Rebecca Martinsson's profession as a lawyer takes her to
Jukkasjarvi, a small village near her hometown of Kiruna,
Sweden. She hopes returning to the place of her nightmares
will free her from the empty and reclusive life she
currently leads.
Upon finishing her professional commitment, Rebecca decides
to stay in Jukkasjarvi to attempt a fresh start and to face
her fears. Unbeknownst to her, she stumbles into a web of
lies, deceit and murder, which leads Rebecca on a dangerous
path, possibly to her own demise and loss of sanity.
This is the first time I've read a translated novel
(originally published in Sweden). Unfortunately, I was not
impressed. It was difficult to read and the translation was
confusing, at times. THE BLOOD SPILT is a continuation of
Rebecca's story that was started in a previous novel, SUN
STORM. This may be why I didn't feel a connection to any of
the characters, not having read the first book, and the
abrupt ending was disappointing.
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.