Camilla Grebe | THE ICE BENEATH HER

Plot (via Goodreads):

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.

Review:

The Ice Beneath Her began so violently and action packed that I wondered if I was going to need a brown paper back to breathe into by chapter two. A police procedural psychological thriller, this one really had it all. I enjoy multiple timelines and multiple character  perspectives and while Grebe combined both of them flawlessly, I was still feeling anxious as I devoured the pages. 

The plot to this one was so intricate and meticulously planned out that I don't think you can fully grasp it until you're in the moment. While I loved the characters, I felt like the plot with this one stood out just a little bit more. It's the kind of plot that just immediately drags you in and keeps you fully immersed with a relentless grip and the characters carry this plot brilliantly. I found myself eagerly gobbling up the pages due to the fact that this is probably one of the best paced novels I have read in my entire life. What I enjoyed the most was that it was equal parts psychological thriller and police procedural - keeping me entertained the entire time and not once succumbing to times of an uninteresting section or straying from the pacing. 

The characters within this one were so much fun to read. I absolutely loved all of them, especially Emma and Peter. They were exciting and complex, free of cliches, and perfectly flawed and likable. Getting a look into their personal lives was exceptionally interesting and kept me begging for more. I was so immersed within the characters that the finale hit me like a slap in the face as the pacing became increasingly dark and suspenseful. I was down the rabbit hole with no escape in my future and couldn't believe how quickly I had gotten there. I found the ending to be not only extremely satisfying, but Grebe brilliantly wrapped up all lingering items efficiently and left me desiring book two...and it didn't take long for me to grab onto that!

Rating: 4.5/5