The Hidden Child, by Camilla Läckberg

Title: The Hidden Child

Publisher: Pegasus

Date: May 15, 2014

Pages: 544

Language: English







About the author: Born in 1974, Camilla Läckberg graduated from Gothenburg University of Economics, before moving to Stockholm where she worked for a few years as an economist. However, a course in creative writing triggered a drastic change of career. Her first six novels all became Swedish No. 1 bestsellers. She lives in a suburb of Stockholm.

About the book: Crime writer Erica Falck is shocked to discover a Nazi medal among her late mother’s possessions. Haunted by a childhood of neglect, she resolves to dig deep into her family’s past and finally uncover the reasons why. Her inquiries lead her to the home of a retired history teacher. He was among her mother’s circle of friends during the Second World War but her questions are met with bizarre and evasive answers. Two days later he meets a violent death. Detective Patrik Hedström, Erica’s husband, is on paternity leave but soon becomes embroiled in the murder investigation. Who would kill so ruthlessly to bury secrets so old? Reluctantly Erica must read her mother’s wartime diaries. But within the pages is a painful revelation about Erica’s past. Could what little knowledge she has be enough to endanger her husband and newborn baby? The dark past is coming to light, and no one will escape the truth of how they came to be . .

My take: When it comes to certain book reviews the review is basically telling you the story. Well this review isn't going to tell the story because I found this book so intriguing that I don't want to give it away. I enjoyed every aspect of finding out who every character was and what their role was going to be. I love a good read and found this to be one of them. I am not really a crime book lover, but this has made me either want to read more or just realize that this particular author, Camilla Läckberg, is just a brilliant writer. I think I will go with the later.

The first page of The Hidden Child drew me in. The way the author described the murder victim had me feeling like I was walking around the room and viewing everything she was describing. This is separates a good writer from a regular one. If I can visualize the story while I am reading and still remember it afterwards, you are a very brilliant writer. I also liked the fact that we are able to read the pages of her mother's diary. Instead of just telling us, the author takes us on the journey with Erica as she reads through the pages of the diary. The story flip flops between present day to past (the diary), which gives us a deeper understanding of some of the characters and what leads to present day events.

The story from the beginning to the end keeps you wondering what is going to happen. I love books that you start to read and don't want to put down until you are done and this is one of them. The writing style is very simplistic, so it is easy to get through.You will be amazed at the outcome of this story. I was shocked and didn't expect it to end the way it did, but that is what made it a really great read. 

Whether you like crime novels or just looking for a good book to read, I think The Hidden Child, by  Camilla Läckberg should be added to your bookshelf. Plus, seeing how it is part of a series, you might as well get her other books and read them also.

I want to thank Kathleen Zrelak for giving me a copy of this book for my honest review.