"Os Diários Secretos" é o quinto livro da série sueca de sucesso do Patrik Hedström, da autora Camilla Läckberg. A escritora de romances policiais transporta-nos, mais uma vez, à localidade de Fjällbacka e às suas personagens, a quem já nos afeiçoamos: o casal Erika Falk e Patrik Hedstrom e a sua filha Maja; Bertil Mellberg com a sua personalidade peculiar; Gösta Flygare e sua eterna paixão pelo golfe; Annika Jansson e sua paciência infinita, como secretária de Mellberg; Martin Molin e o seu desejo de se tornar tão bom como Patrik. Neste livro, como muitos pais suecos, o detective Patrik Hedstrom decide tirar licença de paternidade para ficar em casa a tomar conta de Maja, que fez um ano. Assim, Erika, que é agora sua mulher, pode voltar ao trabalho e escrever o seu novo livro. Esta nova situação não é fácil para nenhum dos dois e ambos tentam adaptar-se à nova rotina, ao mesmo tempo que tentam resolver um mistério relacionado com Elsy, a mãe de Erika.Os diários azuis, a medalha Nazi, a camisa de bebé manchada de sangue e o assassínio de um especialista na história da Segunda Guerra Mundial dão origem a esta história, que nos leva a uma viagem pelo passado. Nesta viagem somos confrontados com a Suécia em tempo de guerra e as histórias de amizade, amor e traição vividas por um pequeno grupo de amigos. As ligações por eles criadas não resistiram ao passar do tempo, mas o seu segredo permaneceu nas trevas do silêncio até agora. Passaram-se 60 anos e a verdade virá ao de cima. E, como não podia deixar de ser, Patrik deixa-se envolver e aproveita todas as oportunidades para participar na resolução da investigação.A narrativa alterna entre os acontecimentos que tiveram lugar entre os anos 1943 e 1945 e a a investigação do presente. Esta obra tem um equilíbrio perfeito. A escrita inteligente da Camilla Läckberg é simples: a autora vai sempre directa ao assunto que tem em mãos, não perde tempo com descrições alongadas e aborrecidas. Estas características aliadas à originalidade e excelente qualidade do enredo tornam muito fácil virar as páginas, umas atrás das outras, fazendo o leitor perder a noção do espaço e do tempo.As histórias e personagens secundárias são tão intrigantes e envolventes como o fio condutor principal. O que mais me fascinou nesta obra foi a combinação entre o desenvolvimento da investigação e os detalhes da vida familiar e relações entre as personagens. Em "Os Diários Secretos" conhecemos de uma forma mais intima cada uma das personagens que temos vindo acompanhar desde "A Princesa do Gelo".A homossexualidade, a demência, o alcoolismo, as relações complexas entre pais e filhos, o racismo e a distinção entre o bem e o mal são alguns do temas abordados pela autora.Apesar de não ser o meu preferido da série do Patrik Hedstrom, apreciei muito a leitura desta obra e a Camilla Läckberg continua a fazer parte dos meus autores preferidos. Fico ansiosa que o próximo livro seja publicado para satisfazer a minha curiosidade relativamente ao desenvolvimento da vida das personagens, que cada vez mais me parecem pessoas reais.
This Swedish author has written eight novels, of which this is the fifth to be published in the United States. The first, “The Ice Princess,” was widely accepted as on a par with the best of the recent Scandinavian noir novels. As with that debut book, this novel also is set in the small fishing village of Fjallbacka and is a police procedural.Camilla Lackberg continues the series with Detective Patrik Hedstrom taking a four-month paternity leave to care of their young daughter, Maja, and other domestic duties, and enable his wife, Erica, to write her new book. After a tough beginning, especially getting acclimated to his new duties and missing his professional work, things develop in unexpected ways. To begin with, Erica discovers some old artifacts, including an Iron Cross, belonging to her mother which leads her to divert her attention to learn more about her parent. Erica shows the medal to a retired history professor, a specialist in Nazi history, who is murdered shortly thereafter. Another murder of an elderly woman adds to the mystery, especially since the two victims were childhood friends. Are the crimes related? The plot continues with a dual thrust, with Erica pursuing knowledge of her mother and the police investigating the crimes. And the information developed becomes intertwined.The novel, as its predecessors in the series, is of consistently high quality, well-plotted, carefully translated and well written. Perhaps most important, the characters are natural, every-day types of people, living typical lives and working hard. The plots move forward with logic, and the loose ends come together at the end smoothly, although in a completely unexpected manner.Highly recommended.
What do You think about The Hidden Child (2011)?
I was disappointed in this book right from the first chapter when the author had a one year old more advanced than she should have been. On page 80 the author had the medical examiner explain that Erik had been killed by a right handed person standing in front of him who hit him on the right temple. Later in the book, the killer stated that he had dropped the stone bust on the top of Erik’s head. The reactions of her characters were often in excess of the circumstances. The plot was predictable and most characters poorly developed. This story could have been condensed into a book half its size. I was quite disappointed.
—Magil
So I was super excited for this one but it fell flat. It wasn't bad but the mystery wasn't much of a mystery for me. It was actually quite annoying in the way a book like this can be when the mystery is so simple.I mean, the clues were a Nazi medal and a baby dress, and it took almost the entire book for Erika to realize that -- GASP! -- a baby might have been involved. YA THINK? I mean, it didn't even cross their minds that it could've had something to do with themselves, let alone another baby. That made the flashbacks painful because they were obvious and thus boring. I also found myself really annoyed by the cop out of their Mother. I'm sure Erika's mother went through a lot but honestly didn't like the way this was used to explain her coldness. In fact, it made me dislike her even more. It was seemed so extremely childish and that little bit in the epilogue was the worst. It felt very much a 'I know I'm causing you pain but my pain is more important' thing to me.I did like the relationships in this book. That was what saved me in the end. I loved Martin (I don't know why but I love that character.) I loved Patrik and Erika's relationship, and all that.
—Alisi ☆ needs to stop starting new books ☆
The fifth installment in the Camilla series of books and this one is a real favourite of ours due to the history and weaving in of past and present. The best and strongest in the series for the subject matter and the complex yet fascinating story.A horrible secret from the past slowly comes to light - about a young man who fled the Germans and came to Sweden looking to start over. Turns out the murder victim was making regular payments to someone for some reason.could it be that he wanted a secret kept hidden? A secret held by friends in the 40s that Erica’s mum may have been a part of? Fjällbacka takes on a really dark tone in the latest Camilla Lackberg novel and it delves into the shady world of Naziism and Sweden’s role in the 2WW which has levels of intrigue and darkness that none of the previous novels have had in such abundance.The links between this latest cloud on the Fjällbacka horizon is enhanced since it is Erica’s mother who is, at at least seems to be, at the centre of it all and it is Erica who goes investigating to try and find out he truth. Having read about the 2WW and learned a little about the Swedish standpoint and war issues at first hand, I was intrigued to read about the moral crisis that people may have had years ago and how they dealt with having a war criminal in their midst.It also made us think of how we would have reacted in their circumstance and the good and bad about wanting some kind of retribution for the past. The story of Neo-Nazis with the calm and remote backdrop of Fjällbacka really made the issue stand out as it is not the place you would associate with any of the war issues at all. Very effective and very chilling.
—Thebooktrail
