What do you think?
Rate this book
Anders Knutas #7
The Double Silence
A man is pushed from a cliff; a woman is missing after a bike ride; an elderly man is washed ashore.
The friends are closer than most – too close, some might say. Every year they leave their cosy suburban neighbourhood to go on holiday together to a remote Swedish island. But this year, their holiday won’t go as expected.
A terrible series of tragedies will unfold, seemingly random, all somehow connected. Detective Superintendant Anders Knutas will have to look into the friends’ tangled pasts to find the truth. What malevolent force has followed them to the island? Or was it amongst them all along?
Even the closest friends don’t share everything...
The friends are closer than most – too close, some might say. Every year they leave their cosy suburban neighbourhood to go on holiday together to a remote Swedish island. But this year, their holiday won’t go as expected.
A terrible series of tragedies will unfold, seemingly random, all somehow connected. Detective Superintendant Anders Knutas will have to look into the friends’ tangled pasts to find the truth. What malevolent force has followed them to the island? Or was it amongst them all along?
Even the closest friends don’t share everything...
320 pages, Paperback
First published June 16, 2009
37 people are currently reading
558 people want to read
About the author
Mari Jungstedt
31 books464 followersMari Jungstedt is a Swedish journalist and popular crime fiction author.
Jungstedt worked as a reporter on Swedish national public radio and television, and was an occasional presenter on TV4's daily talk show Förkväll.
Her first three novels are set on the island of Gotland and feature Detective Superintendent Anders Knutas and the journalist Johan Berg. Two of her novels were filmed for Swedish TV, and her work has been translated into English by Tiina Nunnally.
Mari Jungstedt lives in Stockholm. Her husband comes from Visby, Gotland, and they spend their summers on Gotland.
Series:
* Anders Knutas
* Málagasviten
Jungstedt worked as a reporter on Swedish national public radio and television, and was an occasional presenter on TV4's daily talk show Förkväll.
Her first three novels are set on the island of Gotland and feature Detective Superintendent Anders Knutas and the journalist Johan Berg. Two of her novels were filmed for Swedish TV, and her work has been translated into English by Tiina Nunnally.
Mari Jungstedt lives in Stockholm. Her husband comes from Visby, Gotland, and they spend their summers on Gotland.
Series:
* Anders Knutas
* Málagasviten
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 119 reviews
September 3, 2019
I have to admit I struggled with this one.
I’m not sure if it’s in translation or just the book itself.
This is my first introduction to this author.
I thought personally that the book was filled with cotton wool more than it should be. What I mean with that is, if you stuff too much cotton wool into a pillow (for example) it can be lumpy. I thought this was lumpy for the first half of the book.
Now....this is my review. Others have loved it.
It’s just not done anything for me.
This is a book on my back TBR list. At least I’ve given it a go.
Thank you Random house UK
I’m not sure if it’s in translation or just the book itself.
This is my first introduction to this author.
I thought personally that the book was filled with cotton wool more than it should be. What I mean with that is, if you stuff too much cotton wool into a pillow (for example) it can be lumpy. I thought this was lumpy for the first half of the book.
Now....this is my review. Others have loved it.
It’s just not done anything for me.
This is a book on my back TBR list. At least I’ve given it a go.
Thank you Random house UK
December 30, 2014
Liked this better than some of her others (perhaps because the annoying Emma Winarve is less in evidence!) The Gotland setting - in this case, mainly the even more intriguing Fårö, where the murders actually take place - is wonderful, beautifully described. A group of 40-something friends arrange a trip to Fårö in connection with an Ingmar Bergman festival, but tragedy strikes. There are several red herrings, and I did follow one of those to the wrong conclusion for quite a while. The melodrama of what unravels in the loves of the group of friends is at odds with their comfortable, enviable even, lifestyle. The detectives also have their problems and issues, kept in the background but with a hefty clue that one at least is likely to cause problems in the next book.
This is no. 7 in the series, and it has really made me want to go to Gotland - or even Fårö - which sound lovely and not at all the place for multiple gruesome murders!
