Camilla Lackberg Books in Order (Patrik Hedström and Erica Falck, Faye Adelheim)

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Jean Edith Camilla Läckberg Eriksson or simply Camilla Läckberg is a best-selling Swedish crime writer. Fascinated by crime writing since her childhood, Läckberg became a writer after her husband and parents enrolled her in a creative writing course as a Christmas present.

She published her first book, Isprinsessan (The Ice Princess) in 2003 in Sweden, launching a successful career and the Patrik Hedström/Erica Falck series at the same time. Since then, her work has been translated into more than 40 languages in 60 countries.

How to read Camilla Lackberg’s Books in Order?

The Patrik Hedström and Erica Falck Series in Order

1. The Ice Princess (2008) – Erica Falck returns to her tiny, remote hometown of Fjällbacka, Sweden, after her parents’ deaths only to encounter another tragedy: the suicide of her childhood best friend, Alex. It’s Erica herself who finds Alex’s body-suspended in a bathtub of frozen water, her wrists slashed. Erica is bewildered: Why would a beautiful woman who had it all take her own life? Teaming up with police detective Patrik Hedström, Erica begins to uncover shocking events from Alex’s childhood.
2. The Preacher (2008) – During an unusually hot July, detective Patrik Hedstrom and Erica Falck are enjoying a rare week at home together, nervous and excited about the imminent birth of their first baby. Across town, however, a six-year-old boy makes a gruesome discovery that will ravage their little tourist community and catapult Patrik into the center of a terrifying murder case.
3. The Stone Cutter (2010) – The remote resort of Fjallbacka has seen its share of tragedy, though perhaps none worse than that of the little girl found in a fisherman’s net. But the post-mortem reveals that this is no case of accidental drowning! Local detective Patrik Hedstrom has just become a father. It is his grim task to discover who could be behind the methodical murder of a child both he and his partner, Erica, knew well. He knows the real question – and answer – lies with why. What he does not know is how this case will reach into the dark heart of Fjallbacka and the town’s past, and tear aside its idyllic facade, perhaps forever.
4. The Stranger (aka The Gallows Bird, 2011) – A woman is found dead, apparently the victim of a tragic car crash. It’s the first in a spate of seemingly inexplicable accidents in Tanumshede and marks the end of a quiet winter for detective Patrik Hedstrom and his colleagues. At the same time, a reality TV show is being shot in the town. As cameras shadow the stars’ every move, relations with the locals are strained to breaking point. When a drunken party ends with a particularly unpopular contestant’s murder, the cast and crew are obvious suspects. Could there be a killer in their midst?

5. The Hidden Child (2011) – Erica Falck is shocked to discover a Nazi medal among her late mother’s possessions. Haunted by a childhood of neglect, she resolves to dig deep into her family’s past and finally uncover the reasons why. Her inquiries lead her to the home of a retired history teacher. He was among her mother’s circle of friends during the Second World War but her questions are met with bizarre and evasive answers. Two days later he meets a violent death. Detective Patrik Hedström, Erica’s husband, is on paternity leave but soon becomes embroiled in the murder investigation.
6. The Drowning (2012) – Christian Thydell’s dream has come true: his debut novel, The Mermaid, has been published to rave reviews. So why is he as distant and unhappy as ever? When crime writer Erica Falck, who helped Christian discover and develop his talents, learns he has been receiving anonymous threats, she investigates not just the messages but also the young author’s mysterious past. Then, one of Christian’s closest friends, Magnus, goes missing. Erica’s husband, Detective Patrik Hedström, has his worst suspicions confirmed as the mind-games aimed at Christian and those around him become a disturbing reality.
7. The Lost Boy (2012) – Detective Patrik Hedstrom is no stranger to tragedy. A murder case concerning Fjällbacka’s dead financial director, Mats Sverin, is a grim but useful distraction from his recent family misfortunes. It seems Sverin was a man who everybody liked yet nobody really knew – a man with something to hide . . .His high school sweetheart, Nathalie, has just returned to Fjällbacka with her five-year-old son – perhaps can she shed some light on who Sverin really was?
8. Buried Angels (2014) – Easter, 1974. A family vanishes from their home on an idyllic island off the Swedish coast. They have left everything behind – including their one-year-old daughter, Ebba. Now, years later, Ebba has returned to the island. She and her husband have suffered the loss of their only child and are looking to make a fresh start. But within days, their house is the target of an arson attack. Detective Patrik Hedstrom takes on the investigation, aided by his wife, crime writer Erica Falck, who has always been fascinated by the mystery of Ebba’s abandonment and the family’s tragic history.

