Morden i Sandhamn

Swedish summer murders on an idyllic island sounds familiar, doesn't it? The everyday mysteries in this series are well plotted and believable. Like Midsomer, Sandhamn has an amazingly high murder rate per head of population but there's something else at work in this Swedish series, a life lesson playing out from seasons 1 to 9.

A prosecutor with a house on the island, Nora is an attractive, sympathetic and likeable lead. The always reliable Par, with his sartorial individualism, is also very likeable as her assistant in her work life. But her love life! That's another story. Perhaps the real story. The Norwegian police detective is a breath of fresh air after the rather dull Swede, Thomas. For each love story, there's the will they or won't they game as events manage to interrupt their interludes together.

Cruellest of all is how the message - to take risks, be true to your feelings and seize the day - is finally driven home to us. With the presence of death in each story, we are reminded to live life.

I enjoyed this series. I was tired of heavy and dark murder mystery programs. There is good chemistry between all the characters. Enjoy the scenery and plan your next vacation to this beautiful part of Sweden.

/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.

Great characters, cast, scenery, plots. We are about to run out of epidodes and would love more. We even learned some Swedish. Beautiful detective series set in the Stockholm archipelago. Spans several years of the characters' lives as they go through many changes. Ranges from serious and thought provoking to lighthearted and humorous. Great performances by a wonderful cast set in the idyllic village and harbor setting of Sandhamn island. Based on the Viveca Sten novels. Comprises individual mysteries of varying length within an overarching story of several intertwined family stories. A pleasure to watch. Recommend. Great vibe.

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.