torsdag den 10. juni 2010

Grebe og Träff, Jeg ser dig (2009)


Svensk thrillerdebut, skrevet af to søstre. Jeg lånte bogen på biblioteket.

Jeg-fortælleren Siri Bergman er en dygtig og kompetent psykoterapeut. Efter sin mands død føler hun sig imidlertid alene og udsat i sit øde skærgårdshus, og hun overvejer, om hun overhovedet bør være terapeut, når hun har så mange personlige problemer at slås med.

”Mit hus er lille og ligger kun et stenkast fra stranden. Store glasdøre dækker hele facaden ud mod vandet. Det er et lyst hus. Gulvene er dækket af brede, gamle, slidte gulvplanker, som skilles af dybe sprækker, der er fyldt til randen af flere årtiers nullermænd. … Soveværelset vender ud mod klipperne på den ene side af pynten, og gennem det store vindue kan jeg se havet, selv når jeg ligger i sengen, som er alt for bred for mig.”

Snart sker der et dødsfald; en af Siris kvindelige klienter bliver fundet druknet lige neden for skærgårdshuset. Uanset om Siri vil eller ej, bliver hun hurtigt dybt involveret i sagen, fordi alt tyder på at hun er morderens egentlige offer. Desuden kan hun ikke rigtig stå for Markus, den unge betjent på sagen.

Denne spændingsroman er velskrevet og fængslende, lige fra første side. Jeg syntes især godt om hovedpersonen Siri og hendes nære veninde og kollega, frigjorte Aina. Plottet er som sådan ikke anderledes end så mange andre, men forfatterne jonglerer fint med miljøet, personerne og deres psykiske problemer hele vejen igennem.

Overbevisende debut, og jeg håber at høre mere til søskendeparret inden længe.


Grebe & Träff, I See You.


This Swedish thriller, written by two sisters, has not been translated into English, but I think it will be. The book was a library book.

The first-person narrator Siri Bergman is a very competent psychotherapist. After her husband´s death she feels alone and exposed in her isolated house in the archipelago, however, and she considers whether she ought to be a therapist at all as she has several personal problems.

“My house is small and only a stone´s throw from the beach. Large glass doors cover the façade facing the water. It is a light house. The floors are covered in worn old floor boards separated by deep gaps filled to the brim by dust mice. … The bedroom faces the cliff on the one side of the point, and through the large window I can see the sea even when I lie in the bed which is far too wide for me.”

Soon a death takes place; one of Siri´s female clients is found drowned on the beach below her house. Whether Siri wants to or not, she is soon deeply involved in the case as it seems that she is the murderer´s real target. Besides she cannot resist Markus, the young officer on the case.

This thriller is well-written and absorbing from the first page. I especially liked the main character Siri and her near friend and colleague, the liberated Aina. The plot may not be different from many others, but the writers handle the environment, the characters and their mental problems really well all the way through.

A convincing début, and I hope to hear more from the two sisters before long.

11 kommentarer:

Jose Ignacio Escribano sagde ...

Dorte just to practise your Spanish this is the link to the Spanish translation that will be avialable soon: http://www.casadellibro.com/libro-te-vigilo-/1702112/2900001380459

Anonym sagde ...

Dorte - Thanks for this review : ). It sounds exciting, and I like your word, "promising." I can't read it in Swedish, but thanks to Jose Ignacio, I can in Spanish : ). Gracias, Jose Igancio!

Felicity Grace Terry sagde ...

Two sisters? Grief I wonder how many arguemments they had. I'm glad you chose this book as I love the cover. Heres hoping it will soon be translated into English, your review has left me intrigud.

Dorte H sagde ...

Oh, thank you, Jose! I can understand some of it (especially because I read the book recently), but the word "escalofriante" makes me really curious.

Margot: I am sure that if it sells well in Spanish, it will also be sold to an American or British publisher.

Tracy: they still seem to be friends. And if it is the cat you love, perhaps I should warn you that cat lovers may NOT love the story.

Kelly sagde ...

I always find two authors writing together an interesting concept. Seems like that might be a bit difficult to do.

Sounds like a good book.

Jose Ignacio Escribano sagde ...

Dorte escalofriante can be translated by frightening in this sense but it also means chilling.

Dorte H sagde ...

Kelly: it seems to be in vogue in Scandinavia. It is the third, written by siblings or couples, I have read in a short time.

Jose: oh, so I wasn´t so stupied when I thought ´cold´ was an element of the word.

Beth F sagde ...

Oooh that sounds good. I hope we see it in English one of these days.

Dorte H sagde ...

So do I, Beth! These two sisters deserve it.

Bente Pedersen sagde ...

Yesterday I tried to get it at the library. 2- 3 month's before it's available. I think it's worth waiting for!
Bente

Dorte H sagde ...

Bente: so do I!