Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    From $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    The Ice Beneath Her: A Novel
    The Ice Beneath Her: A Novel
    The Ice Beneath Her: A Novel
    Audiobook12 hours

    The Ice Beneath Her: A Novel

    Written by Camilla Grebe

    Narrated by Katharine Lee McEwan, John Lee and Justine Eyre

    3.5/5

    ()

    Switch to ebook

    About this audiobook

    Acclaimed Swedish author Camilla Grebe makes her solo American debut with a psychological thriller as cunning in its twists as it is captivating in its storytelling—for fans of the celebrated crime fiction of Camilla Läckberg, Jo Nesbø, Ruth Ware, and Fiona Barton.

    Winter’s chill has descended on Stockholm as police arrive at the scene of a shocking murder. An unidentified woman lies beheaded in a posh suburban home—a brutal crime made all the more disturbing by its uncanny resemblance to an unsolved killing ten years earlier. But this time there’s a suspect: the charismatic and controversial chain-store CEO Jesper Orre, who owns the home but is nowhere to be found.

    To homicide detectives Peter Lindgren and Manfred Olsson, nothing about the suave, high-profile businessman—including a playboy reputation and rumors of financial misdeeds—suggests he conceals the dark heart and twisted mind of a cold-blooded killer. In search of a motive, Lindgren and Olsson turn to the brilliant criminal profiler Hanne Lagerlind-Schön. Once a valued police asset, now marooned in unhappy retirement and a crumbling marriage, she’s eager to exercise her keen skills again—and offer the detectives a window into the secret soul of Jesper Orre.

    But they’re not the only ones searching. Two months before, Emma Bohman, a young clerk at Orre’s company, chanced to meet the charming chief executive, and romance swiftly bloomed. Almost as quickly as the passionate affair ignited, it was over when Orre inexplicably disappeared. One staggering misfortune after another followed, leaving Emma certain that her runaway lover was to blame and transforming her confusion and heartbreak into anger.

    Now, pursuing the same mysterious man for different reasons, Emma and the police are destined to cross paths in a chilling dance of obsession, vengeance, madness, and love gone hellishly wrong.

    Praise for The Ice Beneath Her

    “Exceptional.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

    “Impressive . . . a tour de force that lifts its author to the front rank among the increasingly crowded field of Nordic noir.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

    “The Ice Beneath Her deserves to be called a page-turner—I read it in one sitting! The narrative is fast-paced and the twists superb.”—Cecilia Ekbäck, bestselling author of Wolf Winter
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio Publishing Group
    TranslatorElizabeth Clark Wessel
    Release dateDec 27, 2016
    ISBN9781524703431
    Author

    Camilla Grebe

    Camilla Grebe is a graduate of the Stockholm School of Economics. She was a cofounder of Storyside, a Swedish audiobook publisher, where she was both CEO and publisher during the early 2000s. She lives in Stockholm, Sweden.

    Related to The Ice Beneath Her

    Titles in the series (2)

    View More
    View More

    Related audiobooks

    Suspense For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • UNLIMITED

      Crime Wave

      May 10, 2019

      Crime Wave
      13 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      The Convict

      Jul 10, 2020

      The Convict
      5 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Let’s Say

      Oct 7, 2022

      I magine a sticky, early August morning, around three o’clock. It is dark, the moon blocked by clouds, no streetlights, a siren in the distance, medics running to a heart attack. Imagine a man out on a bike or walking a sick dog, or maybe a woman who

      10 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      The Man I Should Have Married

      Dec 29, 2019

      The Man I Should Have Married
      11 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Longer on Moon

      Sep 22, 2022

      Longer on Moon
      19 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Who Was That Girl?

