The Asylum

by Johan Theorin

'We don't talk about sick or healthy people at St Patricia's. Words such as hysteric, lunatic and psychopath... They are no longer used. Because who amongst us can say that we are always healthy?'

An underground passage leads from the Dell nursery to Saint Patricia's asylum. Only the children enter, leaving their minders behind. On the other side are their parents - some of the most dangerous psychopaths in the country.

Jan has just started working at the nursery. He is a loner with many secrets and one goal. He must get inside the asylum . . .

What is his connection with one of the inmates, a famous singer?

What really happened when a boy in his care went missing nine years ago?

Who can we trust when everyone has something to hide?

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Crime, Horror, Mystery, Swedish Literature, Sweden

409 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Throughout 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.

Reviews

[Franco Santos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Estoy tumbada en la cama
y Jan está a mi lado.
Sabemos dónde estamos,
adónde nos conduce el viaje.
Nos conduce al espacio
y allí hace mucho frío,
mas la oscuridad es tan bella
que uno puedo olvidarlo todo.

Gran libro de Johan Theorin, un autor que debería ser más conocido y mejor valorado. El guardian de los niños cuenta una historia con mucho misterio, con un muy buen desarrollo de los personajes, una prosa madura y con un ritmo ligero, lento y absorbente. Sin embargo, lo que más resalta es el personaje principal, Jan, un hombre solitario y asocial con todos menos con los niños. El tema central de esta novela es la soledad. Es un relato muy triste y conmovedor, a la par de oscuro. También tiene cambios de tiempo, cosa que a mí me encanta.

La soledad es algo terrible, y por desgracia yo la he sufrido durante muchos años. En el silencio de la noche, cuando nadie más está despierto... Es tan fácil dejarse arrastrar por la soledad para acabar ahogado en ella.

Lo único que no me convenció de esta obra es el final. Theorin deja mucho sin resolver y sin contar. (Terminá el libro cuando quieras, eh, total, no me importa). El cierre es feo. En todos los sentidos de la palabra. Final triste e insatisfactorio. Con una buena sorpresa, sin embargo.

Lo recomiendo sin lugar a dudas a quienes busquen un misterio adictivo y bien desarrollado.

[Farah Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Nordic Noir is super creepy with an unexpected twist that will leave you thinking long after reading it. If you’re looking for a dark psychological thriller with a twist I highly recommend this book.

[Dimitris Passas (TapTheLine) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Μετά την ανάγνωση του πρώτου μέρους της τετραλογίας του Oland, ο Johan Theorin μπήκε στη λίστα των αγαπημένων μου crime/thriller συγγραφέων. Το ''Αsylum'' είναι ένα standalone ψυχολογικο θρίλερ, το οποίο εψαχνα για αρκετό καιρό και εν τέλει το κατέβασα από το amazon στην έκδοση για το kindle. Δεν μπορώ να πω ούτε ότι ενθουσιάστηκα, ούτε ότι απογοητεύτηκα. Η αφήγηγη είναι πιστή στο σκανδιναβικό μοντέλο, με πολλά flashbacks στο παρελθόν του κεντρικού χαρακτήρα που μας αποκαλύπτουν σταδιακά τα κίνητρα του, ενώ στον παρόντα χρόνο η ροή του βιβλίου είναι γρήγορη και οι περιγραφές συμβάλλουν στην δημιουργία σασπένς και αγωνίας για την τύχη των χαρακτήρων. Προσωπικά, βρήκα το ''Asylum'' περισσότερο σκοτεινό, στενάχωρο και μελαγχολικό από τα πρώτα δύο βιβλία της τετραλογίας του Oland (΄΄Αντίλαλοι νεκρών΄΄, ΄΄Το πιο σκοτεινό δωμάτιο΄΄) και οι τελευταίες σελίδες του βιβλίου αφήνουν μια γλυκόπικρη αίσθηση στον αναγνώστη που καθ΄όλη τη διάρκεια του βιβλίου παρακολουθεί τις προσπάθειες του κεντρικού πρωταγωνιστή της ιστορίας Jan Hauger να επανασυνδεθεί με τον παιδικό και πρώτο του μεγάλο έρωτα, με την αναζήτηση να τον φέρνει στο άσυλο για τους ψυχοπαθείς εγκληματίες, όπου βρίσκεται έγκλειστη πλέον η γυναίκα των ονείρων του Jan.
H ιστορία έχει αρκετές ανατροπές που κράτανε ζωντανό το ενδιαφέρον του αναγνώστη, ενώ η πραγματικά μεγάλη ανατροπή έρχεται λίγο πρίν την ολοκλήρωση του βιβλίου και η γνώμη μου είναι ότι ήταν αρκετά επιτυχημένη. Η βαθμολογία μου είναι για την ακρίβεια 3,5 αστεράκια και επόμενο πρός ανάγνωση βιβλίο του Theorin είναι το ''The Quarry''.