This is no. 7 in the series, and it has really made me want to go to Gotland - or even Fårö - which sound lovely and not at all the place for multiple gruesome murders!
September 8, 2021
Me ha gustado muchísimo, no me esta costando nada leerlos son de mucha intriga y me encantan. Vamos a x el 8
Muy recomendable
Muy recomendable
January 13, 2025
A decent book but the author frequently writes anonymous narrative sections. I am not fond of this technique. Then at some point there is a big reveal and you find out who it is. I would prefer to see everything from the eyes of the main police character(s).
April 10, 2018
Esta saga es súper sencilla y a la vez, me gusta mucho. Un caso, mentiras, en capítulos cortos que me enganchan un montón . A ver si acabo alguna de las sagas de novela negra que tengo empezadas
September 29, 2023
Relationsdrama med karaktäristiska mord och stark avslutning!
December 21, 2017
Esta vez sí que me ha enganchado mucho más el libro. La verdad que no sabía de quién sospechar y con esos giros de trama que hay nunca sabes con qué te va a sorprender la autora.
June 17, 2019
Como todos los libros de esta autora me ha encantado, y para nada me esperaba el desenlace y como se había producido todo. Desde luego totalmente recomendable
January 15, 2020
Heel goed boek. In dit boek speelt Karin een wat grotere rol, leuk om haar ook ‘te leren kennen’.
May 6, 2022
Lika spännande som de tidigare i serien.
October 27, 2023
Me está gustando mucho continuar con la saga ahora que ya voy asentando la vida de los protas.
Se lee rápido, no es / ni se hace demasiado larga y mantiene la intriga desde el principio 🔝
Se lee rápido, no es / ni se hace demasiado larga y mantiene la intriga desde el principio 🔝
October 27, 2020
I really like the storyline and the simplicity of it. I loved the background of Gotland and Faro, hopefully will get there one day. I am now attached to the police characters which I really like and enjoy. I will continue with the series of books I don’t think there are many left. Happy to have reached my reading challenge for the year with this one.
May 30, 2021
Przed Państwem typowy szwedzki kryminał, jest zbrodnia, jest dochodzenie i kilkoro przyjaciół, którzy robią ze sobą wiele różnych interesujących rzeczy... Książka trzyma w napięciu, dzieje się sporo, motywy postaci są ciekawie nakreślone a zakończenie zaskakuje. 7/10
January 20, 2025
A really good novel with a narrative that made you want to read on. An enjoyable and satisfying plot.
December 22, 2019
Another thrilling read by one of my favourite Swedish authors. Especially the first 80 pages are very thrilling. Something is about to happen, but what and to whom? Later on I kept on reading, because what exactly happened, by whom and why?
It's all about three befriended couples who are on a weekend trip together. The couples are very close, they live next to each other, do shopping together, babysit each other's kids, go on holidays together. It looks like an idyllic situation, but is it really so?
As ever the scene is set on the island of Gotland, the main characters of the police force and journalists are the same, their private lives evolving with each book. Sometimes the description of their private lives gets to be just a bit too much. As if the author wants to put too many stories inside her books. But otherwise it is a very good read again and I saw there are still two of her books that have to be translated into Dutch, so I will anxiously await them!
Weer een lekker spannend boek van één van mijn favoriete Zweedse schrijfsters. Vooral de eerste 80 bladzijden ligt de spanning hoog. Er staat iets te gebeuren, maar wat en bij wie? Ook later blijft de spanning hoog, want wat is er precies gebeurd, waarom en door wie?
Het gaat allemaal om drie bevriende stellen die een weekendje weg zijn met elkaar. Ze zijn wel heel erg close met elkaar. Ze wonen in dezelfde straat, doen samen boodschappen, passen op elkaars kinderen, gaan samen op vakantie. Een idyllisch plaatje, maar is dat werkelijkheid?