      Apr 21, 2021

      Who Was That Girl?
      7 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Come with Me

      Dec 1, 2022

      Come with Me
      12 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Proverbs Of A Faceless Time

      Dec 1, 2023

      Proverbs Of A Faceless Time
      9 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Rising Sign

      Feb 4, 2021

      Rising Sign
      10 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Fall-down COMEDIAN

      Apr 11, 2021

      Fall-down COMEDIAN
      3 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Caught Out

      Oct 2, 2022

      Caught Out
      9 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Anthem Of Our Crazy Age

      Nov 2, 2022

      MY old friend Ena planned every detail of her funeral. When she told me that she had written the eulogy to be delivered by her daughter, I said: ‘Don’t you think that’s cheating?’ ‘No!’ She snapped. ‘I want to set the record straight. I was a very go

      4 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      J. Jezewska Stevens

      Dec 15, 2017

      The party was a failure. I can’t even tell you what a failure it was. There are no words. Only a great pain in my chest when I wake up. On the veranda. It’s better when I sit in the chair. Oh, but then I can see around. The gauzy curtains, pushed by

      15 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Begin Again

      Jun 14, 2022

      My grandfather came to live with me. There was nowhere else for him to go. What had happened to all his children? Death, decay, exile—I hardly know. My own parents died of pain. But I must not be too gloomy, at the beginning, or you will leave me, an

      6 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Somebody Else Sold The World

      Nov 1, 2020

      & before I knew it, the violet skyflagged with the sun’s violentdemands: for magnolias in bloom,for natural light, anyplace withoutlocks or doors. Different kindsof masks for being & breathing.The antagonists with their vanitytans sang the usual jing

      3 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Diary Of A Country Mouse

      Mar 3, 2020

      THURSDAY, 10 DECEMBER. Giles shows us the sample mice and I am, as if for the first time, overcome with joy. Perhaps when I was a child I had feelings like this—but not in many years. I look, for instance, at a small gray mouse, smaller than the othe

      17 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Five Poems

      Sep 1, 2024

      What did I do to deserveremembering those wordswhile sitting on the patiowatching tulip petalsdrop into a bowl of dog water?Spring is impossible.I fear for flowers,and I’ve sat here long enoughto report that this is as closeas the squirrels will come

      3 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Ghost Girl, Banana

      Aug 21, 2023

      By the time I was 25, there were only two things I remembered about Mumma. The first was that she smelled of watermelons, the second was that we were happy. We’d taken our father’s name of course, but a name is only half a story. The other half exist

      6 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      All Of Us Here

      Jun 4, 2020

      All Of Us Here
      6 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Nugrybauti

      Apr 24, 2019

      Nugrybauti
      8 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Three Poems

      Mar 1, 2019

      War is coming but my neighbors can’t believe it. I ring their doorbells and tell them: maybe not this May, but next June at the latest. They stare straight past me, at the maze of lawns, the sprinklers, a kid on a bike hurling the Globe onto porches.

      3 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      The Straw Hat

      Aug 2, 2018

      The Straw Hat
      6 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Restless Souls

      Mar 6, 2018

      Restless Souls
      8 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Speedboat

      Mar 24, 2022

      Nobody died that year. Nobody prospered. There were no births or marriages. Seventeen reverent satires were written – disrupting a cliché and, presumably, creating a genre. That was a dream, of course, but many of the most important things, I fi nd,

      14 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Musings On My Father

      Aug 8, 2022

      Musings On My Father
      5 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      People Are Strange

      Oct 13, 2019

      People Are Strange
      5 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for The Ice Beneath Her

    3.5/5

    97 ratings13 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      If this had been written by a man I may have thrown it a few times.
    • 4/5
      The Ice Beneath Her revolves around three main characters: Detective Peter Lindgren, Emma Bohman and Hanne Lagerlind-Schon, all of whom are troubled souls.
      Lindgren is called to the scene of a grizzly murder. A beheaded young woman was found in the home of business tycoon Jesper Orre. Orre is reviled by the press for his hard-nosed business tactics and uncertain temper. Currently missing, he is the prime suspect in the murder. Lindgren has his personal demons, among them his inability to commit to pretty much anything and his estrangement from his teenage son, a product an apathetic relationship.

      Lindgren’s partner, Manfred Olsson, remarked that the crime resembled an unsolved 10-year-old cold case in which a severed head was placed beside the corpse with its eyelids taped open. He suggested that they bring in Hanne Lagerlind-Schon, the profiler they used in the previous case. Little did Olsson know that Lindgren and Schon had a relationship that ended badly and bringing her in would create an awkward situation. Despite Lindgren’s protests, Hanne is brought in to consult.

