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The Killing #1
The Killing
A page-turning adaptation of the first season of the original Danish television series The Killing, from the author of the Nic Costa series.
Through the dark wood where the dead trees give no shelter Nanna Birk Larsen runs . . . There is a bright monocular eye that follows, like a hunter after a wounded deer. It moves in a slow approaching zigzag, marching through the Pineseskoven wasteland, through the Pentecost Forest. The chill water, the fear, his presence not so far away . . . There is one torchlight on her now, the single blazing eye. And it is here.
Sarah Lund is looking forward to her last day as a detective with the Copenhagen Police department before moving to Sweden. But everything changes when 19-year-old student Nanna Birk Larsen is found raped and brutally murdered in the woods outside the city. Lund's plans to relocate are put on hold as she leads the investigation along with fellow detective Jan Meyer. While Nanna's family struggles to cope with their loss, local politician Troels Hartmann is in the middle of an election campaign to become the new mayor of Copenhagen. When links between City Hall and the murder suddenly come to light, the case takes an entirely different turn. Over the course of 20 days, suspect upon suspect emerges as violence and political intrigue cast their shadows over the hunt for the killer.
Through the dark wood where the dead trees give no shelter Nanna Birk Larsen runs . . . There is a bright monocular eye that follows, like a hunter after a wounded deer. It moves in a slow approaching zigzag, marching through the Pineseskoven wasteland, through the Pentecost Forest. The chill water, the fear, his presence not so far away . . . There is one torchlight on her now, the single blazing eye. And it is here.
Sarah Lund is looking forward to her last day as a detective with the Copenhagen Police department before moving to Sweden. But everything changes when 19-year-old student Nanna Birk Larsen is found raped and brutally murdered in the woods outside the city. Lund's plans to relocate are put on hold as she leads the investigation along with fellow detective Jan Meyer. While Nanna's family struggles to cope with their loss, local politician Troels Hartmann is in the middle of an election campaign to become the new mayor of Copenhagen. When links between City Hall and the murder suddenly come to light, the case takes an entirely different turn. Over the course of 20 days, suspect upon suspect emerges as violence and political intrigue cast their shadows over the hunt for the killer.
720 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2012
196 people are currently reading
4482 people want to read
About the author
David Hewson
111 books521 followersDAVID HEWSON was born in Yorkshire in 1953. His books range from the Nic Costa series set in Italy to adaptations of The Killing in Copenhagen and the Pieter Vos series in Amsterdam.
He's adapted Shakespeare for Audible and in 2018 won the Audie for best original work for Romeo and Juliet: A Novel, narrated by Richard Armitage.
2019 sees the release of a new, full-cast Audible drama set in New York, Last Seen Wearing, and a standalone novel set in the Faroe Islands, Devil's Fjord.
Series:
Nic Costa
Pieter Vos
The Killing
He's adapted Shakespeare for Audible and in 2018 won the Audie for best original work for Romeo and Juliet: A Novel, narrated by Richard Armitage.
2019 sees the release of a new, full-cast Audible drama set in New York, Last Seen Wearing, and a standalone novel set in the Faroe Islands, Devil's Fjord.
Series:
Nic Costa
Pieter Vos
The Killing
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 296 reviews
November 18, 2022
A fantastic novelisation of the Sveistrup BAFTA award winning TV series. I haven't yet watched the show, but as put forward in this book, bearing in mind Hewson still did additional research in Copenhagen, this is an amazing police procedural - political thriller - conspiracy tale driven by main character Lund's single mindedness in trying to discover the perpetrator of the killing. A strong Four Star 9 out of 12 read for me
2013 read
2013 read
September 14, 2017
Εξαιρετικά καλοδουλεμένο μυθιστόρημα. Ξαφνιάστηκα όταν παρατήρησα οτι ο συγγραφέας μέχρι λίγο πριν το τέλος ακολούθησε καταγράμμα την τηλεοπτική σειρά στην αφήγηση του. Σίγουρα ήταν ένα δύσκολο έργο αυτό που είχε αναλάβει - να ακολουθεί ένα σενάριο και ταυτόχρονα να το ντύνει τόσο όμορφα με εσωτερικούς μονολόγους, συναισθηματα κ.α.
Θα του έβαζα 5 αστέρια αν δεν το τραβούσε τόσο όσον αφορά την λύση του μυστηρίου. Κάπου εκεί με κούρασε.
Θα του έβαζα 5 αστέρια αν δεν το τραβούσε τόσο όσον αφορά την λύση του μυστηρίου. Κάπου εκεί με κούρασε.
July 29, 2016
'The Killing' is the twistiest murder mystery I have ever read. Just when I thought, 'Oh! It was ...' the plot takes another spiraling u-turn down a rabbit hole that somehow our favorite jaded TV woman detective, Sarah Lund, continues to follow.
Ok, yes, the author, David Hewson, cheats by withholding key pieces of evidence, which when revealed, had me groaning in amused amazement at how Hewson managed to root out yet another tangle from the story, but I was entertained, gentle reader! This book is a quite a rollercoaster ride down into secret and unmapped tunnels!
I wonder if Hewson has ever tried knitting? I think he'd be good at it.
