its author to the front rank among the increasingly crowded field of Nordic noir.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“The Ice Beneath Her deserves to be called a page-turner—I read it in one sitting! The narrative is fast-paced and the twists superb.”—Cecilia Ekbäck, bestselling author of Wolf Winter

“Slowly and subtly, Camilla Grebe lets The Ice Beneath Her unfold into a multilayered, psychologically nuanced murder mystery in which the truth, rather than drawing nearer, keeps slipping further and further away—until it strikes with full force.”—Arne Dahl, bestselling author of Misterioso

“Tense, gripping, and utterly unpredictable . . . Camilla Grebe is an extraordinarily gifted writer and a master of suspense.”—Kristina Ohlsson, bestselling author of Unwanted

MARCH 2017 - AudioFile

A trio of narrators gives voice to Grebe's psychological thriller, told from alternating points of view. John Lee, portraying the the Swedish police detective Peter, brings out the internal conflict of his character while highlighting his unlikable cowardice. Justine Eyre portrays the police department's profiler, Hanne. Eyre delivers Hanne's struggle with early-onset dementia well, but ultimately her character comes across as whiny and consumed with self-pity, making her less believable as a respected professional—and, even worse, a negative stereotype for females. What saves this mediocre plot is Katharine McEwan's portrayal of Emma, the poor shop girl who is wronged by her wealthy boyfriend. McEwan single-handedly delivers the chills, and her performance makes this worth a listen. J.F. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine

Kirkus Reviews

★ 2016-09-20
Veteran co-author Grebe (More Bitter Than Death, with sa Trff, 2013, etc.) takes her first solo turn in this tale of three troubled souls linked by a horrific crimeand what a turn it is.The discovery of a womans corpse in a Stockholm house is doubly eye-opening, partly because the place belongs to clothing tycoon Jesper Orre, famous for his wealth, hard-nosed bargaining tactics, and uncertain temper, and partly because the corpses severed head was placed standing on the floor to stare at newcomers. The crime is so outr that the closest parallel homicide detective Manfred Olsson can come up with is a cold case he and his partner, Peter Lindgren, worked 10 years ago, the beheading of temp worker Miguel Caldern. In the absence of other leads, Manfred persuades Peter, a train wreck of a man whos particularly hard on women, to call once again on Hanne Lagerlind-Schn, the consulting psychologist who helped with that case. Manfred doesnt know that Peter and Hanne have had a fraught history since then; neither detective knows that Hanne is now struggling with early-onset dementia. As if these arent complications enough, Grebe cuts repeatedly away from the investigation to focus on Emma Bohman, a salesperson at one of Jespers Clothes&More locations whos swept off her feet by the bosshe meets her, takes her to bed, and proposes marriageand is then carried along into a nightmare when Jesper improbably borrows an enormous sum of money from her and disappears from her life, only to return, evidently, while shes out, steal a valuable painting, kill her cat, get her fired, and frame her for robbery. Each of these storiesPeters, Hannes, and Emmasis compelling enough to fuel an entire novel; Grebes skill in weaving them together is impressive. A tour de force that lifts its author to the front rank among the increasingly crowded field of Nordic noir.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940171907204
Publisher:	Penguin Random House
Publication date:	12/27/2016
Edition description:	Unabridged

Read an Excerpt

Chapter 1
(Continues…)

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Excerpted from "The Ice Beneath Her"
by .
Copyright © 2016 Camilla Grebe.
Excerpted by permission of Random House Publishing Group.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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