What do you think?
Rate this book
Fredrik Broman #5
De indringer
De uitgelaten vakantiestemming is op slag voorbij als Henrik, Malin en hun twee jonge kinderen bij thuiskomst op Fårö de gezinsfoto terugvinden met gaten op de plek van hun ogen. De onrust groeit door de anonieme dreigbrieven die volgen en ontaardt zelfs in regelrechte paniek als hun dochtertje op haar eerste schooldag na de vakantie tijdens de lunchpauze wordt ontvoerd. En dat blijkt nog maar het begin Inspecteur Fredrik Broman en zijn collega`s van de recherche in Visby nemen de zaak zeer serieus, maar hebben aanvankelijk geen enkel aanknopingspunt. Speelt een oude familievete op het kleine eiland een rol? Of is de dreiging eerder afkomstig van het Zweedse vasteland? En waarom is Henrik, een internationaal bekend fotograaf, eigenlijk vanuit Stockholm teruggekeerd naar zijn geboortedorp? Vaststaat dat het gezin ernstig wordt bedreigd. Terwijl de herfst over Fårö valt en het steeds vroeger donker wordt, is er iemand die het gezin voortdurend in de gaten houdt en geduldig zijn tijd afwacht wacht op het juiste moment om een rekening te vereffenen.
416 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2011
18 people are currently reading
194 people want to read
About the author
Håkan Östlundh
31 books38 followersÖstlundh was born in 1962 into an academic home in the university town of Uppsala, just north of Stockholm. He grew up in Stockholm where he still lives.
Since both his parents were politically active, Östlundh's youth was influenced by the Social Democratic party and the labour movement, but after an initial stint working for the movement's news agency he went his own way.
He studied comparative literature and history of ideas at Stockholm University. He made an early debut as a writer (1981), but later came to work mainly as a journalist for Sweden's best-selling morning paper Dagens Nyheter, among others. In the mid-nineties he was hired as a scriptwriter marking the start of an intensive period working in the TV industry until the publication of his first crime novel.
Östlundh is married and has three sons. His favourite authors include Dennis Lehane and Haruki Murakami. When he was fifteen he cut class just so he could read all ten of Sjöwall & Wahlöö's mysteries.
Since both his parents were politically active, Östlundh's youth was influenced by the Social Democratic party and the labour movement, but after an initial stint working for the movement's news agency he went his own way.
He studied comparative literature and history of ideas at Stockholm University. He made an early debut as a writer (1981), but later came to work mainly as a journalist for Sweden's best-selling morning paper Dagens Nyheter, among others. In the mid-nineties he was hired as a scriptwriter marking the start of an intensive period working in the TV industry until the publication of his first crime novel.
Östlundh is married and has three sons. His favourite authors include Dennis Lehane and Haruki Murakami. When he was fifteen he cut class just so he could read all ten of Sjöwall & Wahlöö's mysteries.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
October 12, 2015
2nd in series for this Swedish crime novel, didn't read the first and found it didn't matter, this could stand alone. A family returning from a month spent abroad, rents out their house while they are gone but when they return the find some disturbing things. They contact the police, a few more threatening things occur and they contact the police. The situation goes from nada to worse and soon the police are investigating a murder. But who and why?
Engaging, suspenseful, very atmospheric as most Nordic novels seem to be. This is a series I will add to my read list.
Engaging, suspenseful, very atmospheric as most Nordic novels seem to be. This is a series I will add to my read list.
May 7, 2016
DNF. I don't really care what happens to the people in this book, and am pretty disgusted with some of the happenings. Don't feel like going on, sorry.
August 6, 2020
2.5*
It doesn't happen that often that I get bored somewhere halfway the book. I loved the start, tension in the relationship and a difficult time ahead of them.
But I soon figured out the why. From then on, I just had to wait 'till they found someone who fitted the profile.
It doesn't happen that often that I get bored somewhere halfway the book. I loved the start, tension in the relationship and a difficult time ahead of them.
