STILL LIFE by Malin Persson Giolito

Translated from Swedish by Rachel Willson-Broyles

5 stars

This amazing book is one I would have never picked up but for the stellar reviews that made me branch out from my usual reading of novels to short story collection of crime stories set in Sweden.

What makes this book remarkable is its focus on what leads a person to criminal behavior: from teenage drug use to opportunity hand in hand with greed. There’s the new policeman Anders exhausted and guarding his first murder scene when he gets startled by the appearance of two people approaching him threateningly. An abused child Lilian who sees her Dad get murdered by a knife and ends up sharing with the police her version of events, heavily influenced by her trauma.

Each chapter corresponds to a section of Swedish criminal code (it would have been awesome to have footnote specify what each is!) and before you know it you’ve been completely immersed in each scenario. The shades of gray morality underlies all the powerfully told stories.

Amazing!

Thanks to Other Press for a reader’s review copy.

Stacy DeBroff

Stacy DeBroff, founder and CEO of Mom Central.com and social and digital consultancy, Influence Central, is a social media strategist, attorney, and best-selling parenting author. A sought-after expert for national media, she trend-spots regularly with national brands and speaks frequently to national and international audiences on a wide range of subjects, including influencer marketing, social media, entrepreneurship, and consumer trends. A passionate cook, gardener, reader, and tennis player, she adores this new chapter of post-college-age parenting.