[Mio · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's strange. This ought to have been a very engaging story. The main character Jan has had a troubled youth and is now working with children - and successfully so. He really does care for the children and the kids love him. He doesn't have much of a social life, though, and has spent a great many years looking for his friend from back then, an Alice Rami.

The story jumps between now and then and in between - and it works. I just never really start to care about the troubled Jan and none of the side characters are interesting enough to grab my attention either.

All in all, this is a rather weak story and does never reach the nerves that Theorin manages to set off with his Öland books. It's a decent two, but sadly never gets close to a steady three.

[Tanja Berg · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Sankta Psyko" är en förkortelse av "Sankta Patricias regionklinik" och där vårdas patienter på psykiatriska enheter. Invid mentalvårdsenheten ligger en förskola för barn vars föräldrar är inlåsta - att träffa barnen är en del av terapin. De slussas in på psyket genom en underjordig gång. Hit kommer Jan Hauger för att jobba som barnskötare - eller förskollärare, det är något oklart. Han har sina grunder för det. Jan tror att Sankta Psyko hyser en av hans få gamla vänner och han vill ha kontakt.

Jan har en präktig cv, så han blir anställd. Fast han är inte så plättfri som det ser ut på pappret - en gång för många år sen var han ute i skogen med en grupp barn, och kom tillbaka med ett för lite. Motivet för det här känns luddigt, för planeringen av lilla Williams försvinnande var noga planerat. Av Jan, som hämnd. Boken väver in och ut av nutid och förtid. Dels händelserna runt lilla Williams försvinnande och dels om tiden Jan var inlåst på "Bangen" - barn och ungdomspsykiatrisk klinik. Jan är en instabil och sargad själ, det inser man snabbt, och man väntar spänt på vad han ska ställa till med.

Johan Theorin skriver den här boken lika stämningsfullt och krypande som många andra av hans böcker, men det är något som fattas. Det blir inte någon slående "aha" upplevelse på slutet och historien kryper inte under skinnet som t.ex. "Nattfåk" gör. Det som är intressant är hur en såpass enkel historia ändå höll mig bunden, mycket tack vare det eleganta språket och de trovärdiga konversationerna. Det här är ett helt okej val av bok för en regnig eftermiddag när man inte har något bättre för sig, så länge man håller förväntingarna i schack. "Sankta Psyko" är inte alls lika bra som Johan Theorins tidigare verk.

[La loca de los libros · Rating 5 out of 5]

A ver por dónde empiezo.... sentimientos encontrados es lo que me ha dejado. Me ha encantado, de eso no hay duda, la historia personal del personaje principal; Jan Hauger, me ha tocado, y Alice Rami ❤ Ohhh Alice, la adoré, pero deseé que en el final tuviera más presencia, por decirlo de alguna manera. En la historia se van intercalando momentos de la vida pasada de Jan que nos ayudan a entender su situación actual. La historia es pausada, muuuy pausada, pero la he disfrutado enormemente, van pasando pequeñas cosillas que te hacen quedar pegada literalmente a sus páginas. Me ha enternecido la maravillosa historia de amor/amistad de ambos (Jan y Alice), los temas que ha tratado, como el bullying, la soledad y el amor adolescente y lo que puede hacer en nosotros, y la forma de narrarlo. Perooo.... ese final!!!! Eso no se hace!! Debe haber una segunda parte y yo no me he enterado, aunque me temo que no es así :( Me ha dejado con un poso amargo de: "¿¿ya??, ¿¿eso es todo??, ¡¡quiero más páginas!!" Debería haber terminado mejor, no me pareció justo y no digo nada más!! Mejor léanlo, la historia es muy buena pero para mi gusto mal rematada. Adoro la atmósfera creada y por eso mi puntuación, he sido generosa a pesar de ese final; muy precipitado y diría que inconcluso.

[Julie (Bookish.Intoxication) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I recieved this novel from NetGalley.

This novel, although engaging and well written/trasnlated, was confusing and hard to grasp the initial meaning behind the characters motives. The characters themselves were fantastically created and seemed like normal people, they were deep and multi-dimensional. The aspect of the setting was also incredibly clever, considering the characters pasts. This being said, it was still a highly confusing novel.