But I soon figured out the why. From then on, I just had to wait 'till they found someone who fitted the profile.
March 19, 2022
A welcome new addition to my list of Scandi-noir authors worth reading, with characters of depth beyond their police work, and a talent for describing a setting that works hand-in-hand with the plot. I enjoyed “visiting“ the islands of Gotland and Faro, Sweden, and wish there were more books from this series that had been translated into English. Looks like only one more so far. I will say that this book does not play by the general “rules“ that folks reading British and American crime fiction might be used to experiencing, but trying to figure out the who and why of the story kept my wheels spinning in a good way.
March 14, 2024
Dit boek vond ik vanaf het begin al lekker lopen. Het verhaal gaat niet in een dip maar blijft boeien tot het eind. Wijze lessen uit het boek, niet vreemdgaan en alles vertellen aan de rechercheur... 😂
July 23, 2022
Gestage spanningsopbouw, indringende plot, vreselijk idee en iets te gruwelijke moord. Beklemmend hoe keuzes kunnen doordringen in je leven en levensomstandigheden. Leuke thriller (al vind ik 'literaire' een beetje overroepen - een ontspannend, spannend verhaal. Met een wijs citaat als einde: "je hebt een dochter die je nodig heeft, je kunt je veel beter met haar bezig houden dan met je schuldgevoel
April 1, 2016
When you have names like Henrik Kjellander and Kalbjergahobben you know you are reading a Gotland novel. The Andersson family is being sent scary letters that arrive without a sender's name. Gotland policeman Fredrik Broman and his colleagues take the threats seriously but can not rule out that it may be a joke. But, when the couple's daughter disappears, all doubts vanish.
The novel starts with Malin and her husband Henrik returning to their house that had been rented to a couple while they were visiting relatives. They take the ferry named Bodilla to take their son Axel to his day care. When they enter their house, they sense that someone has been there. This the beginning of a nightmare. They had bought the property that once had belonged to Igmar Bergman with the idea that they would be able to rent to photographers and models based on the popularity of the actor. Now, they discover someone has left excrement in the children's toy box. When the police pressure the husband, a complicated family history is revealed. What really made them return to the small island after his successful career as an international photographer? Is it someone close who wants to harm the family or does the threat come from within?
The author combines high literary quality with high-end suspense.
The novel starts with Malin and her husband Henrik returning to their house that had been rented to a couple while they were visiting relatives. They take the ferry named Bodilla to take their son Axel to his day care. When they enter their house, they sense that someone has been there. This the beginning of a nightmare. They had bought the property that once had belonged to Igmar Bergman with the idea that they would be able to rent to photographers and models based on the popularity of the actor. Now, they discover someone has left excrement in the children's toy box. When the police pressure the husband, a complicated family history is revealed. What really made them return to the small island after his successful career as an international photographer? Is it someone close who wants to harm the family or does the threat come from within?
The author combines high literary quality with high-end suspense.
September 30, 2016
I liked the way both the detectives and the couple involved in the investigation told their parts of the story with only a small bit from the criminal. Interesting story. Note the last sentence in the book.
February 1, 2024
This book was very slow at the beginning. Went from 0 to 100 within a chapter and went back to 0 real quick. It was kinda long, like it could have been way quicker.
However, the book did not bore me nor am I super enthusiastic. Solid 3 stars because I do love Swedish detectives.
However, the book did not bore me nor am I super enthusiastic. Solid 3 stars because I do love Swedish detectives.
July 7, 2018
Before I had time to mark it as currently reading, I am already writing that I finished it.
Loved this booknagain. Interesting, quite believable, just so ordinary. No wildly shooting cops, stunts with forendic evidence or very constructed plot twists. It's a bit in the tradition of British crime and that really makes that I like these kind of books.
Too bad I've finished it, but there's still two more to read:-)
Loved this booknagain. Interesting, quite believable, just so ordinary. No wildly shooting cops, stunts with forendic evidence or very constructed plot twists. It's a bit in the tradition of British crime and that really makes that I like these kind of books.
