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Ernst Grip #1
De Zweed
Ernst Grip van de Zweedse veiligheidspolitie krijgt de opdracht naar Amerika te reizen om vast te stellen of een gevangen terrorist een Zweeds staatsburger is. Op de basis weigert de gevangene echter ook maar één woord te zeggen. Grip en zijn Amerikaanse collega Shauna Friedman blijken mijlenver van elkaar af te staan in hun ideeën over de oorlog tegen terreur, maar hebben elkaar ook nodig. Geen van beiden is wie hij zegt te zijn, en om zijn eigen dubbelleven geheim te houden moet Grip steeds ingrijpender beslissingen nemen.
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
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July 15, 2015
”For several years---a fucking eternity---they let all the races on earth come at me: Arabs, Asians, Africans. The worst is always when they do it themselves, when the Americans make an appearance. Then it’s not just reckless. Then it gets very thorough.”
Grip glanced at the camera in the wall.
“Don’t worry, they can stand to hear what they already know.” Said N. “Oh, they’re inventive, but it’s not their methods that we’re going to talk about, it’s the result. I guess I’ve confessed to everything.”
“Everything?”
“Everything they wanted---signed, crawled, and prayed.”
Rooms for Tourists by Edward Hopper
”In one of Hopper’s paintings, there’s a small hotel. It’s in Provincetown, and it looks the same now as when he painted it in 1945. Whitewashed wood, two stories. If you walk past, you hardly notice it---but if you look at the painting, you long to spend the night there. Two ways for seeing one place.”
The Sunset Inn, Provincetown, Cape Cod
When Ernst Grip, a Swedish Security Office, is called in by the FBI to identify the nationality of a prisoner who only calls himself N., he has no idea that in the course of unraveling the prisoner’s secrets his own carefully guarded secrets could be revealed as well. N. has been tortured for many years, and yet, during that time he gave them everything they wanted, but his name. Torturers want everything, every last piece of a man’s soul. They want to know every thought, every whisper, so something as simple as not being able to extract a man’s name must have really... pissed... them... off.
”How much have you thrashed him? He curls up in a ball and starts to hyperventilate whenever a human comes near him.”
“Is he Swedish?”
“How much? Every other day for a year---more? A guess: first electric shocks and waterboarding, then just kicks and punches when people get tired. …The nails are growing in again, but they look lumpy. Usually takes six months to get them back.”
As Grip tries to make connections with the tortured man, Shauna Friedman of the FBI keeps dropping hints that she knows too much about Grip’s past. His “art” interests are particularly fascinating to her. They know the situation with N. is FUBARED, and so if things continue to go South, then they want to make sure they have leverage with Grip.
Meanwhile, Robert Karjel takes us back in time to the Thailand tsunami that killed thousands of people. N. and a small group of other survivors, still in shock from the loss of people they loved, hear a preacher from Topeka, Kansas,Charles-Ray Turnball Fred Phelps makes a speech broadcasted on the radio saying the tsunami was God’s punishment. They decide that some form of retribution needs to be extended to Charles-Ray.
It is interesting because I knew a Christian couple who commented about God’s punishment on the people of New Orleans after Katrina. ‘Those degenerates in that God forsaken den of iniquity had it coming.’ I shouldn’t be, but I’m still always shocked when I hear Christians gleefully talking about punishments. It seems to be their favorite role for their God to smite, to discipline. This couple moved from Kansas to Florida. They returned to Kansas after their house in Florida was destroyed by a hurricane. Now that is karmic punishment I can support! Using their own Christian formula then they must be degenerates as well, otherwise “God” would have left their house standing.
Grip has that something something that women find interesting that goes beyond just physical attractiveness. It could be his confidence or his moody indifference. His conquests are well known among his colleagues in the security service. They’d be shocked to know he is discovering that he is...gay. He has the same appeal with men that he has with women. When he meets Ben on a vacation to New York, he finds someone he can love. The only problem is Ben is dying of AIDS and running out of money. In the cash or perish system of the United States healthcare system, Ben is going to die much sooner than later. Ben has underground connections with disreputable art collectors who want to possess art that is owned by others or that is locked up in museums. Grip, the man known as The Swede, has the right background to not only get around security, but also get away with the crime.
”Their shapes, almost human, but not quite. You can’t resist wanting to touch them. Even own them. …
“They’re beautiful,” Grip said.
“Man and woman, in the same form.” Jean Arp sculptures.
Robert Karjel, a lieutenant colonel in the Swedish Air Force, has spent a lot of time working with the American armed forces. He knows Americans well enough to take a few pokes at some of the issues that have been dividing America. Torture, the definition of torture, and whether torture actually produces any actionable data are still being debated in the United States. The way government administrations have gotten around laws against torture by having suspects tortured by our allies makes me sick to my stomach. Asking others to do what we as a nation have finally condemned is frankly cowardly and going against the wishes of most Americans.
Karjel, by putting Ben’s plight in the novel, certainly provides commentary on a health system that has in the past only been for those that can afford it. I’m one of those people that believe that healthcare is a right not a luxury. We still have a lot of improvement to do on our current healthcare system, but the Affordable Healthcare Act was an important step forward.
Charles-Ray Turnbull is based on Fred Phelps, an angry and bigoted man who actively spread hate and discrimination all over the United States. He spent over $200,000 a year travelling to funerals to protest the existence of those he despised.
Karjel brings another issue to light by using the character Charles-Ray Turnbull, who is of course based on Fred Phelps of Westboro Baptist Church fame, who so publicly protested at the funerals of US servicemen and known homosexuals. At one point his group had planned to protest at a funeral in Dodge City. I had begun to talk with others about organizing a human chain to keep him from interrupting the funeral, but fortunately he cancelled his plans to come to Dodge City. He died a few years ago, but unfortunately his website godhatesfag and others are still up and operational. I can’t imagine that JC would have approved of the methods of a man like Fred Phelps. He went to school at Washburn University in Topeka, but he was born and bred in Meridian, Mississippi, so though I have to live with the shame that such a creature managed to keep a congregation in Kansas, at least I know the seeds of his hate were first sowed elsewhere.
The various threads of the story of this thriller seem far apart, but as the novel progresses we see those threads moving closer together until they begin to touch and overlap. True identities are revealed in the final pages, and the twists of the plot are untangled to bring everything to a satisfying conclusion. There have been comparisons to John le Carré with this novel which I don’t really agree with. I think this book is much more accessible for a larger readership than a standard le Carré novel. The plot elements reminded me more of the Peter Swanson novels that I’ve read recently. The book is clever, but not ponderously so. It was a pleasant surprise. I certainly look forward to Robert Karjel’s next book.
If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit http://www.jeffreykeeten.com
I also have a Facebook blogger page at: https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyKeeten
Grip glanced at the camera in the wall.
“Don’t worry, they can stand to hear what they already know.” Said N. “Oh, they’re inventive, but it’s not their methods that we’re going to talk about, it’s the result. I guess I’ve confessed to everything.”
“Everything?”
“Everything they wanted---signed, crawled, and prayed.”
Rooms for Tourists by Edward Hopper
”In one of Hopper’s paintings, there’s a small hotel. It’s in Provincetown, and it looks the same now as when he painted it in 1945. Whitewashed wood, two stories. If you walk past, you hardly notice it---but if you look at the painting, you long to spend the night there. Two ways for seeing one place.”
