When a child is abducted from a packed train, then found dead in chilly northern Sweden with the word unwanted inscribed on her forehead, Inspector Frederika Bergman gets down to the business of finding a particularly nasty killer. Yes, another example of Scandinavian derring-do, though Ohlsson, formerly a security police analyst for the National Swedish Police Board, is now a counterterrorism officer living in Vienna. This won the 2010 Stabilo Prize for Best Crime Writer of Southern Sweden, so you probably can't go wrong.

Swedish federal investigator Frederika Bergman is an academic whose intellect assists her in formulating unique theories during her investigations. Unfortunately, her mostly male colleagues show contempt at her lack of previous police experience and push aside her findings and opinions. But before Frederika can quit and work in a profession more appropriate for her talent, a simple custodial interference case quickly turns into a serial kidnapping and murder spree. VERDICT This award-winning first volume in an acclaimed Swedish crime series spends a significant amount of time introducing and setting up Frederika's investigative team. While this makes for a slightly lengthy thriller, it does not take away from the compelling story line. Ohlsson's U.S. debut is a complicated novel that delves into every parent's nightmare. Fans of detective or thriller fiction will delight in discovering this excellent addition to the Scandinavian mystery genre. [See Prepub Alert, 8/26/11.]—Jennifer Funk, McKendree Univ. Lib., Lebanon, IL

Superior prose, plotting, and characterization lift this procedural set in Stockholm, the first in a series. When Sara Sebastiansson steps off a train to Gothenburg for a moment at an intermediate station, she leaves her six-year-old daughter, Lilian, asleep in a coach. A stranger's request to help with a sick pet ensures that Sara fails to reboard in time. Despite the conductor keeping an eye on Lilian for most of the trip to the next stop, the little girl is nowhere to be found on arrival there. Lilian's father, suspected of physically abusing her mother, is an obvious suspect, especially given conflicting stories about his whereabouts. Frederika Bergman, a police investigator who's less than comfortable interacting with people, and her colleagues soon realize they're dealing with a twisted monster whose motives are as obscure as his methods are horrific. Readers will look forward to spending more time in the company of the intriguing Bergman. Agent: Niclas Salomonsson, the Salomonsson Agency. (Feb.)