After languishing unread for several years this tome finally got its chance recently; in need of something new for the daily commute I plucked it from the dusty pile of books, primed it with a bookmark and stuffed it into my rucksack.

To be honest I didn't think my journey to and from the office, a daily expedition that involves both bus and train as well as no small amount of walking, could be any more of an ordeal. Then I added Frozen Moment to the mix, a book stocked with characters who buckle under a surfeit of back-story, a troubled lead detective backed up with a team of Scandi-Cop stereotypes and a tedious expository style which causes the plot to meander back and forth before the readers eyes. Suddenly delayed trains and inclement weather didn't seem so bad.

Admittedly, as a long time fan of Scandi-crime fiction, I wasn't fooled by the "move over Wallander" tag on the cover for a second but at the very least I expected a decent yarn; something readable and entertaining. Unfortunately, for me, Frozen Moment was a chore of a read which I struggled to finish; when I found myself absent-mindedly flicking to the back pages I knew it was time to throw in the towel.