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Leo Junker #1
The Invisible Man from Salem
In the final days of summer, a young woman is shot dead in her apartment. Three floors above, the blue lights of the police cars awaken disgraced ex-officer Leo Junker. Though suspended from the force, he can’t stay away for long. Bluffing his way onto the crime scene, he examines the dead woman and sees that she is clasping a cheap necklace — a necklace he instantly recognises.
As Leo sets out on a rogue investigation to catch the killer, a series of frightening connections emerge, linking the murder to his own troubled youth in Salem — a suburb of Stockholm where social and racial tensions run high — and forcing him to confront a long ago incident that changed his life forever.
Now, in backstreets, shadowed alleyways, and decaying suburbs ruled by Stockholm’s criminal underground, the search for the young woman’s killer — and the truth about Leo’s past — begins.
As Leo sets out on a rogue investigation to catch the killer, a series of frightening connections emerge, linking the murder to his own troubled youth in Salem — a suburb of Stockholm where social and racial tensions run high — and forcing him to confront a long ago incident that changed his life forever.
Now, in backstreets, shadowed alleyways, and decaying suburbs ruled by Stockholm’s criminal underground, the search for the young woman’s killer — and the truth about Leo’s past — begins.
304 pages, Paperback
First published August 28, 2013
32 people are currently reading
670 people want to read
About the author
Christoffer Carlsson
22 books458 followersI was born, I started writing stories, I haven't died yet
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 137 reviews
October 23, 2019
That book was not easy to finish.. I kept losing interest and I put it down more times than I can recall. Slow-moving with lots of unnecessary details. The final pages and the ending is quite satisfying though.
February 21, 2021
The plot of this thriller is intricate but the detail and character descriptions make me feel like I’ve just experienced it personally. I’ve just met a dozen new people and I’ve learned how difficult it is growing up in this neighbourhood. It is a neighbourhood that can exist everywhere, one in which a person can live and be lonely and alone surrounded by scores of other people equally lonely and alone. One can search endlessly for the reason why things happen, only to discover that there may be no reason. Things just happen.
August 9, 2017
Για κάποια βιβλία έχεις feeling από την αρχή. Είτε πως θα σε συναρπάσουν και θα τα λατρέψεις, είτε πως θα μπεις στο τριπάκι να αναρωτιέσαι "τι δουλειά έχω εγώ με τούτο 'δω;!"
Ε, το συγκεκριμένο βιβλίο απ' την αρχή φαινότανε πως βάρος θα γινότανε. Στην to read λίστα μου. Γι' αυτό αποφάσισα να βγάλω τη μία ψυχή που 'ναι να βγει και να ησυχάσω. Και οπωσδήποτε γράφω την κριτική μου εδώ εντελώς υποκειμενικά (μπορεί κάποιος να το διαβάσει και να ενθουσιαστεί, περί ορέξεως άλλωστε...) Εγώ πάντως δεν θα το πρότεινα ούτε στον εχθρό μου. Θα προτιμούσα να του συστήσω κάποιο βιβλίο της Χρυσηγίδας Δημουλίδου - να πονέσει βαθιά και περισσότερο. 😝
Δεν ξέρω γιατί γράφτηκε, γιατί εκδόθηκε και γιατί μεταφράστηκε και σε άλλες γλώσσες το συγκεκριμένο. Προωθείται σαν αστυνομικό, αλλά δεν είναι. Η συντριπτική πλειοψηφία των σελίδων του αναφέρεται στο παρελθόν του ήρωα και στις σχέσεις του με τους φίλους του. Η έρευνα για τον δολοφόνο είναι φτωχή και οι ανάλογες σκηνές θυμίζουν ξεφούσκωτο μπαλόνι. Και σε άλλα βιβλία γνωρίζει ο αναγνώστης την ταυτότητα του δράστη πριν το τέλος, όμως περιμένει να δει την κορύφωση της πλοκής στις τελευταίες σελίδες. Εδώ δεν υπήρχε λόγος ούτε καν γι' αυτό. Όπως αποδείχτηκε, ποτέ δεν μάθαμε -ούτε εμείς, ούτε ο κεντρικός ήρωας- τα ακριβή αίτια του παλαβού ενόχου. Γενικά, η αίσθηση ήταν "γιατί...έτσι!"
Άνευρη γραφή, άνευροι και αδιάφοροι ήρωες. Η χειρότερη όψη της Σουηδίας, τόσο ως χώρας όσο και ως κοινωνίας. Μαύρα και μελανά χρώματα, κατήφεια και κατάθλιψη, εγκληματικότητα και φτώχεια... Βέβαια, αν η πένα του συγγραφέα ήταν αρκούντως ταλαντούχα, θα μπορούσε να τα περιγράψει όλα αυτά με τέτοιον τρόπο, που να μοιάζουν 'γοητευτικά' μέσα στην ασχήμια τους. Είναι κι αυτό ένα ταλέντο. Εδώ όμως ήταν ολοφάνερο πως ο πρωταγωνιστής βαριόταν να περπατήσει, όπως και ο συγγραφέας βαριόταν να γράψει (και τελικά ο αναγνώστης βαριόταν να διαβάσει.)
Ξαναλέω πως μπορεί να ακουστώ υπερβολική, και επαναλαμβάνω πως αυτή είναι η ΠΡΟΣΩΠΙΚΗ ΜΟΥ άποψη, όμως θεωρώ τον "Αόρατο άνθρωπο από το Σάλεμ" το χειρότερο βιβλίο σκανδιναβικής λογοτεχνίας που έχω διαβάσει ποτέ - και έχω διαβάσει αρκετά! Και επειδή λένε πως μια εικόνα ισούται με χίλιες λέξεις, η μόνη αίσθηση που είχα από την πρώτη μέχρι την τελευταία σελίδα, και ακόμα και τώρα κάθε φορά που το σκέφτομαι, είναι αυτή και μόνο:
Ε, το συγκεκριμένο βιβλίο απ' την αρχή φαινότανε πως βάρος θα γινότανε. Στην to read λίστα μου. Γι' αυτό αποφάσισα να βγάλω τη μία ψυχή που 'ναι να βγει και να ησυχάσω. Και οπωσδήποτε γράφω την κριτική μου εδώ εντελώς υποκειμενικά (μπορεί κάποιος να το διαβάσει και να ενθουσιαστεί, περί ορέξεως άλλωστε...) Εγώ πάντως δεν θα το πρότεινα ούτε στον εχθρό μου. Θα προτιμούσα να του συστήσω κάποιο βιβλίο της Χρυσηγίδας Δημουλίδου - να πονέσει βαθιά και περισσότερο. 😝
Δεν ξέρω γιατί γράφτηκε, γιατί εκδόθηκε και γιατί μεταφράστηκε και σε άλλες γλώσσες το συγκεκριμένο. Προωθείται σαν αστυνομικό, αλλά δεν είναι. Η συντριπτική πλειοψηφία των σελίδων του αναφέρεται στο παρελθόν του ήρωα και στις σχέσεις του με τους φίλους του. Η έρευνα για τον δολοφόνο είναι φτωχή και οι ανάλογες σκηνές θυμίζουν ξεφούσκωτο μπαλόνι. Και σε άλλα βιβλία γνωρίζει ο αναγνώστης την ταυτότητα του δράστη πριν το τέλος, όμως περιμένει να δει την κορύφωση της πλοκής στις τελευταίες σελίδες. Εδώ δεν υπήρχε λόγος ούτε καν γι' αυτό. Όπως αποδείχτηκε, ποτέ δεν μάθαμε -ούτε εμείς, ούτε ο κεντρικός ήρωας- τα ακριβή αίτια του παλαβού ενόχου. Γενικά, η αίσθηση ήταν "γιατί...έτσι!"
Άνευρη γραφή, άνευροι και αδιάφοροι ήρωες. Η χειρότερη όψη της Σουηδίας, τόσο ως χώρας όσο και ως κοινωνίας. Μαύρα και μελανά χρώματα, κατήφεια και κατάθλιψη, εγκληματικότητα και φτώχεια... Βέβαια, αν η πένα του συγγραφέα ήταν αρκούντως ταλαντούχα, θα μπορούσε να τα περιγράψει όλα αυτά με τέτοιον τρόπο, που να μοιάζουν 'γοητευτικά' μέσα στην ασχήμια τους. Είναι κι αυτό ένα ταλέντο. Εδώ όμως ήταν ολοφάνερο πως ο πρωταγωνιστής βαριόταν να περπατήσει, όπως και ο συγγραφέας βαριόταν να γράψει (και τελικά ο αναγνώστης βαριόταν να διαβάσει.)
