Morden i Sandhamn

Very enjoyable crime series featuring an intelligent woman as the main protagonist.

Established actress Alexandra Rapaport plays Nora, a lawyer living on the the picturesque island of Sandhamn, in the Stockholm Archipelago. Yes, murders happen and Nora gets involved through her sharp-minded curiosity and friendship with police detective Thomas Andreasson. But there is more to the series than just a Midsomer Murders-like repetition of convoluted events in a fictional village

Nora splits with her first husband and becomes a single mother with shared custody. Much of the narrative deals with Nora's relationships and journey to find happiness on an island that is suitable for recluses, but not for Nora who is an attractive, gregarious and well-adjusted individual. Her friendship with policeman Thomas Andreasson always seems to be on the verge of something more intimate except, like her, his past gets in the way .

The murder stories are not perfect or without criticism, but they are acceptable and the character of Nora overrides any plot deficiencies or doubts that may arise. I just enjoyed what was on offer. I believe there will be four more movie-length episodes made next year.

The story wasn't as compelling as the acting and the casual tour of the islands and coast. The acting was quite good and I was a little shocked to see how easily these Swedes feigned being natural. In fact I would say this production is the most impressive I've ever seen in terms of pure unaffected acting. It was truly inspiring to watch though it made me wonder why they're so much better at it than we are.

The two principal roles are vividly rendered by Cedergren and Rapaport who play a policeman and a married woman in a troubled marriage, respectively. The murder mystery is entangled with their being attracted to each other and that too felt realistic. I'm sure women will enjoy that part of it if nothing else.

/refers to Seasons 1-5/

I am fond of Scandinavian crime series, but as the recent decade has seen so many high-level ones, I have become picky to watch something "around" e.g. Bro/Broen or Millennium... In advance, I was also cautious about the fact that crimes would happen in a limited space, a small and cosy area making it the one of the most violent places in the world (as often perceived in Miss Marple or Lewis, although skillfully accomplished). But no, the felonies committed were rare, suitable and seasonable, and the main emphasis was mainly on human aspects and issues prevalent in a wealthy Western society. The crimes handled were not over-sophisticated, rather realistic, and exiting viewers' interest improved during the seasons (Season 1 crime and it's solution were most trivial).

All the performances were good at least, if not more, most I liked Alexandra Rapaport as Nora Linde and Lotta Tejle as Claire. Moreover, this series helped me better to acknowledge the popularity of Jacob Cedegren (he has participated in several films I have seen but, for me, somehow always remained in the shadow of other male actors). Here, his character's nature was perfectly in harmony with the general mood of the creation and the qualities a Swedish policeman working in a small recreational area could and should have.

Thus, Morden i Sandhamn is a more-than-okay drama, with lots of human aspects and some crime in the background. As for crime level and depiction, it is in the line of e.g. Maria Wern or Anna Pihl, for example.

PS More or less, Seasons 6 and 7 follow the same path. Yet, in Season 7, Nicolai Cleve Broch as a new leading character is a step forward.

PPS Seasons 8 and 9 are just pleasant again, but no next level. But as more seasons are planned, I would still continue to watch them.

PPPS Season 10 shows some signs of fatigue, and I am not sure than a certain addiction would provide additional value to the cases.

A very unusual policeman never shooting even in the most dangerous situations. A wonderful place where peace is menaced by a series of murders. Love relationships intertwined with door to door investigations. Quite different from tough cops and screaming sirens! Enjoyable!

Everyone in the series seems to be nice and pleasant. Even the murderers don't seem to be truly evil. There's nothing in Viveca Sten's universe that offends. People we know barely nothing about are the ones who die and subsequent crimes are always attempted murders of characters we've got to know a bit about and are generally saved from death in the nick of time.

There are back stories to the main characters whose lives mesh seamlessly with each other although true romance is always an on/off affair. They have their problems, of course, but these don't generally interfere with the denouement of the plots.

The setting in the archipelago is stunning. I've only been there a couple of times and the series makes me want to go back again one day. It's all so perfect just as Sweden is portrayed abroad.

I've seen all seven seasons and am eagerly awaiting an eighth. It's absolutely not Scandi Noir, more Rosemary and Thyme, but that's not a reason to be critical - the genres are different, that's all. I like them both and this series is a great example of an easy watch that holds the attention.