Status
Available
Call number
Series
Genres
Publication
New York : Delta Delacorte, 2007
Description
Fiction. Suspense. Thriller. HTML:It�??s midsummer in Sweden�??when the light lingers through dawn and a long, isolating winter finally comes to an end. In this magical time, a brutal killer has chosen to strike. A female priest�??who made enemies and acolytes in equal number�??has been found hanging in her church. And a big-city lawyer quite acquainted with death enters the scene as police and parishioners try to pick up the pieces.... Not long ago, attorney Rebecka Martinsson had to kill three men in order to stop an eerily similar murder spree�??one that also involved a priest. Now she is back in Kiruna, the region of her birth, while a determined policewoman gnaws on the case and people who loved or loathed the victim mourn or revel in her demise. The further Rebecka is drawn into the mystery�??a mystery that will soon take another victim�??the more the dead woman�??s world clutches her: a world of hurt and healing, sin and sexuality, and, above all, of sacrifice. In prose that is both lyrical and visceral, �?sa Larsson has crafted a novel of pure entertainment, a taut, atmospheric mystery that will hold you in thrall until the last, unf… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member tonile.helena
I must apologise for my lack of posting lately; my personal life has been fairly hectic and I have also been in the unfortunate situation of reading a book that didn’t really grab me. This rarely happens to me, and I find it quite uncomfortable when it does happen, because who am I to judge
The Blood Spilt is the second novel by Asa Larsson, and the second in the Rebecka Martinsson series, and it follows on within a couple of months of the events of The Savage Altar. Rebecka is still reeling from the incident in Kiruna where she was kidnapped by and ultimately forced to kill three men, and she has been unable to return to work full time. The darkness surrounding the religious community in Kiruna has not subsided, when a controversial female priest, Mildred Nilsson, is brutally murdered and left hanging from the organ in the parish church. When Rebecka’s law firm is contacted by the parish about some legal matters, Rebecka (not aware of the murder) and a colleague venture back to Kiruna to assist the other priests.
What follows is an interesting and complex, albeit somewhat drawn out, look into the lives of a small, tight-knit community when a new and dynamic figure shakes up some long-standing order. Inevitably when this happens, the proverbial feathers are ruffled and some people don’t like seeing change in their comfort zone. To Larsson’s credit, she explores this area really well. In a town that is still quite dominated by male-centric ideology, the reader is given a deep insight into the effect an innovative person (who in this case happens to be a woman) can have when what is considered the norm is torn down. In a sort of “adapt or perish” atmosphere, those who cannot embrace change are left behind, and those who are under pressure to introduce change either comply or are branded as backward, sexist and elitist. In hindsight, the profound psychological themes make the long back story far more readable, but many readers may be put off by the lack of action. Compounded with this, we are also made aware of the personal war being waged inside Rebecka as she comes to terms with what happened to her, and tries to figure out how to piece her shattered life back together.
I would be lying if I said I loved it, but I would be lying again if I said I didn’t like it. The Blood Spilt is not what I was expecting, and will definitely appeal more to readers who prefer to know their characters in depth, rather than merely observe all the action.
Show More
someone’s writing? Yes we are all entitled to our opinions, but this author is a well regarded Scandinavian author, and that is far more than I can say for myself. So I persevered, as I will always do, because someone spent a great deal of time and effort writing this novel, and it’s the least I can do.The Blood Spilt is the second novel by Asa Larsson, and the second in the Rebecka Martinsson series, and it follows on within a couple of months of the events of The Savage Altar. Rebecka is still reeling from the incident in Kiruna where she was kidnapped by and ultimately forced to kill three men, and she has been unable to return to work full time. The darkness surrounding the religious community in Kiruna has not subsided, when a controversial female priest, Mildred Nilsson, is brutally murdered and left hanging from the organ in the parish church. When Rebecka’s law firm is contacted by the parish about some legal matters, Rebecka (not aware of the murder) and a colleague venture back to Kiruna to assist the other priests.
What follows is an interesting and complex, albeit somewhat drawn out, look into the lives of a small, tight-knit community when a new and dynamic figure shakes up some long-standing order. Inevitably when this happens, the proverbial feathers are ruffled and some people don’t like seeing change in their comfort zone. To Larsson’s credit, she explores this area really well. In a town that is still quite dominated by male-centric ideology, the reader is given a deep insight into the effect an innovative person (who in this case happens to be a woman) can have when what is considered the norm is torn down. In a sort of “adapt or perish” atmosphere, those who cannot embrace change are left behind, and those who are under pressure to introduce change either comply or are branded as backward, sexist and elitist. In hindsight, the profound psychological themes make the long back story far more readable, but many readers may be put off by the lack of action. Compounded with this, we are also made aware of the personal war being waged inside Rebecka as she comes to terms with what happened to her, and tries to figure out how to piece her shattered life back together.