Ξαναλέω πως μπορεί να ακουστώ υπερβολική, και επαναλαμβάνω πως αυτή είναι η ΠΡΟΣΩΠΙΚΗ ΜΟΥ άποψη, όμως θεωρώ τον "Αόρατο άνθρωπο από το Σάλεμ" το χειρότερο βιβλίο σκανδιναβικής λογοτεχνίας που έχω διαβάσει ποτέ - και έχω διαβάσει αρκετά! Και επειδή λένε πως μια εικόνα ισούται με χίλιες λέξεις, η μόνη αίσθηση που είχα από την πρώτη μέχρι την τελευταία σελίδα, και ακόμα και τώρα κάθε φορά που το σκέφτομαι, είναι αυτή και μόνο:
May 20, 2021
3.7 stars rounded up. This is the first book in the Leo Junker series. I've read 2 or 3 books before by Christoffer Carlsson and I must say this is my favorite so far. It's not one of the greatest book I've read but the story is compelling and held my intresset even when I had put it down for a while. Will most likely continue on with the series as I want to learn and read more about Leo Junker.
May 29, 2015
The book introduces us to the world weary, disgraced Internal Affairs officer, Leo Junker. When a young woman is found murdered in Junker’s apartment block, he bluffs his way onto the crime scene, despite his current suspension from the force, and sees that she is clasping a necklace – a necklace he is all too familiar with.
As Leo sets out on his own gung-ho investigation to catch the killer, a series of frightening connections emerge linking the dead woman to his own troubled youth in Salem, a Stockholm suburb where social deprivation and racial tension have a strong foothold. He’s forced to confront an incident long ago that changed his life forever. Leo finds himself absorbed back into the dangerous territory of his youth, desperately seeking a figure from his past, who is hell-bent on retribution and shrouded in mystery whilst also being seemingly impossible to track down.
Leo Junker is an interesting character. He has risen above his humble roots to pursue a career in the force. When he was head-hunted for the Internal Affairs division, trouble ensued as he was asked to spy on fellow members of the department. After an ill-fated criminal operation he fell from grace. However, he retains a steely determination to insinuate himself back into the front-line, particularly with his personal connection to this new case.
In some ways, Leo fits the typical portrait of fictional detectives. He’s desperately unlucky in love, and generally world weary. Whether this is due in part to the translation, there is no real vibrancy in him and little to make us empathise with him. He seems a little too self-absorbed throughout. When an ex-lover is drawn into the investigation, Leo comes across as just a bit too needy, and this is somewhat at odds with the picture that has been built up of him. Leo is harder to engage with than many other detectives in Scandinavian crime fiction.
There are a few odd episodes in the book where Carlsson seemed to be channeling Raymond Chandler’s Phillip Marlowe, through Junker’s personality and dialogue. However this is done inconsistently and confuses our perception of his character slightly with this tainted authorial voice.
A stronger aspect of the book is the representation of Salem. Here Carlsson truly succeeds in painting a vivid picture of the estate where Leo grew up. There is a highly visual depiction of the layout and housing, and the attendant social problems of this run-down and deprived area. With some of the focus being on Junker’s school years and the alliances he formed there, Carlsson captures well the voice of rebellious youth, and the overarching importance that people attach to the actions of their teenage years when looking back on them. Obviously, there is one extremely important event in our hero’s early years that impinges on the present, but the folly of youth and misguided actions are exceptionally well-depicted, particularly in relation to the killer himself.
The Invisible Man from Salem is a fairly satisfying read, with a couple of quibbles along the way. The author has a tendency to draw too heavily on some familiar tropes in crime fiction with the Marlow-esque narration sequences and some occasional anonymous narration by the killer himself. There’s a possible homage to Steig Larsson with a feisty tattooed girl too! Minor irritations aside, this is an enjoyable enough slice of Scandinavian noir for fans of the genre, and would not dissuade this reader from dabbling in the next in the series.
As Leo sets out on his own gung-ho investigation to catch the killer, a series of frightening connections emerge linking the dead woman to his own troubled youth in Salem, a Stockholm suburb where social deprivation and racial tension have a strong foothold. He’s forced to confront an incident long ago that changed his life forever. Leo finds himself absorbed back into the dangerous territory of his youth, desperately seeking a figure from his past, who is hell-bent on retribution and shrouded in mystery whilst also being seemingly impossible to track down.
Leo Junker is an interesting character. He has risen above his humble roots to pursue a career in the force. When he was head-hunted for the Internal Affairs division, trouble ensued as he was asked to spy on fellow members of the department. After an ill-fated criminal operation he fell from grace. However, he retains a steely determination to insinuate himself back into the front-line, particularly with his personal connection to this new case.
In some ways, Leo fits the typical portrait of fictional detectives. He’s desperately unlucky in love, and generally world weary. Whether this is due in part to the translation, there is no real vibrancy in him and little to make us empathise with him. He seems a little too self-absorbed throughout. When an ex-lover is drawn into the investigation, Leo comes across as just a bit too needy, and this is somewhat at odds with the picture that has been built up of him. Leo is harder to engage with than many other detectives in Scandinavian crime fiction.
There are a few odd episodes in the book where Carlsson seemed to be channeling Raymond Chandler’s Phillip Marlowe, through Junker’s personality and dialogue. However this is done inconsistently and confuses our perception of his character slightly with this tainted authorial voice.
A stronger aspect of the book is the representation of Salem. Here Carlsson truly succeeds in painting a vivid picture of the estate where Leo grew up. There is a highly visual depiction of the layout and housing, and the attendant social problems of this run-down and deprived area. With some of the focus being on Junker’s school years and the alliances he formed there, Carlsson captures well the voice of rebellious youth, and the overarching importance that people attach to the actions of their teenage years when looking back on them. Obviously, there is one extremely important event in our hero’s early years that impinges on the present, but the folly of youth and misguided actions are exceptionally well-depicted, particularly in relation to the killer himself.
The Invisible Man from Salem is a fairly satisfying read, with a couple of quibbles along the way. The author has a tendency to draw too heavily on some familiar tropes in crime fiction with the Marlow-esque narration sequences and some occasional anonymous narration by the killer himself. There’s a possible homage to Steig Larsson with a feisty tattooed girl too! Minor irritations aside, this is an enjoyable enough slice of Scandinavian noir for fans of the genre, and would not dissuade this reader from dabbling in the next in the series.
September 23, 2017
En ny favorit hos mig! Särskilt gillade jag språket och den mörka stämningen i boken och jag ser fram emot att läsa mer om Junker. Läs hela recensionen här: https://ewelinasbokblogg.blogspot.se/...
October 3, 2015
It took me a while to get started on this one. The cover on my copy is the one with the black marker zebra stripes scoring out the author and the title on the out-sized cover. It's not a look that begs to be picked up. Junker turns out to be a bit of a train wreck, suspended from the force for a police op gone wrong and dragging a small mountain of emotional baggage around with him. Nordic noir does throw up some really miserable human beings and Junker seems to be a fine specimen of the type. Wallander is almost cheery by comparison. A murder occurs close to home, which Junker bluffs his way into an early look at. He finds an item on the body that links with a friendship from his youth. While the official investigation treads water Junker relives his past which reads, in length, like a coming of age narrative.
Carlsson writes well and his dialogue seems to survive the translation from the Swedish to English without having that stilted edge that you sometimes get in translated work. Themes touch on deal with dysfunctional families, bullying, responsibility, guilt, spiral violence, friendship, social invisibility and crime. Plenty to be going on with anyway. More Junker novels are on the way.
Carlsson writes well and his dialogue seems to survive the translation from the Swedish to English without having that stilted edge that you sometimes get in translated work. Themes touch on deal with dysfunctional families, bullying, responsibility, guilt, spiral violence, friendship, social invisibility and crime. Plenty to be going on with anyway. More Junker novels are on the way.
