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4.5
Guitly?: A Swedish Crime Novel is the fourth book in Christer Tholin's Stockholm Sleuth series. The author gives readers a story about a teenage girl by the name of Hannah. Hannah isn't happy at home, and she's not the prettiest girl around. So when an older guy by the name of Ali takes an interest in her she can hardly believe her luck. He showers her with gifts, compliments her lavishly, and succeeds in making her fall for him, but the truth is a much darker thing than she can expect. When she disappears one day and never comes home her parents try to involve the police, but since Hannah appears to have left voluntarily they are dismissive. So Hannah's parents call in private investigators Lars and his partner Elin. But none of them have any idea of the dangers that are awaiting them as they dig deeper to find Hannah and then to save her from a crime she did not commit.Guilty? is the first book that I have read by this author and while it is the fourth in the series, I was pleased that it can be read as a standalone novel. While the relationships between the two investigators have already been established it is not heavily impactful in this story. There are some aspects of a previous book(s) that are touched upon in this book, but they don't weigh in on the overall storyline, but they do pique my interest in what has happened previously. This book is truly realistic in that you can imagine this storyline playing out at any day or time anywhere around the world. Even though I am older than Hannah I could understand her insecurities. When her friend expresses concern (whether real or simply out of jealousy - we'll never really know) I found myself frowning at her. I felt like Hannah, that since she wasn't the one receiving the attention...was she jealous? The author plays the storyline well in that aspect. As the storyline goes deeper and the investigation begins I'm eager to read how the investigators will handle the situation. I'm honestly not disappointed and I keep page-turning to learn what happens next.This book is not for everyone. I'll say that much. A young teenager being forced into sex trafficking and still believing that she is in love with the guy who is putting her through all of this is not something that all readers should dive into. You can honestly see it playing out in your mind and it's heartbreaking, to say the least. Hannah's insecurities drive her to believe that this guy truly loves her but his actions...they tell a different story. I find myself frustrated with Hannah more often than not when the story shifts back to her, but the author keeps me coming back for more as the investigators themselves soon find that they have their own issues to deal with on top of this investigation.I am rating this book 5 out of 5 stars. This story is truly compelling and well-written. The author expertly takes a fictional novel and makes it feel as realistic as possible. I was drawn in from the first page and couldn't put this book down. There are some disturbing elements which make this book, not for everyone, but for those who choose to read this book...I'm sure that you won't regret it.
