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willit1's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Really engaging read that spends the first half of the book giving us an insight into what makes Ante Valdemar Roos tick. Despite being boring in the eyes of many, spending time with his reflections are not and the book is at its slowest pace here with a great mix of humour and ponderings. The second half introduces DI Barbarotti and the pace ticks up with time spent amongst more characters.
Not a typical crime story but plenty of mystery here.
Not a typical crime story but plenty of mystery here.
elzap's review
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
eliza_eperon's review
dark
slow-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
3.0
rajue's review against another edition
4.0
Vielleicht nicht der beste Håkan Nesser aber eine unterhaltsame Lektüre.
danahag's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
jmatkinson1's review
4.0
Ante Valdemar Roos is 59 and bored with his life. He has worked for the same company for most of his life and lives with his wife and two stepdaughters, all of whom seem to ignore him. His most treasured memories are of time spent with his father in the woods and when Roos wins on the pools he decides to make changes. Without telling his wife he quits his job and buys an isolated cabin in the woods, every day he sets off for work as normal but spends the day in quiet contemplation until one day he finds a stranger has taken up residence. Anna is 21 and has run away from an addiction centre and an abusive relationship. She and Roos find companionable comfort in a strange friendship until one day Anna’s crazy ex catches up with her.
This book is a real slow burn. Roos is an engaging and curmudgeonly character who spends the first half of the book being introduced and developing his odd double life. The second half of the book suddenly becomes a murder investigation with the team of Barbarotti and Backmann, quirky detectives in pursuit of the truth. This half is also incredibly satisfying and the final act is given a little bit of uncertainty because that just seems right.
This book is a real slow burn. Roos is an engaging and curmudgeonly character who spends the first half of the book being introduced and developing his odd double life. The second half of the book suddenly becomes a murder investigation with the team of Barbarotti and Backmann, quirky detectives in pursuit of the truth. This half is also incredibly satisfying and the final act is given a little bit of uncertainty because that just seems right.
technomage's review against another edition
3.0
This another bit of fun. A gentle tale not so much a detective story as a story with a detective in it. A good relaxing read
marais90's review
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
thebooktrail88's review against another edition
4.0
Visit the locations in The Secret of Mr Roos
There's always a reason to read a Håkan Nesser
Book 3 of the Barbarotti series. This is what I would call slow paced Swedish Noir with a sting in its tail. Characters with more layers than an onion and just as tricky to get to without it affecting your breathing and ability to see clearly. Motivations and secrets come to light and you never know who or why...
Take this story - a man comes into a windfall but decides not to tell his family. He moves into a small cabin in the woods. He's just lost his job but pretends to his wife that he's going to work each day. He's an odd character in more ways than one too!
What follows is a slow building novel with red herrings, shades of doubt and twisty characters blending in that Swedish forest. When Mr Roos goes to his woodland cabin, he's not the only one no -one else knows is there....
feeona's review against another edition
2.0
Auch wenn die Kommissare einen Mordfall zu lösen haben, geht es in diesem Buch nicht wirklich um einen spannenden Kriminalfall, sondern eher um die beiden Hauptcharaktere und die Entwicklung ihrer Beziehungen - vor allem zueinander. Die Idee war gut, jedoch ging die Entwicklung für meinen Geschmack etwas zu schnell und simpel. Diese plötzlichen Beweggründe und Aktionen konnte ich nicht wirklich nachvollziehen. Auch die Ermittlung wirkt mehr wie eine Ausrede um die Kommissare auch in die Geschichte einbringen zu können, ohne sie wirklich mit den beiden Charakteren verbinden zu müssen.
Zudem war die Geschichte nicht wirklich spannend. Es war eine ganz nette Lektüre, aber sie ist nicht das, was sie vermutlich sein sollte und hätte sein können, sondern eher ein wenig fad.
Zudem war die Geschichte nicht wirklich spannend. Es war eine ganz nette Lektüre, aber sie ist nicht das, was sie vermutlich sein sollte und hätte sein können, sondern eher ein wenig fad.