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Title details for The Forbidden Place by Susanne Jansson - Available

The Forbidden Place

by Susanne Jansson
Stephanie Willis
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
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1 of 1 copy available
In this "bone-chillingly cool crime debut" (Paula Hawkins, author of The Girl on the Train), a young biologist studying the remote Swedish wetlands stumbles upon a body — and finds that if the marsh's secrets can't stay buried, neither can hers . . .
In the remote Swedish wetlands lies Mossmarken: the village on the edge of the mire where, once upon a time, people came to leave offerings to the gods.
Biologist Nathalie came in order to study the peat bogs. But she has a secret: Mossmarken was once her home, a place where terrible things happened. She has returned at last, determined to confront her childhood trauma and find out the truth.
Soon after her arrival, she finds an unconscious man out on the marsh, his pockets filled with gold — just like the ancient human sacrifices. A grave is dug in the mire, which vanishes a day after. And as the police investigate, the bodies start to surface . . .
Is the mire calling out for sacrifices, as the superstitious locals claim? Or is it an all-too-human evil?
Richly atmospheric and haunting to the last page, Susanne Jansson's stunning debut is a gripping tale of the power of nature to shape our reality, the stories we tell ourselves to make sense of the world, and the terrible consequences they may have. This international sensation will captivate fans of the celebrated suspense fiction of Jane Harper or Tana French.
In the North Swedish wetlands lies Mossmarken: the village on the edge of the mire where, once upon a time, people came to leave offerings to the gods.
Biologist Nathalie has come to the village to study the peat bogs, but she has a secret: Mossmarken was once her home. She has finally returned, determined to confront her childhood trauma and uncover the truth behind the terrible things that happened.
Soon after her arrival, Nathalie finds an unconscious man out on the marsh, his pockets filled with gold - just like the ancient human sacrifices. A grave is dug in the mire, which vanishes a day after. And as the police investigate, the bodies begin to surface . . .
Is the mire calling out for sacrifices, as the superstitious locals claim? Or is it an all-too-human evil?
An international sensation, The Forbidden Place is a gripping tale of the power of nature in shaping our reality; the stories we tell ourselves to make sense of the world and the lasting consequences they may have.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    September 4, 2018

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781538713013
      • File size: 226072 KB
      • Duration: 07:50:58

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      July 2, 2018
      Biologist Nathalie Ström, one of the two heroines of Jansson’s uneven first novel, is living temporarily in a cottage in Mossmarken, Sweden, where she’s measuring greenhouse gases on the local peat bog, reputed to have been the site of human sacrifices long ago. She becomes friendly with art school student Johannes Ayeb, who regularly jogs past her cottage. One day, Johannes is found unconscious on a jogging path; a head injury suggests he had been assaulted. Artist and forensic photographer Maya Linde becomes involved in the subsequent investigation, which leads to a chain of grisly bog-centered discoveries—and each woman to new realizations about her life and career. Nathalie is haunted by the loss of her parents in an apparent murder-suicide, while Maya, who lived in the area in years past, tries to repair a damaged relationship. Fascinating historical material, especially about “bog bodies” found through the ages, compensates only in part for shallow characterizations and awkward plotting. Hopefully, Jansson will do better next time. Agent: Astri Von Arbin Ahlander, Ahlander Agency (Sweden).

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Ghost story or murder mystery? This debut Swedish thriller keeps the listener guessing. Narrator Stephanie Willis sets the chilling tone as the story explores the disappearances, attacks, and deaths that have occurred over the years around the peat bog near the village of Mossmarken. Nathalie Str�m is a young biologist returning to the bog after many years to probe her own traumatic childhood there. Maya Linde is an established artist and moonlighting forensic photographer who is returning to the area after decades in New York. Willis skillfully enhances their characterizations with a soft-voiced vulnerability for Nathalie's perspectives and a stronger, investigative one for Maya's. She mostly takes the Swedish names and places in stride and provides occasional hints of accents for some of the characters. S.T.C. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine
    • Library Journal

      September 1, 2018

      Biologist Nathalie grew up in the Swedish village of Mossmarken, on the edge of a mire where, centuries ago, humans were sacrificed to the gods. She's returned for the first time in years to research the mire and seek peace with her childhood, when a tragic incident made her an orphan. Shortly after her arrival, an acquaintance is found unconscious in the mire, the victim of an assault; his pockets are filled with gold coins, reminiscent of the ancient practices. The investigation of the attack leads to the discovery of several bodies possessing the same type of gold coins, but these bodies are from recent years. Artist and forensic photographer Maya, also originally from the village, wonders if Nathalie's unfortunate past is connected to the deaths. VERDICT Jansson's debut novel falls short of its potential as an engaging thriller. Uneven pacing and poorly developed characters hinder the tension, and the ending doesn't have much impact. [See Prepub Alert, 3/26/18.]--Anitra Gates, Erie Cty. P.L., PA

      Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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