Book Review: The Tenant

Book Review: The Tenant
By Alexis Mercer

Summer reading can go one of two ways: light and carefree or deep and intense. With longer days comes more hours to indulge in a book of one’s choosing. I have the tendency to read three or four light and carefree books and then dive into a deep and intense novel that requires concentration before heading back to light and carefree.

The most recent choice was The Tenant by Katrine Engberg. In her debut novel, Engberg tells a tale of murder and the detectives who investigate the crimes. A young woman is found brutally murdered in the downstairs apartment of a building with a unique carving on her face. The owner of the building, the victim’s roommate, a mutual acquaintance and another tenant all get pulled into the investigation and terrifying continuation as the search for the killer goes on.

In an interesting difference with other murder mysteries I have read lately, this is a Swedish author. The names, locations and references are all unfamiliar to me, but in an intriguing way that doesn’t require much concentration to allow the story to progress.

While this wasn’t the most titillating thriller I have ever read, it certainly held my interest and fit the bill for a light (mind you not light in topic, but in an easy way) read. Despite its being translated into English, the language flows well, adding to the intrigue. 

The Tenant fit the bill for the last of the lighter reads before finding a deep, intense novel to settle into. A perfect summer read, this mystery won’t disappoint.

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