Reviews

• “Not surprisingly, Lars Kepler is being billed as the successor to Stieg Larsson. But Kepler, actually the pseudonym for a Swedish husband-and-wife writing team, casts a subtler, creepier spell than his countryman. /…/ Kepler has a remarkable feel for physical cruelty, and his ability to delve into a psychotic’s mind is truly shocking. Larsson is destined to have many heirs… Kepler is by far the best. /…/ It’s that good. It’s the hard stuff.”

• “The brutal slaying of gambling addict Anders Ek, his wife, and his younger daughter propels this outstanding thriller debut /…/ A well-integrated subplot involving a gang of terrifying boys and girls adds to the suspense. Readers will look forward to seeing more of Linna in what one hopes will be a long series.”

• “Belongs on every international crime fan’s reading list.”

• “A new star enters the firmament of Scandinavian thrillerdom, joining the likes of Larsson, Nesbø and Mankell.”

• “Full of surprises and more than enough twists to keep those pages turning well into the night.”

• “A worthy addition to the ever-expanding ranks of Scandinavian crime fiction. Expect caffeinated beverages, inclement weather, and severed limbs.”

• “Does the world really need another Swedish thriller? The spellbinding exploits of Detective Inspector Joona Linna and the hypnotist he hires to solve a murder make the answer clear.”

• “Ferocious, visceral storytelling that wraps you in a cloak of darkness that almost blots out the light, but still feeds the imagination. It’s stunning.”

• “All the hallmarks of a classic /…/ Tense, clever and multilayered /…/ This is crime writing at its most devilishly involving.”

• “[A] chillingly realistic tale of madness and desperation.”

• “A very, very dark story. You won’t be able to stop shivering after reading this.”

• “The most hypnotic thriller I’ve read this year.”

• “A dive into the cold and dark waters of the human mind.”

• “The Hypnotist is riveting, not only because of its breathtaking rhythm of storytelling, but mostly because of Detective Inspector Joona Linna, a cop truly worthy of a series of novels.”

• “The Lars Kepler duo have created a dark and even at times oppressive atmosphere with rapidly alternating scenes and complex but realistic characters, which constitute a superbly crafted drama that culminates in the most unexpected way.”

• “Lars Kepler manages to ingeniously connect, through their characters’ and plot’s deployment, the past and the present in a cliffhanging thriller where humanity prevails”

• “Incredibly suspenseful and well written.”

• “It seems like we have to keep another author in mind: Lars Kepler. With The Hypnotist, he has delivered an amazing debut.”

• “Brilliant, well-written and very satisfying. A superb thriller.”

• “If you don’t get carried away by this book, the question is whether you like the crime thriller genre at all.”

• “If you are only going to read one book this year, you should consider making it The Hypnotist.”

• “The Hypnotist is enormously thrilling, incredibly well-constructed and written.”

• “This really is a masterpiece of a book.”

• “[A] well written and intensely exciting crime novel, skillfully executed /… / It’s as if I’ve been hypnotized to say: Buy The Hypnotist.”

• “The story makes unexpected twists and turns, and is both original and supremely well told.”

• “The plot is a worthy action thriller, and the mental landscape is pure nail-biting horror.”

• “One of this season’s strongest Nordic crime novels.”