The Forbidden Place is a bit different from what we normally anticipate in Nordic noir offerings ... a slow-boiling novel that combines elements of classic and modern mysteries with discussions of such disparate topics as quantum physics anomalies, ancient mysticism, legends and religion ... Jansson (skillfully translated by Rachel Willson-Broyles) has given us a first work that sits solidly in the mystery genre but blurs the lines around its edges ... ultimately thought-provoking.
...[an] uneven first novel ... Fascinating historical material, especially about 'bog bodies' found through the ages, compensates only in part for shallow characterizations and awkward plotting.
