We’re delighted to be sharing Elena’s thoughts about The Last Snow by Stina Jackson.
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- Publisher : Corvus; Main edition (4 Feb. 2021)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 384 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1786497344
- ISBN-13 : 978-1786497345
What secrets are hidden within the walls of a desolate farmhouse in a forgotten corner of Lapland?
Early spring has its icy grip on Ödesmark, a small village in northernmost Sweden, abandoned by many of its inhabitants. But Liv Björnlund never left. She lives in a derelict house together with her teenage son, Simon, and her ageing father, Vidar. They make for a peculiar family, and Liv knows that they are cause for gossip among their few remaining neighbours.
Just why has Liv stayed by her domineering father’s side all these years? And is it true that Vidar is sitting on a small fortune? His questionable business decisions have made him many enemies over the years, and in Ödesmark everyone knows everyone, and no one ever forgets.
Now someone wants back what is rightfully theirs. And they will stop at nothing to get it, no matter who stands in their way…
Book Review
This book is set in Ödesmark, a village in the very north of Sweden. In a derelict farmhouse lives Liv with her teenage son and her ageing father, Vidar. Lots of its inhabitants have left the village and those that remain clearly find the family odd. There’s a rumour that Vidar is actually very wealthy due to some business dealings but it becomes clear pretty quickly that he is a shady character. It’s also told from the points of view of two local drug dealers and flits from 1998 to the present day. Their stories all entwine eventually and slowly we get to see how and why.
Liv has never left her home, father or village and feels stifled. I felt how claustrophobic she is and her relationship with her father is complicated and unconventional. There are clearly huge issues and a sinister history between them and I wondered why she had never left.
The story builds slowly and is a fairly typical Scandi drama being dark and atmospheric with a repressed protagonist and a backstory. The chapters are short and punchy with lots of introspection. I found myself sucked into its pages and as a lover of Scandi noir enjoyed it immensely.
I didn’t know where the story was going to go for quite a while but eventually was left open-mouthed as it progressed. I didn’t guess the outcome which I was happily surprised about and I felt great pity for Liv and really liked her character – I was desperate for her to find happiness as the heaviness surrounding her was really suffocating.
The Last Snow is a mysterious, well-written and evocative book.
Stina Jackson was born in 1983 and raised in Skellefteå, northern Sweden. In 2006 she moved to Denver, Colorado, where she lives with her husband and small dog. Her debut novel, The Silver Road, was an international bestseller and won The Best Swedish Crime Novel Award in 2018. The Last Snow is her second novel.
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Thanks for the opportunity Anne x
Huge thanks for the blog tour support x