I would be lying if I said I loved it, but I would be lying again if I said I didn’t like it. The Blood Spilt is not what I was expecting, and will definitely appeal more to readers who prefer to know their characters in depth, rather than merely observe all the action.
Show Less
LibraryThing member bsquaredinoz
This is one of those books that doesn’t neatly fit into the crime fiction genre (which undoubtedly annoys the publishers but doesn’t bother me in the slightest). Ostensibly it’s a standard murder-mystery with police procedural overtones but in reality those elements take a back seat to a
Set towards the end of a Swedish summer where daylight is in abundance, the story revolves around the investigation into the grizzly murder of a female priest in a small town. The woman died several months before the start of the book but the investigation has stalled until a detective returning from maternity leave is asked to pick up the case. At the same time Stockholm lawyer, Rebecka Martinsson, travels to the town to participate in some meetings about the finances of the local church. The town is not only Martinsson’s hometown but also the site where she was forced to kill several people in self defence: an experience from which she has not recovered.
The police investigation is a relatively minor element of this book. It is certainly present, and the two main police investigators are certainly engaging characters, but it is not the sole driver of plot. Alongside it are multiple threads which follow various townspeople and their interactions with the priest who was murdered. Larsson presents a series of vignettes where we see the priest interact with her husband, lover, acolytes and enemies and we slowly build up a picture of her life and what led to her death. Following Rebecka Martinsson’s attempt to recover from her earlier experience is intertwined in the main story in a very believable way.
This is a beautiful book. The people, the animals and the physical environment are all carefully constructed to complement each other and provide a complete world that a reader can lose themselves in. It might be a bit slow-paced and lacking in blood and gore for some readers but I loved it.
Show More
fascinating series of character studies.Set towards the end of a Swedish summer where daylight is in abundance, the story revolves around the investigation into the grizzly murder of a female priest in a small town. The woman died several months before the start of the book but the investigation has stalled until a detective returning from maternity leave is asked to pick up the case. At the same time Stockholm lawyer, Rebecka Martinsson, travels to the town to participate in some meetings about the finances of the local church. The town is not only Martinsson’s hometown but also the site where she was forced to kill several people in self defence: an experience from which she has not recovered.
The police investigation is a relatively minor element of this book. It is certainly present, and the two main police investigators are certainly engaging characters, but it is not the sole driver of plot. Alongside it are multiple threads which follow various townspeople and their interactions with the priest who was murdered. Larsson presents a series of vignettes where we see the priest interact with her husband, lover, acolytes and enemies and we slowly build up a picture of her life and what led to her death. Following Rebecka Martinsson’s attempt to recover from her earlier experience is intertwined in the main story in a very believable way.
This is a beautiful book. The people, the animals and the physical environment are all carefully constructed to complement each other and provide a complete world that a reader can lose themselves in. It might be a bit slow-paced and lacking in blood and gore for some readers but I loved it.
Show Less
LibraryThing member fordbarbara
Rebecka gets into a terrible situation at the end of the book
LibraryThing member claudiaannett
a bit gruesome, but great plot. Don't know rural Swedes that well, but characters and village life realistic.
LibraryThing member bhowell
This psychological thriller takes place in northern Sweden and the saga of Rebecka Richardson continues. Traumatized and broken from recents events (which took place in the previous book, Sun Storm) Rebecca seeks solace in Kiruna, the region of her childhood. A female priest is murdered and left
Show More
hanging in her church and Rebecca is drawn into the mystery. A controversial figure in the community, priest Mildred Nilsson, was both loved and hated. But there is more terror to come and this is a compulsive thrilling read. Upon completing this book I immediately started the next book in this series, "The Black Path". Show Less
LibraryThing member annbury
Another first rate psyhological thriller by Asa Larsson, featuring her troubled heroine, Rebecka Martinsson. Like the other two Larsson novels I have read (Sun Storm and The Black Path) this one is set in Sweden's far north, and the atmosphere is dark and threatening. The characters are
Show More
compellingly drawn, and the suspense doesn't let up. Show Less
LibraryThing member cln1812
Excellent book, the 2nd in the Rebecca Martinsson series. A priest is found beatened and hanged in a church organ chapel in Kiruna, near the area Rebecca grew up. On medical absence from her job as a financial lawyer after killing 3 men to save the lives of 2 children, Rebecca reluctantly finds
Show More
herself drawn into her old turf by one of the firm's partners, hoping to be able to offer a deal to the local parish for legal advice regarding church matters. Rebecca finds herself drawn to stay on and in the process starts having moments of living again but finds herself in danger as she unwittingly stumbles closer and closer to the truth about the murder of the controversial liberal woman priest. Show Less
LibraryThing member edwardsgt
I found this rather hard going and eventually abandoned it after reading about a third.