June 6, 2016
Here you can read my review in Swedish: https://jennyjag.wordpress.com/2015/0...
September 5, 2022
Thrilling
July 3, 2020
Lasīju latviski Jumavas izdoto "Neredzamais vīrs no Salemas".
Diemžēl stāsts uz mani atstāja nomācošu iespaidu, ko izraisīja Leo Junkera pagātne diezgan nabadzīgā un kriminogēnā vidē un viņa jaunības drauga tēls. Par maz izmeklēšanas darbību, kas piešķirtu lasījumam aizrautību un kliedētu nomācošo bezcerības sajūtu. Tiešām tāds scandinavian noir.
Diemžēl stāsts uz mani atstāja nomācošu iespaidu, ko izraisīja Leo Junkera pagātne diezgan nabadzīgā un kriminogēnā vidē un viņa jaunības drauga tēls. Par maz izmeklēšanas darbību, kas piešķirtu lasījumam aizrautību un kliedētu nomācošo bezcerības sajūtu. Tiešām tāds scandinavian noir.
August 5, 2023
It kā interesanta, bet man šķiet, ka es nespēju identificēties un tā īsti saprast cilvēkus un notikumus.
April 3, 2025
Otroligt pajigt slut tyvärr
October 12, 2015
Past and present...
Suspended cop, Leo Junker, is awakened by the flashing blue light of police cars parked outside his apartment block. A prostitute has been murdered in the hostel for down-and-outs situated on the ground floor. Leo sneaks past the cops guarding the entrance to have a look around before the police detectives arrive, and is shocked when he sees what the victim is clutching in her hand – a necklace Leo instantly recognises.
There's quite a lot about this book that should have made me dislike it. Leo is angst-ridden in the extreme – traumatised and disgraced after a fatal shooting incident, he pops tranquillisers constantly, often washing them down with absinthe. He's a maverick, working the case on his own even though he's on long-term sick-leave – a euphemism for suspension in his case, till his superiors can decide what to do with him. Some days the mix of drugs, alcohol and stress leave him barely conscious, much less functional. And part of the book is in the dreaded first person, present tense, which makes my hackles rise more and more as it continues its tediously ubiquitous hold over crime fiction.
However, the quality of the writing and translation is high, and after a bit of a shaky start the story hooked me completely. It's another of these books, so prevalent at the moment, where the present day crime arises out of events in the past, and it is the strand from Leo's youth that raises the book well above standard. Blissfully this strand, which is actually the bulk of the book, is written in the past tense. Also, because Leo is young in it, he hasn't yet become the drunken, pill-popping mess he is in the present.
Young Leo lives in Salem, a run-down area on the outskirts of Stockholm, a place where the youngsters grow up without much in the way of hope or aspiration. For years he has been the victim of two older bullies, but when he is around sixteen he meets up with another boy, John Grimberg, 'Grim', who's a bit of a loner and misfit, and the two quickly become friends. Grim has a younger sister, Julia, to whom Leo finds himself becoming attracted, despite knowing Grim is overly protective of her. This little triangle is the basis for the story in the past and for the events that will happen years later in the present. Leo's family is strong and quite supportive, but Grim and Julia aren't so lucky with their parents. The book gives a convincing picture of the way adolescents can live a separate life from their families even though they are still at home, dealing with their own problems as best they can. Bullying is a major feature of the story and again Carlsson handles it sensitively and believably. He also shows how easily young boys can find themselves drifting into a life of crime, when neither their families nor communities are there to give them the support and guidance they need. I found this whole section of the story entirely credible and absorbing to the point where I didn't want to put the book down. I could have lived with a bit less swearing and teenage sex, but both were consistent with the characters and relevant to the plot.
The present day strand also kept me interested, even though I didn't find older Leo as sympathetic a character as his younger self. The solution becomes obvious pretty early on, so the bulk of this section is more about tracking the murderer than trying to work out whodunit. There is a thrillerish aspect to the story but it doesn't go wildly over the top. In fact, Leo's maverick tendencies lessen over the course of the story as he is gradually sucked more into the official investigation. Overall I thought this was an excellent read, and will be looking forward to reading more from the author in the future, with my fingers firmly crossed that Leo can put his troubled past behind him, along with the drink and drugs. Apparently the book was named Best Crime Novel of 2013 by the Swedish Crime Association – well-deserved, I think.
I received this book free from the publisher, Scribe Publications.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
Suspended cop, Leo Junker, is awakened by the flashing blue light of police cars parked outside his apartment block. A prostitute has been murdered in the hostel for down-and-outs situated on the ground floor. Leo sneaks past the cops guarding the entrance to have a look around before the police detectives arrive, and is shocked when he sees what the victim is clutching in her hand – a necklace Leo instantly recognises.
There's quite a lot about this book that should have made me dislike it. Leo is angst-ridden in the extreme – traumatised and disgraced after a fatal shooting incident, he pops tranquillisers constantly, often washing them down with absinthe. He's a maverick, working the case on his own even though he's on long-term sick-leave – a euphemism for suspension in his case, till his superiors can decide what to do with him. Some days the mix of drugs, alcohol and stress leave him barely conscious, much less functional. And part of the book is in the dreaded first person, present tense, which makes my hackles rise more and more as it continues its tediously ubiquitous hold over crime fiction.
However, the quality of the writing and translation is high, and after a bit of a shaky start the story hooked me completely. It's another of these books, so prevalent at the moment, where the present day crime arises out of events in the past, and it is the strand from Leo's youth that raises the book well above standard. Blissfully this strand, which is actually the bulk of the book, is written in the past tense. Also, because Leo is young in it, he hasn't yet become the drunken, pill-popping mess he is in the present.
Young Leo lives in Salem, a run-down area on the outskirts of Stockholm, a place where the youngsters grow up without much in the way of hope or aspiration. For years he has been the victim of two older bullies, but when he is around sixteen he meets up with another boy, John Grimberg, 'Grim', who's a bit of a loner and misfit, and the two quickly become friends. Grim has a younger sister, Julia, to whom Leo finds himself becoming attracted, despite knowing Grim is overly protective of her. This little triangle is the basis for the story in the past and for the events that will happen years later in the present. Leo's family is strong and quite supportive, but Grim and Julia aren't so lucky with their parents. The book gives a convincing picture of the way adolescents can live a separate life from their families even though they are still at home, dealing with their own problems as best they can. Bullying is a major feature of the story and again Carlsson handles it sensitively and believably. He also shows how easily young boys can find themselves drifting into a life of crime, when neither their families nor communities are there to give them the support and guidance they need. I found this whole section of the story entirely credible and absorbing to the point where I didn't want to put the book down. I could have lived with a bit less swearing and teenage sex, but both were consistent with the characters and relevant to the plot.
The present day strand also kept me interested, even though I didn't find older Leo as sympathetic a character as his younger self. The solution becomes obvious pretty early on, so the bulk of this section is more about tracking the murderer than trying to work out whodunit. There is a thrillerish aspect to the story but it doesn't go wildly over the top. In fact, Leo's maverick tendencies lessen over the course of the story as he is gradually sucked more into the official investigation. Overall I thought this was an excellent read, and will be looking forward to reading more from the author in the future, with my fingers firmly crossed that Leo can put his troubled past behind him, along with the drink and drugs. Apparently the book was named Best Crime Novel of 2013 by the Swedish Crime Association – well-deserved, I think.
I received this book free from the publisher, Scribe Publications.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
August 25, 2018
Och så var det äntligen dags för den här serien. Den som i stort sett har blivit tokhyllad av både kritiker och bloggare. Det är ju aldrig speciellt lätt att ge sig på en sådan och det blir sällan rättvist mot boken. Jag inser nu att mina förväntningar antingen var för höga eller helt enkelt felställda. Läs mer på min blogg
February 12, 2014
Kriminalromanen, deckaren, är en genre som i min åsikt alltför starkt lider av en formmulistisk utformning, eller "strukturtvång", kan man säga. Ett brott ska lösas och alla trådarna, även om de är okända och trassliga i inledningen, ska i slutet på boken redas ut och allt ska ha fått sin förklaring. Denna struktursjuka har väl funnits sedan genrens barndom (Poes "Morden på Rue Morgue" ska vara en av föregångarna - se rolig artikel på Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detectiv... ). Själv tänker jag på Agatha Christies alla böcker (över 80 st) där det förutom strukturernas avtäckande också alltid ingick att man samlade alla misstänkta i ett och samma rum för det överraskande slutuppgörelsen.
