{{Short description|2003 novel by Camilla Läckberg}} {{use dmy dates|date=April 2025}} {{Infobox book | name = The Ice Princess | image = Ice-princessfairuse.pg.jpg | caption = | author = Camilla Läckberg | title_orig = Isprinsessan | translator = Steven T. Murray | illustrator = | cover_artist = | country = Sweden<br>United Kingdom<br>United States | language = Swedish, English | series = | subject = Popular fiction<br>Contemporary thriller | genre = Crime thriller | publisher =Warne (Sweden)<br> HarperCollins (UK) | pub_date = 2003 | english_pub_date = 2008 (UK) | media_type = | pages = 420 pages | isbn = 0-00-726985-4 | oclc = | dewey = | congress = | followed_by = The Preacher }}
'''''The Ice Princess''''' is a crime novel by Swedish author Camilla Läckberg. As her debut novel, it was originally published in 2003 in Swedish, entitled '''''Isprinsessan'''''. The novel follows a husband-and-wife duo, detective Patrik Hedström and writer Erica Falck, investigating a suspicious suicide, and is the first in a series of books featuring these characters. It was adapted into a telemovie of the same name in 2007.
==Plot== Writer Erica Falck has returned to her family home in Fjällbacka after her parents died. While coping with their death, she is trying to work on a biography of Selma Lagerlöf, a Swedish author and the first female writer to win the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Patrik Hedström, a detective, is assigned to investigate a case in which the victim, Erica's childhood friend Alex, is found frozen in a bathtub, her wrists cut in an apparent suicide. The investigation shows that the young woman's death occurred before she was placed in the tub, allowing the liquid to freeze around her as the temperature dropped far below freezing inside her house. Exactly when the furnace went out-of-order is a timely coincidence to the alleged suicide.
At the prompting of Alex's parents, Erica begins to investigate the death of their daughter. Her breakthrough comes when she meets a police officer who is also investigating the mystery; together the two uncover dark secrets within the town. Erica and Patrick's fascination gives way to deep obsession as they struggle to determine the true circumstances surrounding the death. Erica visualizes a memoir about Alex, one that will answer questions about their missing friendship.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://avaxsearch.com/?q=camilla%20lackberg|title=Camilla Lackberg - Der Leuchtturmwarter}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gender-focus.com/tag/camilla-lackberg/|title=Camilla Lackberg Archives}}</ref>
==Publication== ''Isprinsessan'' is the debut novel of Swedish author Camilla Läckberg, published by Warne in Sweden in 2003.<ref name=nordin>{{cite web | last=Läckberg | first=Camilla | title=THE ICE PRINCESS | website=Nordin Agency | url=https://www.nordinagency.se/portfolio-item/isprinsessan-the-ice-princess/#toggle-id-1 | access-date=22 April 2025}}</ref><ref name=kos2015/> It is the first in a series of books featuring these characters,<ref name=sfdb>{{cite web | title=Camilla Läckberg | website=SFdb | url=https://www.svenskfilmdatabas.se/en/item/?type=person&itemid=349838#films | access-date=21 April 2025| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250421073243/https://www.svenskfilmdatabas.se/en/item/?type=person&itemid=349838| archive-date= 21 April 2025| url-status=live}}</ref> the latest (as of April 2025) being the 11th in the series, ''Gökungen'', translated into English as ''The Cuckoo'' by Ian Giles in 2024.<ref>{{cite web | title=The cuckoo / Camilla Läckberg ; translated from the Swedish by Ian Giles. | website=Salford Libraries | url=https://salfordlibraries.spydus.co.uk/cgi-bin/spydus.exe/ENQ/WPAC/BIBENQ?SETLVL=&BRN=3909649 | access-date=21 April 2025}}</ref>
The book was translated as ''The Ice Princess'' by American translator Steven T. Murray and published in the UK by HarperCollins in 2008.<ref>{{cite web | title=The Ice Princess, Camilla Läckberg | website=AustCrimeFiction.org | url=https://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/the-ice-princess-camilla-lackberg | access-date=22 April 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| title=Review of “The Ice Princess” by Camilla Läckberg | website=Rhapsody in Books | date=8 November 2010 | url=https://rhapsodyinbooks.wordpress.com/2010/11/08/review-of-%E2%80%9Cthe-ice-princess%E2%80%9D-by-camilla-lackberg/ | access-date=22 April 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last=Lackberg | first=Camilla | title=The Ice Princess: The heart-stopping debut thriller from the No. 1 international bestselling crime suspense author (Patrik Hedstrom and Erica Falck, Book 1) : Lackberg, Camilla: Amazon.com.au: Books | website=Amazon.com.au | date=1 April 2008 | url=https://www.amazon.com.au/Ice-Princess-heart-stopping-international-bestselling/dp/0007269854#detailBullets_feature_div | access-date=22 April 2025}}</ref> It was published in the US in June 2010 by Free Press<ref name=kirkus/><ref>[https://lccn.loc.gov/2010032941 Läckberg, Camilla, 1974- Isprinsessan. English The ice princess / Camilla Läckberg ; translated [from the Swedish] by Steven T. Murray. 1st Free Press trade pbk. ed. New York : Free Press, 2011. 391 p. : ill. ; 22 cm. PT9877.22.A34 I8713 2011 ISBN: 9781451621747 (trade pbk. : alk. paper)1451621744 (trade pbk. : alk. paper)9781451621754 (ebk.)] Library of Congress catalogue entry.</ref> and Pegasus,<ref name=kos2015>{{cite web | last=Grigsby | first=Susan | title=Monday Murder Mystery: Camilla Läckberg | website=Daily Kos | date=22 June 2015 | url=https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2015/6/22/1394788/-Monday-Murder-Mystery-Camilla-L-ckberg | access-date=22 April 2025}}</ref> and has been reprinted several times since.
