Silver Tears

February 1, 2021

A global brand, a groaning-full bank account--Faye would seem to have it all. But she also must hide her family from dangerous ex-husband Jack, now behind bars. Then Jack is released, trusted investors in her company start selling their shares, and a past secret threatens to surface. Faye's second showing after mega-best-selling Swedish author L�ckberg's The Golden Cage, and this might turn into a series.

Copyright 2021 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from May 17, 2021
In 2020’s The Golden Cage, Stockholm housewife Faye Adelheim, who sacrificed her own career for her entrepreneur husband, Jack, who belittled and humiliated her for years, succeeded in destroying his business and framing him for the apparent murder of their daughter, Julienne. Two years after, in Swedish crime queen’s Läckberg’s rip-roaring sequel, Faye, whose cosmetics company, Revenge, has made her wealthy, is living incognito in a tiny Italian village with her mother, Julienne, and Kerstin, her best friend and business associate. But soon rumors disrupt paradise. Jack and another convict escape from prison, women owning shares in Revenge are selling them and threatening a takeover, and a dogged policewoman is reexamining the case of Julienne’s supposed murder. Läckberg intersperses Faye’s struggle to preserve Revenge and her secrets with scalding scenes from Faye’s youth in the town of Fjällbacka, where she saved her mother and herself from her father’s brutal sexual abuse. In the present, Faye enjoys eye-popping sexual adventures and an appealing new lover, David Schiller, while she enlists the loyal support of former female rivals to strike back at her enemies. This tribute to lusty sisterhood is a must for Scandi noir fans. Agent: Joakim Hansson, Nordin Agency (Sweden).

May 15, 2021
Faye Adelheim returns to defend Revenge, her cosmetics company, from a hostile takeover. As she searches for the name of her opponent, can she also protect her daughter and find true love? L�ckberg's second novel about the brilliant economist who overcame a stifling marriage certainly draws on the strengths of the first: The plot careens at breakneck speed through steamy sex scenes, startling revelations, and flashbacks to Faye's very dark childhood riddled with rape and murder. What the story lacks in believability (there are poorly planned murders, successful executives who spend inordinate amounts of time drinking without any repercussions, and a heroine who fails to learn from her own mistakes), it more than makes up for with soap-opera-level drama and fireworks. It all begins with Faye having set up house in Italy with her mother and her daughter, Julienne. Faye had framed her ex-husband, Jack, for killing Julienne, though Julienne is secretly still alive, and now Jack has escaped from jail. Meanwhile, a shadowy figure has begun buying up shares of Revenge from Faye's investors--women who have been loyal up to now, because everyone in Faye's circle sees the company as a way to strike back at oppressive men. What could possibly be inducing them to sell? As Faye sets out to investigate, she meets David, an angel investor in a bad marriage, and soon the sexual sparks fly. Always ready to support women who need a helping hand, Faye picks up a few new employees along her journey, including Ylva, another smart economist and Jack's former mistress, and Alice, the ex-wife of Henrik, Jack's former business partner. Although Faye has a few blind spots that prevent her from recognizing her nemesis, the women band together to save the company and commit some mayhem of their own. A scandal-filled page-turner sure to delight the beach-read crowd.

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June 1, 2021
In The Golden Cage (2020), Faye Adelheim avenged husband Jack's sexual abuse of their daughter, Julienne, by framing him for the murders of both Julienne and Faye's mother. In reality, Faye has hidden them in Italy, and she now spends half her time there and half in Stockholm, where she's taking her company, Revenge, to new heights. Now, the happy ending Faye plotted is threatened: Revenge faces a hostile takeover; vengeful Jack escapes from prison; and a police detective begins probing Julienne's "murder." Faye, who's most at home in the heat of battle, rallies a team of women--Ylva, Jack's former mistress, and Alice, the ex-wife of Jack's former business partner--with every reason to fight. As the horrors of Faye's childhood are revealed, it's clear why she stops at nothing, even murder, to survive. This follow-up shares the strong plotting, multifaceted central character, and next-level Machiavellian battles that made Golden Cage a must-read; and here, in addition, the revelation of Faye's hidden past adds compelling insight to our understanding of her survival instincts.

COPYRIGHT(2021) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

July 9, 2021

L�ckberg's second novel featuring Faye Adelheim, who had framed her husband for murder in The Golden Cage, finds Faye safely hidden away from the world. She feels comfortable leaving her daughter and traveling back to Sweden to enjoy her newfound freedom and wealth. Lavish meals, alcohol-filled evenings, and threesomes with strangers distract Faye enough to miss the hostile takeover of her cosmetics company, Revenge. Gathering her women allies, Faye moves to regain control of her business and keep the secrets of her family safe. Old and new enemies converge on Faye; in order to succeed, she summons the same craftiness that first put her on top. Incorporating issues of feminism, misogyny, emotional and physical abuse, L�ckberg's latest reveals new elements of Faye's past to enlighten readers and fill in gaps as the story progresses. The plot, although interesting, is slow and gets bogged down with unnecessary detail. There are graphic sexual encounters and rape scenes, so readers should proceed with caution. VERDICT L�ckberg leaves her thriller's conclusion open-ended, signaling the possibility of a third installment. Libraries that own The Golden Cage will want this sequel--Carmen Clark, Elkhart P.L., IN

Copyright 2021 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.