La idílica isla sueca de Gotland se prepara para la temporada turística. Como cada año, Helena, que ahora reside en Estocolmo, vuelve a la isla y celebra con sus amigos el inicio del verano. Pero, el buen ambiente que se respira durante la fiesta se acaba de pronto cuando Per, el novio de Helena, tiene un ataque de celos y reacciona de forma violenta. A la mañana siguiente, la joven sale a pasear con su perro por la playa para reflexionar sobre lo ocurrido y desaparece en la densa niebla. Cuando un vecino descubre su cadáver desnudo y gravemente mutilado, las sospechas recaen inmediatamente sobre Per. Pero algunos días más tarde aparece muerta Frida, una compañera de colegio de Helena, que ha sido asesinada en circunstancias similares. El seguimiento del caso por parte de los medios de comunicación es enorme y el pánico se apodera del pueblo. El comisario de la policía judicial, Anders Knutas, está convencido de que el autor del crimen es un peligroso asesino en serie, que no dudará en atacar de nuevo. En su acelerada investigación contará con la colaboración no siempre deseada del inquieto periodista Johan Berg.

Helt ok standarddeckare. Inget som sticker ut och lite småtrevligt lyssning och avkoppling. Jag saknar djupet i persongalleriet men det känns att Mari kan sitt Gotland och miljöbeskrivningarna är ok. Ok start på serien om Knutas och hans team. ( )

> « Un roman porté par le style nu et le suspense au tempo mesuré, caractéristiques du polar Scandinave. »
—Le Figaro Magazine

One of the best things I have been introduced to here on LT is the concept of reading globally, especially crime novels. Unseen is a great mystery by Swedish author Mari Jungstedt. The story is about a series of murders on the quiet tourist island of Gotland. As three women fall victim one by one, the police are desperately working to find some connection that would explain why this happened to them. By the time the pieces are put together, a fourth woman’s life is in jeopardy.

Along with the steps the police are taking, led by Inspector Anders Knutas, we also are introduced to Johan Berg a journalist who is following the story for a national TV station in Stockholm. The hunt for the killer’s identity unravels slowly, the suspense builds and all the while the killer is nearby, “Unseen”.

In common with all Swedish crime novels, this book is very atmospheric, her descriptions of the island were so real I could practically feel the fog.. The author doesn’t sugar-coat the murders but describes them very graphically so that we experience the true horror of such violence. Characters are well developed and interesting and I look forward to reading the next book in this series. ( )

Unseen is the first in a series by Mari Jungstedt set in Gotland and featuring Inspector Knutas and journalist Johan Berg. The setting on the vacation island with a permanent population of 58,000 that swells to over ten times that during the summer is one of the main draws of the series, as is the emotional drama of both Knutas and Berg. The mystery itself was not my favorite part of the book because it featured a serial killer, but I liked the characters enough to compensate for that storyline.

The murders take place in the month of June as tourist season begins, and they begin with the murder of woman who is a native now living in Stockholm who is visiting for the weekend. Knutas and his team are deeply affected by the murders they are investigating, which is a good touch. Berg, a crime reporter for Regional News television, is embroiled in the murder story and some others, and his scenes are a good picture of the workings of the mass media for sensational stories. He also has a strong personal story that is a thread in this novel that must continue in other books in the series. If Jungstedt, a former journalist, weren’t critical of the press or hadn’t made Berg a human who is affected by the stories he reports, this story would be much harder to take.

This book was not overly innovative, but it was a fairly quick read that focused on characters, which made me able to stand the serial killer storyline. I also thought she balanced the personal story with the investigation very well instead of letting one take precedent over the other. However, I hope the murderer in the other books in the series is a bit more interesting than this one was. My mixed feelings are probably a sign that I need to read something besides police procedurals for awhile, and I am working on it.