Camilla Lackberg Crime Thrillers 1 and 2: The Ice Princess, The Preacher
The first two captivating Detective Patrick Hedstrom and Erica Falck psychological thrillers, available together for the first time.The Ice Princess, Camilla Lackberg’s stunning debut, sees writer Erica Falck return to her hometown of Fjällbacka after the funeral of her parents. She’s shocked to find a community on the brink of tragedy. A childhood friend’s body has been found in an icy bath, her wrists slashed – but was it really suicide?Meanwhile, local detective Patrik Hedström is following his own suspicions about the case. It’s only when they start working together that the truth begins to emerge about a small town with a deeply disturbing past…We return to Fjällbacka in The Preacher where Erica and Patrik are now living together and expecting their first child. Twenty years ago of two young women disappeared while holidaying in the peaceful resort. Now their remains have been discovered, along with a fresh victim, sending the town into shock.When another girl goes missing, Patrik’s attention focuses on the Hults, a feuding clan of misfits, religious fanatics and criminals. Which of this family’s dark secrets will provide the vital clue?
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Published by HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 1 London Bridge Street London SE1 9GF
This special edition 2011
Copyright © Camilla Läckberg 2011
English translation © Steven T. Murray 2008 and 2007
The Ice Princess Copyright © Camilla Lackberg 2004 Published by agreement with Bengt Nordin Agency, Sweden English translation © Steven T. Murray 2007 Fjällbacka map by Andrew Ashton © HarperCollins 2008
The Preacher Copyright © Camilla Läckberg 2004 Published by agreement with Bengt Nordin Agency, Sweden English translation © Steven T. Murray 2008
Camilla Läckberg asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
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Ebook Edition MARCH 2011 ISBN: 9780007435746
Version: 2017-08-23
1: Eilert Berg Was Not A Happy Man
2: Awakened From A Deep And Dreamless Sleep
3: Nelly Had Sounded A Bit Surprised When Erica Called
6: He Had Never Managed To Shake Off The Habit Of Getting Up Early
The Preacher
The Ice Princess
CAMILLA LÄCKBERG
Translated from the Swedish by
Steven T. Murray
For Wille
The house was desolate and empty. The cold penetrated into every corner. A thin sheet of ice had formed in the bathtub. She had begun to take on a slightly bluish tinge.
He thought she looked like a princess lying there. An ice princess.
The floor he was sitting on was ice cold, but the chill didn’t bother him. He reached out his hand and touched her.
The blood on her wrists had congealed long ago.
His love for her had never been stronger. He caressed her arm, as if he were caressing the soul that had now left her body.
He didn’t look back when he left. It was not ‘good-bye’, it was ‘until we meet again’.
Eilert Berg was not a happy man. His breathing was strained and his breath came out of his mouth in little white puffs, but his health was not what he considered his biggest problem.
Svea had been so gorgeous in her youth, and he had hardly been able to stand the wait before he could get her into the bridal bed. She had seemed tender, affectionate, and a bit shy. Her true nature had come out after a period of youthful lust that was far too brief. She had put her foot down and kept him on a tight leash for close to fifty years. But Eilert had a secret. For the first time, he saw an opportunity for a little freedom in the autumn of his years and he did not intend to squander it.
He had toiled hard as a fisherman all his life, and the income had been just enough to provide for Svea and the children. After he retired they had only their meagre pensions to live on. With no money in his pocket there was no chance of starting his life over somewhere else, alone. Now this opportunity had appeared like a gift from above, and it was laughably easy besides. But if someone wanted to pay him a shameless amount of money for a few hours’ work each week, that wasn’t his problem. He wasn’t about to complain. The banknotes in the wooden box behind the compost heap had piled up impressively in only a year, and soon he would have enough to be able to move to warmer climes.
He stopped to catch his breath on the last steep approach to the house and massaged his arthritic hands. Spain, or maybe Greece, would thaw the chill that seemed to come from deep inside him. Eilert reckoned that he had at least ten years left before it would be time to turn up his toes, and he intended to make the most of them, so he’d be damned if he’d spend them at home with that old bitch.
His daily walk in the early morning hours had been his only time spent in peace and quiet; it also meant that he got some much-needed exercise. He always took the same route, and people who knew his habits would often come out and have a chat. He particularly enjoyed talking with the pretty girl in the house farthest up the hill by the Håkebacken school. She was there only on weekends, always alone, but she was happy to take the time to talk about the weather. Miss Alexandra was interested in Fjällbacka in the old days as well, and this was a topic that Eilert enjoyed discussing. She was nice to look at too. That was something he still appreciated, even though he was old now. Of course there had been a good deal of gossip about her, but once you started listening to women’s chatter you wouldn’t have much time for anything else.