Hur fiffig historien än är konstruerad, har jag vid det här laget tydligen läst alltför många deckare, för jag har blivit strukturallergisk! Jag ser precis att - jaha, det här kommer tillbaka senare, här har vi det och den här biten passar in där...". Jag är besviken över att jag inte får bli överraskad längre.
Så jag var glad till en början när jag började läsa Carlssons deckare. Han verkade satsa på karaktärer och personliga öden framför strukturer, och jag tyckte även det sociala perspektivet på att växa upp i arbetarklassmiljö i förorten. Här finns en social kritik som inte är programmatisk eller pamflettartad, som till en del påminner om Alakoskis "Svinalängorna".
Från och med ungefär den sista tredjedelen av boken tar dock strukturen över, tyvärr. Och den rafflande slutuppgörelsen är som hämtad från en standard-TV-deckare - bilder vi sett miljoner gånger förut. Man skulle kunna rita ett diagram över konstruktionen. Och som sagt, då tappar jag intresset. Jag tycker INTE man behöver sätter prickar över alla i:n, och streck på alla t:n! När strukturen tar över, försvagas karaktärerna: de blir fångar i ambitionen att knyta ihop alla trådar i en enda prydlig knut.
Livet är sällan så prydligt, och bristen på redundans försvagar framställningen, i min mening. Det är som att jämföra en sinuston med klangen från ett välklingande akustiskt instrument - inga övertoner. I den här boken får till och med en förklaring till en tidigare polisinsats som gick snett, även om den inte spelar någon större roll i just den här historien (anser jag i alla fall!).
Dessutom har romanen en annan svaghet: att den likt många romantiska filmer aldrig gestaltar hur något uppstår, den bara påstår att så är fallet: huvudpersonen Leo Junker konstaterar bara att han visade sig ha talang för polisutredning, men vi får aldrig veta vad en sådan talang egentligen innebär, och hur den uppstår. Jag föredrar "show, don't tell"! Varför jag liknar detta vid romantiska filmer är att de unga tu i dessa filmer bara "vet" att de hittat den rätta, man får sällan uppleva hur dessa känslor egentligen uppstår.
Nå, även om jag läst bättre deckare, så har jag definitivt också läst sämre, och jag gillar som sagt beskrivningarna av uppväxten i Salem, om ungdomsvårdsskolorna som kriminalakademier, och, faktiskt tycker jag han lyckas bättre i skildringen av den första kärleken bättre än många filmer gör.
Så, ja. Det var inte alltför plågsamt att läsa ut boken, även om jag var besviken på den sista tredjedelen. Och språket är kompetent, även om det finns detaljer som får det att börja klia i mina redaktörsfingrar... Han har inte full kontroll över den stilistiska utformningen. Kanske lite större ambition än han klarar av att genomföra, men det är inget fel att vara ambitiös!
För dem som vill undkomma strukturens förbannelse, vill jag rekommendera Andy McNabs Nick Stone-serie. I "Firewall" som jag nyligen läste ut, går inte mycket att förutsäga! Men det är onekligen olika genrer - McNab skriver action thrillers, medan Carlsson ju sitter fast i Agatha Christie-träsket. Tänk om genrerna kunde korsbefruktas lite mer?
Hur fiffig historien än är konstruerad, har jag vid det här laget tydligen läst alltför många deckare, för jag har blivit strukturallergisk! Jag ser precis att - jaha, det här kommer tillbaka senare, här har vi det och den här biten passar in där...". Jag är besviken över att jag inte får bli överraskad längre.
Så jag var glad till en början när jag började läsa Carlssons deckare. Han verkade satsa på karaktärer och personliga öden framför strukturer, och jag tyckte även det sociala perspektivet på att växa upp i arbetarklassmiljö i förorten. Här finns en social kritik som inte är programmatisk eller pamflettartad, som till en del påminner om Alakoskis "Svinalängorna".
Från och med ungefär den sista tredjedelen av boken tar dock strukturen över, tyvärr. Och den rafflande slutuppgörelsen är som hämtad från en standard-TV-deckare - bilder vi sett miljoner gånger förut. Man skulle kunna rita ett diagram över konstruktionen. Och som sagt, då tappar jag intresset. Jag tycker INTE man behöver sätter prickar över alla i:n, och streck på alla t:n! När strukturen tar över, försvagas karaktärerna: de blir fångar i ambitionen att knyta ihop alla trådar i en enda prydlig knut.
Livet är sällan så prydligt, och bristen på redundans försvagar framställningen, i min mening. Det är som att jämföra en sinuston med klangen från ett välklingande akustiskt instrument - inga övertoner. I den här boken får till och med en förklaring till en tidigare polisinsats som gick snett, även om den inte spelar någon större roll i just den här historien (anser jag i alla fall!).
Dessutom har romanen en annan svaghet: att den likt många romantiska filmer aldrig gestaltar hur något uppstår, den bara påstår att så är fallet: huvudpersonen Leo Junker konstaterar bara att han visade sig ha talang för polisutredning, men vi får aldrig veta vad en sådan talang egentligen innebär, och hur den uppstår. Jag föredrar "show, don't tell"! Varför jag liknar detta vid romantiska filmer är att de unga tu i dessa filmer bara "vet" att de hittat den rätta, man får sällan uppleva hur dessa känslor egentligen uppstår.
Nå, även om jag läst bättre deckare, så har jag definitivt också läst sämre, och jag gillar som sagt beskrivningarna av uppväxten i Salem, om ungdomsvårdsskolorna som kriminalakademier, och, faktiskt tycker jag han lyckas bättre i skildringen av den första kärleken bättre än många filmer gör.
Så, ja. Det var inte alltför plågsamt att läsa ut boken, även om jag var besviken på den sista tredjedelen. Och språket är kompetent, även om det finns detaljer som får det att börja klia i mina redaktörsfingrar... Han har inte full kontroll över den stilistiska utformningen. Kanske lite större ambition än han klarar av att genomföra, men det är inget fel att vara ambitiös!
För dem som vill undkomma strukturens förbannelse, vill jag rekommendera Andy McNabs Nick Stone-serie. I "Firewall" som jag nyligen läste ut, går inte mycket att förutsäga! Men det är onekligen olika genrer - McNab skriver action thrillers, medan Carlsson ju sitter fast i Agatha Christie-träsket. Tänk om genrerna kunde korsbefruktas lite mer?
February 1, 2016
An entertaining police procedural that pits the protagonist, one who isn't an 'active policeman' rather a member of Internal Affairs against a killer linked to his past. Leo Junker, suspended following the events of a previous case he was involved in is still reeling from the outcome and being treated as a rat among his fellow officers by virtue of his position in IA, is rudely woken by the sounds of sirens and the smell of death in his apartment complex. Upon discovering police officers in the stairwell and lower levels, he soon wrangles his way into the crime scene to find a young woman murdered and the ghosts of his past alive an wailing at him; the murdered woman, having on her person, a trinket Leo's youth from a lost lover.
There is a lot going on in this book; Leo's earlier case, his teenage past, and the present day murder in his apartment complex. Yet, the plot threads do converge and intertwine with one another as the story unfolds providing context to the present day narrative. Former friends during his adolescence form a large part of the story and push the criminal component to the side as Leo is reunited with his disturbing past.
I found THE INVISIBLE MAN FROM SALEM to be an above average read. One the relies heavily on the protagonist, Leo Junker, to connect with readers - as the story largely revolves around him. Luckily for me, this was the case. I enjoyed reading about his past, the case where he was 'thrown to the wolves', and how the present day murder investigation tied in with his teenage friends.
I highly recommend THE INVISIBLE MAN FROM SALEM for readers of crime fiction who are looking for character-centric read that still encompasses the core elements of the genre.
This review first appeared on my blog: http://justaguythatlikes2read.blogspo...
