Protected by the Shadows

By: Helene Tursten, Marlaine Delargy - translator

Narrated by: Suzanne Toren

With gang violence escalating in Goteborg, Sweden, the Organized Crimes Unit pairs with the Violent Crimes Unit to help defuse the situation. But could there be a mole on the force?

In this final installment of the internationally best-selling Irene Huss Investigations, the gang warfare that has been brewing in Goteborg is about to explode. A member of a notorious biker gang has been set on fire - alive. Even in a culture where ritual killings are common, this brutal assault attracts the attention of both Irene's unit and the Organized Crimes Unit. Anticipating a counterattack, the two units team up to patrol the lavish party of a rival gang, but that doesn't stop another murder from occurring just outside the event hall.

And that's not the only thing going up in flames. Someone has planted a bomb under Irene's husband's car. Fearing for her family's safety, Irene sends her husband and daughters into hiding and takes up residence at a colleague's apartment. Still, she can't shake the feeling that she is being stalked. Somehow, the gangs are always one step ahead of the police. Someone is leaking information. But who? Irene's life depends on discovering the answer.

©2012 Helene Tursten; Translation: 2017 Marlaine Delargy (P)2017 Recorded Books

Intrigued by this series...

I happened upon a paperback of the first book in this series ("Detective Inspector Huss"), and bought it on the basis of the location where the story takes place -- Gothenburg, Sweden. Having been to Gothenburg on several occasions, I wanted to see if I could recognize some place names and also be reminded of Swedish culture. While both of those things occurred, it was the interesting police procedural stories and believable characters that kept me intrigued through 10 books, and I'm sorry to see the series end (if in fact it has). As with any series, some books are better than others, but all are page-turners, and fans of Nordic noir should enjoy this series. The narration was very good, though sometimes distracting when the narrator seemed to focus on enunciating each word rather than allowing the words to flow.