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Missing
Born into a life of privilege, Sybilla has spent many years opting instead to live on the streets of Stockholm, cadging a bed, a bath, a meal, where she can. Her favorite technique--one she permits herself only as a special treat--plays out at the Grand Hotel, where with luck she can usually charm a lonely visiting businessman into buying her dinner and a room for the night.
But then she picks the wrong businessman. When his dead body is found the next morning, Sybilla becomes the prime suspect. For years, her anonymity has sheltered her; she has found a kind of home in the invisibility of homeless life. But with her anonymity shattered, Sybilla is forced into the one course of action that might allow her to go home again.
But then she picks the wrong businessman. When his dead body is found the next morning, Sybilla becomes the prime suspect. For years, her anonymity has sheltered her; she has found a kind of home in the invisibility of homeless life. But with her anonymity shattered, Sybilla is forced into the one course of action that might allow her to go home again.
352 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
About the author
Karin Alvtegen
18 books172 followersThe Queen of Crime in Scandinavia.
Missing was awarded the premier Scandinavian crime writing award the Glass Key in 2001 and was also nominated for the Poloni Award and Best Crime Novel 2000 in Sweden.
Shame was shortlisted for the Crime Writers' Association Duncan Lawrie International Dagger award for crime novels in translation upon publication in English.
Alvtegen lives in Stockholm. She is grand-niece of the popular children's novelist Astrid Lindgren.
Missing was awarded the premier Scandinavian crime writing award the Glass Key in 2001 and was also nominated for the Poloni Award and Best Crime Novel 2000 in Sweden.
Shame was shortlisted for the Crime Writers' Association Duncan Lawrie International Dagger award for crime novels in translation upon publication in English.
Alvtegen lives in Stockholm. She is grand-niece of the popular children's novelist Astrid Lindgren.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 254 reviews
November 9, 2018
Born into a life of privilege, Sybilla is now homeless. Sometimes she hangs out at a hotel bar and charms a visiting businessman into paying for her dinner and hotel room. One night Sybilla chooses the wrong man and he's found dead and mutilated the next morning.
Of course Sybilla is the prime suspect and her situation only gets worse when more victims are found murdered in a similar manner. Alvtegen does a skillful job developing the character of Sybilla by interspersing scenes from Sybilla's childhood with those of Sybilla's current life on the run.
It turns out Sybilla had an indifferent father and a difficult mother, and - it seems - suffered from some mental illness. Moreover, the motive for the story's murders was an interesting surprise and the resolution of the mystery made sense and was satisfying.
I'd recommend the book to mystery fans.
You can follow my reviews at http://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com/
May 30, 2016
Wow another great Scandinavian novel at its best. This is a story about Sybylla Forenstrom, a 32 year old female drifter. Sybylla grew up in a home with a very protective and painfully obsessive mother, what people thought was more important to Sybylla's mother than anything else, as you can imagine there was not a good relationship between mother and daughter. Always looking for her next meal and bed for the night Sybylla meets a man in a restaurant and dupes him into buying her dinner and then later shouting her a room for the night. Unfortunately this gentleman does not wake up the next morning and all eyes are now on the look out for Sybylla, she is now considered a murderer. Shortly after another murder occurs and again she is top of the police hit list, only problem is that she has committed neither of these murders and will have to find a way to retain her freedom. A well developed story that keeps you engaged all the way through, most enjoyable.
January 22, 2019
Very suspenseful, intriguing and highly recommended for the perfect psychological thrill (without too many gory bits :-).
