Until Thy Wrath Be Past: A Rebecka Martinsson Investigation by Asa Larsson and Laurie Thompson (Translator)

Until Thy Wrath Be Past: A Rebecka Martinsson Investigation by Asa Larsson and Laurie Thompson (Translator)
Buy Until Thy Wrath Be Past: A Rebecka Martinsson Investigation by Asa Larsson and Laurie Thompson (Translator) at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Category: Crime
Reviewer: Sue Magee
Summary: Not for much longer will she be known as the other Larsson - this is a well-written and intriguing psychological thriller. Recommended
Buy? Yes	Borrow? Yes
Pages: 288	Date: August 2011
Publisher: MacLehose Press
ISBN: 978-0857050724
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When we talk about 'Scandinavian crime fiction' and the name 'Larsson' there's an awful temptation to jump to conclusions about who exactly the author might be. Slow down though, because there's another Swedish crime writer with that surname and this one is very much alive and writing. Asa Larsson is not down with the southern softies in Stockholm but up in the far north, not far from Norway or Finland, in Kiruna, where she's placed Rebecca Martinsson, who works as a prosecutor, and Inspector Anna-Maria Mella. Those in the know have met them before and this is the third book in the series.

The words 'third book' might give you cause for concern, but don't worry. I have to admit that I, too, was an Asa Larsson virgin. I suspect that there are spoilers for the earlier books in Until Thy Wrath Be Past so you might want to put off reading this book until you've read the earlier ones, but it works perfectly well as a standalone. It's not strictly a police procedural, as we know pretty much what has happened from early on, but more of a psychological thriller and an intriguing mystery as to why two young people died.

At the time of the spring thaw the body of a young woman surfaced in the River Thorne. We know that it's Wilma Persson because Wilma has told us so and she'll continue to give us her own commentary on the investigation as it progresses. Wilma and her boyfriend Simon had been diving in search of a WWII plane when their safety line was cut and the way back through the ice blocked. There had been rumours about the existence of the wreck since a plane went missing in 1943 and it was rumoured that it had been carrying supplies for the Wehrmacht. Although officially neutral there had been some early collaboration between Sweden and the Nazis – particularly in the far north which was so close to occupied territory.

It's a good story and a neatly-turned plot which can't help but pull you in. I knew where the story was going but the evolving detail of the background and exactly who has instigated the murders caught me by surprise. Martinsson makes an excellent protagonist too - intelligent, physically courageous and very much her own woman – and an elegant contrast to Mella with her insecurities.

I've found that Scandinavian crime is generally worth reading – so why not widen your horizons and head just a bit further north? I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.

For another recent Scandinavian psychological thriller we can recommend Bad Intentions by Karin Fossum.

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You can read more book reviews or buy Until Thy Wrath Be Past: A Rebecka Martinsson Investigation by Asa Larsson and Laurie Thompson (Translator) at Amazon.com.

Asa Larsson's Rebecka Martinson Investigations in chronological order

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