Tove Alsterdal

“The last and concluding part of her brilliant series about police officer Eira Sjödin in Ådalen. […] In The Deeper You Go, Tove Alsterdal ties together all the threads she so cleverly laid out in the previous books. And the result is not only a well-written, highly suspenseful crime novel, but also an insightful story about Sweden.”
Ingalill Mosander, Aftonbladet (SE)

“It is the last part of Tove Alsterdal’s High Coast Series, unfortunately! It could very well have been a long series, because Tove Alsterdal succeeds to weave together politics, history, Sweden’s development, and the beauty of Ådalen in her thrilling crime stories.”
Lotta Olsson, Dagens Nyheter (SE)

“The small and the big world are so skillfully combined by Tove Alsterdal. It is also impressive how she moves between different milieus with such ease; she seems as familiar with Sundsvall as she does with Stockholm, Florida, and California. But it is the love for Ådalen that shines the brightest, and in The Deeper You Go it is primarily a kind of mental environmental depiction of Kramfors and its surrounding areas that dominates. […] Alsterdal also ties together people and events from the two previous parts of the trilogy, not just dutifully, but in a way that adds substance to the story. It is very skillfully done. You should never underestimate a solid literary craftsmanship. Tove Alsterdal has written a thrilling and entertaining crime novel, a real page-turner. But it is so much more than that. It is as much a reflection on the passing of time, on how the past and the present are connected, of how history affects those who live today. Not bad for a crime novel.”
Tidningen Ångermanland (SE)

“What is it that makes Tove Alsterdal’s crime novels so well worth reading? Well, it’s the fact that she so often writes at the intersection of crime story, historical novel, and relationship novel, and that she pays so much attention to her portrayals of characters and milieu. In the third and final installment of the series about police officer Eira Sjödin in Ådalen, two divers find the remains of a dead man at the bottom of the Ångerman River. It soon becomes clear that it is a cold case, the man was murdered sometime in the 1960s. The police management hands the case to the pregnant Eira in the belief that it will be easy enough to solve. But as her investigation progresses, the stronger the case seems to be connected to her own family. Solving it suddenly becomes a personal matter, with the birth of her baby fast approaching.”
Yukiko Duke, Vi Läser (SE)

“Not many crime writers in Sweden are accomplished stylists. If I had to name two men and two women, I would without hesitation choose Håkan Nesser, Christoffer Carlsson, Åsa Larsson, and Tove Alsterdal. The latter began with five fantastic stand-alone novels, all of which combined excellent character portrayals with historical events and well-constructed plots. […] Tove Alsterdal is not like others. She is better. Better because she manages to surprise and at the same time doesn’t compromise on quality. […] Since this is the conclusion of the trilogy, there are some threads to be concluded and unraveled. Tove Alsterdal does so brilliantly. Eira is expecting a child and her brother is innocently imprisoned. How will it all work out? It is, as usual, extremely well-written. Every single person in the book is given space and is portrayed with warmth and affection. As are their thoughts and feelings. Even though there is more action and more traditional suspense than usual, I read with great pleasure and a smile. The worst thing about this series is that it is now over.”
Dast Magazine (SE)

“Tove Alsterdal ties her story together in a great way and she is more than welcome to tell more stories about police life in Ådalen.”
Ölandsbladet (SE)

“Tove Alsterdal is good at creating suspense and has a fine sensibility for human relationships. She is a stylist with a sense of humor, the reader is aware of this after eight strong novels – but what a wonderfully infectious portrayal of Eira’s arousal and desire during an intimate encounter with an attractive man the reader blushingly gets to enjoy in this novel. Few authors can portray the joy of sex like Tove Alsterdal!”
Västerbottens-Kuriren (SE)

“The Deeper You Go is the final book about Eira Sjödin and as a whole it is a trilogy that stands out as one of the best that’s been written in the Swedish crime genre in recent years. What makes it a pure pleasure to read is how present history is, and Alsterdal’s ability to find the right language and words for each milieu and every character. At the same time, the suspense is always there, underneath the surface.”
Skånska Dagbladet (SE)

