 | Title: The Hidden Child Author: Camilla Läckberg Narrator: Simon Vance Publisher/Date: HighBridge Audio, 05/06/14 Format: Audio |
Crime writer Erica Falck is shocked to discover a Nazi medal among boxes in her late mother’s attic. Haunted by a childhood of neglect, she resolves to dig into her family’s past to finally uncover the reasons why.
Her inquiries lead her to the home of a retired history teacher who had been among her mother’s circle of friends during the Second World War, but her questions there are met with bizarre and evasive replies. Two days later the man is brutally murdered in a house he shared with his brother, a Nazi war criminal investigator with the Simon Wiesenthal Center.
Detective Patrik Hedstrm, Erica’s husband, on paternity leave with their newborn child, soon becomes embroiled in the murder investigation. Who would kill so ruthlessly to bury secrets so old? The answers may lie in Erica’s mother’s wartime diaries, but can they find them before dark secrets from over sixty years ago surface to destroy them all?
Related Media: Book Trailer
About the Author:
 | Born in 1974, Camilla Läckberg graduated from Gothenburg University of Economics, before moving to Stockholm where she worked for a few years as an economist. However, a course in creative writing triggered a drastic change of career. Her first six novels all became Swedish No. 1 bestsellers. She lives in a suburb of Stockholm. |
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He has won accolades from across the publishing world and beyond for his masterful ability to bring books to life.
My Review: Camilla Läckberg, a Swedish crime writer, is a new author to me. I received this book from HighBridge Audio in exchange for an honest review. The Hidden Child is part of a series, but I read it as a stand alone book. While I was initially overwhelmed by the sheer number of characters introduced in the book, I found the book stood well on it’s own. The story is set in Fjallabacka Sweden, a small fishing village on the west coast of Sweden.
Each character is well developed and even though I hadn’t read the previous books in the series, I felt I had a good understanding of the characters. My favorite character was Erica Falck, the crime writer who is married to Patrik Hedstrom a detective with the Fjallabacka police. She is a strong, consistent character. I also found Police Chief, Mellberg very enduring and love how he evolves through the book.
The Hidden Child has two story lines taking place within the book. One occurring in present day Fjallabacka and the other World War II (1940 – 1945) Fjallabacka. The transition between the to times periods is very well done and adds to the mystery as the story unfolds. Themes in The Hidden Child include mystery, history, relationships, the strength of friendship and family bonds and the power of secrets to influence the future generations.
My Rating: 4.0 - I found the Hidden Child by Camilla Läckberg to be very engaging and a quick listen. I found myself looking for additional moments in the day to pop in my ear buds and hear a few more chapters. The audio of the Hidden Child was performed by Simon Vance and is very impressive. Each character has such a distinct voice that I was surprised they were all performed by a single person! These distinct voices really bring the characters alive and make for a very enjoyable experience for the listener.
My Rating Scale: 1 – didn’t like it; 2 – it was ok; 3 – liked it; 4 – really liked it; 5 – it was amazing
The Hidden Child was also reviewed at Euro Crime & Reactions to Reading Happy Reading!
**Disclosure – Copy of The Hidden Child by Camilla Läckberg was received from HighBridge Audio in exchange for a fair review.