Too bad I've finished it, but there's still two more to read:-)
July 5, 2017
Scary and disgusting......I raced to finish it. Not the best of this genre, but worth a quick read.
July 10, 2017
Well written but dull.
August 3, 2017
Good, exiting book
February 28, 2018
Somehow dont catch although the great positioning in gotland faro island
May 11, 2019
The story line is interesting, with lots of peculiar and unexpected aspects and suspense. The ending is, as in many detectives, disappointing.
January 14, 2020
An intruder comes into the house and because the male owner isn't honest about his piccadillos, his wife and son are murdered.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 26, 2020
Good suspenseful story - I enjoyed it. The ending was kind of disappointing and a bit of a "stretch."
April 20, 2021
Excellent on all levels
January 12, 2022
Aardige thriller maar miste de echte spanning
March 19, 2023
Deel 5 uit serie van 7. Speelt op het Zweedse Götland. Best in volgorde lezen omdat het persoonlijke leven van Fredrik Broman ook een rol speelt.
November 3, 2023
3,6. Leuk boekie, maar heb wel betere politie thrillers gelezen.
November 6, 2023
So awful. I feel like I’ve read the screenplay for a crappy Hollywood thriller that pulled out every cheesy stop possible.
January 17, 2025
"Intruz" to piąta część gotlandzkiej sagi z Frederkiem Bromanem z napięciem i zwrotami akcji, z ciekawymi wątkami pobocznymi.
October 12, 2019
Viel besser als der 1. Band,den ich gehört habe!
May 5, 2017
I'm always on the lookout for good Scandinavian crime novels. Since the Stieg Larsson trilogy, I've discovered a few and find them, in general, to be competently written with good plotting and interesting descriptions of a part of the world I've yet to experience. I also enjoy noting the differences in how crimes are investigated between there and the US. The Intruder fits the profile pretty well, though the plot and conclusion leave a bit to be desired.
To summarize the plot without giving anything much away, there's a murder on an island in the middle of the Baltic Sea. A young mother and her son are killed and her husband becomes a centerpiece of the investigation by the locals. He tends to be a little less than straight in his dealings with them, complicating their process and delaying the resolution of the crime.
This novel is a translation, and the language is very straightforward with a minimum of jargon. My issue with the story is with the seeming slow pace and lack of up-to-date procedures followed by the investigators. Maybe due to the fact that I live near one of the murder capitals of the country (Chicago) and are therefore exposed more than most to investigations, the process they followed seemed very haphazard. The pace of the book was very slow- for example, nearly the first half of the story involved threats being made but no action being taken by the unknown perpetrator. The reasoning behind different decisions made by the investigators often wasn't provided, and I have a fundamental problem believing that the eventual arrest would even hold up in court (at least I'm pretty sure it wouldn't in this country).
So, if you'd like to experience a procedural set in the middle of the Baltic Sea that'll keep you guessing until the end (and afterward.....), you should check out The Intruder. I liked it well enough, but just felt that the police were a bit sloppy and uninformed and the conclusion didn't hold up well.
To summarize the plot without giving anything much away, there's a murder on an island in the middle of the Baltic Sea. A young mother and her son are killed and her husband becomes a centerpiece of the investigation by the locals. He tends to be a little less than straight in his dealings with them, complicating their process and delaying the resolution of the crime.
This novel is a translation, and the language is very straightforward with a minimum of jargon. My issue with the story is with the seeming slow pace and lack of up-to-date procedures followed by the investigators. Maybe due to the fact that I live near one of the murder capitals of the country (Chicago) and are therefore exposed more than most to investigations, the process they followed seemed very haphazard. The pace of the book was very slow- for example, nearly the first half of the story involved threats being made but no action being taken by the unknown perpetrator. The reasoning behind different decisions made by the investigators often wasn't provided, and I have a fundamental problem believing that the eventual arrest would even hold up in court (at least I'm pretty sure it wouldn't in this country).