      Hanne is in the midst of a suffocating marriage to a domineering husband. Additionally, she has been diagnosed with early onset dementia. She is wondering whether she is (a) capable of working with Lindgren and (b) whether her mind will give out on her in the midst of the investigation.

      Emma Bohman is a shop girl working in one of Orre’s clothing stores and who was dating him at the time of his disappearance. She has had a tough life living with an alcoholic mother and having been raped by her wood shop teacher in high school. By all appearances, however, she has adjusted as well as can be expected under the circumstances. However, after Orre’s disappearance, strange things begin happening to her.

      The chapters of the book alternate between Lindgre n, Bohman and Schon. It describes in police procedural form the course of the investigation and well as how each individual intersects with the others. It provides ample background on each character allowing the reader to understand what makes each of them tick.

      This book has lots of twists and turns, many of which came as a total surprise. One reviewer said the book “…has all the essential components of great Scandinavian crime fiction: a strong police procedural, a dark, moody atmosphere, and compelling burdened detectives…”
    • 3/5
      "As usual I feel a kind of sadness, but also a fascination with the irrepressible urge of human beings to kill each other."

      There are three alternating narrators in the Scandi-crime novel from Sweden, including two of the investigators, Peter and Hanne, who have a complicated history. They haven't worked together in a while, and Hanne has learned that she is in the early stages of Alzheimer's, a fact that she is keeping from Peter. The third narrator is a young woman named Emma describing events taking place during the weeks before the crime. We are uncertain of her role, and don't know whether she is a victim or a perpetrator. And although she seems honest, we are not quite sure whether she's living in reality, and whether to trust her version of events.

      As the book opens, the body of a beautiful woman lying in a pool of blood has been discovered in the home of Jesper Ore, the wealthy CEO of a fashionable retail chain. She has been decapitated, and police must first determine her identity. Jesper himself is missing.

      I enjoyed this psychological thriller/police procedural. I tend to prefer my crime novels to have an emphasis on character, and not on shoot-outs.
    • 5/5
      This is a gripping psycho crime novel that is multi-layered, as it is not only about solving a case, but also about the psychological depths of various protagonists.
      On the one hand, there is Peter, a detective who has fears of commitment, the origins of which can be found in his childhood. There is Hanna, the profiler, who has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of dementia. Then we have Emma. She remains a mystery for a long time, even though one quickly gets the feeling that she has major psychological problems. Then there is Jesper, the boss of a large clothing company. And there are Manfred and Sanchez, Peter's work colleagues.
      The body of a young woman is found in the flat of the rich businessman Jesper Orre - brutally murdered. There is no trace of him. Ten years ago there was a very similar case - unsolved. Hanne, the profiler from back then, is therefore asked to investigate. She has to delve into the past, and her present is becoming blurred. Her existence is increasingly cracked, and the two cases connect in an unpleasant way.
      The story switches back and forth between Peter, Hanna and Emma. As a reader, you are drawn into a maelstrom that won't let you go.
      A very exciting story, and you hardly want to put the book aside.
    • 4/5
      ''It feels as if I'm falling into a deep black hole again. And outside, the rain keeps falling over Stockholm. Even the sky is crying.''

      I've been eagerly waiting to read this debut novel by Camilla Grebe, and I can say that, as an avid reader of Nordic thrillers, I was not disappointed.

      There are many distinct characteristics of the genre in this book. The different POVs, the bleak atmosphere, the dark, psychotic plot, all those elements that have brought the Scandi-Nordic thriller at the top of the literary world. Here, we have three narrators, Peter, Emma and Hanne. Peter is the police officer that takes over the case of a particularly gruesome murder, Hanne is a woman that aids the police with the profile of the murderer and the particulars of the crime (think ''Criminal Minds'') and Emma is a young woman with a troubled past and even worse present.

      It is extremely difficult to write a review without spoilers, so I will not delve further into the plot. I will tell you, however, that the main emotion that this book gave me was anger. So much anger...Anger because Emma had to put up with so much shit from the very early stages of her life. Anger because there are- and will always be- bastards that take advantage of those who are carried away by their emotions, in spite of all the little voices that act as a warning.

