Kom ska vi tycka om varandra

Kommer aldrig mer igen #2

by Hans Koppel

Anna Stenberg har en tillfällig affär med en ung man när hon är på konferens. Men det är något med honom som inte stämmer och snart är hela hennes tillvaro hotad. Ett litet felsteg som får ödesdigra konsekvenser …

Kom ska vi tycka om varandra är den andra boken i en trilogi. Den första, Kommer aldrig mer igen, har givits ut i femton länder och sålts över 75 000 exemplar enbart i Sverige där den också nominerades till Årets deckare 2011.

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

298 pages, Paperback

First published October 15, 2012

About the author

Hans Koppel is a pseudonym for Petter Lidbeck, an established Swedish author who was born in 1964 and lives in Stockholm.

It was revealed that Petter Lidbeck is the author behind the name in August 2010. Following article was published in Svenska Dagbladet a few days later:

TT Spektra: Varför denna katt-och-råtta-lek med läsarna?
– Min gamla barnboksförläggare gick över till ett nytt förlag och ville verkligen att jag skulle skriva för vuxna. För att skilja dem åt blev det en pseudonym.

TT Spektra: Varför var det viktigt att vara hemlig?
– Jag inbillade mig att jag skulle bli helt annorlunda bemött om man visste att det var jag. I stället blev det ett jävla tjatande om att det var en hemlig figur bakom böckerna. Det trodde jag inte för jag är van vid barnböcker som passerar väldigt obemärkt. Sedan kändes det som att det var ett bra sätt att få lite uppmärksamhet.

Reviews

[Vanessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was such a fun and easy, fast-paced read, and exactly what I needed while in the midst of Man Booker Longlist reads. I do love a good crime thriller, and although this wasn't the most thrilling one I've ever encountered, I got sucked in super fast and read it in pretty much a day (although it was read over the course of two).

You're Mine Now follows a woman called Anna, who on a work weekend away ends up falling into bed with a younger man called Erik, despite the fact she is happily married with a young daughter. After subsequent meetings, she wants to get out for the sake of her family. But Erik is not what he initially seemed, and soon begins to harass and stalk her to more and more terrifying degrees.

It's not an original story, as you can tell from the description, so why did I pick it up? Well, the title if I'm being totally honest. It made me laugh but also grabbed my attention when I saw it in a bookstore many months ago now, so I got in on Kindle and finally got around to reading it when I was stuck for a read and only had my Kindle to hand.

It did take me a few chapters to get into the book. The book opens with a bang, with a particularly disturbing scene, but it seemed a bit too fast too soon. Then the book continues with a complete change of pace, a fair few chapters that contain a lot of dialogue which is not particularly relevant or exciting. It's just enough to introduce you to the main characters. It wasn't particularly well-written I didn't think, having large chunks of dialogue like that, but once I got over that hump and into the meat of the story I began enjoying it a lot more. The tension is built well by Koppel, with little out of the ordinary things happening and subtle warning bells starting to go off. And he just builds and builds on this, until you are completely enveloped in Anna's world, and are genuinely unnerved and scared for her.

I did think the ending was a bit rushed, and it wasn't a particularly satisfying one at that, but it was highly entertaining overall, and I'm eager to pick up Hans Hoppel's other novel translated to English She's Never Coming Back, which I've heard has much higher reviews and more praise than this one.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

You’re Mine Now – oh boy!

Sphere knows how to undersell a book calling You’re Mine Now by Hans Koppel calling it a Swedish Thriller Phenomenon it is far more than that. This is a book that once you start to read you need to finish part in fear part in hope and when that fails in prayer. This is one of the most compulsive and graphic reads in a long time that I feared I would never want to put down. This fills all the clichés in that it really is a book that keeps you on tenterhooks, is a page turner with plenty of revenge and retribution.

