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The Öland Series #3
Blodlag
Foråret er kommet til Øland. Ved kanten af det forladte stenbrud i byen Stenvik er der i løbet af vinteren blevet bygget to store luksusvillaer. I skyggen af dem står stenhuggernes gamle, vindblæste barakker. Omkring påske, da sneen er smeltet, flytter nye indbyggere til stenkysten.
En af dem er Per Mörner. Han har arvet en gammel stenhuggerhytte og håber på at få lov til at være i fred for sin hjerteløse far.
En anden er Vendela Larsson, hun er opvokset på øen og er nu som voksen vendt tilbage med et eneste ønske: at få lov til at møde elverne ude i det flade kalkstenslandskab, Alvaret. Hun vil bede om deres hjælp igen.
Ved det gamle stenbrud i Stenvik bor også den gamle skipper Gerlof Davidsson. Han er vendt tilbage til barndomsbyen for at nyde forårssolen - måske for sidste gang. Det eneste Gerlof ved om sine nye naboer er, at de har bygget deres huse mellem troldene, som siges at bo nede i stenbruddet og elverne, som danser på Alvaret. Grænsen mellem de to verdener går ved den røde aflejring i kalkstensklippen, som kaldes blodlag, og den grænse har altid betydet ulykke.
Blodlag er en kriminalroman, men samtidigt et drama om menneskelige forhold, der vækker fortidens naturvæsner til live og spejler dem i det moderne samfunds drømme og rædsler.
En af dem er Per Mörner. Han har arvet en gammel stenhuggerhytte og håber på at få lov til at være i fred for sin hjerteløse far.
En anden er Vendela Larsson, hun er opvokset på øen og er nu som voksen vendt tilbage med et eneste ønske: at få lov til at møde elverne ude i det flade kalkstenslandskab, Alvaret. Hun vil bede om deres hjælp igen.
Ved det gamle stenbrud i Stenvik bor også den gamle skipper Gerlof Davidsson. Han er vendt tilbage til barndomsbyen for at nyde forårssolen - måske for sidste gang. Det eneste Gerlof ved om sine nye naboer er, at de har bygget deres huse mellem troldene, som siges at bo nede i stenbruddet og elverne, som danser på Alvaret. Grænsen mellem de to verdener går ved den røde aflejring i kalkstensklippen, som kaldes blodlag, og den grænse har altid betydet ulykke.
Blodlag er en kriminalroman, men samtidigt et drama om menneskelige forhold, der vækker fortidens naturvæsner til live og spejler dem i det moderne samfunds drømme og rædsler.
443 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
31 people are currently reading
1010 people want to read
About the author
Johan Theorin
47 books457 followersThroughout his life, Johan Theorin has been a regular visitor to the Baltic island of Öland. His mother’s family – sailors, fishermen and farmers - have lived there for centuries, nurturing the island’s rich legacy of strange tales and folklore. A journalist by profession, Johan now lives in Gothenburg.
Echoes from the Dead (originally published in Sweden as Skumtimmen) is Johan’s first novel. In 2007 it was voted Best First Mystery Novel by the authors and critics of the Swedish Academy of Crime, and it has been translated into twelve languages.
Echoes from the Dead (originally published in Sweden as Skumtimmen) is Johan’s first novel. In 2007 it was voted Best First Mystery Novel by the authors and critics of the Swedish Academy of Crime, and it has been translated into twelve languages.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 172 reviews
January 26, 2025
Me gusta mucho como escribe Theorin. Los 2 libros anteriores los encontré geniales, dignos de reconocimiento a una buena novela negra. Sin embargo, a pesar de también haber disfrutado de esta parte, no lo hice tanto como con las 2 anteriores. No quiero decir que el libro sea malo ni mucho menos, pero la vara quedó un poco alta con las 2 entregas anteriores. Odié a Jerry todo el libro, lo único que generaba era problemas. Encontré que un par de personajes no calzaban mucho con la historia, a veces me pregunaba qué hacían ahí. Cuando terminé el libro dije "¿Este es el final?"... me decepcionó un poco.
Y quizás lo más importante para mí: Me dio para pensar la vida que llevaba Jerry junto a Bremer y Lukas, me creó un dilema moral ¿Fue en verdad tan malo a lo que se dedicaron? Si eso daba dinero y toda la gente lo hacía voluntariamente y era legal... mientras no hicieran daño a otras personas, no veo lo malo. No sé, me quedé pensando en eso: un buen tema para debatir desde distintos puntos de vista.
Recomiendo leer esta saga completamente. Veremos que tal la cuarta y última parte
Y quizás lo más importante para mí: Me dio para pensar la vida que llevaba Jerry junto a Bremer y Lukas, me creó un dilema moral ¿Fue en verdad tan malo a lo que se dedicaron? Si eso daba dinero y toda la gente lo hacía voluntariamente y era legal... mientras no hicieran daño a otras personas, no veo lo malo. No sé, me quedé pensando en eso: un buen tema para debatir desde distintos puntos de vista.