Zoals altijd speelt het verhaal zich af op het eiland Gotland met de vaste karakters bij de politie en in de journalistiek, wiens privé levens ook uitgebreid aan bod komen in de boeken. Dat wordt soms wel een beetje teveel gedaan naar mijn smaak. Ik heb het idee dat de schrijfster te veel wil vertellen en laten ontwikkelen in haar boeken. Er gebeurt gewoon te veel en te snel in de verschillende levens.
Afgezien daarvan is het gewoon weer een lekker leesboek. Gelukkig staan er nog twee titels op de plank die blijkbaar nog vertaald moeten worden, dus daar zal ik weer naar uitkijken.
It's all about three befriended couples who are on a weekend trip together. The couples are very close, they live next to each other, do shopping together, babysit each other's kids, go on holidays together. It looks like an idyllic situation, but is it really so?
As ever the scene is set on the island of Gotland, the main characters of the police force and journalists are the same, their private lives evolving with each book. Sometimes the description of their private lives gets to be just a bit too much. As if the author wants to put too many stories inside her books. But otherwise it is a very good read again and I saw there are still two of her books that have to be translated into Dutch, so I will anxiously await them!
Weer een lekker spannend boek van één van mijn favoriete Zweedse schrijfsters. Vooral de eerste 80 bladzijden ligt de spanning hoog. Er staat iets te gebeuren, maar wat en bij wie? Ook later blijft de spanning hoog, want wat is er precies gebeurd, waarom en door wie?
Het gaat allemaal om drie bevriende stellen die een weekendje weg zijn met elkaar. Ze zijn wel heel erg close met elkaar. Ze wonen in dezelfde straat, doen samen boodschappen, passen op elkaars kinderen, gaan samen op vakantie. Een idyllisch plaatje, maar is dat werkelijkheid?
Zoals altijd speelt het verhaal zich af op het eiland Gotland met de vaste karakters bij de politie en in de journalistiek, wiens privé levens ook uitgebreid aan bod komen in de boeken. Dat wordt soms wel een beetje teveel gedaan naar mijn smaak. Ik heb het idee dat de schrijfster te veel wil vertellen en laten ontwikkelen in haar boeken. Er gebeurt gewoon te veel en te snel in de verschillende levens.
Afgezien daarvan is het gewoon weer een lekker leesboek. Gelukkig staan er nog twee titels op de plank die blijkbaar nog vertaald moeten worden, dus daar zal ik weer naar uitkijken.
October 28, 2022
What a lost opportunity to write a very good, 5 stars crime novel but instead Jungstedt delivers an Ok(ish) book. The elements for a fantastic novel are there but they are presented in a rather unskilled way. The beginning of the book is good, character introduction is interesting but then the mid section of the book (200+ pages) is uneventful, bland and really flat with nothing there that really grasps the reader´s attention. The last 100 pages or so are so full of new information and subplots that it really makes no sense why the author decided to deliver all that at the end instead of dosing the information throughout the book to "confuse" the reader and have them wondering what was all that about.
SPOILER ALERT-
I would have started with the scene where Andrea´s father is talking with the priest and telling him: "I have killed her, it was my fault", I would have scattered Andrea´s sister story throughout the book to have the reader guessing what relationship had that with the main plot and I would have made the priest on Andrea´s sister plot much more relevant
SPOILER ALERT-
I would have started with the scene where Andrea´s father is talking with the priest and telling him: "I have killed her, it was my fault", I would have scattered Andrea´s sister story throughout the book to have the reader guessing what relationship had that with the main plot and I would have made the priest on Andrea´s sister plot much more relevant
August 24, 2021
Whilst I really appreciated the complex number of characters I struggled to stay in touch with them all - especially when whole chapters of narrative in first person gave little indication of who was speaking.
I really liked the challenges both professional and personal, faced by the two main police officers Knutas and Jacobssen. I began reading this book, not realising it was one of a series, so links to other books/storylines were a little distracting.
Nevertheless I hope to read more by this author.
I really liked the challenges both professional and personal, faced by the two main police officers Knutas and Jacobssen. I began reading this book, not realising it was one of a series, so links to other books/storylines were a little distracting.
