This trilogy goes backwards and while this is the last one of the bunch, it’s the first part of the chronological story. The reveals that take place here in Hulda’s life help us to understand her attitude and chilling demeanour in the first novels/later part of her life.

I like Hulda, but she is cold and clinical, as is this writing style, despite being heavy with intense emotions and trauma. Hulda finds a quiet and certain way to push ahead, to solve her own troubles, to take revenge, and then she loses her own deepest emotion in the tragedies of others.

The mystery is a twisted psychological mess that untangles itself while Hulda’s life becomes increasingly complicated. What else can she do from now on but bury herself in her work as a homicide detective?

Easy to read, these three novels are chilling Nordic psychological thrillers, void of rabbit trails and flowery language, but crammed with characterisation and plot. Nothing deeply literary and not overly complex, but quick and satisfying nonetheless.