January 26, 2021
İsveçli yazar Karin Alvtegen’in ‘İhanet’ini yıllar önce okumuş ve sevmiştim. Her ne kadar polisiye yazarı olarak bilinse de bence onun kitapları daha çok psikolojik gerilim türünde. ‘Yitirilen’de geçmişinde yitirdiklerini göçebeliğiyle aşmaya çalışan ama duvara sağlam toslayan Sibylla karakterinin içine düştüğü zor durumu okuyoruz. Orta tempoda ilerlerken son 100 sayfada gayet ilginç bir yere bağlanıyor kitap. Polisiye yönü zayıf olsa da yarattığı gerilim ve okuyucuya bıraktığı “Al şunu bi’ düşün” mesajı gayet başarılıydı. Alvtegen’in kitaplarını -tıpkı Amelie Nothomb gibi- çok başarılı bulmasam da yine de garip bir şekilde seviyorum...
September 3, 2018
An okay read ...
I think it was the writing style which put me off. It's very 'simplistic' and sometimes awkward. It is translated from the Swedish, though, so that might be part of the problem (for me.) However...
The story of a young woman from a very strict and cold upbringing who rebels, goes off on her own, and lives a homeless life. She receives a small stipend from her horrible mother, but otherwise, she's on her own. Problem is, she often sets up wealthy men to get lodging, meals, etc., and one of the men she does this with ends up dead. Hence, as she runs away, scared out of her wits, she becomes Suspect No. 1.
How she outwits the police - and the real killer - is interesting, but it was the kind of book I wanted to read quickly to get to the next one in my TBR pile. I didn't savor this book, in other words, or think too much about it as I was reading, and when it was just lying on the couch waiting for to be read. If I walk away thinking about a book - its characters, the plot, the intricacies involved in the telling - a book is more apt to get four or five stars. It's alive in my head, is why and becomes part of my thought processes.
This book did not do that. I doubt I'll read another by Ms. Alvtegen and in general, I love Scandinavian writers.
Three stars.
I think it was the writing style which put me off. It's very 'simplistic' and sometimes awkward. It is translated from the Swedish, though, so that might be part of the problem (for me.) However...
The story of a young woman from a very strict and cold upbringing who rebels, goes off on her own, and lives a homeless life. She receives a small stipend from her horrible mother, but otherwise, she's on her own. Problem is, she often sets up wealthy men to get lodging, meals, etc., and one of the men she does this with ends up dead. Hence, as she runs away, scared out of her wits, she becomes Suspect No. 1.
How she outwits the police - and the real killer - is interesting, but it was the kind of book I wanted to read quickly to get to the next one in my TBR pile. I didn't savor this book, in other words, or think too much about it as I was reading, and when it was just lying on the couch waiting for to be read. If I walk away thinking about a book - its characters, the plot, the intricacies involved in the telling - a book is more apt to get four or five stars. It's alive in my head, is why and becomes part of my thought processes.
This book did not do that. I doubt I'll read another by Ms. Alvtegen and in general, I love Scandinavian writers.
Three stars.
July 17, 2023
Scandi crime novel with little going for it. The tone is naive, plot and characters act juvenile. At some point it introduces a 15-year old and from that moment on it feels like a book for 15-year olds as well. With a 32-year old protagonist, but based on behaviour and such it's hard to tell who is the adult and who is the teenager.
Best part? Sibylla's younger years. No subtle storytelling there either, on the contrary, but I love dysfunctional families and hers definitely qualifies for one. Especially mom. What a psycho snob. Too bad the now, with Sylla being homeless and a murder suspect, doesn't have something like that to make up for its major issues.
Best part? Sibylla's younger years. No subtle storytelling there either, on the contrary, but I love dysfunctional families and hers definitely qualifies for one. Especially mom. What a psycho snob. Too bad the now, with Sylla being homeless and a murder suspect, doesn't have something like that to make up for its major issues.
May 17, 2010
It doesn't make any sense to me. The first Alvtegen mystery I read, Betrayal, was a good thriller only really marred by an uninspired ending. But Missing is Alvtegen's most acclaimed novel, and it's a mess. For maybe the first quarter of the novel you can buy into the goings-on, but the plot gets increasingly more trite, more convenient, and more unlikely.