“Loose threads from the previous books are neatly tied together with new ones and Alsterdal leads us with a sure hand through the region of Ångermanland and the consciousness of its people. Eira’s mother has fallen into the fog of dementia and Eira herself is trying to decide who she wants to be the father of the child she is expecting. The police work goes on, but so does life, which Alsterdal captures with a presence that never leaves the reader. Eira lingers – along with the annual craving for the fantastic landscape of the High Coast.”
Göteborgs-Posten (SE)

“Ms. Alsterdal weaves together her characters’ private and professional concerns in a manner reminiscent of such Swedish masters as Maj Sjöwall, Per Wahlöö and Henning Mankell. When Eira’s boss GG disappears without a trace, You Will Never Be Found, translated by Alex Menzies, kicks into higher gear and races with tremendous velocity toward a euphoric resolution.”
The Wall Street Journal (US)

“In her exceptionally marvelous writing style, Tove Alsterdal treats her readers to a ride where the suspense is constantly lurking beneath the surface, where there is room for stories and digressions about places, events, and people’s experiences. A bird-watcher’s notes can be central testimony, and the people who no one is listening to may have the most important things to say. Every person in Alsterdal’s fictional Ångermanland could exist in real life, just as indisputable as the milieu. You Will Never Be Found is a completely absorbing read.”
Skånska Dagbladet (SE)

“Many suspense writers are currently writing about the Swedish countryside, and often the vast scenery and abandoned industrial towns make for haunting backdrops for murderers at large. […] Oftentimes the rural suspense novels mirror how Sweden is evolving, history as well as present. But few can pull it off as well as Tove Alsterdal, who portrays dilapidated abandoned buildings, dementia, loneliness, and present-day people who are desperately lost in a way that creates a larger narrative about the times in which we live. At the same time, she has an unprecedented presence: Ådalen isn’t just a beautiful stage for the events to take place, she knows exactly where Nyland’s hardware store and the Willy’s grocery store are located. It’s not just people who disappear without a trace, entire towns vanish as well, along with a reality that existed until just now. That is the story that can be found in the suspense novels of today.”
Lotta Olsson, Dagens Nyheter (SE)

“Despite the unsettling introduction, it doesn’t take many chapters before a sense of calm manifests itself; this is a sequel that can handle the pressure. Alsterdal’s language is rich with restrained beauty and skillful precision. Every word has a role to play, but they’re all part of the same context where nothing sticks out or disturbs the bigger picture. The plot is eerie, and the pulse rises in the pursuit of the missing man. After a dramatic conclusion, the author cleverly plants a cliffhanger for the next book – and keeps us waiting on tenterhooks.”
Göteborgs-Posten (SE)

“You Will Never Be Found was everything I wanted it to be and more. […] The new novel contains work life, longing for love and erotic desire. It holds fantastical (and melancholic) depictions of nature – and an incredibly thrilling story.”
Västerbottens-Kuriren (SE)

“Alsterdal once again delivers masterfully, this is Norrland noir at the highest level, with people who struggle best they can in the vale of tears known as life, while evil is lurking in the shadows. Thankfully, there are glimpses of light; the large forest may be dark and the croaking of ravens ominous, but suddenly there’s also love, as strong and powerful as the Ångermanland river.”
Femina, 5/5 stars (SE)

“Tove Alsterdal is skilled, not only at writing her crime story, but also at portraying a country undergoing change. Who is really buying the dilapidated houses in the forest? What history do these houses carry? Tove Alsterdal knows her Ådalen, and she can really depict the past and present of the area.”
Ölandsbladet (SE)

“Tove Alsterdal’s greatest talent as a crime writer is, in my opinion, something different than the murder puzzle. Granted, the macabre findings and mysterious disappearances propel the suspense in this book, but it’s the desolate houses, shut down cafés, overgrown fields, and the bad cell phone reception that provide the atmosphere.”
Västerbottens Folkblad (SE)

“[Tove Alsterdal] takes the human mind seriously, and she’s interested in local communities, nature, and history. The investigators are people like us, who struggle in life and make bad choices, as are the people they talk to. […] this is a crime novel that can be felt in your very bones, and that will stay with you for a long time afterwards.”
Stavanger Aftenblad (NO)