This version of 'The Killing' is very good despite the fact it could have possibly fallen to the degradation photographers see when a photograph is a copy of a copy of a copy, called generation loss, or it could have suffered from the issues of what researchers and reconstructionists of old documents often must suss out from palimpsests. It stands up on its on strong legs. So, gentle reader, if you saw the original Danish Broadcasting Corporation TV show, or the BBC show, or the American AMC reboot with Seattle, Washington State detectives instead of the original Danish actors as detectives, this book is still another strong reimagining of the original screenplay. It has lost nothing from the transformation of screenplay to novel. Also, Hewson gave it a different ending, although the bones of the original story are in place: the characters of the obsessed Sarah Lund and her brash ambitious new partner, the two politicians fighting a bloody combat for the same elective office and their immoral support staff, and of course, the hapless beautiful murder victim and her ex-criminal family, looking for justice.
The delight of this dark mystery is mostly in how it plays out, so this is as far as I intend to reveal the plot. I recommend reading this book first before seeing the two screenplay versions. It is that good.
Ok, yes, the author, David Hewson, cheats by withholding key pieces of evidence, which when revealed, had me groaning in amused amazement at how Hewson managed to root out yet another tangle from the story, but I was entertained, gentle reader! This book is a quite a rollercoaster ride down into secret and unmapped tunnels!
I wonder if Hewson has ever tried knitting? I think he'd be good at it.
This version of 'The Killing' is very good despite the fact it could have possibly fallen to the degradation photographers see when a photograph is a copy of a copy of a copy, called generation loss, or it could have suffered from the issues of what researchers and reconstructionists of old documents often must suss out from palimpsests. It stands up on its on strong legs. So, gentle reader, if you saw the original Danish Broadcasting Corporation TV show, or the BBC show, or the American AMC reboot with Seattle, Washington State detectives instead of the original Danish actors as detectives, this book is still another strong reimagining of the original screenplay. It has lost nothing from the transformation of screenplay to novel. Also, Hewson gave it a different ending, although the bones of the original story are in place: the characters of the obsessed Sarah Lund and her brash ambitious new partner, the two politicians fighting a bloody combat for the same elective office and their immoral support staff, and of course, the hapless beautiful murder victim and her ex-criminal family, looking for justice.
The delight of this dark mystery is mostly in how it plays out, so this is as far as I intend to reveal the plot. I recommend reading this book first before seeing the two screenplay versions. It is that good.
October 18, 2015
Μου αρέσουν πολύ τα αστυνομικά βιβλία.Η Σκανδιναβία γενικότερα έχει τη γνωστή παράδοση στα αστυνομικά, τα οποία έχουν σχέση με τη διαφθορά της εξουσίας καθώς και σκληρά κοινωνικά και πολιτικά θέματα.Έχοντας δει την εξαιρετική δανέζικη αστυνομική σειρά The Killing(ο πρωτότυπος τίτλος Forbrydelsen),μου γεννήθηκε η επιθυμία να διαβάσω το βιβλίο.Μόλις όμως αντίκρισα από πόσες σελίδες αποτελείται ο ενθουσιασμός ψιλοέσβησε,αναρωτήθηκα πως θα μπορέσει ένα αστυνομικό ανάγνωσμα 900 σελίδων να κρατήσει αμείωτο το ενδιαφέρον μου…και όμως μπόρεσε!Σε αυτές τις 900 σελίδες θα παρελάσουν μπόλικοι ύποπτοι και θα διατυπωθούν αρκετές θεωρίες που θα κάνουν το έγκλημα να μοιάζει λυμένο μέχρι ένα καινούριο στοιχείο να αλλάξει τα πάντα.Μπλεγμένη στην υπόθεση,με τον έναν ή τον άλλο τρόπο,είναι και η εξουσία του τόπου,με αποτέλεσμα πίσω απ’ την αστυνομική έρευνα να εκτυλίσσεται κι ένα πολιτικό παιχνίδι.Πολύ ανώτερο από άλλα σκανδιναβικά αστυνομικά πχ.Νέσμπο και Λάκμπεργκ που παρόλη τη διαφήμιση και τις διθυραμβικές κριτικές τους δεν με ενυπωσίασαν,σε αντίθεση με αυτό εδώ που ήξερα τι γίνεται λόγω της σειράς.Ο David Hewson εμπνεύστηκε από μια υπέροχη σειρά και δημιούργησε ένα πολύ καλό αστυνομικό βιβλίο. Εκεί που λες ότι εντάξει βρέθηκε ο δολοφόνος,έρχεται μια η μια αποκάλυψη μετά την άλλη που ανατρέπει τα πάντα.Η μόνη σημαντική απόκλιση από την τηλεοπτική σειρά σε αυτό το μυθιστόρημα είναι ότι η κατάληξη είναι ελαφρώς διαφορετική.Θα προέτρεπα τους τηλεθεατές της σειράς να το διαβάσουν, μπορεί να βαρεθούν αλλά το τέλος θα τους ανταμείψει,μεγάλη ανατροπή.
November 1, 2012
This book has been added to my "all time favorite books EVER!" Words cannot express how I loved this book. The writing is seemless, but that is besides the poing. The characters are absolutely amazing. I found myself unable to put this book down and I find myself wanting to read it again and again. By far the best book I've ever read.
I really don't want to get into details about the story. Its one of those books that you're just going to have to trust me that it is a must read.
