We Know You Remember: A Novel

Written by Tove Alsterdal

Narrated by Hillary Huber

“Beautifully elegiac and intricately plotted, this is Nordic noir at its best.”—People

Winner of the Glass Key Award for Best Nordic Crime Novel • Best Swedish Crime Novel of the Year • Shortlisted for the Best Swedish Book of the Year Award • One of People Magazine’s Best Books of Fall 

A missing girl, a hidden body, a decades-long cover-up, and old sins cast in new light: the classic procedural meets Scandinavian atmosphere in this rich, character-driven mystery, awarded Best Swedish Crime Novel of the Year, that heralds the American debut of a supremely skilled international writer. 

It’s been more than twenty years since Olof Hagström left home. Returning to his family’s house, he knows instantly that something is amiss. The front door key, hidden under a familiar stone, is still there. Inside, there’s a panicked dog, a terrible stench, water pooling on the floor: the father Olaf has not seen or spoken to in decades is dead in the bathroom shower.

For police detective Eira Sjödin, the investigation of this suspicious death resurrects long-forgotten nightmares. She was only nine when Olof Hagström, then fourteen, was found guilty of raping and murdering a local girl. The case left a mark on the town’s collective memory—a wound that never quite healed—and tinged Eira’s childhood with fear. Too young to be sentenced, Olof was sent to a youth home and exiled from his family. He was never seen in the town again. Until now. 

An intricate crime narrative in which past and present gracefully blend, We Know You Remember is a relentlessly suspenseful and beautifully written novel about guilt and memory in which nothing is what it seems, and unexpected twists upend everything you think you know. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperAudio
• Release date: Sep 28, 2021
• ISBN: 9780063115095

Tove Alsterdal

Tove Alsterdal burst upon the Swedish book scene in 2009 with The Forgotten Dead and is the author of five critically acclaimed stand-alone novels. We Know You Remember, which was named Swedish Crime Novel of the Year and was shortlisted for the country’s Book of the Year Award, marks her American debut.

Reviews for We Know You Remember

[Yasmin Nair · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

A bit of a slog. It's a mystery novel, but wants desperately to be just a novel. There's a lot, too much, about local memory and dark history and all the rest, but the end -- the actual solving of the mystery -- comes hurriedly and seems carelessly thrown together. I began this as an audiobook and finally decided I couldn't take two more hours of listening to a tale that just languished as it tried to find a point, so I finished it as an ebook instead.
This book may be more for people who like "mystery novels" but I'm going to seek out old-fashioned crime thrillers from now on.
I'll try another Alsterdal (this was my first), to see if she has work I can enjoy (and, again, many others might enjoy this) but this was a disappointment.

[annikabirgitta · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book is set in my hometown of Sweden which I recently visited for the first time in 10 years. Every place mentioned in this book is somewhere I've been or I have a connection to. It describes the north of Sweden very accurately. A place where people often speak of the past. How grand it was...and remember when? The characters are very well developed. Reading the book felt like going down memory lane. The 80s was my youth and it stirred up many memories. Scandinavia is known for their mystery novels and this one delivers. I thought I had the answers midway, then towards the end but the author kept me in the dark until the very end.This is a quick read that I finished over 2 days. Looking forward to reading the next book in the trilogy.Not sure about the translated version as I read the book in Swedish.

[edgoldberg · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I just couldn't get through this. I don't know whether it's the story or the translation but it just seemed jumbled.

[hubblegal-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I've found a new Scandinavian author that will be added to my TBR list immediately! This is just the type of crime novel that I love and can really immerse myself into. It has it all - a very likable police detective, both a cold case and current mystery, involved plot line, excellent characterization and everything is not all tied up with a pretty bow at the end. The fact that the beginning was slow going is a check mark in the plus column for me. A nice slow buildup that gently kepts pulling me in, deeper and deeper. This is the first in the High Coast Series by this author and I'm looking forward to spending more time with police detective Eira Sjödin.Most highly recommended.This was a Goodreads giveaway win - lucky, lucky me!