The Sunset Inn, Provincetown, Cape Cod
When Ernst Grip, a Swedish Security Office, is called in by the FBI to identify the nationality of a prisoner who only calls himself N., he has no idea that in the course of unraveling the prisoner’s secrets his own carefully guarded secrets could be revealed as well. N. has been tortured for many years, and yet, during that time he gave them everything they wanted, but his name. Torturers want everything, every last piece of a man’s soul. They want to know every thought, every whisper, so something as simple as not being able to extract a man’s name must have really... pissed... them... off.
”How much have you thrashed him? He curls up in a ball and starts to hyperventilate whenever a human comes near him.”
“Is he Swedish?”
“How much? Every other day for a year---more? A guess: first electric shocks and waterboarding, then just kicks and punches when people get tired. …The nails are growing in again, but they look lumpy. Usually takes six months to get them back.”
As Grip tries to make connections with the tortured man, Shauna Friedman of the FBI keeps dropping hints that she knows too much about Grip’s past. His “art” interests are particularly fascinating to her. They know the situation with N. is FUBARED, and so if things continue to go South, then they want to make sure they have leverage with Grip.
Meanwhile, Robert Karjel takes us back in time to the Thailand tsunami that killed thousands of people. N. and a small group of other survivors, still in shock from the loss of people they loved, hear a preacher from Topeka, Kansas,
It is interesting because I knew a Christian couple who commented about God’s punishment on the people of New Orleans after Katrina. ‘Those degenerates in that God forsaken den of iniquity had it coming.’ I shouldn’t be, but I’m still always shocked when I hear Christians gleefully talking about punishments. It seems to be their favorite role for their God to smite, to discipline. This couple moved from Kansas to Florida. They returned to Kansas after their house in Florida was destroyed by a hurricane. Now that is karmic punishment I can support! Using their own Christian formula then they must be degenerates as well, otherwise “God” would have left their house standing.
Grip has that something something that women find interesting that goes beyond just physical attractiveness. It could be his confidence or his moody indifference. His conquests are well known among his colleagues in the security service. They’d be shocked to know he is discovering that he is...gay. He has the same appeal with men that he has with women. When he meets Ben on a vacation to New York, he finds someone he can love. The only problem is Ben is dying of AIDS and running out of money. In the cash or perish system of the United States healthcare system, Ben is going to die much sooner than later. Ben has underground connections with disreputable art collectors who want to possess art that is owned by others or that is locked up in museums. Grip, the man known as The Swede, has the right background to not only get around security, but also get away with the crime.
”Their shapes, almost human, but not quite. You can’t resist wanting to touch them. Even own them. …
“They’re beautiful,” Grip said.
“Man and woman, in the same form.” Jean Arp sculptures.
Robert Karjel, a lieutenant colonel in the Swedish Air Force, has spent a lot of time working with the American armed forces. He knows Americans well enough to take a few pokes at some of the issues that have been dividing America. Torture, the definition of torture, and whether torture actually produces any actionable data are still being debated in the United States. The way government administrations have gotten around laws against torture by having suspects tortured by our allies makes me sick to my stomach. Asking others to do what we as a nation have finally condemned is frankly cowardly and going against the wishes of most Americans.
Karjel, by putting Ben’s plight in the novel, certainly provides commentary on a health system that has in the past only been for those that can afford it. I’m one of those people that believe that healthcare is a right not a luxury. We still have a lot of improvement to do on our current healthcare system, but the Affordable Healthcare Act was an important step forward.
Charles-Ray Turnbull is based on Fred Phelps, an angry and bigoted man who actively spread hate and discrimination all over the United States. He spent over $200,000 a year travelling to funerals to protest the existence of those he despised.
Karjel brings another issue to light by using the character Charles-Ray Turnbull, who is of course based on Fred Phelps of Westboro Baptist Church fame, who so publicly protested at the funerals of US servicemen and known homosexuals. At one point his group had planned to protest at a funeral in Dodge City. I had begun to talk with others about organizing a human chain to keep him from interrupting the funeral, but fortunately he cancelled his plans to come to Dodge City. He died a few years ago, but unfortunately his website godhatesfag and others are still up and operational. I can’t imagine that JC would have approved of the methods of a man like Fred Phelps. He went to school at Washburn University in Topeka, but he was born and bred in Meridian, Mississippi, so though I have to live with the shame that such a creature managed to keep a congregation in Kansas, at least I know the seeds of his hate were first sowed elsewhere.
The various threads of the story of this thriller seem far apart, but as the novel progresses we see those threads moving closer together until they begin to touch and overlap. True identities are revealed in the final pages, and the twists of the plot are untangled to bring everything to a satisfying conclusion. There have been comparisons to John le Carré with this novel which I don’t really agree with. I think this book is much more accessible for a larger readership than a standard le Carré novel. The plot elements reminded me more of the Peter Swanson novels that I’ve read recently. The book is clever, but not ponderously so. It was a pleasant surprise. I certainly look forward to Robert Karjel’s next book.
If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit http://www.jeffreykeeten.com
I also have a Facebook blogger page at: https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyKeeten
December 22, 2022
Audiobook- 4 stars
Story- 3.75 stars
This is one of those books you either enjoy it or not. Luckily I was somewhat in the middle, I liked some parts, some not so much. The story telling is non-linear, it bothered me for a while because I lost plot, I ended up getting used to it.
This is not a romance book. I went in knowing that and liked it. I was craving some good mystery and I got it. I just wish there was more on page interviews between Grip and the Prisoner. I wanted to know his story. 😩 I feel I was robbed of that. 😢
I liked Grip, he is a fitting MC. Some of the characters motivations didn’t make sense at all. I liked Ben too.
Overall, I enjoyed it and ended up liking it.
N/B : Where did my motivation for writing detailed reviews go?😭😭 My review slump has refused to end. 🥲 hAlP
Story- 3.75 stars
This is one of those books you either enjoy it or not. Luckily I was somewhat in the middle, I liked some parts, some not so much. The story telling is non-linear, it bothered me for a while because I lost plot, I ended up getting used to it.
This is not a romance book. I went in knowing that and liked it. I was craving some good mystery and I got it. I just wish there was more on page interviews between Grip and the Prisoner. I wanted to know his story. 😩 I feel I was robbed of that. 😢
I liked Grip, he is a fitting MC. Some of the characters motivations didn’t make sense at all. I liked Ben too.
Overall, I enjoyed it and ended up liking it.
N/B : Where did my motivation for writing detailed reviews go?😭😭 My review slump has refused to end. 🥲 hAlP
February 6, 2023
That was exhausting! Friends, if you ever again see me pick up a thriller, please smack me. I'm simply not cut out for this level of suspense, uncertainty, or tension. I have a history of walking out of movies when they get too suspenseful, and DNFing books when the tension gets cranked too high. You might think I'd learn... but... apparently not.
This was in fact my second try with this book, having bailed out at 33% the first time because it was making me too anxious. I'd always wanted to continue with it — how often does one find a thriller with a gay MC, after all? not very damn often — so when I saw my friend Rosa reading it, I jumped at the opportunity to buddy read alongside her. Surely with someone to hold my wimpy little hand I could make it through, right? Right — but just barely. No way would I have finished this on my own. Thank you, Rosa. 🥵
I felt fortunate that I didn't deeply connect to any of the characters (because that would have made me even more anxious). The book is translated from Swedish and told through two main 3rd person POVs, plus occasional omniscient 3rd. There were multiple timelines (although just two major ones) that were sometimes deliberately obscured in order to finesse when the reader had enough info to make certain connections. Which meant the book required focused attention, but by the halfway point it all clicked together nicely for me. Yet the sense of emotional distance remained — it's like there was no one for me to root for. A couple characters to pity, but no one I got deeply invested in.
