Title: THE ICE CHILD
Author: Camilla Läckberg
ISBN: 9780007518364
Publisher: Harper Collins
Pages: 426
Source: Private Copy
SEE NO EVIL
It’s January in the peaceful seaside resort of Fjällbacka. A semi-naked girl wanders through the woods in freezing cold weather. When she finally reaches the road, a car comes out of nowhere. It doesn’t manage to stop.
HEAR NO EVIL
The victim, a girl who went missing four months ago, has been subjected to unimaginably brutal treatment – and Detective Patrik Hedström suspects this is just the start.
SPEAK NO EVIL
The police soon discover that three other girls are missing from nearby towns, but there are no fresh leads. And when Patrik’s wife stumbles across a link to an old murder case, the detective is forced to see his investigation in a whole new light.
Official Summary
09 October 2025
I should warn you upfront that I am not a fan of translated fiction, and this is only the second time I have read a book by Camilla Läckberg.
The Ice Child opens with a haunting image: a girl, half-naked and barely alive, stumbling through the freezing woods before being hit by a car. What follows is a disturbing investigation led by Detective Patrik Hedström into a case of unimaginable cruelty, missing girls, and long-buried secrets.
The premise is undeniably gripping, and Läckberg is a master at weaving together police procedural detail with family drama. The pacing is steady, building up layers of intrigue, and I can see why she has such a loyal following. The mix of Patrik’s investigation with his wife Erica’s discoveries surrounding an older case added a nice dual perspective, keeping the story from feeling one-dimensional.
That said, this book didn’t fully work for me. I often find that translated fiction can lose some of its natural rhythm and flow, and I struggled with that here. The dialogue felt a little stiff at times, and while the crime itself was disturbing and complex, I never felt completely drawn in emotionally. I wanted more tension and atmosphere to match the darkness of the crimes at the centre of the plot.
Still, there were moments of suspense that had me turning the pages, and Läckberg certainly knows how to construct a layered mystery. For readers who enjoy Scandinavian crime fiction, with its colder tone and slower-burn style, this will likely hit all the right notes. For me, though, it was an okay read rather than a standout.
Three Stars — a solid crime story, but not one that left a lasting impression.
Also by Camilla Läckberg
THE LOST BOY
Detective Patrik Hedström is no stranger to tragedy. A murder case concerning Fjällbacka’s dead financial director, Mats Sverin, is a grim but useful distraction from his recent family misfortunes. It seems Sverin was a man who everybody liked yet nobody really knew—a man with something to hide . . .His high school sweetheart, Nathalie, has just returned to Fjällbacka with her five-year-old son—perhaps she can shed some light on who Sverin really was? However, Nathalie has her own secret. If it’s discovered, she will lose her only child. As the investigation stalls, the police have many questions. But there is only one that Is there anything a mother would not do to protect her child?
About the Author
Author bio from the author’s site
Before she became one of Sweden’s most popular crime writers, Camilla Läckberg (b. 1974) worked as a marketing director and product manager for several years. Her first two crime novels, Isprinsessan (The Ice Princess) and Predikanten (The Preacher), received rave reviews from the Swedish press and quickly found a large readership. But her big breakthrough came when Stenhuggaren (The Stonecutter) was nominated for The Crime Novel of the Year award in 2005, and also when Olycksfågeln (The Stranger) and Tyskungen (The Hidden Child) were made lead titles in Bonnier’s Book Club.
This book was another find at the Exclusive Books Warehouse sale this year. While I am not a fan of translated fiction, I decided to give this one a try. It may not have been a five-star read, but I enjoyed reading it. Do you struggle with translated fiction? I would love to hear your thoughts. Please leave a comment below. Until next time… Happy Reading!