“Alsterdal possesses a good pen, and in Eira Sjödin she has found a character and a milieu that I will gladly keep following.”
Verdens Gang (NO)

“If you’re a fan of Nordic noir, this dark mystery, the second in the High Coast series, should suit your taste for the shivery. […] noir fans should savor it all, especially for the bite that Alsterdal brings to Eira’s dauntless character.”
Booklist (US)

“A dark, tightly plotted, and satisfying thriller.”
Kirkus (US)

“[Tove Alsterdal] knows how to build atmosphere, the milieu has an important role here and almost emerges as a character in its own right. The suspense increases gradually. Psychology plays an important part here, and the characters are struggling with their own lives, as we follow them through a labyrinth of lies. The character portrayals are incredibly good, so is the writing, the dialogue feels lifelike and authentic. […] This is a skillfully written psychological thriller. It is instantly captivating and manages to maintain the suspense as the pace increases. Its strength lies in the meticulously portrayed characters and the setting itself. […] A crime novel with a unique atmosphere, about the depth of the human soul, the complex effects of relationships.”
Gabo Olvas, blog (HU)

“Adeptly written and plotted, with in-depth characterizations and rich topography, You Will Never Be Found is yet another fine contribution to the redoubtable genre.”
Starred Review, Shelf Awareness (US)

“There are wonderfully terse place-descriptions, tart observations about the fine social distinctions of modern-day rural Nordic towns, and some genuinely creepy moments. […] Readers already addicted to the half-light and lowering snow of Scandinavian Noir will eagerly consume You Will Never Be Found, the latest from a rising star of the sub-genre. Everybody else might want to think about taking a reading vacation to the French Riviera or sunny Italy.”
Open Letters Review (US)

“The crimes in this particular book span a lot of space and time. This often makes the investigation feel increasingly futile. The twists and turns in the case itself are more than believable, ranging from public attempts to string together a variety of crimes all the way to the simple desperate instincts of our lead detective.The environment or setting of Nordic noir only adds to the level of bleakness in the story. The cold and frequent darkness are described more than once, and while they are treated with the matter of fact nature of the local residents, they nonetheless help to push the story further into the dark, strange world that serves noir best.”
A Green Man Review (US)

“I liked Alsterdal’s plotting. The tension grows as the search widens and still nothing or no one is found. It seems like a needle in a haystack. And this is where Eira’s critical thinking comes into play. Does she have the answer? There’s no room to be wrong as we head to the final pages. Alsterdal kept my attention from first page to last. And an unexpected door is left open for the next entry in the series – which I would happily pick  up.”
A Bookworm’s World, blog (US)

“A thumbs up for Tove Alsterdal’s You Will Never Be Found, with Swedish detective Eira Sjödin showing up her more experienced colleagues on a murder case in her home town. It’s an adroitly plotted slice of Scandicrime.”
Financial Times (UK)

“Here’s a really spine-chilling Nordic noir […] The writing is tight and business-like, with plenty of dry humour. It is easy to follow the twists of the plot […] Tension ratchets up, with high drama on the Swedish coast leading to a most satisfactory conclusion.”
The Irish Examiner (UK)

“Tove Alsterdal’s dark series shows the dark side of society and at the same time conveys an impressive portrayal of the Swedish countryside.”
Kulturnews (DE)

“Finally a series that is truly captivating! […] How is this series different from others? The author integrates her feminist attitude into the story. The protagonist Eira Sjödin is a police officer who lives with her sick mother and who asserts herself in a male dominated world. A really good crime novel packed with suspense, social critique, and psychological sophistication.”
Buecher.at (DE)

“Even if the case in You Will Never Be Found is more straightforward than it was in We Know You Remember, it’s still thrilling to the very last page. And although the case is solved, the author serves us with two cliffhangers on the last pages that will complicate Eira’s private life. A first-rate crime novel.”
Eschborner Stadtmagazin (DE)

“The police Eira is a great new acquaintance and Alsterdal is incredibly skilled at portraying both milieus and the human psyche. Here we’re transported to the region of Ångermanland, but also to a darkness that has long affected an entire community. A clever plot with an evocative atmosphere that doesn’t release its grip on the reader for a single moment.”
Tara (SE)

