The Silver Road packs a Scandi punch

⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑  The Silver Road is a deceptively subtle example of Scandi Noir. It takes place in Sweden, driving nightly up and down the Silver Road in one man's quest to find his missing daughter. There is not an omnipotent mad serial killer, or even gore, but rather a gently building story that is addictive and heartbreaking with a powerful conclusion.

Lelle is our questing father searching for Lina, his daughter who disappeared from a bus shelter 3 years ago. He believes she is alive somewhere and someone must, surely, know where she is. He patrols the Silver Road each night hoping to discover some clue that will bring his girl home. In parallel we following Meja, a girl newly arrived in town. She and her troubled mother have come to live with the most recent man on the scene in her mother's life. Meja's existence is not an easy one but she hopes for safety and security in the arms of her new boyfriend and his family.

I was touched by this novel and the delicate depiction of Lelle's suffering and single-mindedness. His sole reason for living is his search for Lina. Carefully handled is also Meja's story. Though very different in personality she is also looking for something more than her life currently possesses. What comes to pass, and brings these two together, is incredible and absorbing. I could not set this book aside until I knew what would happen to both Lelle and Meja. Terrifically crafted, with a deft hand for emotion and tension-building, this is a brilliant novel well worth reading.