The anxiety makes Lydia’s skin crawl as she nervously checks her phone again. Still no message. The visit from the police has made a storm break loose in her mind, and she cannot quiet her racing thoughts. If only she knew where he is.
Lydia has just realized that her brother Dani is missing. The police are looking for him, but his phone is turned off and no one has heard from him in days. When Lydia finds out that Dani is the prime suspect of a kidnapping, her life shatters into a million pieces. Dani’s childhood dwelled in darkness, as he got pulled into a criminal gang and committed one crime after the other. As an adult however, he managed to turn his life around, and this is what makes Lydia question the claims. Could Dani truly have done something so atrocious?
The police are certain that Dani is guilty of kidnapping Linnea Arvidsson, but Lydia decides to investigate the matter. The only connection between Dani and Linnea is that Linnea’s school is located close to the café where Dani works. In all other aspects, they are complete strangers to one another – or at least so it appears. The investigation pulls Lydia into an unknown world, filled with dangers and intricate lies, hidden pathways and narrow escapes. Nothing is as it first seems.
From three distinct perspectives, Frida Skybäck portrays the lives of people in impoverished communities, depicting the complexity of violence and crime. This novel not only brims of suspense, but it also ignites and illuminates the power of unrelentless love.
Extra Materials
Denmark, Gyldendal / Cicero
Germany, Suhrkamp / Insel
Author
Reviews
“Strong and realistic. Rootless is as much a tense as a genuine portrayal of the divided lives of people in Malmö today.”
Smålandsposten (SE)
“Frida Skybäck has accomplished something quite remarkable with her drama in the form of a novel. With contained rage she portrays how the victim and perpetrator meet, and how the underlying issues can arise. Rootless is a suspense novel, but also a flaming torch.”
Ölandsbladet (SE)
“This is both a gripping novel about relationships and a suspenseful story. The portrayal of Malmö is colorful, and the people there are vividly and credibly described.”
BTJ (SE)
“Frida Skybäck masters the different aspects of storytelling and with Rootless it becomes dramatic, thrilling and gripping about family ties, class differences and the immensity of love.”
Kapprakt (SE)
“A touching mystery.”
Året runt (SE)