December 3, 2017
Not a very plausible storyline. Maybe it would be better as a film.
Sybilla came from a rich but dysfunctional family. Her mother was a tyrant, petty snob and unloving. As a teenager, Sybilla has a rebellious phase, a breakdown and a number of stays in a local asylum.
She walks away from her family and 18 years of living on the street has made her tough, cunning and resourceful. In one of her scams her dinner date is found dead and she finds herself on the run from the police.
There were a number of scenes which did not seem plausible - her visits to the wives of two of the victims, her 15year old abettor who gets into the police computer records and an ending which is just too good to believe.
It's a page turner if you don't question the logic of what is happening,
Sybilla came from a rich but dysfunctional family. Her mother was a tyrant, petty snob and unloving. As a teenager, Sybilla has a rebellious phase, a breakdown and a number of stays in a local asylum.
She walks away from her family and 18 years of living on the street has made her tough, cunning and resourceful. In one of her scams her dinner date is found dead and she finds herself on the run from the police.
There were a number of scenes which did not seem plausible - her visits to the wives of two of the victims, her 15year old abettor who gets into the police computer records and an ending which is just too good to believe.
It's a page turner if you don't question the logic of what is happening,
August 23, 2008
It could be me. I am just not sure I get on with crime fiction. It always seems to me it gives plot an undeserved ascendancy over character, observation, depth and good writing. I'm afraid this was no exception. The prose was flat, and while Sibylla was interesting, there seemed to be little subtlety to her character. I just didn't really believe in her or her rather melodramatically appalling childhood. The serial killer as religious maniac theme also struck me as hackneyed. The news stories were truly awful - has the author actually read any news stories and observed how they are constructed? Or are Swedish newspapers fundamentally different to ours?
Worst of all the plot just struck me as plain unbelievable **** SPOILER COMING **** Are we really seriously expected to believe that the police would overlook a connection as obvious as all the victims being transplant patients? Especially given that Sibylla had no discernible motive, apart from a history of mental illness. It just didn't add up - at least in my mind.
That said, it's a cut above some of the crime stuff I've read, and being a complete Swedophile, I loved the descriptions and atmosphere.
Worst of all the plot just struck me as plain unbelievable **** SPOILER COMING **** Are we really seriously expected to believe that the police would overlook a connection as obvious as all the victims being transplant patients? Especially given that Sibylla had no discernible motive, apart from a history of mental illness. It just didn't add up - at least in my mind.
That said, it's a cut above some of the crime stuff I've read, and being a complete Swedophile, I loved the descriptions and atmosphere.
July 14, 2013
This was my first read of this Swedish author. I read it primarily because it was the winner of the Glass Key award which is the primary literary award for Swedish crime novels.
It was told from a different point of view. Generally the books are told from the cops point of view or the killers pov. In this case a young homeless woman is in the wrong place at the wrong time and gets accused of a series of brutal murders. We see the story through her eyes and her helpless condition. Great read. 5 stars. I will definitely seek out further translations of this authors books.
It was told from a different point of view. Generally the books are told from the cops point of view or the killers pov. In this case a young homeless woman is in the wrong place at the wrong time and gets accused of a series of brutal murders. We see the story through her eyes and her helpless condition. Great read. 5 stars. I will definitely seek out further translations of this authors books.
October 24, 2020
trumpas trileris
Buvo tikra atgaiva po 600 puslapių detektyvo, kuriem pilstoma iš tuščio į kiaurą, imtis poros šimtų puslapių labai kanonišką trilerį, kuriame - paprasti nusikaltimai, aiški linija, paprastas, bet ne nuobodus motyvas.
Tiesa, detektyvo ta tikrąją prasme čia nedaug, tyrimą atlieka vaikas ir pagrindinė įtariamoji ir tai tik mažoje dalyje. Likusi dalis - šeimos, individo drama, pilna kompleksų, keistų (kartais gal pernelyg keistų) pasirinkimų. Toks tikras psichologinis trileris, akcentą dedant ant pirmojo žodžio.
