The Killing 3

The Killing #3

by David Hewson

A FAMILY IN TURMOIL. A COUNTRY IN CRISIS. ALL DEBTS MUST BE SETTLED

Genres: Thriller, Crime, Mystery, Audiobook, Fiction, Detective, Denmark

700 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 1, 2014

About the author

DAVID HEWSON was born in Yorkshire in 1953. His books range from the Nic Costa series set in Italy to adaptations of The Killing in Copenhagen and the Pieter Vos series in Amsterdam.
He's adapted Shakespeare for Audible and in 2018 won the Audie for best original work for Romeo and Juliet: A Novel, narrated by Richard Armitage.
2019 sees the release of a new, full-cast Audible drama set in New York, Last Seen Wearing, and a standalone novel set in the Faroe Islands, Devil's Fjord.

Series:
Nic Costa

Pieter Vos

The Killing

Reviews

[Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fantastic read from David Hewson. I have read all three Killing books and they are all equally brilliant.

The plots twist and turn so much I am always left quite breathless until the very end.

I just love Sarah Lund, who is flawed, complicated but above all a brilliant detective. I really like her instinct and logic applied to the case In hand and I really really hope there is a book 4. Borsch and Brix are just brilliant characters and I would also like to see how the potentially very good Juncker progresses.

Thumping good read and highly recommended.

[Tânia · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s nowhere near as good as the rest of the trilogy, although it does keep up the non-stop, fast-paced narrative that makes for a good page-turner.

The Zeuthen’s were little more than cardboard cut-outs of the Birk Larsen family.

Politics was repetitive. Bringing Troels Hartmann back into the fold was probably not the wisest choice. I mean, his story is just a rehash of the 1st book with only a small addition about his younger brother which, interestingly as it was, it’s just it.

Police investigation was okay-ish. I did love the cat and mouse chase between Lund and Emilie’s kidnapper, and for me that was hands-down, the best part of book. But there was not much more of significance. Suspect was predictable. No great partners like Jan Meyers or Ulrik Strange, just a barely acknowledged newbie. And that old flame of Lund’s that rekindles and leaves me out cold.

The ending ruined. If anyone could do it… it was Sarah goddamn Lund! Brix said so himself. The twist was pointless and completely unfair to this iconic character.

Not to mention, there was no real resolution.

Anyway, I’m glad Veena Sud didn’t pick up this screenplay for the US version of the Danish TV Show and with a little help from Netflix made sure Sarah Linden got the ending she truly deserved.

[Calzean · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a book. There are lots of short sentences. One. Two words. Three at times. Four at a stretch. Five words made a change. Staccato like in its tossing around the storylines of a new case, an old case, the politicians, the police, the family, the business and the bad guy. Sarah Lund is just a bit too focused, determined and willing to take the big risks in her job. I liked the previous book a lot more.

[iga ᵔᴥᵔ]

chyba nie wiem co dokładnie o niej myśleć, ale mi się podobała

[Rebecca Hock · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read. A really good series. I would recommend others read the whole series. I read them in order and I recommend others do the same. This book could be read on its' own but there are quite a few references to things from previous books.

[Bookish Bluestocking · Rating 5 out of 5]

How many stars can I give it? Those and even more! Fantastic pace with many twists and turns and there were times that I couldn't keep on reading and I closed the book to make the suspense bearable. I also loved the characters and the end is so final....
The series both TV and the books are among my top favourites!

[Weerdski · Rating 3 out of 5]

Het format is voor mij wel uitgewerkt. Steeds dat gedoe over politiek. En de schrijfstijl vermoeide mij danig. Blij dat ik erdoorheen ben.

[Vivienne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I felt that Hewson has done another sterling job here in the print adaptation of Series 3 of the Danish cult TV show, The Killing. Enough time had passed between my watching the episodes for some details of the case to have faded, so this proved a welcome reminder and as before Hewson did introduce some sub-plots and additional characters.

Hewson didn't change the shocking conclusion though I have to admit I rather wanted him too. He did however pen a final chapter that gave some closure to those events. It felt quite an organic addition. So well done as we wave Sara Lund once more off into the sunset. As with a few books recently I part listened to this with my Audible edition but read all of the print edition borrowed from the library.

[Sheila · Rating 2 out of 5]

The plot was OK, but the characters were cardboard cut-outs and there was no sense of place. I had not seen the TV series from which this was taken, so I had no pre-established idea of the settings or the people, and the book didn't provide me with any mind-pictures.

