''The Hidden Child'' (

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

: ''Tyskungen'') is a novel written by Swedish writer

Camilla Läckberg Jean Edith Camilla Läckberg Eriksson (; born August 30, 1974) is a Swedish crime writer. As of the early-2010s, her work has been translated into more than 40 languages in 60 countries. She has been called "the rock star of Nordic noir." Writ ...

. Crime writer Erika Falck, wife of Detective Patrik Hedström, is shocked to discover a

Nazi Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...

medal A medal or medallion is a small portable artistic object, a thin disc, normally of metal, carrying a design, usually on both sides. They typically have a commemorative purpose of some kind, and many are presented as awards. They may be int ...

wrapped inside a child's dress stained with blood, and a wartime diary among her late mother's possessions dating from the

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

era. Haunted by

childhood A child (plural, : children) is a human being between the stages of childbirth, birth and puberty, or between the Development of the human body, developmental period of infancy and puberty. The legal definition of ''child'' generally refers ...

memories of a cold, detached mother, she decides to investigate, unwittingly endangering her husband and newborn baby.

Plot

This is regarded as one of the more plot-driven novels in the series, with more emphasis on the story. Erika wants to write a 'great book' so Patrik goes on paternity leave to look after their baby while Erika writes her book. However, she becomes distracted by the discovery of her late mother's wartime diaries and a Nazi medal and consults with a local World War II historian. However, shortly after her visit, he is brutally murdered and it becomes clear that the past is still very much a part of some people's lives. The plot focuses on the discovery of a child's blood-spattered dress plus other memorabilia. Who would murder so cold-bloodedly to bury secrets so ancient? It soon becomes a masterfully interwoven plot of neo-Nazi Swedish politics, old friends with old secrets, ex-wives coming back into play, and a poor Patrik trying desperately to balance his role as a new father and his desire to help his fellow detectives. By way of a side-theme, the local police station's chief, Mellberg is talked into reluctantly adopting a stray dog, finding that this leads to a meeting with another dog-owner (and

salsa Salsa most often refers to: * Salsa (Mexican cuisine), a variety of sauces used as condiments * Salsa music, a popular style of Latin American music * Salsa (dance), a Latin dance associated with Salsa music Salsa or SALSA may also refer to: A ...

teacher) who happens to be the mother of his new detective, Paula Morales, both of whom are immigrants to Sweden from

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

. This provides a counterpoint to the increasingly sordid facts being unearthed in the search for the murderer.

Film

A Swedish-language film version of ''The Hidden Child'' was released in 2013 by Tre Vänner AB.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hidden Child Swedish crime novels Novels by Camilla Läckberg Novels set in Sweden 2007 Swedish novels