The Sandman by Lars Kepler

from goodreads

5 stars

So as most of you probably know, I love the library. I love that I get to read as many books as I want and it costs me nothing. Just my time getting there. And since it is only a fifteen minute walk away I can get some exercise in at the same time. Win-win I should think.

Another thing I like about the library, which I am pretty sure I have talked about before, is the hold system. I love putting books on hold. It saves me the time of having to find the book myself. With three kids, and one who likes to run away and hide down the library aisles, putting things on hold is the best service, and the fellow patrons of the library would agree. (Less time having to listen to my screechy 18 month old.)

The hold service also means I get to be the first person to get some of the books. Nothing is better than being the first one to take out a library book. You are the first one to know how the story will end, to accidently bend pages and to know what the mystery stain on the page is instead of wondering. Of course I never add mystery stains to any book. (As I look around and not make eye contact and slowly back away.) Right now I have a book waiting for me at the library and I am the first person to have it on hold, I am super excited. And for The Sandman I was the second person on the hold list, but with 4 copies, I was still the first one to read it. Man it was sweet.

Synopsis

This is book number four in the Jonna Linna series. When a person shows up who was thought to be dead for the past seven years, Linna, reopens cold cases and looks into his past to find out who could be the accomplice working with Linna's arch nemesis, serial killer Jurek Walters.

My Thoughts

This book was freaking amazing!!!!!

I have been a bit luke warm with some of Lars Kepler's books in the past. I found them a bit more creepy then I usually like, but I kept going back for more. I am so glad that I did. This book was everything a crime thriller should be and more. It had action, suspense, tortured souls, crazy people, heart ache, redemption, and it all got summed up in the end. Not in a tidy neat package kind of way but in a real and messy way.

This book left me thirsting for more and I am seriously contemplating learning Swedish so I can read their next book and not have to wait for it to get translated. (It gets released in Sweden in October.) I am super excited for the next book because the authors left it as an open ending, so they can really take Linna's character anywhere. After the third book in the series, they set it up so you knew that Linna was going to be dealing with the serial killer from his past. Now... who knows. Man I am excited.

As with all Lars Keplar books, the chapters were short meaning the pace was quick and you kept reading and reading. Some people don't like their short choppy style, but I think it is the perfect fit for this type of story. The action in the book goes in short bursts, so the short chapters and the precise sentences matches it. I also like how Lars Keplar throws in details, that are really irrelevant, yet they seem to enhance the story. I wasn't left wondering why they added what this random character was wearing, it just seemed perfectly at home.

I thought the doctor in the hospital/jail, was a bit of a creep and I can't believe his wife put up with him. I wasn't exactly saddened with the fate that met him. But seriously, his abuse of power and his perverseness, grossarama.

The theme of this book was interesting. We don't know what small role we may play in the fates of others. We need to be careful that we are kind and generous as we can be, otherwise watch out.

So if you are looking for a great thriller/mystery. This is the book for you. I just loved it. I don't get this excited about too many books, so you know it must be good. May not be deep, but it was still amazing.