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3.99 AVERAGE
3.99 AVERAGE
Let’s be honest, it’s Lars Kepler so It wouldn’t receive anything less than 5 stars!
This is my absolute favourite in this series, the shocks and the thrilling chase just made for a perfect read that I couldn’t put down.
This is my absolute favourite in this series, the shocks and the thrilling chase just made for a perfect read that I couldn’t put down.
Super creepy, full of red herrings, and I definitely didn’t see the end coming. If you like Jo Nesbo and haven’t checked this series out yet, do it! Well done fast-paced thrillers.
I have been following Joona Linna series since the first book came out and have absolutely loved all the previous books in this series. I had been waiting very patiently for this one given how the book before this one ended.
This fifth installment however, in my opinion, did not match the high standard of the previous books, or maybe it was just the english version of it. I appreciate how the authors have minutely described each and everything, but in some cases it was almost tiresome to read. The previous books kept me on the edge of the seat throughout the read but sadly the truly thrilling part in this book was only limited to the last quarter. And let's not talk about the ending, it was a bit too much. I hope the authors will do some justice to Joona Linna in the next installment :)
This fifth installment however, in my opinion, did not match the high standard of the previous books, or maybe it was just the english version of it. I appreciate how the authors have minutely described each and everything, but in some cases it was almost tiresome to read. The previous books kept me on the edge of the seat throughout the read but sadly the truly thrilling part in this book was only limited to the last quarter. And let's not talk about the ending, it was a bit too much. I hope the authors will do some justice to Joona Linna in the next installment :)
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
"'You know... I can't trust my memory,' her says, and opens his eyes again. 'I can wake up in the middle of the night and remember a day twenty years ago and write it all down, then when I read what I wrote a week later it feels like I made it all up, like it never happened... And of cousre I don't really know..."
I keep hearing great things about Lars Kepler's books. So many great things that I couldn't have not eventually ended up reading one of his works. The thing is that I do not particularly enjoy thrillers. I hoped against hope that I'd love this book. I liked it, of course I did, but that's where my feeling end. I bet that to someone who can properly appreciate a good thriller, this book would be priceless. And that's what [b:Stalker|22554261|Stalker (Joona Linna, #5)|Lars Kepler|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1464383371s/22554261.jpg|42012962] is - a good, maybe even a great thriller but I'm probably not the right audience for it.
It had everything a mystery novel should have - an intriguing premise, gripping investigation and an unpredictable revelation. The characters did feel a little bit flat but that's what happens when a book is strongly focused on the plot line. I kept guessing who the "stalker" could possibly be and even in spite of my best efforts I couldn't guess who the killer actually was.
While this is a well written mystery I'm not someone who is known for enjoying this particular genre and my YA mindset may have lessened my overall enjoyment of the book.
3.5 stars.
I keep hearing great things about Lars Kepler's books. So many great things that I couldn't have not eventually ended up reading one of his works. The thing is that I do not particularly enjoy thrillers. I hoped against hope that I'd love this book. I liked it, of course I did, but that's where my feeling end. I bet that to someone who can properly appreciate a good thriller, this book would be priceless. And that's what [b:Stalker|22554261|Stalker (Joona Linna, #5)|Lars Kepler|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1464383371s/22554261.jpg|42012962] is - a good, maybe even a great thriller but I'm probably not the right audience for it.
It had everything a mystery novel should have - an intriguing premise, gripping investigation and an unpredictable revelation. The characters did feel a little bit flat but that's what happens when a book is strongly focused on the plot line. I kept guessing who the "stalker" could possibly be and even in spite of my best efforts I couldn't guess who the killer actually was.
While this is a well written mystery I'm not someone who is known for enjoying this particular genre and my YA mindset may have lessened my overall enjoyment of the book.
3.5 stars.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review via Netgalley.
MINOR SPOILERS IN REVIEW
Stalker is the 5th book in the Joona Linna series but this is my introduction to the series.
The set-up of the book is that the police are sent videos anonymously of women alone in their homes. The women are later found dead with horrific stab wounds to their face and posed to send a message.
