“Lars Kepler … [has] a taste for the macabre and a surefire recipe for the lurid serial-killer thriller. … This is not a book for anyone on heart medication. Kepler is a virtuoso at delivering scenes of suspense.” —Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times Book ReviewThe internationally bestselling authors of The Sandman and The Hypnotist return with a terrifying new thriller: Detective Joona … thriller: Detective Joona Linna–recently returned from compassionate leave–reunites with hypnotist Erik Maria Bark in a search for a seemingly unassailable sadistic killer.
The Swedish National Crime Unit receives a video of a young woman in her home, clearly unaware that she’s being watched. Soon after the tape is received, the woman’s body is found horrifically mutilated. With the arrival of the next, similar video, the police understand that the killer is toying with them, warning of a new victim, knowing there’s nothing they can do. Detective Margot Silverman is put in charge of the investigation, and soon asks Detective Joona Linna for help. Linna, in turn, recruits Erik Maria Bark, the hypnotist and expert in trauma, with whom Linna’s worked before. Bark is leery of forcing people to give up their secrets. But this time, Bark is the one hiding things.
Years before, he had put a man away for an eerily similar crime, and now he’s beginning to think that an innocent man may be behind bars–and a serial killer still on the loose. . .
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An intricate plot and escalating tension set the stage for this tense, clever, pulse-pounding thriller. A must for fans of Stieg Larsson.
Oh. My. Goodness!! I LOVE these books – the writing is perfect for the story, the pacing is always spot-on, and the characters are INCREDIBLY detailed and presented. When we last saw Joona Linna he had lost everything again – or did he actually gain it? It’s impossible to tell at first blush, about anything – which is a big part of what makes this series so amazing. This book opens without Joona, and to me that only built the suspense. You just KNEW he’d be coming back, it was just a matter of when and how, and the suspense of that build was, to my mind, even more intense than the suspense of the killer in the opening bits…
This was another marvelous installment in this brilliantly dark series that explores the worst aspects of humanity while still maintaining a curious optimism, largely because of the nearly super-human nature of a few characters (Joona, obviously, but also Saga Bauer – who we don’t see much of here unfortunately, and The Needle). I was delighted to see Erik Maria Bark play such a large role in this story; I loved his broken strength in The Hypnotist and he served as a great addition to the depth of this latest story and the inter-relatedness of the boos across the series as a whole. There are, as per usual, more slips and slides than a waterpark in July and every one of them is perfectly planned to lead you to the stunning reveal and exceptionally dramatic close. The Rabbit Hunter (book 6) isn’t available in the U.S. yet, apparently, but I’ve already ordered myself a copy from a bookstore in the U.K., because I have GOT to know what comes next…
Thanks to NetGalley for my review copy!
I am officially hooked on the Joona Linna series! If that wasn’t clear before it is now. After the cliffhanger that was The Sandman, I immediately had to start Stalker and I’m glad I did! This was even more of a crazy ride than the last one, and by the time I got to the end I had to control myself not to go straight to the next book in the series. There is a ton of violence and gore in this installment, and I would say about a million triggers. It brings Saga Bauer back again which I loved because she is such a kickass character, but what she is put through in this book I wouldn’t wish on anyone! I also liked seeing Erik back (from The Hypnotist), and this is just one reason why I recommend reading the books in order so you can get all that character development.
Once again the plot was very complex, and there is a lot going on in Stalker. The videos that come in before the killings make this one of the most terrifying stories yet and I got chills many times. I was also really impressed with the translation for this one, and even though it is the same translator as the other Vintage Crime/Black Lizard editions, this might be the best one yet. I love that the synopsis is short, so I am going to keep this review short as well. Lars Kepler has got to be my favorite crime writing duo and if you are a fan of Scandinavian Crime Fiction then you NEED to read these books. They just get better and better as they go, and Stalker was one of the best books in the series yet.
Note: I listened to the audio for this book and once again Saul Reichlin killed it with his narration.
This series is the best!!
The Stalker, well worth waiting for, was the best so far in the Joona Linna series.
I started this book and could not put it down! If you are a fan of Lars Kepler, this book is a must!
Now, the wait for the next in the series…………
My second Joona Linna book. It didn’t let me down. Terrific characters. Good plot. A stalker is killing women because of their relationship with a man the stalker is fixated on. A man is in a psychiatric institute for killing a woman in the same manner as this new serial stalker. Is there another stalker or is he incarcerated for a crime he didn’t commit?
Furthermore, it’s more like a jealous stalker but, still a twisted, psychotic stalker. Now, the man is having a relationship with a blind piano teacher. How can that get more intense?
Loved it and the ending is a bit unexpected.
One of the best thrillers I’ve read in a long time
You cannot put it down.