To those expecting this to be anything like the US TV show of The Killing, this is not. It is a million times better as it is based on the Danish version of the show by the same name. There really is no comparing them and the book is better. Its just one of the most gripping and thought provoking books I've read in 2012. If I were stranded on an island and could only have one book, this would be it.
I really don't want to get into details about the story. Its one of those books that you're just going to have to trust me that it is a must read.
To those expecting this to be anything like the US TV show of The Killing, this is not. It is a million times better as it is based on the Danish version of the show by the same name. There really is no comparing them and the book is better. Its just one of the most gripping and thought provoking books I've read in 2012. If I were stranded on an island and could only have one book, this would be it.
September 16, 2019
This book is written based upon the script of Søren Sveistrup, who released his debut book "the Chestnut Man" earlier this year.
The TV series, the Danish one, was benchmark television with a very human bloodhound police officer Sarah Lund who in essence lost so much personally in search of answers in solving a murder-case. She is indeed a brilliant creation and David Hewson did a swell job putting her story and her personality on paper. Hewson far better known for his Italian based books, which can only be recommended by the way, is indeed a puzzling but rightly chosen person to novelize this tv series. And yet the book can easily be read as a stand alone if you have never see the TV show. You will still be enthralled by the quality of the story and the way Hewson put it down in this book.
I was put of by the notion of Hewsons' apparent different ending but without spoiling his end you can expect an new layer that was missing form the original screenplay. I am sure that the original screenplay writer must have been satisfied with this ending perhaps even kicked himself for not coming up with it himself.
It is a brilliant story that like its TV counterpart is very hard to stop reading (or watching) and mister Hewson did a brilliant job with this book, now I am sure to continue reading its sequels. Please take the time in reading this 700 page book and you'll find yourself in the same spot I was, hard to put down the book and do something else but continue reading it.
I did binge watch the Danish TV show when I was sick at home and some friend gave me it to pass t he time. It did catch me unawares as did this book, it is far better than I expected it to be.
The TV series, the Danish one, was benchmark television with a very human bloodhound police officer Sarah Lund who in essence lost so much personally in search of answers in solving a murder-case. She is indeed a brilliant creation and David Hewson did a swell job putting her story and her personality on paper. Hewson far better known for his Italian based books, which can only be recommended by the way, is indeed a puzzling but rightly chosen person to novelize this tv series. And yet the book can easily be read as a stand alone if you have never see the TV show. You will still be enthralled by the quality of the story and the way Hewson put it down in this book.
I was put of by the notion of Hewsons' apparent different ending but without spoiling his end you can expect an new layer that was missing form the original screenplay. I am sure that the original screenplay writer must have been satisfied with this ending perhaps even kicked himself for not coming up with it himself.
It is a brilliant story that like its TV counterpart is very hard to stop reading (or watching) and mister Hewson did a brilliant job with this book, now I am sure to continue reading its sequels. Please take the time in reading this 700 page book and you'll find yourself in the same spot I was, hard to put down the book and do something else but continue reading it.
I did binge watch the Danish TV show when I was sick at home and some friend gave me it to pass t he time. It did catch me unawares as did this book, it is far better than I expected it to be.
October 22, 2012
Review originally written for audible.co.uk
I was really quite disappointed with this. There was nothing wrong with the writing per se, but I guess that just in the way a film adaptation of a book can never be as good as the book, this book adaptation of a screenplay never quite hits the mark.
Weighing in at more than twenty five hours the story is bloated and overlong. This is presumably to accommodate the twists, false starts and dead ends in the plot line, but I ended up feeling cheated and frustrated at said devices. A reader should be surprised, shocked or intrigued having been led down a path only to be redirected at the end, but these twists just do nothing to move the story on, they just elongate it. I felt as if they were there in order to provide cliffhangers for end of each episode of the TV series rather than clever plot lines in the book. The story plods along (speeding up occasionally only to get weighed down again) and I found myself checking the elapsed time, mentally urging the end to hurry forward.
The story is set in Denmark, so the choice Christian Rodska (the son of a Danish sailor) as narrator seems prudent. He can pronounce the place and character names with a level of authenticity. However, his decision to give the characters regional British accents seems entirely incongruous. The reader is listening to the intrigue at Copenhagen's Rådhus only for a character called something like Sven Munk Jørgensen to pop up with Scottish, Brummy or Sarf Lahndan accent. It draws attention away from the story and into the telling. For some audiobooks the performance is as important as the story, and indeed a good telling can make up for an average plot. In this case it just adds to the disappointment.
Shame, as there was promise in this. I'll stick to the TV version for The Killing 2.
I was really quite disappointed with this. There was nothing wrong with the writing per se, but I guess that just in the way a film adaptation of a book can never be as good as the book, this book adaptation of a screenplay never quite hits the mark.
Weighing in at more than twenty five hours the story is bloated and overlong. This is presumably to accommodate the twists, false starts and dead ends in the plot line, but I ended up feeling cheated and frustrated at said devices. A reader should be surprised, shocked or intrigued having been led down a path only to be redirected at the end, but these twists just do nothing to move the story on, they just elongate it. I felt as if they were there in order to provide cliffhangers for end of each episode of the TV series rather than clever plot lines in the book. The story plods along (speeding up occasionally only to get weighed down again) and I found myself checking the elapsed time, mentally urging the end to hurry forward.