The videos are studied in intense detail without any real clues and forensic evidence turns up nothing meaningful. We are quickly led into a frustrating investigation for the police as the killer kills again and the police are powerless to stop it.
I quite liked the premise of the novel, it reminded me much of a giallo (Italian thriller cinema) in the sense that there is a strong psychosexual element to it, the killer is a voyeur of vulnerable women, the victims are all women - typically in a state of undress. The murders are sadistic and the blade is strongly symbolic of phallic aggression. If we add in the bonkers ending I wouldn't be surprised if this novel was inspired by some Italian cinema from the 60's / 70's.
One of the interesting things of the book is that I knew it was part of a series but in the first third of the book Joona hardly features. He enters quite late into the book (it is understandable as he was dead at the end of the last book I believe). Instead the focus of the investigation is Margot Silverman, a detective who is pregnant. I loved this character detail. We've had lots of lesbian detectives and people of colour are not hidden in books anymore, but pregnant detectives - it's a nice touch and I was glad that this is in the book. Women get pregnant all the time but I'm not sure I've ever seen a pregnant detective who continues working.
Some elements of the book are completely implausible. I know I'm not familiar with the series but when Joona makes his entrance a number of things happen which for me I couldn't suspend my disbelief. He seemingly is allowed to not only re-enter society but work with the police again with ease. A number of other events in the novel occur and just makes one think that the Swedish emergency response to a significant crime is completely hopeless. We are led to believe that Joona is some kind of superman and a genius. For me, he is too competent with his fighting, too clever at finding clues. He makes a few leaps exceptionally quickly to progress the story but it seems like a convenient way to infodump.
A connection is made to a psychologist who not only helped frame an innocent man, but also is a friend of Joona. He is in turn linked to the murders and then we have a straight up chase. Erik the psychologist is on the run, trying to clear his name. The police are after him, only Joona believes him and the real killer is on the loose.
This last third of the book is quite well written. I really liked the pacing of this. You always feel like Erik is close to capture, you feel his fear, his desperation - the police breathing down his neck. When the reveal of the killer is made I was delighted because a) one should have seen it a mile off and b) it is suitably insane to make the book a real thrill. Even so, what could have been a quick wrap up is teased out. It's exciting, frightening and tense.
It's a difficult book to review - there were elements I loved. There were plenty of red herrings and misdirection. There's something quite chilling reading a chapter, knowing the inevitability that the woman was going to die and the reader can do nothing except watch with the killer. Stockholm's seedy underbelly is laid bare - at times this novel is quite grubby (to it's credit!). The chapters are short, but not so short as to annoy. It's one of those books where you just want to read 'one more chapter'!
However, it isn't a perfect book. Some of the sentences are quite stilted and do not flow well. I'm not sure if this is a translation issue or whether it's a plot device but I found it quite difficult to engage with at times. Also, Joona seems to do everything on his own and just seems to perfect.
This is a good book, but not a great book. The story and characters were strong enough that I would read more of the series.
MINOR SPOILERS IN REVIEW
Stalker is the 5th book in the Joona Linna series but this is my introduction to the series.
The set-up of the book is that the police are sent videos anonymously of women alone in their homes. The women are later found dead with horrific stab wounds to their face and posed to send a message.
The videos are studied in intense detail without any real clues and forensic evidence turns up nothing meaningful. We are quickly led into a frustrating investigation for the police as the killer kills again and the police are powerless to stop it.
I quite liked the premise of the novel, it reminded me much of a giallo (Italian thriller cinema) in the sense that there is a strong psychosexual element to it, the killer is a voyeur of vulnerable women, the victims are all women - typically in a state of undress. The murders are sadistic and the blade is strongly symbolic of phallic aggression. If we add in the bonkers ending I wouldn't be surprised if this novel was inspired by some Italian cinema from the 60's / 70's.
One of the interesting things of the book is that I knew it was part of a series but in the first third of the book Joona hardly features. He enters quite late into the book (it is understandable as he was dead at the end of the last book I believe). Instead the focus of the investigation is Margot Silverman, a detective who is pregnant. I loved this character detail. We've had lots of lesbian detectives and people of colour are not hidden in books anymore, but pregnant detectives - it's a nice touch and I was glad that this is in the book. Women get pregnant all the time but I'm not sure I've ever seen a pregnant detective who continues working.