Recomiendo leer esta saga completamente. Veremos que tal la cuarta y última parte
June 13, 2017
This did not keep me glued to the pages like the preceding (Nattfåk), but it was still a very good read. More in the style of the first of the quartet (Skumtimmen) as the pace is a bit lower and the developments of the story take a bit of time. The "mystery" in this one is also a bit more abstract starting out - seemingly unrelated, or hardly related, things starts to slowly come together and the whole discovery is more of a number of things that feel "off". The supernatural lurks in the shadows as well and I was a bit annoyed with myself for failing to see a connection that I should have. Book number 4 will be on my "reading" shelf before long.
July 9, 2022
Not as perfect as the first two,but still very good.
April 25, 2012
SYNOPSIS
As the last snow melts on the Swedish island of Öland, Per Morner is preparing for his children's Easter visit. But his plans are disrupted when he receives a phone call from his estranged father, Jerry, begging for help.
Per finds Jerry close to death in his blazing woodland studio. He's been stabbed, and two dead bodies are later discovered in the burnt-out building.
The only suspect, Jerry's work partner, is confirmed as one of the dead. But why does Jerry insist his colleague is still alive? And why does he think he's still a threat to his life?
When Jerry dies in hospital a few days later, Per is determined to find out what really happened. But the closer he gets to the truth, the more danger he finds himself in.
And nowhere is more dangerous than the nearby quarry...
I loved Johan Theorin's
and
and this the third novel doesn't disappoint. Johan Theorin's main character Gerlof Davidsson, is moving out of the care home that he moved into in earlier novels. He's fed up doing nothing, sitting waiting to see who will be next resident to be wheeled out on a stretcher to the hospital or funeral home
He moves back to his cottage near the island's quarry, to live alone but close by are a number of 'holiday homes' and their part time residents.
Gerlof becomes entangled in the dark, troubling secrets surrounding his neighbours as the past and the present intertwine. This is mirrored in the development of tourism and its effect on the island, its inhabitants and the ‘old ways’
Theorin is such a wonderful writer, you become totally immersed in his words. His characters, plotting and the depictions of family relationship are exquisite. But it is the atmosphere the author creates soaking his stories in the wonderful sinister magic of the Swedish island of Öland, a place of dark myths, folklore and legend. The reader can almost feel the watery, weak arrival of Spring after the brutal winter and the sweet wind rushing over the Alvar
The location is like being on the edge of the world, one of those places where the sky meets the sea, beautiful, mysterious but ever so slightly disturbing.
Perfection...
As the last snow melts on the Swedish island of Öland, Per Morner is preparing for his children's Easter visit. But his plans are disrupted when he receives a phone call from his estranged father, Jerry, begging for help.
Per finds Jerry close to death in his blazing woodland studio. He's been stabbed, and two dead bodies are later discovered in the burnt-out building.
The only suspect, Jerry's work partner, is confirmed as one of the dead. But why does Jerry insist his colleague is still alive? And why does he think he's still a threat to his life?
When Jerry dies in hospital a few days later, Per is determined to find out what really happened. But the closer he gets to the truth, the more danger he finds himself in.
And nowhere is more dangerous than the nearby quarry...
I loved Johan Theorin's
and
and this the third novel doesn't disappoint. Johan Theorin's main character Gerlof Davidsson, is moving out of the care home that he moved into in earlier novels. He's fed up doing nothing, sitting waiting to see who will be next resident to be wheeled out on a stretcher to the hospital or funeral homeHe moves back to his cottage near the island's quarry, to live alone but close by are a number of 'holiday homes' and their part time residents.
Gerlof becomes entangled in the dark, troubling secrets surrounding his neighbours as the past and the present intertwine. This is mirrored in the development of tourism and its effect on the island, its inhabitants and the ‘old ways’
Theorin is such a wonderful writer, you become totally immersed in his words. His characters, plotting and the depictions of family relationship are exquisite. But it is the atmosphere the author creates soaking his stories in the wonderful sinister magic of the Swedish island of Öland, a place of dark myths, folklore and legend. The reader can almost feel the watery, weak arrival of Spring after the brutal winter and the sweet wind rushing over the Alvar
The location is like being on the edge of the world, one of those places where the sky meets the sea, beautiful, mysterious but ever so slightly disturbing.
Perfection...
February 2, 2016
Para mí el peor de la saga. Es bastante pesado y llano; también le faltó intriga: un caso con poco misterio y en partes aburrido. Sin embargo, es un buen relato, entretenido y con ese toque Theorin siempre presente.
El final me decepcionó un poco. No es de esos grandes plot-twists a los que nos tiene acostumbrados el autor, no obstante, hay una parte de la conclusión que sí me sorprendió.
Buen libro.
El final me decepcionó un poco. No es de esos grandes plot-twists a los que nos tiene acostumbrados el autor, no obstante, hay una parte de la conclusión que sí me sorprendió.
Buen libro.
August 13, 2012
A very good book. I like Theorin's style and his combining old Scandinavian legends with the current world. The combination of elves, trolls and porn might seem too much but they create an interesting counterpoint. The only line I didn't like very much was the sick daughter. Looking forward to The Echoes from the Dead.
November 22, 2017
ΒΑΘΜΟΛΟΓΙΑ: 3,5/5.
