Julia Davidsson tried to recover from the greatest tragedy in her life, but she couldn't seem to stop grieving. When her five-year-old son disappeared 20 years ago, she was never able to find any sort of peace. Not knowing what happened to Jens was devastating.

When Julia's father, Gerlof, received a small boy's sandal in the mail -- one that looked remarkably like Jens', Julia knew the time had come to confront her past. She wanted to know what happened to her son, even if it meant returning to her hometown of Oland and the ghosts that awaited her there.

The town was much as she remembered it and being there brought comfort along with the bad memories. Julia and her father, who spent his days in a retirement home, begin to ask questions and delve into Jens' disappearance, all the while struggling with their own disjointed relationship.

Then one of Gerlof's friends dies and the two wonder if it was really an accident as the police think. Julia is frustrated that her father seems to keep pieces of the story from her, but even despite that aggravation, she is beginning to feel some acceptance of Jens' fate. Maybe she should have come home sooner.

And yet, what really happened to her son? Julia and her father keep digging -- and what they uncover will shock their foundations.

The story of what happened to Jens will compel you to turn pages of this Swedish mystery/suspense novel. Theorin builds a strong, tightly pulled tension with back-and-forth storytelling that visits 20 years ago when Jens disappeared and returns to the present to track the steps of Julia and Gerlof. A smoothly intertwined look at two time periods, without losing the suspenseful pace, is a gift from Theorin. An excellent read.