Nevertheless I hope to read more by this author.
Read
October 19, 2014Es el ultimo libro que he leído de esta autora, los anteriores también, y forma parte del grupo de novela negra sueca que es la mar de interesante aunque alguno hay que no me atrae demasiado.
Esta particularmente lo hace muy bien. el libro está muy bien escrito y en definitiva es un episodio mas de un inspector que se ha inventado que se llama Anders Knutas.
Lo tienes que leer de una tirada porque es capaz de mantener el interés desde el principio hasta el final de la lectura.
Esta particularmente lo hace muy bien. el libro está muy bien escrito y en definitiva es un episodio mas de un inspector que se ha inventado que se llama Anders Knutas.
Lo tienes que leer de una tirada porque es capaz de mantener el interés desde el principio hasta el final de la lectura.
October 7, 2016
Un thriller increíble, con giros inesperados que te dejan sin aliento. Argumentos entrelazados y fuertes, muertes y desapariciones.
Un final inesperado, que nos muestra cuán lejos puede llegar una persona cuando siente que pierde todo.
Un final inesperado, que nos muestra cuán lejos puede llegar una persona cuando siente que pierde todo.
Read
June 27, 2023This was really good, I could not stop listening. I love that the author uses real life celebrities and places in her books. I really want to visit Gotland and Fårø Island. noe.
I like the evolvement of Anders and Karin’s storylines, but current events has me both worried and excited.
I like the evolvement of Anders and Karin’s storylines, but current events has me both worried and excited.
October 30, 2016
Entretenida.
February 6, 2016
Huomasin jättäneeni tämän Jungstedtin välistä. Viihdyin Hiljaisuuden hinnan parissa.
July 4, 2016
Wonderful thriller, mystery. Mari Jungstedt is a pro. She is one of Sweden's premier authors.
November 6, 2018
Addictive & absorbing: the Anders Knutas Crime thrillers are a must read:
The Anders Knutas Series, written by Mari Jungstedt and translated from the Swedish to English by Tiina Nunnally, is an addictive nine-book series for reader who are captivated, like me, with Crime Mysteries and Thrillers.
My review is of the entire series, which I have just newly finished. From "Unseen", the first novel in the series, to "The Fourth Victim", the ninth novel, each boast superb plots, twists and turns and fabulously intriguing characters. I have no intention of summarising each book's plot: they each contain a brief summary inside the fly cover. Personally I avoid reading the summary, as I feel it gives too much away about the content of the novel. Other readers might find the summary useful. The publishers clearly think so.
The strength of the series is such that no one book is better than another: they are each a brilliant and totally absorbing read. As with other Swedish writers of this genre the novels are so distinctively different from English and American novels of the same ilk.
The series is based on the picturesque island of Gotland, Sweden's largest island and the annual summer influx of masses of tourists makes for an interesting setting. The capital of Gotland is Visby, which possesses an excellently preserved medieval wall, as well as most of the Island's native population (and crime). It is around Visby that the novels are largely centred. The author, Mari Jungstedt, makes full use of the Island's variable geography, rural economy and proximity to other Baltic counties in the books. The Island's very changeable seasonal weather is also used by the author to good effect from novel to novel.
The characters are very much three-dimensional, as are their lives and relationships with one another. These relationships can become complex at times which only adds spice to the stories.
There are four main characters: Chief Superintendent Anders Knutas (or "Knutie" as he is affectionately known to some, much to his annoyance); Karin Jacobsson (Knutas's Deputy); Johan Berg (Regional TV Reporter for Swedish TV) and Pia, Johan's very ambitious photographer, who will stop at nothing to get the best photo or film footage.
The novels can be read independently, as they each contain sufficient information about earlier events, to prevent the reader from getting lost. However, in my view, they are best read in sequence to fully grasp the development of both characters and relationships.
The variety and originality of the plots (and sub-plots) makes this one of the best crime series written by a Swedish author. Let's face it, the Swedes boast an abundance of literary talent in this field, and Mari Jungstedt is at the very top of the crop of their talented authors.