Some reviewers have mentioned implausibilities, and yeah, those always seem to come with thriller territory. Either you can roll with them or you can't. Integral to the plot are some ugly things about America, its covert agencies and their not-so-covert embrace of torture, its ghastly healthcare system, its hate-spewing religious zealots, etc — which made one reviewer so pissy that she gave the book only 1 star, in revenge. 🙄 As an American myself, I'd say all of it was on-target and well-deserved.
There was a surprise twist at the end (of course), and let this day go down in history, because I actually figured it out in advance.
I'm giving it 3 stars, because... well, it was a book, and I read it, and it wasn't bad, and while I don't know who I'd recommend it to, I think if you like this kind of thing then this'll be the kind of thing you like. So, for lack of strong feeelings pushing me to rate it higher or lower, 3 stars it is.
This was in fact my second try with this book, having bailed out at 33% the first time because it was making me too anxious. I'd always wanted to continue with it — how often does one find a thriller with a gay MC, after all? not very damn often — so when I saw my friend Rosa reading it, I jumped at the opportunity to buddy read alongside her. Surely with someone to hold my wimpy little hand I could make it through, right? Right — but just barely. No way would I have finished this on my own. Thank you, Rosa. 🥵
I felt fortunate that I didn't deeply connect to any of the characters (because that would have made me even more anxious). The book is translated from Swedish and told through two main 3rd person POVs, plus occasional omniscient 3rd. There were multiple timelines (although just two major ones) that were sometimes deliberately obscured in order to finesse when the reader had enough info to make certain connections. Which meant the book required focused attention, but by the halfway point it all clicked together nicely for me. Yet the sense of emotional distance remained — it's like there was no one for me to root for. A couple characters to pity, but no one I got deeply invested in.
Some reviewers have mentioned implausibilities, and yeah, those always seem to come with thriller territory. Either you can roll with them or you can't. Integral to the plot are some ugly things about America, its covert agencies and their not-so-covert embrace of torture, its ghastly healthcare system, its hate-spewing religious zealots, etc — which made one reviewer so pissy that she gave the book only 1 star, in revenge. 🙄 As an American myself, I'd say all of it was on-target and well-deserved.
There was a surprise twist at the end (of course), and let this day go down in history, because I actually figured it out in advance.
I'm giving it 3 stars, because... well, it was a book, and I read it, and it wasn't bad, and while I don't know who I'd recommend it to, I think if you like this kind of thing then this'll be the kind of thing you like. So, for lack of strong feeelings pushing me to rate it higher or lower, 3 stars it is.
August 2, 2018
Robert Karjel is a helicopter pilot in the Swedish Air Force. He has trained with the U.S. Marine Corps and seen action around the world. He's also written several books he bills as thrillers. The Swede is the first to be translated for release in the United States.
Karjel's U.S. publishers were concerned about the marketability of this story in America due to its feature of a protagonist driven by his dedication to his male partner. In an article written for The Guardian, Mr. Karjel reports that a suggestion was made to alter his character's sexual orientation - a suggestion he did not take. He also talks about a couple of reviews his book received on Amazon upon its initial release. Those reviewers took issue with the lack of warning they were given regarding the novel's focus on a relationship of this nature. Mr. Karjel goes on to assert that America is not as open-minded as it claims. "American readers can't handle it," he declares.
Now that's a pretty comprehensive condemnation. Yet Mr. Karjel's propensity to paint all Americans with the same brush won't come as much of a surprise to the readers of this work. The Swede is chock-full of disdain for the United States. The dire forces in this story are America's religious right, its health care system, the FBI, the CIA, America's foreign policy, its nebulous stance on torture, its use of military might in conflict regions - and not the two Swedes who, he manages rather consistently to forget, had some serious screws loose prior to America's arrival on the scene. Both had descended to netherworlds of conspiracy and felonious behavior; both had abetted murder. They are, however, victims here. His world-weary Swedish security agent has only scorn for the USA and goes as far as to state, rather baldly: "Always, he had a hard time resisting the chance to give Americans a taste of themselves." Well bravo, Mr. Karjel. Done and done. Done and done.
And so I give this novel the taste of a single star, purely on its story and derogatory tone. Glad am I to see the door opening to principal characters with diverse sexual orientations. Perhaps someone will write a better thriller for them than the one I'm closing a cover on.
Karjel's U.S. publishers were concerned about the marketability of this story in America due to its feature of a protagonist driven by his dedication to his male partner. In an article written for The Guardian, Mr. Karjel reports that a suggestion was made to alter his character's sexual orientation - a suggestion he did not take. He also talks about a couple of reviews his book received on Amazon upon its initial release. Those reviewers took issue with the lack of warning they were given regarding the novel's focus on a relationship of this nature. Mr. Karjel goes on to assert that America is not as open-minded as it claims. "American readers can't handle it," he declares.
Now that's a pretty comprehensive condemnation. Yet Mr. Karjel's propensity to paint all Americans with the same brush won't come as much of a surprise to the readers of this work. The Swede is chock-full of disdain for the United States. The dire forces in this story are America's religious right, its health care system, the FBI, the CIA, America's foreign policy, its nebulous stance on torture, its use of military might in conflict regions - and not the two Swedes who, he manages rather consistently to forget, had some serious screws loose prior to America's arrival on the scene. Both had descended to netherworlds of conspiracy and felonious behavior; both had abetted murder. They are, however, victims here. His world-weary Swedish security agent has only scorn for the USA and goes as far as to state, rather baldly: "Always, he had a hard time resisting the chance to give Americans a taste of themselves." Well bravo, Mr. Karjel. Done and done. Done and done.
And so I give this novel the taste of a single star, purely on its story and derogatory tone. Glad am I to see the door opening to principal characters with diverse sexual orientations. Perhaps someone will write a better thriller for them than the one I'm closing a cover on.
July 14, 2016
Great, Gripping, Intelligent read…..
Buckets loads of drama - but it’s not the kind that is so melodramatically shoved into your face and you have to sit there and take it. No Karjel gives us wheels, within wheels all turning to give us an intelligent, subtle thriller. A thriller which made me suspicious but still surprised when these suspicions were proved to be correct. A thriller which had me at the edge of my seat, hoping, anxious, worried, admiring, loving right till the end.
Although this book is not a romance per se, the great ‘love’ shown with so few words is the base on which the story is built and something which I found really beautiful.
This is a story of how sharks with their own particular agendas swim around and prey on those they find weaken by need. How the prey are used as pawns in games, lethal games played in the name of greed and yes justice. And always the injustice of this world makes me so angry, because even death is unequal. Because some deaths are considered more important than others.
Like Ernst the book views America from the moral high ground of the sidelines. For me this balances out the constant view pushed by other media of America as the moral arbitrer.
Hopper Seven am - Ernst Grip’s favourite painting
With a nod to the reviewers who complained I give you this
WARNING - This books is about human beings in all their wholesome and unwholesome glory.