Anna is a features editor on Family Life magazine and is happily married to Magnus with Hedda their 10 year old daughter. Anna attends a business conference with her colleagues once a year to plan the magazine and various feature. After the dinner they retire to the bar for a few drinks with some advertising executives, two old guys and a young buck who attracts a lot of attention from the ladies. This young buck Erik invites Anna to his hotel room and she tells him she is married, but somehow she ends up in his bed and has some great sex with him, and they then meet again for a few more sex sessions.

It is only when Anna tries to end the relationship and extricate herself from something very weird that her problems begin. Erik becomes her stalker and will not hear anything about ending the relationship. He believes she will never be able to tell of her affair too Magnus and Erik sees Magnus as the man who stands in his way of being happy with Anna. So begins the full psychological torture of stalking for Anna and everywhere she looks all she can see is Erik. Things are worse when she finds out that he has filmed their sex sessions and she really needs to break away.

As Anna tries to break away things start to happen around her that at first the police think that she is over reacting, but when things start happening a lot closer to home does Erik’s sinister activities start to attract the attention of the police. Whether that is enough to stop Erik one will just have to read the book to see how it ends after you have been drawn in by this compulsive story.

[Donal Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was good up until the very end. Terrible ending.

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was surprised by how good this was. 400+ pages and I couldn’t put it down. I had to know how it ended. I didn’t care about the relationship between husband and wife. I assumed that it would fail miserably. But I had to know the child was okay, that Erik would either get away or die in some horrible death and that Anna would survive her ordeal. Stalkers creep me out and Erik did a wonderful job of being Uber creepy.

[Miriam Owen · Rating 1 out of 5]

The worst book I have read for a long time. Very repetitive, predictable, some terrible translation from the Swedish and mistakes in the text (sphere edition). Definitely wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

[Elaine Tomasso · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved She's Never Coming Home, which I thought was unusual and different so I was looking forward to reading You're Mine Now. Sadly I found it to be quite boring and long drawn out, although it is quite a short read, and I struggled to get to the end. Stalking seems to be the new fashion in crime novels so there is little new in this book - married woman meets younger hunk, has sex a few times, dumps him and he doesn't like the rejection. It all starts off promisingly enough with small acts of harassment , which is, I think, in keeping with stalker behaviour, but then it seems to veer off course. About three quarters of the book is taken up with these small acts so it doesn't get creepy and there is no sense of menace and then suddenly, out of the blue, there is a massive escalation, out of proportion with the rest of the book, and a very neat denouement which seems to me to be contrary to human nature. I cannot help but compare it to Peter James's Want You Dead, also about stalking, which I read recently - it is genuinely creepy and menacing. I think stalking is a serious issue but I don't feel You're Mine Now addressed it in any meaningful way and think it is poor entertaintment value.

[Ali Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first Scandanavian read as I always think I might struggle with names and places but I have to say it was not a problem. The plot was perfect as I love these type of thrillers - woman meets man at a work conference, has a fling and he turns stalker. It was quite well written and easy to read. I found myself googling placenames to set the scene as I always do. It flowed along and although a little predictable in parts I have to say I really enjoyed it aside from the very ending but I suppose in fairness that went with the whole story. Would make a good TV drama. Thoroughly recommend.

[Raven · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having thoroughly enjoyed Hans Koppel’s UK debut She’s Never Coming Back which focussed on a woman kidnapped and held prisoner opposite her own home, with a CCTV link enabling her to see her family’s distress at her abduction, I was as keen as mustard to read this one. In You’re Mine Now Koppel puts his own spin on the Fatal Attraction type tale where a comparatively rational wife and mother embarks on a short lived sexual entanglement with the mysterious uber-fit Scandinavian Adonis Erik, (well who wouldn’t?), which judging by the extremely creepy opening scene to the novel, can only end in a bad way for all concerned…

