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A review by nietzschesghost
X Ways to Die by Stefan Ahnhem
4.0
X Ways to Die is the fourth (fifth if you count the prequel) book in the Swedish Detective Fabian Risk series and it's clear from the outset that the King of Scandi Noir is back with a bang. On the hunt for a brutal, unpredictable and fiendishly clever serial killer, Fabian and his team are up against it. The usual methods they use to try to identify a killer aren't of any use to them because the slayings are so random and seemingly motiveless that it's nigh on impossible to understand the reasoning of the perpetrator and why he targeted who he did. The major strand to the plot is complemented by a couple of minor ones, namely Fabian’s son Theodor’s decision to tell police about the deadly secret held by a group of teenagers as he feels it's the right thing to do but this unexpectedly lands him in hot water; he also has family troubles.. Not only is his family and personal life a bit of a distraction from his job but Fabian is adamant that a member of his own team, Ingvar Molander, is a serial murderer himself but whilst trying to covertly gather evidence to build a case against him it has come to Molander’s attention...
This is an author and a series I have always felt does not get the attention it deserves; Ahnhem writes thoroughly entertaining masterpieces and I feel strongly that this is his best thriller to date. He pens well-rounded plots with an engaging cast of characters, so many twists and turns, dangerous situations galore and plots that will gets the cogs whirring and the heart pumping. This is a direct continuation of the events in Motive X with multiple moving plot threads making this an intense and action-packed multidimensional read. The tension and suspense are palpable and this is a thoroughly exhilarating, compulsive and superbly crafted thriller from start to finish. Fabian is a fantastic character who despite the odds often being stacked against him remains steadfast and determined to nab the bad guys. The plot never lets up and there's never a dull moment; that goes for the killings too which are grisly and overwhelmingly gruesome.
This is a nail-biting, exciting and heart-pounding page-turner that'll please long-time fans and newcomers alike. You literally feel breathless once finished as you flip the pages ever more feverishly desperate to discover how everything is resolved. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Head of Zeus for an ARC
This is an author and a series I have always felt does not get the attention it deserves; Ahnhem writes thoroughly entertaining masterpieces and I feel strongly that this is his best thriller to date. He pens well-rounded plots with an engaging cast of characters, so many twists and turns, dangerous situations galore and plots that will gets the cogs whirring and the heart pumping. This is a direct continuation of the events in Motive X with multiple moving plot threads making this an intense and action-packed multidimensional read. The tension and suspense are palpable and this is a thoroughly exhilarating, compulsive and superbly crafted thriller from start to finish. Fabian is a fantastic character who despite the odds often being stacked against him remains steadfast and determined to nab the bad guys. The plot never lets up and there's never a dull moment; that goes for the killings too which are grisly and overwhelmingly gruesome.
This is a nail-biting, exciting and heart-pounding page-turner that'll please long-time fans and newcomers alike. You literally feel breathless once finished as you flip the pages ever more feverishly desperate to discover how everything is resolved. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Head of Zeus for an ARC