Reviews

• “A surprising plot in the crime fiction genre about the essence of evil.”

• “Freedom is a well-crafted and razor-sharp crime novel. /…/ Arne Dahl is able to do two things that few other crime writers master to the same degree: He can write with nerve and psychological insight, and he can construct a plot where the side stories and the twists and turns of the main story come together, so that the drama becomes complex and powerful and filled with multiple dramaturgical curves on top of each other.”

• “Berger & Blom are back in full swing. The fourth installment of the magnificent Swedish crime writer’s series fully confirms that [Arne Dahl] belongs to the absolute elite within the suspense genre.”

• “The thrills continue.”

• “An intimate psychological game – with intense brutality.”

• “Arne Dahl writes solid, exciting and detailed stories.”

• “A controversial novel, as so often is the case with this internationally successful author, who constructs the fourth adventure of his investigator duo Berger & Blom in a way that is as psychologically refined as it is violent and brutal.”

• “White knuckles are guaranteed. This novel makes it clear once more why this Swede is one of the world’s most successful crime writers.”

• “Very exciting, with many surprising twists.”

• “This race against time is psychologically ingenious, fast-paced, and full of tricks.”

• “[Arne Dahl] writes well, he brilliantly constructs the plot and spices his dish with literary and underlying references [to] Nordic mythology and Icelandic fairy tales.”

• “Freedom is written and structured on such a superior level that it seems like the easiest thing in the world to write an eminent crime novel. Dahl writes sophisticated crime that is a pure delight. And gasp. What a finale.”

• “That Arne Dahl belongs in the Crime Super League is undeniable. Once again he delivers a well-written, complex and breathtakingly thrilling crime novel, that by virtue of composition and plot, constantly pushes the reader forwards in an iron grip.”

• “A thriller in which the credible and the incredible shake hands and together head for a breath-taking finale.”

• “Dahl’s novels are […] skillful and complex, with surprising twists and turns. This applies also to the latest Berger & Blom novel. It picks up speed slowly at first, only to then set off at a furious pace.”

• “Full of sudden twists, bloody, raw.”

• “Freedom is yet another page-turner of the familiar Arne Dahl quality.”

• “First-class once again.”

• “The plot is psychologically profound, ingenious, almost unbearably exciting, and sometimes terrifying. A real Arne Dahl thriller.”

• “Thrilling, bloody, and sophisticated.”

• “[A] strong Swedish thriller.”

• “Suspense to the max, criminal cases that tell of cruel brutality – this is what the Swede Arne Dahl is known for. [Freedom], too, provides thrills and chills.”

• “It’s impressive how [Arne Dahl] is on his third series and still maintains the same level of refinement and quality, or has rather even elevated it. /…/ Dahl’s style is above all characterized by a brilliant prose – there is no other Swedish writer in the genre that has him beat, and it’s a pleasure to read. And he is a master of adept plots. He is also able to incorporate many pre-Corona social issues without it seeming forced.”

• “Freedom is probably the best I’ve read by [Arne Dahl] so far. /…/ Freedom maintains a linguistic quality that pushes genre boundaries and some parts […] are truly great literature. And this [Dahl] manages without for that matter reducing the suspense element in any way. /…/ [The novel] is a thunderous journey on winding roads that always take unexpected turns en route to a just as surprising conclusion. And so when then it all is over and a small flickering flame of light can be glimpsed at the end of the pitch-black tunnel, the book finishes with a great big punch to the gut that sets the scene for the next meeting with Berger & Blom. Brilliant!”

• “Freedom is dark, brutal, and perhaps also the bloodiest book written by Arne Dahl so far. Yet at the same time, the darkness and violence are juxtaposed with deep dives into the intimate realm, and not least by Dahl’s prose and literary plays that, as usual, make the reading an utmost pleasure. On the one hand, you want to rush through the book to reach the resolution; on the other hand, you want to linger in sentences, environmental depictions, moods, and ironic quirks and humoristic glimpses. All of it is there.”

• “Dahl’s crime novels cannot be read carelessly, they’re so rich with plot twists and characters. This newest addition is no exception – concentration is key. That isn’t a bad thing, but rather stands out as refreshing amongst other more simple crime novels. I enjoyed how multi-layered and psychologically credible the novel was. Brilliant entertainment in a genre of its own.”

• “Of the crime novels I have read this year, Freedom is one of the best, perhaps even the best. Arne Dahl’s work is easy to recommend to friends of crime fiction with a tight atmosphere.”