There is a lot going on in this book; Leo's earlier case, his teenage past, and the present day murder in his apartment complex. Yet, the plot threads do converge and intertwine with one another as the story unfolds providing context to the present day narrative. Former friends during his adolescence form a large part of the story and push the criminal component to the side as Leo is reunited with his disturbing past.
I found THE INVISIBLE MAN FROM SALEM to be an above average read. One the relies heavily on the protagonist, Leo Junker, to connect with readers - as the story largely revolves around him. Luckily for me, this was the case. I enjoyed reading about his past, the case where he was 'thrown to the wolves', and how the present day murder investigation tied in with his teenage friends.
I highly recommend THE INVISIBLE MAN FROM SALEM for readers of crime fiction who are looking for character-centric read that still encompasses the core elements of the genre.
This review first appeared on my blog: http://justaguythatlikes2read.blogspo...
July 1, 2015
Βαθμολογία: 7/10
Αρκετά ενδιαφέρον και καλογραμμένο αστυνομικό θρίλερ εκ Σουηδίας, από τα πολλά που έχουν κυκλοφορήσει στην χώρα μας. Δεν μπορώ να πω ότι το αστυνομικό κομμάτι με εξέπληξε ιδιαίτερα, δηλαδή η υπόθεση του φόνου και η επίλυση της. Θα έλεγα ότι μεγαλύτερο προσόν του βιβλίου είναι οι αναφορές σ'ένα κομμάτι της σουηδικής κοινωνίας, οι περιγραφές του κόσμου του εγκλήματος, καθώς και οι περιγραφές των νεανικών χρόνων του αφηγητή της ιστορίας, Λέο Γιούνκερ.
Μια γυναίκα βρίσκεται δολοφονημένη σ'ένα κέντρο φιλοξενίας για απόκληρους της κοινωνίας σε μια πολυκατοικία της Στοκχόλμης, στην ίδια πολυκατοικία που διαμένει ο προβληματικός αστυνομικός Λέο Γιούνκερ, που βρίσκεται σε διαθεσιμότητα λόγω μιας αποτυχημένης αστυνομικής επιχείρησης. Άμεσα θα ξεκινήσει η έρευνα ανεύρεσης του δολοφόνου και ο Γιούνκερ θα βρεθεί στο κέντρο της υπόθεσης. Θα καταλάβουμε ότι σημαντικό ρόλο στην υπόθεση παίζουν τα νεανικά χρόνια του Γιούνκερ στην συνοικία του Σάλεμ...
Όπως είπα, δεν ενθουσιάστηκα και τόσο με το μυστήριο. Δεν υπήρξαν ανατροπές ή εκπλήξεις στην πλοκή, ικανές να με αφήσουν άναυδο. Όμως ευχαριστήθηκα τα μπρος-πίσω στον χρόνο και ειδικά τα κομμάτια από τα δύσκολα νεανικά χρόνια του Γιούνκερ και των γεγονότων που έζησε στο Σάλεμ. Η γραφή μου άρεσε αρκετά, αν και ήταν κάπως βαριά σε σημεία, ο κεντρικός χαρακτήρας μου φάνηκε ενδιαφέρων, και η ατμόσφαιρα ήταν αρκούντως σκοτεινή. Τρία αστεράκια θα του βάλω στο Goodreads, πάντως προτείνεται υπό προϋποθέσεις. Πέρασα καλά.
Αρκετά ενδιαφέρον και καλογραμμένο αστυνομικό θρίλερ εκ Σουηδίας, από τα πολλά που έχουν κυκλοφορήσει στην χώρα μας. Δεν μπορώ να πω ότι το αστυνομικό κομμάτι με εξέπληξε ιδιαίτερα, δηλαδή η υπόθεση του φόνου και η επίλυση της. Θα έλεγα ότι μεγαλύτερο προσόν του βιβλίου είναι οι αναφορές σ'ένα κομμάτι της σουηδικής κοινωνίας, οι περιγραφές του κόσμου του εγκλήματος, καθώς και οι περιγραφές των νεανικών χρόνων του αφηγητή της ιστορίας, Λέο Γιούνκερ.
Μια γυναίκα βρίσκεται δολοφονημένη σ'ένα κέντρο φιλοξενίας για απόκληρους της κοινωνίας σε μια πολυκατοικία της Στοκχόλμης, στην ίδια πολυκατοικία που διαμένει ο προβληματικός αστυνομικός Λέο Γιούνκερ, που βρίσκεται σε διαθεσιμότητα λόγω μιας αποτυχημένης αστυνομικής επιχείρησης. Άμεσα θα ξεκινήσει η έρευνα ανεύρεσης του δολοφόνου και ο Γιούνκερ θα βρεθεί στο κέντρο της υπόθεσης. Θα καταλάβουμε ότι σημαντικό ρόλο στην υπόθεση παίζουν τα νεανικά χρόνια του Γιούνκερ στην συνοικία του Σάλεμ...
Όπως είπα, δεν ενθουσιάστηκα και τόσο με το μυστήριο. Δεν υπήρξαν ανατροπές ή εκπλήξεις στην πλοκή, ικανές να με αφήσουν άναυδο. Όμως ευχαριστήθηκα τα μπρος-πίσω στον χρόνο και ειδικά τα κομμάτια από τα δύσκολα νεανικά χρόνια του Γιούνκερ και των γεγονότων που έζησε στο Σάλεμ. Η γραφή μου άρεσε αρκετά, αν και ήταν κάπως βαριά σε σημεία, ο κεντρικός χαρακτήρας μου φάνηκε ενδιαφέρων, και η ατμόσφαιρα ήταν αρκούντως σκοτεινή. Τρία αστεράκια θα του βάλω στο Goodreads, πάντως προτείνεται υπό προϋποθέσεις. Πέρασα καλά.
July 26, 2015
Jeg er så lei av å lese om politimenn med problemer, med senskader etter diverse hendelser. Menn (for det er det nesten alltid) som har opplevd så mye dritt at man er forpliktet til å synes synd på dem. Og avhengige er de; av stoff, alkohol, sex - noe er det, liksom. "Helten" i denne boken, Leo Junker, glir dessverre helt fint inn i rekken av skadede politimenn. Og siden romanen omtrent utelukkende handler om hans liv ble det for kjedelig og tynt for meg.
Mulig at boken fortjener flere stjerner, men jeg er ikke i stand til å gi den mer her og nå.
Mulig at boken fortjener flere stjerner, men jeg er ikke i stand til å gi den mer her og nå.
September 18, 2016
Reconozco que me costó un poco entrar en la dinámica de la obra, por algún motivo no conseguía empatizar con los personajes, y menos aún con el crímen, pero poco a poco, a medida que el autor nos relata el pasado del protagonista, su vida y sus relaciones con los demás personajes, acabé totalmente enganchada a la novela. Opinión final: muy entretenida, oscura, te deja con un regusto triste por el aire que impregna la historia, pero muy recomendable, en definitiva.
September 10, 2016
Finally over! What a bad and meaningless little story. This is going in the recycling bin.
November 18, 2019
I'm now firmly of the opinion that it takes real skill to stuff up the order of a series to the extent that I seem to manage to do it. One day I'll find a use for that skill, but nowadays it just means I spend my life staring at piles of books thinking, oh buggeration, there's another one I should have read before... Thus THE INVISIBLE MAN FROM SALEM.
Which is the first in the Leo Junker series, a series which I've read in the order THE FALLING DETECTIVE (#2); MASTER, LIAR, TRAITOR, FRIEND (#3) (so at least that was right), then THE INVISIBLE MAN FROM SALEM (#1) and now I've got THE THIN BLUE LINE (#4) to go. Fortunately, none of the mis-ordered reading mattered (exploration of this below). This is an excellent series, dark and very noirish in styling, set in Stockholm, featuring disgraced Internal Affairs officer Leo Junker.
This case, that of a young woman murdered in a refuge on the ground floor of his apartment building, he bluffs / forces / inserts himself into the crime scene when sheer curiosity takes over from any possible police rules. The dead woman is clutching a necklace, one that turns out to be very intimately connected to him, and to his childhood, and one that he really didn't need to be anywhere near once it was found in the hands of a dead young woman. What started out as a seemingly random killing, or a domestic, or something connected to the drugs underworld, then takes Junker back to his troubled youth in the Stockholm suburb of Salem, back to a lurking presence from that past, and what seems like a very personal vendetta against his present.
