Stalker by Lars Kepler

from goodrerads

5 stars

I don't know what it is about Nordic Crime novels, but I can't get enough. I try to read a variety of things, you know, to keep things fresh. But, I think if I was stuck on a desert island and only had one genre of books to choose to have with me, it would definitely be Nordic Crime. Perhaps I like it so much because I secretly (okay to anyone who knows me it really isn't that secret) wish I lived in Norway or Sweden. I think their government set up is neat, the landscapes are amazing and come on, ABBA is from Sweden. How much cooler can Sweden get. It is the birthplace of IKEA, another love  obsession of mine.

I think I really like these novels because they are creepy but not in a horror movie way just in a ick way. I love how the main characters have complex back stories (at least the ones in the series I have read do). They are not your run of the mill beefcake cop. They have troubled pasts, issues they are trying to get over themselves, secret lives. I like that. It makes it all the more real.

So, if you haven't picked up a Nordic Crime novel in awhile I definitely recommend it. I really like the Department Q series, the Rebecka Martinsson series, and of course the Joona Linna Series.

Synopsis

There is a serial killer on the loose in Stockholm. Joona Linna, comes out of hiding and is on the case.

My Thoughts

I loved this book. I had been waiting a while to read it. It had been on order at my library for a long time and I put it on hold so long ago that it got to the point where I wouldn't have been able to delete it or freeze it or anything. (I didn't know the that could happen). The publisher must have been pushing back the date. But after the long year or so of having it on hold I finally got to read it and man, it was worth the wait. It was definitely Lars Kepler at their finest.

This book was a perfect blend of character development, twists, and creepiness. Just when I thought I knew how something was going to happen, a twist happened and I was like whaaat?! In some books the amount of twists and turns would definitely get annoying and old, but in this book they were awesome and kept you on the toes. They held your interest.

The book was suspenseful and scary. It was little bit graphic in the mode of murder but nothing that made me feel too icky. I may never look into my backyard at night in the same way again, but other than that I am not loosing too much sleep over some plot points.

I liked how the beginning wrapped up the previous book. It allowed all the characters to move on. I wasn't sure how they were going to wrap it up because they could have gone down a completely different path and story line with the characters. In the end I am glad they did what they did, it made everything that much more believable.

I wished there was more about Joona's personal life, but then it makes sense that there wasn't. He is just getting back into the swing of things and hasn't established a personal life again yet. So I'll just wait for the next book.

This was a thoroughly engaging, edge of your seat book. Definitely read it. While it is in a series you don't need to read the other books to enjoy this one. Though you should read them because the rest of the books are pretty awesome too!

The Girl in the Spider's Web by David Lagercrantz

from goodreads

4 stars

It can be nerve wracking when an author takes over another author's series. Will the voice be the same? Will the qualities you loved in the series continue? It can also be exciting. What new twists will there be? Will they take the books to even greater heights?

It must feel daunting to the take over authors. They know they are playing with fire. Either people will love what they do or people will be outraged and filled with scorn. I am sure they rarely get a mediocre response.

Sometimes a change can be good and refreshing. We can't always expect the same old things. We need to push the envelope and expand our horizons. I guess that is what new authors in an established series are able to do. What fun.

Synopsis

When a computer science genius is killed mere hours after asking to meet with Blomkvist a chain of events is activated. The only one who witnessed the murder is a mute, autistic savant, who is 8 years old.

Salander is also after answers after discovering a secret from hacking an American Federal Agency.

The two stories combine to give a heart pounding, intriguing, sub-worldly tale.

My Thoughts

While it was slow to start, this was a great addition to the Millenium Series, and in a way, a relaunching of the series.

I loved The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo but the other two books in the series, well they just weren't as gripping. I was a bit trepidatious going into this book because I wasn't sure if it was going to take it's lead from the last two or the first one. This book is almost on par with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. There is enough continuity and elements from the other books in the series, but it could definitely stand on its own. You wouldn't necessarily need to read the other books to enjoy this one.

