Reviews

I saw this available on NetGalley and couldn't resist the setting. 1793 Stockholm! I've had a nascent interest in the thriller genre in general and Nordic Noir in particular, so I went for it.

So as a disclaimer, I am not the normal audience for this type of thing.

That said, the setting did deliver. I loved the wintery atmosphere, the way the author set the scene with the recent history and current events--political intrigue! Whispers of revolution from France!

But the actual story was way too obscene for me. Each character was strange and brutal in it's own unique way. The ending was a little enigmatic. The actual crime that set the action in motion was extremely gruesome, and through the course of the story we hear how it all went down in gory detail. But honestly, the other characters' trials and tribulations were just as cringe-inducing as the crime itself. I don't know how representative this is of the genre, but if you like your fiction with a generous dose of depravity, this may be for you.

To be fair, I feel like it is pretty well written, and quite a page turner -- but if it hadn't been a free ARC through NetGalley (so I wanted to follow through and review) I probably would have set this one aside due to graphic content.

arthurbennett07's review

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challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

dagnysteindors's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

mkhaas29's review against another edition

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4.0

Norwegian Noir of the 1790s. To me this has remnants of Stieg Larson or Jo Nesbo; the grisly, morbid detail of multiple story lines coming together felt familiar but with its own unique twist in a historical setting. Set in 1793 set in three primary storylines, part one follows Winger and Cardell as unlikely partners investigating a body that showed up in the lake without arms, legs, eyes, teeth, or a tongue. Winger is on his last legs dying of consumption (tuberculosis) and Cardell is a semi-alcoholic ex city watchman with no real direction. As they take on this final case for the sitting duck police chief they find themselves meeting shady characters but getting close. Part 2 follows Christopher Blix, an low class swindler, getting by by accruing and ditching debt until he’s caught and his debt is paid off by the man who wants one thing from him: dismember the body in his shed without killing him or Blix himself will be fed to the savage dog. Equal parts horrifying and nauseating we hear about it in lots of detail. Part 3: Anna Kristina. This part didn’t fit as well with the rest but honestly her story was very enthralling and engaging. Accused and arrested unfairly for whoring, she is sent to what can only be described as a “spindle camp” where women of all crime types were sent to spin wool into yarn. The camp is policed by treacherous watchmen but she’s determined to be one of the few ever to escape.

The three stories don’t collide as neatly or surprisingly as other novels with multiple vantage points, but that’s ok. It has quite a bit of historical and timely detail that helps maintain its firm setting. It was dark, quite dark. But overall I really enjoyed it.

infernal's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

evelinavilhelmsson's review against another edition

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dark mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

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