Dark and despairing!

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The Crow Girl: A novel by Erik Axl Sund


A hard read that I had to keep putting aside for a while. 
The abuse and trafficking of children is not something of which humanity can be proud. Add torture and sadism and the absence of light is completed.
The story (actually three novels extended into one which makes it a very long read!) drops into lines that are chilling and arresting. The two main character voices of Detective Superintendent Jeanette Kihlberg who leads the investigation the therapist Sofia Zetterlund wrap around each other in interesting ways. Sofia has several cases / patients / requests she's looking at.  The sentencing of Tyra Mäkelä,  the following up Victoria Bergman (a client she finds profoundly puzzling), a request from a social worker to see a war affected child from Sierra Leone, that sparks forgotten nightmare. All build a carefully weighed background to this extreme psychological thriller.
I found the writing style fascinating and the subject matter extremely challenging. 
I love Scandinavian noir but this was way to black for me.
To sum up this is a five star, well written novel where the translator has worked their word smithing seamlessly and superbly all wrapped up in a two star appalling topic.
A novel for the most dedicated.

A NetGalley ARC

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