LibraryThing member kiwifortyniner
to me this was an average mystery read. not gripping
LibraryThing member ffortsa
The second Rebecka Martinsson mystery, in which Rebecka is trying to recover from the trauma of the first story, and must revisit Kiruna, where some months before, a female priest has been killed. Another dark, dark Swedish mystery, with a couple of strong female protagonists. Larsson can create
Show More
some especially interesting secondary characters, but some of her plot devices are rather baldly telegraphed. Still, nice twists, and I really like the various levels of commitment, confusion and personal situations of her ensemble players. Show Less
LibraryThing member culturion
A bit like chewing glass. This was too elliptical and depressing to enjoy. I gathered it must have been part of a series but the connection to Rebecka Martinsson seemed tenuous and simply existed to pour more trauma upon her head along with most other people in the book. Even the policeman lost his
Show More
cat. It's hard to read something where any character or plotline that even hints life may contain a moment of joy is crushed and extinguished by bitter feelings, broken relationships and violence. Probably not my finest choice of easy going holiday reading! Show Less
LibraryThing member culturion
A bit like chewing glass. This was too elliptical and depressing to enjoy. I gathered it must have been part of a series but the connection to Rebecka Martinsson seemed tenuous and simply existed to pour more trauma upon her head along with most other people in the book. Even the policeman lost his
Show More
cat. It's hard to read something where any character or plotline that even hints life may contain a moment of joy is crushed and extinguished by bitter feelings, broken relationships and violence. Probably not my finest choice of easy going holiday reading! Show Less
LibraryThing member SeriousGrace
Rebecka Martinsson returns after killing three people in The Sun Storm. That seems pretty incredible when you consider Rebecka is a tax lawyer. But, she had a good reason. (In other words, read the book.) When we catch up with Martinsson in The Blood Spilt she has been on sick leave and struggling
Police woman Anna-Maria Mella and her partner, Inspector Sven-Erik Stalnacke are also back in Blood Spilt. They are dealing with the murder of Mildred Nilsson, a controversial and strongly disliked and equally liked priest who was found murdered. To catch you up on Anna-Maria, she was pregnant during Sun Storm and is now on maternity leave a year and a half later after giving birth to her son, Gustav.
Back to the plot.
Anna - Maria and Sven-Erik have their work cut out for them. Any number of people could have killed Mildred. Husbands in particular had the strongest motive. Mildred's life work was rescuing battered women from abusive spouses. She was responsible for households torn apart leaving the menfolk left to care for the children left behind and the upkeep of their homes. Additionally, Mildred was on a crusade to save the grey wolf which put her at odds with farmers and hunters alike. Personally, I could have done without the Yellow Legs subplot. I think the story would have held up just fine without it.
Rebecka inevitably gets caught up in the murder when she befriends a mentally challenged boy who might have witnessed the crime.
As an aside, if you are an animal lover this book will be really hard to read. Just saying!
Show More
with post traumatic stress. Police woman Anna-Maria Mella and her partner, Inspector Sven-Erik Stalnacke are also back in Blood Spilt. They are dealing with the murder of Mildred Nilsson, a controversial and strongly disliked and equally liked priest who was found murdered. To catch you up on Anna-Maria, she was pregnant during Sun Storm and is now on maternity leave a year and a half later after giving birth to her son, Gustav.
Back to the plot.
Anna - Maria and Sven-Erik have their work cut out for them. Any number of people could have killed Mildred. Husbands in particular had the strongest motive. Mildred's life work was rescuing battered women from abusive spouses. She was responsible for households torn apart leaving the menfolk left to care for the children left behind and the upkeep of their homes. Additionally, Mildred was on a crusade to save the grey wolf which put her at odds with farmers and hunters alike. Personally, I could have done without the Yellow Legs subplot. I think the story would have held up just fine without it.
Rebecka inevitably gets caught up in the murder when she befriends a mentally challenged boy who might have witnessed the crime.
As an aside, if you are an animal lover this book will be really hard to read. Just saying!
Show Less
LibraryThing member tmph
This is book number 2 of Larsson's series, with the first one's story hanging over everything. Perfectly enjoyable, but should've started with the first. Got that now, and started; having finished this one.
An odd mystery, but very interesting characters, the kind you care about.
An odd mystery, but very interesting characters, the kind you care about.
LibraryThing member macha
second in a series of Scandinavian mysteries about what people might get up to in the far north of Lappland, while wrestling with toxic masculinity problems and grisly murders to solve - and to commit. and lots of dogs and even a few wolves, all of whom get their own psych profiles too. you
Show More
couldn't call it cozy but that's fine by me, i'm right in the mood. off to read the next one.... Show Less
Subjects
Language
Original publication date
2005
ISBN
0385340796 / 9780385340793