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3.99 AVERAGE
3.99 AVERAGE
I requested this book in my early days on NetGalley, not realising it was part of a series. I think had I read the previous books I would of enjoyed this one more as it was clear that I had missed a lot in terms of character relationships and events. Whilst an effort was made to explain previous events I still felt like part of the puzzle was missing. Note to self, check if a book is part of a series before you request it!
What I loved about this book was the main storyline. The scenes when the victims knew they were being stalked and were trying to save themselves made my heart race and head me on the edge of my seat. I felt like I was holding my breath during Jackie’s scene! This part of the story was chilling, intense and thrilling. I also enjoyed learning more about hypnotism and it’s uses in criminal cases.
Whilst I did enjoy this book I did have trouble connecting to the characters, mainly because there were so many of them! I felt there were a lot of side stories and more characters than necessary. I don’t know if this was a ploy to try and throw us readers off the scent of the murderer? Unfortunately for me I had guessed who the murderer was before their final reveal. This was disappointing because it’s that final revelation that makes the read more exciting.
I did however love the backstory to the murderer and thought the final scenes were haunting and action packed. As I said previously Jackie’s scenes were some of my favourites and I think she was a character that I could connect with most, especially as she was a piano tutor.
What I loved about this book was the main storyline. The scenes when the victims knew they were being stalked and were trying to save themselves made my heart race and head me on the edge of my seat. I felt like I was holding my breath during Jackie’s scene! This part of the story was chilling, intense and thrilling. I also enjoyed learning more about hypnotism and it’s uses in criminal cases.
Whilst I did enjoy this book I did have trouble connecting to the characters, mainly because there were so many of them! I felt there were a lot of side stories and more characters than necessary. I don’t know if this was a ploy to try and throw us readers off the scent of the murderer? Unfortunately for me I had guessed who the murderer was before their final reveal. This was disappointing because it’s that final revelation that makes the read more exciting.
I did however love the backstory to the murderer and thought the final scenes were haunting and action packed. As I said previously Jackie’s scenes were some of my favourites and I think she was a character that I could connect with most, especially as she was a piano tutor.
Il se passe tellement de choses tout au long de l'histoire que j'ai eu du mal à stopper ma lecture. Ce livre est prenant, il y a tellement de coupables possibles que l'identité du stalker m'a choquée. Le fait que les chapitres correspondent à un personnage permettent de connaître leurs points de vue, leurs suspicions durant l'histoire. Ça nous permet de voir l'enquête autrement, de connaître leurs motivations, ce que j'ai trouvé très intéressant. En bref, j'ai adoré ce livre !
Another great Joona Linna thriller. Not the best of the series but still utterly addictive
EHHHHH. 600 pages for that? UNPOPULAR OPINION ALERT
Okay okay... don’t disown me yet!!!
So like here’s the deal... I go into reading this book thinking “okay this is gonna be a gruesome scandi crime novel like the others” and I WAS HERE FOR THAT.
But then this happened:
- random sex cult
- piano lessons
Okay okay... don’t disown me yet!!!
So like here’s the deal... I go into reading this book thinking “okay this is gonna be a gruesome scandi crime novel like the others” and I WAS HERE FOR THAT.
But then this happened:
- random sex cult
- piano lessons
I really, REALLY wanted to like this book. Everywhere I went I read great reviews for Lars Kepler’s “Stalker”. Needles to say, I was shocked at how much I disliked it. The characters were flat and the plot unnecessarily drawn out. Granted, I jumped into this without knowing this was part of a series. I didn’t like the slow pacing and additional side stories that had nothing to do with the main plot. I got so bored at times that I skipped a couple pages. On the flip side, the ending had a nice twist and I liked the police investigation piece of it.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Just when I think I have a favorite Lars Kepler book, they go and outdo themselves. Every single one of their books is freaking amazing. STALKER is truly one of a kind, but I can’t tell you why or it’ll ruin the book! This book is full of violence and is extremely graphic, as per usual for Kepler. Written in short chapters, the pacing of STALKER moves pretty fast. It may be over 500 pages, but don’t let that scare you. You’ll read it pretty quickly. Jam-packed with action and tense scenes, this book draws you in right away and doesn’t let go until the very end. I actually reached the major plot twist at work on my lunch, and my boss could see the excitement and shock in my face. And then the epilogue… I mean, it’s amazing. So, if you read this, look out for a major cliff hanger! I’m immediately starting the next one, The Rabbit Hunter. I can’t give Lars Kepler and the Joona Linna series enough praise. This series is a must read for fans of crime fiction!
I am officially hooked on the Joona Linna series! If that wasn't clear before it is now. After the cliffhanger that was [b:The Sandman|35805854|The Sandman (Joona Linna, #4)|Lars Kepler|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1505767554l/35805854._SX50_.jpg|21866975], I immediately had to start [b:Stalker|40277342|Stalker|Lars Kepler|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1530534170l/40277342._SX50_.jpg|42012962] 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 [b:The Hypnotist|38960710|The Hypnotist (Joona Linna, #1)|Lars Kepler|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1520225728l/38960710._SY75_.jpg|7184205]), 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.
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.
Detective Margot Silverman is investigating the death of a woman who has been found horrifically mutilated after the national crime unit receives a video of the woman being stalked. STALKER revolves a bit more around Silverman than Joona, but he is still part of this book. STALKER also brings back Erik Maria Bark, who was the hypnotist in book one of the Joona Lina series. I really like the Erik & Joona duo, I find Erik’s work to hypnotise people to help Joona out fascinating.