February 4, 2019
Nedavno som v kniznici vyberala knihy a tato obalka sa mi velmi pacila. A Chvala Bohu, ze som si nepamatala, ako som sa zaprisahala, ze uz od Theorina nebudem nic citat
Lebo tato kniha sa mi pacila. pacila sa mi mystika /vily a trolovia/, napatie aj vyvrcholenie. Som rada, ako to autor vyriesil s chorou dcerou.
Ale musim povedat, ze toto je tretia kniha v poradi a momentalne citam stvrtu, kde je jednou z tem znasilnovanie. V tejto knihe je to sice taka okrajova tema, ako sa mlade studentky dostali k natacaniu porna, ale hlavne teraz, ked citam knihu s muslimskeho prostredia, mam na ten postoj muzov a spolocnosti velku zlost. Ze za vsetko si mozu zeny same A ok, ked niekde pred sto rokmi, nejaky pan na majetku znasilnoval zeny, ktore pre neho pracovali, vtedy sa to bralo tak, ze ich vlastnil. /Narazam na Dom duchov/. Ale v 21. storoci???
Lebo tato kniha sa mi pacila. pacila sa mi mystika /vily a trolovia/, napatie aj vyvrcholenie. Som rada, ako to autor vyriesil s chorou dcerou.
Ale musim povedat, ze toto je tretia kniha v poradi a momentalne citam stvrtu, kde je jednou z tem znasilnovanie. V tejto knihe je to sice taka okrajova tema, ako sa mlade studentky dostali k natacaniu porna, ale hlavne teraz, ked citam knihu s muslimskeho prostredia, mam na ten postoj muzov a spolocnosti velku zlost. Ze za vsetko si mozu zeny same A ok, ked niekde pred sto rokmi, nejaky pan na majetku znasilnoval zeny, ktore pre neho pracovali, vtedy sa to bralo tak, ze ich vlastnil. /Narazam na Dom duchov/. Ale v 21. storoci???
January 28, 2021
I found it interesting that Johan Theorin tied the use of the stories of elves and trolls set on the Swedish island of Oland to Icelanders. I have read an Icelandic tale in which the folklore was highlighted but do not remember what it is.
This story is very complicated and the characters, especially elderly Gerlof Davidsson and father Per Morner, are strange "mystery solving" protagonists. The mystery/mysteries unfold very slowly and strangely. I found the woman Vendela Larsson also to be very intriguing as the story shifted from her childhood as a "wild child" living on a run down farm with three cows (Rosa, Rosa, and Rosa), her father, and "Invalid" brother.
The way fire/deliberately lit fires figure along with the fires that islanders set on Walpurgis Night was a horrific set of plot twists and are the use of characters in the porn industry who take other people's names.
I don't know if I want to read any other books by Johan Theorin. (I have already read the first one is this trilogy, Echoes From the Dead.) This one was almost too much for me to bear but I don't often get put off by evil characters and danger. I can't quite pinpoint why this one bothered me so much. It could be my frame of mind. Even though it put me off, I still find that it was excellently executed.
ADDITION on January 28th: I just ordered #4--it is a quartet, not a trilogy. Now I will see if I can take more of this series.
This story is very complicated and the characters, especially elderly Gerlof Davidsson and father Per Morner, are strange "mystery solving" protagonists. The mystery/mysteries unfold very slowly and strangely. I found the woman Vendela Larsson also to be very intriguing as the story shifted from her childhood as a "wild child" living on a run down farm with three cows (Rosa, Rosa, and Rosa), her father, and "Invalid" brother.
The way fire/deliberately lit fires figure along with the fires that islanders set on Walpurgis Night was a horrific set of plot twists and are the use of characters in the porn industry who take other people's names.
I don't know if I want to read any other books by Johan Theorin. (I have already read the first one is this trilogy, Echoes From the Dead.) This one was almost too much for me to bear but I don't often get put off by evil characters and danger. I can't quite pinpoint why this one bothered me so much. It could be my frame of mind. Even though it put me off, I still find that it was excellently executed.
ADDITION on January 28th: I just ordered #4--it is a quartet, not a trilogy. Now I will see if I can take more of this series.
February 7, 2022
Theorins tredje bok i Ölandsserien är i samma liga som debuten Skumtimmen. Även här har Gerlof en större roll i historien och bokens huvudperson Per med ett brokigt familjeförhållande är en bra karaktär. Inte lika bra som Nattfåk men jag kommer definitivt att fortsätta läsa Theorins Ölandshistorier.
August 8, 2011
Although I do believe that his first book was the best, I really enjoyed this one.
The Quarry, book #3 in Theorin's Öland Quartet, follows in the footsteps of his first two most excellent novels, Echoes from the Dead and The Darkest Room. Once again, Theorin has delivered a winner, set on the island of Öland in Sweden. It is the Spring segment of the quartet, beginning in the month of March.
As the novel opens, Gerlof Davidsson (a recurring character in these books), currently living in a retirement home on the island, decides after watching the undertakers come to take away a fellow resident that he just wants to go home to Stenvik. He has a small cottage, he's 83 and figures it's better to be at home for his remaining years. He whiles away the time making ships in a bottle, for which he is quite well paid. But there are a few new faces in the neighborhood on Gerlof's return: in the small cottage of his old friend Ernst now lives Per Mörner, divorced, father of two, who does market research for a living. Per's daughter, Pernilla, is quite ill, so he makes the best of his time with the two children at the cottage until she absolutely must be hospitalized. In one of the two new luxury homes on the eastern side of the nearby quarry live Max and Vendela Larsson. Max authors self-help books and is currently engaged in writing a cookbook; Vendela grew up on the island and has decided that the time is right to return after having been away for a long time.