The Truth About Diego Garcia - The truth about the U.S. military base on the British-controlled Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia is often hard to believe.
A fantastic read with Lena - thank you for the company and discussion :D
June 1, 2016
EXCELLENT!!!
My hubby loves to watch cooking shows and sometimes I watch them with him.
It is why the first thing that came spontaneously on my mind - I blame him for this because HIS cooks like to use it- a symphony of delicious flavors . You know the one that touch all of the senses and causes an explosion of flavors in your mouth, like the eruption of Mount Etna.
It is exactly what Robert Karjel did to me: with his The Swede he offered me a 5-course menu à la carte: magnificent, superb, terrific, fantastic, simply great.
I honestly don't understand an average rating here - not the first time in my life though - but how often did you come across a book that you wanted already to rate with 5 stars halfway up to the end? I knew around 50% that I have been reading something special: a multilayered complex and INGENIOUS story line, soooooo brilliantly written (sincerest thanks to Nancy Pick, the translator, I know what a difficult job it is, but she did it perfectly) and THE CHARACTERS....THE CHARACTERS are..( I need Nancy Pick to translate for me!..)
It is when I have to say some words about THE SWEDE. There are two of them in this book: Ernst Grip, a Swedish security officer, and N., a prisoner with an unknown nationality, presumable SWEDISH, but Ernst has to prove it. The original title of this book is actually My Name Is N . But if you read The Swede, then you think about Ernst Grip as THE SWEDE. Well at least I do. I don't want to tell about the plot, because it is twisted and unique and soooo clever and I don't want to spoil you anything.
This book has EVERYTHING to offer: spy thriller, nature catastrophe, romance (not in the main focus though), religious fanatics, art, suspense, policy, great writing, mysterious and captivating story, fabulous characters and wow-ending.
Just go and read it.
ASAP.
For your information:
-> This book has been nominated for the 28th Lambda Literary Award in the category Gay Mystery. It is WHY I decided to read it. Honestly, I would have probably skipped it - the rating wasn't very impressive and I wouldn't have discovered this book otherwise if it hadn't landed on the "lammy" list. It is why I am grateful to the jury for nominating this book and thereby made me aware of it.
- > Robert Karjel is a lieutenant colonel in the Swedish Air Force. (I'm impressed, and not only because of the back cover that has a photo of him in his flight suit.) I've never thought that helicopter pilots could have such an interesting hobby like writing.
- > Don't read it if you want in the first place a romance. It is NOT a romance, it is in the first place a great psychological thriller.
-> Be warned: it is a thriller with a bisexual hero. It seems that some readers have problems with it.
-> It is exactly why I have to warn you: FEELINGS, TENSION, GUNS, BLOOD, INTERROGATIONS, RELIGIOUS FANATICS, TSUNAMI... and THE SWEDE.
But if you decide not to read it, it is your own fault.
HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!
*** Reading with Sofia, starting on the 18th April 16. It was my pleasure as always.
August 9, 2015
Thoroughly enjoyed this. Rather liked the writing style—descriptive but on point. Loved all the intrigue. Loved how it all came together.
August 21, 2016
Θυμάμαι ότι το συγκεκριμένο θρίλερ ήταν ένα από τα βιβλία που ανυπομονούσα να κυκλοφορήσουν πέρυσι. Η έκδοση του πήγαινε από αναβολή σε αναβολή, μέχρι που κυκλοφόρησε τελικά τον Οκτώβριο του 2015. Το αγόρασα με το που έσκασε μύτη στα βιβλιοπωλεία. Έλα όμως που έπρεπε να περάσει σχεδόν ένας χρόνος μέχρι να το διαβάσω. Κάτι τέτοια τα κάνω συχνά. Τέλος πάντων, δεν μπορώ να πω ότι ενθουσιάστηκα, από την άλλη μεριά όμως δεν μπορώ να πω ότι πέρασα και άσχημα. Αντιθέτως, πέρασα πολύ καλά.
Στην περιβόητη Αμερικάνικη στρατιωτική βάση Ντιέγκο Γκαρσία στον Ινδικό Ωκεανό, βρίσκεται φυλακισμένος ένας άνδρας ονόματι Ν., ο οποίος έχει δεχτεί διάφορα βασανιστήρια για να μιλήσει. Φαίνεται ότι είναι μπλεγμένος σε μια αιματηρή ληστεία τράπεζας στο Κάνσας, η οποία συνδέεται με την Τρομοκρατία. Ο άνδρας αυτός γλίτωσε από το τσουνάμι στην Ταϊλάνδη το 2004, συνδέεται με ένα διεθνή εκτελεστή και έναν έμπορο όπλων, κανείς δεν ξέρει όμως ποιος είναι και από που κρατάει η σκούφια του. Υπάρχουν υποψίες ότι είναι Σουηδικής καταγωγής. Γι'αυτό οι Αμερικάνοι κάλεσαν στην βάση τον Έρνστ Γκριπ, πράκτορα της Σουηδικής Υπηρεσίας Ασφαλείας. Όμως τα πράγματα είναι πιο σύνθετα, όλοι κρύβουν από ένα μυστικό, τίποτα δεν είναι αυτό που αρχικά φαίνεται...
Λοιπόν, αρχικά η ιστορία ίσως φανεί λίγο μπερδεμένη, με τα μπρος-πίσω στον χρόνο, στην συνέχεια όμως συνηθίζει κανείς στο στιλ και δεν νομίζω ότι θα υπάρχει πρόβλημα ως προς τον συγκεκριμένο τρόπο αφήγησης, ο οποίος μου άρεσε. Το θέμα είναι ότι δεν πείστηκα από κάποια συγκεκριμένα πράγματα στην πλοκή, όπως ορισμένα κίνητρα των χαρακτήρων και κάποιες χρήσιμες συμπτώσεις και ευκολίες. Βέβαια δεν έμεινα και με πολλές απορίες για τα "γιατί" και "πως", ο Κάργελ έκλεισε αρκετά ικανοποιητικά τα θέματα που άνοιξε. Επίσης δεν με έπεισε ένα συγκεκριμένο στοιχείο του χαρακτήρα του Γκριπ, αλλά αυτό είναι κάτι εντελώς υποκειμενικό. Κατά τ'άλλα μου άρεσαν οι όλες περιγραφές των σκηνικών και των γεγονότων, βρήκα την ατμόσφαιρα αρκετά έντονη και ίσως περίεργη, ενώ γενικά η γραφή μου φάνηκε πολύ καλή και ιδιαίτερη.
Το πρόσημο είναι σαφώς θετικό. Πέρασα καλά, η ιστορία μου κράτησε το ενδιαφέρον από την αρχή μέχρι το τέλος, και ένιωσα ότι ο συγγραφέας ήθελε να θίξει και κάποια σημαντικά ζητήματα με αφορμή το θρίλερ αυτό. Απλά ίσως και να μην είναι για όλα τα γούστα με τον τρόπο που είναι γραμμένο, ενώ και η πλοκή δεν είναι αψεγάδιαστη. Όμως, τελικά, μπορώ να πω ότι είναι ένα αρκετά καλό θρίλερ, που διαβάζεται πραγματικά πολύ εύκολα και γρήγορα.