The story is set in Denmark, so the choice Christian Rodska (the son of a Danish sailor) as narrator seems prudent. He can pronounce the place and character names with a level of authenticity. However, his decision to give the characters regional British accents seems entirely incongruous. The reader is listening to the intrigue at Copenhagen's Rådhus only for a character called something like Sven Munk Jørgensen to pop up with Scottish, Brummy or Sarf Lahndan accent. It draws attention away from the story and into the telling. For some audiobooks the performance is as important as the story, and indeed a good telling can make up for an average plot. In this case it just adds to the disappointment.
Shame, as there was promise in this. I'll stick to the TV version for The Killing 2.
October 15, 2016
Γιατί δεν γνώριζα για το βιβλίο ή τη σειρά νωρίτερα ?? Πραγματικα δεν περίμενα πως ένα αστυνομικό βιβλίο με τόσο μεγάλο όγκο δεν θα με κουράσει αλλά θα με εκπλήσσει μέχρι την τελευταία σελίδα. Νομίζω πως όλοι οι λάτρεις των αστυνομικών μυθιστορηματων πρέπει να του δώσουν μια ευκαιρια!
March 13, 2019
Even though at times this felt like the world's longest audiobook with the most suspects ever in any murder investigation, I thoroughly enjoyed this clever thriller set in Copenhagen, especially the character of Sarah Lund. I felt that at times the political threads of the story took over, which interrupted the flow of the story for me, which was probably why the audio book dragged in parts and I lost track of the large cast of characters involved in the political arena. All in all a well written, intelligent thriller. 3.5 stars
February 9, 2013
One word for this book - wow. I have eye strain from not being able to put it down. It's absolutely brilliant. I have never seem the TV show,only heard that its excellent, so I went into this with an open mind, but I was literally blown away by the pace of it; the tension never lets up.
Sarah Lund and Jan Meyer are investigating the brutal rape and murder of Nanna Birk Larsen and the murder seems to be connected to the City Hall. No one seems to care about her death; the only thing everyone is concerned about is their public image and the run up to being the Mayor. There are so many twists and turns in this incredible book they are literally breathtaking. I can usually spot the murderer in most crime books but, as the spotlight was on so many people, I was flitting from one suspect to another.
I absolutely loved the great Sarah Lund and her troubled life; and I grew to like Jan Meyer who I couldn't really take to at first.
I am just about to start reading The Killing 2 but doubt it could be anything as good as this one - or can it? - watch this space!
I can only apologise to my family and friends for being a complete and utter bookworm over the last few days.
10/10 and most definitely highly recommended.
Sarah Lund and Jan Meyer are investigating the brutal rape and murder of Nanna Birk Larsen and the murder seems to be connected to the City Hall. No one seems to care about her death; the only thing everyone is concerned about is their public image and the run up to being the Mayor. There are so many twists and turns in this incredible book they are literally breathtaking. I can usually spot the murderer in most crime books but, as the spotlight was on so many people, I was flitting from one suspect to another.
I absolutely loved the great Sarah Lund and her troubled life; and I grew to like Jan Meyer who I couldn't really take to at first.
I am just about to start reading The Killing 2 but doubt it could be anything as good as this one - or can it? - watch this space!
I can only apologise to my family and friends for being a complete and utter bookworm over the last few days.
10/10 and most definitely highly recommended.
December 19, 2017
This was an interesting experience. I didn't watch the acclaimed Scandinavian crime TV serial (so had no expectations, and no 'spoiler' knowledge) and this was a slightly unusual 'novelisation of a TV series', as opposed to the more frequent occurrence of the converse.
I was drawn to make comparisons with the likes of Jussi Adler-Olsen's 'Department Q' novels and their having been made into films, which I felt worked very well. This adaptation clocked in at 700 pages and felt a little longer than was ideal for a novel, plus the format did suffer a little in the sense that the chapters were long and took an hour or so to read, plus there appeared to be cliff-hangers spaced at regular intervals throughout that felt a bit different in structure to most crime novels. Big cast, multiple twists, ambitious plot, characters which you really get to know and like. It was well in the upper half of the Nordic crime novels that I've read, I just might've liked it more had it been 20% shorter. Still, I've got 'The Killing II' to read as well at some point.
I was drawn to make comparisons with the likes of Jussi Adler-Olsen's 'Department Q' novels and their having been made into films, which I felt worked very well. This adaptation clocked in at 700 pages and felt a little longer than was ideal for a novel, plus the format did suffer a little in the sense that the chapters were long and took an hour or so to read, plus there appeared to be cliff-hangers spaced at regular intervals throughout that felt a bit different in structure to most crime novels. Big cast, multiple twists, ambitious plot, characters which you really get to know and like. It was well in the upper half of the Nordic crime novels that I've read, I just might've liked it more had it been 20% shorter. Still, I've got 'The Killing II' to read as well at some point.
March 12, 2017
Dreadful. Apparently the TV series was great (I haven't seen it), but in book format it is frustratingly long and boring. I got fed up with Lund's investigations that went nowhere and the twists were just silly and unbeliveable. I wasn't keen on the writing style either and continual mention of scarlet/red overalls!
June 5, 2019
At 720 pages, this was a somewhat hefty tome with which to start my year's reading. Unusually, it is the novelisation of a prior, critically acclaimed, Danish television series of the same name ("Forbrydelsen" in Danish), rather than the more usual book upon which a series is based. Although I'd long meant to catch up with the series of "The Killing", I hadn't actually seen it before launching into the book.