Buy a copy of "Unseen" and start reading. I fell for Jungstedt's easy flowing distinctive narrative from the start and then ploughed my way through all, currently translated, books in the series.
Unfortunately the books aren't cheap to buy (not at the date of this review anyway), either in paperback or Kindle, which is a pity since it makes them less affordable and hence accessible to all readers. I was lucky, as my local library had every book available to read in electronic form via Borrowbox.
But even at the prices quoted on Amazon you are guaranteed novels of quality. And, as Amazon point out, the price is set by the publisher, not Amazon themselves.
A treat to read, each novel is fully deserving of the Five Star rating I have given them. I am certain that you will agree.
The Anders Knutas Series, written by Mari Jungstedt and translated from the Swedish to English by Tiina Nunnally, is an addictive nine-book series for reader who are captivated, like me, with Crime Mysteries and Thrillers.
My review is of the entire series, which I have just newly finished. From "Unseen", the first novel in the series, to "The Fourth Victim", the ninth novel, each boast superb plots, twists and turns and fabulously intriguing characters. I have no intention of summarising each book's plot: they each contain a brief summary inside the fly cover. Personally I avoid reading the summary, as I feel it gives too much away about the content of the novel. Other readers might find the summary useful. The publishers clearly think so.
The strength of the series is such that no one book is better than another: they are each a brilliant and totally absorbing read. As with other Swedish writers of this genre the novels are so distinctively different from English and American novels of the same ilk.
The series is based on the picturesque island of Gotland, Sweden's largest island and the annual summer influx of masses of tourists makes for an interesting setting. The capital of Gotland is Visby, which possesses an excellently preserved medieval wall, as well as most of the Island's native population (and crime). It is around Visby that the novels are largely centred. The author, Mari Jungstedt, makes full use of the Island's variable geography, rural economy and proximity to other Baltic counties in the books. The Island's very changeable seasonal weather is also used by the author to good effect from novel to novel.
The characters are very much three-dimensional, as are their lives and relationships with one another. These relationships can become complex at times which only adds spice to the stories.
There are four main characters: Chief Superintendent Anders Knutas (or "Knutie" as he is affectionately known to some, much to his annoyance); Karin Jacobsson (Knutas's Deputy); Johan Berg (Regional TV Reporter for Swedish TV) and Pia, Johan's very ambitious photographer, who will stop at nothing to get the best photo or film footage.
The novels can be read independently, as they each contain sufficient information about earlier events, to prevent the reader from getting lost. However, in my view, they are best read in sequence to fully grasp the development of both characters and relationships.
The variety and originality of the plots (and sub-plots) makes this one of the best crime series written by a Swedish author. Let's face it, the Swedes boast an abundance of literary talent in this field, and Mari Jungstedt is at the very top of the crop of their talented authors.
Buy a copy of "Unseen" and start reading. I fell for Jungstedt's easy flowing distinctive narrative from the start and then ploughed my way through all, currently translated, books in the series.
Unfortunately the books aren't cheap to buy (not at the date of this review anyway), either in paperback or Kindle, which is a pity since it makes them less affordable and hence accessible to all readers. I was lucky, as my local library had every book available to read in electronic form via Borrowbox.
But even at the prices quoted on Amazon you are guaranteed novels of quality. And, as Amazon point out, the price is set by the publisher, not Amazon themselves.
A treat to read, each novel is fully deserving of the Five Star rating I have given them. I am certain that you will agree.
February 10, 2020
Efter en rad lyckade och mer eller mindre spännande Gotland-deckare, kommer denna bok, som plötsligt kastar ut allting som Jungstedt byggt upp i de tidigare böckerna och ersätter det med ingenting. Mordutredningen börjar efter bokens första tredjedel, och innan det får vi bekanta oss med ett sällskap av personer som varken är intressanta eller speciellt välskrivna. Knutas, Karin och de andra dyker knappt upp under bokens första halva.