Having been mightily intrigued by THE FALLING DETECTIVE, and pretty well hooked by MASTER, LIAR, TRAITOR, FRIEND going back to book number one in the series definitely filled in some gaps in my understanding of the central character - Leo Junker - and made me think long and hard about how readers connect with a series overall. This opening salvo sets up the story of Junker in a very noirish manner. A lone wolf, world weary, disgraced, suspended police officer with a medical issue, he's repressed, self-absorbed, convinced of his own rightness, even when confronted with his wrongness and oddly determined to keep the world at bay, whilst never actually being able to leave well enough alone.
Whether or not this would have been an opening to a series that would have grabbed my interest as hard as the first and second books did is hard to say. By the later books author Christoffer Carlsson had settled into a style - noir in flavour, Swedish in delivery that dodged some of the familiar tropes more evident in this first novel, although I did find the clever, forceful, tattooed ex-lover an interesting little hat tip. There's also something in this novel that suggests, subtly, that Junker actually couldn't give a monkey's what anyone thinks - including the reader, which is both slightly off-putting and mightily intriguing all at the same time.
If you're coming to the Leo Junker series in the correct order, and you're feeling any of the slight quibbles I felt then I can only suggest that you press on with haste. If you're coming to the series in the correct order, and you've not experienced a single one of the slight quibbles, then I wouldn't be at all surprised about that either. I'm certainly intending to read novel number 4 as soon as I possibly can. This is a good series, which has the potential to be a great series indeed.
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/revi...
Which is the first in the Leo Junker series, a series which I've read in the order THE FALLING DETECTIVE (#2); MASTER, LIAR, TRAITOR, FRIEND (#3) (so at least that was right), then THE INVISIBLE MAN FROM SALEM (#1) and now I've got THE THIN BLUE LINE (#4) to go. Fortunately, none of the mis-ordered reading mattered (exploration of this below). This is an excellent series, dark and very noirish in styling, set in Stockholm, featuring disgraced Internal Affairs officer Leo Junker.
This case, that of a young woman murdered in a refuge on the ground floor of his apartment building, he bluffs / forces / inserts himself into the crime scene when sheer curiosity takes over from any possible police rules. The dead woman is clutching a necklace, one that turns out to be very intimately connected to him, and to his childhood, and one that he really didn't need to be anywhere near once it was found in the hands of a dead young woman. What started out as a seemingly random killing, or a domestic, or something connected to the drugs underworld, then takes Junker back to his troubled youth in the Stockholm suburb of Salem, back to a lurking presence from that past, and what seems like a very personal vendetta against his present.
Having been mightily intrigued by THE FALLING DETECTIVE, and pretty well hooked by MASTER, LIAR, TRAITOR, FRIEND going back to book number one in the series definitely filled in some gaps in my understanding of the central character - Leo Junker - and made me think long and hard about how readers connect with a series overall. This opening salvo sets up the story of Junker in a very noirish manner. A lone wolf, world weary, disgraced, suspended police officer with a medical issue, he's repressed, self-absorbed, convinced of his own rightness, even when confronted with his wrongness and oddly determined to keep the world at bay, whilst never actually being able to leave well enough alone.
Whether or not this would have been an opening to a series that would have grabbed my interest as hard as the first and second books did is hard to say. By the later books author Christoffer Carlsson had settled into a style - noir in flavour, Swedish in delivery that dodged some of the familiar tropes more evident in this first novel, although I did find the clever, forceful, tattooed ex-lover an interesting little hat tip. There's also something in this novel that suggests, subtly, that Junker actually couldn't give a monkey's what anyone thinks - including the reader, which is both slightly off-putting and mightily intriguing all at the same time.
If you're coming to the Leo Junker series in the correct order, and you're feeling any of the slight quibbles I felt then I can only suggest that you press on with haste. If you're coming to the series in the correct order, and you've not experienced a single one of the slight quibbles, then I wouldn't be at all surprised about that either. I'm certainly intending to read novel number 4 as soon as I possibly can. This is a good series, which has the potential to be a great series indeed.
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/revi...
November 15, 2019
*This comment has been written by a spanish speaker. If you see something wrong withthe use of English language, please, don´t hesitate in comment it. Thanks*
*This comment may contain spoilers*
The invisible man of Salem is a swedish novel that narrate the story of Leo Junker, who is a suspended police officer, when a woman is found dead in the block of departments where Leo lives. It´s a enjoyable novel with some interesting points and gives us a different point of view on Swedish society. In addition, the story is narrated in different moments of the Junker´s life and -I think- the author makes good use of this technique.
As we read the book, we know more about Leo Junke and the reasons of his present. Recently, he lost his job due to an unclear police operation in which he was involved. Shortly before -or after. It was not clear to me- he and his girlfriend had an accident and she lost her baby. This was the trigger for their breakup. As a result of all this, he´s an alcoholic and lonely man.
However, I want to talk about the villain of the novel and, particularly about his motivations. Jhon Grimberg was a child who lives close to Junke during his childhood. Son of an alcoholic and passive-aggressive father and a mother with mental problems grew up in a broken house. It seems that his only hope is his little sister: Julia. He developed the ability of smell really well, so well that he could find money in the Leo´s house just because of the smell of money. Looks like this will be important in the conclusion of the novel, but lost a lot of meaning with the progress of the story.
Grim -as Leo Junke called Jhon- begins in the criminal world by making false identifications. The fist time he did this was for himself: he changed his birth year from 1997 to 1998. He only added one year. I like this scene because it shows as a mischief -rather than a crime- and this is going to be really important in the Jhon’s future as a criminal. We must also point out the heavy society where they were growing: in addition to what they were going through in their homes, at school and on the street, they were victims or witnesses of harassment and abuses. So, it´s not difficult for us to understand the reasons why Grim will become in a criminal. What I don´t understand is the reason he gave to Leo for to overprotect his sister. He said he did it that because his sister was the only reasons why his family stayed together. But, consciously or unconsciously, he did many things for break his family, like be a criminal. At one point, I thought he did it because his family needed the money, but then we discovered that only at the end of his parent´s life he did use his own money for household expenses. In my opinion, this wasn´t a real reason for be overprotective with his sister and that’s really disappointing because the progress of the story was going very well, but that shows a plot error. Or maybe it´s part of the plot, because every what we thought about the characters most of the time is wrong. This is clear when what we thought about Leon being kind and only a victim of a corrupted society changes when we know the reason of Julia´s death. Maybe everything is a lie, even what the author wants us to know.
In conclusion, it’s an entertained novel with nice characters and a simple but good story. There are some free moments, but in general I´d recommend this as a light reading.
*This comment may contain spoilers*
The invisible man of Salem is a swedish novel that narrate the story of Leo Junker, who is a suspended police officer, when a woman is found dead in the block of departments where Leo lives. It´s a enjoyable novel with some interesting points and gives us a different point of view on Swedish society. In addition, the story is narrated in different moments of the Junker´s life and -I think- the author makes good use of this technique.
As we read the book, we know more about Leo Junke and the reasons of his present. Recently, he lost his job due to an unclear police operation in which he was involved. Shortly before -or after. It was not clear to me- he and his girlfriend had an accident and she lost her baby. This was the trigger for their breakup. As a result of all this, he´s an alcoholic and lonely man.
However, I want to talk about the villain of the novel and, particularly about his motivations. Jhon Grimberg was a child who lives close to Junke during his childhood. Son of an alcoholic and passive-aggressive father and a mother with mental problems grew up in a broken house. It seems that his only hope is his little sister: Julia. He developed the ability of smell really well, so well that he could find money in the Leo´s house just because of the smell of money. Looks like this will be important in the conclusion of the novel, but lost a lot of meaning with the progress of the story.