The plot follows the investigation by Danish Vicekriminal-Kommissær (Detective Inspector) Sarah Lund and her reluctant sidekick Jan Meyer into the disappearance (which soon transpires to be murder) of Copenhagen schoolgirl Nanna Birk Larsen. Their investigation is hampered not only by a succession of mistaken suspect leads (nobody seems to tell the truth, no matter how innocent they are!), but also by political interference in the run up to Copenhagen's mayoral elections and by Lund's complicated private life.
I have to say I was blown away by Hewson's adaptation. He's reputedly spent many hours with the television show's scriptwriters, ensuring that the tone, pace and characterisations of the original are faithfully reproduced. And yet, the book doesn't read like a novelised script, by any means.
I was enjoying reading this so much that I couldn't resist the temptation to borrow the series DVD boxset and begin watching it as I was still reading the novel. I never allowed my viewing to get ahead of where I was in the book, but on reflection I don't believe reader enjoyment would be severely impacted by having already seen the original Danish series (NOT the substandard American re-make!). Hewson actually departs from the plot of the television series in several particulars, most notably in the final apprehension of the killer. To be honest, I found the ending of the novel more satisfying and consistent with my understanding of the well-developed characters than I did the rather sudden and jarring conclusion to the 20-episode series. Nevertheless, I'd highly recommend both the book and the television series on their own merits.
The plot follows the investigation by Danish Vicekriminal-Kommissær (Detective Inspector) Sarah Lund and her reluctant sidekick Jan Meyer into the disappearance (which soon transpires to be murder) of Copenhagen schoolgirl Nanna Birk Larsen. Their investigation is hampered not only by a succession of mistaken suspect leads (nobody seems to tell the truth, no matter how innocent they are!), but also by political interference in the run up to Copenhagen's mayoral elections and by Lund's complicated private life.
I have to say I was blown away by Hewson's adaptation. He's reputedly spent many hours with the television show's scriptwriters, ensuring that the tone, pace and characterisations of the original are faithfully reproduced. And yet, the book doesn't read like a novelised script, by any means.
I was enjoying reading this so much that I couldn't resist the temptation to borrow the series DVD boxset and begin watching it as I was still reading the novel. I never allowed my viewing to get ahead of where I was in the book, but on reflection I don't believe reader enjoyment would be severely impacted by having already seen the original Danish series (NOT the substandard American re-make!). Hewson actually departs from the plot of the television series in several particulars, most notably in the final apprehension of the killer. To be honest, I found the ending of the novel more satisfying and consistent with my understanding of the well-developed characters than I did the rather sudden and jarring conclusion to the 20-episode series. Nevertheless, I'd highly recommend both the book and the television series on their own merits.
January 24, 2022
This is a wonderful book that I strongly recommend. There are at least five interconnected stories, with a plot to die for and characters that will stay with you long after you finished the last sentence in the first book of this trilogy. The ending which is all Hewson is one that surely will not disappoint.
I have never watched the series, either the Danish one or the American, and as soon as I finished book two and three will go to my remote. Also, need to find one of those sweaters!
In Lund which is an obstinate, focused and brilliant detective, Sveistrup created an unforgettable character, one who is difficult to top in the Crime Fiction genre. An androgynous character in a literary world full of gentle, pretty but firm women detectives and aggressive male ones. Sarah Lund breaks the mold created by this genre….Finally!
This is a novelization by David Hewson of a screenplay by Soren Sveistrup that bears the same name. Sometimes it still reads like a script, it has the dialogue and the visual cues of a script and it resemble in format The Chestnut Man by Soren Sveistrup. Sometimes in the book there is direct translation but 70 percent into the book Hewson takes over and creates a masterpiece of Crime Fiction.
I do not care about the length of the book, in fact I already have book two of the series but it is too much to ask that they increase the size of the letters. Dear Lord! I think that by the time I finish the entire series I will need new glasses.
I have never watched the series, either the Danish one or the American, and as soon as I finished book two and three will go to my remote. Also, need to find one of those sweaters!
In Lund which is an obstinate, focused and brilliant detective, Sveistrup created an unforgettable character, one who is difficult to top in the Crime Fiction genre. An androgynous character in a literary world full of gentle, pretty but firm women detectives and aggressive male ones. Sarah Lund breaks the mold created by this genre….Finally!
This is a novelization by David Hewson of a screenplay by Soren Sveistrup that bears the same name. Sometimes it still reads like a script, it has the dialogue and the visual cues of a script and it resemble in format The Chestnut Man by Soren Sveistrup. Sometimes in the book there is direct translation but 70 percent into the book Hewson takes over and creates a masterpiece of Crime Fiction.
I do not care about the length of the book, in fact I already have book two of the series but it is too much to ask that they increase the size of the letters. Dear Lord! I think that by the time I finish the entire series I will need new glasses.
July 30, 2016
I have never read a book written from a TV series then turned into a book. Initially it dose not make sense. 'The book usually being better than the film!'
This is an exception to the rule! The plot twists and turns relentlessly, and I can see how the TV series was plotted and paced through the chapters.
The tiny problem I found with this, was that I could judge that they had not found the murderer, even though an arrest had been made, because I could see that I still had say four pages a head of me, and I knew the book could not possibly come to an end yet.
That is a small quibble, in what is ultimately a solid piece of entertainment!