“What makes Tove Alsterdal such an excellent crime writer? It’s the fact that she writes about ordinary people with such authenticity, people who are neither purely evil nor good. The crimes are rarely meticulously premeditated, instead they are tragic events that happen out of desperation. Alsterdal’s strength is her ability to portray human relationships and draw sharp, psychological portraits.”
Vi Läser (SE)

“Tove Alsterdal is one of the very best in the genre. What’s more, her multifaceted suspense novels shed light on burning topics of our times.”
Damernas Värld (SE)

“Strong local color, convincing characters, and a twisty plot make this a standout. This is Swedish noir at its murky best.”
Publishers Weekly (US)

“While still full of very grim crimes, this mystery’s setting in the countryside during the summer makes for a less bleak setting than usual for the genre. Alsterdal plots enough twists to keep the police procedural interesting and writes a great woman protagonist; fans of international mystery will be happy to discover her.”
Library Journal (US)

“We Know You Remember is an incredibly good crime novel. Alsterdal doesn’t rely on action or revel in spectacular violence, but rather builds the suspense calmly and in a seemingly ordinary way. She’s a skilled storyteller who focuses on police work and relationships, while at the same time portraying the sparsely populated county of Ångermanland with nuance. The drama feels authentic, and just when you think the solution is close at hand there’s an unexpected twist. After five stand alone novels, Tove Alsterdal starts a series for the first time and the beginning is promising. I look forward to meeting Eira Sjödin and her colleagues in Kramfors again.”
Sydsvenskan (SE)

“Throughout the riveting plot, Tove Alsterdal elegantly weaves in ideas about the terms of rural life today, about the handling of minors in legal processes, about hate campaigns on social media, about the human thirst and longing for emotional connection. I want to know more about Eira Sjödin. About her loneliness, melancholy, longing, her take-no-prisoners attitude.”
Västerbottenskuriren (SE)

“Tove Alsterdal has the ability to not only create a suspenseful crime story – she also succeeds in describing an entire region in detail, where several individual people’s lives becomes threads in a tightly woven shared story. […] Alsterdal builds her tale on the everyday lives of normal people. They are all credible, they all have reasons for doing what they do. The small, simple actions that seem so natural when you do them end up resulting in scary consequences – and it is not always the murderer that is the most frightening.”
Lotta Olsson, Dagens Nyheter (SE)

“Alsterdal delicately handles the milieus of Ångermanland, both the countryside and the small towns, as well as the people there and their complex and infected relationships. Not least, it’s about rumors and gossip and how a person’s image can be cemented because of one single event. […] In addition, We Know You Remember offers an ending that’s uncommon for the genre, and I just want more of Eira and her Ångermanland – as soon as possible.”
Skånska Dagbladet (SE)

“This is a thrilling story that is unfurled with tentacles stretching back in time. The relatable language and the very real descriptions of characters and places in the region of Ådalen, where people are not simply good or evil, give the novel its distinctive edge.”
BTJ (SE)

“Tove Alsterdal delivers, both in suspense and style. Her vivid metafors give me the chills.”
Expressen Söndag (SE)

“A novel is generally excellent if you have to stop at the very first page to re-read parts of the text – simply because the style demands it. With We Know You Remember, it suffices with the first three sentences; together they make up a little short story in its own right. […] As first suspected, this proves to be a crime novel that stays first-rate throughout; that the Swedish Crime Writers’ Academy has named the book Best Swedish Crime Novel of the Year isn’t hard to understand. Alsterdal has a style of her own and knows how to set the tone in just a few words. […] The milieus are stunning and if you haven’t been to those parts of the country, you’ll surely feel tempted to go.”
Göteborgs-Posten (SE)

“Tove Alsterdal stands out as high quality reading. She weaves together past and present, politics with private life, creating a well-written and remarkable web of suspense.”
M Magasin (SE)

“Tove Alsterdal is skilled at weaving together stories and going deep into people’s hidden nooks and crannies, and like a storm she uproots old truths and casts history in a new light. […] Tove Alsterdal has the blow life into her stories to the very last page, and to give them both credibility and a depth that feels wholly authentic.”
NSD (SE)