There is a lot of computer and tech talk that happens in this book. It makes sense as it deals with computer hackers and that world. So if you can't stand computer talk, this might not be for you.

The whole time while reading I couldn't get over the amount of research that must have gone one for each story line and character. The author would have had to know about computer systems, the hacker underworld, autism and savants, the world of journalism, and more. So kudos to Lagercrantz for doing all that research to make it a believable and accurate book.

I am looking forward to the next installment. I am glad that something was done with the characters of Salander and Blomkvist. How the series had been left was so dissatisfying and now it is rejuvenated and that is very exciting.

The Rebecka Martinsson Series by Asa Larsson

 4 stars

About a year ago I picked up The Second Deadly Sin by Asa Larsson. I didn't know at the time that it was the latest in a series of books. That sometimes happens to me where I start reading a book and then realize later on that it is a book in a series, and it is not the first one. Sometimes it doesn't seem to matter if you read books out of order. Other series it totally does.

During the Christmas break I decided to read all of the books in Asa Larsson's Rebecka Martinson Series. Christmas isn't Christmas without murder and mayhem, right? Do you do that sometimes? Binge read a series that has been out for a while so you feel all caught up?

Synopsis

The series is set in northern Sweden, and when I looked at the map it actually is very northern, in the area surrounding Kiruna. The stories are centred around the character Rebecka Martinsson, a native of Kiruna, who had moved south, and is trying to figure out what she wants to do with her life and the events that haunt her.

My Thoughts

This is a great series. While it may not be as dark, or as long, as some nordic crime novels, it is definitely a great series to whet your appetite for the genre.

None of the books are overly long or drawn out. This makes the pacing nice. Since I knew where the story arc was heading, since I had read the last published book in the series first, the stories and characters probably unfolded differently had I been going into it blind. I did enjoy learning the back story of the characters, not just Rebecka, but also Anna-Maria and Krister and Sivvig.

I love how Larsson really builds relationships and shows the characters' lives beyond their job. I love seeing Anna-Maria dealing with laundry and other household chores that make us all tick. I love seeing Rebecka outside the office. I like that there are friendships and relationships that seem real and that you get. You can tell that all the characters, even secondary ones, are well thought out. They could literally step right off the page and be totally believable people. They are definitely not flat.

Bad things happen in this series, and I appreciated that we got to see the emotional fallout from it. Rebecka is fragile yet strong and that is refreshing to see. In so many books things happen to characters which would make a normal person need therapy or something, but the therapy never happens they just keep on trudging through. Larsson didn't shy away from showing vulnerability.

The first book is not her best, but Larsson has definitely honed her craft throughout. It is such a great series. You should read them without delay.

The Hanging Girl by Jussi Adler-Olsen

from goodreads

3.5 stars

Today is a very blustery day. The clouds are coming in and I have a feeling that there will be a sprinkle of rain right when I go out to get the older kids from school. It seems to always rain when I go to get the kids. It will stop as soon as we get home but for those ten minutes if it is going to deluge it will.

On a grey like this it is hard to think of anything to do or say. All I really want to do is curl up in a cozy blanket and read or snuggle with Miss P. Looks like I have my afternoon all mapped out!

Synopsis

This is the next installment of the Department Q series featuring Carl Morck. The cold case this time is looking at a girl who was killed on the island of Bornholm. The case takes them to a sun god commune in Sweden and to many other interesting characters. We are also beginning to find out a bit more about Carl and his connection with the shooting that paralyzed one of his partners and killed the other.

My Thoughts

This was another great nordic crime.

Adler-Olsen is the master of parallel story lines. He is able to blend together what is happening with Carl and his team with that of possible people of interests story lines so seamlessly. I always like trying to figure out how he is going to blend the story lines together.

The cold case was interesting and the lady at the commune was a bit crazy! Seriously, how does he come up with some of the characters that he does.

I really wished that more was resolved in Carl's life before his accident. Is he friend or foe? Was he a corrupt cop or was he all above board. I really want to know. I have invested so much into him and I hope he is not a bad cop. I just want answers.

