The title is a bit confusing, because Camilla Läckberg is the novelist whose books were adapted into three standalone productions here for Swedish TV. Läckberg's tales take place in a small, idyllic coastal community that, not unlike the Cabot Cove of Murder, She Wrote, has a grotesquely high homicide rate. The crime solvers in this series are Detective Patrik Hedström (Niklas Hjulström) and his novelist fiancé Erica Falck (Elisabet Carlsson), who work as a team in solving the too-frequent mysteries that haunt their picturesque village. The three feature-length films collected here are The Preacher (2007), in which the eponymous theologian has more than a few skeletons in his closet; The Stonecutter (2009), where the discovery of a drowned child is initially presumed to be a tragic accident until an autopsy sets off a murder investigation; and The Jinx (2010), centering on a fatal automobile crash that is initially (and mistakenly) considered to be a drunk driving mishap. For those weaned on American and British mystery series, these Scandinavian whodunits might seem a bit too leisurely paced, and the main characters bring very little charisma to their parts. Perhaps Swedish audiences felt the same way, as later adaptations feature different actors in the leading roles. Originally broadcast stateside via MHz, this set is an optional purchase. (P. Hall)
Camilla Läckberg
MHz, 3 discs, 320 min., in Swedish w/English subtitles, not rated, DVD: $39.99 Volume 33, Issue 1
Camilla Läckberg
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