“Tove Alsterdal is an exceptionally skilled storyteller. She stokes the suspense constantly and the novel is a true page turner – you keep wondering ‘what happens next?’ Her style is rich and vivid, broad and resilient, with humor and sensitive character portraits. Her nature scenes are fantastic and the author has a truly loving eye on the landscape… At the same time, this is a intuitive and nuanced portrayal of the often so contradictory human psyche; how we act with motives that can be difficult to understand, how we maintain dubious loyalties, irrational insecurities and fears, remarkable egoism, a surprising willingness to sacrifice, generosity and frailty in one and the same person, when we are at our best and when we are at our worst – and everything in-between.”
Tidningen Ångermanland (SE)

“Alsterdal weaves together plot, history, and geography in such a beautiful way […] Moreover, the resolution is everything but expected. But then again, Tove Alsterdal is the author, a mark of quality.”
Borås Tidning (SE)

“In literature and atmosphere [the area of Ådalen] with its vast forests, cliffs and rivers is reminiscent of a combination of Stephen King’s New England and Tennessee Williams’ deep and demonic South. It is in this combined mood that Alsterdal with great skill builds her crime narrative […] This is a collective police procedural in the best Swedish tradition […] At the same time, this is a story about people in a Swedish backwater country that at best has become a place for summer tourists, but that hides destinies that run far back to the grandeur of industrialism, through depopulation and financial decline, to today’s rebranding as a national park. […] Alsterdal offers superb mastery of surprising plot, tons of atmosphere, and clever reflection of urgent topics in society – to the very last page.”
Jyllandsposten (DK)

“If you’re an aspiring crime writer who wants to know how to start a book, you ought to read Tove Alsterdal’s new crime novel We Know You Remember, and then revisit the two first chapters. If you do so, you will see how masterfully and superbly you can introduce characters, milieus, and motifs (even the criminal ones); how an author with such effortless elegance can place crumbs along the path that readers follow – and without us ever even being aware of it. […] Alsterdal updates the collective narrative about [the area of Ådalen]. She portrays the sparsely populated yet large area with a poetic duality that clings to both plot and atmosphere. It is picturesque and hopeless at the same time. It is eerily secluded; the perfect fertile soil for loneliness to grow. But there are also fragrant buttercups and willowherbs and wild chervil growing along the side of the road, and trees as far as the eye can reach. Ådalen can also be the very epitome of freedom.”
Politiken, 5/6 Stars (DK)

“Midsommar meets Mare of Easttown in this propulsive, prize-winning page-turner set in the forests of Sweden’s North Coast. […] A police procedural with panache.”
Oprah Daily (US)

“What a mesmerising case it is […] set against the lush backdrop of the forested and rocky landscape of the High Coast of northern Sweden, Alsterdal’s thriller sweeps readers into a small township where the decades-old mystery of missing teenager Lina Stavred still sends powerful shockwaves through the tight-lipped, guilt-ridden residents. […] a twisting, turning plotline that weaves seamlessly between past and present, […] Moody, gripping and unpredictable, and with an incisive and sophisticated exploration of grief, guilt, memory and family, We Know You Remember brims with all the tension, intrigue and atmospherics that we have come to expect from classic Swedish noir. Add on a final, shocking twist, and Alsterdal’s entry into our Nordic Noir crime-reading scene certainly gets off to a cracking start!”
The Blackpool Gazette (UK)

“Tove Alsterdal expertly connects past and present in different ways. There’s a great sense of authenticity to the story, it’s like it has actually happened. […] Due to the realistic portrayal of the characters, this story really gets under your skin.”
Vrouwen Thrillers, 4.5 stars (NL)

“Strong characters, a great sense of place and plot twists galore leave you delighted that this is the first novel in a new series of Swedish noir.”
The Sunday Times (UK)