As a side note to my review. The lead Detective felt to me like she suffered from some form of autism! Interesting use character trait!
This is an exception to the rule! The plot twists and turns relentlessly, and I can see how the TV series was plotted and paced through the chapters.
The tiny problem I found with this, was that I could judge that they had not found the murderer, even though an arrest had been made, because I could see that I still had say four pages a head of me, and I knew the book could not possibly come to an end yet.
That is a small quibble, in what is ultimately a solid piece of entertainment!
As a side note to my review. The lead Detective felt to me like she suffered from some form of autism! Interesting use character trait!
July 7, 2012
As a fan of the tv show, I had quite a squeeeee moment when I discovered the existence of this book. Hewson seems to have captured the essence of the show and the characters and I could picture the scenes I'd seen as I was reading them. But, the reason why this does not get 5 stars is because of the changes Hewson made to the ending. I can't understand why he was allowed to do this and what purpose it served.
August 26, 2012
The Killing is a novelisation of the fantastic 20 hour Danish television crime drama which hit British screens in 2011. It manages to condense the entire series with all of the twists and turns, and red herrings, in the storyline into a 720 page novel, which keeps you guessing and thinking that you know who the killer is only to have the rug pulled out from under you only pages later.
The only major deviation from the TV series to this novel is that the ending is slightly different which gives an entirely different impression to the story than the ending of the television series did. I much preferred the ending of the TV series, but the ending presented here made just as much sense as the original ending did, but it did rankle with me a bit to be honest, but that is probably because I read it after I had seen the television series.
As a crime novel in its own right this works really well but I would have to say that the TV series is much better but that this isn't a bad book if you were just to read this and not watch the television series. The characters come across just as well on the page as they do on screen apart from the odd few whose mannerisms and quirks were not captured so well on the page as on screen, but that will only be a factor if you read this after watching the television series.
If you find it difficult to watch a series with subtitles then I would recommend that you read this book rather than watching the tepid American remake.
The only major deviation from the TV series to this novel is that the ending is slightly different which gives an entirely different impression to the story than the ending of the television series did. I much preferred the ending of the TV series, but the ending presented here made just as much sense as the original ending did, but it did rankle with me a bit to be honest, but that is probably because I read it after I had seen the television series.
As a crime novel in its own right this works really well but I would have to say that the TV series is much better but that this isn't a bad book if you were just to read this and not watch the television series. The characters come across just as well on the page as they do on screen apart from the odd few whose mannerisms and quirks were not captured so well on the page as on screen, but that will only be a factor if you read this after watching the television series.
If you find it difficult to watch a series with subtitles then I would recommend that you read this book rather than watching the tepid American remake.
May 31, 2017
I really wanted to like this book but had a very hard time with it. First of all it is almost 800 pages of a simple murder mystery that could have been solved in 350 pages. It needs some serious editing. And I understand plot twists but this was almost ridiculous. The author came up with probably 10 different suspects that the police were sure committed the murder only to have our heroine female detective keep thinking about the case and then discount every suspect that was mentioned. I almost became laughable. At one point the police actually close the case and Lund, the female detective starts digging around in old cases and reopens the case because the person who was arrested could not have possible killed the poor girl that died. And when we finally do get to the end, the conclusion is ridiculous to say the least, and really makes no sense. I understand this is a series of books and I won't be reading the others.
December 1, 2021
Dreadful. I don´t like Hewson´s works (tried 2 of his Nic Costa series and found them very,very bad), but I loved The Chestnut Man,and I enjoy long books, so I thought I´d give this a try.
Big, big mistake. Nothing redeemable about this book.
The writing: Choppy,amateurish. It doesn´t even read as a movie script, as some reviewers pointed out;it just reads as bad, bad writing.
The plot: Ridiculous,boring, twists you see a mile off. Too long,lots of (uninteresting) filler.
The characters: absolutely unbelievable. Lund is a caricature of good fictional detectives, and I won´t bother with Meyer, not worth my time.
Big, big mistake. Nothing redeemable about this book.
The writing: Choppy,amateurish. It doesn´t even read as a movie script, as some reviewers pointed out;it just reads as bad, bad writing.
The plot: Ridiculous,boring, twists you see a mile off. Too long,lots of (uninteresting) filler.
The characters: absolutely unbelievable. Lund is a caricature of good fictional detectives, and I won´t bother with Meyer, not worth my time.
March 5, 2020
23 FEB 2020 - Having watched and enjoyed Seasons 1 and 2 of the American version of The Killing, I decided it was time to read the book version. Here goes!
Wow! This was one heck of a read.
Wow! This was one heck of a read.
did-not-finish
November 9, 2025Dnf op blz 50, te veel namen, te lange hoofdstukken en te veel (onbenullige) details, waardoor ik totaal niet in het verhaal kom.
October 12, 2012
Why did I read it? I have been on a Scandi-Nordic fiction kick since midwinter 2011, and I heard the television drama series was good, but I couldn't afford to purchase the DVD; so I snapped up a preview copy from Amazon, but found it already released in audio format and downloaded it instead.
What's it about? Detective Inspector Sarah Lund is leaving her job with the Danish police and moving to Sweden with her fiancé and Son, but on the last day a teenage girl goes missing. Nanna Birk Larsen is found raped and brutally murdered, and Lund is unable to break from the case to leave, despite her replacement, Detective Inspector Jan Meyer, itching to take over.
