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cransuz's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
bibliotreasures's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
The Swedish Coastal town of Fjällbacka is rocked to its core by the murder of Rolf Stenklo, the famous photographer. They are still reeling when just two days later another brutal tragedy shakes them further when three members of the prestigious Bauer family are found slain on a private island. Patrik Hedström is called in to head up the investigations and under pressure to get answers quickly. Meanwhile, Patrik’s wife. Erica, has found inspiration for her next true-crime book and is investigating the decades-old murder of someone from Rolf’s past. As she digs further it becomes clear that the two cases are connected and the past comes back to haunt those who hoped their secrets were buried forever.
The Cuckoo is the eleventh book in the Patrik Hedström and Erica Falck series, but it was my introduction to both the series and its author, Camilla Läckberg. I am a big fan of Scandi Noir so I have no idea how I’ve gone so long without reading this author. Dark, sinister, tense and filled with shocking twists, this kept me on the edge of my seat. Told from multiple points of view, it moved seamlessly between dual timelines to reveal an intricately woven story of secrets, murder and revenge. This isn’t a book for the faint of heart. There are some brutal and grisly crime scenes, though it is never graphic. Läckberg addresses timely topics, featuring a transgender woman and her unsolved murder in the past thread. This was handled sensitively but honestly and it felt like she’d done a lot of research to get things right. While I enjoyed both threads of the story, I’ll admit the past thread was the one I found most compelling. I was captivated by Lola and her daughter, Petite, and desperate to know what happened to them. In the present, I became more invested as the kill count increased and it became obvious someone was out for revenge. But why? And who could it be? I loved that I found this so hard to predict, with the last third being particularly twisty and surprising. And that ending! I’m still reeling.
Patrik Hedström and Erica Falck are great protagonists and I liked that Erica was a writer rather than another police officer, giving an added intrigue to the story. They are likeable, relatable and easy to root for, though I’ll admit to having a particular affinity with Erica thanks to our love of true crime. There is a large cast of characters who are all richly drawn and fascinating, but it took me a little time to get them straight. That being said, it wasn’t a problem reading this as a standalone as Läckberg succinctly catches the reader up on any relevant information.
Suspenseful, ominous and unflinching, this fast-paced scandi noir is a must for anyone who enjoys a dark thriller. I will definitely be reading more from Ms. Läckberg.
The Cuckoo is the eleventh book in the Patrik Hedström and Erica Falck series, but it was my introduction to both the series and its author, Camilla Läckberg. I am a big fan of Scandi Noir so I have no idea how I’ve gone so long without reading this author. Dark, sinister, tense and filled with shocking twists, this kept me on the edge of my seat. Told from multiple points of view, it moved seamlessly between dual timelines to reveal an intricately woven story of secrets, murder and revenge. This isn’t a book for the faint of heart. There are some brutal and grisly crime scenes, though it is never graphic. Läckberg addresses timely topics, featuring a transgender woman and her unsolved murder in the past thread. This was handled sensitively but honestly and it felt like she’d done a lot of research to get things right. While I enjoyed both threads of the story, I’ll admit the past thread was the one I found most compelling. I was captivated by Lola and her daughter, Petite, and desperate to know what happened to them. In the present, I became more invested as the kill count increased and it became obvious someone was out for revenge. But why? And who could it be? I loved that I found this so hard to predict, with the last third being particularly twisty and surprising. And that ending! I’m still reeling.
Patrik Hedström and Erica Falck are great protagonists and I liked that Erica was a writer rather than another police officer, giving an added intrigue to the story. They are likeable, relatable and easy to root for, though I’ll admit to having a particular affinity with Erica thanks to our love of true crime. There is a large cast of characters who are all richly drawn and fascinating, but it took me a little time to get them straight. That being said, it wasn’t a problem reading this as a standalone as Läckberg succinctly catches the reader up on any relevant information.
