Reviews

• “The great hope of Swedish crime writing. With their political and moral standpoint, they pick up where Sjöwall & Wahlöö left off and they reach heights of insight that Henning Mankell has never even been near. And they have good stories to tell. Cell 8 is extremely suspenseful, with a plot beyond the ordinary.”

• “While reading Cell 8 you find yourself on an emotional rollercoaster. The most horrible scenes take turns with moments of peace in which you are allowed capture your breath. It is very difficult not to lapse into superlatives. Roslund & Hellström are in a league of their own. Their plots, their language, their characters, everything is of such superior quality that they actually should be judged hors concours.”

• “A future classic? /…/ This is a cliché, but if you are planning on reading only one book this fall, it must be this one. /…/ If the writers continue in this manner, I will not be surprised if they in the future will be spoken of with the same respect as Sjöwall & Wahlöö.”

• “A suspenseful read all the way through.”

• “Rarely is a plea for the abolishment of the death penalty brought forward so brilliantly in the form of a novel as in the case of Cell 8. /…/ Anders Roslund and Börge Hellström leave all other author duos writing in the thriller genre far behind.”

• “As a crime novel, Cell 8 is explosive stuff. These writers know the tricks and techniques of the thriller genre and are not afraid of making the most of this knowledge. This makes for a story where you cannot turn the pages fast enough, and where you are constantly surprised, right up to the last sentence. /…/ A beautifully narrated crime novel, incorporating a much-needed discussion on guilt and punishment that the authors have managed to blend smoothly into the action;?and as a bonus, a grim satire of the stiff upper lips of high-end politicans and civil servants.”

• “A painful read that treats an explosive theme in an original way.”

• “An incredibly suspenseful, ingeniously constructed crime novel.”

• “Read this book when you have plenty of time – it is impossible to put down.”

• “Having finished the book, I sit there, in awe, thinking:?It’s possible! It’s actually possible to write this well about something so difficult. It’s possible to depict both sides of the hatred and the revenge with this much lucidity. It’s obviously possible to challenge the crime genre with a nuanced, complex and challenging discussion on masculinities, power, and ethics. /…/ Roslund & Hellström write crime fiction that delves deep into the human soul, with rare authenticity, and with rare compassion.”

• “Spurred by a use of commas that speeds up the action, the story has a terrific drive that makes putting the book down impossible. And when you think it´s all over and have completed your plea clearly and unequivocally before your inner court, you are in the most cunning manner kicked down from behind by the novel´s denouement.”

• “A fresh breeze through the Scandinavian murder scene.”

• “Cell 8 is the most outstanding Swedish crime novel that I've read this year and must be an obvious nominee for the Swedish Academy of Crime Writers' Award.”

• “The novel has an intense drive that propels the reader forward, and a social compassion that hits its reader hard.”

• “Roslund & Hellström write Swedish crime novels of international quality. Their quickly catapulted-to-the-top authorship impresses. Buy. Read. And enjoy.”

• “This writer duo offers the reader great entertainment;?for those of you considering a suspenseful fall read, taking on 420 pages of Cell 8 is highly recommended.”

• “A gem with serious intentions. /…/ Roslund and Hellström provide no clear-cut answers, but their settlement of account with bestiality is not only thought provoking, but also clever, for me as an observer producing feelings of joy.”

• “The story has been constructed in a shrewd way and the suspense is as thick as Lützen fog throughout each chapter.”

• “The plot is constantly driven on in such an apt way that I didn’t put the book away more than a few times before I had reached the end.”

• “Cell 8 is a very well-written crime novel with a good plot.”

• “An intelligent and tight plot makes for suspenseful reading in which the unexpected turns are numerous.”

• “It is well-done, touching and breathlessly suspenseful.”

• “It is a well-written and suspensful crime novel with some, to put it mildly, unexpected turns. And despite the fact that there is a good number of parallel events that finally come together, you do not for a moment lose your thread.”

• “[A] terrific novel /…/ Roslund and Hellström are making a political statement, but they’re also terrific storytellers. You can't read this novel and then vote for the return of the noose.”

• “An extraordinary novel by the Swedish crime-writing duo, Anders Roslund and Borge Hellstrom. Cell 8 ventures into territory that’s previously been addressed by American crime writers, notably John Grisham, but has a twist all of its own. /…/ The novel is taut with suspense to the end.”

• “The characters are tough, hurt and betrayed yet infinitely human. The fate of these antiheroes is all the more delightful to follow since the reader has no problem identifying with them. The energetic style takes us to the heart of the story on the very first pages. /…/ The end takes us by surprise, leaving us stunned and breathless. Cell 8 is a reading experience that moves you.”

• “Two intriguing yet apparently unconnected story lines power Roslund and Hellström’s stellar follow-up to Three Seconds /…/ Thriller fans will relish the bitter Nordic atmospherics, relentless pacing, and brilliant twist ending, but it’s the authors’ deep exploration into the personal and political fallout from the use of the death penalty that makes this novel such a provocative reading experience.”

• “Award-winning journalist Roslund and ex-con Hellstrom eloquently explore the themes of guilt and innocence, retribution and release. This relentlessly suspenseful thriller further confirms Scandinavia as home to an impressive lot of killer crime novelists.”

• “R&H produce is not to be read if you crave soothing, escapist fare. /…/ the duo never lose sight of one imperative: to keep the readers transfixed with a mesmerising crime narrative.”

• “Opening with a gripping sequence counting down a condemned man’s graphic final moments, the novel ends with a cunning twist. /…/ those who appreciate socially conscious crime fiction should be intrigued by this European take on a hot-button American topic.”

• “This is a powerful, multi-layered novel which not only keeps you guessing but makes its campaigning points – it's a plea for abolition of the death penalty – without being preachy. The prose is unadorned thrillerese, with the barest minimum of literary bells and whistles.”

• “Cell 8 may well be one of the best thrillers you will ever read, whether you are a fan of Nordic noir or not. /…/ The mystery at the book’s core would be enough, but the character development within is superior as well.”

• “Authors Anders Roslund and Börge Hellström rapidly draw you into the cell with Frey by their evocative descriptions of the sights, sounds, smells and thoughts … I was hooked on Cell 8 from the start, with the authors delivering an intriguing plot populated by likeable but highly flawed characters. … Tension builds up beautifully and the descriptions of the people, events and surroundings are rich and authentic. The pace never flags and the storyline is thoroughly enthralling. Cell 8 is a very real and intelligent story of human emotions. … The descriptions of the lives and feelings of the characters are mesmerising … it’s a superbly clever plot with an ending that may catch you out even if you’re a sharper detective than old Ewert Grens himself.”