Grim -as Leo Junke called Jhon- begins in the criminal world by making false identifications. The fist time he did this was for himself: he changed his birth year from 1997 to 1998. He only added one year. I like this scene because it shows as a mischief -rather than a crime- and this is going to be really important in the Jhon’s future as a criminal. We must also point out the heavy society where they were growing: in addition to what they were going through in their homes, at school and on the street, they were victims or witnesses of harassment and abuses. So, it´s not difficult for us to understand the reasons why Grim will become in a criminal. What I don´t understand is the reason he gave to Leo for to overprotect his sister. He said he did it that because his sister was the only reasons why his family stayed together. But, consciously or unconsciously, he did many things for break his family, like be a criminal. At one point, I thought he did it because his family needed the money, but then we discovered that only at the end of his parent´s life he did use his own money for household expenses. In my opinion, this wasn´t a real reason for be overprotective with his sister and that’s really disappointing because the progress of the story was going very well, but that shows a plot error. Or maybe it´s part of the plot, because every what we thought about the characters most of the time is wrong. This is clear when what we thought about Leon being kind and only a victim of a corrupted society changes when we know the reason of Julia´s death. Maybe everything is a lie, even what the author wants us to know.
In conclusion, it’s an entertained novel with nice characters and a simple but good story. There are some free moments, but in general I´d recommend this as a light reading.
April 15, 2019
Pradžia visai patiko, ypač tai, kad autorius rašo trumpais sakiniais, kurie be jokių išvedžiojimų sukuria reikiamą aplinką ir nuotaiką. Įsitraukiau gana greitai, tačiau apie vidurį susidomėjimas ėmė slūgti. Nežinau ar nuolatinis painiojamas dabarties ir praeities veiksmas ar paprasčiausiai didesnės intrigos trūkumas, bet kuo toliau, tuo istorija vis silpnėjo. Prasidėjo santykių dramos tiek iš praeities, tiek iš dabarties, bet jos buvo kažkokios nuobodžios.
Pagrindinė mintis suprantama nesunkiai, tai kūrinys apie tai, kaip paauglystės įvykiai pakeičia šiandieną, bet kažko man pritrūko. Pagrindinis veikėjas kažkoks neišvystytas, primena lėtapėdį ir kartais net kvailoką žmogų. Jo paauglystės nuotykiai skaitėsi daug įdomiau nei dabartiniai, nes pats detektyvinis tyrimas visiškai neįdomus.
Pabaigoje autorius prisipažįsta, kad aprašinėdamas realų miestą, išgalvojo vandens bokšto detales ir man tai visai sugadino paskutinį įspūdį, nors tėra menka smulkmena. Galvoju ar per visą miestą nebuvo realaus aukšto pastato, kurį buvo galima panaudoti paaugliams laipioti ir ten sėdėti?
Tai viena tokių istorijų, kurių po kelių mėnesių turbūt nė neprisiminsiu. Galbūt patiks lengvo detektyvo mėgėjams, bet sąsajos su skandinavišku detektyvu man atrodo netinkamos, paprastai jie būna daug stipresni.
Pagrindinė mintis suprantama nesunkiai, tai kūrinys apie tai, kaip paauglystės įvykiai pakeičia šiandieną, bet kažko man pritrūko. Pagrindinis veikėjas kažkoks neišvystytas, primena lėtapėdį ir kartais net kvailoką žmogų. Jo paauglystės nuotykiai skaitėsi daug įdomiau nei dabartiniai, nes pats detektyvinis tyrimas visiškai neįdomus.
Pabaigoje autorius prisipažįsta, kad aprašinėdamas realų miestą, išgalvojo vandens bokšto detales ir man tai visai sugadino paskutinį įspūdį, nors tėra menka smulkmena. Galvoju ar per visą miestą nebuvo realaus aukšto pastato, kurį buvo galima panaudoti paaugliams laipioti ir ten sėdėti?
Tai viena tokių istorijų, kurių po kelių mėnesių turbūt nė neprisiminsiu. Galbūt patiks lengvo detektyvo mėgėjams, bet sąsajos su skandinavišku detektyvu man atrodo netinkamos, paprastai jie būna daug stipresni.
June 9, 2017
Leo Junker is a suspended Internal Affairs officer, shaped by his childhood in Salem, a rough suburb of Stockholm, haunted by his failed relationship, and increasingly reliant on medication and alcohol. One night he is woken up by blue police lights outside his apartment block, and bluffs his way onto the crime scene of a murder, which he assumes to be a coincidence. But it soon becomes apparent that the rogue investigation that Leo embarks on, to catch the killer, is closely linked with himself and a past he has tried to leave behind.
While the world-weary, rule-breaking police officer with a past which comes back to haunt them is something of a cliche, it can still make for an interesting and enjoyable protagonist, if done well. I found The Invisible Man From Salem to be a solid four stars in this respect; too original for three stars but not original enough for five. Leo's backstory is surprisingly emotive, and his childhood home of Salem very well portrayed, while his character could benefit from being distinguished by more than just this past. Hopefully that will be developed more in the second book in the series.
Also, am I the only one who really likes this book cover?
While the world-weary, rule-breaking police officer with a past which comes back to haunt them is something of a cliche, it can still make for an interesting and enjoyable protagonist, if done well. I found The Invisible Man From Salem to be a solid four stars in this respect; too original for three stars but not original enough for five. Leo's backstory is surprisingly emotive, and his childhood home of Salem very well portrayed, while his character could benefit from being distinguished by more than just this past. Hopefully that will be developed more in the second book in the series.
Also, am I the only one who really likes this book cover?
June 29, 2025
Läste ut den på en dag - tkr det säger nog!
January 15, 2021
Sunkiai skaitesi, daugiau sio autoruaus neimciau
May 31, 2024
Επιτέλους ένα αστυνομικό ρεαλιστικό με ήρωα έναν μπάτσο τραμπουκο χαπακια κάθαρμα
September 30, 2024
lite seg, tappar intresset
March 31, 2015
Es brauchte ein wenig, bis ich mit diesem Buch warm geworden bin. Bis sozusagen das Eis gebrochen war. Schwedisches Eis kann aber auch ganz schön dick sein. Aber es trägt eben auch gut. Ein Vorteil, wenn es darum geht, eine schwere Geschichte zu transportieren.
"Der Turm der toten Seelen" heißt im schwedischen Original "Den osynlige mannen från Salem", was auf deutsch so viel bedeutet wie "Der unsichtbare Mann von Salem". Ein Titel, der vielleicht nicht ganz so verkaufskräftig ist, dafür aber inhaltlich durch seine Treffsicherheit besticht. Denn dieser unsichtbare Mann ist eines der Standbeine dieser Geschichte. Und ich werde hier kein einziges Wort über ihn verraten. Das zweite ist Leo Junker, Polizist in Stockholm in der Abteilung für interne Ermittlungen. Sehr früh wurde er auf diesen Posten berufen. Sehr schnell kam dann die Suspendierung. Bei einem Großeinsatz, der aus dem Ruder lief, hat Leo einen Kollegen erschossen. PTBS, Posttraumatische Belastungsstörung. Auch wenn dieser Begriff im Buch nicht einmal fällt, ist es das, was Leos Zustand am ehesten beschreibt. Nicht mehr in der Lage, eine Waffe in die Hand zu nehmen, fristet Leo seine Tage ohne sinngebende Tätigkeit, Tabletten und Alkohol haben sich in seinen Alltag geschlichen, dazwischen immer die Hoffnung, wieder in den aktiven Dienst zurückzukehren.
Nun war Leo Junker aber auch vor diesen Ereignissen nicht gerade ein Sonnenschein. Aufgewachsen in einem Vorort Stockholms, in einer Umgebung, die als sozialer Brennpunkt in den Nachrichten Erwähnung finden würde. Drei Hochhäuser, grau, trist, die Triaden genannt, dort verbringt Leo seine Jugend, wird von älteren Jungs verprügelt, die wiederum von älteren Jungs verprügelt wurden, und verprügelt selbst, weil er verprügelt wird. Eine Spirale der Gewalt, ansteckend wie eine Virus, teilt Leo aus, was er selbst einstecken muss.
"Der Turm der toten Seelen" erzählt viel von den vergangenen Tagen Leo Junkers, lebt von den Erinnerungen an seine Jugend, an seinen Freund John Grim, an dessen kleine Schwester Julia. Fast empfand ich diese Abschnitte als spannender, aufschlussreicher, vielsagender als die Ereignisse, die sich in der Gegenwart abspielten, auch wenn es dort die Leiche gab. ;) Die Ermittlungen der Polizei, denen Leo hier auch nur als Außenstehender beiwohnen kann, in die er aber immer wieder versucht, sich einzumischen, bilden nicht den Mittelpunkt der Handlung, es ist Leos Vergangenheit, in der man sich viel bewegt und die, wie so oft, der Schlüssel zur Gegenwart ist.