Itin gerai visgi knygos negaliu įvertinti dėl nuspėjamo atsakymo, gal kiek prasto santykio tarp tyrimo ir prisiminimų/vidinių išgyvenimų. Kiek išmušė iš vėžių ir pagrindinės veikėjos staigus pasikeitimas iš už būtent brangų vyną (kurio kainos nė nereikia jai žinoti) negalinčios susimokėti ir vyro apgaulei ieškančios koketės į psichologinių problemų turinčią, vaikais besirūpinančia kuklią benamę. Reiktų mažiau detalizuoti vidinius išgyvenimus, norint, kad tokie manevrai būtų įtikinami.
Aišku dabar iš kur įkvėpimo savo knygai sėmėsi Stefan Ahnhem su savo trilerio motyvais. Tai čia padaryta daug paprasčiau, bet kartu įtikinamiau ir elegantiškiau. Pirma pažintis su Karin Alvtegen manyčiau buvo visai sėkminga.
Buvo tikra atgaiva po 600 puslapių detektyvo, kuriem pilstoma iš tuščio į kiaurą, imtis poros šimtų puslapių labai kanonišką trilerį, kuriame - paprasti nusikaltimai, aiški linija, paprastas, bet ne nuobodus motyvas.
Tiesa, detektyvo ta tikrąją prasme čia nedaug, tyrimą atlieka vaikas ir pagrindinė įtariamoji ir tai tik mažoje dalyje. Likusi dalis - šeimos, individo drama, pilna kompleksų, keistų (kartais gal pernelyg keistų) pasirinkimų. Toks tikras psichologinis trileris, akcentą dedant ant pirmojo žodžio.
Itin gerai visgi knygos negaliu įvertinti dėl nuspėjamo atsakymo, gal kiek prasto santykio tarp tyrimo ir prisiminimų/vidinių išgyvenimų. Kiek išmušė iš vėžių ir pagrindinės veikėjos staigus pasikeitimas iš už būtent brangų vyną (kurio kainos nė nereikia jai žinoti) negalinčios susimokėti ir vyro apgaulei ieškančios koketės į psichologinių problemų turinčią, vaikais besirūpinančia kuklią benamę. Reiktų mažiau detalizuoti vidinius išgyvenimus, norint, kad tokie manevrai būtų įtikinami.
Aišku dabar iš kur įkvėpimo savo knygai sėmėsi Stefan Ahnhem su savo trilerio motyvais. Tai čia padaryta daug paprasčiau, bet kartu įtikinamiau ir elegantiškiau. Pirma pažintis su Karin Alvtegen manyčiau buvo visai sėkminga.
September 28, 2022
Let me be completely honest here, I am not sure what I just read.
The mystery was intriguing enough at the start, a con woman running from the police when falsely accused of murder which quickly turns into a serial killer case which then turns into a probable organ trafficking crime?
And somehow religion became a part of it all? AND the woman absconding is a former mental health patient? There was so much going on that I lost track of what I was supposed to be reading.
The best part of this book was hands down the sidekick Patrick. He single handedly made the whole book worth reading for me. I loved how he brilliantly found the motives for the said murders and trusted Sybilla.
The mystery was intriguing enough at the start, a con woman running from the police when falsely accused of murder which quickly turns into a serial killer case which then turns into a probable organ trafficking crime?
And somehow religion became a part of it all? AND the woman absconding is a former mental health patient? There was so much going on that I lost track of what I was supposed to be reading.
The best part of this book was hands down the sidekick Patrick. He single handedly made the whole book worth reading for me. I loved how he brilliantly found the motives for the said murders and trusted Sybilla.
September 18, 2010
This book struck me as a poor attempt at fan fiction. Its the only description I can adequately provide. It felt as though someone had attempted to write a novel, tried to put all the usual twists and turns in, but to me it just fell short.