There is a good building of tension throughout as Anna seeks to extricate herself from the clutches of Erik who is slowly inveigling himself in the more personal areas of her life. Following the good intentioned actions of her own mother in the whole affair and what results from this action, Anna soon comes to realise that the sins of the flesh are sometimes best avoided. I liked the way that Koppel slowly reveals the true nature of Erik’s character and equally the claustrophobic atmosphere that begins to surround Anna and her family as she seeks to conceal the truth of her dalliance from her husband Magnus, and her daughter. The characterisation supports the menace of the plot well, with Anna’s mother and her work colleagues particularly well-realised and believable characters, and although I did find Anna herself a little one dimensional, Koppel makes Erik creepy enough to counterbalance this slight flaw. I also enjoyed the little flickers of humour that Koppel injects particularly in relation to the usefulness of Ikea in supplying the perfect kit for body disposal! The only disappointment for me was the slightly hackneyed ending which was signposted quite early on, and I felt that with Erik’s strength of character and purpose that the ending could have been somewhat braver. I’m sorry to say that it just left me feeling a little flat after the shocking denouement of Koppel’s previous book, and I thought he might have taken a bit more of a risk with it. Overall though, I did enjoy the book for what it was, and there was certainly enough within the plot to hold my interest, and that of fellow Scandinavian crime fiction fans.

[Lucy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was alright, it wasn't bad, but it wasn't the greatest or most captivating novel I've ever read. I super knew what was going to happen in the end, I didn't know whether he'd take Hedda with him or not but the ending was a bit weirder than I thought it would be with the crawling and the "Mummy"ing etc. Also I was a bit suss what he'd do with Hedda like he was together with his mum I didn't know if he knew boundaries so I was bit worried for Hedda but he didn't /do anything/ which is good. The start of the book is good like it tells you that you have to look out and it lets you know more than what the characters know which it did many times through it, but well enough that it's not frustrating by the characters being overly stupid (unlike Karlsson why you not believe her for so long stop). I think as well the idea of cheating was really fleshed out and humanised, (also I didn't even know that Trude's married? Until the cheating thing come up?). The stalking and obsession was as well, like Erik made himself the scapegoat and was really self righteous but he truly believed it and thought that it was everyone else's fault. I think that the idea of cheating was super looked into though and it was weird for me morally because I'm really against cheating but you're there supporting an intense affair haver.

Anyways Anna was a bit annoying, also I know a few Sissela's smh lmao, I think that Trude and Anna should be gooder friends, and Magnus was annoying too. Katherine pissed me off at points because it's like not everyone's good you can't talk everyone off a ledge? But that's what ultimately what got her killed though isn't it so:).

[Lizl · Rating 2 out of 5]

Achtung: Kann Spoiler enthalten, die ich nicht als solche markiert habe.

Als Erstes fällt einem die, im Gegensatz zu den meisten Büchern, sehr große Schrift auf. Das ist im ersten Moment erstmal ungewöhnlich, aber man stellt sich tatsächlich relativ schnell darauf ein und man liest dann dementsprechend auch viel schneller.

Am Anfang störten mich die extrem seichten, an der Oberfläche schwimmenden Gespräche. Es klingt teilweise wie in einem typischen Rosamunde-Pilcher-Film, denn es war einfach keine Tiefe vorhanden. Außerdem gab es teilweise komische Ansichten vom Leben, finde ich.
Im Buch steht z. B., dass das Beichten von Affären gegenüber dem/der Partner/-in schwach ist, weil man selbst nicht mit der Situation klarkommt und sich davon erleichtern möchte. Man sollte es, laut Buch, für sich behalten und mit den Gewissensbissen klarkommen. Das sehe ich nicht so. Ehrlichkeit ist das Wichtigste überhaupt und man ist eher stark, wenn man dazu steht und dem/der Partner/-in es erzählt.