“We Know You Remember is not a thriller that lives off shocking scenes or action. Here, the characters and their surroundings set the tone. Above all Eira. In her, Alsterdal has created a character that has a lot of human depth.[…] The author skillfully concretizes the family situation and simultaneously manages to highlight the difficulties of the younger generation in this part of Sweden. […] Tove Alsterdal introduces the Eira Sjödin-triology with this subdued Nordic Noir, where she puts emphasis on the characters and their social environment. […] It creates an atmosphere where you become very curious of how Eira is going to move forward.”
Krimi Couch (DE)

“[We Know You Remember] tickles the appetite for the two upcoming books. With detective Eira Sjödin [Alsterdal] has introduced a multifaceted character whose development is as exciting as the next case.”
Ruhr Nachrichten (DE)

“A brief spoiler: Not only does this book start well, but it also stays good. It’s a captivating story with a likable protagonist who also needs to deal with her own personal issues. […] This is the kind of thing that elevates the story to a human level. […] it shows a different layer apart from the search for the perpetrator and makes the characters seem human. This is no blood-stained crime thriller where one victim after the next turns up dead. This is more on the literary level of Henning Mankell’s books. […] Tove Alsterdal’s We Know You Remember convinced me. Not because I have a soft spot for Scandi crime, but because the book captured me in terms of content and style. Two more books about Eira Sjödin are planned and I can’t wait to read them.”
Frankfurter Rundschau (DE)

“In fine Nordic Noir manner, We Know You Remember offers a dense atmosphere of mistrust and mutual grudges, which stirs unease. […] The solution comes unexpectedly and definitely. Tove Alsterdal promises two more books about Eira Sjödin – something to look forward to.”
WDR 1 (DE)

“Beautifully elegiac and intricately plotted, this is Nordic noir at its best.”
People Magazine (US)

“This is a world-class Scandinavian mystery, one that will be mentioned in the same breath with Smilla’s Sense of Snow, The Redbreast or the Millennium trilogy. […] I predict that it will be one of the most talked-about suspense novels of the year.”
BookPage, starred review (US)

“Compelling and expertly constructed.”
Booklist (US)

“A cat-and-mouse game that promises to be full of surprises, as well as thoughtful considerations of grief, guilt, and memory.”
LitHub’s Crimereads (US)

“Among today’s abundant crime novels, it’s rare to find one that demands a second reading for its language and insight. We Know You Remember is one of that small group.”
New York Journal of Books (US)

“Among today’s abundant crime novels, it’s rare to find one that demands a second reading for its language and insight. We Know You Remember is one of that small group, and more American appearances of Tove Alsterdal’s other titles are well worth looking forward to.”
New York Review of Books (US)

“Riveting. […] The plot structure of this memorable work is brilliantly conceived and executed, and the development of an array of fascinating characters is impressive. As a matter of fact, it is as much a profound psychological study as it is a clever police procedural […] A superb procedural and an acutely revelatory reading experience.”
Bookreporter (US)

“A beautiful and atmospheric novel with an interesting plot and a very likeable detective, that I really look forward to meet again.”
Nordic Noir (US)

“Tove Alsterdal stands out in the suspense genre with an illuminating social perspective.”
Aftonbladet (SE)

“The atmosphere is as eerie as in a horror movie: the creaking old estate without a single mirror, the overgrown garden that extends down to the river, the cellar that isn’t really consistent with the plans, an alarming sense of impending catastrophe. […] Few can write like Tove Alsterdal. She has a style of her own and a directness to her tone, and portrays people who are neither downright good nor bad. It is human and that’s what makes it so frightening: everyone can commit evil deeds, and everyone can keep fateful secrets.”
Lotta Olsson, Dagens Nyheter (SE)

“This is a thrilling page-turner. But Tove Alsterdal’s Erasure is also a subtle psychological novel about relationships, a captivating historical novel about life in a borderland, and a thought-provoking, philosophical novel. […] Breathlessly, the reader gets to experience how silenced and hidden stories from the past and people’s inner depths are brought into the light – in a way Tove Alsterdal does like no other. Cleverly, delicately, masterfully.”
Västerbottenskuriren (SE)

“[Alsterdal’s] nuanced and restrained prose not only gives authenticity to the characters and milieus, and the same fenomen heightens the suspense. […] What builds her plot isn’t the calculated or unlikely, it’s rather the structured and comprehensive. The wisdom of history, the return of injustice from the century when the idiocy of nationalism devastated the continent. History is the murderer, now and then. […] A true history lesson, a tale in the minor key.”
Norrbottenskuriren (SE)

