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cj_mo_2222's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.5
4.5 stars
Blaze Me a Sun is a unique novel about the hunt for a killer in a small Swedish town over the span of over thirty years. It is complex (and sometimes confusing), but a very compelling crime novel. The point-of-view changes as the book progresses from police officer Sven Jorgensson to his son Vidar's to that of a novelist researching the case the father and son investigated.
It took me a couple of chapters to get a handle on the characters and the premise of the story, but once I did I was completely engrossed in this tense and intriguing book. My favorite parts of the book are when it focuses on the investigation, either from Sven or Vidar's point-of-view. The search for a killer is suspenseful and the side characters that are introduced are memorable.
The few chapters narrated by the writer aren't as clear as the others and are the most confusing to me. However, for the most part, I really enjoyed this well-written, but bleak, crime novel. The author has written other books, but this may be the first one that has been translated to English, but I'll be keeping an eye out for others by Carlsson.
I received an advance copy of this ebook at no cost from NetGalley through the courtesy of Penguin Random House/Hogarth Press. My review is voluntary and unbiased.
Blaze Me a Sun is a unique novel about the hunt for a killer in a small Swedish town over the span of over thirty years. It is complex (and sometimes confusing), but a very compelling crime novel. The point-of-view changes as the book progresses from police officer Sven Jorgensson to his son Vidar's to that of a novelist researching the case the father and son investigated.
It took me a couple of chapters to get a handle on the characters and the premise of the story, but once I did I was completely engrossed in this tense and intriguing book. My favorite parts of the book are when it focuses on the investigation, either from Sven or Vidar's point-of-view. The search for a killer is suspenseful and the side characters that are introduced are memorable.
The few chapters narrated by the writer aren't as clear as the others and are the most confusing to me. However, for the most part, I really enjoyed this well-written, but bleak, crime novel. The author has written other books, but this may be the first one that has been translated to English, but I'll be keeping an eye out for others by Carlsson.
I received an advance copy of this ebook at no cost from NetGalley through the courtesy of Penguin Random House/Hogarth Press. My review is voluntary and unbiased.
wherethewildreadsare's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Thank you so much to Random House for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
Blaze Me a Sun is Carlsson's American debut novel. Originally translated from Swedish and told from the perspective of a fictional true crime author, Blaze Me a Sun centers around a Swedish police officer (Sven) in the mid to late 1980's & his obsession to find a serial killer and bring him to justice. Battling his own illness, he slowly disintegrates into a shell of who he was, but with the self-imposed obligation to find him, even years after his last killing. Blurring morals in the process.
Years later, Sven's son Vidar, now a cop himself, carries over the need to solve the case that became his dad's life obsession. Lines are blurred, and we're faced with questioning the ideas of "nature vs. nurture", "fate and karma", family, and duty. What is the truth? And does everyone always benefit from it?
I ended up listening to this as an audio & really enjoyed it! I don't normally enjoy police crime thrillers as much but this was a fun listen once you got into it.
Blaze Me a Sun is Carlsson's American debut novel. Originally translated from Swedish and told from the perspective of a fictional true crime author, Blaze Me a Sun centers around a Swedish police officer (Sven) in the mid to late 1980's & his obsession to find a serial killer and bring him to justice. Battling his own illness, he slowly disintegrates into a shell of who he was, but with the self-imposed obligation to find him, even years after his last killing. Blurring morals in the process.
Years later, Sven's son Vidar, now a cop himself, carries over the need to solve the case that became his dad's life obsession. Lines are blurred, and we're faced with questioning the ideas of "nature vs. nurture", "fate and karma", family, and duty. What is the truth? And does everyone always benefit from it?
I ended up listening to this as an audio & really enjoyed it! I don't normally enjoy police crime thrillers as much but this was a fun listen once you got into it.
annewesterhof's review
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I really enjoyed this! The ending was a surprise that I never figured out!
nebelgazer's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
janp's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
krunkjess's review
*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub date: January 3, 2023
A #1 bestseller in Sweden, this fantastic crime novel is now available in the US. This is another addition to the long list of Scandinavian murder mysteries I couldn’t put down. Part police-procedural, part sociological study—this dual timeline tale had me trying to piece everything together well before the end, to no avail. This is a good one to get lost in!