Per's only other relative is his father, Jerry Morner (a name he took on for himself earlier), but Jerry lives alone elsewhere, and has had a stroke so doesn't communicate well. Per is estranged from his father for the most part, although he had promised his mother that he would look out for him. One day Per gets a call from his father, and driving out to see him, just happens to arrive as Jerry's house goes up in flames, clearly a move motivated to cause Jerry's death. Although Jerry's dad comes out relatively okay, two people were left in the house to die. The police realize right away that it's a case of both arson and murder, and now Per decides to take Jerry home with him to the cottage in Stenvik. He is reluctant to do so; their estrangement was caused by Jerry's less than savory past career as a photographer. And from here, the storyline cuts into several directions: Per begins to investigate his father's past so as to try to figure out who would want to hurt him; Vendela's past life on the island becomes a story of its own; Gerlof Davidsson, now home, decides maybe it's time to read his dead wife's old diaries. Theorin alternates between the three plotlines, alternating the present with the past, putting together a haunting story where all the threads come together toward the end of the novel.
This constant interweaving of past with present is a signature trait of Theorin's writing, and he does it well. While you're reading in the present, you want to go back to the past and vice versa. And all along, he envelops his reader in a dense atmosphere that becomes more palpable the further in the story you go. Of all of the Swedish writers I've read, Theorin is the best at placing his readers into the local scene, so that you see each tree, feel the weight of the stones in the quarry and hear feet crunching in the snow. Seriously, this author's forté is his great evocation of a sense of place, but not far behind are his characterizations. Each and every person in this novel has a distinct personality -- with his or her own internal issues, problems, emotions -- all of which come through clearly and realistically so that it is easy to engage with all of them, rather than just a few here or there. And Theorin's incorporation of local myth and legend is at the same time imaginative and rational, and adds another dimension to the plotlines. And let me add that the translator has done a great job -- I would imagine that it's not easy to convey the depth of atmosphere in a language change, but somehow, she's managed to do so.
The Quarry will hook the reader at page one and keep him or her reading until the book is finished. The suspense builds slowly throughout the story until you're so caught up in the story that you cannot put the book down, even though it weighs in at 400+ pages. I should know; I stayed up an entire night until the book was over because I couldn't wait to see what the heck was going to happen next -- the action moves quickly from scene to scene so that the length of the book just doesn't matter. You don't really need to have read the first two novels beforehand, but why wouldn't you? I'd definitely recommend this novel to readers of Scandinavian crime fiction, readers of atmospheric crime fiction in general, and especially to anyone who might want to try Theorin as an author for the first time.
The Quarry, book #3 in Theorin's Öland Quartet, follows in the footsteps of his first two most excellent novels, Echoes from the Dead and The Darkest Room. Once again, Theorin has delivered a winner, set on the island of Öland in Sweden. It is the Spring segment of the quartet, beginning in the month of March.
As the novel opens, Gerlof Davidsson (a recurring character in these books), currently living in a retirement home on the island, decides after watching the undertakers come to take away a fellow resident that he just wants to go home to Stenvik. He has a small cottage, he's 83 and figures it's better to be at home for his remaining years. He whiles away the time making ships in a bottle, for which he is quite well paid. But there are a few new faces in the neighborhood on Gerlof's return: in the small cottage of his old friend Ernst now lives Per Mörner, divorced, father of two, who does market research for a living. Per's daughter, Pernilla, is quite ill, so he makes the best of his time with the two children at the cottage until she absolutely must be hospitalized. In one of the two new luxury homes on the eastern side of the nearby quarry live Max and Vendela Larsson. Max authors self-help books and is currently engaged in writing a cookbook; Vendela grew up on the island and has decided that the time is right to return after having been away for a long time.
Per's only other relative is his father, Jerry Morner (a name he took on for himself earlier), but Jerry lives alone elsewhere, and has had a stroke so doesn't communicate well. Per is estranged from his father for the most part, although he had promised his mother that he would look out for him. One day Per gets a call from his father, and driving out to see him, just happens to arrive as Jerry's house goes up in flames, clearly a move motivated to cause Jerry's death. Although Jerry's dad comes out relatively okay, two people were left in the house to die. The police realize right away that it's a case of both arson and murder, and now Per decides to take Jerry home with him to the cottage in Stenvik. He is reluctant to do so; their estrangement was caused by Jerry's less than savory past career as a photographer. And from here, the storyline cuts into several directions: Per begins to investigate his father's past so as to try to figure out who would want to hurt him; Vendela's past life on the island becomes a story of its own; Gerlof Davidsson, now home, decides maybe it's time to read his dead wife's old diaries. Theorin alternates between the three plotlines, alternating the present with the past, putting together a haunting story where all the threads come together toward the end of the novel.
