The Night Singer

Police detective Hanna Duncker, the heroine of Swedish author Mo’s welcome English-language debut and series launch, has just moved from Stockholm to Kalmar on the island of Öland, near where she grew up. Hanna’s first case on the local force is the murder of the 15-year-old son of one of her childhood friends. Flashbacks to the victim’s last day illuminate the troubled teen’s life, and Mo does a good job portraying a host of people with long memories, resentments, and a penchant for gossip. Hanna’s fraught personal history adds depth: her father was found guilty of a particularly violent crime when she was a girl, and the story may be deeper than the facts suggest. The plot moves slowly at times, lingering, for example, on minor characters like Duncker’s insipid new partner, Erik Lindgren, but readers will readily engage with Hanna, a no-nonsense, dogged, and thoughtful investigator. Mo is off to a strong start. Agent: Kaisa Palo, Ahlander Agency (Sweden). (Aug.)