dadu's review against another edition
3.0
It’s an interesting Scandinavian police procedural, but doesn’t really add anything new to the genre. Nothing too original, but if you’re looking for a similar dynamic in crime fighting duo as in The Killing - also from Sveistrup, pick this one up.
intute's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
nicki84's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
berryreadbooks's review against another edition
Confusing to follow, at 1.25 hrs I still didn't understand what was going on
ezravarley's review against another edition
3.0
3 - 3.5 stars
It was fine! A classic (although a little too cliché) whodunnit in a gorgeous fall setting. Definitely fun to read in October if you’re looking for a scene that matches your surroundings! It was long though and I found myself getting bored and ready for it to be over or start to come together by the halfway point. Everything tied up pretty nicely at the end and there were some good twists and turns, but I get so tired of hearing the same troubled cop narratives in this genre and I felt myself filling in the blanks of a typical mystery story structure the whole way through. I can totally see why they’d turn it into a show, but I don’t think it really added anything of interest into the gigantic pool of mystery stories out there other than the use of chestnuts.
It was fine! A classic (although a little too cliché) whodunnit in a gorgeous fall setting. Definitely fun to read in October if you’re looking for a scene that matches your surroundings! It was long though and I found myself getting bored and ready for it to be over or start to come together by the halfway point. Everything tied up pretty nicely at the end and there were some good twists and turns, but I get so tired of hearing the same troubled cop narratives in this genre and I felt myself filling in the blanks of a typical mystery story structure the whole way through. I can totally see why they’d turn it into a show, but I don’t think it really added anything of interest into the gigantic pool of mystery stories out there other than the use of chestnuts.
andreaajasmine's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
azureye31's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I am always up for an intense, dark, Scandinavian thriller, so that is what attracted me to this book. I am also aware that this particular author is also a screen writer and has had several successful series on television, so I was very curious, and excited to read a piece of his work.
What worked:
The author made good use of atmosphere to draw the reader in. The book felt very dark, and the descriptions of the surroundings added to this feeling of sinister (snowy, cold, gray Copenhagen). I also enjoyed the plot, and it did keep me, at times, on the edge of my seat. This book is a mixture of plot driven, and an attempt to be character driven with a very dark tone.
The translation from Danish was very good, and did not appear to lose anything in the process. Nothing felt awkward or out of place.
What didn’t work:
I felt confused with the characters because there were so many, and the author did not do a good job of developing them. None of them had a distinct voice, and I did not feel a sense of empathy for any of them. It was purely plot that kept me engaged in the book, and not an attachment to any particular character. The reader is given very little insight into any of them. The author’s attempt at creating a character driven story, in my humble opinion, failed. Had it not been for the very strong plot, I would have not stayed engaged.
The author chose to write in third person, limited and the constant shifting of characters got confusing. At times, the chapter would start out without any sense of who we were talking about, and three pages later the another would drop a hint. It felt disorienting, and detracted from the story.
The plot itself was very intense, and did keep me on edge, however some of it was a little unbelievable and could have been edited out. This book was very long, but needlessly so.
I am giving it 3 out of five stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Violence, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Murder, Physical abuse, Body horror, and Kidnapping
ktg_books's review against another edition
4.5
Intense. Narrowed it down to 2 and figured it out but kept me on my toes for sure.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Blood, Child abuse, and Violence
musingsfromamandalyn's review against another edition
4.0
That was a very hard read. Not sure if I can handle watching the series on Netflix. All those crimes against children. Foster parents need to be more thoroughly screened and sporadically checked. Maybe none of it would have happened. But I also think the boy was broken to begin with, he just needed a catalyst. And for the boy to be who he was, was shocking. I mean, yes in a way, it makes sense given what he was capable of but how did no one catch it. I really liked the ending though.