Very slow to begin with that I almost gave up. Was an unusual plot. But did play out eventually in the end. But not enough to give a higher rating.

The story begins in 1969 where six young people arrive in Uppsala, Sweden; they become friends but a summer trip will change everything. Years later a Lecturer is found dead at the bottom of a cliff, chillingly in exactly the same position as where a body was found 35 years before; is history repeating itself?

This was a very interesting book and I really enjoyed he past and present intertwining to reveal the full story. It was a crime novel with plenty of twists and I would definitely read more by this author.

Thank you to Netgalaley and the publisher for a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review

The cover, the title and the blurb all conspired to draw me towards this book. It even had some great reviews. And it is one of my favourite genres - Scandi noir. But, blimey, it was hard work!

This book was very long. I was reading it over 3 days which is very unusual. This book was also very slooow. But somehow I kept reading - thinking there’s got to be a payoff in here somewhere. Was I right? It’s hard to tell.

A man (Germund Grooth) dies in the present day (2010), he has fallen 20-25 metres to his death from a cliff top. The police need to decide if this was an accident, a suicide or had he been pushed. There would be very little deliberation over this had his former girlfriend (Maria Winckler) not fallen to her death in the exact same spot 35 years ago. Two police officers, Eva Blackman and Gunnar Barbarotti undertake an exhaustive and thorough investigation into both deaths. It is almost impossible to prove anything either way.

There was little drama, no suspense and what ‘twists’ it did have I had actually already surmised. What this story did have in spades was pathos. The whole thing, the six friends about whom the story revolves, were all kind of sad. The characters were extremely well portrayed as you would expect with a long, slow book that I finished rather than defenestrated! But it was still hard work.

There was an ending of sorts so I didn’t have to send the author death threats (just kidding) and the writing was superb. Maybe it lost something in translation? The ending worked but it was sad seeing that all those lives were ruined for the selfishness of one person. I will say no more. Thanks to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for the much appreciated arc which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly.

Håkan Nesser is the master of Swedish detective/ crime novels and the Inspector Gunnar Barbarotti series is proving to be an excellent addition to the genre. This is the fourth in the series and is an incredibly moving story of friendships, marriages and betrayal. Following the death of one of a group of friends in 1975, thirty five years later another of the group dies from a fall from exactly the same cliff top spot ;this opens the case for Barbarotti and Eva Backman. The tale is told through the events of the group meeting in 1970, leading to the first death 1975 and the inclusion of a traumatic holiday event that fractured the friendship; events move to 2010 and the investigation of the second death and the connection- accidents , suicide or murder. Barbarotti and Backman are sympathetic and “ human “ detectives. Yes, both have had marital problems in the past and Barbarotti continues to understand his relationship with his faith but they aren’t “flawed “like so many other detectives- they feel compassionate - and work well as a team. Nesser is a great writer and this is an intricate tale allows the reader to be pulled into the complex world of the principle characters .A winner

This is a book that once I picked up, it totally consumed me. I ended up reading it in one evening as I was so absorbed by what was in front of me and I had to see how everything was going to end… An absolute must-read!