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bridget_h's review against another edition
3.0
This is my first book by this author; I realized it was the third in a series but I had received it from the library and based on some of the reviews, seemed like I could read it in a stand-alone manner. I am sure I missed out on some character development of Patrik and Erica, but I don't think that impacted the mystery-solving too much. I have never read a book before that had so many (i.e. all) characters that were completely unlikeable, despicable, and broken. There was ONE character I was sympathetic towards. And, there were many characters and storylines in this book - so that amounts to a lot of unlikeable-ness. Yet, I kept reading it just to see how all the stories came together and the who-done-it was revealed. Which was satisfying. I also know I should put my American tv-law-drama beliefs on a book set elsewhere, but it’s almost unbelievable that the legal system in Sweden is as bumbling as it is in this book. Also, little cultural items were distracting – I’m not sure if it was the translation or just oddities – for example, certain people missing certain pieces of basic technology.
tessisreading2's review against another edition
3.0
A nice twisty mystery - once again full of small-town drama and gossip, and respectfully acknowledging the impact a death can have on a community while avoiding gore and grotesque details. But holy cliffhanger, Batman! on that ending.
angelbocs's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
wheretheautumnsings's review against another edition
5.0
It was just awesome <3 I was hooked from the first page and can't wait to read next book from Läckberg!
mjwerts's review against another edition
3.0
Like the previous two books in the Fjallbaka series, The Stonecutter explores a mysterious murder in a small Swedish town, using the murder investigation to expose the lives of Fjallbaka's residents. This time, detective Patrik Hedstrom is trying to solve the drowning death of a six-year-girl, who was the daughter of a close friend of his girlfriend Erica. Erica, meanwhile, is struggling with postpartum depression from the birth of her and Patrick's first child.
The murder-mystery this time around is a bit obtuse. While Patrik keeps hitting dead ends while questioning and investigating the family, friends and neighbors of the dead girl, the reader is exposed to events that occurred almost a century prior, involving the titular character. How the two are connected remains unclear until the final few pages of the novel. While some may deduce the connection sooner, the failure to find a rhyme or reason behind the connection—that one knows must be coming—before the reveal left this reader frustrated.
Meanwhile, Erica's struggles with motherhood are well-done, at least from the perspective of someone who does not have firsthand experience with the any of the issues she is experiencing. Exposing her doubts, insecurities and confusion is one of the things that I love about this series. It tries to keep everything grounded and true to life amidst the murder.
The murder-mystery this time around is a bit obtuse. While Patrik keeps hitting dead ends while questioning and investigating the family, friends and neighbors of the dead girl, the reader is exposed to events that occurred almost a century prior, involving the titular character. How the two are connected remains unclear until the final few pages of the novel. While some may deduce the connection sooner, the failure to find a rhyme or reason behind the connection—that one knows must be coming—before the reveal left this reader frustrated.
Meanwhile, Erica's struggles with motherhood are well-done, at least from the perspective of someone who does not have firsthand experience with the any of the issues she is experiencing. Exposing her doubts, insecurities and confusion is one of the things that I love about this series. It tries to keep everything grounded and true to life amidst the murder.
kyra_tamara's review against another edition
5.0
Best thriller I have read in ages. Kept me guessing till the very end. Did not see any of this shit coming. Incredible.
lavoiture's review against another edition
3.0
Maybe 3.5? It was looooong, and there were a lot of characters. I didn't particularly buy the person who did it in the end. It just seemed like a lot of work for not enough payoff.
coralrose's review against another edition
4.0
Guess I should have started with the first in this series, but even so, I really enjoyed this one. I plan to go back and read the others. Heavily character focused, this mystery could easily get overwhelming with all the people to keep straight, but it was worth it.
My only thought... what is it with Swedish writers and their obsession with extra details about IKEA furniture? I don't get it....
My only thought... what is it with Swedish writers and their obsession with extra details about IKEA furniture? I don't get it....
quillandkindle's review against another edition
1.0
The Stonecutter turned out to be such a tiresome read for me. It feels like the author tried to cover so many grounds in her book till she losed focus and failed to emphasis more on the thing that suppose to matter most: the mystery and the routes to solve it.
The main thing that can be found in The Stonecutter is the neverending emotional outburst mostly from the female characters. To read about their endless self-pity where they blame others for difficulties that they have to face is utterly exhausting. And to have this train of thoughts repeated number of times in the book is simply too much for me.
But what pained me most is the way Läckberg consistently created characters that have a brain the size of a pea and then built some absurd subplots involving them that don't seem to add anything to the story. It irks me that she put this seemingly ridiculous storyline upfront while neglecting to be precise and in detail about the proper investigation procedures that involved in solving the crime. How this book could be mentioned as at par with the other Scandinavian mysteries is really beyond me.
In the nutshell, I found The Stonecutter to be excruciatingly dull, slow and exhausting read. It is an ordinary whodunit book that have zero suspenseful chapters and by the end, I don't think I really care who actually the perp is anymore. This is definitely one of the worst books that I've ever read, enough said.
The main thing that can be found in The Stonecutter is the neverending emotional outburst mostly from the female characters. To read about their endless self-pity where they blame others for difficulties that they have to face is utterly exhausting. And to have this train of thoughts repeated number of times in the book is simply too much for me.
But what pained me most is the way Läckberg consistently created characters that have a brain the size of a pea and then built some absurd subplots involving them that don't seem to add anything to the story. It irks me that she put this seemingly ridiculous storyline upfront while neglecting to be precise and in detail about the proper investigation procedures that involved in solving the crime. How this book could be mentioned as at par with the other Scandinavian mysteries is really beyond me.
In the nutshell, I found The Stonecutter to be excruciatingly dull, slow and exhausting read. It is an ordinary whodunit book that have zero suspenseful chapters and by the end, I don't think I really care who actually the perp is anymore. This is definitely one of the worst books that I've ever read, enough said.
sarah_reading_party's review against another edition
4.0
Loved the characters In this book. I really enjoyed how the past connected with the present and how the murder mystery wasn't just about the murder but about so many other events in town. I couldn't put it down! Every time I read zanier her book by Camilla I want to go to Sweden!