From Goodreads: In the fishing community of Fjällbacka, life is remote, peaceful, and for some, tragically short. Foul play was always suspected in the disappearance twenty years ago of two young campers, but their bodies were never found. But now, a young boy out playing has confirmed the grim truth. Their remains are discovered alongside those of a fresh victim, sending the tiny town into shock.
Local detective Patrik Hedström, expecting a baby with his girlfriend Erica, can only imagine what it is like to lose a child. When a second young girl goes missing, Hedström’s attention focuses on the Hults, a feuding clan of misfits, religious fanatics and criminals. The suspect list is long but time is short—which of this family’s dark secrets will provide the vital clue?
Oh Sweden, sigh. It is not much of a secret that I am fascinated by Sweden. The people, decor, language, IKEA. However, they also have a rather fantastic ability to produce excellent thrillers/mysteries/crime fiction/noir. Think Stieg Larsson, Henning Mankell, Karin Alvtegen, etc. Not to mention the Wallander Series (based on Henning Mankell’s detective).
With the success of the Patrick Hedström series, Camilla Läckberg has joined their ranks. The Preacher, book two in the Patrik Hedström series by Camilla Läckberg, is an international bestseller for a reason – it is a fantastic read. In this second entry into the series, Patrik is called in to investigate the murder of a young German tourist. As the medical examiners begin to remove the body, they discover the remains of two older bodies buried below. As the mystery deepens, yet another girl disappears and the police are in a race against time to save her. As Patrik tries to solve the crime and catch the murderer before he does it again, he and his wife Erica are dealing with brutal summer heat and the impending birth of their child.
The Preacher is exactly what a murder mystery should be – it’s fast paced, atmospheric, and full of unexpected twists (even something as simple as an obnoxious women getting pasta dumped on her head provided an extra bit of fun). In a nice change, the lead investigator is an optimist, which has become somewhat of a rarity these days (though I still love Lucas Davenport). I am looking forward to continuing the series. 3.5/5.
If you’re interested in reading the series in order, they were released as follows:
1. The Ice Princess
2. The Preacher
3. The Stone Cutter
4. The Gallows Bird
5. The Hidden Child
6. The Drowning
7. Fyrvaktaren (The Lighthouse Keeper, not yet translated)
I didn’t feel like recommending a pasta, so risotto it is – it’s equally as good.
flannel and folklore 
Did you read the first The Ice Princess? I won a copy of it at the beginning of last year and was so disappointed in it when I read it. There were so many things about the book that didn’t work for me. Just wondering how you felt about the first one and if the series gets better…or if this is just a series not for me, haha.
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I have not read the first one. Luckily, you don’t need to to understand the second one. I did like the second one, but it is a bit of typical Swedish crime fiction. I expect the second is much like the first. However, I did read the third one (The Stonecutter) and liked that even more. So many keep reading, but don’t put it too high on you TBR pile…?
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Thanks, good to know! There’s a part of me that was intrigued enough to want to keep reading – mostly to see where Patrik and Erica’s relationship went, although that was given away when I read the back of the second book, lol. I know often books get better as the series go on, so was just curious.
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