What did I like? There are mistakes made by the police in their investigation, not everything is straightforward because - to quote the fictional Dr. Gregory House from television - "Everybody lies". The listener is not always sure of Lund's thinking, or how she makes the connections she does in her investigations. Lund seems very well drawn, as do the all the other characters.
Like most detectives in Scandi-Nordic crime fiction, the family life of Lund is dysfunctional, as are her working relationships, adding to the character interest; she is fallible but apparently not vulnerable. In The Killing we have the addition of the dysfunctional world of politics, and the disintegration of the family of the victim.
I liked that things seemed rather all over the place, and it all only draws together in the last 20 minutes of the audio version. The audio was clear, without error and with a steady, even volume.
What didn't I like? I can't say what it was, but when I first started listening, I gave up very early on. It just could not hold my attention. I can't say if it was the narration, the storyline or what. Months later, I started re-listening and was completely and utterly drawn in.
Though based on the television series, it seems to stray from it in many places, at least according to synopses and analyses I've found in various places on the internet. In that respect, I am not sure I got what I wanted from it, which is an alternative to watching/buying the DVDs.
Christian Rodka as narrator seems to struggle to find unique voices for the characters, employing various English accents, but somehow it just wasn't engaging. I though it rather forced and false. Eventually, I got used to his style, but I didn't think his narration enhanced the book.
Would I recommend it? Yes, though I would warn it's not an exact replica of the television drama and, perhaps would recommend reading, rather than listening to it.
What's it about? Detective Inspector Sarah Lund is leaving her job with the Danish police and moving to Sweden with her fiancé and Son, but on the last day a teenage girl goes missing. Nanna Birk Larsen is found raped and brutally murdered, and Lund is unable to break from the case to leave, despite her replacement, Detective Inspector Jan Meyer, itching to take over.
What did I like? There are mistakes made by the police in their investigation, not everything is straightforward because - to quote the fictional Dr. Gregory House from television - "Everybody lies". The listener is not always sure of Lund's thinking, or how she makes the connections she does in her investigations. Lund seems very well drawn, as do the all the other characters.
Like most detectives in Scandi-Nordic crime fiction, the family life of Lund is dysfunctional, as are her working relationships, adding to the character interest; she is fallible but apparently not vulnerable. In The Killing we have the addition of the dysfunctional world of politics, and the disintegration of the family of the victim.
I liked that things seemed rather all over the place, and it all only draws together in the last 20 minutes of the audio version. The audio was clear, without error and with a steady, even volume.
What didn't I like? I can't say what it was, but when I first started listening, I gave up very early on. It just could not hold my attention. I can't say if it was the narration, the storyline or what. Months later, I started re-listening and was completely and utterly drawn in.
Though based on the television series, it seems to stray from it in many places, at least according to synopses and analyses I've found in various places on the internet. In that respect, I am not sure I got what I wanted from it, which is an alternative to watching/buying the DVDs.
Christian Rodka as narrator seems to struggle to find unique voices for the characters, employing various English accents, but somehow it just wasn't engaging. I though it rather forced and false. Eventually, I got used to his style, but I didn't think his narration enhanced the book.
Would I recommend it? Yes, though I would warn it's not an exact replica of the television drama and, perhaps would recommend reading, rather than listening to it.
April 25, 2014
‘The Killing’ is yet another high quality Scandinavian crime novel with a strong and interesting female character: namely Sarah Lund, a detective in the Copenhagen Police department. It’s Sarah Lund last day in the Danish police force. She is about to move to Sweden with her son to start a new life with her partner. All that changes when a 19 year old girl is found raped and murdered. Her replacement, Jan Meyer has not got her experience when it comes to this type of investigation, so she is asked to stay on to help solve the crime. The unusual thing about this book is that it is based on a screenplay of a very successful Danish television series of the same name, when usually the book comes before the film. I have yet to see the TV series and I am very glad I read the book first. Obviously the core of the novel is the murder investigation. However, the murder was committed at the time of an election campaign for the Mayor of Copenhagen, and there are links to the girl with officials at city hall which adds an interesting dimension to the story. The author ‘David Hewson’ also does a skillful job of bringing the Sarah Lund’s character to life, with her obsession with the murder case and all her flaws, especially regarding her relationships with her lover, son and Jan Mayer who is working with her on the case. The victim’s family is also a major theme in the novel and the affect the murder has on the parents is also handled really well.
This book is 700 pages, which is long for a crime thriller. There are also a lot of suspects. Although the book griped me from the start, there was a point after about 500 pages where I was beginning to think that, there are elements to the story that work better as a TV series and perhaps could have been cut out of the book. However, I was not tempted to skip any pages and it wasn’t long before there were a number of new twists and turns and I was drawn back in again.
This book is 700 pages, which is long for a crime thriller. There are also a lot of suspects. Although the book griped me from the start, there was a point after about 500 pages where I was beginning to think that, there are elements to the story that work better as a TV series and perhaps could have been cut out of the book. However, I was not tempted to skip any pages and it wasn’t long before there were a number of new twists and turns and I was drawn back in again.