A #1 bestseller in Sweden, this fantastic crime novel is now available in the US. This is another addition to the long list of Scandinavian murder mysteries I couldn’t put down. Part police-procedural, part sociological study—this dual timeline tale had me trying to piece everything together well before the end, to no avail. This is a good one to get lost in!
mcw23's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
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? Yes
4.5
lilly71490's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
ryesam's review
5.0
Thank you NetGalley, Christoffer Carlsson, and Random House Hogarth publishing for this ARC!
I am not normally a crime thriller reader, but this book may have just converted me. This work has so many surprising plot twists and is incredibly detailed in the processes it takes to catch a killer, even so many decades later. The reader can truly feel the emotional turmoil come from the pages as police tackle the darkest parts of humanity without getting an explanation into the creation of such darkness. It is an incredibly well-written book with so many realistic and nuanced perspectives that make you grow fond of most of the characters. I think this work is also relevant to a time of distrust in police, especially in America.
When the prime minister is assassinated in Stockholm the same night a serial killer makes his first kill in the small town of Tiarp, a local policeman is thrown into an obsessive pursuit to find the killer while coping with the whole country’s loss. This work has a long timeframe, starting in 1986 with Sven Jörgensson’s investigation and carrying into his son, Vidar’s policework into the late 2010s. In the last couple of years of the novel, a writer making his return home sets the stage for this case in his new novel but finds more secrets than resolutions on his own.
I was truly swept away by this book’s universal themes of the pursuit of truth, justice, and obsession. Carlsson expertly relates these themes from a whole country’s perspective in finding the man who shot the prime minister, to a small town’s paralyzing fear of a serial killer, to Sven and Vidar’s own grappling with the unknown of their own cases. Old folklore weaves into real-life discovery, and the author truly captures fear on all levels of the human psyche.
I loved the paralleling of certain symbols as they reappear as omens throughout decades. I also really enjoyed the author’s deep psychological narrative where you empathize with each character thoroughly. I also enjoyed how we got to explore the personal lives like the marriages and relationships.
The book was also fast-paced enough to keep me reading throughout the night but not too fast that I couldn’t keep up. The plot twists were so unexpected; I’m usually pretty good at predicting mysteries in crime shows, but this ending threw me for a loop. This book is incredibly memorable!
The book was a bit slow to start, and until Sven’s POV in 1986, I felt confused in certain parts about the narrator’s intentions.
I will definitely be looking out for Carlsson’s new works and always have this one in the back of my mind!
I am not normally a crime thriller reader, but this book may have just converted me. This work has so many surprising plot twists and is incredibly detailed in the processes it takes to catch a killer, even so many decades later. The reader can truly feel the emotional turmoil come from the pages as police tackle the darkest parts of humanity without getting an explanation into the creation of such darkness. It is an incredibly well-written book with so many realistic and nuanced perspectives that make you grow fond of most of the characters. I think this work is also relevant to a time of distrust in police, especially in America.
When the prime minister is assassinated in Stockholm the same night a serial killer makes his first kill in the small town of Tiarp, a local policeman is thrown into an obsessive pursuit to find the killer while coping with the whole country’s loss. This work has a long timeframe, starting in 1986 with Sven Jörgensson’s investigation and carrying into his son, Vidar’s policework into the late 2010s. In the last couple of years of the novel, a writer making his return home sets the stage for this case in his new novel but finds more secrets than resolutions on his own.
I was truly swept away by this book’s universal themes of the pursuit of truth, justice, and obsession. Carlsson expertly relates these themes from a whole country’s perspective in finding the man who shot the prime minister, to a small town’s paralyzing fear of a serial killer, to Sven and Vidar’s own grappling with the unknown of their own cases. Old folklore weaves into real-life discovery, and the author truly captures fear on all levels of the human psyche.
I loved the paralleling of certain symbols as they reappear as omens throughout decades. I also really enjoyed the author’s deep psychological narrative where you empathize with each character thoroughly. I also enjoyed how we got to explore the personal lives like the marriages and relationships.
The book was also fast-paced enough to keep me reading throughout the night but not too fast that I couldn’t keep up. The plot twists were so unexpected; I’m usually pretty good at predicting mysteries in crime shows, but this ending threw me for a loop. This book is incredibly memorable!
The book was a bit slow to start, and until Sven’s POV in 1986, I felt confused in certain parts about the narrator’s intentions.
I will definitely be looking out for Carlsson’s new works and always have this one in the back of my mind!