3.5/5. I really enjoyed the first 75% of this book, but the last 25% got really weird.

The whole hypnosis thing was kind of stupid, and I was really uncomfortable with the stance the book seemed to take on abortion, though that was pretty inconsistent in and of itself. Also the fact that she decided to stay with her husband at the end wtf don't do that to yourself!

Detta är författarens första bok, jag har läst de andra och nu kommit till denna som heter Rov i min svenska pocket.

Tora Hamilton och hennes man bor på Shetlandsöarna. När Tora gräver i torvjorden på sin gård för att begrava sin älskade häst så stöter hon på ett perfekt bevarat lik, kroppen av en ung kvinna. Först tror man att det är ett arkeologiskt fynd men upptäcker snart att kroppen inte varit begravd länge. Tora kan inte släppa vad som hänt med kvinnan trots att polisen och flera andra säger till henne.

Bra och spännande, läste inte ut den på en dag som med flera andra av författarens böcker, men då räcker den ju längre så det var bara bra. Nu längtar jag efter fler böcker och hoppas att det snart kommer en ny spännande bok jag kan läsa. Har man inte läst något av författaren tidigare är jag lite avis, för då finns det många bra böcker att läsa. Ett tips är att läsa dem i ordning även om de inte hänger ihop i en serie (som den om Lacy Flint) för personer i de tidiga böckerna dyker upp i de senare, och det är alltid bra att ha bakgrundsinformationen om dem. Vill inte säga vilja och hur för då kan man avslöja för mycket. Bara läs!

Mix of MH Clark style thriller - ooo, who can she trust? - with ancient Nordic legend - runes, Trolls, missing women - and a racial superiority vein. The Shetlands sound interesting, though.

3,5 stars.
Début novel from this author and it wasn't that bad! I'm impressed.

While Tora is digging a hole in her yard to bury her deceased horse, she digs up a body. A young woman having recently given birth whose heart has been torn from her body and strange runes carved into her back. As an obstetrician, Tora is curious about this woman and her baby. Could she possibly have been a patient at her own hospital? What happened to the baby? Do her coworkers know about this? Is there a conspiracy on the small Shetland island where she works? She engages in a little detective work of her own and nearly makes the ultimate sacrifice for it.

I loved Little Black Lies so it was only natural that I pick up another of Sharon Bolton's work. This is her first, and it's clear from the writing - some clunky dialogue and a bit of odd character development here and there. BUT the plot is excellent. The action is realistic and the twists and turns that the story takes continually kept me guessing. I'll definitely read more of Bolton's early work.

Tora Hamilton, living near Lerwick in the Shetland Islands, is far away from home. Her husband, Duncan, grew up there, but left to attend university and only returned due to his job. Tora is a practicing obstetrician, working at the main hospital in Lerwick. As the novel opens, Tora is digging a hole to bury her favorite horse and discovers a woman’s body with the heart cut out and missing and Viking runes carved into it. Coupled with the fact this woman had recently borne a child, Tora is intrigued with the mystery of this body. The local police call in the Scottish police, but to Tora and Dana Tulloch, the local police detective, the investigation is perfunctory, at best. As Tora and Dana look deeper into the mystery, it becomes clear many people in Lerwick are concealing secrets. Why do Duncan and Tora’s boss despise each other? What caused the chasm in the marriage of Tora’s in-laws? Why is Duncan taking drugs to prevent Tora’s pregnancy when all she wants is a baby? What is the secret of the maternity ward on Tronal Island? If you have longed for the return of the gothic novel, along the lines of Victoria Holt and Phyllis Whitney, this is the book for you.

I had a couple of issues with this book, like how it sometimes got too technical about sailing and medicine, but overall I liked it. It was exciting and suspenseful and it wasn't too obvious. And the bad guys were not the US government. The only thing that bothered me was that most people don't know much about the Shetland Islands, and the author introduces the people of the islands as a somewhat sinister race. That bugged me. But maybe people will be intelligent enough to realize that a fiction book is fiction, not fact, and overlook that problem.

When Tora Hamilton goes to bury her horse (illegally) she uncovers a body, the body of a young woman who has recently given birth to a child with Norse runes carved into her back. While she investigates she's not sure who to trust and the tentacles of power reach very far into the community.

Interesting but occasionally felt a bit strained.

Wonderfully atmospheric. The hypnosis thing was incredibly frustrating and I just didn’t give af about Tora for a solid chunk of this - strong chapter one and then meh until she’s fairly chummy with Dana. Luckily there was plenty going on to keep me engaged in the story.

I would’ve liked to see more explicative effort on Duncan’s part. Considering the circumstances, he gets off rather lightly imo.

Very much enjoyed this early glimpse of Dana (and Helen!) and the bittersweet realisation of what this means for them in the Lacey books.

Timing wise, I read this a little too close to reading the Craftsman and some similar tropes so, if you’re reading Bolton’s backlist, I’d recommend a different order :)