Title: The Night of the Fire by Kjell Eriksson
Ann Lindell Mysteries Book Eight
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery
Length: 336 pages
Book Rating: C
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley
Summary:
Swedish police inspector Ann Lindell finally returns in internationally bestselling and award-winning Kjell Eriksson’s newest novel.
Police inspector Ann Lindell has left the Uppsala police and is living a quiet life, producing local cheese in a small town in Uppland. But life in the country is not as idyllic as it seems. On New Year’s Eve someone sets fire to the former village school which is now a home for asylum seekers, and three people are killed. Ann Lindell’s investigative instincts come back to life and soon she takes on the case. She is contacted by a person who has been involved in a previous investigation and who wants to warn her. His message is short and clear: Many will die. A few weeks later a bomb explodes in a suburb of Stockholm.
Kjell Eriksson wrote seven highly acclaimed novels about Ann Lindell, beginning with award-winner The Princess of Burundi, and now, after ten years, he returns to the Uppsala region and his sympathetic police inspector. The Night of the Fire is the first of two new volumes featuring Ann Lindell.
Review:
The Night of the Fire by Kjell Eriksson is a puzzling mystery with a topical storyline.
Ann Lindell has left the police force and settled into a quiet life in the country. However, an arsonist sets fire to an unused school where refugees are staying. Ann believes some of her village neighbors might know more than they are saying. Despite her curiosity, she tries to leave the investigating to the police. But when someone from her past reaches out to her, Ann receives information that she has no choice but to reveal to her former co-workers. Then when another fire ends in tragedy, Ann tries to balance her new life with her finely honed investigative instincts.
Ann’s move to a much quieter life and new career have proved to be beneficial. She is drinking much less and enjoying a smoother relationship with her teenage son Erik. The only real disappointment stems from her platonic relationship with Edvard. She remains hopeful their romance might resume, but her expectations are beginning to plummet.
Meanwhile, Ann’s former partner Sammy Nisson is heading the investigation into the second fire. He is still adjusting to his new partner Bodin who does not reveal much of what he is thinking. Sammy is also having trouble in his longtime marriage as his wife continues to distance herself from him. Sammy misses working with Ann and she provides interesting insight into the village and its residents.
While the mystery surrounding the fires is interesting, the beginning of the novel is a somewhat disjointed and difficult to follow. Fortunately, the narrative soon begins to flow much smoother. The two story arcs are interesting but the overall storyline seems a little busy with numerous secondary characters. The pacing is a little slow until well after the halfway point.
The Night of the Fire is a perplexing mystery with an all too relevant storyline. Ann is in a much better place in her life and she tries not to interfere too much in Sammy’s investigation. Sammy is bit miserable as he witnesses Ann’s newfound contentment as he contemplates his future. His investigation moves somewhat sluggishly as he talks to witnesses and revisits the crime scenes. With unexpected twists, Kjell Eriksson brings this multi-layered mystery to a satisfying conclusion. The final chapter is intriguing and will leave readers eager to read the next installment in the Ann Lindell Mysteries series.