“When Tove Alsterdal publishes a new book, critics sit prepared to give the highest marks. Erasure has now been translated into Norwegian, and yes – she meets the expectations – because her writing is superb, and her storytelling is excellent. […] Here, Alsterdal shows just how good she is: the grand, political story doesn’t just serve as a shallow backdrop for a crime mystery. On the contrary: the greater story of war, about friends who became enemies, about injustices and ownership, almost becomes more thrilling than the mystery of a dead boy found in the tunnel under the vineyard. Almost. Because it’s impossible to separate the two stories, they are intertwined into one other and create a propulsion and depth that is rarely seen in the crime genre.”
Stavanger Aftenblad, 5/6 Stars (NO)

“A thrilling history lesson. […] An incredibly exciting book that on the one hand provides insight into a part of European history that few of us knew anything about. And on the other hand it’s a moving and psychological plunge into the workings of a collapsing relationship.”
Adresseavisen, 5/6 Stars (NO)

“Erasure is a novel about a time, an era, and history. But it is also both thrilling and moving, it is after all written by Tove Alsterdal, which is always a guarantee for quality. […] In Erasure she elevates her authorship further. She tells a story that may be fictive, but that nonetheless stems from many actual human fates. And she does so with precision and great empathy.”
Smålandsposten (SE)

“This beautiful novel explores a little-known period after World War II where a large German population once lived.”
Télé Loisirs (FR)

“I really enjoyed the author’s style and the prism through which she chose to tell this story. A beautiful reflection on the memory of the past! I’ve only just discovered Tove Alsterdal with her fifth novel, and I will continue to follow her.”
Livresse Du Noir, Blog (FR)

“A stunning novel full of twists and turns, that portrays both a modern couple whose relationship has run its course, and a piece of history that never ceases to echo in the present.”
En Lisant, En Écrivant, Blog (FR)

“The author suceeds to interweave historical facts, politics, the present and the past. She gives us family secrets hidden beneath a leaden cover of silence and history. I won’t forget her descriptions of the village, the countryside, the roses of the vinyard and its former glory that makes you want to visit Bohemia. I am infatuated with this mystery novel and it’s above all the historical aspect that gives it flavour. I love to discover topics I don’t know anything about. […] The threads of this grand story are tied tigether with great talent and respect. […] An excellent read!”
L’Atelier De Litote, Blog (FR)

“Dramatic, thrilling, small-scale and enormous at the same time. And the language! Alsterdal is fantastic, end of story.”
Folkbladet (SE)

“Thrilling, well-written and highly topical.”
Ingalill Mosander, Aftonbladet (SE)

“Tove Alsterdal is among the top tier of Swedish crime writers, she’s perhaps the best one.”
Dast Magazine (SE)

“Cleverly constructed and an exceptionally credible plot.”
Lotta Olsson, Dagens Nyheter (SE)

“Alsterdal is one of those crime writers who raises the bar, she’s an honor for the whole genre.”
Berlingske (DK)

“An absolutely smashing thriller.”
Dagbladet (NO)

“The best suspense novel of the year.”
Lotta Olsson, Dagens Nyheter (SE)

“An incredibly skillfully written thriller, dark and hair-raising.”
Ingalill Mosander, Aftonbladet (SE)

“Tove Alsterdal is more than just a Queen of Crime – she is the Empress of the genre. The best book I’ve read this year!”
Dast Magazine (SE)

“The breathtaking story and the skillful character portrayals stays with you.”
Skaraborgs Allehanda (SE)

“Incredibly interesting about an unusual subject. […] Alsterdal writes incredibly well, the plot is smart and the resolution is utterly phenomenal.”
Aftonbladet (SE)

“I won’t say too much about this captivating novel, since I don’t want to ruin the suspense which is so masterfully handled by Tove Alsterdal, who exposes difficult matters like the need to silence certain facts, resistance, and the loss of innocence.”
Bruxelles Culture (FR)

