Calima

Gabriella Ullberg Westin

Calima_12_9

Rights sold

Sweden: HarperCollins Nordic

 

 

On a stormy winter morning, Maja and her two children board a flight with everything they own in a couple of bags. Maja's husband has been shot to death in cold blood, but the police fear that she was the real target. With new identities, they flee to a secluded finca in the mountains of Gran Canaria. There they will build a completely new life, but the fear that their background will be revealed and that the perpetrator can find them at any time is constantly present.

The Swedish couple Estelle and Martin have been living on the island for many years. They live a life of luxury filled with sun, cava and dinners made possible by Martin's successful investments. But Estelle questions more and more who she really is, what her husband actually does, and if this is the life she wants to live.

The two women meet and start hanging out. Estelle because she is drawn to something new, Maja for trying to blend in even though she is suspicious of every new person she meets. But the closer they get to each other, the harder it becomes for Maja not to reveal why they are actually on the island, and Estelle soon can no longer turn a blind eye to her brutal truth. When Maja's daughter also starts to show signs of anxiety and tells horrible things, everything is falling apart.

 

368 pages

 

Reviews: 

 

"It is a well-written, gripping and extremely exciting story. Definitely one of the best books of the year." - @boksann

"It is a suspense novel that has everything you could want from dramatic settings to a believable gallery of characters and will undoubtedly be Gabriella's best book." - @frokensmillaskanslaforbocker

"The author skilfully builds up different fields of tension, different tracks in the story...// ...under calima anything can happen. It also does in this text, all the way to a truly magnificent resolution.” - @kapprakt

"Gabriella is skilled both at creating interesting characters and building a story with drive. It's strong psychological tension where you don't know who to trust, and what's waiting behind the door." - @lottengl

"The excitement lies in the plots, the dialogues, the well-drawn environment and character descriptions and of course in the spectacular resolution." @basilica55

"The books about Johan Rokka are a bit of a favorite of mine, so I probably still had high expectations. All were fulfilled.” - @en.bra.bok

 

"The author skilfully switches between different characters and unravels the story bit by bit through flashbacks and perspective shifts. It is a current contemporary depiction of crime and the vulnerability of ordinary people..." - Emma Hertley-Lundberg, BTJ Library services

“A well-written book with a lot of emotion, as a reader you can feel how hunted and worried the family is.” - @iminbokhylla

"Well written, interesting, easy to read, current and exciting" – Britt Marie Kullin

“Pull me backwards how exciting this was! I mean, have time if you start reading Gabriella's new book. Make sure no one disturbs you because you won't be able to let it go.” – Lollos Bokhörna, book blog