Reviews

• “After the fantastic debut that was The Couples Trip (…) Ulf Kvensler confirms his brilliance with The Fireman, which demonstrates the same qualities in a very different context. /…/  The Fireman is clearly the confirmation that we expected of the talented Ulf Kvensler (…) he is likely to appear regularly on the lists of the best Scandinavian thriller authors, every year. ”

• “Just like in Sarek, one can sense that the author is a skilled screenwriter. Detailed and sharp scenes follow suit whilst the dialogue flows lightly through the landscape. (…) Much like the debut, this is a real page-turner, loaded with anxiety.”

• “Like the debut, it’s fantastically well written with very strong scenes. /…/ The read is incredible, and just like Sarek, it is as if it were made to be an upcoming international blockbuster; in both books, there are scenes which leave great impressions in the readers’ minds.”

• “Ulf Kvensler skillfully and evocatively writes about Isak’s growing anxiety, about the accident that came to mark his life, and about Grandpa, who became his most important supporter.”

• “(…) A powerful and skillfully staged thriller where the tension accelerates to an almost unbearable level. /…/ A strong candidate for the Crimetime Award 2023.”

• “Ulf Kvensler continues to create tension in an incredibly skillful way, and builds his story effectively towards a real crescendo whilst giving the readers just the right amount of information.”

• “High-level excitement in all areas.”

• “Ulf Kvensler tells the story rapidly and effectively and manages to keep the tension alive throughout the book.”

• “In the psychological thriller The Fireman, Ulf Kvensler has succeeded in creating a truly gripping triangular drama about the relationship between a father, a son, and a grandfather. The themes have elements of both Nietzsche and Dostoevsky. (…) Kvensler’s storytelling style and characters keeps the reader in a firm grip from the first page to the last.”

• “The Fireman is psychological suspens at its best. /…/ Ulf Kvensler is one of my new favorites. ”

• “The Fireman jostles the reader and traps them little by little in a very oppressive atmosphere.”

• “A merciless and Machiavellian game of life and death set against the backdrop of childhood trauma.”

• “A gripping novel until the final twist.”

• “A gripping novel until the final twist.”

• “A well-oiled Swedish psychological thriller.”

• “Ulf Kvensler returns with a second, masterful noir novel. The Fireman is a dark literary puzzle. (…) A Nordic Hitchcockian atmosphere that investigates childhood trauma, the question of inheritance and sacrifice as well as the evil that each individual carries within them. Extremely effective.”

• “After the success with The Couples Trip, [Ulf Kvensler] delivers another brilliant thriller.”

• “In a seemingly peaceful and yet chilling landscape, [Ulf Kvensler] delivers a feverish thriller (…) This is a great classical novel, with family secrets, paternal madness, lies, and blackmail on every level. ”