      Another thing that I really liked was the realistic plot. While in the majority of, say Lackberg's novels for example, the story is a bit too neat and the events a little too convenient, here the pieces of the puzzle fall into place in a better pace, in my opinion. I loved the fact that Grebe turns the beautiful city of Stockholm into a major character, bringing forth the dark, urban side of it. This adds dimension to the story, and enriches the atmosphere. The rainy autumn afternoons are certain to win you over.

      The three characters that allow us into their lives and thoughts are interesting and well-written. Peter is interesting in the sense that he doesn't represent the typical, problematic police officer who's always fighting his demons.He seemed absolutely fine to me. Emma is the heart of the story,and Hanne is the figure of the tranquil power. Jesper is better left without comments and Emma's mother wins the trophy for best mum in Scandinavia...Except NOT! What I have to admit, though, is that I had no interest in the romance between Peter and Hanne. It was cliché and boring.

      The Ice Beneath Her by Camilla Grebe is one more example of the mystery genre done right, and another addition to the never-ending list of fascinating Scandinavian thrillers. Keep them coming, Northern lands!




    • 3/5
      The Ice Beneath Her. Camilla Grebe. 2016. This Swedish Noir is not as good as the books by Stieg Larsson and Camilla Lackberg, but it is certainly a page-turner! A women if found murdered and decapitated in the home of a prominent businessman, Jasper Orre, who is now missing. The novel is narrated by Peter, a police investigator; Emma, who may be the beheaded victim, and Hanne, a psychologist, who was literally left holding a suitcase and without an explanation by Peter who was to marry her. At one point in time all of these characters are suspects, and the suspense lasts up until the last few chapters! This was a good book, not great but good. Violence galore and a few semi graphic sex scenes.
    • 4/5
      Swedish detectives Peter Lindgren and Manfred Olsson are called to the scene of a gruesome crime. A young woman has been decapitated, and the head has been placed facing the door with her eyes propped open. It's remarkably similar to a crime they investigated ten years ago but the killer was never captured. The unidentified, murdered woman has been found in the home of Jesper Orre, a young clothing store CEO. A search for Jesper reveals he is also missing.

      The narrative is told from the perspective of three characters, detective Peter Lindgren, Hanne Lagerlind-Schön, the consulting psychologist who helped with the prior case and is now coping with early-onset dementia, and Emma Bohman, a clerk in one of the Jesper's stores. Emma's story begins four weeks earlier and alternates with the story of Peter and Hanne in current time.

      This is an excellent psychological thriller with a complex plot expertly written and translated from Swedish. I've never read any of the other books by Camilla Grebe but have discovered she is a wonderful writer, bringing plot, characters, and setting to life. I will definitely look for another book by this excellent storyteller.
    • 3/5
      The Ice Beneath Her by Camilla Grebe
      3 Stars

      From The Book:
      Winter’s chill has descended on Stockholm as police arrive at the scene of a shocking murder. An unidentified woman lies beheaded in a posh suburban home—a brutal crime made all the more disturbing by its uncanny resemblance to an unsolved killing ten years earlier. But this time there’s a suspect: the charismatic and controversial chain-store CEO Jesper Orre, who owns the home but is nowhere to be found.

      To homicide detectives Peter Lindgren and Manfred Olsson, nothing about the suave, high-profile businessman—including a playboy reputation and rumors of financial misdeeds—suggests he conceals the dark heart and twisted mind of a cold-blooded killer.

      My Views:
      The story was told from the viewpoint of three people. The dead guy didn't get much of a voice since he was missing his head. Instead of the psychological thriller portraying the murder and the hunt by the police for the killer...the story portrayed the events in the lives of the three people that lead up to the killing. Thrown into this mix was a ten year old murder that shared some of the same characteristics.

