Unwanted by Kristina Ohlsson

A mother leaves her sleeping child on a delayed train while she steps onto the platform to place a phone call.  While the mother helps a woman in distress the train pulls away.  Frantic the mother has the train called and a conductor watches over the sleeping girl as the train continues to Stockholm.  A fight breaks out in another train car and he leaves the girl’s side for no more than three minutes.  During those three minutes the train pulls into the station.  When he returns to the girl’s seat she is gone.  But something doesn’t seem right.  No one remembers seeing the girl leave the train and her shoes were left behind.  Hours have passed and still no word of the girl. 

This dark Swedish police procedural has a refreshing main character.  She is an outcast detective, but not in any of the stereotypical ways (bad temper, antisocial, alcoholic, etc.).  No, Inspector Fredericka Bergman is an outcast because she is educated.  She hasn’t come up through the ranks, so her fellow investigators and boss feel that she’s missing that special “cop sense” that only time on the job will foster.  And boy do you root for her when her fresh look at the situation proves correct and the tried and true “rules” of policing prove very wrong.

Unlike some other Scandinavian mysteries this one felt like it could have taken place anywhere.  Not for the faint of heart, this book will appeal to fans of gritty serial killer thrillers.