The Hidden Child

Author	Camilla Läckberg
Translator	Tiina Nunnally
Language	English
Subject	Popular Fiction/Contemporary Thrillers
Genre	Crime
Publisher	Harper
Publication date	2007
Published in English	2011
Pages	400 pages
ISBN
Preceded by	Flavours from Fjällbacka
Followed by	Super Charlie

The Hidden Child (Swedish: Tyskungen) is a novel written by Swedish writer Camilla Läckberg.

Erica Falck is shocked to discover a dubious medal among her late mother's possessions dating from this era. This is perhaps a reference to the other 'holocaust'-the nuclear variety-when the truth of what this might mean hits. Haunted by a disturbed childhood she decides to investigate, unwittingly endangering her husband and newborn baby.

This is regarded as one of the more plot-driven novels in the series, with more emphasis on the story. Erika wants to write a 'great book' so Patrik goes on paternity leave to look after the baby whilst this occurs, then unexplained things start to happen: an elderly neighbour is found dead – not just that, but he has been dead for some time. What's more, this man knew Erika's late mother. Erika consults a local World War II historian, however, shortly after her visit, he is brutally murdered and it becomes clear that the past is still very much a part of some people's lives. The plot focuses on the discovery of a child's blood-spattered vest plus other memorabilia. Who would murder so cold-bloodedly to bury secrets so ancient? By way of a side-theme Melberg adopts a stray dog, finding that this leads to a meeting with another dog-owner who happens to be the mother of his new detective, Paula Morales; this provides a counterpoint to the increasingly sordid facts being unearthed in the search for the murderer.

A Swedish-language film version of The Hidden Child was released in 2013 by Tre Vänner AB.