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Snowdrift collapses with a gaping door for a sequel
Book Review
By Derryll White
Tursten, Helene (2018). Snowdrift.
This is the third volume in Helen Tursten’s Embla Nystrõm series. She has reportedly been quite successful with her longer Detective Inspector Irene Huss series, but this is my first time reading this author.
Tursten does not commit to the story. Each time a small plot advance is made, paragraphs and pages are spent setting and describing scenes, writing in the style of an interior designer. Some central characters remain only shadows of their potential.
The author is a Swedish writer. It would be reasonable to expect some distinct flavours of and insights into Swedish life. That does not happen. Nor does the story end – it collapses with no resolution and a gaping door for the sequel to drive through.
Embla Nystrõm is a strong woman with power and drive hinted at, but not fully realized. There are so many really strong European writers coming into translation now that I will not soon be pulled back to this particular one.
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Excerpt from the novel:
CRIME – “So we’re looking at a huge international organization.”
“Absolutely. Globalization works to the advantage of many, especially criminal networks.”
– Derryll White once wrote books but now chooses to read and write about them. When not reading he writes history for the web at www.basininstitute.org.