Στην περιβόητη Αμερικάνικη στρατιωτική βάση Ντιέγκο Γκαρσία στον Ινδικό Ωκεανό, βρίσκεται φυλακισμένος ένας άνδρας ονόματι Ν., ο οποίος έχει δεχτεί διάφορα βασανιστήρια για να μιλήσει. Φαίνεται ότι είναι μπλεγμένος σε μια αιματηρή ληστεία τράπεζας στο Κάνσας, η οποία συνδέεται με την Τρομοκρατία. Ο άνδρας αυτός γλίτωσε από το τσουνάμι στην Ταϊλάνδη το 2004, συνδέεται με ένα διεθνή εκτελεστή και έναν έμπορο όπλων, κανείς δεν ξέρει όμως ποιος είναι και από που κρατάει η σκούφια του. Υπάρχουν υποψίες ότι είναι Σουηδικής καταγωγής. Γι'αυτό οι Αμερικάνοι κάλεσαν στην βάση τον Έρνστ Γκριπ, πράκτορα της Σουηδικής Υπηρεσίας Ασφαλείας. Όμως τα πράγματα είναι πιο σύνθετα, όλοι κρύβουν από ένα μυστικό, τίποτα δεν είναι αυτό που αρχικά φαίνεται...
Λοιπόν, αρχικά η ιστορία ίσως φανεί λίγο μπερδεμένη, με τα μπρος-πίσω στον χρόνο, στην συνέχεια όμως συνηθίζει κανείς στο στιλ και δεν νομίζω ότι θα υπάρχει πρόβλημα ως προς τον συγκεκριμένο τρόπο αφήγησης, ο οποίος μου άρεσε. Το θέμα είναι ότι δεν πείστηκα από κάποια συγκεκριμένα πράγματα στην πλοκή, όπως ορισμένα κίνητρα των χαρακτήρων και κάποιες χρήσιμες συμπτώσεις και ευκολίες. Βέβαια δεν έμεινα και με πολλές απορίες για τα "γιατί" και "πως", ο Κάργελ έκλεισε αρκετά ικανοποιητικά τα θέματα που άνοιξε. Επίσης δεν με έπεισε ένα συγκεκριμένο στοιχείο του χαρακτήρα του Γκριπ, αλλά αυτό είναι κάτι εντελώς υποκειμενικό. Κατά τ'άλλα μου άρεσαν οι όλες περιγραφές των σκηνικών και των γεγονότων, βρήκα την ατμόσφαιρα αρκετά έντονη και ίσως περίεργη, ενώ γενικά η γραφή μου φάνηκε πολύ καλή και ιδιαίτερη.
Το πρόσημο είναι σαφώς θετικό. Πέρασα καλά, η ιστορία μου κράτησε το ενδιαφέρον από την αρχή μέχρι το τέλος, και ένιωσα ότι ο συγγραφέας ήθελε να θίξει και κάποια σημαντικά ζητήματα με αφορμή το θρίλερ αυτό. Απλά ίσως και να μην είναι για όλα τα γούστα με τον τρόπο που είναι γραμμένο, ενώ και η πλοκή δεν είναι αψεγάδιαστη. Όμως, τελικά, μπορώ να πω ότι είναι ένα αρκετά καλό θρίλερ, που διαβάζεται πραγματικά πολύ εύκολα και γρήγορα.
June 4, 2016
Edge of your seat suspense. Magnificent story, I've been struggling for days on how to write the review. This book kept me awake, tuned out my new job, every time I put it down I was thinking about it.
If you are a gung ho, Trumpeter, or a homophobe, this book is not for you. If you are a rational American able to recognize the that decisions in Washington aren't always good for the USA let alone the rest of the world, you will enjoy this tale. Not that the entire book is bagging on America, there is a subtle dig about the unsolved assassination of Olof Palme, too.
What if you lost everything including your identity in the tsunami of 2004? Maybe you decide to not come forward, remain missing. And someone, lumps your losses and everyone else's into a "they deserved it, they were sinners" claim. You've already lost everything, why not target your rage?
Or what if you'd been a total ladies man, a champion sex machine, only to realize you have no connection to what goes on? Then one day, you discover a whole new universe of sex, gay sex, and you, the untouched fall for one man. A man with vulnerabilities that make you vulnerable too.
These are the struggles of the two main protagonists. Like any suspense or mystery book, pay attention to the details, although the writing is quite lovely and my attention wandered into moments of envy.
Eleven stars.
If you are a gung ho, Trumpeter, or a homophobe, this book is not for you. If you are a rational American able to recognize the that decisions in Washington aren't always good for the USA let alone the rest of the world, you will enjoy this tale. Not that the entire book is bagging on America, there is a subtle dig about the unsolved assassination of Olof Palme, too.
What if you lost everything including your identity in the tsunami of 2004? Maybe you decide to not come forward, remain missing. And someone, lumps your losses and everyone else's into a "they deserved it, they were sinners" claim. You've already lost everything, why not target your rage?
Or what if you'd been a total ladies man, a champion sex machine, only to realize you have no connection to what goes on? Then one day, you discover a whole new universe of sex, gay sex, and you, the untouched fall for one man. A man with vulnerabilities that make you vulnerable too.
These are the struggles of the two main protagonists. Like any suspense or mystery book, pay attention to the details, although the writing is quite lovely and my attention wandered into moments of envy.
Eleven stars.
February 6, 2023
I'm not sure about this one, and I'm not sure I can write a proper review because I only have some scattered impressions about the book... It's interesting enough but I wasn't invested in any of the characters. I didn't really care what happened to any of them. Also, the plot going back and forth in different timelines didn't help either because that's something that usually doesn't work for me well.
It's not the first time I read a Swedish author, and I don't know if it was due to the translation, but the way some things were told made me feel detached from the characters. I felt sorry for some of the characters, , because they were used and discarded without a second thought, .
I guessed some of the things that happened but the final twist came somewhat as a surprise. I had suspected that and later discarded the thought, but at the end, I was right after all.
So, was this a bad book? No, but I've read better thrillers with morally grey characters, or at least with morally grey characters I care about more. The best thing about this was BReading it with Teal, though I'm sure if we would have cared more about the characters in the book we could have had more fun theorizing more about what was going on.
It's not the first time I read a Swedish author, and I don't know if it was due to the translation, but the way some things were told made me feel detached from the characters. I felt sorry for some of the characters, , because they were used and discarded without a second thought, .
I guessed some of the things that happened but the final twist came somewhat as a surprise. I had suspected that and later discarded the thought, but at the end, I was right after all.
So, was this a bad book? No, but I've read better thrillers with morally grey characters, or at least with morally grey characters I care about more. The best thing about this was BReading it with Teal, though I'm sure if we would have cared more about the characters in the book we could have had more fun theorizing more about what was going on.
June 26, 2015
Personally, I usually find books on crime, FBI, terrorism etc. to be more male-oriented, however when I received this book as part of the Goodreads First Reads program I was very excited to read this thriller before its release date.
I was immediately drawn in with a quick plunge into action and mystique. As the plot continued, the characters continued to develop as secrets about them were revealed. As we learn more about the main character, Ernst Grip, a Swede (but is he THE Swede?) we see that he is a lot more than he appears to be on the surface.
It was interesting reading a book originally written for a non-American audience. The translation was very good, but the overall attitude toward America (not necessarily bad but just. . . what it is), was exactly what I had encountered when traveling through Europe and speaking with Europeans. We've made quite a name for ourselves around the world!