Durch den Klappentext und die ersten paar Seiten lernt man den Stalker direkt zum Anfang kennen und dass das Buch in eine Stalking-Thematik führt, ist jetzt auch nicht unerwartet.
Erik ist ein sehr facettenreicher Mensch und man lernt ihn und seine Art relativ schnell kennen. Er ist ein Psychopath, sieht aber nicht ein, dass er krank ist, und das zeigt ziemlich gut seinen Charakter, finde ich. Gerade, wenn die Sichtweise von Anna in seine wechselt, kommt sein zerrütteter und verdorbener Charakter zum Vorschein. Das liegt daran, dass seine Sichtweise immer sehr nüchtern und neutral beschrieben ist, obwohl es sich meist nicht um Dinge handelt in dem ein normaler Mensch so neutral davon berichten würde. Das war teilweise ziemlich abgefahren.
Ich fand das Zerteilen des Körpers ziemlich widerlich, gerade weil es so neutral beschrieben wurde, als würde man einen Gegenstand zerschneiden. Und dass er sich danach in der nicht gesäuberten Dusche duscht, in der gerade noch eine Leiche lag.. Irgs.. Aber gut. Diese Person hat sowieso jeden Ekel verloren und sieht die Dinge nicht normal und emotional.
Und ich fand es sehr schade, dass manche Dinge einfach nicht komplett aufgeklärt wurden. Wie zum Beispiel den Hintergrund des Todes seiner Mutter.

Anna, als Protagonistin, hat mich teilweise ziemlich genervt. Sie ist so naiv. Außerdem bricht sie ständig ihre Prinzipien und hält ihre eigenen Vorsätze nicht ein. Und dann fragt sie sich, warum sie es getan hat - und tut es wieder. Und dann möchte sie es mehrmals ihrem Partner erzählen und tut es ebenfalls nicht und das fand ich insgesamt einfach rückgratlos.

Insgesamt war das Buch okay. Hat mich leider nicht wirklich vom Hocker gerissen, aber das lag hauptsächlich an Anna und dem Schreibstil des Buches, denn mit diesem kam ich leider gar nicht zurecht.

Und ein paar kleinere Fragen und Aufreger und große Spoiler::
Wer hat denn bitte noch als Privatperson ohne Gewerbe seine Hausadresse im Internet?

Am Anfang hat es mich wahnsinnig aufgeregt, dass alle Frauen über 40 gefühlt notgeil waren.

Und was kriegt man denn bitte alles für Informationen in dem Finanz- und Einwohnermeldeamt Helsingborg heraus? Datenschutz ade. Vor allem einfach gefühlt die komplette Lebensgeschichte von irgendwelchen fremden Menschen ohne Nachfrage, ohne gerichtlichen Beschluss, einfach so als Otto Normalverbraucher.

Sie fühlt sich von einem Stalker seit längerer Zeit bedrängt, hat einiges gesehen und er hat einiges gemacht, sie kennt ihre eigene Mutter sehr gut und macht sich in allen Dingen über alles Sorgen und denkt nicht sofort an ein Verbrechen? Obwohl sie die ganze Zeit Angst um alles hat? Okay..

[Missy (myweereads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

“The wrong people doubt their own abilities. The arrogant rule the world.”

You’re Mine Now by Hans Koppel is the story about Anna and Magnus a happily married couple with a daughter. Anna decides to have a fling with a man named Erik who she meets through work. She instantly regrets the decision once she catches him filming her. Things begin to get strange and she is forced to decide wether she should tell Magnus about the affair or try to deal with Erik on her own.

I managed to read this book in a matter of hours. It’s a fast paced thriller detailing the account of an affair between two co-workers which becomes really messed up really fast when the man Anna sleeps with displays stalker like tendencies. He becomes infatuated with her and films them without her consent. Once he notices she is backing off he isn’t able to control himself and things escalade really quickly.

The character of Erik is to some extent quite disturbed and this is made apparent through his dialogue. The author puts you in his head where you’re able to feel each ounce of stress and pleasure he takes in being with Anna and obsessing over her.

