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Jul 07, 2013maipenrai rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
**** stars This is the fourth of Lackberg's series set in the rural Swedish region of Tanum, featuring police investigator Patrik Hedstrom and his team. A fatal traffic accident is initially put down to alcohol as the cause, but is puzzling when it is discovered the the woman victim never drank. Marit lived an entirely blameless life with her lover Kerstin and daughter Sofie, and her only enemy seems to have been her embittered ex-husband Ola. Patrik suspects foul play and begins to investigate. Meanwhile, a new reality show "Sodding Tanum" descends on the town in a media circus. The show takes survivors of other reality series and films them pursuing 'ordinary' lives in a small town. The cast is, not surprisingly, narcissistic and confrontational. Regular sessions with psychologist Lars, husband of new police team member Hanna, do little to control them, especially in the face of a production crew determined to keep tensions high. Soon bickering leads to drunken brawling at a party. The cosmetically enhanced "Barbie" of the cast is found dead. Media interest in the reality-show murder means that Patrik and his team neglect Marit in favor of investigating Barbie's death. However, neither case moves anywhere fast until Patrik half-remembers something he heard at a police training day several years earlier. Even then, the resolution proves to be more complex, and more disturbing, than he imagined. I am a fan of the Scandinavian mystery writers and enjoy following the story line of Patrik, his family, and his fellow police officers. Highly recommend.