Camilla Läckberg
 

It’s always been my life’s dream to write detective novels. It first came true in 2003 when my first book The Ice Princess was published in Sweden and now, my seventh book, The Lighthouse Keeper has reached the shelves in Sweden at the same time as the rights to my books have been sold to over 30 countries worldwide. Here on my website you can find out about me, my books, and Fjällbacka, the place where I grew up and the scene of all my murders. Most of the characters in my books are fictional, but some are real people living in the area, and I’ll be telling you more about them in these pages. Happy reading! Camilla Läckberg

Camilla’s books are set in Fjällbacka, the coastal village where Camilla was born and raised. In northern Bohuslän, about 140 km north of Göteborg, lies the little community of Fjällbacka. Already a fishing village in the 17th century, Fjällbacka is now an idyll that’s steeped in history. Its name derives from the imposing rocky outcrop that the village encircles. Thousands of tourists visit Fjällbacka in the summer. For the rest of the year, there’s about 1,000 permanent residents. Fjällbacka might be small, but there are still hotels, cafés and shops. The best way to get to Fjällbacka without a car is by train to Uddevalla. You can also take a train to Dingle and from there take a bus to Fjällbacka, or alternatively fly to Trollhättan and make your way from there.

Crime-writers’ school – the seven steps I get lots of questions about my writing, many of them asking for advice. Unfortunately there are no miracle tips I can give. The most important thing is to make sure that you sit down and start writing, not that each sentence is perfectly composed. A wise person once said that writing is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration, and I can personally vouch for the truth of that! So don’t get in a stew over how the words fall – just make sure THAT they fall. Let the words just flow. In other words: write, write, write! Here, I’d like to present my own seven-part crime-writers’ school. Each part contains tips and exercises as well as some pointers for books that you might find inspiring. Good luck!

Fyrvaktaren

 

Police inspector Patrik Hedström has just returned to work after a lengthy sick leave. He has tried to have a good rest, while also looking after his wife Erica and their prematurely born twins.
He barely has time to step inside the office before he is thrown into a new investigation. A man has been found murdered in his flat, shot through the back of his head.
The victim is Mats Sverin, the local council’s financial director, a thoroughly friendly and well-liked person. Nobody has a bad word to say about him.
Together with his colleagues, Patrik begins to map out Mats’s entire life, which contains more secrets than anyone could ever have suspected. Why was he in such a rush to leave Gothenburg to return to his home town of Fjällbacka? What part did he play in the project involving the old bath hotel being transformed into a spa? And is it pure coincidence that Mats’s childhood sweetheart Annie has also returned? They have not been in touch for several years, but now she and her son are living on the island of Gråskär outside of Fjällbacka – a place where her family has resided for generations.
Even Gråskär has its share of secrets and is a place that has always been surrounded by sinister rumours. They say that the island is haunted by the dead and that they have something to tell the living…

 

With her latest novel THE LIGHTHOUSE KEEPER Camilla Läckberg has once again proven why she is one of the best grossing Swedish authors today. Critics raved about this fervently awaited seventh part of the Fjällbacka series and sales went through the roof. It was the number one bestseller in November 2009 and stayed in the top five spots for more than four months after its publication. The marketing campaign for the novel was amazingly well crafted with life-size posters of the author dressed in a late 19th century gown, floating an inch over the ground. Interactive billboards were placed all around Sweden with two eyes that would follow the passersby emulating the feeling of being watched by a hidden presence. If you want to learn more about the book, please visit Camilla’s Swedish publishing house Forum: www.forum.se

...after just a few chapters I'm hooked... The creeping suspense makes me think of Johan Theorin or maybe even John Ajvide Lindqvist.
SÖDERMANLANDS NYHETER

...a captivating crime novel... "Fyrvaktaren" is Camilla's best book yet...
DAGENS NYHETER

The opening pages are surprisingly fast-moving, you can feel the acceleration straight away... Read "Fyrvaktaren", it's a well-written success!
NORRA VÄSTERBOTTEN

It is both creepy and exciting to read about the various lives at 19th century Gastholmen. Another ingredient in Läckberg's books is how the reader is allowed to follow the personal lives of several of the characters, first and foremost Patrik Hedström. They are beginning to feel like old friends by now and you really want to know what happens to them. "Fyrvaktaren" is undoubtedly Camilla Läckberg's best book so far. A real pageturner that is perfect for spending a good few hours with in the autumn darkness.
SKARABORGS ALLEHANDA

Please address all queries about Camilla Läckberg and her books to Nordin Agency for further assistance. E-mail: info@nordinagency.se Phone: +46-8-571 685 25 Address: Nordin Agency, P.O. Box 4244, 203 13 Malmö, Sweden For questions regarding sponsoring and press, please contact Christina Saliba at Weber Shandwick. E-mail: christina.saliba@webershandwick.se Phone: +46-70-341 46 54. For more information in Swedish about Camilla Läckberg please visit Camilla's Swedish website: www.camillalackberg.se .