"You Will Never Be Found" by Tove Alsterdal

An audio book set in Sweden.

Eira, about 30, is a policewoman back in her hometown of Leeland. She's helping her demented mother to move into a care home. August, a policeman who's about 25, has moved back. In the past they sometimes slept together. GG is Era's boss.

Era has a brother Mungus who's in prison for a murder he didn't commit. Era has discovered that the supposed victim is still alive but he doesn't want Era to reveal this (he covered for his girlfriend Lina). Era sleeps with August. She discovers that he's engaged - it's an open relationship.

Hans, an actor, 47, has been reported missing. He has a daughter Paloma and an ex-wife Sarner. His body is found in a cottage in a wood, missing 2 fingers.It looks like he'd been kidnapped and left there. An amateur photographer, Tonee (female) had found the body. There were ravens. Hans' final movents are puzzling. And why did he and his ex phone each other in his final week?

The case resembles one a few months before, 100s of km further North, in a town where mining has destabilised the houses. In that case the captive survived. He's married with a child. They interview him. He doesn't tell them that he feels guilty now - had he not lied to the police, Hans might still be alive. The police later discover that he made visits to Leeland. When interviewed he admits to seeing a woman (Han's ex, it turns out). Hans' ex admits to sleeping with GG. A dead, mummified body is found hidden in the flat of Hans' ex.

Police deduce that Hans cut off his own fingers to use them as bait to capture and eat ravens.

GG goes missing. His colleagues don't at first make it public - in the past he'd gone on a bender.

Houses were used that were known to Sarner. Era, visiting Sarner's grandmother, guesses that a lighthouse on an island meant something. She found GG on the island nearly dead.

Evidence against Lina is found.

The motivation for the murders is that a mentally troubled women overreacted when the promise of True Love went bad.

Eira is pregnant. August? It could have been an old friend.

Other reviews

• Steve Donoghue
• Warner Holme (For those unfamiliar with Sweden and Nordic noir overall, getting used to what may be new names and locations can be difficult. They are put out in a matter of fact manner, quickly and with little explanation. This is noticeably different from the way fantasy, historical fiction, or science fiction typically find a way to insert explanations.)