The plot twists are surprising and well-timed, and (without spoiling anything) something happens at the end which I found to be quite clever, though it did have me paging back through the book to try and determine whether the character making the discovery had any reason to know that which he was discovering (I couldn't determine for sure).
I see this book selling very well and think it would make a great movie.
I was immediately drawn in with a quick plunge into action and mystique. As the plot continued, the characters continued to develop as secrets about them were revealed. As we learn more about the main character, Ernst Grip, a Swede (but is he THE Swede?) we see that he is a lot more than he appears to be on the surface.
It was interesting reading a book originally written for a non-American audience. The translation was very good, but the overall attitude toward America (not necessarily bad but just. . . what it is), was exactly what I had encountered when traveling through Europe and speaking with Europeans. We've made quite a name for ourselves around the world!
The plot twists are surprising and well-timed, and (without spoiling anything) something happens at the end which I found to be quite clever, though it did have me paging back through the book to try and determine whether the character making the discovery had any reason to know that which he was discovering (I couldn't determine for sure).
I see this book selling very well and think it would make a great movie.
October 19, 2015
(Audiobook review) This book was recently reviewed by a friend, and since we have similar tastes, I decided to try it. I'm glad I did because I thoroughly enjoyed it. I have to admit that the parts related to the Tsunami were somewhat difficult to read because they were so emotional. The author did a great job of weaving two stories together and kept me guessing until, almost, the end. And I thought the narrator, William Hope, did an excellent job too.
Side note: I thinks it's sad that this book was less than well received by some American readers because of the main character being gay. According to the author, he was asked to make the MC straight so that the book would be more acceptable to the US market. I'm glad to say the author didn't give in. It's not like there are explicit gay sex scenes or anything so I'm not sure why some US readers felt so threatened. Oh well - they're missing out on a really great read. The 'gayness' of the MC is only a small, but integral, part of the plot.
Side note: I thinks it's sad that this book was less than well received by some American readers because of the main character being gay. According to the author, he was asked to make the MC straight so that the book would be more acceptable to the US market. I'm glad to say the author didn't give in. It's not like there are explicit gay sex scenes or anything so I'm not sure why some US readers felt so threatened. Oh well - they're missing out on a really great read. The 'gayness' of the MC is only a small, but integral, part of the plot.
May 10, 2016
Who doesn't love a Scandinavian crime novel? Why is that? I never know how to review these sorts of books. No use describing the plot, other than to say it's clever and toys with your mind. Read it and enjoy.
May 1, 2016
So good!
October 4, 2019
I’m not even sure how I stumbled across this book and I gotta say it was a good one! A solid four stars from me for a novel that has a bit of everything. At first I didn’t know how it was all going to come together but gradually piece by piece, Robert Karjel brought seemingly disconnected pieces together into one seamless whole. Multi layered and multifarious, characters come together in ways that overlay identity, purpose, and bring the story to a satisfying conclusion albeit leaving me with my mouth still open in wonder as to how Karjel just pulled that off.
Ernst Grip is the main character, a body guard from Sweden who is on a pathway of some transformation and self discovery that is also metaphorically tied up with the character ‘N’ which eventually becomes apparent. Karjel writes of Grip.. ‘another I began to form: caterpillar, chrysalis, empty shell, butterfly’.. summing up Grip’s metamorphosis that is occurring.
There are way too many subjects in this book for me to try to touch on here.. how Karjel ties in events surrounding the 2004 tsunami in south east Asia and religious bigotry and hate, American torture of incarcerated suspects, etc etc.
This was a great read and I’m looking out for other books by Karjel that are translated from Swedish.
Ernst Grip is the main character, a body guard from Sweden who is on a pathway of some transformation and self discovery that is also metaphorically tied up with the character ‘N’ which eventually becomes apparent. Karjel writes of Grip.. ‘another I began to form: caterpillar, chrysalis, empty shell, butterfly’.. summing up Grip’s metamorphosis that is occurring.
There are way too many subjects in this book for me to try to touch on here.. how Karjel ties in events surrounding the 2004 tsunami in south east Asia and religious bigotry and hate, American torture of incarcerated suspects, etc etc.
This was a great read and I’m looking out for other books by Karjel that are translated from Swedish.
July 30, 2015
My Name is N has some great themes that are well explored. There is no black and white in this book, it is all shades of grey. I was particularly captivated by the idea of changing identity and the effects on ones behaviour and the repercussions on both the individual and those around them. It also looks into the dark recesses of modern security forces, and again focusses on what that means for the individuals in "the system". A great book.
April 14, 2015
A solidly good thriller with an interesting viewpoint on life in the US--much of the action takes place in either the US or US territory. A really good translation.
April 16, 2017
I think this could easily be picked apart for flaws (unlikelihoods, let's say), but it kept my attention and I read it during every spare moment over two days.
November 14, 2018
The Swede is one of those fast-paced, plot driven stories that always had me guessing. There's a lot of time jumping and head hopping in the first half of the book. There are definitely a lot of loose threads that eventually coalesce into a single plot with revelations galore.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book for what it is. However, what it really isn't is a book that fleshes out characters and the relationships that exist. For instance, there is a particular relationship in the book that isn't really explained: it just kind of happens and my inner romantic is not really okay with that (cuz I want to understand a relationship when it's a source of motivation for a character). Part of it makes me wonder if some of the details are lost in translation? Which leads to another niggle I had was how rough the book read at times. Almost as if the translation was too literal and the flow suffered as such. I definitely had to re-read certain phrases to try and understand what was meant. At moments, I did feel like something completely few over my head.
But regardless of all that, I still enjoyed The Swede.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book for what it is. However, what it really isn't is a book that fleshes out characters and the relationships that exist. For instance, there is a particular relationship in the book that isn't really explained: it just kind of happens and my inner romantic is not really okay with that (cuz I want to understand a relationship when it's a source of motivation for a character). Part of it makes me wonder if some of the details are lost in translation? Which leads to another niggle I had was how rough the book read at times. Almost as if the translation was too literal and the flow suffered as such. I definitely had to re-read certain phrases to try and understand what was meant. At moments, I did feel like something completely few over my head.
But regardless of all that, I still enjoyed The Swede.
April 26, 2017
magnifiek boek-een aanrader voor thrillerlezers,komt in mn jaar top 10 te staan👍
July 27, 2015
When this review book arrived it was added to the teetering pile beside the couch, from where it was plucked by my partner on a cold Saturday afternoon, probably because he couldn't be bothered moving too far. Which turned out to be the last movement he made for quite some time. Needless to say he was enthralled enough to tweak my interest.
The territory covered in MY NAME IS N is wide and unexpected. From the 2004 Thailand tsunami a group of people emerge united in their loss, eventually determined to wreak havoc against a bigoted religious leader who uses the tsunami and deaths as an excuse to peddle vile crap. Needless to say it's not too hard to figure out the so called "preacher" that this character is based on, although it is rather hard, under those circumstances, to agree with the label of "Islamist-inspired" as it seems a lot more about "as you sow, so shall you reap".
The plot is complicated enough to mean that reader's will need to pay attention, particularly in the early stages, as the action moves backwards and forwards between events post the tsunami and the story of Ernst Grip, the Swedish security policeman summoned to the US to assist with the identification of a mysterious prisoner held in a high security CIA location - worse it seems than Guantánamo Bay. Exactly why Grip is the man who receives this summons isn't completely clear, nor is it really obvious what he's supposed to be achieving there, but he goes, meets with the prisoner known as N and eventually finds out a lot more than he bargained for.