The plot itself is one I’ve seen before and therefore certain twists felt a little predictable however there were many more which weren’t. In the same aspect the ending I thought was quite sad and although I had an idea of what would happen it was still a very tense moment. One thing the author did well was to keep that tension and lasting dread going from the beginning until the end.

I am reading some books that have been on TBR for quite some time and this was one of those. It was a quick read and one I thought which wasn’t too bad as its been a while since I’ve read a book like this. Once I read it I realised it is the second book in a two book series which it didn’t feel like at all. Ive reserved the first one at my library and will be checking it out soon. So if you’re looking for quick stalker type thriller then this one is good and worth a read.

[Irene]

Efter godt 50 sider måtte jeg give op. Jeg kunne ikke følge med i, hvem der gjorde hvad, fordi skrivestilen var så rodet.

[Silvino Sieben · Rating 5 out of 5]

That was a breathtaking thriller!! After I read the first chapter, I knew I'd read it until the end. Awesome story.

[Elaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

well if my husband ever talks about buying a blender I'm off!

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish there were 10 stars for this book !!!

[Ecriture Inattentive · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book for two bucks at a local second-hand trade and the least I can say is that I didn’t expect the slap in the face this story gave me.

First of all, let’s talk about the plot.

This story is fast-paced, which may sound odd for a thriller, but it was excellently done. The chapters are really short (usually between three and six pages), but this gives the reader the opportunity to have a good look at the bigger picture. It also makes the plot really dynamic and gives a sense of urge that I definitely felt since I could not put this book down.

Now, I would give a trigger warning for several reasons: blackmail, stalking, and mostly abusive behaviors. This book made me genuinely anxious, so for those it might trigger, be aware there will be this type of content and it won’t be easy to read.

I would quickly want to talk about something that struck me during the reading of this book: sexism. I am positive this was made on purpose and I feel like this book shares important messages to read between the lines. No, a woman is not a dominator nor hysterical for having opinions and strong emotions. Yes, the police should take women more seriously. There are more instances, but I will keep this review spoiler free. Feel free to form your own opinion by reading this novel.

Now onto the ‘romance’ that isn’t truly one. It all starts with a hook-up. And even though the relationship goes from zero (when they meet) to a hundred (when they have sex a few more times) really quickly, their chemistry is undeniable.

Obviously, I can’t talk about this book without talking about spice. I’m not a erotica reader, I don’t really like sex scenes, but I was spared those in this book. There is really raw language but this is as far as it goes. And this raw language, when coming from Erik, is going to make you uncomfortable. And that’s the point of those lines. Really well done.

To finish off, here are my thoughts on characters.

The only one that I hated was the grand-ma who acts like some sort of saint when she is condoning cheating. She also stuck her nose everywhere which I found both reckless and annoying.

Anna was a good character. The torment she feels after cheating is incredibly well portrayed as well as her questioning, her fears, how much she cares about her family, how much she wants to go back to her normal life she used to hate so much… She has a temper all the while being very empathetic and I adored both aspects. She was a really nice character, I liked her.

And of course, my favorite character had to be Erik. He is wicked, disturbed, traumatized but cannot separate his trauma from real life. His psychology is really on point and perfectly executed through interactions and inner-monologues. His narcissistic side is also on-point as it checks all the boxes (love bombing, blame shifting, gaslighting, etc.).

To sum it up, this book was absolutely brilliant. The tension got me on the edge of my seat from the beginning to the end. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes thrillers. Phenomenal.

5 stars.

[Miles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full review on http://www.milorambles.com/2014/01/12...

She’s Never Coming Back was always going to be a tough book to follow. A hard hitting novel, often brutal, terrifying too, it really would take something to match its ferocity and unfortunately I don’t think the author quite managed it with You’re Mine Now. For me, although well written, the story takes a long time to get started, there’s no meat to the first half and then all of a sudden something happens that changes the whole feel of the book – I can’t help think that it should have happened sooner.