Some elements of the book are completely implausible. I know I'm not familiar with the series but when Joona makes his entrance a number of things happen which for me I couldn't suspend my disbelief. He seemingly is allowed to not only re-enter society but work with the police again with ease. A number of other events in the novel occur and just makes one think that the Swedish emergency response to a significant crime is completely hopeless. We are led to believe that Joona is some kind of superman and a genius. For me, he is too competent with his fighting, too clever at finding clues. He makes a few leaps exceptionally quickly to progress the story but it seems like a convenient way to infodump.
A connection is made to a psychologist who not only helped frame an innocent man, but also is a friend of Joona. He is in turn linked to the murders and then we have a straight up chase. Erik the psychologist is on the run, trying to clear his name. The police are after him, only Joona believes him and the real killer is on the loose.
This last third of the book is quite well written. I really liked the pacing of this. You always feel like Erik is close to capture, you feel his fear, his desperation - the police breathing down his neck. When the reveal of the killer is made I was delighted because a) one should have seen it a mile off and b) it is suitably insane to make the book a real thrill. Even so, what could have been a quick wrap up is teased out. It's exciting, frightening and tense.
It's a difficult book to review - there were elements I loved. There were plenty of red herrings and misdirection. There's something quite chilling reading a chapter, knowing the inevitability that the woman was going to die and the reader can do nothing except watch with the killer. Stockholm's seedy underbelly is laid bare - at times this novel is quite grubby (to it's credit!). The chapters are short, but not so short as to annoy. It's one of those books where you just want to read 'one more chapter'!
However, it isn't a perfect book. Some of the sentences are quite stilted and do not flow well. I'm not sure if this is a translation issue or whether it's a plot device but I found it quite difficult to engage with at times. Also, Joona seems to do everything on his own and just seems to perfect.
This is a good book, but not a great book. The story and characters were strong enough that I would read more of the series.
http://boktok73.blogspot.fi/2014/11/stalker-av-lars-kepler.html
Jälleen hyvä. Teksti soljuu eteenpäin omalla painollaan ja koukuttaa mukaansa. Hyvä rytmi, tykkäsin kovin ja oli vaikea laskea käsistään.
Stalker is the first book I have read by Lars Kepler although I do have an earlier book from the series. I wish I had read at least that one, then I would have understood these characters much more. It took me a while to appreciate Joona. It was his character I wish I’d known more about. What he was like before his family were torn apart by danger and threats. I liked him, I wanted him to succeed and be proven right. I didn’t want him to feel let down by somebody who was a friend.
I do read a lot of Scandinavian crime fiction but this one made all of them look like cozy crime. It’s one of the goriest that I have read and some of the worst sides of society are convincingly shown. It was chilling getting to know the victims just before they were attacked and it felt personal. It’s also one, that when I finished I felt drained. Mainly because when the killer was revealed, quite a way before the end, and I saw how insane they were I felt more tense than I have felt in a long time from reading fiction.
I’m uncertain as to how many of the other characters have appeared before or how many will be in the next book. There are many who I would like to meet again. It is quite a long book, the longest I’ve read for a while and it did take me a while to get into it. I’m glad I persevered, this is yet another series I plan to catch up on.
I do read a lot of Scandinavian crime fiction but this one made all of them look like cozy crime. It’s one of the goriest that I have read and some of the worst sides of society are convincingly shown. It was chilling getting to know the victims just before they were attacked and it felt personal. It’s also one, that when I finished I felt drained. Mainly because when the killer was revealed, quite a way before the end, and I saw how insane they were I felt more tense than I have felt in a long time from reading fiction.
I’m uncertain as to how many of the other characters have appeared before or how many will be in the next book. There are many who I would like to meet again. It is quite a long book, the longest I’ve read for a while and it did take me a while to get into it. I’m glad I persevered, this is yet another series I plan to catch up on.
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No