Map Monday #3

Hello and welcome to ‘Map Monday’. This was inspired by the current pandemic and lockdowns and the inability to travel. I will share one book each week with you that is set somewhere different to where I live. I’ll chat a bit about the book and throw some interesting facts out there about the place. I hope you enjoy travelling through books with me…

This week I’ve picked Where Ravens Roost – which is set in Sweden.

Book Synopsis:

The raven cawed at him, craning its neck unnaturally. As it dug its hooked beak into the mess of dried grass and twigs that made up its nest, a shiny glimmer reflected off a low-hanging bulb. Kjeld edged closer to get a better look. It was a human tooth. With a silver filling.

Detective Kjeld Nygaard wants nothing more than to forget his family and Varsund, the small mining town he once called home, even exist. But while on suspension after his last case went disastrously wrong, his estranged father Stenar leaves a message on Kjeld’s phone claiming he’s seen a murder.

But with no evidence and Stenar suffering from Alzheimer’s, the local police think he must have imagined it. Kjeld can’t stop himself from investigating what actually happened, and soon discovers a body. But when the police start to suspect Stenar, it’s a race against time to discover the truth before it’s lost forever.

But will uncovering the truth expose family secrets that are best left buried?

Interesting Facts about Sweden:

• Sweden is the birthplace of ABBA – a huge guilty pleasure of mine!
• Södermalm, a neighbourhoods in the Swedish capital, Stockholm was listed in Vogue as one of “The 15 Coolest Neighborhoods in the World”.
• The very first pacemaker operation happened in Stockholm, in 1958.
• Alfred Nobel (the creator of the novel Prize) was Swedish.
• Sweden celebrates midsummer with Boiled potatoes (and dill) which is a Swedish delicacy – apparently they’re rather yummy!
• By land area, Sweden is the 4th largest country in the European Union.
• Stockholm is sometimes referred to as ‘Venice of the North’ and by just looking at photos you can see why.
• Swedish is the official languages but you’ll hear many different languages being spoken too, including; Sami, Finnish, Yiddish and Meänkieli.
• Sweden has some incredibly countryside areas, it is 50% forest, has over 100,000 lakes and 24,000 islands.
• Despite being a member of the EU, they still use Swedish krona, which is written as kr.
• Stockholm’s oldest surviving building is The Riddarholmen Church, a Franciscan monastery built in 1270.