The main character was not particularly likable. The 15 year old kid that managed to save the day made me cringe. The ending seemed too convenient.
**Spoiler alert!**
The start of the book was promising, with feelings of "they are hunting the wrong person!" giving the first part of the book a bit of an edge.
But when the flashbacks into the main characters childhood started, the story started to fall apart. The back stories (such as the woman's mental illness)irritated me. Why would she be suffering from blackouts etc as a child, to the point where she needed to be hospitalised, but be perfectly "normal" without any blackouts etc as an adult? She seemed to be functioning well, and that made the whole mental illness backstory like a filler to make the book a bit longer. I was convinced that the redeeming feature of the book was going to be that she had comitted the murders when she was "blacked out", I was a little sorry to see the ending go the way it did.
I didn't like the murderer (not that you are meant to) because he was just tacked on the last bits of the book. Why did we spend so much time listening to the main character whinge and whine about losing her child and being mentally ill, when in fact it was someone else who was disgruntled about his gay lover passing away who was the real murderer?
Throughout this book I had a permanent grimace on my face. I did not enjoy reading it at all, and was rather pleased that it was short and ended quickly.
I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone.
The main character was not particularly likable. The 15 year old kid that managed to save the day made me cringe. The ending seemed too convenient.
**Spoiler alert!**
The start of the book was promising, with feelings of "they are hunting the wrong person!" giving the first part of the book a bit of an edge.
But when the flashbacks into the main characters childhood started, the story started to fall apart. The back stories (such as the woman's mental illness)irritated me. Why would she be suffering from blackouts etc as a child, to the point where she needed to be hospitalised, but be perfectly "normal" without any blackouts etc as an adult? She seemed to be functioning well, and that made the whole mental illness backstory like a filler to make the book a bit longer. I was convinced that the redeeming feature of the book was going to be that she had comitted the murders when she was "blacked out", I was a little sorry to see the ending go the way it did.
I didn't like the murderer (not that you are meant to) because he was just tacked on the last bits of the book. Why did we spend so much time listening to the main character whinge and whine about losing her child and being mentally ill, when in fact it was someone else who was disgruntled about his gay lover passing away who was the real murderer?
Throughout this book I had a permanent grimace on my face. I did not enjoy reading it at all, and was rather pleased that it was short and ended quickly.
I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 19, 2012
Wow.
I knew their was a reasom Scandanavian crime fiction was so well renowed. This waa absolutely brilliant.
Missing is different from the norm. Usually with your typical crime novel, the story is told through the perspective of some kind of law enforcement official not through the perspective of a suspect and an innocent suspect at that.
Sybylla is a homeless woman after having fallen out with the family some time ago. She had lived this existence for some time getting by in several ways. One of those being to obtain a free hotel room for a night by getting the attention of a wealthy guy, pulling the whole 'I've lost my wallet' routine and walah! Free.room. However on this occasion, it turns out that the guy ended up dead. Not believing herself to be of much importance to the investigation, Sybylla doesn't talk to the Police but then several more murders occur and it is clear she is being.framed. All murders have religious undertones and all persons have some form of organ removed. When the murderer leaves a signed confession in Sybyllas name at one of the scenes, she is well and truly on the run to prove her innocence.
Absolutely fantastic plot told through an interesting POV. Characters multi layered and fully developed- no cookie cutouts here and just good simple writing. Reminded me of Laarson a bit.
So definitely read this one if you want a crime novel with a bit of a difference
Can't wait to read more of her stuff. Brilliant!
I knew their was a reasom Scandanavian crime fiction was so well renowed. This waa absolutely brilliant.
Missing is different from the norm. Usually with your typical crime novel, the story is told through the perspective of some kind of law enforcement official not through the perspective of a suspect and an innocent suspect at that.
