Hidden in Shadows: An Åre Murder

Sten delivers a pulse-pounding, character-driven follow-up to 2020’s Hidden in Snow that once again sees the powder near idyllic Swedish ski resort Åre stained red with blood. In February 2022, Det. Insp. Hanna Ahlander, formerly of the Stockholm PD’s domestic violence unit, and her colleague Daniel Lindskog are called to examine the corpse of a man found near the Norwegian border, with his hands tied behind his back and his head bashed in. The victim is identified as Johan Anderssen, a former Olympic skier who now owns a plumbing company. By all accounts, Johan was a cheerful, pleasant person, so what did he do to provoke such brutality? As Ahlander and Lindskog investigate, they discover links between Johan and a reclusive evangelical sect, and a web of secrets that could stir up even more violence. Sten dives deep into the family lives of her characters—police and suspects alike—revealing how spousal abuse, adultery, and the stresses of new parenthood affect them and shape the core mystery. It makes for nuanced, emotional storytelling that doesn’t stint on thrills. Agent: Anna Frankl, Nordin Agency. (Dec.)