This constant interweaving of past with present is a signature trait of Theorin's writing, and he does it well. While you're reading in the present, you want to go back to the past and vice versa. And all along, he envelops his reader in a dense atmosphere that becomes more palpable the further in the story you go. Of all of the Swedish writers I've read, Theorin is the best at placing his readers into the local scene, so that you see each tree, feel the weight of the stones in the quarry and hear feet crunching in the snow. Seriously, this author's forté is his great evocation of a sense of place, but not far behind are his characterizations. Each and every person in this novel has a distinct personality -- with his or her own internal issues, problems, emotions -- all of which come through clearly and realistically so that it is easy to engage with all of them, rather than just a few here or there. And Theorin's incorporation of local myth and legend is at the same time imaginative and rational, and adds another dimension to the plotlines. And let me add that the translator has done a great job -- I would imagine that it's not easy to convey the depth of atmosphere in a language change, but somehow, she's managed to do so.
The Quarry will hook the reader at page one and keep him or her reading until the book is finished. The suspense builds slowly throughout the story until you're so caught up in the story that you cannot put the book down, even though it weighs in at 400+ pages. I should know; I stayed up an entire night until the book was over because I couldn't wait to see what the heck was going to happen next -- the action moves quickly from scene to scene so that the length of the book just doesn't matter. You don't really need to have read the first two novels beforehand, but why wouldn't you? I'd definitely recommend this novel to readers of Scandinavian crime fiction, readers of atmospheric crime fiction in general, and especially to anyone who might want to try Theorin as an author for the first time.
January 4, 2017
Kniha půjčená v knihovně naslepo, snad, že mě zaujal obal.
Švédsko, mýty a legendy, detektivní zápletka, různé osudy, proplétající se mezi sebou. Moc se mi to líbilo a už šilhám po dalších knihách stejného autora.
Švédsko, mýty a legendy, detektivní zápletka, různé osudy, proplétající se mezi sebou. Moc se mi to líbilo a už šilhám po dalších knihách stejného autora.
November 28, 2024
Trolls and elves? In a crime novel? Give me a break. It was bad enough when Theorin decided to have ghosts in the previous book, but seriously - trolls? I give up, not just on this book but on Theorin. I must just have been lucky that the first one of his I read was actually a crime novel, and not some kind of supernatural fantasy nonsense.
July 27, 2015
"Steenbloed" is het derde boek in een reeks van vier waarin Johan Theorin telkens één van de seizoenen aan bod laat komen op het Zweedse öland. Toen ik het boek kocht wist ik niet dat er 2 voorgangers waren en ik heb het dus als eerste gelezen. Het verhaal op zich is heel goed te volgen en ik denk ook niet dat het een handicap is als je de eerste twee niet hebt gelezen (al had ik ze waarschijnlijk wel beter in volgorde gelezen).
Het is lente in Oland en het leven op het eiland komt weer op gang. Veel vastelandsbewoners komen meer weekends op het eiland doorbrengen, zo ook Per Mörner en zijn kinderen, die een zomerhuisje erfden. In plaats van de rust waar ze naar op zoek waren, komen ze echter in een heel ander verhaal terecht: Per's vader - een berucht pornoregisseur - doet beroep op Per en voor hij het goed en wel beseft ontsnapt Per aan een brandstichting. Niet veel later wordt zijn vader voor zijn ogen vermoord. Daarbovenop blijkt Per's dochter Nilla heel erg ziek en moet ze een zware operatie ondergaan. Dat houdt Per echter niet tegen om uit te zoeken in welk kluwen zijn vader verwikkeld zat en waarom al die rare dingen gebeuren.
Op zich een heel goed verhaal, ook al kwam het wat traag op gang en ontzettend goed geschreven. Zelf vond ik het wat minder door de rol die wordt toegeschreven aan elfen en trollen, iets wat voor mij weer te veel in de fantasy richting gaat. Dit had ik niet bij een thriller verwacht.
Geen slecht boek, maar ik voel me niet meteen geroepen om de andere drie te lezen.
Het is lente in Oland en het leven op het eiland komt weer op gang. Veel vastelandsbewoners komen meer weekends op het eiland doorbrengen, zo ook Per Mörner en zijn kinderen, die een zomerhuisje erfden. In plaats van de rust waar ze naar op zoek waren, komen ze echter in een heel ander verhaal terecht: Per's vader - een berucht pornoregisseur - doet beroep op Per en voor hij het goed en wel beseft ontsnapt Per aan een brandstichting. Niet veel later wordt zijn vader voor zijn ogen vermoord. Daarbovenop blijkt Per's dochter Nilla heel erg ziek en moet ze een zware operatie ondergaan. Dat houdt Per echter niet tegen om uit te zoeken in welk kluwen zijn vader verwikkeld zat en waarom al die rare dingen gebeuren.
Op zich een heel goed verhaal, ook al kwam het wat traag op gang en ontzettend goed geschreven. Zelf vond ik het wat minder door de rol die wordt toegeschreven aan elfen en trollen, iets wat voor mij weer te veel in de fantasy richting gaat. Dit had ik niet bij een thriller verwacht.
Geen slecht boek, maar ik voel me niet meteen geroepen om de andere drie te lezen.
