The Intruder

At the start of Östlundh’s outstanding second Det. Fredrik Broman novel to be published in the U.S. (after 2012’s The Viper), food blogger Malin Andersson and her fashion photographer husband, Henrik Kjellander, return with their two children, Ellen and Axel, to their isolated house on the island of Fårö, off Gotland, after a holiday on the mainland. To their dismay, there’s broken glass on the kitchen floor, a nasty surprise in the kids’ toy basket, and family photos missing from the study. Broman and his colleagues have little to go on, but soon anonymous letters start arriving. When the family photos start turning up, the eyes of those in the pictures are poked out. Then someone tries to abduct Ellen. Malin and Henrik don’t know who could hate them so much, though Henrik’s complicated family history may provide a clue. Fans of psychologically insightful Scandinavian crime fiction will relish this tale of betrayal, shame, and madness. [em]Agent: Lena Stjernström, Grand Agency (Sweden). (Aug.) [/em]