      It wasn't a bad story once you get past that it's not going to be about the current murder. The writing and the plot line was easy to follow but most of the characters were not people you would care to spend an evening with let alone the rest of your life.
    • 4/5
      If you like dark Scandinavian police procedurals, you will like this one. The structure is complex, with three first-person narrators (not all of them reliable), but once I settled into the groove things went smoothly. The level of suspense is high (who was killed, as well as who killed) and the characters are well developed. The mood is bleak, and the whole thing was a bit heavy handed. It does, however, keep the pages turning, which is what a thriller is supposed to do.
    • 4/5
      "You never know friend from foe, till the ice beneath gives way." - Intuit proverb

      Another page-turning thriller cast with a bunch of unlikable people. But I couldn't stop reading no matter how much I detested certain behaviors and callous words. Hanne, the fifty-something retired criminal profiler, was the easiest to relate to, for me.

      Highly recommended to fans of the genre looking for a story with obsession and vengeance at its core.

      4 stars
    • 4/5
      A body is found in the residence of a controversial CEO Jesper, headless, staged and Peter and his crew are brought in. The woman is unidentified but there are similarities to a murder of a man from ten years past that had never been solved. They bring in Hanne, who had worked with them on the previous case, somewhat of a profiler, but she is dealing with a silent enemy of her own.

      Narrated by three different characters, Peter, Hanna and a young woman who had a relationship with Jesper, we travel inside the minds of these three people. A police procedural as well as a character study, this is an interesting and very well written look at how the case is solved as well as the personal lives and connections of these characters.

      Grebe's first solo novel is well done, a solid and well thought out read.

      ARC from Netgalley.
    • 3/5
      I have to say that though the writing was good and the story told from three first person points of view I did not really like any of the people doing the narrating. The story was one of a crazy person killing people but for some reason I found it highly unbelievable that such a person could be out and about doing what was done over a period of time without anybody realizing they were not right in the head. I did not really have empathy for any of the characters except for the victims. I am not sure if I was expecting something different or if in fact this is a style of book that is just one that does not appeal to me. I did not find it to be frightening or suspenseful or chilling…it was more a character study with many unhappy people at the center of the story with very little for any of them to look forward to. That said, I am sure there are readers who love this type of book and they will be thrilled to read it.

      Thank you to NetGalley and Bonnier Publishing for the copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
    • 4/5
      This psychological thriller set in Stockholm begins with a gruesome murder that brings together 3 distinct characters who take turns giving us their side of the story.

      As DI Peter Lindgren approaches the big 5-0, he struggles with that age old question: is this all there is? Failed personal relationships & constant dealings with the dregs of society have left him battered & tired. The only thing he’s good at is his job. But when a young woman is found beheaded, it recalls a case from the past & he has to wonder. Did he get it wrong?

      Emma is a young woman working for minimum wage in a clothing store. Being in a dead end job with a jerk for a boss isn’t exactly fulfilling her dreams. Thank God for Jesper, her fiancé. Sure, it’s complicated as he’s the CEO & they have to keep their relationship secret. Still….he chose her over all the beautiful women clamouring for his attention & he loves her. Doesn’t he?

      Hanne has spent years in a loveless marriage to a condescending & controlling husband. She is slowly suffocating & losing her sense of self thanks to a diagnosis of early dementia. She used to be a profiler for the police but her life now revolves around numerous sticky notes that remind her of what she’s forgotten. When they ask for her help with a recent murder, can she deal with a ghost from her past?

      Setting is important & the author uses the cold & snow to lend the story a looming, grey atmosphere. The crime happens early & police procedures are a big part of the story. But it’s really about the characters. In alternate chapters we get to know the 3 MC’s as we follow them in flashbacks from their pasts & the present day. Each is well developed & while at times I wanted to yell at Peter to snap out of it, my heart broke for Hanne. The use of 3 narrators & shifting time lines are effective, keeping the reader slightly off balance & uneasy.

      We know they will all meet up at some point & suspense starts to build as each of their roles is gradually revealed. All you can do is accept each character’s POV but when discrepancies begin to pop up, who do you believe? You may think you know what’s going on but I’m willing to bet there’s at least one twist at the end that will make your jaw drop.

      It’s a stylish, character driven read that will keep you guessing & a great find for lovers of nordic mystery.