The Sandhamn Murders... Buried in Secret (REVIEW)

In this era of “whatever-book-is-popular-will-be-streaming-next-week” (okay, probably next year, but close enough), we’ve come to expect differences between what’s on the page and that moment when the filmed version almost inevitably hies off on its own. (Game of Thrones. The Walking Dead. True Blood. All started off using the origin stories as roadmaps, but eventually opted to take divergent forks along their respective byways.) 

Such variances matter little if you only read the print version, or watch just the televised one, but, when you read the book(s) first, you have certain expectations about what characters look or sound like, how they act, and where the story goes. The same holds true when you see the filmed version first, then follow up with the book; you think you know what to expect, but often, what you find isn’t really the same.

My experience with Swedish author Viveca Sten started out the latter way: I found—then happily plowed through a few seasons of—the TV series based on her books, The Sandhamn Murders, prior to ever sitting down to read her… and then, when I finally did, it was her latest, Buried in Secret (which is actually the tenth book in the series).

So, two things. I have a lot of viewing to draw from, in what I expect/think I know about Stockholm-based financial lawyer, Nora Linde, and her family and friends on the island of Sandhamn, where she has a summer house… but I realize that a lot of things have been happening differently on all those pages I’ve missed, coming into the printed side of things so late.  

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After the remains of a woman’s body are uncovered during an excavation project on a tiny, uninhabited island in Sandhamn’s archipelago, police detective Thomas Andreasson and his team set to sifting through the region’s missing persons reports from the last dozen or so years.

Soon, they narrow down their list seemingly fitting the approximate age and state of decomposition of the skeleton to only two: a troubled young woman, reported missing by her workmates, and another in her 30’s, whose disappearance was reported by her husband.

When Nora—who’s on a short leave from work—hears about the body from her good friend, Thomas, she decides to do a little digging on her own. There's a reason, at least: one of the possibilities—the younger woman—used to babysit for Nora’s children, years ago, so Nora feels a connection. [Thomas and team, coincidentally, focus a bit more on the other possible victim.]

There’s also another reason behind Nora’s secret interest, though; it seems the tragic “something” [from the book right before this one, I’m guessing] she’s trying to move past—and which she’s currently on leave for—affected her so deeply that she’s now suffering from depression, having daily nightmares, and finding herself turning to sleeping pills and massive amounts of wine in an attempt to cope with feelings of guilt and sadness. The new case serves as a distraction… and any help she can offer might also provide her a chance to find some sort of redemption.

The problem with her plan is obvious. Someone experiencing the sort of anguish and confusion which Nora is, is hardly the best person to go hieing off on her own on a completely unsanctioned investigation [remember the even-more-obvious fact that she’s a financial lawyer, not a cop or a detective]… particularly since doing so has a reasonable chance, if successful, of ending up with her facing off with a murderer… a killer who would have zero desire to help Nora (or the police) capture them.

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Is the plot a little formulaic? Well, sure… although it's not really fair to knock most police procedurals/detective stories for that, since the majority of such stories—kinda like life, if we’re being honest—have been done at one time (or a hundred), before. 

A better question is, “Are the characters engaging, the situations interesting, and does the ending hold up?”, and I’d have to say yes, to all of the above. And, even though I really wished Nora would pull herself together a bit more [the poor woman is a full-blown alcoholic—depressed, paranoid, and majorly unhappy in Buried in Secret—which I’m betting majorly cheeses off a sizable segment of long-time readers of the series], the fact is, that’s how some people try to deal with stuff, and as uncomfortable as it is to watch her painful journey here, it’s a realistic one. 

Granted, it isn’t ideal, coming into a book series at the tenth one, without the benefit of everything that came before, but at least I had the advantage of watching the show, first, so I had plenty of general knowledge of the main players.

Ah, and finally, about that. There are definitely some notable differences between the two. Nora is still with her second husband, in the books (whereas they’ve divorced, in the show), and—at least in this book—her first husband is nowhere to be seen. (He’s a constant—and often comedic—thorn in her side, in the TV series, so I missed him, a bit.) As for Thomas, well… he’s still around, working on cases in the islands. (In the latest season of the show, he’s moved away for a fresh start with his wife and daughter, and Nora [conveniently] makes a new detective friend, a handsome Norwegian transplant to the force.)

While starting at the beginning of a series—whether book or TV show—is always a better way to go, I had no trouble following any of Buried in Secret, and enjoyed the story and the character’s struggles. It’s a solid story, and well worth a read, whether you're coming in fresh, are already a fan, or--like me--are coming from the TV show.

~GlamKitty