The ending was unsatisfying and seemed to lack that 'big' moment that the novel needed to tie it all in together. The fact that the Protagonist ended up in the way he did seemed to take away from the novel, although it does show that life never pans out how we want it to.

This novel was well written and well translated, I enjoyed the characters and their growth, or lack there of. I think it could have somewhat different, it was alluring and engaging, but the confusion of not understanding the processes within the novel was angering and took away from the depth of the novel. A good read. Great for fans of psyhological novels.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Visserligen spännande, men samtidigt svårt att sympatisera med Jan, trots den svåra mobbingen och och allt som kommer till. Han är lite för besatt, lite för godtrogen. Plus att hintarna man får i början om hans motivation bakom hans "borttappande" av pojken William, gör att man misstänker honom för alla möjliga saker och man ser honom inte som en sympatisk person.

Det här slutet är ett snäpp bättre än det "worst case scenario" jag var rädd för, men det är knappast något som ger ett högre poäng.

Dock oerhört fascinerande, även om folk kändes lite kantiga.

[Nina · Rating 5 out of 5]

jag älskar den här boken så otroligt mkt och har älskat den i flera år:’) kan läsa om den flera gånger och älskar den lika mkt varje gång !!!!

[Jitka Jitulisko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Skrýš od J.Theorina

Anotace – Jan Hauger, devětadvacetiletý učitel, přichází pracovat do mateřské školky v jednom větším městě na západním pobřeží Švédska. Mýtina ale není běžná školka – sousedí totiž s psychiatrickou Klinikou svaté Patricie, jíž se mezi lidmi říká Svatá Psycho, zvláštním zařízení s ostrahou, kde jsou internováni psychicky narušení pachatelé násilných trestných činů. Mezi nimi jsou i rodiče dětí z Mýtiny. Smyslem pobytu dětí ve školce je, aby jim byl s rodiči umožněn kontakt. Jedním z Janových pracovních povinností je eskortovat děti podzemním tunelem, který školku a kliniku spojuje. Jan je schopný pedagog, který ovšem leccos tají – například to, proč tolik stojí o místo právě v Mýtině, nebo to, k čemu došlo o několik let dříve, kdy šel se skupinou dětí ze školky, v níž tehdy působil, na procházku do lesa a při návratu mu jedno z nich chybělo.

Děj – Začínáme žádostí o práci ve školce spolupracující s Místní klinikou. Poznáváme přísná pravidla a příkazy. Jan se rychle přizpůsobí. Práci s dětmi miluje. Autor pomalu, ale jistě nahlodává moji zvědavost. Některé kapitoly jsou vzpomínkové, nakousávající nějaký minulý děj. Když si, ale myslíte, že za chvilku osvětlí, přidá jinou vzpomínku a vy musíte číst dál. Dějů z minulosti je víc a všechny spolu mistrovsky souvisí. Každá jedna vzpomínka navazuje na jinou. Zjišťujete, že každý ač vstřícný, milý človíček má nějaké to černé tajemství. Někdy si prostě musíte říct, jak je to možné? Jsme tak slepí nebo oni dokáží tak dobře skrývat tajemství….? Pomalu se blížím ke konci knihy a příběh, jeho počátek všeho dalšího počínání se začíná rozjasňovat. Běhá mi mráz po zádech a už mi pomalinku svítá. Co všechno rozpohybuje jeden „nevinný“ puberťácký slib. A kdo mu věří? Jsou schopni věcí, které nejsou zrovna „vhodné…“ Soukolí příběhu do sebe až hrůzostrašně přesně zapadá dílek po dílku…. A posledních pár stránek Vám ho celé zboří.

Šílenství je smutné a pochmurné.
Když nad sebou člověk ztratí kontrolu,
Je na tom sotva co romantického.
Namísto toho, aby unikl z reality,
Uvízne v ještě komplikovanější pasti.
Julian Palacios

Postavy – Jan Zpočátku je celý vyplašený. Má tajemství a bojí se, aby na něj nikdo nepřišel. Je to 9 let stará noční můra. Jan působí dojmem velice příjemného člověka. Sice se straní, ale ne nijak výrazně. V práci zapadne, kolegové o něm mluví jen v dobrém.

