Read and reviewed in exchange for a free copy from NetGalley. I really enjoyed this book. I felt that Edvardsson told the story with multiple narrators really well, giving Ulrika, Adam and Stella unique, authentic voices, although I didn't find any of them especially endearing, perhaps due to the moral quandry the author posed. I thought the concept was fascinating however - how far would you go to protect your child? - and kept me pondering, with the element of faith also strengthening my investment in the story. A gripping read which I sped through to learn what happened. I'd enjoy reading more from this author.

Thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for this Advanced Review Copy.

I had looked forward to reading this book, given that I love a good murder mystery. Sad to say, it just didn't deliver.

The story is translated from Swedish and focuses on family relationships. It starts from the father's point of view, and I found him difficult to connect with. He wasn't a sympathetic or dynamic character at all. Even when the narrative moved on to the other characters, I didn't find myself gelling with any of them. Which meant, of course, that I didn't care what happened to them.

Furthermore, the tale is a long one with a lot of jumping backward and forward, sometimes clumsily. The formatting on the ARC is messy, interrupting the reading constantly. Add to that the many typos, and all in all, this book frustrated rather than thrilled. Consequently, this was a book I struggled to finish.

This read isn't my cup of tea, although the book has a great premise, and the idea of experiencing your daughter--an only child--getting charged with murder and appearing in court is one that had me gripped and full of anticipation.

***

NOTE ON RATINGS: I consider a 3-star rating a positive review. Picky about which books I give 5 stars to, I reserve this highest rating for the stories I find stunning and which moved me.

5 STARS: IT WAS AMAZING! I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN! — Highly Recommended.

4 STARS: I WOULD PULL AN ALL-NIGHTER — Go read this book.

3 STARS: IT WAS GOOD! — An okay read. Didn’t love it. Didn’t hate it.

2 STARS: I MAY HAVE LIKED A FEW THINGS —Lacking in some areas: writing, characterisation, and/or problematic plot lines.

1 STAR: NOT MY CUP OF TEA —Lots of issues with this book.

Having developed a liking for Scandinavian crime novels I was looking forward to reading a new author in that space.
I was immediately intrigued by the plot and its twists and turns. I found the characters interesting and as the mother of teenagers, found the insight into their private world and thoughts gripping. The story kept me guessing, I thought I had worked out the perpetrator but not the motive.

I would be happy to explore more by this author and would recommend the book to fans of crime fiction,.

This is a gripping psychological thriller but it is also much more. As the title suggests this is about a family, which, before the daughter is accused of murder would have considered themselves normal. The story is told from three perspectives, the father, mother and then the daughter. The book explores the family dynamics and this in itself is fascinating. It takes the reader into the Swedish police and justice system and gives an insight into how this works. The characters are skilfully drawn, not just the three main characters but also the characters of friends who are crucial to the plot. The story is well written and the different elements described above are well crafted and clear to the reader. I could not put the book down and the ending did not disappoint.

A very good book, very Scandinavian, it was interesting that different characters viewpoints were told, and gave a different angle to it. Whilst it was quite long, overall it was well written.

Translated from Swedish, this is a murder story with family values at its’ heart.
Adam is a pastor and Ulrika a lawyer they have one daughter, Stella. She has always been difficult, wanting to test boundaries but now at eighteen things are at their most strained ever. Stella has a very close friend, Amina, who she has known for most of her life and with whom she has a very close bond. Recent events though put all their relationships under a huge strain, past events also unfold which have an impact on current ones.
I enjoyed the story on the whole, I didn’t empathise with the characters particularly and felt the continuous use of bad language didn’t add much. Some of the translation felt a bit off.

At the start I would have only given 3 stars as I found the Father ponderous and to me unlikeable but the characterisation of Stella and her mother was much more interesting. This was less about the murder than about the relationships of the characters and how the choices and boundaries we make as parents can affect the child. Stella is a free spirit who is rebellious against her father's controlling nature. He tries to fit her into the mould of his ideal child. A good conclusion and several interesting metaphors. I was glad I persevered.

This story is told from the points of view of the members of this 'nearly normal family'. It starts with Adam, the father, a Swedish pastor who has found out his daughter Stella has been accused of murder. Adam is not a particularly sympathetic character and comes across as somewhat smug. Gradually his family life is revealed to be less than perfect with little details being revealed which are quite disturbing. The narrative moves on to Stella's point of view and we start to see things from the other side. Adam has presented her as almost autistic but in her narrative we find out more about a highly traumatic event which has loomed large in her life. Finally at the trial of Stella we are given Ulrika's viewpoint and it was this that I found most difficult to swallow. Her actions frankly seem unbelievable and I would say are morally reprehensible.

This was an easy read although the English translation was quite stilted in places. The three voices are quite distinct. Although I enjoyed parts of it, I was left feeling dissatisfied as I did find the ending unbelievable. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.

Murder, mystery in Sweden. Very convoluted story, going backwards and forwards, examining in minute detail where things may have started going wrong. Not for me.