The book is heavily reliant on two characters, Erik and Anna. Both very different, emotions are high throughout and they slowly fester until they reach boiling point. For me, Erik is the book’s main character, it’s Erik’s book . He’s incredibly complex and you never really know what you are going to get with him. An interesting backstory I enjoyed the way Koppel teased us with his personality, it was a steady progression, we’d discover a little here, a little there and we’d see his character develop as the story unfolded. There’s no two ways about it Erik is completely unhinged. You always know there’s something sinister lurking below and it’s just a matter of time until he explodes.

Anna on the other hand, although crucial to the story, doesn’t develop as much as Erik, I really wanted more from her. She makes a huge mistake; she knows it’s wrong when she sleeps with Erik. She just can’t help herself. Attracted to the stranger she vows never to do it again but temptation is a fickle monster and she succumbs on numerous occasions.

Apart from Erik, the star of the show for me was Anna’s daughter. She is a magnificent character and I loved every scene she was in. For someone so young, Koppel has given her an incredible personality and the book came alive every time she appeared. I never tired of the nine year old. It was the simple things that Koppel got right with her, the discussion with her mother about borrowing her phone to play games and the immediate infatuation with an attractive stranger, she suddenly thinks she’s so much older! Loved that.

There’s also one passage in the book that made me laugh so much. Where does one go when one has to clean up a murder? Answer – Ikea! A shopping list like no other. I never knew Ikea stocked so much!
You’re Mine Now is a very quick read, for all I’ve said it doesn’t falter. It moves along at a frantic pace and just like his other book the narrative is well written. Despite my few misgivings I would not hesitate to read his next book.

[Kayleigh Hyde · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review originally posted here: https://turningpages90.wordpress.com/...

*Spoiler free review*

Anna and Magnus are happily married, but one night, in a moment of madness, Anna has a brief fling with Erik. Anna finds herself tangled up in Erik’s dark and twisted world and begins to fear for her family’s safety. She has to make the difficult decision of trying to handle things on her own, or admitting her infidelity to her husband.

This books is translated from Swedish, and is of course set in Sweden. I don’t personally have much knowledge of the locations mentioned in this book and I was not sure of the currency conversion (so I thought at first they had bought a car for £150, 000!) but this didn’t affect my thoughts on the book overall.

The plot of this book was a little slow for me. It was quick and easy to get into the story and setting, but I wasn’t as gripped as I like to be with psychological thrillers. The atmosphere and tension in the book was good and it did give the whole story quite an eerie vibe! Towards the end of the book things did pick up pace quite a lot and I finished the last 100 pages in one sitting. The ending was okay, a few dramatic events but to be honest I found it a little predictable.

Erik was definitely a creepy character – but he did not do anything that I couldn’t guess. Maybe I’ve just read too many novels about stalkers now! His past was touched upon, and bits of his dark side shone through and were revealed slowly as the plot began to develop.

Anna’s character was perhaps not as dimensional as I would have preferred, she didn’t seem to have any personally quirks and I would struggle with a way to describe her. Her love for her family does shine through a lot, and even though she engaged in the fling with Erik I did believe that her love for her husband was strong.

I liked the relationship Anna had with her mother – I was surprised at how much she did confide in her – but I think it worked really well. I came to realise just how much Anna loved her mother, and how similar she was to her as well. I believe the love between mother and daughter was reflected slightly in Anna’s relationship with her own daughter. Perhaps if her daughter had been older that may have been more apparent.

Overall my thoughts on this book are generally positive. I very much liked the characters and felt that in some ways they were a bit stronger than the arc of the plot. I would be happy to read more of Hans Koppel’s books in the future.

