Goodreads/Amazon
Release date: September 8, 2016

Publisher: Bonnier

Genre: Mystery/Thriller 

Goodreads blurb: 

For fans of Jo Nesbo and The Bridge, The Ice Beneath Her is a gripping and deeply disturbing story about love, betrayal and obsession that is impossible to put down. Fast-paced and peopled with compelling characters, it surprises at every turn as it hurtles towards an unforgettable ending with a twist you really won’t see coming . . .
A young woman is found beheaded in an infamous business tycoon’s marble-lined hallway.
The businessman, scandal-ridden CEO of the retail chain Clothes & More, is missing without a trace.
But who is the dead woman? And who is the brutal killer who wielded the machete?
Rewind two months earlier to meet Emma Bohman, a sales assistant for Clothes & More, whose life is turned upside down by a chance encounter with Jesper Orre. Insisting that their love affair is kept secret, he shakes Emma’s world a second time when he suddenly leaves her with no explanation.
As frightening things begin to happen to Emma, she suspects Jesper is responsible. But why does he want to hurt her? And how far would he go to silence his secret lover? 

Review:

I’ve really been on a roll lately with picking up excellent thrillers and The Ice Beneath Her is no exception! Full of complicated and interesting characters, intrigue and deception, and a twist that I didn’t entirely see coming, Grebe is an author that is on my radar now.

This book is told from three different perspectives; Peter a police officer, Hanne who consults with the police occasionally, and Emma a young woman who is wrapped up in the murder investigation. Peter and Hanne’s portions are told in the present while Emma’s begin three months prior to the murder. All of them are wounded and struggling with the hardships of life and the crosses they bear. One of these riveting narrators is unreliable, but who? Who is the murdered woman and how does she fit in with these three? 

Set in Sweden, the atmosphere was cold, and chilling which lent to the already bleak storyline. This one is gory,gruesome and violent but it is all about a horrific murder. The characters are all very well developed and easy to connect with. Emma is so damaged, she’s faced the loss of both of her parents and events in her past have left her scarred beyond repair. Peter is wry and emotionally stunted and has his own demons from his past that never seem to leave him. Hanne was my favorite character, she’s intelligent and just an altogether interesting woman struggling to come to terms with her frightening new medical diagnosis.

This novel is a tale of betrayal, obsession and pain that is full of dark and dangerous surprises that I didn’t fully see coming. The twist didn’t completely blow me away, mainly because Grebe had me guessing so much throughout the book that by the time the twist is revealed, I had already worked through so many possibilities. However, it was still a very enjoyable read for fans of dark and deadly crime fiction.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to Bonnier for my copy in exchange for an honest review.