There are six homesteads on Blackasen Mountain.
A day's journey away lies the empty town. It comes to life just once, in winter, when the Church summons her people through the snows. Then, even the oldest enemies will gather. But now it is summer, and new settlers are come.
It is their two young daughters who find the dead man, not half an hour's walk from their cottage. The father is away. And whether stubborn, or stupid, or scared for her girls, the mother will not let it rest.
To the wife who is not concerned when her husband does not come home for three days; to the man who laughs when he hears his brother is dead; to the priest who doesn't care; she asks and asks her questions, digging at the secrets of the mountain.
They say a wolf made those wounds. But what wild animal cuts a body so clean?
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['But how far is it?']***
(Hodder & Stoughton, 12 February 2015, first published 1 November 2014, 433 pages, ebook, #popsugarreadingchallenge 2019, read a book during the season it is set in, bought from @AmazonKindle)
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I really wanted to enjoy this book. The blurb made it sound like an enticing crime/ mystery / thriller set in Sweden. I love Camila Läckberg's books so expected a historical version of something similar. Unfortunately, this book was a huge disappointment. The book is written in a very disjointed way which I never really warmed to. The pace of the book is also far too slow and I got very bored and disinterested waiting for it to get better. The book has a great atmosphere and a sense that something sinister is lurking but this didn't redeem the major flaws I found. I could not connect with any of the characters. There were too many confusing plot lines. Sorry, but I really did not get on with this one.