Sybylla is a homeless woman after having fallen out with the family some time ago. She had lived this existence for some time getting by in several ways. One of those being to obtain a free hotel room for a night by getting the attention of a wealthy guy, pulling the whole 'I've lost my wallet' routine and walah! Free.room. However on this occasion, it turns out that the guy ended up dead. Not believing herself to be of much importance to the investigation, Sybylla doesn't talk to the Police but then several more murders occur and it is clear she is being.framed. All murders have religious undertones and all persons have some form of organ removed. When the murderer leaves a signed confession in Sybyllas name at one of the scenes, she is well and truly on the run to prove her innocence.
Absolutely fantastic plot told through an interesting POV. Characters multi layered and fully developed- no cookie cutouts here and just good simple writing. Reminded me of Laarson a bit.
So definitely read this one if you want a crime novel with a bit of a difference
Can't wait to read more of her stuff. Brilliant!
May 20, 2012
Best Scandinavian author I have read! I loved this book. This novel is not as dark and violent as is the trend with so many other new authors coming out of Scandinavia. Karin Alvtegen uses psychological suspense over violence to tell a good story. This is the second book I have read by her and I'm really pleased that each book so far, is a standalone suspense novel(at least as far as I'm aware). Too many authors write series books (probably spurred on by their publishers), and I'm tired of always having to read books in a certain order, just so you don't miss a reference from something that happened in an earlier book, or at worst, have the ending of an earlier book completely spoiled, when the author refers back to that case. The sign of great storyteller is one that keeps you reading obsessively, which Karin Alvtegen definately accomplishes. I look forward to reading many more of her books.
March 1, 2013
Sweden & Norway's monarchies must be in a right state if all the book jackets declaring this person or that person 'The Queen of Crime!' are correct. In some cases (Camilla Läckberg, Karin Fossum) I'm not going to argue, but Karin Alvtegen is at best a Viscountess.
This book was entertaining enough, it was nice to have a story from the point of view of a suspect for a change from the police inspector's perspective. It was a bit stressful for me, as I have a fear of being wrongfully accused of a crime as well as of being wrongfully committed to a mental institution, both of which happen here. But ultimately I felt like the solution fell flat, I've seen this motive for killing before (done better) and it was all a little too Hollywood ending for me. What started as an interesting story fell into a formulaic by the numbers whodunnit & left me unmoved.
This book was entertaining enough, it was nice to have a story from the point of view of a suspect for a change from the police inspector's perspective. It was a bit stressful for me, as I have a fear of being wrongfully accused of a crime as well as of being wrongfully committed to a mental institution, both of which happen here. But ultimately I felt like the solution fell flat, I've seen this motive for killing before (done better) and it was all a little too Hollywood ending for me. What started as an interesting story fell into a formulaic by the numbers whodunnit & left me unmoved.
November 23, 2017
I'm not at all sure what to say about this book as I can't even decide whether I can say I liked it or not! Reading about someone being falsely accused of something always winds me up but in this case I didn't seem to have the concern for Sibylla that I would have expected. The problems faced by the homeless & Sibylla's feelings of persecution seemed plausible but despite her history, I never felt sympathetic towards her situation....although Sibylla's treatment at her mother's hands, well that REALLY had my blood boiling - it breaks my heart to think of a child wanting approval from such a bloody bitch!
The idea of Sibylla managing to track down the killer was a bit of a stretch & by the closing chapters I was losing interest...although I did like the final chapter & thought the ending fitting.
The idea of Sibylla managing to track down the killer was a bit of a stretch & by the closing chapters I was losing interest...although I did like the final chapter & thought the ending fitting.
July 26, 2015
A tightly-knit, fast-paced plot, and well written, but it didn't really all hang together. It was a little obvious to me that the main character, Sybilla, would work out the who-done-it, in the process of clearing herself of falsely being accused of murders she didn't commit. The plot relies heavily and hangs together on an 'unbalanced' psyche... a very prevalent thread of murder mysteries in the present day, if you ask me. That said, the book is also about trust and self-preservation, which were, to me, the more "logical".