Hanna. Milá štíhlá blondýnka. Je ze skupiny učitelů v mýtině nejmladší. Práce s dětmi ji vyčerpává, jak sama říká a má svůj způsob jak si oddychnout…. Je to taková, žena v krizi, podle mě se hledá, a to ne na zrovna vhodných místech a se zrovna vhodnými lidmi….

Lilian – další učitelka z mýtiny. Je to veselá kopa. A příjemná nápomocná, samý úsměv. Jana zavedla do přístavního baru, kde se mu bude líp seznamovat s lidmi. Aby v novém městě líp zapadl a necítil se osamocený. Postupem času začne na povrch vyplouvat její noční můra. Objevují se skryté náznaky, že ne vše je u ní tak dokonale veselé. Sžírá jí posedlost, již několik let a ne a ne dojít klidu. K tomu však podniká patřičné kroky. Nic jiného si totiž nepřeje.

Hodnocení – Celkově je příběh vystaven výborně. Vybrala jsem si ho na stránkách nakladatelství Moba podle anotace. Velice mi zaujalo spojení mateřské školy a Psychiatrické léčebny. Z toho prostě musí vzejít bomba. A nezklamala jsem se. Autor příběh dávkuje po kouskách. Odbíhání do několika úseků minulosti dostává děsivé obrysy. Nevíte co si myslet. V jednu chvíli to vypadá na šanci na „happy end“. V další chvíli nestačíte koukat, jak se to celé zvrtlo. Boj člověka se sebou samým a s jeho touhami, které jsou až příliš nebezpečné. A konečný „doslov“ tomu dal skutečnou perličku…. Knihu rozhodně doporučuji, nudit se u ní nikdo snad ani nemůže. Hodnocení 10/10

Autor – Spisovatel a novinář, podobně jako Stieg Larsson, ke kterému ho přirovnávají. Pochází z rodiny námořníků a od dětství se plavil na lodích v Baltickém moři. Severské strašidelné příběhy a lidové vyprávěni ovlivnili jeho rozhodnuti psát horory a thrillery.
Debutoval knihou Ozvěny mrtvých, která vyšla v dvanácti jazycích, stala se bestsellerem a švédská kritika ji označila za detektivku roku. Román má tři volné pokračovaní a autor připravuje závěrečné čtvrté.

[Katriina ❆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is probably the best 3 stars I ever gave to a book. It's like 3++ stars.

I was ridiculously annoyed with this book at first, especially because Theorin was basically shoving the fact that Hauger had a secret right into my face. With a shovel. At a steady rate.
And it really annoyed me, as much as Jan seemed so ridiculously obsessed with a singer that even the worst fangirls I know would turn pale in admiration. Really. Everything seemed so pointless and annoying, but the book quickly evolved into a well written page turner, and I understood more and more, and everything made so much more sense.
I ended up slamming the book against my head the one or other time when I was close to reaching the end - and God, that ending. That god damn ending! - as I got so invested into the story that these plot twist really shocked me. Also, I can never ever forgive Theorin that ending. It made me shake my head in disbeliev for about 10 minutes, not kidding. God. GOD.

[Clarabel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ambiance très particulière pour ce roman qui se déroule dans un hôpital psychiatrique : le personnage de Jan est embauché pour s'occuper des jeunes enfants des internés, sauf que celui-ci semble avoir d'autres motivations inavouées. Un bel exercice de duperie (avec dénouement explosif) pour un polar nordique efficace et dépaysant.

[Jeffreyleepierce · Rating 4 out of 5]

En riktig bladvändare. Spännande och välskriven. En bok jag kommer att läsa igen.

[Nancy Oakes · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Another review I sort of forgot to copy here -- read in June 2013).

Let's just say this is not nearly as good as his other work, and I'm a huge fan of this author.

As the novel opens, Jan Hauger has applied for job as a classroom assistant at the Dell preschool located in a building at St. Patricia's Hospital, lovingly referred to as "St. Psycho's" by the locals. St. Patricia's is home to patients of all sorts, but it houses some people who "have destructive impulses, antisocial men and women who have done what you might call bad things," and the preschool allows some children to visit their parents who are patients. One of its most famous inmates is Ivan Rössel, a serial killer who has left many bodies in his wake. Jan has a history working with preschool children but he believes that this job will actually get him closer to someone he knew in the past, Alice Rami, who he is convinced is a patient there. We get the impression that Jan has something to hide nearly immediately, when the doctor conducting the job interview calls a preschool where he's worked before and Jan is mentally hoping that there is no one there who remembers him. But all goes well, and Jan gets the position. As he begins his duties, he becomes obsessed with the idea of somehow getting himself into the hospital; it is connected to the preschool building via an underground tunnel and an elevator that is always met by someone. The preschool staff, including Jan, is not allowed there, but finding a way in becomes a regular obsession with him. As the story progresses, the novel is split into three interwoven parts all very much connected to each other -- the present where Jan, a loner, tries to make connections with some of the staff, the past connected to his time at the Lynx preschool, and earlier in his troubled boyhood. Although it's not quite apparent at first why, all of these episodes will meld into one huge tragedy, all connected with St. Patricia's Hospital.


