Bittrare än döden

Written by Camilla Grebe and Åsa Träff

Narrated by Katarina Ewerlöf

Nominerad till årets bästa svenska kriminalroman av Svenska Deckarakademin

En regnig höstkväll, någonstans i Stockholm, blir femåriga Tilde vittne till hur någon sparkar hennes mamma till döds. Gömd under köksbordet bevittnar flickan det brutala mordet. Samtidigt träffar terapeuten Siri och hennes kollega Aina en helt ny grupp med patienter: De har åtagit sig att leda en självhjälpsgrupp för kvinnliga brottsoffer, och under ett antal mörka höstkvällar berättar kvinnorna i gruppen den ena grymma historien efter den andra om omöjlig kärlek, våld och förnedring.

Där finns Kattis, som blivit misshandlad av sin före detta pojkvän och som lever med en ständig hotbild, och Malin, den unga, lovande friidrotterskan som blev våldtagen efter att ha dejtat en kille hon träffat på internet. Där träffar vi också Sofi, tonårstjejen som blivit misshandlad av sin styvfar, och Sirkka, en äldre kvinna som först efter många års äktenskap förstått att hon blivit fysiskt, men kanske framför allt psykiskt, misshandlad under decennier.

En mörk bild av kärleken och mäns våld mot kvinnor växer fram. Samtidigt finner sig Siri vid ett vägskäl i sitt eget liv - ska hon själv våga lita på kärleken, den som svikit henne och de andra kvinnorna tidigare?
Stegvis flätas lilla Tildes öde samman med Siris och kvinnornas i gruppen, och sökandet efter försoning och återupprättelse förvandlas till en mördarjakt.

Bittrare än döden är den andra psykologiska spänningsromanen om terapeuten Siri Bergman. Från mottagningen vid Medborgarplatsen, genom ett regnigt, höstkallt Stockholm och ut i skärgården, till Siris ensligt belägna stuga, får vi följa jakten på en mördare.

• Language: Svenska
• Publisher: Word Audio Publishing International
• Release date: Aug 13, 2010
• ISBN: 9789186223649

Reviews for Bittrare än döden

[eadieb-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book shows a different side of a murder mystery. You get a psychologist perspective rather than a detective's viewpoint. Siri Bergman is annoying at times and her decisions are not what you would expect from a psychologist. She has a drinking problem and has not gotten over the death of her husband. The book does show how people cope with grief and loss through Siri's character. She does, however, hold a self-help group for women of abuse and it is very informative. The book starts out with five year old Tilda hiding under a kitchen table when a man enters and beats her mother to death. Siri gets involved with trying to find the murderer and does become a victim herself. After the murder in the beginning of the story, the plot slowed down. It got more suspenseful towards the middle and I would not consider this a fast-paced story but it is still worth reading. I do enjoy the Swedish atmosphere and some of the characters. The ending had a chilling twist and really caught me off-guard. I look forward to reading the next in the series but it hasn't been translated yet.

[joyanne-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a favorite of mine, it kept me guessing to the last page! I wasn't familiar with this author but wow, she knows how to write a mystery! Five year old Tilde watches as her mother is beaten to death though she can't see the face of the murderer. The therapist she sees also has a dark past. There's a lot of focus on domestic abuse and it's very informative in that area. The author has done her research. If you enjoy a good mystery you'll enjoy this one! Well written, not as fast paced as I like them but it wasn't too slow either. An enjoyable read!

[nbmars · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the second in the Swedish crime series featuring psychotherapist Siri Bergman and her best friend and colleague Aina Davidsson. In this book, Siri and Aina along with their old classmate Vijay collaborate on a domestic abuse study. Siri and Aina are to run a trial self-help group that would be led by professional facilitators. This set-up allows the authors to describe, as part of the narrative, the various manifestations of abuse of women, what it feels like to them, and how they cope (or not) with it during and after it happens. Furthermore, this plot device allows them to speculate on the motivations for such abuse. Is it solely about power and control? Does any of it have to do with love, albeit in a twisted form? What about the role of women? Are they ever complicit, in terms of “asking for it”? How do you determine who is telling the truth in relationship conflicts?When one of the cases turns deadly, there is a great deal of pressure to find the answers, because the perpetrator remains at large.Parallel developments in the private lives of the protagonists who work on these cases (not only Siri and Aina but also their colleagues Vijay and Sven), complicate the investigation, because they too are asking questions about the nature of love, and whether the pain it can create is worth the risk. This is not just a sociological thriller however; it is also very much a psychological thriller, with an increase in tension that doesn’t let up until the very astonishing ending. Discussion: The authors do an excellent job. I’ve read other Scandinavian crime novels that embrace the topic of domestic violence, but these authors are better in two ways. One, they focus their descriptions on the feelings elicited by what happened rather than the salacious details, which make unpleasant reading in any event. Secondly, they are never didactic, but seamlessly integrate their concerns into the plot. Evaluation: This series is better than much of the crime fiction coming out of Scandinavia lately. I love being gobsmacked by a crime novel, and this one does not dissapoint me.I am especially impressed that it is a collaboration of two authors. The writing is always consistent; I would have never known! (Sisters Camilla Grebe and Åsa Träff apparently write these books via email, each writing a chapter and sending it back to the other to continue the story. It should also be noted that Åsa Träff is a psychologist specializing in cognitive behavioral therapy.) Moreover, unlike much crime fiction, this series would work great for book clubs. Many issues are raised about the nature of crime and punishment, the situation of women, and the nature of love and relationships that will evoke good discussions (as in fact it did for me and my husband while I was reading it!)