Trapped: A new direction for Camilla Lackberg

First off, I am a huge fan of Scandinavian crime novels and Nordic noir television shows. I love the gritty, macabre and gruesome plotting and the backdrop of the harsh Scandinavian landscapes.

I've read several books by Camilla Lackberg in her Fjallbacka detective series, so I was excited to see a new series from her, this time in collaboration with Henrik Fexeus. Trapped sets the scene for the series, introducing Stockholm detective, Mina Dabiri, and celebrity mentalist, Vincent Walder. The two have all the ingredients of classic crime novel characters: they are quirky and socially awkward yet highly intelligent. They make an odd duo but they are fascinating to read about. Their relationship and collaboration on the homicide case is one of the strengths of the novel.

Trapped | Published January 2021 | Read October 2023

In Trapped there's a serial killer murdering seemingly unrelated victims using magic tricks that are not illusions, they are the real thing. This means the victims die in the most horrific ways. Vincent is a mentalist and skilled magician so Mina enlists his help, much to the resistance of her team. Super interesting premise!

There's a lot going on in the novel and it's VERY LONG, although that is often the case with Scandi crime novels and psychological thrillers. I assume that subsequent novels will be shorter as the characters are now well set up. I actually enjoyed the detailed character set up of all the players although sometimes it did wander into "this is too much" territory. While the novel is long, I found the pacing worked, particularly with the flashbacks to the 1980s story that provides the premise for the murders. The plot is cleverly contrived and I enjoyed reading about the magic tricks and puzzles. It helped that I loved Mina and Vincent and was fully immersed in their characterisation as the story unfolded.

I look forward to future novels in the series.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