July 12, 2014
Sorry! I didn't like it .toooo many twists. Ok we all know how politicians are. So many pages to prove the fact that although the crime had nothing to do with the elections , the politicians interfered and ruined the investigation to cover "spots on their reputation" . So if it wasn't the election period it would be easy to nail the murderer. Bla bla bla .... I m sure it was ok for a television crime mystery but it was a boring book. And oh!!! Although I usually do not find the murderer, on this one I had the whole idea of what happened since page 300.
June 25, 2014
Έχω δει την σειρά και για αυτό δεν το απόλαυσα και τόσο πολύ αλλά ευτυχώς το τέλος δεν με απογοήτευσε. ΚΑΜΙΑ ΣΧΕΣΗ με την σειρά....Η ΑΠΟΛΥΤΗ ΑΝΑΤΡΟΠΗ!!!!!!!!!!Και με μια έξτρα σκηνή που εγώ έχοντας δει την σειρά την είχα απορία,τι ακριβώς έγινε με την Νένα, το θύμα.....Αν δεν έχετε δει την σειρά, θα το απολαύσετε περισσότερο.
March 1, 2025
I first discovered Sarah Lund when she appeared in a dream of Eddy's in Absolutely Fabulous and then of course I ended up watching The Killing and it continued me down the path of Nordic noir which is one of my favourite genres.
This is one of those stories where you keep thinking you have worked out who the killer is but there are constant twists. It's done extremely well that keeps you wanting to read or watch.
I love that it shows all the different sides of a case. The police, the victim's family, those wanting to hide something, and those just caught in the crossfire of it all. There is so much depth to it.
Lastly, the character of Sarah Lund. No one probably wants to work with her and she can't connect with anyone but she is the one you'd want fighting in your corner because she will give everything to get to the truth. Flawed but amazing character.
This is one of those stories where you keep thinking you have worked out who the killer is but there are constant twists. It's done extremely well that keeps you wanting to read or watch.
I love that it shows all the different sides of a case. The police, the victim's family, those wanting to hide something, and those just caught in the crossfire of it all. There is so much depth to it.
Lastly, the character of Sarah Lund. No one probably wants to work with her and she can't connect with anyone but she is the one you'd want fighting in your corner because she will give everything to get to the truth. Flawed but amazing character.
October 21, 2025
Ashley's Novel 📚 and spooky season read and read the world (Denmark).
3.5 ✨ rounded up
Synopsis:
Beginning with the murder of a young woman, this story follows the twists and turns of the murder investigation, which also includes twisty, dark views of the political powerhouses as well.
Review:
This is one twisty thriller!! Just when you have an idea on the culprit, a new bomb is dropped. I loved following the investigation, seeing where it went and who was to blame.
I did find Lund quite annoying in her single-mindedness (especially near the end with Meyer - that was sociopathic levels of focus on the case) but, besides that, I enjoyed the story.
On reflection, I also found the sheer amount of twists a bit annoying. It went beyond realistic to a bit ridiculous, and very clearly a trope. Saying that, it was very addictive and I can't wait to watch the TV show!
3.5 ✨ rounded up
Synopsis:
Beginning with the murder of a young woman, this story follows the twists and turns of the murder investigation, which also includes twisty, dark views of the political powerhouses as well.
Review:
This is one twisty thriller!! Just when you have an idea on the culprit, a new bomb is dropped. I loved following the investigation, seeing where it went and who was to blame.
I did find Lund quite annoying in her single-mindedness (especially near the end with Meyer - that was sociopathic levels of focus on the case) but, besides that, I enjoyed the story.
On reflection, I also found the sheer amount of twists a bit annoying. It went beyond realistic to a bit ridiculous, and very clearly a trope. Saying that, it was very addictive and I can't wait to watch the TV show!
February 24, 2020
3.5/5
While the majority of the book was gripping and a page turner, I felt a bit bored when it came to the Larsens - Pernille & Theis. Their parts could have been shortened and my rating would go up. Detective Sarah Lund is diligent and needed some background. It is a character shrouded in mystery. The parallel political drama blends well. Almost every character comes under suspicion at some point and we yet remain in doubt about their guilt or innocence. The author has connected all threads well and added a twist towards the end which I feel is quite logical. Will definitely try to read others by the original author and this one too.
While the majority of the book was gripping and a page turner, I felt a bit bored when it came to the Larsens - Pernille & Theis. Their parts could have been shortened and my rating would go up. Detective Sarah Lund is diligent and needed some background. It is a character shrouded in mystery. The parallel political drama blends well. Almost every character comes under suspicion at some point and we yet remain in doubt about their guilt or innocence. The author has connected all threads well and added a twist towards the end which I feel is quite logical. Will definitely try to read others by the original author and this one too.
June 28, 2018
*2.75
I want to start by saying that I wanted to love this book, and I have not watched the tv series.
I found myself having a hard time getting into this story and it is a really big book with almost 800 pages and could have been done in under 500, there was a lot I thought that could have made te edit cuts.
I want to say as well that it is well written but lacks interest at times, and I found it hard to continue, with that in mind I would also like to state I don’t intend to finish the series, but I do intend to watch the TV show.
I want to start by saying that I wanted to love this book, and I have not watched the tv series.
I found myself having a hard time getting into this story and it is a really big book with almost 800 pages and could have been done in under 500, there was a lot I thought that could have made te edit cuts.
I want to say as well that it is well written but lacks interest at times, and I found it hard to continue, with that in mind I would also like to state I don’t intend to finish the series, but I do intend to watch the TV show.
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