[Mick Dubois · Rating 5 out of 5]

The third book in the series. Sarah Lund has to solve the kidnapping of the daughter of 1of Denmark's most powerful businessmen. A case intertwined with the highest echelons of political power. Troels Hartmann also makes his appearance in this book. Now the prime minister, he is in the middle of national elections and worried about the close ties between him and the company of the girl's father. The kidnapping might be linked to the (c)old case of a suspected suicide.
A thrilling and exciting read. As in the previous books, the close ties between politics and (dirty) business and/or crime make it a realistic and credible story; i.e. the manner in which the politicians try to influence and silence the police investigations that might be unbeneficial for them or their reputations.

[Sylvia · Rating 5 out of 5]

The end of the Killing series. One last Sarah Lund adventure with her Faroe Islands knitted jumpers. The kidnapping of a shipping magnate's daughter has connections with with a death of a foster child whose death was initially ruled as a suicide.

Like the previous two books there's three story lines weaved into the storyline: the police investigation (Lund), the political side (Hartmann and co), and the family caught up in it all. Nordic noir is the best genre and this series hits the heights just like the Millennium trilogy with Lisbeth Salander in both the books and movies/show.

Sad it's over but grateful I got to experience it.

[Mark Baines · Rating 4 out of 5]

As described on the cover, a well written taut, atmospheric thriller. The interweaving of politics and big business. add to the depth of the story as facts emerge due to the tenacity of the prime character and this takes the reader back and forth as strands unravel in one direction then another. Those who have read previous in this 'series, will recognize familiar characters who develop further.
A cracking read.

[Jeannette · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the story was basically good, it certainly dragged out way too long. Durng that last 100 pages or so, I just wanted it to be over. Lund is basically a pain in the neck but she ususlly gets there in the end. I could have done without so much political B.S. Since when do political figures, especially Prime Ministers, get involved in an ongoing investigation? I though that story line was a bit unbelievable but maybe I just missed something.

[☀Rachael☀ · Rating 4 out of 5]

A few small differences between the books and the Tv show, apart from Hartman, but otherwise very similar.
Again too much time spent on political blah blah blah, but some of it was relevant.
I wanted to read and watch these and now I have, I did enjoy them but it would have been better without the political side, and also shorter. Now to watch the US version!

[Lynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Took far too long to read in spite of being well written. The alternative narrative featuring Troels Hartmann seems to be mainly irrelevant (although a bit of Twols is rarely a waste of time) and only ties in with the main narrative arc in the last few pages.

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a screenplay I kept telling myself...hence the short episodic passages, concurrent plot scenes, etc
Great characters. Tight writing - nothing wasted. A little lengthy at the close. I'll read anything he writes.

[sslyb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh, Hewson must have gotten tired of this project

[Karen Nield · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much better than the second book. Intense and fast paced thriller.

[Rob · Rating 3 out of 5]

A somewhat tacked on ending to the series that doesn't quite fit but still a worth reading mystery.

[Sondashi · Rating 3 out of 5]

the book is unputdownable

[Konrad Plechowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good read, even without remembering the story of the previous two parts.

[Alma (retirement at last) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the final book in The Killing series and wonderfully written by David Hewson.
I do recommend you read the first two though as there are so many characters from those that interlink with the third one.
I have loved all three books and although different readers have different views on which is the best, I find it hard to choose between this one and the previous one.
This is edge of the seat reading, although a couple of the characters annoyed the hell out of me but this made it all the more readable as you realise money doesn’t always buy you what you want.
The ending made me give it 5 stars, I’ll leave it at that

[E J DeBarr · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Killing iii

Another excellent read which brings to an end the stories of detective Sarah Lund. The three books in the series are all excellent and highly recommended.

[Ulrike Bungert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shame it's over...

[oatmeal77155 · Rating 3 out of 5]

narrated just like watching a movie-is experience?
l'd rather watch the movie instead 🙂

[Heidi de Goede · Rating 3 out of 5]

The others were just so much better.

[Jürgen Zeller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wie unschwer am Titel und Umschlagbild zu erkennen ist, ist dies der 3. Fall rund um und mit der Polizeihauptkommissarin Sarah Lund und wer die ersten beiden Bände nicht gelesen hat, sollte unter gar keinen Umständen mit dieser Ausgabe in die Serie einsteigen. Dieses Buch kann man meiner Meinung nach auch gar nicht isoliert besprechen ohne die beiden vorherigen Bände unerwähnt zu lassen. Rückblickend bilden alle drei Kriminalromane, obwohl jeder in sich abgeschlossen ist, zusammen ein grosses Ganzes und ich kann heute selbst nicht ganz verstehen, dass ich dem 1. und 2. Fall "nur" mit vier Amazon-Sterne bewertet habe. Aber das war damals mein Leseeindruck und der wird nicht mehr verändert.

