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nawij's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
constantreader471's review against another edition
4.0
This is a complex murder mystery. A new lawyer, Emelie Jansson, is requested by name by a murder suspect, Benjamin Emanuelsson. She goes to see him in the prison hospital, where he is recovering from a concussion due to an auto accident near the murder scene. He can speak only a little, but he says: "Get Teddy to understand." Teddy is a friend and an ex convict who sometimes does investigative work for her law firm.
She calls Teddy and tells him what Benjamin said. It turns out that Teddy had kidnapped Benjamin's father years ago and served 8 years in prison without giving up any of the others involved. He was told the kidnapping was for money, but now has reason to believe that there was more than money involved. In order to help Benjamin and Emelie, he must go back to the kidnapping and find out what else was involved. This leads him into the dangerous world of killers for hire and corrupt policemen. Corrupt policemen in Sweden?? Who would've thought that?
There are two threads in this book, one present day as Emelie, Teddy and his nephew Nikola interact with various criminals trying to determine who was killed at the murder scene and who did the killing. The second is a series of interviews with Mats Emanuelson, Benjamin's father, now dead by suicide. The interviews are between Mats and a police officer Joakim Sunden, who has persuaded Mats to become a police informant, telling the police about his work as an accountant, covering up financial fraud. The narrative goes back and forth between the two threads. The cliffhanger ending resolves some of the mystery but not all of it, because some of the bad guys are still on the loose. The story drags a little in the beginning as the author goes back and forth between the two threads, but the pace picks up about halfway in. 3.5 out of 5 stars.
According to the author biography, Jens Lapidus is a best selling author in Sweden. He is a criminal defense lawyer. The translation is excellent.
One Quote: "We did what we call a Stockholm Delete. Know what that means? Sometimes we need people to disappear from a business,..."
Thanks to the publisher, Vintage Crime, for sending me this book through the Goodreads giveaway program.
She calls Teddy and tells him what Benjamin said. It turns out that Teddy had kidnapped Benjamin's father years ago and served 8 years in prison without giving up any of the others involved. He was told the kidnapping was for money, but now has reason to believe that there was more than money involved. In order to help Benjamin and Emelie, he must go back to the kidnapping and find out what else was involved. This leads him into the dangerous world of killers for hire and corrupt policemen. Corrupt policemen in Sweden?? Who would've thought that?
There are two threads in this book, one present day as Emelie, Teddy and his nephew Nikola interact with various criminals trying to determine who was killed at the murder scene and who did the killing. The second is a series of interviews with Mats Emanuelson, Benjamin's father, now dead by suicide. The interviews are between Mats and a police officer Joakim Sunden, who has persuaded Mats to become a police informant, telling the police about his work as an accountant, covering up financial fraud. The narrative goes back and forth between the two threads. The cliffhanger ending resolves some of the mystery but not all of it, because some of the bad guys are still on the loose. The story drags a little in the beginning as the author goes back and forth between the two threads, but the pace picks up about halfway in. 3.5 out of 5 stars.
According to the author biography, Jens Lapidus is a best selling author in Sweden. He is a criminal defense lawyer. The translation is excellent.
One Quote: "We did what we call a Stockholm Delete. Know what that means? Sometimes we need people to disappear from a business,..."
Thanks to the publisher, Vintage Crime, for sending me this book through the Goodreads giveaway program.
sirenes's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
daphne_k's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
coops456's review against another edition
1.0
I gave it 150 of its 500+ pages but just couldn't get into it.
daniel_mc_adam's review against another edition
5.0
Fantastic Book can’t wait to read another by this Author.
It really is that good.
A definite book to read again.
It really is that good.
A definite book to read again.
sebu's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
andrewspink's review against another edition
4.0
Stockholm Delete is a classic Scandianavian thriller with an expected ending which you don't see coming. The characters and plot are convincing and well-developed and the pace is varied. A pleasant summer holiday read.
Loaned from the 'vakantiebeeb'.
Loaned from the 'vakantiebeeb'.
markhoh's review against another edition
4.0
Stockholm Delete is the first book I’ve read by Swedish author Jens Lapidus and what a ride deep into the Swedish underbelly it is. It’s probably important to mention that Lapidus is a Swedish criminal defence lawyer as well as an author and Stockholm Delete certainly reads like it is written by someone well in the know of the the darker side of Stockholm. The main characters, Emelie and Teddy are very slightly cliche but likeable. Teddy is up to his eyeballs in the seedier side of Sweden but really trying to stay on he right side of the law and Emelie is a business lawyer with a criminal defence lawyer wannabe opportunity. While the book is a complete story in and of itself (and apparently the second in a series - but I have not been able to lay my hands on the English version of the first one) it ends on a cliffhanger that makes the reader want to get in to the next one!
This was probably 3.5 stars for me but I’ll round it to 4 because it really was a riveting read. Different from Scandi noir but a great Swedish crime thriller.
This was probably 3.5 stars for me but I’ll round it to 4 because it really was a riveting read. Different from Scandi noir but a great Swedish crime thriller.