Suspenseful, ominous and unflinching, this fast-paced scandi noir is a must for anyone who enjoys a dark thriller. I will definitely be reading more from Ms. Läckberg.
dragon_de_livre's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
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? No
This was my first Camilla Läckeberg book and while it took a little effort to get into at the beginning with all the different characters, I loved reading it. And despite starting the Fjällbacka series on the eleventh book I really enjoyed getting to know all the characters and their relations to each other.
After a murder shocks the small community in the coastal town of Fjällbacka, police detective Patrik must investigate and try to catch a murderer, while his wife the true-crime novelist Erica tries to uncover the unsolved murder of someone from the murder-victim’s past.
The writing is engaging and rich and the dual storylines (one past and one present) give an interesting angle to the story as Patrik and Erica tries to uncover the truth. While the ending was perhaps a little predictive to some, I did not solve the case until it was all resolved in the end, there are plenty of twists and turns to throw you off. We also get a very good insight into the private lives of the investigators and while some might find this to be unnecessary, I quite enjoy it, and in this case I’d say it gave the story more depth.
There are not a lot of gruesome details so I’d say this is safe to read if you want a thriller that captures you, but you don’t like too much carnage. It’s more of a murder mystery, which I love and I now want to read all the other books in the series.
Thanks to HarperCollins for an ARC via NetGalley. I received a free digital copy of this book, however, my thought and opinions are my own, and in no way influenced by receiving a copy.
thesapphiccelticbookworm's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder, Child death, Transphobia, and Deadnaming
Moderate: Terminal illness and Pregnancy
Minor: Infertility and Miscarriage
dianawohl's review against another edition
mysterious
sad
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
3.75
cj_mo_2222's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
4.5
Camilla Läckberg is one of my favorite crime fiction authors, and I was completely engaged in this book!. It has been several years since there has been a new book in the Fjallbacka/Patrik Hedstrom-Erica Falck, so I was so excited to read this one. It's the eleventh in the series and I have read all of the prior books. The central mystery stands on its own, but it's easier to appreciate some of the developments in the lives of the main characters if you've read some of the earlier books.
The book includes two timelines, the present and 1980. This method works well in telling this story when it's clear that current crimes could be tied to events from the past. I love how Erica, a true crime writer, is able to make huge contributions to the case her police detective husband, Patrik, is working on. I love their marriage and the way they work together, so it's always great catching up with what is going on in their lives. Readers also get to catch up on the other members of Patrik's team and some of them are going through their own issues.
The initial case involves a renowned photographer who is shot in his gallery right before the opening of his latest show. Things get very dark as there are further deaths. Although there aren't graphic descriptions, this may not be the book for everyone because the deaths of children are involved. There are several plot twists in this book, some I predicted but many were very surprising. Although parts of the story were heartbreaking, I still enjoyed the book and hope the wait for a new Patrik and Erica book is shorter this time.
I received an advance copy of this book at no cost from NetGalley and Harper Collins UK. My review is voluntary and unbiased.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death
Moderate: Transphobia
samlamb04's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
4.25
thaiteconta's review against another edition
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Não estou familiarizada com a escrita da autora e tão pouco sabia que esse livro é parte de uma série de thillers que acompanham alguns personagens, portanto não sei dizer se essa características são exclusivas desse livro ou se todos são assim. O livro é contado em dois períodos de tempo e somado ao número gigante de personagens que a história acompanha, fiquei sobrecarregada de informações nos primeiros capítulos. Minha cabeça ficava tonta tentando manter o controle de quem é quem e io me fez demorar muito pra de fato ser pega pela história e a leitura fluir. Além diso, em muito casos os personagen não agregavam em nada no contexto geral do plot e etavam ali talvez pra serem feitos menção já que é uma série e os fã já o conhecem ? -. Pra mim que li pela primeira vez, foi em desnecessário e atrapalhou o ritmo.
No entanto, depois que me familiarizei com isso, gostei do passeio geral com esse grupo de personagens, os cenários na Suécia e como a história se desenrolou. Minha única reclamação, além da sobrecarga de personagens, é o final. Tipo, eu gosto de uma grande revelação, mas aqui temos uma revelação, depois outra e outra, até que você sente que a autora entrou em pânico e jogou o máximo que conseguiu no final. Realmente prejudicou a experiência, porque precisei engolir mais um momento “Meu Deus” no que até então era uma história bem pensada e contida.