September 7, 2013
I started this book with anticipation being a fan of Nordic Noir but was alienated almost from the beginning by the clichéd characterisation and the clunky dialogue. The synopsis on the back cover leads you to expect a tightly-written murder mystery, but the story meanders all over the place with people displaying the strangest reactions to the events in their lives – a father, Per, sees his son nearly killed by an out-of-control car, but lets the driver continue his journey after an initial remonstrance. The same man has a seriously ill daughter, but never seems to make any attempt to talk to medical staff in the hospital about her condition. A widower finds his dead wife’s diaries and reads them exceptionally slowly, presumably to allow the readers of the novel time to identify her strange visitor. I am nearly through it and only persisting because I hate to admit defeat and give up on a book, but I am past caring now who did what to whom
August 2, 2011
Vid påsktid flyttar Per ut till sin ärvda stuga på Öland. Ungefär samtidigt flyttar hans grannar - neurotiska Vendela och hennes obehaglig man Max - in i en nybyggd villa längre upp. Deckarhistorien går ut på att Pers far - som drabbats av stroke och lider av dysfasi och förföljelsemani - blir först försökt innebränd och för att sedan mördas vid en senare tillfälle. Den historien varvas med att Pers dotter är svårt sjuk och tillbakablickar i grannen Vendelas sorgliga barndom och vanföreställningar.
Detta är ingen typisk deckare, den följer inte det vanliga receptet. Är man ute efter den typiska mordhistorien ur en kriminalinspektors perspektiv, blir nog detta frustrerande läsning. Då är boken lättare att smälta om man läser den som en vanlig roman. Det är lättsmält kost, perfekt för en sandstrand.
Detta är ingen typisk deckare, den följer inte det vanliga receptet. Är man ute efter den typiska mordhistorien ur en kriminalinspektors perspektiv, blir nog detta frustrerande läsning. Då är boken lättare att smälta om man läser den som en vanlig roman. Det är lättsmält kost, perfekt för en sandstrand.
January 8, 2016
The third of Johan Theorin's Oland quartet is even better than the first two in the series. it seems he gets better with every book he writes. He begins with a collection of characters and the events that govern their lives, each developing a strong sub-plot, all seemingly unrelated. As the story proceeds the characters and sub-plots begin to intertwine, creating a build up of mystery and suspense. The reader really cares about the characters and what happens to them. A superior read that builds in tension to a climax that has the reader staying up late at night to discover the ending, which is far from disappointing. Theorin is an author who comes highly recommended, a must read. His quartet is better read in sequence. Each one stands alone, but a shared main character makes reading them in sequence much more enjoyable.
January 22, 2021
This is an excellent book I give it a 4 although in many ways it deserves a five. The only flaw is that I find it difficult to understand what time period this was set and I think it was the 1990s but is not clear. In the book the author cleverly weaves a story which is steeped in the mire of porn but also is interweaved with the mysteries of elves and trolls. A great read A great story can't wait until number four in the quartet
November 2, 2012
This book started well and then kind of fizzled for me. I've read some of the author's other books and enjoyed them. His descriptions of the island and its people and their way of life draw me in, but in this particular book, the "mystery" wasn't that compelling and wasn't powerful enough to draw the various plot threads into a cohesive whole.
So . . . it's okay, but not great.
So . . . it's okay, but not great.
July 19, 2017
2.5 stjärnor. Det hände ytterst få spännande saker i boken och jag hade svårt att bry mig om brottet. Vendelas underliga historia tog upp stor del av boken och ledde aldrig riktigt till något. Enda anledningen till att den får 2.5 istället för bara 2 stjärnor är att jag gillar Theorins skrivstil.
August 22, 2017
A bit strange thriller. Liked the part about the elves but the story line was fuzzy and characters were all over the place. Okey to kill time but not much more.
May 5, 2020
Скандинавские легенды, вечная проблема отцов и детей, пиромания и любимый Эланд
Любимый Эланд!
Я около года откладывала прочтение последней книги Юхана Теорина – безмерно мной любимого – только потому, что хотела прочесть ее в тот же сезон, который описан в книге – весной.
Любимый, родной Эланд!
Я будто вернулась в свой родной поселок, знакомое море, знакомые пустыри, знакомые закаты.
И в этот раз я познакомилась с замечательными людьми, впрочем, как и всегда. Я думала о таких вопросах, как «отцы и дети», «что такое старость», «что такое одиночество», «что такое дружба» и «что такое вера». Эти вопросы (проблемы? мысли?) были подняты в книге.
По поводу «технической стороны» - тут вопросов никаких нет. Как всегда – замечательно.
С привкусом мистики, драммы и триллера.
Как сосуществовать разным поколениям, как живут разные поколения? Что такое настоящая дружба и супружеская любовь? Кто такое эльфы и тролли? И почему человек, так безмерно верит в чудеса?
Эта рецензия будет короткой и эмоциональной.
Любимый Юхан Теорин.
Любимый Эланд.
"Приговор: читать все, подписанное этой фамилией" (с)
С этим я солидарна. Так и делаю!
Любимый Эланд!
Я около года откладывала прочтение последней книги Юхана Теорина – безмерно мной любимого – только потому, что хотела прочесть ее в тот же сезон, который описан в книге – весной.
Любимый, родной Эланд!
Я будто вернулась в свой родной поселок, знакомое море, знакомые пустыри, знакомые закаты.