January 25, 2022
Een thriller van 250 bladzijdes die pas na 150 bladzijdes enigszins spannend wordt, is niet echt een thriller. Dat eerste deel is een beschrijving van het leven van Sibylla heeft geleid en wat tot haar huidige situatie heeft geleid. Ook is dat gedeelte niet met veel vaart geschreven en is een beetje saai qua schrijfstijl. En als dan de jonge Patrik op Sibylla's pad komt gaat het ineens vreselijk snel, maar de schrijfstijl blijft saai en vlak. Niet echt een aanrader wat mij betreft. Een 5 voor mij, maar hier twee sterren.
May 29, 2024
Enjoyable book. A clever idea and I particularly enjoyed the first parts about Sibylla’s childhood and the description of her life on the streets was interesting. The second half of the book felt a little unlikely. The dialogue could have been slightly better but that may have been due to the translation into English. 3.5 stars rounded down.
May 19, 2020
Lätt att följa med i handlingen och det är en intressant huvudkaraktär
September 18, 2024
Enorm spannend boek. Aanrader!
June 23, 2023
A bit draggy for me. The first half was great, but dragged the last half.
August 4, 2013
Sibylla Forsenstrom had a life of privilege as compared to her schoolmates in a small town in Sweden. Her father headed the main local business. However, Sibylla's life was not all champagne and caviar. Her parents were emotionally abusive. Ultimately, she ended up in a mental institution as a result of her warring emotions, suffering from depression and an unwanted pregnancy. Sibylla's hatred of her parents rules her life. However, she is not at all reluctant to accept a monthly stipend from them, which allows her to live life on her own and plan for a better future.
As an adult, Sibylla moves to Stockholm and "lives rough". She has been homeless for about 15 years but has enough wherewithal to pull off a con where she fools businessmen at thriving hotels into buying her a meal and treating her to a room. That scheme goes horribly wrong when her latest meal ticket is found murdered. The police immediately begin to look for the woman with whom they believe he spent the night. When another similar murder occurs shortly thereafter, the heat is on. A link is made to Sibylla, and she goes into hiding while attempting to uncover the real killer.
Sibylla has never been able to fully trust anybody. She finds an unexpected ally in a teenaged boy who stumbles across her latest hidey-hole. Patrik views her life as a grand adventure; against all odds, Sibylla finds him to be a real friend and someone who helps her work through the mess in which she's found herself.
I found some of the emotional aspects of the book surprisingly off key. For example, when discussing Sibylla's childhood, it is clear that her parents did things that led to her humiliation and ridicule by others. Sibylla's reaction to these incidents comes across as whiny, as most of what happened was mildly disturbing at best and at times downright silly.
At times in the narrative, the point of view switches to the real killer. These passages are fraught with religious symbolism. For me, they didn't lead to an understanding of the killer but rather made things more murky.
As an adult, Sibylla moves to Stockholm and "lives rough". She has been homeless for about 15 years but has enough wherewithal to pull off a con where she fools businessmen at thriving hotels into buying her a meal and treating her to a room. That scheme goes horribly wrong when her latest meal ticket is found murdered. The police immediately begin to look for the woman with whom they believe he spent the night. When another similar murder occurs shortly thereafter, the heat is on. A link is made to Sibylla, and she goes into hiding while attempting to uncover the real killer.
Sibylla has never been able to fully trust anybody. She finds an unexpected ally in a teenaged boy who stumbles across her latest hidey-hole. Patrik views her life as a grand adventure; against all odds, Sibylla finds him to be a real friend and someone who helps her work through the mess in which she's found herself.
I found some of the emotional aspects of the book surprisingly off key. For example, when discussing Sibylla's childhood, it is clear that her parents did things that led to her humiliation and ridicule by others. Sibylla's reaction to these incidents comes across as whiny, as most of what happened was mildly disturbing at best and at times downright silly.
