The Couples Trip

Winner of the Swedish Academy of Crime Writers’ Award Best Debut of the YearShort-listed for the Crimetime Award 2022“One of the best suspense novels I’ve read.”—Camilla Grebe, award-winning author of the Hanne Lagerlind-Schon series“The Couples Trip is a small masterpiece that offers its readers uninterrupted spine-chilling suspense, and I envy every person who has not read it yet. Incredibly well written!”—Kristina Ohlsson, award-winning author of Unwanted“Ulf Kvensler has a sure sense for horror ambiences, tempo, human aggression, and nature’s relentless dangers alike.”—Dagens Nyheter“Ulf Kvensler has written what has to be one of this year’s must-reads.” —BTJ“This is one of those books that grabs the reader from the very first page and refuses to let go.”—Norrköpings Tidningar Ulf Kvensler is a screenwriter, creator and showrunner of numerous hit TV series, including The Restaurant, Solsidan, Molanders and Om Stig Petrés hemlighet. He started out as a comedian but has in recent years written drama, horror and thriller. The Couples Trip is his much anticipated debut. He lives in Sweden. The Couples TripA NOVELUlf Kvensler To Adam and Olivia 1 - Campsite Night 12 - Campsite Night 23 - Campsite Night 34 - “Rovdjurstorget,” Predator Square. Anna sees Milena on the other side of the river.5 - Campsite Night 46 - The ridge where Henrik suffers a dangerous accident.7 - Campsite Night 58 - Anna leaves Milena to get help.9 - Anna is locatedTo some degree, the topography has had to conform to the dramaturgic needs of the narrative. Parts of the route that the characters in this book travel do not exist in real life. In general, I would dissuade from going to Sarek if you do not have great prior experience with mountain hiking. My friends and I have hiked every year for the past twenty years, but we were still caught off guard by the difference between hiking on versus off trail. (Okay, I was caught off guard. I will not blame the others.) ContentsRadio CommunicationStockholm, July 2019Interview with Anna SamuelssonChapter 1Interview with Anna SamuelssonChapter 2Interview with Anna SamuelssonChapter 3Chapter 4Interview with Anna SamuelssonUppsala, November 2009Chapter 5Chapter 6Interview with Anna SamuelssonChapter 7Interview with Anna SamuelssonChapter 8Chapter 9Chapter 10Chapter 11Interview with Anna SamuelssonChapter 12Chapter 13Stockholm, June 2010Interview with Anna SamuelssonInterview with Anna SamuelssonChapter 14Chapter 15Interview with Anna SamuelssonChapter 16Interview with Anna SamuelssonChapter 17Chapter 18Chapter 19Interview with Anna SamuelssonChapter 20Chapter 21Interview with Anna SamuelssonChapter 22Chapter 23Chapter 24Chapter 25Chapter 26Interview with Anna SamuelssonChapter 27Chapter 28Interview with Anna SamuelssonChapter 29Chapter 30Chapter 31Chapter 32Interview with Anna SamuelssonTwo Days EarlierUppsala, October 2009Interview with Milena TankovicChapter 33Interview with Milena TankovicChapter 34Interview with Anna SamuelssonInterview with Milena TankovicUppsala, June 2010Interview with Milena TankovicChapter 35Interview with Milena TankovicInterview with Anna SamuelssonUppsala, November 2009Acknowledgments Radio communication between the air ambulance and Gällivare hospital, September 15, 2019, at 2:16 a.m.“We’ve just picked up the woman in Aktse.”“What’s her condition?”“She’s suffering from hypothermia, and is in a pretty bad way. Conscious, but only just.”“Okay.”“She doesn’t have any ID on her, but says her name is Anna.”“Noted.”“She has cuts and bruises all over her body, and her right arm is broken. We’re giving her a couple of liters of a crystalloid infusion.”“Has she fallen?”“Looks that way, but she also has marks around her neck. Possible attempted strangulation.”“Okay.”“Hard to be sure, though.”“We’ll be ready for her.”“Thanks. Over and out.” STOCKHOLM, JULY 2019I love Stockholm in the middle of July. The residents escape to Gotland, Båstad or the French Riviera, the place sinks into a summer trance. You can kind of have her to yourself.It was a Saturday evening, the end of a very hot day. It became significantly cooler when the sun no longer reached down into the streets of the built-up city center. I had been in my office since seven in the morning, and decided to walk home in order to get some fresh air. The farther I went, the fewer tourists I saw and heard.Vasastan was practically deserted. In a few hours, when darkness fell, the drunken, noisy weekend revelers would head for Odenplan—but by then I would be safely tucked up in bed.I stopped and laid the palm of my hand on the ochre-colored facade of an apartment block. It was as warm as a radiator.I thought I would pick up some food on the way, and called Henrik to ask if he wanted something. He did, so I ordered a poke bowl with salmon for him, and an eleven-piece for myself from the local Japanese place. When I picked up the dishes the man behind the counter gave me a cheerful nod, and so he should; we went there at least twice a week.I carried on to our block and took the lift up to the fifth floor. I opened the front door and called out to Henrik.“Hello!”“Hi,” came the muted response from the living room. I could hear the sound of the television.In the kitchen I was confronted with a pile of dirty dishes in the sink, and a messy table. Henrik’s coffee cup was still there, along with bits of kitchen paper. Crumbs everywhere.I could have wept.It was Saturday and I’d worked for more than twelve hours, as I had virtually every day throughout the summer. I’d called Henrik and asked what he wanted to eat, I’d ordered the food and picked it up, and he hadn’t even bothered to drag himself off the sofa to tidy up after himself—let alone get out the glasses and something to drink.He was on holiday, and spent all his time in the apartment.This massive fucking kitchen with a table that seats ten. What’s the point? We’re pathetic.The TV fell silent, and he shambled into the kitchen.“I’m sick and tired of...” I began, my voice shaking with anger. “I’ve sorted the food, couldn’t you at least clean up after yourself? Do you expect me to do that as well?”Henrik said nothing, but he put his coffee cup in the sink, threw away the kitchen paper, fetched the dishcloth and began to wipe down the table. Judging by his body language, this