I have read and thoroughly loved each and every one of Johan Theorin's crime-fiction novels, mainly because this writer is truly a master of atmosphere. His crimes are tightly plotted, his characters credible,and his sense of place is perfectly executed. In his newest novel, The Asylum, that lovely gothic, creepy atmosphere is there -- but to be quite honest, I'd have to say that it's my least favorite work by this author. It starts out with all the right elements: a mental hospital that also houses the criminally insane as well as an experimental preschool for children whose family members are patients there, a young man looking to reconnect with a piece of his past, and a sense of dread that fills the reader with instant tension that rarely lets up. Each character has a role to play and most of them are very well developed. But by the time I finished, I was actually disappointed because the story became predictable and frankly, highly implausible toward the end and without even having to read it I knew exactly what was going to happen. I did finish, but it only confirmed what I'd guessed. Arrgh! One of my favorite authors tries something new, call it an atmospheric thriller if you will, and it just didn't work for me. However, the getting there was the best part -- my stomach was tied in knots for much of the reading time from the suspense, especially Jan's attempts to get into the hospital -- up until the last few chapters which were a complete letdown -- too pat, not realistic and frankly, not befitting the quality of this author's other work.

I wish I could be more upbeat about this book, but I always call things the way I see them. However, to be very fair, there are several good reviews of this novel with high star ratings, so it's my pickiness at work here I'm sure. I'd still definitely recommend it, especially to readers who enjoy awesome Gothic settings and the feeling of dread running through their veins while reading.

[Ayomikun · Rating 2 out of 5]

Had to speed read this cause I've got to return it to the library.

Anyways this book had a very interesting premise and intruiging enough characters but it was very slow. It just kept going and going and trekking on and honestly the mystery wasn't tantalising me very much. It was kind of meh.

Weirdly enough, I think this would have actually been better as a script for a movie, whihc is something I don't think I've ever said about any book before.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jan Hauger has seen a job vacancy that interests him; a classroom assistant is needed at The Dell, the nursery that is run by St Patricia's - a psychiatric hospital that is houses some of the most damaged individuals in Sweden. Jan applies, and is successful, he starts his new job almost straight away and moves to live nearby. It is clear from the beginning that it is not just the vacancy that appeals to Jan - he's a dark and mysterious character whose background appears to be less than salubrious.

Slowly, slowly, the author allows the reader to glimpse into Jan's thoughts. This really builds up the dread and menace that pervades this novel, at times I felt a little bit afraid to turn the page, wondering just what is Jan's secret. Jan is not the only character that has other reasons for working at St Patricia's or St Psycho as the hospital is known locally. In fact, this is a cast of characters which seem to be made up of the mad, the lonely and the bitter.

The translation from Swedish takes nothing away from the sense of horror that grows throughout the story, the pace builds and the incredibly good descriptions of the hospital add to the feeling of tension. I'll admit that there may have been a coincidence or two along the way that felt a little contrived, but they did work overall.

It's not a story to 'enjoy' as such, but the reading experience is great. I'd certainly read more by this author.

[Tracy Shephard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fabulous tale.

Almost everyone who works at St Patricia's has a secret.. and it is these secrets,along with slow burning tension that makes this story an interesting read.

Jan Hauger is a troubled young man, he is employed in the pre-school that is attached to the asylum and very early on we come to realise that he is lonely as well as a loner. With only one friend, Rami, who he met a long time ago at a teen - psyche unit when he tries to commit suicide, and who he made a pact with, The Asylum covers obsession and revenge in such a way that I found it quite an emotional and heart-tugging read.

Of course, in the setting that this tale is based there are some hideous characters, but most of them have something that draws out a certain sympathy from the reader.

The Asylum is intense and gripping. It is also psychologically chilling.