9. The Ice Child (2016) – January, Fjällbacka. A seminaked girl wanders through the woods in freezing cold weather. When she finally reaches the road, a car comes out of nowhere. It doesn’t manage to stop. By the time Detective Patrik Hedström receives word of the accident, the girl has already been identified. Four months ago she disappeared on her way home from the local riding school, and no one has seen her since. It quickly becomes clear that she has been subjected to unimaginably brutal treatment. And it’s likely she’s not the only one.
10. The Girl in the Woods (2018) – When a four-year-old girl disappears in the woods just outside Fjällbacka, the community is horror-struck. Thirty years ago a young girl went missing from the exact same spot and was later discovered murdered. Back then two teenage girls were found guilty of the killing. Could it really be a coincidence that one of the girls – now a world-famous actress – has just returned to Fjällbacka? Detective Patrik Hedström starts investigating with his wife, best-selling crime writer Erica Falck, by his side.
11. The Cuckoo (Coming in 2024)

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The Faye Adelheim Series in Order

1. The Golden Cage (2020) – Faye has loved Jack since they were students at business school. Jack, the perpetual golden boy, grew up wealthy, unlike Faye, who has worked hard to bury a dark past. When Jack needed help launching a new company, Faye left school to support him, waitressing by day and working as his strategist by night. When the business took off, Faye stayed home and cared for their daughter. Now, she is wealthier than she ever imagined, but more and more removed from the excitement of the business world. And none of the perks of wealth make up for the fact that Jack has begun to treat her coldly. When Faye discovers that he’s having an affair, the polished façade of their life cracks wide open.
2. Silver Tears (2021) – Faye Adelheim is living a delicious lie. She is wealthy beyond imagination, she is the Chairman of her self-made global cosmetics brand, and her ex-husband is out of her life. But Faye has a secret: her daughter is, in fact, alive and well and so is her mother, the woman Faye’s father was sentenced for allegedly killing years ago. Together, three generations of women have survived in hiding from the men who sought to destroy them. But unfortunately for Faye, cages are meant to be opened, pillow talk can lead to betrayal, and secrets always end in tears.

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The Detective Mina Dabiri Series (with Henrik Fexeus)

1. Trapped (2022) – It’s a case unlike anything detective Mina Dabiri has seen before. A woman trapped inside a magician’s box, with swords pierced through. But this time, it’s not a magic trick. It’s murder. Knowing she has a terrifying killer on her hands, Mina enlists the help of celebrity mentalist, Vincent Walder. Only he can give her an insight into the secret world of magic and illusions. Mina and Vincent soon discover that the murder victim has the roman numeral III engraved on her leg. The killer is counting down. There are going to be three more murders. And time is running out to stop them.
2. Cult (2023) – A young child is snatched in broad daylight outside his nursery. Nobody in charge sees a thing, but the other children say a woman is the culprit… Detective Mina Dabiri calls on her close friend Vincent to untangle the puzzle that surrounds the kidnapped boy. As he finds a link between the boy and other others who have gone missing, it becomes clear that time is running out for everyone involved… Meanwhile, Mina’s estranged daughter gets caught up in the secretive world of Epicura, a shadowy organisation that claims to be a centre for leadership development. Can Mina protect her child-a child who doesn’t even know she exists?

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Short Stories by Camilla Läckberg

• The Scent of Almonds and Other Stories (2013) – a collection of short stories. The Scent Of Almonds: a snowstorm traps a family in a hotel on a tiny island off Fjallbacka – and then a body is discovered in the library. An Elegant Death: two sisters witness a murder in a fashion boutique. Dreaming Of Elisabeth: Malin is trapped on a boat with a man she is beginning to fear… The Widows’ Cafe
  Marianne is serving up a dangerous concoction at the widows’ cafe.
• Sweet Revenge (2022) – Two novellas previously published separately. Women Without Mercy: Ingrid gave up her career to support her husband. Now he’s having an affair. Birgitta is avoiding the doctor. No one can see the bruises her husband leaves. Victoria left Russia to marry a man she met online. But he is nothing like she imagined. Maybe the only way out is to commit three perfect murders… Truth or Dare: Best friends Liv, Martina, Max and Anton are spending New Year’s Eve together. But each of them is keeping a terrible secret. When a game of truth or dare takes a dark turn, the shocking truth emerges. Not everyone will live to see the chime of midnight…

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If you like the Camilla Lackberg reading order, you may also want to see our Ragnar Jónasson reading order, or our guide to the Sandhamn Murders series. Don’t hesitate to follow us on Twitter or Facebook to discover more book series.