The Chosen
Reviewed By Grasshopper2 February 3, 2016
Author Kristina Ohlssen
Distributor: Simon And Schuster Australia
ISBN: 9781471148798
Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
Release Date: September 2015
Website: http://www.simonandschuster.com.au
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This novel exudes authenticity, and not surprisingly, one finds out that Kristina was employed as a counter-terrorism expert in Vienna. She was extremely well travelled and au fait with world politics and the international scene.
Combine that with a fascination of all things Jewish, and her love of story writing, and you have the embryo of a great novel- written with expertise. Because the novel is set in Sweden, we have an authoritative murder-political mystery. Overwhelmingly, Kristina found that her desire to write was more important than her previous occupations. She has published four books, and all to acclaim.
A Junior Primary teacher at a Jewish school is shot to death as she farewells her students for the day. The murderer would have been on a snowy rooftop, waiting for her. Later, two boys from Jewish families are found to be missing. After a search, they are both found dead, with a paper bag over their heads.
Investigating these crimes are the Swedish National Crime Unit, the Police, the Jewish Secret Service in Israel and the Security at the Jewish school. We get to know each of the characters, their strengths and weaknesses, which heightens the interest in the story.
The tale begins in the past with a child’s fear generated by stories told to him. Then we move to Conclusion, and Fragment I, followed by The First Day. These leaps in time, rather than confuse, fill out the background, and also predict an ending so awful, that, when it happens, the shock is lessened by the knowledge of the disaster.
It is a very skilfully woven tale, never leaving the reader unaware of what is happening, or who is involved. The story becomes quite powerful with the language used, and short sentences that add to the drama.
“The Chosen” is a superb thriller that allows the reader to piece together clues and knowledge, along with the inves