I found myself in awe again at the intricacy of the plot and the amazing writing of this book. I was on the edge of my seat for at least the last 100 pages! The ending also makes me really excited to read book 6 in the series too.
Similar to the other Joona Linna books, STALKER can be read as a stand-alone. But, to learn and understand the characters more, I encourage you to read these in order!
I found myself in awe again at the intricacy of the plot and the amazing writing of this book. I was on the edge of my seat for at least the last 100 pages! The ending also makes me really excited to read book 6 in the series too.
Similar to the other Joona Linna books, STALKER can be read as a stand-alone. But, to learn and understand the characters more, I encourage you to read these in order!
This is a twisted and dark mystery! I'm not kidding. The book opens with one of the victims. She's having a normal night at home, waiting for her husband to get back from a business trip, and there's a killer in her house. You can probably imagine where that's going.
The book offers quite a few different perspectives throughout the book: the main investigator on the case, Margot (who's massively pregnant), Erik, Joona, and various others all offer up bits of the story. In some cases this might adversely affect the flow of the narrative, but that wasn't the case here.
In fact, the story moves rather quickly. Which is good because this is a bit of a doorstopper for a thriller!
The plot is interesting and seriously quirky. I haven't read any of the previous books in the series, so I assume this is a style thing for the authors. Yep, authors. Lars Kepler are a husband and wife writing duo who, as an aside, tried their damnedest to stay anonymous. There was serious fervor in their native Sweden to find out just who was behind the pseudonym!
This should give you a sense of just how mad people are for Lars Kepler! I can't say that I was quite that impressed with the book. I did like it, I just didn't LOVE it. I'll be reading more—I've got The Hypnotist queued up from the library and I am looking forward to it. For me, though, there was something missing in the reading and I think it likely is the fact that this is the fifth book in the series.
Ok, so like I said, I've never read Lars Kepler. This one was the first pick for a new online book club that I joined on Instagram. And it's Scandi-crime. And I was certain that I had the first book in my TBR (I was wrong about that last one, or I just can't find it in the mess of my bookshelves).
Also, the folks who picked it were clear about the fact that it's the fifth book in a series and I can confirm that it's ok to read on its own. For the most part. I personally think I would have had a stronger connection to the characters had I read the other books first. Also, there are two spoilery issues: First, Erik is actually in the first book of the series The Hypnotist. Second, Joona Linna doesn't actually appear until about halfway (maybe not quite that far) into the book because he's in hiding thanks to things that happen in The Sandman (which I actually did already have in my TBR).
Stalker is out now in paperback and the sixth book in the series is out now in hardcover. The full series order, if you're interested, is:
The Hypnotist
The Nightmare
The Fire Witness
The Sandman
Stalker
The Rabbit Hunter
If you're into Scandi-crime, you should definitely check this series out. My recommendation, though, would be to start at the beginning.
The book offers quite a few different perspectives throughout the book: the main investigator on the case, Margot (who's massively pregnant), Erik, Joona, and various others all offer up bits of the story. In some cases this might adversely affect the flow of the narrative, but that wasn't the case here.
In fact, the story moves rather quickly. Which is good because this is a bit of a doorstopper for a thriller!
The plot is interesting and seriously quirky. I haven't read any of the previous books in the series, so I assume this is a style thing for the authors. Yep, authors. Lars Kepler are a husband and wife writing duo who, as an aside, tried their damnedest to stay anonymous. There was serious fervor in their native Sweden to find out just who was behind the pseudonym!
This should give you a sense of just how mad people are for Lars Kepler! I can't say that I was quite that impressed with the book. I did like it, I just didn't LOVE it. I'll be reading more—I've got The Hypnotist queued up from the library and I am looking forward to it. For me, though, there was something missing in the reading and I think it likely is the fact that this is the fifth book in the series.
Ok, so like I said, I've never read Lars Kepler. This one was the first pick for a new online book club that I joined on Instagram. And it's Scandi-crime. And I was certain that I had the first book in my TBR (I was wrong about that last one, or I just can't find it in the mess of my bookshelves).
Also, the folks who picked it were clear about the fact that it's the fifth book in a series and I can confirm that it's ok to read on its own. For the most part. I personally think I would have had a stronger connection to the characters had I read the other books first. Also, there are two spoilery issues: First, Erik is actually in the first book of the series The Hypnotist. Second, Joona Linna doesn't actually appear until about halfway (maybe not quite that far) into the book because he's in hiding thanks to things that happen in The Sandman (which I actually did already have in my TBR).
Stalker is out now in paperback and the sixth book in the series is out now in hardcover. The full series order, if you're interested, is:
The Hypnotist
The Nightmare
The Fire Witness
The Sandman
Stalker
The Rabbit Hunter
If you're into Scandi-crime, you should definitely check this series out. My recommendation, though, would be to start at the beginning.
This book definitely had it's fair share of creepy, stalker-y moments! Although the story was a slow start and I was left to wonder where it was going with all the plot lines, it came together nicely.
Reading the previous books would have definitely made my reading experience better because there was this whole part where the discuss about some guy who is dead who threatened Joona and I was just not here for it at all. I just wanted the book to get ti the main plotline.
It also kinda reads more show than tell. It's extremely descriptive in the high action scenes-almost like a slow-mo in a movie. The plot twist wasn't the most shocking but the build up was quite good!
Reading the previous books would have definitely made my reading experience better because there was this whole part where the discuss about some guy who is dead who threatened Joona and I was just not here for it at all. I just wanted the book to get ti the main plotline.
It also kinda reads more show than tell. It's extremely descriptive in the high action scenes-almost like a slow-mo in a movie. The plot twist wasn't the most shocking but the build up was quite good!