I'm going to assume that something was lost in translation, because this was a disappointing read. There was too much build-up for nothing.

Även i den här boken har vi två olika berättare, den ena berättelsen sker i nutid och skrivs i imperfekt. Den andra berättelsen är då följaktligen dåtid och den berättas i presens. Jag har aldrig funderat på det här, men nu känns det ju lite som att det är ett vanligt berättargrepp. Jag har ett lite tudelat förhållande till böcker som har två berättelser, men jag tror att det är mest positivt. Om det görs på ett bra sätt. Som i Skumtimmen. Läs mer på http://bokslut.blogspot.se/2011/10/skumtimmen-av-johan-theorin.html

Pretty dull as far as these go.

Sadly, it took about 200 pages before this book finally grabbed my attention. I usually stick w/ a book til the end regardless but I did set this one aside for a few days before feeling like I was ready to finish it. The writing was good but somehow the detailed descriptions of the characters lives didn't really tell me much about them. They seemed very one dimensional & I never quite understood
why it took 20 years for a mother & grandfather to look harder for the truth about their 5 year old son/grandson's disappearance. I did, however, enjoy the description of the setting & the history of the island that was woven into the story.
So this was an okay read for me but I'm not sure if I will pick up the 2nd book in this series or not. Perhaps it moves along at a faster pace since some of the characters have already been introduced...

This book is just classic Swedish / Scandinavian crime fiction. Slow, involved, intricate, revealing and complex, ECHOES FROM THE DEAD concentrates very much on Julia, and her father, and their slow and careful repairing of a relationship which was torn apart at the time that Julia's son disappeared.

Julia hasn't coped at all since her son's disappearance and she's at a particularly low ebb in life when her father calls her back to the small, closed in island on which the boy disappeared. Julia's father, Gerlof, lives in a home now, but he's still connected with the island and the people. And that's the other thing that this book draws out beautifully - connections. Much of the solution to the disappearance of the little boy relies on the connection that only time can bring. Gerlof and his cronies are islanders from way back, and the little tweaks of memory, knowing who to ask about what, and where to look for information is part of the reason that Gerlof and Julia are finally able to get to the bottom of the boy's loss. Guilt and revenge also play their own part, as does stupidity and a momentary loss of control which leads to an even greater loss in years to come. As does suspicion. The character of Nils is particularly poignant - guilty perhaps, but not of everything, it's easy to make an outsider / somebody who is perhaps not quite "all there" responsible for everything. It's really really easy to jump to conclusions and get things wrapped up all neat and tidy.

It's undoubtedly a slow book, but slow is exactly what you want in this instance. You're pulled into this tiny little community. You're pulled into the profound grief and total loss of Julia, you're pulled into the way that Gerlof tries to put things right with his own daughter. But none of these things - after all those years - can be resolved quickly, and the book doesn't push you through, but quietly, understatedly allows the events to pull you to them. It's a character study at the same time as it's an investigation. The resolution is complicated and messy and untidy and maybe a bit unsatisfactory if you're into things nicely all tied up and done and dusted - but that's exactly as it so often is.

And that's what makes it classic Scandinavian crime fiction for this reader, nothing is easy, often things can't be wrapped up and ticked off, people make decisions that have profound long-term effects and violence is never going to be the solution.

Excellent quick read!

The author does a wonderful job making you feel like you’re right inside the story. It’s mysterious and creepy with many twists and turns to keep you turning the pages. I found myself holding my breath quite a few times... wondering what was lurking in the fog…

o carte usor de citit, mi-as fi dorit sa fie mai mult suspans si evident, finalul sa fie altul.

Krypande spänning där berättelsen växlar mellan dåtid och nutid. Härliga miljöbeskrivningar som gör att man verkligen förnimmer känslan av att vara på Öland en karg höst.