The Preacher
By Camilla Lackberg
Published by Gallery Books, and imprint of
Release Date: Feb. 7, 2011
Pages 401
ISBN:978-1-4516-2177-8
The body of a young lady is found in a cave in the tiny little fishing village of Fjallbacka. Even more shocking, two more bodies are found buried underneath her. Could these be the same women who went missing twenty years ago? Could there be a killer who’s been on the loose this long? What is the connection between these three victims? And when a fourth woman goes missing, can the authorities find out who this serial killer is, in time to save her?
Patrick Hedstrom is in charge of this case, and with a pregnant girlfriend, some coworkers who are hardly dedicated to their jobs, a distracted boss, and a constant influx of family crashing at their place, he’s got his hands full.
As Patrick goes over old leads, his gut instinct tells him the Hults have something to do with these grisly murders. Their grandfather, known as The Preacher, moved into the community when one his followers died and left her land and property to him. Prior to this, he’d toured his two young sons as healers, successfully finagling money from all those he’d duped. After the boys lost their gift during puberty, he’d settled down into the small village and left the preaching behind. But The Preacher’s son was the last person known to have been with the girl who went missing twenty years before. And when he committed suicide soon after being accused, everyone in town knew why. He couldn’t stand the guilt. But if he’s dead, and there’s a dead body and another missing, who the heck is doing the killing? And why is each victim riddle with broken bones in various states of healing?
I read and reviewed Lackberg’s The Ice Princess last March as part of the Gallery blog tour. A couple memorable things: the writing seemed a little clichéd, and I couldn’t tell if it was the writing or the translation (original book is in Swedish). I have the same issues with this follow up. Second, though the writing wasn’t anywhere near spectacular, Lackberg knows how to get the reader involved in her world. So, even if you probably already know halfway through the book who the villain is, you still want to know about what happens to all the peripheral characters.
Ultimate verdict: Crime beach read