At times in the narrative, the point of view switches to the real killer. These passages are fraught with religious symbolism. For me, they didn't lead to an understanding of the killer but rather made things more murky.
February 8, 2009
Missing is the story of Sibylla Forenström, a 32-year old drifter on the streets of Stockholm. Dressed in her best thrift-store suit, Sibylla cons a wealthy businessman into buying her dinner and a hotel room in a fancy hotel. When the police arrive the next morning she assumes the con has been exposed and flees. But the man has been brutally murdered, and the police identify Sibylla’s fingerprints and charge her with the crime, revealing that she disappeared from a mental institution 15 years earlier. Two other murders follow, and Sibylla, whose survival on the streets depends on her anonymity, finds she is now the most wanted criminal in Sweden with her face on every newspaper. A fortuitous encounter with a 15-year-old loner with computer talents provides Sibylla with an ally who is eager to help her track down the real serial killer. Throughout the book, Sibylla’s past is slowly revealed, adding depth to this well-written thriller. Originally published in Sweden in 2000, Missing came out in the US in 2008 and is a finalist for the 2009 Edgar Award for Best Mystery.
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June 21, 2015
In Missing the reader meets Scandinavian crime fiction at its absolute best.
The heroine is a homeless woman who somehow manages to overcome her emotional and psychological problems when she becomes the suspect in a murder. She takes on the investigation and unmasks the villain. While the underlying plot seems farfetched, Alvtegen's description of the lives of the homeless is richly detailed, highly sensitive and always very intelligent.
I am setting aside my rule of never giving more than three stars to a murder mystery. This book is clearly a cut above what mysteries typically deliver.
The heroine is a homeless woman who somehow manages to overcome her emotional and psychological problems when she becomes the suspect in a murder. She takes on the investigation and unmasks the villain. While the underlying plot seems farfetched, Alvtegen's description of the lives of the homeless is richly detailed, highly sensitive and always very intelligent.
I am setting aside my rule of never giving more than three stars to a murder mystery. This book is clearly a cut above what mysteries typically deliver.
March 1, 2020
What can I say? The story starts out with a murder as you'd expect but then drifts off to tell you the backstory of Sybilla who is assumed to have committed it. More murders happen while Alvtegen recounts Sybilla's childhood with a self-absorbed and cruel mother and indifferent father. Finally, more than halfway through the book she meets a teenager who helps her figure out who the actual murderer is. By this time I'd almost lost interest because the story had dragged for 145 pages. The way Sybilla figures out who the killer is is hard to believe and kind of disappointing. For sure not the best of Swedish Crime Fiction.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 18, 2011
Whoever put on the front cover of this book "reminiscent of Ruth Rendell at her best" has obviously never read a Ruth Rendell.
It started off OK, if a bit far fetched with a homeless person who can scrub up so well, she gets (business) men to buy her a meal and pay for a hotelroom. But this person can find out who the real murderer is in a matter of hours with the help of a 15 year old and a computer, while the Swedish police force can't string any of these clous together at all. Hmmmmmm.......
It started off OK, if a bit far fetched with a homeless person who can scrub up so well, she gets (business) men to buy her a meal and pay for a hotelroom. But this person can find out who the real murderer is in a matter of hours with the help of a 15 year old and a computer, while the Swedish police force can't string any of these clous together at all. Hmmmmmm.......
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 2, 2013
“Missing” is a good psychological thriller book with pages that are easy to turn. This novel wasn’t just about murder, it’s about what goes on in the mind of Sibylla Forsenström who, after a childhood of being tightly controlled, has decided to live her life without anyone telling her what to do. Being falsely accused of murders she didn’t commit, Sibylla finds that she has to let down her guard and trust a little so that she can prove her innocence. This is the first book I’ve read by Karin Alvtegan, and it won’t be the last.
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