Mit dem Einstig in diesen Fall bekundete ich leichte Mühe. Entweder war meine Konzentration nicht zu 100 % beim Buch oder es ist tatsächlich etwas verwirrend die stattliche Anzahl der Protagonisten gedanklich einzuordnen und dem rasanten Handlungsverlauf zu folgen. Aber nach den ersten hundert Seiten habe ich das Knäuel im Gehirn entwirrt und konnte dem Geschehen mit wachsender Begeisterung folgen. Inhaltlich möchte ich nicht zuviel verraten ausser das es wieder um Gewaltverbrechen geht die in Zusammenhang mit mächtigen Wirtschaftsunternehmen und deren einflussreichen Inhabern stehen und bis ins allerhöchste politische Establishment reichen. Politik funktioniert nun mal nicht ohne Geld und Parteispenden und hinter den Kulissen wird um Macht und Einflussnahme gerungen. Gleichzeitig sollte nicht allzu viel der Kungelei in die Öffentlichkeit gelangen, denn die Bürger sollen die Politiker schließlich wählen und eine Schmierenkomödie kann keine Partei gebrauchen. Wer nun vermutet, dass es in dieser Geschichte nur Gut und Böse gibt wird sich irgendwann verwundert die Augen reiben weil es neben Schwarz und Weiss viele Grautöne gibt und ich frage mich, wie ich in gewissen Situationen gehandelt oder Entscheidungen gefällt hätte? Für einen Kriminalroman erstaunlich viele nuancierte Feinheiten in der Personenzeichnung sind das Tüpfelchen auf dem i und mitverantwortlich für den Sog den dieses Buch entwickelt.

Ich habe die erfolgreiche Fernsehserie die diesen Büchern zu Grunde liegt nie gesehen. Mein Eindruck ist, dass sich der Autor in schriftstellerischer Hinsicht von Buch zu Buch zu gesteigert hat und mit wachsender Erfahrung es immer besser verstanden hat, aus einem Drehbuch einen ausgezeichneten Kriminalroman zu schreiben. Die Ausgaben wurden auch immer kürzer. War der 1. Fall noch ein 800 Seiten Klopper warens beim 2. noch stattliche 620 Seiten und nun beim 3. fast handliche 460 Seiten. Die drei Hardcover-Bücher nebeneinander benötigen einiges an Platz in meiner Bücherwand sind aber ein toller Hingucker.

Ich bin der Meinung, das diese drei Gesellschafts-, Politik-, und Wirtschaftskriminalromane mit ihren verästelten Handlungssträngen und den vielschichtigen Hauptfiguren eindeutig zu den besseren und intelligenteren des Genres gehören und ich kann nicht nur dieses Buch sondern das Gesamtpakt zur Lektüre empfehlen.

[alexander shay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Each book got smaller than the last, so in terms of being able to remember everything that happened, this book was the best. It was based more heavily on action than psychology or motive, so it was easier to follow along and remember which players were which.
Some of the characters seemed to have inconsistent personalities this go round though. I questioned several character choices both for character consistency reasons and for blatant obviousness. It takes the cops a very long time to catch onto certain things that I saw right away. And while the ending is a surprise, it feels a bit like a character consistency as well.
I'm not quite sure how to feel about the ending, or about the book as a whole. Very tired of having politicians brought into everything, especially because it was almost all the same ones from before. Lund and Borch's relationship seemed a bit contrived in its convenience, and I was definitely worried that, with her track record of partners in previous books, things would not turn out well for Borch at all (not because I cared about him at all, because I didn't. It was just a pattern I was hoping I wouldn't see again). Throwing in Mark out of nowhere adds to her drama a little bit but also seems contrived and, especially with how dismissive Lund is of personal matters, it could have been cut out entirely and made no difference at all.
For the number of pages this book had, overall it felt like not very much honestly happened. I related very little to the characters and felt the farthest from them of the three books. The plot was alright but could have been paced better, with several reductions. It also read too similarly to the first book and the Birk Larsen's case. The connections were done on purpose, since Lund pulls that file and starts going through it again, but it felt like a rehash of the same thing done over again, and, as with any other series, the effect is lost the second time around.

[Violet Aderes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will miss Sarah for sure. She was brilliant character, an amazing detective and I can’t believe that I was – once again – right about the murderer. Even, if I started choosing them from the beginning, I was right. But, yes, throughout the book, it confuses you to the point that makes you question your choice. Although, I had three or four people before I ended with three.

On a side note: I was trying to watch Danish version of “The Killing”, and I didn’t go so far after reading first book. Despite of books appearing after tv show “The Killing”, I didn’t feel the need to watch it. Books were enough and more!

But Troels Hartmann will be always my least favorite character for being an ignorant and unhelpful character. So does Borch, I didn’t like this guy at all.

[Ken Fredette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, now that I read The Killing 3 by David Hewson I can watch the TV movie if it ever comes to Netflix. The book was a wild chase between good and evil. David really kept twisting the story to the point you could scream and Lund, you couldn't tell what she was thinking other than the case. It was emotional but thats probably why I liked it.