A Nearly Normal Family is my first foray into Scandinavian crime fiction and I have to say I enjoyed it more that I thought I would. This book is part murder mystery, part legal thriller, and part family drama. It’s told from three different POVs. I enjoyed some parts and some POVs more that others but overall it was an entertaining read.
18 year-old Stella is accused of a murder of a much older man. Stella is a daughter of well-respected family. Her father, Adam, is a pastor and her mother, Ulrika, is a criminal defense attorney. Adam and Ulrika struggle to understand what happened to their daughter and how she became embroiled in the gruesome murder. What lengths will they go to protect Stella and will they sacrifice their morals to clear her name?
Unlike the domestic thrillers I am used to reading, A Nearly Normal Family is a slow-burn mystery with not a lot of urgency or suspense, it is rather a study in character(s). What drove Stella to commit murder? How far will her parents go to protect her? Even though it's a slow-burn story, there were still some very interesting twists that surprised me and the ending was very satisfying. I would definitely recommend this book to readers who enjoy legal dramas and murder mysteries.
18 year-old Stella is accused of a murder of a much older man. Stella is a daughter of well-respected family. Her father, Adam, is a pastor and her mother, Ulrika, is a criminal defense attorney. Adam and Ulrika struggle to understand what happened to their daughter and how she became embroiled in the gruesome murder. What lengths will they go to protect Stella and will they sacrifice their morals to clear her name?
Unlike the domestic thrillers I am used to reading, A Nearly Normal Family is a slow-burn mystery with not a lot of urgency or suspense, it is rather a study in character(s). What drove Stella to commit murder? How far will her parents go to protect her? Even though it's a slow-burn story, there were still some very interesting twists that surprised me and the ending was very satisfying. I would definitely recommend this book to readers who enjoy legal dramas and murder mysteries.