The Blurb
The incredible story of a codeword, an extraordinary murder, and the woman who must solve both to stop a deadly plot fifty years in the making. Perfect for fans of I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes and The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
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The landline rings as Agneta is waving off her grandchildren. Just one word comes out of the receiver: 'Geiger'.
For decades, Agneta has always known that this moment would come, but she is shaken. She knows what it means.
Retrieving her weapon from its hiding place, she attaches the silencer and creeps up behind her husband before pressing the barrel to his temple.
Then she squeezes the trigger and disappears - leaving behind her wallet and keys.
The extraordinary murder is not Sara Nowak's case. But she was once close to those affected and, defying regulations, she joins the investigation. What Sara doesn't know is that the mysterious codeword is just the first piece in the puzzle of an intricate and devastating plot fifty years in the making . . .
Geiger is published in the UK on 29th April 2021 by Zaffre in hardback, audio and eBook formats.
My Review
The opening of Geiger is pretty explosive, as described in the blurb. Following a phone call Agneta kills her husband Stellan. Sara Novak, now a police officer, had been a childhood friend of Agneta's daughters Lotte and Malin and is informed of Stellan's death by a colleague. She insists on attending the crime scene and afterwards can't drop it, even though it's not her case, and her investigation uncovers things she struggles to believe.
I loved the characterisation in this book. Agneta is nearly seventy and it's clear from the writing that at times she feels every one of those years. But she's tough, resilient and determined. And she loves her grandchildren very much. Although Stellan meets his end early on, he is very much a central character and we learn much about his life throughout the story. We find that his public face is very different from his private one. And Sara. I really liked her - fierce, tenacious and thorough. Both in her 'proper' job arresting men using prostitutes and in her unofficial investigation into Stellan's murder. I loved her relationship with her mother or, rather, I loved how her view of her mother changed as things from the past come to light. I found that quite moving, actually. There are, of course, other brilliant characters but I am loathed to mention more for fear of spoilers.
It's a hefty tome, coming in at over 400 pages, and there is much to take in about history and politics here - I found it all quite fascinating, and consider myself better educated - always a good thing! The book seems well researched, has an authentic feel. This additional information is absolutely necessary to the story and I didn't feel it particularly slowed the plot. The pace is cracking throughout leading to an explosive denouement.
Geiger opens with a crime and plenty more are carried out or exposed throughout. It's a story of a family full of secrets. It's a story of loyalty, love, dedication and fanaticism. I love to see a tale led by strong women and I think Skördeman does this well. This is a complex story, well crafted and populated by well drawn characters. It's tense, exciting and full of fantastic reveals - I really enjoyed it.
The Author
Gustaf Skördeman was born in 1965 in Sweden and is a screenwriter, director and producer. Geiger is his literary debut.
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