[Chiara Cilli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sono sempre alla ricerca di libri che mi diano emozioni forti e oscure, e quando ho adocchiato la cover e il titolo di questo romanzo... fuck yes! Babbo Natale me l'ha portato e l'ho finito nel giro di quanto? Due giorni? Mamma mia °_° Tutto dialogo dialogo, come piace a me, con descrizioni essenziali e un ritmo sempre incalzante. Ora, io sono così malata che mi si arricciavano le dita dei piedi ogni volta che entrava in scena Erik - ma si può? E comunque, di chi cazzo è la colpa se lui è così? Di quella stronza psicopatica della madre, ecco a chi bisognerebbe urlare contro, non a questo povero ragazzo - perché è un ragazzo, punto. Un ragazzo che nessuno è stato capace di aiutare. Anna era troppo occupata a farsi sbattere alla grande da lui per accorgersi che aveva bisogno di aiuto. Tralasciando... come posso dire... lo smembramento della signora Katherine, io penso davvero che Erik non sia un personaggio malvagio. Aveva solo bisogno di aiuto, ma l'essere umano, come al solito, è egoista e non si preoccupa di ciò che gli accade intorno. Erik ha ragione, cara Anna: come ti andava più che bene mentre ti scopava, eh? Scusatemi, ma è a lei che io do la colpa.
Libro incredibile! ;)

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

The strapline on the front of the book promises "the most terrifying crime novel you will ever read" and the blurb on the back of the book evokes "a terrifying finale that will scare you out of your skin". Well, it was an enjoyable read but I wouldn't go that far. I actually felt a bit detached from the central characters and ended up feeling like they partly deserved what they got. While Anna's questionable decisions were initially believable, I found it unlikely that she would reveal all to her mum and even less so, that her mum would go vigilante like a meddling Miss Marple. I just can't believe that the Swedish authorities would give out such detailed information over the phone and telling someone threatening that you've just worked out that they are not normal and need professional help has to go down as the worst (and most unlikely) idea ever.

Full review on my blog : http://madhousefamilyreviews.blogspot...

[Lynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok. The major difference between this Scandinavian thriller and other best-sellers of the same genre is probably the character development. Anna and Eric were pretty non-demensional characters - what you see is what you get. Ditto with the plot. Just like the back of the book says - Anna cheats on her husband, Eric starts to stalk her. We don't get enough character development to build up suspense; however, thanks to a fast-paced plot it was a super quick read.

My one major complaint, and I don't know if this is because I read a translation; however, some of the secondary characters seemed to get a little mixed up. Anna's co-workers seemed to switch personalities midway through the read. But like i said - I'm not sure if it was poorly edited or poorly translated.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great thriller as married Anna finds out that her one-night stand, Erik, is not prepared to leave it at that and is prepared to go to extraordinary lengths to keep her attention. Frightened of her husband Magnus discovering her infidelity, Anna tries to deal with the situation by herself, confiding only in her mother and unwilling to involve the authorities. But she doesn't realise what Erik is capable of (although the reader is, right from the shocking opening!). A bit of a slow-burner and I didn't think it was quite as good as his first book ('She's Never Coming Back') - nevertheless, would still recommend it as a worthwhile read: 8/10.

[Richard Murphy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not find this shocking or terrifying.

It was obvious and cliched.

I never give up on books but I found this a struggle.

[David Staniforth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice easy flowing style with an ever present tension. The ending could have been better, but the story kept me hooked throughout.

[Erika · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,75*
Jag tyckte denna boken var bättre en den första i serien. Spännande och meddragande bok som utvecklades till en bladvändare.

[QuietlyCurious_Sudee · Rating 1 out of 5]

My eyes feel strained, not because of all the reading that i've done- I've rolled my eyes innumerable times.
Is this the worst book that i have read so far? Definitely!
I am usually not the type who writes a review as i finish a book but this book has compelled me to do it.

I don't want another person to waste their time as i did.

So if you are a person who does not like the below things then skip this book:

- a small plot, the plot does not grow- it almost feels stagnant. You don't get to know the characters. It feels as if the novelist was in a hurry to start and finish it at the same time. Everything was off about it.
If you like intricate plots then this is not for you.