I love translated book and this one is really well written. I read it in one sitting and as this is over 400 pages it was a good 7 hours before I finished it. It was 7 hours well spent and The Asylum is a book I am happy to recommend.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have had this book for over a year and tried reading it a few times before. Finally, I dove in and read it. The first 100 pages slowly develops some background on the main character Jan. From there, the book picks up as far as the story line and various events unfold. Johan Theorin is brilliant with atmospheric writing. I am still waiting for him to put a book together that makes me completely satisfied. I have read all of his books and will continue to read what he puts out. The Asylum is less a horror book and more a study of loneliness and obsession. It looks at the emotional response of a young person trapped forever by a traumatic event that turns into a disturbed mind that struggles between doing good and fighting a compulsion for revenge. All and all, it was a good book that could have been brilliant. This was a book with a lot of great writing and plot. Some of the story felt too forced and contrived in order to move the story along.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another dark, suspenseful, psychologically gripping tale from this author. I was happy to see "The Asylum" finally become available for Kindle, which is how I also read "Echoes from the dead" and "The darkest room", all set in the same area of Sweden and deeply evocative of both place and season. I wish Amazon would hurry up and offer "The Quarry", the final volume in this series (loosely defined: there are no continuing characters except the setting, which is Oland, an island in northern Sweden). These are well-plotted mystery/suspense novels reminiscent of Ruth Rendell (especially writing as Barbara Vine), or of Minette Walters, at least In her early (better) books. Some translation missteps occasionally present hiccups in one's concentration on the story, but generally a good read for psychological mystery lovers.

[Mare · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Felicidades, tu nueva vida empieza ahora." Pero ha pensado eso tantas veces... Uno puede cambiar de trabajo y mudarse a una nueva ciudad, pero en realidad nada cambia. Se está atrapado en el mismo cuerpo, la misma escoria circula por la sangre, los mismos recuerdos dan vueltas en la cabeza.”

Este es uno de los libros más raros que leí en toda mi vida. Es un libro triste, realmente triste que te mantiene a la espera de lo que va a pasar, cómo va a pasar y quién va a ser el culpable.

Al principio me resultó un poco difícil engancharme con la historia pero me gustó mucho. El final es abierto, abiertísimo. Deja volar tu imaginación.

[María Amparo · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pesar de algunas situaciones quizás forzadas, esta ha sido una de las novelas más sentida, auténtica y triste que he leído. Tiene profundidad en la presentación de los personajes y suspense sostenido en la trama, pese a su ritmo pausado, en suave "crescendo". Me gusta mucho este autor. El siguiente en mi lista será su última novela del Cuarteto de Öland.

[Iblena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un thriller lento, pero absorbente que no puedes dejar de leer hasta llegar hasta la última página, bien estructurado he hilvanado sobre todo por darle coherencia a ciertas situaciones que pueden resultar poco verosímiles dentro de la trama. Final abierto para que el lector deje volar su imaginación.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good book apart from the ending which was just too ridiculous and didn’t seem to fit in with the rest of the book, it sort of left me feeling very disappointed. The second part of the book was also not as good as the first part, it feels like the author gave more thought to the first part than he did to the second.

[Karin Buch-Nielsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Theorin has a great sense of making you feel like you're there. Scary story.

[Esteban Tomás · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book.
It's the first time I read something written by Theorin. I really wanna pick up more of his books.
The story is heartbreaking.

[Сибин Майналовски · Rating 5 out of 5]

Невероятно добър роман на много силен автор! Книгата не е от поредица, но въпреки това кърти мивки. Финалът е размазващ, а действието е развива толкова плавно, че се чете на един дъх.

[Pili · Rating 4 out of 5]

Narración ágil, líneas temporales bien construidas, personajes bien dibujados y un argumento interesante. Disfruté mucho descubrir a este autor.

[Gayle (OutsmartYourShelf)]

DNF @ 110 pages. Synopsis sounded good, but book is disappointing.

[Elizabeth Christensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will try and write this review without giving any spoilers.

When I started reading this book, I noticed that the sentence structure was really simple and I wasn’t sure if this was just due to the translation from Swedish to English. As I got into the book I found this style mirrored the main character and really helped to set the scene.

Like any good thriller, I found myself thinking ‘ oh no don’t do that!’ and empathizing with Jan despite his seemingly dark past. In his search for affection and attention, Jan makes some really bad choices and is easily led astray or taken advantage of.

I really enjoyed this book. It kept me intrigued throughout.

[Fillip · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the storyline, and I don’t think it was very dragged. What i didn’t like was the ending. The whole book was building up to a big plot that could have happened, but ended so wrong with still a lot of questions unanswered. It was like the author forgot what he had planned for the ending..