Garniert wird dieser Reihenauftakt übrigens mit einer netten Rahmenhandlung, die auch Freunden von thematisierter Korruption im Polizeiapparat und kleiner Verschwörungsszenarien gefallen dürfte, natürlich, immerhin arbeitet Leo Junker in der Abteilung für interne Ermittlungen. Das Buch endet mit einem abgeschlossenen Fall, aber hält schon die Fäden für den Folgeband bereit, der unter dem Titel "Schmutziger Schnee" im Oktober 2015 bei C. Bertelsmann erscheinen soll.
Fazit: Wer Blut und Gemetzel sucht, psychopatische Serienmörder oder fiese Foltermethoden, wird hier kaum fündig. "Der Turm der toten Seelen" ist ein Krimi der leisen Töne und wenn man gewillt ist, ihnen zu lauschen, kann man in eine dichte Geschichte abtauchen. Eine Geschichte darüber, wie sich Schuld verselbstständigen und Wut entwickeln kann. Eine Geschichte über Kriminalität, über Konsequenzen und auch über Freundschaft und Vertrauen.
Rezension auch auf
http://wortgestalt-buchblog.blogspot.de
"Der Turm der toten Seelen" heißt im schwedischen Original "Den osynlige mannen från Salem", was auf deutsch so viel bedeutet wie "Der unsichtbare Mann von Salem". Ein Titel, der vielleicht nicht ganz so verkaufskräftig ist, dafür aber inhaltlich durch seine Treffsicherheit besticht. Denn dieser unsichtbare Mann ist eines der Standbeine dieser Geschichte. Und ich werde hier kein einziges Wort über ihn verraten. Das zweite ist Leo Junker, Polizist in Stockholm in der Abteilung für interne Ermittlungen. Sehr früh wurde er auf diesen Posten berufen. Sehr schnell kam dann die Suspendierung. Bei einem Großeinsatz, der aus dem Ruder lief, hat Leo einen Kollegen erschossen. PTBS, Posttraumatische Belastungsstörung. Auch wenn dieser Begriff im Buch nicht einmal fällt, ist es das, was Leos Zustand am ehesten beschreibt. Nicht mehr in der Lage, eine Waffe in die Hand zu nehmen, fristet Leo seine Tage ohne sinngebende Tätigkeit, Tabletten und Alkohol haben sich in seinen Alltag geschlichen, dazwischen immer die Hoffnung, wieder in den aktiven Dienst zurückzukehren.
Nun war Leo Junker aber auch vor diesen Ereignissen nicht gerade ein Sonnenschein. Aufgewachsen in einem Vorort Stockholms, in einer Umgebung, die als sozialer Brennpunkt in den Nachrichten Erwähnung finden würde. Drei Hochhäuser, grau, trist, die Triaden genannt, dort verbringt Leo seine Jugend, wird von älteren Jungs verprügelt, die wiederum von älteren Jungs verprügelt wurden, und verprügelt selbst, weil er verprügelt wird. Eine Spirale der Gewalt, ansteckend wie eine Virus, teilt Leo aus, was er selbst einstecken muss.
"Der Turm der toten Seelen" erzählt viel von den vergangenen Tagen Leo Junkers, lebt von den Erinnerungen an seine Jugend, an seinen Freund John Grim, an dessen kleine Schwester Julia. Fast empfand ich diese Abschnitte als spannender, aufschlussreicher, vielsagender als die Ereignisse, die sich in der Gegenwart abspielten, auch wenn es dort die Leiche gab. ;) Die Ermittlungen der Polizei, denen Leo hier auch nur als Außenstehender beiwohnen kann, in die er aber immer wieder versucht, sich einzumischen, bilden nicht den Mittelpunkt der Handlung, es ist Leos Vergangenheit, in der man sich viel bewegt und die, wie so oft, der Schlüssel zur Gegenwart ist.
Garniert wird dieser Reihenauftakt übrigens mit einer netten Rahmenhandlung, die auch Freunden von thematisierter Korruption im Polizeiapparat und kleiner Verschwörungsszenarien gefallen dürfte, natürlich, immerhin arbeitet Leo Junker in der Abteilung für interne Ermittlungen. Das Buch endet mit einem abgeschlossenen Fall, aber hält schon die Fäden für den Folgeband bereit, der unter dem Titel "Schmutziger Schnee" im Oktober 2015 bei C. Bertelsmann erscheinen soll.
Fazit: Wer Blut und Gemetzel sucht, psychopatische Serienmörder oder fiese Foltermethoden, wird hier kaum fündig. "Der Turm der toten Seelen" ist ein Krimi der leisen Töne und wenn man gewillt ist, ihnen zu lauschen, kann man in eine dichte Geschichte abtauchen. Eine Geschichte darüber, wie sich Schuld verselbstständigen und Wut entwickeln kann. Eine Geschichte über Kriminalität, über Konsequenzen und auch über Freundschaft und Vertrauen.
Rezension auch auf
http://wortgestalt-buchblog.blogspot.de
August 13, 2016
Review: The Invisible Man (Leo Junker #1) by Christoffer Carlsson (author); Michael Gallagher (translator) Publisher: Scribe Publications; (14 July 2016)
ISBN-13: 978-1925228786
Source: Real Readers
Rating: 3*
Synopsis:
When a young woman is shot dead in his apartment block, disgraced former police officer Leo Junker is one of the first on the scene. Examining the dead body, he notices that the woman is clasping a cheap necklace - a necklace he instantly recognises. Despite being warned off the case, Leo sets out on a rogue investigation to catch the killer, uncovering a series of frightening connections between the murder and his own troubled youth in Salem, and forcing him to confront a long ago incident that changed his life forever.
Review:
After a rather rocky start, I decided to persevere with The Invisible Man From Salem, because I had heard such good things about the author, and the story had really appealed to me.
The Leo Junker of the present day is in a sorry state. Suspended from the police force and with a penchant for knocking back tranquilizers with shots of absinthe, Leo is suddenly transported back in time when a piece of evidence ties him to this current case. Leo's teenage years are told in the present time and first person, which I an not usually a huge fan of, but the younger Leo is more optimistic, relatively sober, and not yet reliant on pharmaceuticals to get him through the day. He is also very well written, and nothing is lost in the translation. This is where the plot began to sink its claws in and I started wondering what the rest of this book held for the maverick cop.
All in all, this was an enjoyable read but, for me, the 'wow' factor was missing. Special thanks Scribe, Real Readers and the team at nudge for providing me with a copy of this book, in return for my honest review.
ISBN-13: 978-1925228786
Source: Real Readers
Rating: 3*
Synopsis:
When a young woman is shot dead in his apartment block, disgraced former police officer Leo Junker is one of the first on the scene. Examining the dead body, he notices that the woman is clasping a cheap necklace - a necklace he instantly recognises. Despite being warned off the case, Leo sets out on a rogue investigation to catch the killer, uncovering a series of frightening connections between the murder and his own troubled youth in Salem, and forcing him to confront a long ago incident that changed his life forever.
Review:
After a rather rocky start, I decided to persevere with The Invisible Man From Salem, because I had heard such good things about the author, and the story had really appealed to me.
The Leo Junker of the present day is in a sorry state. Suspended from the police force and with a penchant for knocking back tranquilizers with shots of absinthe, Leo is suddenly transported back in time when a piece of evidence ties him to this current case. Leo's teenage years are told in the present time and first person, which I an not usually a huge fan of, but the younger Leo is more optimistic, relatively sober, and not yet reliant on pharmaceuticals to get him through the day. He is also very well written, and nothing is lost in the translation. This is where the plot began to sink its claws in and I started wondering what the rest of this book held for the maverick cop.
All in all, this was an enjoyable read but, for me, the 'wow' factor was missing. Special thanks Scribe, Real Readers and the team at nudge for providing me with a copy of this book, in return for my honest review.
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