- a childish idea. the novelist wanted to write about illegitimate affair and stalker.
Of course these ideas are just enough to make a good thriller but the novelist just jotted down the fundamental characteristics of both:
Illegitimate affair- married one should feel guilty and break it off. But she didn't seem guilty at least to me.
Stalker- Should give blank calls, follow you, and threaten to blow off your secret.

The whole story: (Nothing that you would not know from the blurb of the book): An illegitimate affair goes wrong and the guys starts stalking who also turns out to be a psychopath. It is all over the place and yet you get nowhere.

It was a blah...
This was by far the worst that I've read!

[Tealo · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Es war der Sex", flüsterte sie. "Ich habe mich von dir angezogen gefühlt."
"Und jetzt willst du nichts mehr von mir wissen?" S. 80

Während einer Dienstreise trifft Anna den attraktiven, viel jüngeren und geheimnisvollen Erik, der ihr ein eindeutiges Angebot macht. Obwohl sie glücklich verheiratet ist und eine zehnjährige Tochter hat, geht sie dem Flirt nach und landet mit Erik im Bett. Sie erlebt eine unglaubliche, aufregende Nacht. Doch dann nagt das schlechte Gewissen an ihr und sie versucht Erik, der sich immer wieder mit ihr treffen will, loszuwerden. Erik hat aber ganz andere Pläne mit Anna.

Nach zahllosen gelesenen Thrillern, ist es schwer, noch etwas zu finden, das man so noch nicht gelesen hat. Dieses Buch besticht mit seinen kurzen fesselnden Kapitel, den wechselnden Perspektiven, der Angst verfolgt zu werden und dem schlechten Gewissen von Anna, das man bis ins Innerste nachfühlen kann. Auch wenn die sexuelle Lust im Vordergrund steht, werden diese Szenen im Buch nur kurz angedeutet und ansonsten eiskalt übersprungen. Dennoch liest es sich sehr schnell, hat einige Twists und spielt wirklich mit der Psyche des Lesers.
Und Mal wieder entpuppt sich ein Flohmarktfund als echter Schatz.

[Francois Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the fastest 410 pages that i have read in my life! I am sure! For me... The whole plot was so real it was surreal. You take a everyday decision not thinking much about it and wham bam thank you mam your whole life is uprooted and blown to the wind. It makes you sacred to even step out of your door. Not because of the loonatics out the... Possibly wanting to delimb you and gut you in small pieces.... No you are sacred to go out because of that one small decision that you going to have to make and just like that everything is out of control, and there ia no getting away from it..... Because you would have to open that door and step out,at one point or other. Its waiting for, bidding its time!
Might have to take off work tomorrw. Lol was a lovely fun read. First book in yonks that i read in one day. Would recommend this to all! Thank you Hans Koppel!! Now..... Need to find your other book and your real name so i can find what else you have written. 🤭😂🤪Think you found a fan here!

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This thriller kept me on the edge of my seat right from the very beginning!!! One mis-choice in life can create drama for the rest of your life. Have you ever been away from home - been very attracted to someone - ended up in bed with them - and then regretted it for the rest of your life? Sometimes people are never who they seem on the outside! They can, in turn, make your life hell - and thats putting it mildly! There is a song called "She Ain't Pretty - she just looks that way".....this should be "He Aint Pretty - he just looks that way!". The original happily married life went downhill from that choice - never to be the same again! Oy!

[Tanya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anna is a Swedish wife and mother working at a magazine in Sweden. She loves her husband, Magnus and ten year old daughter Hedda. One weekend at a business meeting getaway she meets the young Erik. They have a wild weekend of a sexual encounter and Anna promises herself that is the only time she will have an affair. However, she then gets entwined with Erik a few more times. Erik’s demeanour changes rapidly to being possessive and stalking. Frightened, Anna goes to the police begging for them to do something but Erik doesn’t give up easily, he wants Anna all to himself.

My first Nordic noir novel and it was good. I’ll be tempted to delve into this genre a little more.