I'm not quite sure how to describe this book - it definitely captured my attention but it didn't wow me.

I didn't think that any of the characters were particularly likeable and with no real shock twists it's your average legal thriller.

3 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

I've never read this author before but something about the title and cover made me want to read it.

I'm glad I read it and enjoyed beginning to end. Would recommend and read more.

I have read a few Scandinavian crime novels and was looking forward to reading a new author from that part of the world.

I was immediately gripped by the story and by its twists and turns. I found the characters engaging and the teenagers, in particular, were convincing. The story had me guessing to the very end - I thought I had worked out who had committed the crime but I couldn't guess the why's and how's.

I would definitely read more by this author and would recommend this novel to other fans of crime fiction, especially my teenage students who I think will enjoy relating to characters in their age group who are often under-represented in adult fiction.

I instantly really liked the way Edvardsson writes and found that I settled into the story easily. As I read on and discovered the book was split into three parts with three different POVs, I was pleased that each character was easily distinguishable from the last and had their own 'voice' as this isn't always a skill that authors have been able to master in previous books I've read. Pretty much all of the characters are flawed in some way, an accurate representation of us all, I feel.

The story centres around a whodunnit plot involving daughter Stella but it is the family dynamics that is most fascinating and also incredibly realistic. I also really liked the setting of Sweden. There are a few neat little twists rather than anything huge but I really don't feel that was an issue in such a well-written story. Ultimately, the book touches on several important topics and left me asking what would I do in the character's situation? How far would I go?

It was very gripping and exciting and you can’t believe what lengths people go to to save their child it was very brave. I found the beginning of the book a bit tedious but when it got to the part of Stella it got better and better and enjoyed it, would recommend.

This was really great. I loved how the story unfolded as each person's point of view emerged. The characters were believable and intriguing and the story moved along so quickly. The device of having three potentially unreliable narrators was very clever and kept me guessing all the way through.

I received this as an ArC from Netgalley. A young girl is arrested for murder- she is your daughter, How far would you go to protect her? The Sandells are a normal family whose lives begin to unravel as Stella becomes involved with a man almost twice her age. When he is murdered the police are quick to put suspicion upon her and seem to collect evidence to support that. The book is told through the narratives of The Father, The Daughter and The Mother. There is some repetition of events but with new twists at each telling. Edvardsson has captured the personalities well on paper and manages to keep the reader questioning while leaking out parts of the storyline as the book progresses. The perpetrator is always up for question and my suspicions shifted whilst reading. Quite apart from the narrative the author asks a valid question in just how much you are willing to do to protect your family. The book is more than just an investigative process and examines personality and interactions with the system. I really enjoyed the conversations with the psychologist which i thought added depth to the book. I would certainly read more from this author

What lengths would you go to, to protect your child? A novel which is multi layered and complex. A story told from three different angles. Makes you question your own moral choices and compass throughout life.

MT Edvardsson writes a compelling psychological thriller in the dark and disturbing Scandi-Noir tradition which gives the reader insights into Swedish law. Set in the small Swedish city of Lund, a highly respectable and upstanding local family, Adam, a Church of Sweden pastor, his wife, Ulrika, an ambitious go getting criminal defense lawyer, are horrified and shocked when their strong willed, volatile teenage daughter, Stella, is arrested on suspicion of the brutal murder of a wealthy shady older businessman, Chris. Stella, and her best friend, Amina, had met Chris a few weeks previously. The narrative is delivered from the perspective of Adam, Ulrika and Stella, where the focus is less on crime, and more on a character driven study of dysfunctional family dynamics of a 'nearly normal' family.

In a complex and multilayered story, we find out more about Adam, Ulrika and Stella, how Adam's expectations of Stella and Ulrika's intense focus on her career has resulted in a poor relationship with their daughter. We learn of Stella's rape by church camp counselor when she was 15, and Adam's dark obsession in Stella's personal life. The narrative goes back and forth in time to give us a picture of the family through time. In the present, convinced of Stella's innocence, Adam decides to look more deeply into the murder, as his life begins to increasingly spin off the rails. The trial is a riveting affair, in this suspenseful tale with some surprising twists.

This is a psychological thriller of morality and ethics, family, that asks how far will parents go to protect their daughter? There are the requisite unreliable and unlikeable narrators, secrets, and a web of lies and deceit that surround a normal Swedish family. Edvardsson highlights how people are defined by life's trials and tribulations, and questions the concept of a 'normal' family. This is an absorbing read, my favourite part was the trial. This novel is for fans of Scandi-Noir and crime fiction. Many thanks to Pan Macmillan for an ARC.

Wow, what an amazing thriller. I loved this book! Once I started it, I couldn’t put it down. It’s fast paced and keeps you intrigued throughout due to the complex characters. This is the first book I’ve read by this author but I’ll definitely be reading more in the future.

Such an intriguing tale, keeps you guessing right until the end. I found the story both tragic and absorbing. I haven't read from this author before but would happily do again.