I also wanted Assad's plot to move on a bit more. I know that he has some kind of secret from his former life and I would love to know what it is.

Even with the little movement in Carl's and Assad's plot lines I loved seeing them together and watching their friendship grow. You can tell that they really care for each other and see each other as partners.

If you are a fan of Department Q you will not be disappointed with the latest installment.

The Bat by Jo Nesbo

from goodreads

2.5 stars

It is always nerve wracking when you are reading the book club selection that you have picked. Especially if you haven't read the book before. It really is a crap shoot. Either people will love it or hate it. It is really nerve wracking if your first choice of the year totally tanked, and your second choice is up. No one wants to be labeled with being the worst book chooser of the year.

The Bat was my choice this month. This is a series I want to read and so I thought, let's start with the first one. I'm thinking maybe I shouldn't have. Oh well. Hopefully my next book choice will be better received, especially by me.

That is what I like about book clubs. You often get to read a variety of books. Books that stretch you as a reader. In my book club, we vary in our reading comfort zones, yet we are willing to embrace others choices and are willing to give them a try. So I encourage you, whether you are in a book club or not, to break out of your reading comfort zone this month and read something you might not regularly do. Let me know how it goes.

Synopsis

When a Norwegian expat is found dead in Sydney, Norway sends Harry Hole to help look into the death. What he finds is more intrigue than what he bargained for.

My Thoughts

I probably should have started with a later book in the series. From what I have read, this wasn't the first book in the series translated into english. When it finally was translated there was some excitement of finally being able to read the first book in the Harry Hole series. Many people were disappointed. I wouldn't say I was disappointed, but I was expecting a bit more. Now that I know seasoned fans of this series also didn't like this book as much, I will probably continue on with the series.

What this book did do is set up the character of Harry Hole. We now know his weakness, alcohol. We know his past life a bit, his mother is dead and an ex-lover committed suicide. And we know that Harry was involved in a deadly cover up which helped him clean up and sober up. I think now that those bookkeeping items are out of the way the rest of the series will be able to unfold without to much trouble. Because of these bookkeeping items the book definitely wasn't as action packed as it could have been and sometimes when he was reminiscing it read a bit disjointedly.

I found the language to be a bit abrupt as well. I am not sure how much of that is due to the translation or how much is the actual author being more crisp and concise. It is definitely not a lyrical masterpiece. It often felt jarring. But then, that is the type of character Harry Hole seems to be, concise and to the point. He does not mince words.

For all that the book did keeping me guessing until the end. I had so many different theories going through my head that it was kind of neat. I felt bad about Birgitta and I found the actual ending to be a bit anti-climatic.

All in all, it was what it was. I neither loved it or hated it. I think I will stick it out with the series. I'm just not sure when I'll get to the next book. My to read pile on my night stand seems to be piling up!

The Second Deadly Sin by Asa Larsson

from goodreads

4 stars

The past little bit has been preoccupied with what books I want to contribute to my book club selection. We are doing the same thing as last year. We have chosen three broad themes and then we are each to choose a book that belongs in that theme.

This year we are to choose a classic (this means a book that stands the test of time and is considered to be a classic, not necessarily a book written in a particular time period), a mystery, and then one of our choice which could be literally anything.

I don't know why but I always stress over this selection process. I make lists and then try to whittle them down. I think I stress over it because I don't want to pick dud books. I don't want my book club to say "That Meredith, she sure picks some really 'interesting' books." Or worse they could say, "Let's not let her pick out any next year."

Most of the books are from my "to read" list, so at least I can hopefully get that list a little shorter this year. I think I will still show up with two selections for each theme and have them choose... maybe... I'm not sure. I don't even know when we are supposed to have them chosen for. Hopefully November's meeting.

Synopsis

When a hunter takes down a bear that has given a community in northern Sweden quite a scare, a gruesome discover is made in the bears stomach contents. A human bone. Then, when a woman is discovered murdered in her house Prosecutor Rebecka Martinsson starts to see a connection.