När själva utredningen väl kommer igång är den visserligen ett komplicerat nystan att lösa upp, men den känns varken originell eller speciellt medryckande. I karaktärernas personliga liv vevas pågående intriger vidare med minimalt tempo. Det känns ungefär som om Jungstedt endast försöker påminna läsaren om vad som pågått i de senaste böckerna, istället för att föra intrigerna framåt. I slutet belönas vi äntligen med någon form av avslutning på de pågående intrigerna, men man blir tvungen att läsa vidare får att se vad resultatet blir.
Fårö och Ingmar Bergman är fascinerande kryddor i en deckare, och de ger Jungstedts text en gnutta mervärde. För övrigt finns här lite att ta med sig efteråt - karaktärerna saknar djup, intrigen är inte så påhittig och boken saknar seriens sedvanliga krokar och svängar.
När själva utredningen väl kommer igång är den visserligen ett komplicerat nystan att lösa upp, men den känns varken originell eller speciellt medryckande. I karaktärernas personliga liv vevas pågående intriger vidare med minimalt tempo. Det känns ungefär som om Jungstedt endast försöker påminna läsaren om vad som pågått i de senaste böckerna, istället för att föra intrigerna framåt. I slutet belönas vi äntligen med någon form av avslutning på de pågående intrigerna, men man blir tvungen att läsa vidare får att se vad resultatet blir.
Fårö och Ingmar Bergman är fascinerande kryddor i en deckare, och de ger Jungstedts text en gnutta mervärde. För övrigt finns här lite att ta med sig efteråt - karaktärerna saknar djup, intrigen är inte så påhittig och boken saknar seriens sedvanliga krokar och svängar.
December 8, 2024
It's hard to find a lot of Scandinavian novels, so I'm starting this series with #7. I made a note about what the detectives were up to at this point: Inspector Anders Knutas is upset with his colleague Karin Jacobsson, who apparently let a double murderer go free because of her extenuating circumstances that mirror Karin's pregnancy from a rape 25 years ago. Karin is researching what happened to her daughter after she was adopted by a wealthy family. She wants to meet her, but the new case gets in the way, as well as Knutas falling off his cabin's roof, breaking his wrist and causing a concussion.
The current case involves a group of 6 close friends who vacation together every year, and live WAY too closely together in an affluent neighborhood. One of them is a film director, so they go to the island where Bergman lived for a film festival. The director, Sam, is killed. A fisherman actually sees him pushed off the cliff--but is too far away to see who did it. Another woman disappears, then a third person. Is the connection Bergman or something more sinister--or at least more scintillating.
The current case involves a group of 6 close friends who vacation together every year, and live WAY too closely together in an affluent neighborhood. One of them is a film director, so they go to the island where Bergman lived for a film festival. The director, Sam, is killed. A fisherman actually sees him pushed off the cliff--but is too far away to see who did it. Another woman disappears, then a third person. Is the connection Bergman or something more sinister--or at least more scintillating.
March 3, 2019
Leído en junio de 2014. La novela policíaca de la saga de Gotland escrita por Mari Jungstedt que más he disfrutado. Lo que más me ha gustado ha sido como la autora ha reflejado la doble moral que existe en una relación de amistad donde se comparto casi todo y que en apariencia es perfecta, la subtrama del pasado de la subcomisaria Karin Jacobsson que descubre el nombre de su hija y las descripciones de la costa de la isla de Gotland. Se trata de una lectura breve, amena y muy idónea para el verano. Reseña: http://pinceladasdeliteratura.blogspo.... (Fuente: Elaboración propia).
September 7, 2017
a superb mystery bogged won by lots of personal drama from the many characters that come and go in the Knutas universe... pared back to its details and those involved, this could have been a powerful tale... i get the readers need for (fictional) drama in the (fictional) lives of the (fictional) characters, but this book had a bit too much about relationships/family for me... a great plot that got muddied with tangents... i do enjoy Knutas and Karin (still don't like Johan) but hope for more pages dedicated to the crimes/criminals...
Displaying 1 - 30 of 119 reviews