Eagle-eyed readers of MY NAME IS N may opt to draw some educated conclusions about the possible connections between all of these events, and they could very well be spot-on. Whilst some of the outcomes aren't that difficult to foresee, the pathways getting there are nicely complicated, and frequently unexpected. Even if you do play the guessing game, it's an entertaining read, but if you're not even trying, just going with the flow, there is even more potential for entertainment and surprises.
Along the way there's some interesting storylines - Ernst Grip's double life between New York and Sweden, and the lengths he goes to for love is one thing, but the efforts undertaken by the tsunami effected five are another thing altogether. It might not even be hard to barrack for their efforts, even though some of their methods are violent and extreme.
Robert Karjel, the author of MY NAME IS N, has spent time working with American armed services in his role as a lieutenant colonel in the Swedish Air Force. His commentary on the set-up of clandestine bases, and the extremes of torture seems to be informed not just by experience, but also an outsider's viewpoint. His skewering of the horribleness of somebody blaming the victims after a major natural disaster is spot-on, and makes the motive behind the Kansas attack uncomfortably sympathetic. As the story unfolds there's plenty of doubt left about the identity of N, about the possibility of Grip knowing more or less than he seems, and what the possible reasons are for N's incarceration. Everything winds together nicely here, using plenty of action and pace, and just enough real-life reflections as well as "what if" scenarios to keep the reader on the edge of their seat, and, as is less often the case in thrillers, wondering about the greyness of right and wrong.
http://www.austcrimefiction.org/revie...
The territory covered in MY NAME IS N is wide and unexpected. From the 2004 Thailand tsunami a group of people emerge united in their loss, eventually determined to wreak havoc against a bigoted religious leader who uses the tsunami and deaths as an excuse to peddle vile crap. Needless to say it's not too hard to figure out the so called "preacher" that this character is based on, although it is rather hard, under those circumstances, to agree with the label of "Islamist-inspired" as it seems a lot more about "as you sow, so shall you reap".
The plot is complicated enough to mean that reader's will need to pay attention, particularly in the early stages, as the action moves backwards and forwards between events post the tsunami and the story of Ernst Grip, the Swedish security policeman summoned to the US to assist with the identification of a mysterious prisoner held in a high security CIA location - worse it seems than Guantánamo Bay. Exactly why Grip is the man who receives this summons isn't completely clear, nor is it really obvious what he's supposed to be achieving there, but he goes, meets with the prisoner known as N and eventually finds out a lot more than he bargained for.
Eagle-eyed readers of MY NAME IS N may opt to draw some educated conclusions about the possible connections between all of these events, and they could very well be spot-on. Whilst some of the outcomes aren't that difficult to foresee, the pathways getting there are nicely complicated, and frequently unexpected. Even if you do play the guessing game, it's an entertaining read, but if you're not even trying, just going with the flow, there is even more potential for entertainment and surprises.
Along the way there's some interesting storylines - Ernst Grip's double life between New York and Sweden, and the lengths he goes to for love is one thing, but the efforts undertaken by the tsunami effected five are another thing altogether. It might not even be hard to barrack for their efforts, even though some of their methods are violent and extreme.
Robert Karjel, the author of MY NAME IS N, has spent time working with American armed services in his role as a lieutenant colonel in the Swedish Air Force. His commentary on the set-up of clandestine bases, and the extremes of torture seems to be informed not just by experience, but also an outsider's viewpoint. His skewering of the horribleness of somebody blaming the victims after a major natural disaster is spot-on, and makes the motive behind the Kansas attack uncomfortably sympathetic. As the story unfolds there's plenty of doubt left about the identity of N, about the possibility of Grip knowing more or less than he seems, and what the possible reasons are for N's incarceration. Everything winds together nicely here, using plenty of action and pace, and just enough real-life reflections as well as "what if" scenarios to keep the reader on the edge of their seat, and, as is less often the case in thrillers, wondering about the greyness of right and wrong.
http://www.austcrimefiction.org/revie...
February 2, 2016
De Zweed is het debuut van de Zweedse voormalig helikopterpiloot en luitenant-kolonel Robert Karjel. Hij is de enige Zweedse militair, wie heeft getraind met de US Martine Corps. Deze ervaring is de inspiratie voor zijn boek. Hoofpersoon is Ernst Grip van de Zweedse veiligheidspolitie. Hij wordt door zijn baas naar Amerika gestuurd met het verzoek om te onderzoeken of een gevangene de Zweedse nationaliteit heeft.
Bij aankomst in Amerika blijkt het allemaal iets moeilijker als gedacht en wordt Ernst Grip betrokken in een schimmige zaak, waar niemand het achterste van zijn tong laat zien. Wat volgt is een soort schaakspel tussen Ernst en de verschillende organisaties in Amerika, FBI en CIA. De titel van het boek is zeer passend , want de hoofdpersoon is De Zweed en daar draait het verhaal continu om.
De Zweed zit vol met intrige en dit zorgt voor de spanning in het boek. Op vele momenten is het verhaal een schaakspel en is het niet gelijk duidelijk waar bepaalde actie toe leiden. Mensen met dubbele agenda`s, misschien Ernst Grip ook wel, creëeren bewust verwarring. Zorgvuldig lezen is het credo voor De Zweed. Het boek is zeker geen tussendoortje.
Er zijn twee verhaallijnen aanwezig in de De Zweed, welke om en om aan het bod komen in het boek. In het begin is de link tussen beiden vaag en lijkt het onlogisch dat beiden met elkaar te maken hebben. Robert Karjel slaagt er echter op sublieme realistische wijze in een zeer geloofwaardig verhaal neer te zetten met oog voor de menselijke psyche. Met de introductie van I. blijft er verwarring bestaan en aan het einde van het boek is de lezer nog weinig meer concreets over hem te weten te komen. Toch is zijn rol een van de pijlers van het verhaal.
Het is lastig om De Zweed te karakteriseren als thriller. Psychologische thriller is het zeker met misschien een vleugje politiek. De quotes op de cover als "Le Carre meets Homeland" en "De spanning van Jo Nesbo, de intrige van Ik ben Pelgrim"" zijn vooral commercieel. Tijdens het lezen zijn deze gedachten niet bij mij opgekomen.
Robert Karjel is vooral zichzelf en zet met Ernst Grip een interessant karakter neer. Niets is wat het lijkt bij hem, maar gerechtigheid viert uiteindelijk hoogtij. Onder de pantser zit een mens met gevoel verstopt, wie eindelijk zijn doel in het leven lijkt te hebben gevonden. Hopelijk komt Ernst Grip terug in een volgend boek van Robert Karjel.
Bij aankomst in Amerika blijkt het allemaal iets moeilijker als gedacht en wordt Ernst Grip betrokken in een schimmige zaak, waar niemand het achterste van zijn tong laat zien. Wat volgt is een soort schaakspel tussen Ernst en de verschillende organisaties in Amerika, FBI en CIA. De titel van het boek is zeer passend , want de hoofdpersoon is De Zweed en daar draait het verhaal continu om.
De Zweed zit vol met intrige en dit zorgt voor de spanning in het boek. Op vele momenten is het verhaal een schaakspel en is het niet gelijk duidelijk waar bepaalde actie toe leiden. Mensen met dubbele agenda`s, misschien Ernst Grip ook wel, creëeren bewust verwarring. Zorgvuldig lezen is het credo voor De Zweed. Het boek is zeker geen tussendoortje.
