Bad Intentions

Bad Intentions (2008/2010) Karin Fossum translated by Charlotte Barslund

Three young men go out on a lake at night. One–the young man on release from the psychiatric hospital–falls into the lake. One of the two remaining men keeps the other from going into the lake after their friend, and contrives a complicated story about how the disturbed young man disappeared overnight.

It’s quite clear from the start how the young man died, but what is unclear is why he died, and why his companions lied about his death.

As with previous stories, we see not just a few moments into the lives of the survivors after the death, but further into their futures.

“Do you know what I often think?” Ingerid said. “When something terrible happens, we talk about people getting over it. Is she over it? we say, as if the tragedy is an obstacle in someone’s path and we have to scale it. It’s not that straightforward. Grieving is something we have to live with,” she said, “it’s a constant battle. And the enemy is the rest of our lives. All those nights. All those hours.”

All those nights.

All those hours.
Rating: 7/10

Published by Mariner Books

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