I'm not familiar with the author's writing and I didn't know that this book is part of a series of thrillers that follow some characters, so I can't say if these characteristics are exclusive to this book or if they are all like that. The book is told in two time periods and added to the huge number of characters that the story follows, I was overwhelmed with information in the first chapters. My head would get dizzy trying to keep track of who was who and it took me a long time to actually get caught up in the story and the reading could flow. Furthermore, in many cases the characters did not add anything to the general context of the plot and were there perhaps to be mentioned since it is a series and fans already know them? -. For me, reading it for the first time, it was unnecessary and disrupted the pace.
However, once I got familiar with it, I enjoyed the overall ride with this group of characters, the settings in Sweden, and how the story unfolded. My only complaint, besides the overload of characters, is the ending. Like, I like a big reveal, but here we have one reveal, and then another, and another, until you feel like the author panicked and threw as much as she could at the end. It really detracted from the experience, because I had to swallow yet another “Oh my God” moment in what until then was a well thought out and contained story.
Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
No entanto, depois que me familiarizei com isso, gostei do passeio geral com esse grupo de personagens, os cenários na Suécia e como a história se desenrolou. Minha única reclamação, além da sobrecarga de personagens, é o final. Tipo, eu gosto de uma grande revelação, mas aqui temos uma revelação, depois outra e outra, até que você sente que a autora entrou em pânico e jogou o máximo que conseguiu no final. Realmente prejudicou a experiência, porque precisei engolir mais um momento “Meu Deus” no que até então era uma história bem pensada e contida.
I'm not familiar with the author's writing and I didn't know that this book is part of a series of thrillers that follow some characters, so I can't say if these characteristics are exclusive to this book or if they are all like that. The book is told in two time periods and added to the huge number of characters that the story follows, I was overwhelmed with information in the first chapters. My head would get dizzy trying to keep track of who was who and it took me a long time to actually get caught up in the story and the reading could flow. Furthermore, in many cases the characters did not add anything to the general context of the plot and were there perhaps to be mentioned since it is a series and fans already know them? -. For me, reading it for the first time, it was unnecessary and disrupted the pace.
However, once I got familiar with it, I enjoyed the overall ride with this group of characters, the settings in Sweden, and how the story unfolded. My only complaint, besides the overload of characters, is the ending. Like, I like a big reveal, but here we have one reveal, and then another, and another, until you feel like the author panicked and threw as much as she could at the end. It really detracted from the experience, because I had to swallow yet another “Oh my God” moment in what until then was a well thought out and contained story.
Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
baileysbear's review against another edition
3.0
I've not read anything by this author before, so unable to compare how it is compared to the others in the series.
It took a while for this to get going - I believe partly due to the sheer number of characters introduced so it takes some time to remember who is who etc.
Also, I'm not sure if this was down to the format of the arc, the translation, or just how the author writes, but the jumping from one set of characters to another happens within a chapter without knowledge quite often which I'm not a fan of. I enjoyed the dual timeline aspect and that's always explained by chapter title so we know when we are.
I liked the storyline of the 80s in particular.
I did find I'd guessed a chunk of the ending before it unfolds, and I found the pace of the ending drastically different to the rest of the book, so it did feel a little rushed.
Overall I'm giving 3 stars for the elements I enjoyed. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc ebook.
It took a while for this to get going - I believe partly due to the sheer number of characters introduced so it takes some time to remember who is who etc.
Also, I'm not sure if this was down to the format of the arc, the translation, or just how the author writes, but the jumping from one set of characters to another happens within a chapter without knowledge quite often which I'm not a fan of. I enjoyed the dual timeline aspect and that's always explained by chapter title so we know when we are.
I liked the storyline of the 80s in particular.
I did find I'd guessed a chunk of the ending before it unfolds, and I found the pace of the ending drastically different to the rest of the book, so it did feel a little rushed.
Overall I'm giving 3 stars for the elements I enjoyed. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc ebook.