Er zijn twee verhaallijnen aanwezig in de De Zweed, welke om en om aan het bod komen in het boek. In het begin is de link tussen beiden vaag en lijkt het onlogisch dat beiden met elkaar te maken hebben. Robert Karjel slaagt er echter op sublieme realistische wijze in een zeer geloofwaardig verhaal neer te zetten met oog voor de menselijke psyche. Met de introductie van I. blijft er verwarring bestaan en aan het einde van het boek is de lezer nog weinig meer concreets over hem te weten te komen. Toch is zijn rol een van de pijlers van het verhaal.
Het is lastig om De Zweed te karakteriseren als thriller. Psychologische thriller is het zeker met misschien een vleugje politiek. De quotes op de cover als "Le Carre meets Homeland" en "De spanning van Jo Nesbo, de intrige van Ik ben Pelgrim"" zijn vooral commercieel. Tijdens het lezen zijn deze gedachten niet bij mij opgekomen.
Robert Karjel is vooral zichzelf en zet met Ernst Grip een interessant karakter neer. Niets is wat het lijkt bij hem, maar gerechtigheid viert uiteindelijk hoogtij. Onder de pantser zit een mens met gevoel verstopt, wie eindelijk zijn doel in het leven lijkt te hebben gevonden. Hopelijk komt Ernst Grip terug in een volgend boek van Robert Karjel.
August 23, 2015
For me, this was a 2 star. I almost didn't finish, but the fact that he was gay, I upped it to a three star rating.
First, let me tell you what this is NOT. It is not a thriller. It is not fast paced. It is not linear.
It is a mystery, and there are a few twists and turns to it, and I liked how both storylines tied together in the end.
For me, it could have been told faster, if that makes sense. But that is how I read. I am a very impatient reader. I don't want to know every little detail. I skimmed a number of pages, especially when being told the story of N. Also Ernst's background got skimmed.
With that being said, I think for many people this would be a great book to read. The author is a very good writer, and if you like the more long winded stories with very good detail, this is a great read. If you are impatient like me and just want to get to the end, it could be a tough read.
I will say that once all of the storylines/flashbacks conjoined, I really enjoyed the book.
First, let me tell you what this is NOT. It is not a thriller. It is not fast paced. It is not linear.
It is a mystery, and there are a few twists and turns to it, and I liked how both storylines tied together in the end.
For me, it could have been told faster, if that makes sense. But that is how I read. I am a very impatient reader. I don't want to know every little detail. I skimmed a number of pages, especially when being told the story of N. Also Ernst's background got skimmed.
With that being said, I think for many people this would be a great book to read. The author is a very good writer, and if you like the more long winded stories with very good detail, this is a great read. If you are impatient like me and just want to get to the end, it could be a tough read.
I will say that once all of the storylines/flashbacks conjoined, I really enjoyed the book.
August 25, 2015
"The Swede" by Robert Karjel
This book will keep you guessing all the way to the last page. Intricate, well- written, deftly plotted,with interesting, enigmatic characters in some very different locations. I began to read the book one evening and finished it the next mid-afternoon, and when I turned the last page, I smiled. That good.
One of the last images in the book is of a Three- Card Monte game, you know the old pea- under- which- of - three- shells game. This was a fitting ending to refreshingly different spy/ crime/ thriller. And that is about all the background to the plot I can give.
"The Swede" of the title is a Swedish security officer Ernst Grip, who is asked by authorities to fly to NYC to help,in identifying an unidentified " person of interest" who refuses to talk, but who may be Swedish. But why particularly Ernst Grip?
That's it. No more hints to spoil your enjoyment of a really enjoyable ride.
Highly Recommended.
Notes: a bit of sexual references. A bit of violence. Neither grossly exaggerated for titillation or effect. This book does not need it.
This book will keep you guessing all the way to the last page. Intricate, well- written, deftly plotted,with interesting, enigmatic characters in some very different locations. I began to read the book one evening and finished it the next mid-afternoon, and when I turned the last page, I smiled. That good.
One of the last images in the book is of a Three- Card Monte game, you know the old pea- under- which- of - three- shells game. This was a fitting ending to refreshingly different spy/ crime/ thriller. And that is about all the background to the plot I can give.
"The Swede" of the title is a Swedish security officer Ernst Grip, who is asked by authorities to fly to NYC to help,in identifying an unidentified " person of interest" who refuses to talk, but who may be Swedish. But why particularly Ernst Grip?
That's it. No more hints to spoil your enjoyment of a really enjoyable ride.
Highly Recommended.
Notes: a bit of sexual references. A bit of violence. Neither grossly exaggerated for titillation or effect. This book does not need it.
July 15, 2015
I hadn't heard of Robert Karjel before but it turns out he is uniquely placed in his day job to write a sweeping thriller along the lines of "My name is N". Robert is a lieutenant colonel in the Swedish Air Force and his role as a helicopter pilot has taken him everywhere. He's also written four thrillers and this is the first published in English. Five stars. Yes, definitely. This is an intriguing story involving Ernst Grip of Sweden's Security Police and a mysterious prisoner being held at a secret US bas. The prisoner is known only as N, and Grip is flown to New York and onto a remote military base to help determine whether N is Swedish and what his background is. Along the way we get to hear about a daring bank robbery in Topeka, Kansas, Grip's secret visits from Sweden to New York, and a shady quartet who hatched the plan for the Topeka bank raid. Slowly but surely N and Ernst develop a relationship and the truth unfolds, arriving at a stunning conclusion.
July 10, 2015
Excellent international thriller with a couple of flaws that I regretfully could not ignore. Without giving too much away: The final twist I saw coming fairly early. Those who are not fans of the genre might have missed it. A second complaint lies with the characters. They are generally unappealing. Despite all this, the story, viewpoint and overall execution were fascinating. I would be interested in reading another in the series. (I understand this is the first novel of a planned series.) Highly recommended.
May 14, 2016
I've found myself greatly enjoying the Nordic crime noir genre, this was no exception. Found it at the library, as I Always judge a new book by its cover and the author/pilot caught my attention. The writing was at times a little too vague or circumspect but overall I enjoyed the intersecting plot lines of a Swedish security forces man trying to determine the identity of another, detained man... And maybe keeping his own secrets safely tucked away?
March 13, 2018
Well done. A thinking person's thriller.
April 19, 2017
A Swedish security agent with a secret, an unidentified prisoner who may or may not be his countryman held in a clandestine CIA-run detention facility in the middle of the Indian Ocean, and a series of flashbacks to an eclectic multinational group of five survivors of the 2004 Tsunami in Thailand getting caught up in an ambitious criminal plot that isn't what it seems - these are the ingredients out of which Robert Karjel constructs an intelligent, gripping, multilayered thriller based on an understated yet all-important romance with an intricate plot that emerges bit by bit and kept me on the edge of my seat all the way through. It's a shame that this is the only book by this author available in English so far, but it seems the sequel to this one has been translated into German, so I do believe I'll see about getting my hands on a copy of that soonish.
March 7, 2018
Ίντριγκα, μυστήριο και μυστικές υπηρεσίες! Δεν μπορώ να πω ότι πέρασα άσχημα!
7-7,5/10
7-7,5/10
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