My Thoughts

This was an amazing read. I didn't know about his author or the Rebecka Martinsson books before. It was on my to read list on goodreads so I decided to get it from the library. I am now going to have to go back and read the rest of the series. I hope they are as good as this one.

This is part historical novel part mystery. It follows two time lines. One starts at the onset of WWI and goes until the war is over. The other time line is set in modern day. The timelines are done very well, you are not confused when they change and you get excited to see how the two stories are going to join up.

In the historical time line I really felt for the character Elina. She was definitely a girl ahead of her time. A lot of heartache could have been done away with if she and others were honest with themselves. And the one guy... what a creep. If only women weren't scared and could speak out against him. Though I did like what happened to him in the end. I felt satisfied, in a morbid kind of way.

I loved the landscape that was painted in this book. It makes me want to book a trip to Sweden right now. I want to enjoy a fire fueled sauna and go berry picking. I know it might sound sort of stereotypical but it sounds very ideal to me. A simple and slower pace. Sign me up. I think I will ask my husband for a cabin in the woods for Christmas.

This is a book that is going to keep you guessing until the end. But you feel justified that the jerk people get their comeuppance and the good guys prevail. I just loved it.

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.

The Purity of Vengeance by Jussi Adler Olsen

from Boston Globe

4 stars

Sometimes when I am reading a book I picture what the author looks like, this is before I look at the back jacket cover or look online. Sometimes I am quite surprised. Some of the racier books I have read are written by women who look so matronly that you almost wish to blush at their words. You say to yourself, "as if this person really wrote that". Sometimes the picture and the book is spot on. In this books case the character of Carl Morck that I picture while reading looks exactly like the author's picture on the jacket cover. Down to each goatee hair. I wonder if authors often picture themselves in the character role. Painting a picture that gives us a glimpse into their reality. Or, if they are writing an escape for themselves as well and creating something that allows them to live a life one wouldn't expect from them. I know that looks really has nothing to do with how people think and feel. We use looks to characterize people so much but in reality not everyone lives up to those characteristics. It is interesting. We really can't judge a book from its cover, or at least its author's cover.

Synopsis

Carl Morck is working on a cold case of a missing woman who lived a life of ill-repute. He and his team of colleagues realize that on that date there were an more missing people cases and they all had something related to each other, a woman, Nete Hermansen. At the same time a political party was gaining in popularity. One that thought women should be sterilized if they lived a life of promiscuity so their unborn children wouldn't become a drain on society's resources.

In another time line, one from the 80s, we get flashbacks on the heartbreaking life of Nete Hermansen and her time spent on Sprogo, an island where mentally handicapped women were sent. The only way off the island was to be sterilized.

My Thoughts

This was another great read by Jussi Adler-Olsen. The crime was a bit less creepy than others in the Department Q series but it was still disturbing. The message was clear. We do not know the worth of one person. We do not know the back story behind their current circumstances and we do not know what people are capable of given when given a chance to do something good. There is always grey area.

The story line from the 80s I didn't like so much. Perhaps since I am  a mother of a young child the thought of women not being able to have a family or being forced to have abortions made me sad. We don't know how children will turn out or what contributions they will make later in their life and to have a diabolical doctor end that child's existence before it's time, just because he finds the parents to be unfavourable, is disturbing. There are no perfect people, or people who are better than others. Every one is worth something.

I loved reading the present day story line. I found it full of suspense, humour, and your grow to love Carl and his associates even more. You also get to know more about the back story of Carl. It will be interesting to find out if they will ever know what happened in his shooting from the beginning of the series.

As with other of Adler-Olsen's Departmet Q series, you get a sense of some of his political views. And while in this book it does have a political overtone it also has a basic human rights overtone.

While I didn't find it quite as easy to read as the others in the series it was still good and leaves me waiting impatiently for the next installment to be translated.

