Yet there are other parts of Buried Angels that were consciously based on real events. I want to thank Lasse Lundberg who, during a guided tour of Fjällbacka, stirred my imagination with his story about the Bohuslän granite that Albert Speer supposedly chose for Germania, and about the visit that Hermann Göring was said to have made to one of the islands in the Fjällbacka archipelago. I’ve taken the liberty of using these accounts to create my own story.
I needed to do a lot of research about Göring in order to write this story. Björn Fontander’s book Carin Göring skriver hem was a great resource, especially for all the information about the time that Göring spent in Sweden. It was in this book that I also discovered a genuine mystery that I could weave into the plot in that magical way that is sometimes granted to writers. And that’s always wonderful. Thank you, Björn, for the inspiration your book gave me.
There is no Angelmaker from Fjällbacka, but of course there are similarities between the novel’s Helga Svensson and Hilda Nilsson from Helsingborg, who hanged herself in her cell in 1917 before the death sentence could be carried out.
The summer camp on Valö does exist, and it has played a certain role in the history of Fjällbacka. I’ve spent many summertime weeks at the camp, and almost everyone who lives in Fjällbacka has some sort of relationship to the big white house. Today it’s both a youth hostel and restaurant, and well worth a visit. I’ve taken the liberty of changing the dates and owners so that they fit into my story. As usual, I’ve had invaluable help from Anders Torevi regarding all the other details about Fjällbacka.
The journalist Niklas Svensson generously provided a great deal of expert help with the political parts of the book. A big thanks for that.
As usual, I’ve combined details from real life with my own imaginings. And any errors are entirely my own. I have also set the story at a time when the statute of limitations for murder was twenty-five years. That law has now been changed.
There are many people that I’d like to thank, including my publisher Karin Linge Nordh and my editor Matilda Lund, who have performed a Herculean task on the manuscript.
Thanks also to my husband Martin Melin, who is always so enormously supportive of my work. Since he’s now working on his own manuscript for the first time, we’ve been able to encourage each other as we’ve both spent many long hours writing. Of course it’s also an incredible advantage to have my own police officer, and I can ask him everything between heaven and earth about police work.
Thanks to my children Wille, Meja and Charlie, who give me energy to pour into my books. And to my whole network: my mother Gunnel Läckberg and Rolf ‘Sassar’ Svensson, Sandra Wirström, my older children’s father Mikael Eriksson, as well as Christina Melin, who stepped forward in an exceptional fashion when things started piling up. Thank you to all of you.
Nordin Agency – Joakim Hansson and the whole gang – you know that I’m incredibly grateful for the work you do for me in Sweden and the world. Christina Saliba and Anna Österholm at Weber Shandwick have put an enormous amount of work into everything that has to do with a successful author’s career. You do an amazing job.
Thank you to my writer colleagues. None named, none forgotten. I don’t get to meet with you as often as I’d like, but when we do see each other, I come away brimming with positive energy and the joy of writing. And I know that you’re always there. A special place in my heart is reserved for Denise Rudberg, my friend, colleague, and supporter for so many years. What would I do without you?
And I couldn’t write these books if the citizens of Fjällbacka didn’t cheerfully allow me to make up all sorts of horrors about their small town. Sometimes I get a little nervous about what I’m doing, but you even put up with being invaded by a film company. This autumn it’s going to happen again, and I hope that you’ll be proud of the results when Fjällbacka has another chance to show off its unique setting to viewers around the world.
Finally, I want to thank my readers. You always wait so patiently for the next book. You encourage me in the face of adversity, you give me a pat on the back when I need it, and you’ve stayed with me for so many years now. I appreciate that. Tremendously. Thank you.
Camilla Läckberg
Måsholmen, 29 July 2011
www.camillalackberg.com
About the Author
Camilla Lackberg is a worldwide bestseller renowned for her brilliant contemporary psychological thrillers. Her novels have sold over 12 million copies in 55 countries with translations into 37 languages.
www.CamillaLackberg.com
