Det som göms i snö

This is right up my street. I'm part Swedish, born in England and am just drawn to this type of drama. It must be in my genes! This is a cut above the normal police procedural with interesting, multi faceted characters, a believable take on mental illness and a fascinating plot of false confession, cold case detectives unravelling a labyrinth of lies and bureaucracy and believable personal dramas. All the lead characters are well played, engaging and the lack of sentimentality is quite refreshing. The suburbs of Stockholm are well used and ground the show in real life. It's based on a true story, the red herrings, plot twists and surprises come thick and fast and the rather grim story is lifted at just the right moments with wit and wry humour. Like a lot of these type of shows, it starts quite slowly but you'll be rewarded if you stick with it.

This series has so much going for it like chemistry between the actors and characters with real personalities and history. Peter played by Robert Gustafsson really fit like a glove for the part and this is his best acting by far. The the end of season 2 it will not let you down. Rather the opposite it is just one of the best ending of its genre. This seems like it was thought of from the beginning. It is so well executed. This is centered around two of Swedens most scandalous crimes (in regards to that one is malpractice by the court system and the other one is crime from within the police).

Swedes have apparently mastered a single expression that expresses wonder, sadness, regret, and humility. Just finished a Swedish police procedural/whodunnit mini-series concerning a policeman tasked with creating a cold case unit and before it's even up and running is ordered to review the high profile case of a convicted serial killer whose attorney was found murdered with a note in his pocket casting doubt on the guilty verdict. Det som göms i snö, translated means what is hidden in snow from the Swedish phrase, what is hidden in snow will come forth in the thaw; the English title is The Truth Will Out and I found it on Acorn TV. Inspired by the true story of Swedish serial killer Thomas Quick who confessed to 30 murders but later recanted prompting a new investigation. Overall it's similar to North American police procedurals although the detectives act like administrative positions as in British and European series. There are many scenes where characters just look at each ruefully. It's well written and performed. There are red herrings but the show isn't built on them like British mysteries. The tone is serious and understated even in the few moments of wry comedy. I enjoyed it.

Robert Gustafsson is Peter Wendel, leader of the cold case group at the Stockholm Police who will be a legal guardian of the tracks. His team consists a odd collection of people with mutual frosting relationships. Despite collaborative difficulties, they soon find signs that an innocent man has been convicted of murder. But the investigation is complicated by Wendel's messy privacy and unstable psyche.

Series 1 9* I really enjoyed this drama and it reminded me of Beck.

There are a lot of familiar faces from other Nordic dramas; Arne Dahl, Before We Die, Bonus Family, The Bridge, Blue Eyes, Thin Ice, Jordskott.

It is quite understated, but the story knits together well over the 8 episodes.

There are some good characterisations, performances and some subtle humour and a touch of romance.

The only dip for me was around episodes 7 and 8 where a well worn clichéd internal police scenario was featured, but as it was integral to the story line it soon passed.

I see there is a second series scheduled, I look forward to it.

Series 2 1* This was a big disappointment.

The core characters are still good, but the whole 5 episodes were ruined by a vile storyline.

The sexual exploitation of young girls is not my idea of entertainment and although not explicit, by inference the story was horrific.