The Hidden Child

By Camilla Läckberg

In this official TV Summer Book Club pick, worldwide bestseller Camilla Lackberg weaves together another brilliant contemporary psychological thriller with the chilling struggle of a young woman facing the darkest chapter of Europe's past…

Crime writer Erica Falck is shocked to discover an old Nazi medal among her late mother's belongings. Inspired to dig deep into her past, she visits a retired history teacher for answers. Two days later, he’s dead.

Detective Patrik Hedström is on paternity leave. But his wife’s enquiries appear to have set off a chain of murders and he’s finding it hard to keep out of the investigation.

A terrible secret from the darkest days of World War II is coming to light – and their families’ histories are right at the heart of it.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins UK
• Release date: Jun 20, 2011
• ISBN: 9780007419487

Camilla Läckberg

Camilla Lackberg is a worldwide bestseller renowned for her brilliant contemporary psychological thrillers. Her books are sold in over 60 countries and have been translated into 43 languages.

[Lilian Coimbra · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

After this book, I don’t feel like reading another one by the author. The characters are so shallow, predictable. They are recipes of good people, if you let the evil ones out of the list, of course!

[secondhandrose_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very accomplished crime novel set around WW2 secrets and modern day Sweden. Would definitely read more by this author.

[ma_washigeri · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Pretty good. Probably the best I've read so far, perhaps because it was not quite so gory as some. I did guess the conclusion about half the way through but I was quite happy with that. It's because the author is honest (unlike Agatha Christie where solving the murder always seems to involve using a piece of information she doesn't give you!).

[bellafoxx · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

While I don't normally read fiction mysteries, I have never been disappointed by a mystery translated from Swedish. I find them to be rather straight-forward and the people seem to be 'real'. There don't seem to be any outlandish scenarios. In short, I find them to be 'believable'.

This book is no exception, and even though it switches between now and World War II, it does not get confusing.

[skraft001 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A masterfully written book with a plot that is deliciously is presented to the reader. The title indicates that there is a child involved in the plot somewhere, but it doesn't come out until near the very end. Very believable that secrets like this could occur during war time.

[scot2-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the second book in the series I have read. I intend to go back and read them in order from the beginning. I enjoyed this book as I did the other book I read. The characters have faults and virtues and behave like real people. There is detail about the lives of the characters but that adds to the enjoyment.

[thecrow2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Detailed characters, a fascinating crime, a great sin hidden in the past. A typical scandinavian crime story. And it's good....

[viviennestrauss · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Four stars because I couldn't put it down, no Stieg Larson though. I miss the girl with the dragon tattoo... I prefer not have diapers and diet talk in my dark thrillers... Tried Jo Nesbo but he doesn't really develop his female characters very well. Like I said, there has been no one to replace Larson yet in this genre.

[sianpr · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A Swedish crime procedural with an interesting WW11 twist. Lackberg develops a likeable set of characters and an interesting and well written plot.

[ebyrne41_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

The fifth book in the series featuring husband and wife pair (detective) Patrik Hedstrom and (writer) Erica Falck, this story hops back and forth between the present and the 2nd world war, involving war diaries, a nazi war medal, secrets from the past, murder and of course relationships. But I endured rather than enjoyed this book, the writing is rather basic, the characters uninteresting, the dialogue often cringing, there are too many clichés, too much sentimentality and there is far too much domestic drivel for my taste. Enough of nappies, winking adults, pushing prams, the author seems infatuated with it all. Sorry, I try not to be too critical when a book doesn't do it for me, but while I thought better of her previous books (3 to 3.5 stars), I just can't find anything particularly good that stands out about this one.

[aimelire · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wow! Gift from a student (merci Mélanie!) This book is written by a famous Swedish author. Not the first from the series, but not a problem. The main character is a writter who finds her dead mother's trunk of souvenirs inside which has a baby's shirt and a medal from the Second World War. Great mystery story, and it was interesting hearing about the Europeen side of WW2. It humanizes German people. I was never sure (until the very end) who was the guilty person and the motive for the crime.

[herschelian · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I love the crime writing from Scandinavia, and this Swedish mystery is a cracker.

[sheiladalton · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this book, but did not find it particularly original or outstanding. To me, it was a fairly standard mystery. I enjoyed some of the the daily-life exchanges, and found I was interested in the characters. I enjoyed reading the details of their lives. But the character development was a bit 'off', particularly the female protagonist's mother. I found her reactions - and they are key to the story - unconvincing, in part because they were too extreme, IMO. The discovery of who killed the old man did not particularly surprise me, but there was one good, satisfying twist. I found the language fairly pedestrian - maybe that's because it's in translation - but I wasn't impressed. Altogether, it was a bit disappointing, really.