И в этот раз я познакомилась с замечательными людьми, впрочем, как и всегда. Я думала о таких вопросах, как «отцы и дети», «что такое старость», «что такое одиночество», «что такое дружба» и «что такое вера». Эти вопросы (проблемы? мысли?) были подняты в книге.
По поводу «технической стороны» - тут вопросов никаких нет. Как всегда – замечательно.
С привкусом мистики, драммы и триллера.
Как сосуществовать разным поколениям, как живут разные поколения? Что такое настоящая дружба и супружеская любовь? Кто такое эльфы и тролли? И почему человек, так безмерно верит в чудеса?
Эта рецензия будет короткой и эмоциональной.
Любимый Юхан Теорин.
Любимый Эланд.
"Приговор: читать все, подписанное этой фамилией" (с)
С этим я солидарна. Так и делаю!
February 11, 2022
Gerlof Davidsson decides to move out of the retirement home he's in and go back to his cottage, he wants peace for whatever is next. Nearby Per Morner has moved into Ernst Adolfsson's old cottage near the quarry where he worked, and two new, large and expensive homes have be built close by. Into one of these move Vendela and Max Larsson, she had grown up on Oland and returning has brought up all the memories, good and bad. Per's father Jerry gets in trouble and in trying to help him gets pulled into Jerry's sordid past, which puts them both in danger.
A complex plot but not difficult to follow. This book has a slightly different feel than the other two, and I didn't enjoy it as much. I found as the drama was building in the first half of the book, I felt so much dread and doom for what would come. Possibly that's more a statement on my mental being than the book but as the plot progressed I found it wasn't nearly as bad as I'd expected.
Theorin is a powerful writer of character and plot. What I have struggled most with in his books is understanding the physical lay of the land and often get confused where landmarks are supposed to be or how far in the story. A map of the characters cottages, quarry and Alvar would have been extremely helpful.
A complex plot but not difficult to follow. This book has a slightly different feel than the other two, and I didn't enjoy it as much. I found as the drama was building in the first half of the book, I felt so much dread and doom for what would come. Possibly that's more a statement on my mental being than the book but as the plot progressed I found it wasn't nearly as bad as I'd expected.
Theorin is a powerful writer of character and plot. What I have struggled most with in his books is understanding the physical lay of the land and often get confused where landmarks are supposed to be or how far in the story. A map of the characters cottages, quarry and Alvar would have been extremely helpful.
March 24, 2022
www.recensenten.se - Återigen en riktigt bra bok av Johan Theorin. Jag gillar den här Slow-burner typen av berättelser. Blodläge är tredje boken i författarens Öland-svit av böcker. Den hade en intressant story och många intressanta personporträtt. Uppläsaren Magnus Krepper passar ypperligt för denna typ av böcker.
Blodläge handlar om nya invånare som i påsk, när snön smält, flyttar in vid det övergivna stenbrottet i byn Stenvik på Öland. Genom kalkstenen på den öländska kusten sträcker blodläget ut sig, ett mörkrött stråk som förr i tiden sades vara förstenat blod från en strid mellan troll inne i berget och älvor på alvaret. Den här våren kommer flera personers liv att förändras för alltid. Bland annat Vendela Larsson, som är en kvinna som vuxit upp på Öland och sedan flyttat därifrån, men som nu återvänder till ön. Hon har en hel del traumatiska minnen från sin barndom och hon lever i ett problematiskt äktenskap. Hon vänder sig till den nyinflyttade grannen Per Mörner, som också har ett problematiskt privatliv med en svårt sjuk dotter och en pappa som fått stroke och har ett smutsigt förflutet. Läs hela recensionen här: https://www.recensenten.se/2022/03/bl...
Blodläge handlar om nya invånare som i påsk, när snön smält, flyttar in vid det övergivna stenbrottet i byn Stenvik på Öland. Genom kalkstenen på den öländska kusten sträcker blodläget ut sig, ett mörkrött stråk som förr i tiden sades vara förstenat blod från en strid mellan troll inne i berget och älvor på alvaret. Den här våren kommer flera personers liv att förändras för alltid. Bland annat Vendela Larsson, som är en kvinna som vuxit upp på Öland och sedan flyttat därifrån, men som nu återvänder till ön. Hon har en hel del traumatiska minnen från sin barndom och hon lever i ett problematiskt äktenskap. Hon vänder sig till den nyinflyttade grannen Per Mörner, som också har ett problematiskt privatliv med en svårt sjuk dotter och en pappa som fått stroke och har ett smutsigt förflutet. Läs hela recensionen här: https://www.recensenten.se/2022/03/bl...
November 10, 2018
Nejako tie Theorinove knihy nečítam po poradí, ako by som mala. :) Ale nevadí to. Spája ich postava Gerlofa, starého námorníka, ktorý už nechce zomrieť v domove dôchodcov, ale vo svojom dome. A teda aj tentoraz sa príbeh odohráva v blízkosti kameňolomu. Gerlof nie je hlavnou postavou, je úplne v pozadí, ale nakoniec aj on pomôže k vylúšteniu jedného tajomstva. Celá tá mystická záležitosť okolo víl a trolov mi prišla zveličená a opakujúca sa, ale je zaujímavé vedieť, že v ľuďoch povery stále pretrvávajú, a aj ako sa nakoniec vysvetlia. Hlavná línia vyšetrovania bola veľmi rozťahaná a zdĺhavá, na jednotlivé kúsky skladačky sa prišlo postupne, doslova krok za krokom. Ale hviezdičku naviac dávam za to, že na tie súvislosti prišiel muž, ktorý vôbec nebol policajtom. Vlastne sa mi kvôli tomu aj páčilo. No, ale rozumiem, že keď je niekto zvyknutý na rýchlu akciu, tu jej veľa nie je. Zase je to o atmosfére, o Ölandskom ostrove a o rodine.