== Critical reception == ''Publishers Weekly'' review reflects that in her first novel, "Läckberg skillfully details how horrific secrets are never completely buried and how silence can kill the soul."<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=The Ice Princess|url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-60598-092-8|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-11-20|website=www.publishersweekly.com}}</ref> ''Kirkus Reviews'' notes that the novel turns up "the sordidness of the wealthy, the appalling effects of child abuse and the general mayhem that ensues whenever cabin fever sets in".<ref name=kirkus>{{cite web | website=Kirkus Reviews | title=The Ice Princess, by Camilla Läckberg & translated by Steven T. Murray | date=9 February 2019 | url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/camilla-lackberg-2/the-ice-princess/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190427164630/https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/camilla-lackberg-2/the-ice-princess/ | archive-date=27 April 2019 | url-status=dead | access-date=22 April 2025}}</ref>
''The Ice Princess'' was listed in ''Time'' magazine's 2023 "The 100 Best Mystery and Thriller Books".<ref name=time2023>{{cite web | first=Megan |last= McCluskey | title=The Ice Princess|series= The 100 Best Mystery and Thriller Books | website=Time | date=3 October 2023 | url=https://time.com/collection/best-mystery-thriller-books/6309216/the-ice-princess/ | access-date=22 April 2025}}</ref>
==Themes== The difficulty of parent-child relationships is a recurring theme in ''The Ice Princess''.<ref>{{cite web|author=Karen Meek |url=http://www.eurocrime.co.uk/reviews/The_Ice_Princess.html |title=Review - The Ice Princess by Camilla Lackberg |publisher=Euro crime.co.uk |date=July 2008 |accessdate=2011-11-27}}</ref> True to the genre of Scandinavian crime fiction (often called Nordic noir), a heavy emphasis is given to characterization and (especially in Lackberg's instance) the development of the small town where the crime occurs. The importance of the location is emphasized by the inclusion of a map of Fjällbacka, and the depictions of the landscape are both colorful and integral to the plot.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/camilla-lackberg-2/the-ice-princess/|title=The Ice Princess by Camilla Lackberg, Steven T. Murray|work=Kirkus Reviews|date=3 June 2010|accessdate=13 May 2014}}</ref> In multiple instances throughout the book, Läckberg. explores interesting details dealing with food, and body and self esteem issues.
==Adaptations== A graphic novel version of the novel was published in French by Belgian publisher Casterman in 2014, as ''La princesse des glaces''.<ref name=nordin/><ref>{{cite web | title=La princesse des glaces | website=Nordin Agency| url=https://www.nordinagency.se/portfolio-item/la-princesse-des-glaces/ | access-date=22 April 2025}}</ref>
''Isprinsessan'' was adapted as a telemovie in 2007.<ref name=sfdb>{{cite web | title=Camilla Läckberg | website=SFdb | url=https://www.svenskfilmdatabas.se/en/item/?type=person&itemid=349838#films | access-date=21 April 2025| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250421073243/https://www.svenskfilmdatabas.se/en/item/?type=person&itemid=349838| archive-date= 21 April 2025| url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{imdb title|1024902|Isprinsessan}}</ref>
==Characters== *Erika Falck: Writer and journalist who gets involved as an amateur sleuth. *Patrik Hedström: Detective Inspector in Tanumshede, romantic interest of Erika. *Bertil Mellberg: Detective Chief Inspector, often seen as lazy and not very competent. *Gösta Flygare: Detective Inspector. *Anna Maxwell (née Falck): Erika's sister. *Lucas Maxwell: Anna's abusive husband. *Pernilla Karlsson: Wife of Erika’s high school sweetheart *Dan Karlsson: Pernilla's husband. Former boyfriend of Erika *Eilert Berg: Old working man who finds Alexandra's corpse. *Alexandra Wijkner (née Carlgen): Victim whose corpse is found in a frozen bath. *Henrik Wijkner: Alexandra's husband. *Karl Erik Carlgen: Alexandra's father, who lives in Särö. *Birgit Carlgen (née Persson): Alexandra's mother. *Julia Carlgen: Alexandra's thirteen year younger sister. *Nelly Lorentz: Widow of a rich businessman. *Nils Lorentz: Nelly's son, who disappeared many years ago. *Jan Lorentz: Nelly's adopted son, who took over the tin can food company. *Anders Nilsson: Alcoholic painter. *Vera Nilsson: Anders' mother. *Francine Sandberg (née Bijoux): Friend of Alexandra who started an art gallery with her. *Bengt Larsson: Former convict, friend of Anders.
==References== {{Reflist}}
== External links == *{{youtube|UC2QeyklgTc |Camilla Läckberg talks about ''The Ice Princess''}} (29 January 2010)
{{Camilla Läckberg|state=expanded}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Ice Princess}} Category:2003 debut novels Category:2000s Swedish novels Category:2003 in Sweden Category:2003 novels Category:Swedish crime novels Category:Swedish detective novels Category:Swedish thriller novels Category:Novels set in Västra Götaland County Category:Novels about writers Category:Novels about marriage Category:Novels about suicide Category:Swedish novels adapted into films Category:Swedish novels adapted into television shows Category:Novels adapted into comics Category:Grand Prix de Littérature Policière winners Category:Novels by Camilla Läckberg Category:2000s mystery novels