COLD CASE: VÄG 9 – COLD CASE: ROUTE 9

By Tina Frennstedt

Route 9 is the second standalone book in the Cold Case series, the crime series inspired by real cases and which takes place in Malmö and Österlen.  

A controversial female artist is found dead at the Stenshuvud (Stenshuvud National Park) lighthouse the morning of Good Friday. On a towel next to the corpse there is a weird mud, which proves to be the same as the one that was found at the crime scene outside of Ystad where the young pianist was tortured to death 15 years ago. 

When crime inspector Tess Hjalmarsson, also known as the super cop, together with her colleague Marie Erling, looks closer on the case she can not find any apparent connections between the two victims but the news starts a chain of dramatical events on Österlen. Meanwhile a mother of two begins to suspect that her husband isn’t the person she thought he was… 

First published by Forum, 2020-03-18

Czech Republic, Nakladatelství Jota
Denmark, Gyldendal
Estonian, Eesti Raamat
Finland, Like
Germany, Bastei Lübbe
The Netherlands, 
HarperCollins Holland
Norway, Vigmostad & Björke
Slovak, Albatros

a solid and interesting crime novel. Proper craftsmanship and very true to the genre … Tina Frennstedt is an exceptionally skilled writer … This is properly done. Credible. Realistic. Close to reality. And (most important of all)… Crackling well written!
Geir Tangen, crime author

Frennstedt shows an incredible ability to build dramatic tension, give closeups to long term consequences of traumatic events and at the same time give a respectful and realistic view of police work. She’s really good […] … Frennstedt writes very good and constructs a truly nice structure where several perspectives are mixing in what gradually builds up the thrill and adds new pieces to the puzzle.
Kapprakt (blog)

A clever crime novel without stereotypes […] There’s pace and thrill from the very first page. […] The descriptions of the police work feel real and carry the story forward. It’s refreshing to say goodbye to the male police stereotype with two men, like Beck and Gunvald, and instead be welcoming a female duo with Tess and her colleague Marie. […] The author Tina Frennstedt is skilled at building up tension and a creeping feeling of unease – without wallowing in gory details. It’s possible to depict murders with respect […]
Aftonbladet Söndag

Many crime novels are being written in Sweden nowadays, but if you ask me Tina Frennstedt is one of the most interesting names. […] Route 9 is very thrilling and just as well written as Cold Case: Missing. I’m already longing for the next book in this series.
Kalmar Läns Tidning

That the author has worked as a journalist makes the portrayal of such police work more anchored in reality, than in other crime novels. It’s refreshing with a crime novel where the author trusts his or hers own story and doesn’t feel obliged to add unnecessary violence and blood. […] Tess private life is at a nice distance, which makes the reader curious to continue following this interesting crime inspector.
Göteborgs Posten

Tina Frennstedt has written a thrilling story, loosely based on a real murder case. At the same time, she is skilled at describing the everyday life of the police, a life that is complicated, not at least for Tess Hjalmarsson.
Ölandsbladet

Frennstedt has a flowing language, she is skilled at creating a drive and thrill and she knows the conventions of the genre.
Ystads Allehanda

Just like in the debut Frennstedt elegantly weaves together the cold case and the case set in the present, but this time the gang shootings in Malmö also a given part of the story. […] That she also manages to give her books a perfectly dosed humoristic tone right in the seriousity is the finishing touch.
Norra Skåne

Route 9 is a very thrilling crime novel deeply anchored in real life and the reader’s interest remains all the way until the end. […] Tina Frennstedt includes several components that make Route 9 feel unpleasantly believable. She has the ability to portray emotions, to build up powerful atmospheres and depict people made of flesh and blood. […] The story has a great mix of private life, relations and cases that the police are working with. With the realistic characters, the nicely described environments and the strong sense of how to build a thrilling and mystical ambiance Tina Frennstedt makes it impossible for the reader to not read Route 9 at a stretch. […] Route 9 is well written and well constructed. The language is accessible and there’s a realistic tone in the narrative which gives depth and creates comprehension. […] The thrill is constructed gradually and the outcome is dramatic to say the least. The outcome is not obvious and I was kept on tenterhooks until the very end. Cold Case: Route 9 is a moving and intelligent crime novel of high standard, just like a modern crime novel should be. You want to continue following the odd but exceptional couple Tess and Marie. Cold Case: Route 9 is a very worthy follow-up to Cold Case: Missing.
Olivias deckarhylla (blogg)

Route 9 was very good, the pages flew away and woop! … I do really like the supercop Tess and her colleagues (especially Marie) and I believe that this is a series where I will eagerly wait for the continuation and the next books.
Boklådan (blogg)

I think it’s a brilliant and well written book. Thrill at a high level that is built up the longer you read, and with an ending I couldn’t predict on beforehand. I hope there will be many more books in the Cold Case series. And it’s not for nothing the author was awarded with the Crimetime Award 2019 for “best debut crime novel”.
evasbokhylla (Instagram)

Route 9 was extremely thrilling, engaging and well written! Once you started to read it was impossible to put it down, you just wanted to read another chapter. And then another one. And another one. And all of a sudden the book had ended. […] The novel has incredibly good characters that I really like, especially Tess and Marie, but I also like the rest of the colleagues. The settings are very nicely described and you can see the places in front of you when you are reading. If you haven’t read a book from the Cold Case series you really have to! This is indeed an unbelievably thrilling series, but it also leaves the reader affected.
deckarbokhyllan (Instagram)

Route 9 has a lot of qualities. Except the thrilling case, Tess is an interesting character. She is skilled, quick and smart. … The pages are flowing […] It’s very fascinating to take part in Tess work methods that slowly lead up to the solution of the case. Another aspect that I appreciate a lot is that we follow the perspectives of several characters. It gives the story more depth and keeps the thrill on a high level. In short, this was an awesome crime novel with, according to me, much more depth than a classic Scandi Noir. Here the story centres around real cases, real victims and the hardworking police. I’m devouring the book with mixed emotions, since I know in the back of my head that the case Tess is working so hard on to solve is inspired by a real cold case. I’m rooting for the police, for Tess and I just want more!
elzasbokhylla (Instagram)

BOOKS

Fiction