The Nightmare by Lars Kepler

from goodreads

3.5 stars

I thought this would be a good one for Hallowe'en, it was spooky and somewhat scary. Lars Kepler is the pen name of a Swedish married couple who writes crime fiction. This is their second book. Their first book was The Hypnotist

Synopsis

Penelope and her boyfriend are being hunted by a man who will stop at nothing to kill them. Joona Linna, detective extraordinaire, has a mystery on his hands. A body is hanging in the middle of a room, suicide? murder?

Both story lines come together making it clear that a bigger plot is a foot. One that would change the international landscape forever.

The villain is quite creepy. He is able to find out your worst nightmare and if a deal goes south he makes sure your nightmare comes true. Death does not stop it.

My Thoughts

Lars Kepler has a interesting writing style. They write in the present tense. Sometimes the sentences are a bit short and choppy. That might be because of the use of present tense in describing the actions or it could be because of the translation. I'm not sure. The choppiness can be distracting, just because of its abrupt nature. In a way it sort of fits the action sequences.

The chapters are short, usually only two to three pages long. This keeps the pace of the story quick and you want to keep reading. It is very easy to say, "one more chapter", too many times. There was many a late night while reading this.

The author obviously did their research. The technical musical knowledge as well as musical history knowledge needed for this is amazing. It is nice when things are researched well. It helps the plot seem believable, which in this case is kind of scary. Sometimes I wonder if thrillers like this give bad guys ideas, I hope not.

If you are squeemish this might not be the book for you. There are some quite graphic and violent scenes. It is a thriller through and through. You are on pins and needles to the very end.

On the whole I enjoyed this book.

A Conspiracy of Faith by Jussi Adler-Olsen

from goodreads

I don't know what it is about the summer but that is when I seem to read all my psychological thrillers. Maybe summer is the time to be more edgy and daring, or perhaps since my summer mainly means going to kid activities I need a bit of excitement in my life, so I live vicariously through these books.

4 stars

This summers line up of Nordic crime novels did not disappoint me. At the top was Adler-Olsen's third installment of his department Q series. This is a series I love and each book leaves me longing for the next one to come out. While some elements continue from one book to the next, such as the shooting that injured the protagonist Carl Morck and his partner, it is not necessary to read all the books leading up to this one. You will not feel completely lost, though you will want to read every book in this series. Have I said how much I really love this series?

Synopsis

The book starts with the discovery of a message in a bottle in Scotland. The message was sent 15 years earlier from Denmark. The message lands on Department Q's desk. As Morck and his team decode the message it puts them on the trail of a serial killer who selects his pray from various closed community religious sects. The killer's new victims have been chosen and it is up to Morck and his crew to find them before it is too late.

My thoughts

I think this is one of the best ones yet. Although the first book in the series, The Keeper of Lost Causes was pretty awesome too. Adler-Olsen is really good at getting inside the head of the killer and showing how methodical he is at covering his tracks. Though the killer uses a lot of schemes, they are simple and therefore believable.

I like how we get to really love the characters, especially Carl and his work mate Assad. You care what happens to them and want good things for them. I like how we get to see Carl's home life so we can relate and sympathize with him. Though, in this book there is less about his home life than in previous books. Carl can be a bit of a prickly person, yet we see that he does have a soft side and does care for those around him, no matter how much he might complain about them at other times.

This book moves along fairly well and you can't wait to find out how they figure it all out. I must a admit I skipped ahead sometimes because I was so impatient. I wanted to know right then.

The translation I think was well done. I think the translator was from Great Britain, or trained in British English. There were a lot of terms that we, in North America, don't use, such as bloke and chap. As well, in the book the first floor referred to the upstairs floor. In North America we would call that the second floor. But that did not distract from the story. It was just an interesting point.

I also like how this book could be used as a social commentary for the state of affairs in Denmark. I am not really up on any Danish politics, but the reaction that people have when they see Assad (who is from Syria) as well as the budget cuts and money concerns in the police make me think if I knew more about it I would probably thinking, man, that's a good dig.

So I hope you give this book a try and enjoy it as much as I did.