Lifetime    by Liza Marklund Order:  USA  Can Atria, 2013 (2013) Hardcover, CD      Reviewed by Hilary Williamson Liza Marklund, dubbed the Queen of Scandinavian Crime Fiction by Henning Mankell, brings her fans another mystery starring obsessive reporter Annika Bengtzon in Lifetime. Annika's personal life is in disarray throughout. Her newspaper, Stockholm's Evening Post, is downsizing. Her house burns down and, after barely escaping with her two small children, Annika comes under suspicion of arson. Before this happened, her husband had left her for his wealthy mistress. All this leads her to view the chief suspect in a murder case, a woman whom she knows personally, with some sympathy. David Lindholm, a celebrated police officer and TV celebrity, has been murdered. His wife Julia is soon arrested, though she claims that another woman was present, did the deed, and kidnapped her small son Alexander, now missing and presumed to also be dead. Julia's best friend, police officer Nina Hoffman, was first on the scene, and reluctantly accepts her friend's guilt. Julia is charged and convicted. Annika investigates and soon finds that Lindholm, so beloved by his colleagues, had a dark side - charges of extreme brutality that were dropped just before the cases went to court; and dangerous liaisons. She digs deeper - and finds more. Annika follows through and recklessly puts her own life on the line to end it. But after she does and files her story, readers get to see a different ending - a shocker. Annika Bengtzon is a great character, strong and vulnerable at the same time, and Lifetime an excellent mystery. Highly recommended! Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Mystery books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews