An alert goes out in the Stockholm archipelago when a mysterious object is seen floating in the waves. Sea rescue volunteer Annika and her colleagues arrive on the scene and make a disturbing discovery – a baby is found in the water.
A few days earlier, Henrik and Isabelle set off on their first sailing trip together since becoming parents to ten-month-old Olivia. At the same time, a young man, Sebastian, is on his way home after a party in the archipelago. He is determined to take control of his messy life when he gets a tough phone call. He must complete one last dangerous mission. When Sebastian’s path crosses with Henrik and Isabelle in the outer archipelago, dark secrets surface, and it is the start of several terrible days.
After writing a number of standalone psychological thrillers, Rebecka E. Aldén began her first suspense series in 2022 – The Sea Rescue series. Set in the Stockholm archipelago, it follows a team of sea rescue volunteers who become involved in various crime investigations. After a flying start with Black Sails and Red August Moon, it’s time for the series’ third instalment: Blue Dusk.
448 pages
Rights
Estonia: Ühinenud Ajakirjad
Norway: Gyldendal
Sweden: Romanus & Selling
REVIEWS
“Blue Dusk is a well-written suspense novel set in an archipelago environment, with interesting and believable character descriptions.”
BTJ / SWE
“Rebecka E. Aldén has crafted an impressively credible plot where ordinary sailing life collides with desperate drug dealers attempting to escape. Not just from the police.”
Lotta Olsson, Dagens Nyheter / SWE
“Blue Dusk was the thrilling page-turner I had hoped for. […] Nothing is black or white, and we’re left pondering who acted rightly and who didn’t. Those looking for a bright story (with a dark beginning) won’t find it, nor will those seeking an entirely dark story.”
Rating: 4
Hanna Lager, Feministbiblioteket / SWE
“With bated breath, I followed the story as it unfolded, leading us closer to the burning question: how does a small baby (wearing a life jacket) end up in the water without anyone seeming to miss it? This is a multi-layered story, skillfully told. Rebecka E. Aldén is truly a master at building suspenseful narratives that get under your skin.”
Bokstagrammer Boksann / SWE
“There’s constant storm and rain, making it genuinely frightening. The story brings to mind the movie Dead Calm with Nicole Kidman and Sam Neil from the late ’80s. The idea of being on a boat with dangerous people, unable to escape. A truly claustrophobic nightmare, and Rebecka E. Aldén captures it masterfully. The sea rescuers, who feel like real heroes, balance it out nicely.”
Karins boktips / SWE
“Being at sea can give a sense of freedom, but also a sense of being completely exposed, which makes the archipelago and boatlife the perfect setting for suspense. The book reflects several characters’ perspectives, all skillfully tied together in a way that maintains suspense from start to finish.”
Camillas_boktips / SWE
“Just like last time, this is what a suspense reader wants. The book has a solid plot and covers several current themes, including drugs and abuse. The characters are portrayed realistically, even though they are very different from each other. How does the author know??? I can clearly picture beautiful Bella, battered Sebbe, and upper-class Henke with his aristocratic surname. Yet they surprise me with their actions. As a reader, I have no idea where I stand with any of them, actually. It’s well-written, linguistically precise, without being stiff or stilted.”
Rating: 5
Bloggen Tofflan / SWE
“what captivates me most isn’t the case itself, but following Annika and the others. We learn more about her grandfather’s death, her relationship with Jens, and we meet her sister, who is a constant source of worry in Annika’s life. There are many threads, and at one point, I wondered how it would all come together. I definitely shouldn’t have underestimated E. Aldén. She manages to tie it all together […] The Sea Rescuers series is fantastic, and I assume there will be at least one more book. Hopefully soon.”
Rating: 4
Linda Odén, Enligt O blog / SWE
“Blue Dusk is a well-written crime novel, and a good example of contemporary Swedish suspense. The setting is the Swedish archipelago, and it gives a true picture of Swedish summer, for better or worse. There’s a lot of sailing described, and even though I’m not interested in it at all, I had no trouble immersing myself in the environment.”
Rating: 4
Lotten Glans, Lottens bokblogg / SWE
“A true page-turner!”
Liselott at Blekingebiblioteken / SWE
“The Sea Rescue series offers a balanced mix of suspenseful moments and the personal lives of the sea rescue volunteers. I think E. Aldén uses the settings and the forces of nature very well; if you spend a lot of time by the sea, you know that the weather and wind can feel like a character of its own.”
Anna Johansson, Och dagarna går… blog / SWE
“Very thrilling and action-packed without becoming confusing.”
Rating: 5
Krimbloggaren / SWE
“It invites binge-reading. There’s suspense, secrets, tangled relationships, and a cliffhanger at the end that makes me eager to read the next part.”
Rating: 4
Sandras-bokinspo / SWE
“Perfect summer reading, or for February when you’re yearning for summer. The fact that much of the plot takes place at sea adds an extra element of risk, which heightens the suspense.”
Boktok_selkie / SWE
“The book is thrilling, eerie, and old secrets surface. […] Rebecka E. Aldén is an amazing author, and with narrator Gunilla Leining, this book and series is a success in my opinion.”
Ljudbokskulla / SWE
“A page-turner with incredible tension and a warm portrayal of relationships.”
Annika Bagge / SWE
“Summery and cozy, yet with a dark edge.”
Helena Dahlgren, author / SWE