February 13, 2023
Do série Ostrov Öland, jsem se zamilovala, a knihu za knihou, mě nepřestává překvapovat.
Mám moc ráda ten pomalu se odvíjející děj, stejně tak, jako temnou a tíživou atmosféru ostrova. Gerlof mi přirostl k srdci už v předchozích dílech, a tak mám obrovskou radost, že i v tomto, hraje nemalou roli, a spoluprovází nás, jak linií příběhu současného, tak se díky němu a jeho vzpomínkám, příběh krásně prolíná i s linkou z minulosti.
Je mi jasné, že tato série není pro každého. Nejedná se o běžné detektivní příběhy, takže obzvláště čtenáři thrillerů, budou zklamaní, ne-li přímo rozmrzelí. Jde totiž spíše o spojení nostalgie a pocitů, propojených se zločinem, jehož kořeny sahají až do životních příběhů předchozích generací. To vše se pak prolíná s osamělostí, tajemnem a legendami, samotného ostrova. Což vytváří velice svébytné příběhy.
Mám moc ráda ten pomalu se odvíjející děj, stejně tak, jako temnou a tíživou atmosféru ostrova. Gerlof mi přirostl k srdci už v předchozích dílech, a tak mám obrovskou radost, že i v tomto, hraje nemalou roli, a spoluprovází nás, jak linií příběhu současného, tak se díky němu a jeho vzpomínkám, příběh krásně prolíná i s linkou z minulosti.
Je mi jasné, že tato série není pro každého. Nejedná se o běžné detektivní příběhy, takže obzvláště čtenáři thrillerů, budou zklamaní, ne-li přímo rozmrzelí. Jde totiž spíše o spojení nostalgie a pocitů, propojených se zločinem, jehož kořeny sahají až do životních příběhů předchozích generací. To vše se pak prolíná s osamělostí, tajemnem a legendami, samotného ostrova. Což vytváří velice svébytné příběhy.
June 11, 2021
As the last snow melts on the Swedish island of Öland, Per Morner is preparing for his children's Easter visit. But his plans are disrupted when he receives a phone call from his estranged father, Jerry, begging for help.
Per finds Jerry close to death in his blazing woodland studio. He's been stabbed, and two dead bodies are later discovered in the burnt-out building.
The only suspect, Jerry's work partner, is confirmed as one of the dead. But why does Jerry insist his colleague is still alive? And why does he think he's still a threat to his life?
When Jerry dies in hospital a few days later, Per becomes determined to find out what really happened. But the closer he gets to the truth, the more danger he finds himself in.
And nowhere is more dangerous than the nearby quarry...
Per finds Jerry close to death in his blazing woodland studio. He's been stabbed, and two dead bodies are later discovered in the burnt-out building.
The only suspect, Jerry's work partner, is confirmed as one of the dead. But why does Jerry insist his colleague is still alive? And why does he think he's still a threat to his life?
When Jerry dies in hospital a few days later, Per becomes determined to find out what really happened. But the closer he gets to the truth, the more danger he finds himself in.
And nowhere is more dangerous than the nearby quarry...
December 7, 2023
Another brilliant volume in the Öland Quartet. I love the way the author maintains continuity by having characters from each volume appear in the next even if it's only tangential. (For example Julia, who was the protagonist of the first book.) In this book we have what was once the ubiquitous Swedish porn industry extending its ugly tentacles to envelop both participants and bystanders. There are also echoes of the past when Sweden was still a largely rural country with extremes of poverty. As usual, all loose ends are tied together satisfactorily in a gripping climax.
I haven't been so impressed by a series in a long while.
I haven't been so impressed by a series in a long while.
January 21, 2020
Jeg liker godt bøkene til Johan Theorin fra Ôland i Sverige.
"Blodleie" var så spennende at jeg fører den opp som
"Bok du ikke klarte legge fra deg" - ble lest på få dager, og det ble nok litt for lite søvn de siste dagene. Jeg er enig med VG som skriver at også denne tredje thrilleren er rik på litterære kvaliteter. Den første boken "Skumringstimen er blitt kåret til en av de beste krimbøkene som er skrevet i Skandinavia den siste tiden, og jeg kan bare anbefale bøkene til Theorin.
"Blodleie" var så spennende at jeg fører den opp som
"Bok du ikke klarte legge fra deg" - ble lest på få dager, og det ble nok litt for lite søvn de siste dagene. Jeg er enig med VG som skriver at også denne tredje thrilleren er rik på litterære kvaliteter. Den første boken "Skumringstimen er blitt kåret til en av de beste krimbøkene som er skrevet i Skandinavia den siste tiden, og jeg kan bare anbefale bøkene til Theorin.
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