Fjällbacka Books in Order
Part ofCamilla Läckberg Books in OrderDiscover the atmospheric Fjällbacka series by Camilla Läckberg, where idyllic Swedish scenery hides dark secrets and past sins haunt the present.
Last updated: June 7, 2026
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Publication Order
11 books
The Ice Princess
by Camilla Läckberg
2004
When writer Erica Falck returns to her hometown, she finds her childhood friend dead in an ice-cold bath. What looks like suicide soon points to murder, forcing Erica to team up with local detective Patrik Hedström to uncover the dark secrets of a small community.
The Preacher
by Camilla Läckberg
2004
A young woman's body is discovered in the rocks, and beneath her lie the skeletons of two women missing for decades. Patrik Hedström must navigate a summer heatwave and the tight-lipped Hult family to find a killer who has returned to finish what they started.
The Stonecutter
by Camilla Läckberg
2005
A local fisherman finds the body of a seven-year-old girl in the sea, but the autopsy reveals she drowned in fresh water. Patrik Hedström investigates a crime that echoes a tragedy from the 1920s, realizing the motive may lie in the town's distant past.
The Gallows Bird / The Stranger
by Camilla Läckberg
2006
A reality TV show brings chaos to Fjällbacka, but a drunken car crash soon turns into a murder investigation. As Patrik Hedström digs into the victim's life, he finds a trail of attacks across Sweden that suggests a serial killer is hiding in plain sight.
The Hidden Child
by Camilla Läckberg
2007
Erica Falck discovers a Nazi medal among her late mother's possessions and begins to unravel a wartime mystery. Meanwhile, Patrik investigates a local murder that seems inextricably linked to the secret history of Erica's family and the shadows of World War II.
The Drowning
by Camilla Läckberg
2008
A man vanishes without a trace, and his friends begin receiving threatening letters. When a body is found frozen in the sea months later, Patrik Hedström and Erica Falck must uncover the link between the victim and a darkly acclaimed debut novel.
The Lost Boy
by Camilla Läckberg
2009
A financial director is found murdered on the "Ghost Isle" near Fjällbacka, a place steeped in legends of the dead. As Patrik investigates the man's shady dealings, Erica researches the island's tragic history, finding that the past is repeating itself.
Buried Angels
by Camilla Läckberg
2011
Decades after her family vanished from their island home without a trace, Ebba returns to open a bed and breakfast. But when an arsonist strikes, Patrik Hedström re-opens the cold case, uncovering a history of secrets that someone is desperate to keep buried.
The Ice Child
by Camilla Läckberg
2014
A semi-naked girl wanders out of the snowy woods and onto a road, disoriented and missing an eye. As Patrik Hedström investigates her abduction, Erica Falck connects the case to an old murder, leading them to a killer with a terrifying agenda.
The Girl In The Woods
by Camilla Läckberg
2017
When a four-year-old girl disappears from a farm, the community is reminded of a similar tragedy thirty years ago. Two local women were accused back then, and now that one has returned as a movie star, the town demands answers about both crimes.
The Cuckoo
by Camilla Läckberg
2024
Two brutal events shake Fjällbacka: a famous photographer is murdered, and a Nobel Prize winner is attacked on his island. While Patrik investigates, Erica researches a 1980s cold case in Stockholm, finding that the threads of the past are tightening around the present.
Series background & context
The Fjällbacka series—often referred to interchangeably as the Patrik Hedström series—centers on a setting that is as beautiful as it is dangerous. Located on the rocky west coast of Sweden, the fishing village of Fjällbacka serves as much more than just a backdrop. It is a living, breathing character that dictates the mood of every story. In the summer, it is a bustling, picturesque tourist destination with red cottages and blue waters. In the winter, it transforms into a desolate, wind-swept landscape where the isolation is palpable.
At the heart of the narrative are two distinct but complementary protagonists. Patrik Hedström is a police detective who relies on methodical police work and intuition. He is balanced by Erica Falck, a crime writer who often inserts herself into investigations to find material for her books—or simply because she cannot help being curious.
Unlike the lonely, hard-drinking detectives found in many crime novels, Patrik and Erica are grounded in the messy reality of family life.
As the series progresses, readers watch them navigate the milestones of marriage, parenthood, and domestic struggles. They change diapers and deal with difficult in-laws in between examining crime scenes. This focus on personal relationships extends to the supporting cast in the police station and the village, creating a rich soap-opera dynamic that runs parallel to the murder mysteries.
A defining signature of the books is the way they handle time. Läckberg rarely keeps the story entirely in the present. Instead, the narrative often splits into two threads. One timeline follows the modern-day investigation, while the other takes the reader back into the past. These historical flashbacks might transport you to the humble life of a stonecutter in the 1920s, the dark days of World War II, or even further back.
In this town, history is never just history.
The series operates on the idea that old sins cast very long shadows. The crimes investigate are rarely random acts of violence. They are usually the result of secrets that have festered for decades, rotting the community from the inside out. In a place where everyone knows everyone else’s business, the pressure to maintain a perfect façade can be deadly.
The resulting atmosphere is a mix of small-town claustrophobia and high-stakes tension. The jagged cliffs and freezing sea trap the residents with their ghosts, forcing them to confront traumas that have been buried for generations. It is a world where the idyllic surface of Swedish coastal life is constantly at war with the dark impulses simmering underneath.
Edited by
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