“Tove Alsterdal is an imaginative author who possesses a very sharp pen, and she has written an unexpected tale where personal drama is combined with historical tragedy and impeccably high suspense. […] Tove Alsterdal bursts through the glass ceiling of the crime genre and both deviates from it and surpasses its conventions, offering her readers an unusual novel that is both complex and captivating.”
Transfuge (FR)

“Simply magnificent!”
HR1 (DE)

“A brillianty good crime novel. […] One of the best crime novels of the spring.”
Verdens Gang (NO)

“A great thriller: haunting, fascinating, alternating between past and present. […] Very captivating.”
DLM (FR)

“An excellent Swedish thriller.”
Frankfurter Stadtkurirer (DE)

“Captivating.”
Myway (DE)

“A thrilling novel.”
Bücher Magazin (DE)

“Alsterdal isn’t just a skilled writer, she’s a razor-sharp social critic and also very funny. This is one of the best crime novels of the year, I know that already, for the simple reason that it just doesn’t get any better than this.”
Amelia (SE)

“An excellent novel that combines personal wounds with collective tragedy.”
Nyctalopes, Blog (FR)

“The Disappeared portrays revenge, justice, and oblivion with great originality.”
Fondu Au Noir, Blog (FR)

“In her second novel Buried in Silence [Tove Alsterdal] holds her international grip firmly and confirms that she has an impressively strong voice of her own. […] Buried in Silence keeps me mesmerized from the opening scene in the decaying homestead where everything is haunting to the unexpected and bold ending.”
Göteborgs-Posten (SE)

“This is a thrilling, well-written crime novel, but at its core lies a piece of Swedish history that has been difficult to process. […] With this foundation Tove Alsterdal has written a crime novel that recounts the history of the Torne Valley, about the Soviet Union and about Russia today. Do not miss this.”
Lotta Olsson, Dagens Nyheter (SE)

“Tove Alsterdal’s new suspense novel is more than a gripping thriller – it’s a great psychological drama, a contemporary historical novel and a melancholy love song.”
Västerbottens-Kuriren (SE)

“It’s a thriller, but in my eyes this is so much more. I’ll have to use big words, in my mind she fits in side by side with authors like Dennis Lehane and Ross McDonald. […] With Buried in Silence, Tove Alsterdal confirms that she’s among the best crime writers from Sweden. […] In a skillful way the novel evolves into an accomplished family chronicle, filled with drama both in the past and present.”
Norrbottenskuriren (SE)

“The best suspense novel of 2012 may already have been published. Tove Alsterdal’s new novel has kept me spellbound from the first to the last page. […] A novel that breathes suspense, historical mystery and northern nature imagery. […] This is the best that I have read in a very, very long time.”
Dast Magazine (SE)

“A pace worthy of Dan Brown. […] this is at the high level of Henning Mankell. This year’s best crime novel.”
Expressen (SE)

“An impressive debut.”
WDR5 (DE)

“A complex topic is condensed into this book with great finesse. Nothing is missing and nothing can be added. The balance is perfect. This first novel by Tove Alsterdal is a total success and the translation of her second book is already eagerly awaited.”
Huffington Post (CA)

“Tove Alsterdal’s The Forgotten Dead is a harrowing and well-founded thriller about modern slavery. […] For a debut, The Forgotten Dead is astoundingly profound. […] She really knows how to write. And she knows her facts. The story is extremely well-researched and despite the fictitious setting it gives a  thought-provoking and important glimpse of the darkest alleys in Europe.”
Politiken (DK)

“The Forgotten Dead will keep you engrossed from beginning to end. Take a step in to the darkness, will you be able to escape?”
Nudge Books (UK)

“A captivating debut!”
Der Standard (DE)

“Alsterdal is a gift to lovers of suspense novels.”
Søndag (DK)

“If you’ll only read one Swedish crime novel this summer, make it The Forgotten Dead by Tove Alsterdal.”
Berlingske (DK)

“A thrilling, insightful and incredibly well-written tale.”
Göteborgsposten (SE)

“Without a doubt, she is one of our best crime writers right now. Or rather, in short, one of the best writers right now.”
Skånska Dagbladet (SE)