"Beautifully elegiac and intricately plotted, this is Nordic noir at its best."--People
Winner of the Glass Key Award for Best Nordic Crime Novel - Best Swedish Crime Novel of the Year - Shortlisted for the Best Swedish Book of the Year Award - One of People Magazine's Best Books of Fall
A missing girl, a hidden body, a decades-long cover-up, and old sins cast in new light: the classic procedural meets Scandinavian atmosphere in this rich, character-driven mystery, awarded Best Swedish Crime Novel of the Year, that heralds the American debut of a supremely skilled international writer.
It's been more than twenty years since Olof Hagström left home. Returning to his family's house, he knows instantly that something is amiss. The front door key, hidden under a familiar stone, is still there. Inside, there's a panicked dog, a terrible stench, water pooling on the floor: the father Olaf has not seen or spoken to in decades is dead in the bathroom shower.
For police detective Eira Sjödin, the investigation of this suspicious death resurrects long-forgotten nightmares. She was only nine when Olof Hagström, then fourteen, was found guilty of raping and murdering a local girl. The case left a mark on the town's collective memory--a wound that never quite healed--and tinged Eira's childhood with fear. Too young to be sentenced, Olof was sent to a youth home and exiled from his family. He was never seen in the town again. Until now.
An intricate crime narrative in which past and present gracefully blend, We Know You Remember is a relentlessly suspenseful and beautifully written novel about guilt and memory in which nothing is what it seems, and unexpected twists upend everything you think you know.
About the Author :
Tove Alsterdal burst upon the Swedish book scene in 2009 with The Forgotten Dead and is the author of five critically acclaimed stand-alone novels. We Know You Remember, which was named Swedish Crime Novel of the Year and was shortlisted for the country's Book of the Year Award, marks her American debut.
Review :
"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
"Beautifully elegiac and intricately plotted, this is Nordic noir at its best." - People Magazine, Best Books of Fall Award
"Compelling and expertly constructed." - Booklist
"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
"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
"A beautiful and atmospheric novel with an interesting plot and a very likeable detective, that I really look forward to meet again." - Nordic Noir
"The prose is methodical and gritty, the characters are diligent, troubled, relentless, and multilayered, and the plot is an ominous tale full of twists, turns, secrets, red herrings, deception, manipulation, desperation, deduction, mayhem, violence, and murder. We Know You Remember is an unsettling, atmospheric, taut whodunit by Alsterdal that has all the qualities you look for in a Swedish Noir novel and is a promising US debut for this new-to-me author." - What's Better Than Books Blog
"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
"Strong local color, convincing characters, and a twisty plot make this a standout. This is Swedish noir at its murky best." - Publishers Weekly, starred review
"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 Milennium trilogy.... I predict that it will be one of the most talked-about suspense novels of the year." - BookPage, starred review
"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