So, if you'd like to experience a procedural set in the middle of the Baltic Sea that'll keep you guessing until the end (and afterward.....), you should check out The Intruder. I liked it well enough, but just felt that the police were a bit sloppy and uninformed and the conclusion didn't hold up well.
February 20, 2016
I like the detective, Frederik, at the center of this series - he's very human, but complicated and well written. I was mixed on the book overall. Aspects were good - Malin was very likeable, and I was sympathetic towards the children. But Henrik wasn't very likable, and I found it odd that his infidelities didn't come up earlier in the story. Also, the affair with Maria seemed to come out of nowhere - I thought he either should have taken it further than he did, or not included it. And the author could have consolidated the two sisters, Alma and Elisabet, into one character.
Overall, the detectives in this series are well written, but the plots aren't as much. I'm going to keep reading his books (as they're translated), because they are suspenseful - but they're not as good as those by a few other Nordic writers. Oh, and he seems to have a sense of humor - he references Camilla Lackberg and at least two other crime writers in the story - which is kind of fun.
Overall, the detectives in this series are well written, but the plots aren't as much. I'm going to keep reading his books (as they're translated), because they are suspenseful - but they're not as good as those by a few other Nordic writers. Oh, and he seems to have a sense of humor - he references Camilla Lackberg and at least two other crime writers in the story - which is kind of fun.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 1, 2026
Another half so-so, half pretty interesting police procedural that doesn't play by one of the rules of mysteries: the perp can't be someone who blows in out of nowhere at the last minute. A food blogger, her photographer husband and their two young kids return from 3 wks away and find that the last person who rented their secluded home for a week (money's tight) did some very strange things, including removing family pictures, poking all the eyes out of the photos and sending them one by one to the family. A grisly double murder, a lot of very red herrings, a suspicious family reconciliation, a cheating husband and his ex from his college days spin the yarn. The translation is a bit stilted and, as I said, the reader never really gets a chance to consider the real perp as a viable suspect. Maybe the Swedes don't know abt the rules of mysteries....
February 6, 2015
Ik vind de kaft van dit boek erg mooi maar moet wel concluderen nu ik het boek heb dichtgeslagen dat het niks zegt over het verhaal. Het verhaal zit erg goed in elkaar en leest makkelijk weg. Ik zat niet echt op het puntje van mijn stoel van de spanning maar kon het toch moeilijk weg leggen, zeker na blz. 200. Er zat een (gruwelijke) wending in het verhaal die ik niet had verwacht maar wat het verhaal wel interessanter maakt. Ik heb begrepen dat de eerdere boeken van deze auteur geschreven zijn met dezelfde rechercheur, overigens een sympathiek persoon. Ik had niet echt het idee dat ik iets miste maar ben wel nieuwsgierig geworden naar de eerdere boeken.
December 23, 2015
Really I would give this 3.5 stars, the sense of dread and terror was strong from the opening pages & I was gripped by the intensity of the plot from the first moment. I really was impressed by the writing, even though some of the translation issues made for stiff, stilted dialogue.
And it managed to really take me by surprise in the middle, which doesn't happen that often. It would be a solid 4 star book if not for the tension of the plot completely dissipating at the end & the whodunnit being fairly unsatisfying. My library does not have any of the previous books in the series, I'd be interested in reading them.
And it managed to really take me by surprise in the middle, which doesn't happen that often. It would be a solid 4 star book if not for the tension of the plot completely dissipating at the end & the whodunnit being fairly unsatisfying. My library does not have any of the previous books in the series, I'd be interested in reading them.
March 13, 2016
Love books written by Swedish authors which take place in Sweden. Brutal murders occur and a police procedural to find perpetrator, The Intruder. Confirms man's infidelities. This book held my interest to continue reading 7/8 thru, then got inpatient, read last few pages then went back and finished. Have given it four stars but really would give it 3.6.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews