Не се страхувай от мрака

Siri Bergman #1

by Camilla Grebe, Åsa Träff, Диана Райкова (преводач)

Шведската трилър-вълна, заляла света с успеха на Стиг Ларшон, продължава своя възход. Новият роман на сестрите Камила Гребе (предприемач и издател) и Оса Треф (психоложка) – „Не се страхувай от мрака” – завзе челното място в шведската класация, а наскоро направи и своя дебют като бестселър в САЩ, както и в още 14 страни по света: Великобритания, Германия, Дания, Испания, Италия, Норвегия, Полша, Франция, Холандия, Чехия, Тайланд и др.

Изглежда толкова идилично – синьо, спокойно небе, цъфнала ябълка, лъскав черен джип, паркиран пред красива стара къща… Но нещо не е наред. В лакираната повърхност на колата се отразява проснатото тяло на млада жена, момиче…

Сири Бергман се опитва да избяга от собствената си драма – до изнемога се товари с работа в малката частна практика, където заедно с още двама психолози тя лекува чуждите травми, а после се връща в празния си дом извън Стокхолм, за да се скрие от самотата зад чаша вино. Но скоро няколко нейни пациенти умират един след друг. Сири приема това като свой личен провал. Полицията подозира и нея. Колегите й охладняват. А около къщата й някой дебне. Някой я наблюдава. Някой знае, че тя се страхува…

***
„Не се страхувай от мрака” е мощен нов трилър от сестрите Гребе и Треф. Те въвеждат една очарователна, наранена, но силна героиня… Атмосферата е напрегната и смразяваща, а действието кулминира в разтърсващ финал.

Publeshers Weekly

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Crime, Fiction, Scandinavian Literature, Sweden, Nordic Noir

296 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Camilla Grebe is an entrepreneur and a former publisher and CEO. She lives in Stockholm, Sweden. Her sister is Åsa Träff.

Reviews

[Maureen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collaboration between a psychologist and a publisher, this is a clever novel featuring the elaborate stalking of a Stockholm psychiatrist already vulnerable after the death by drowning of her husband.

  It has been said that in order to understand and treat neurotics one must be super neurotic, and grieving Siri is driven to the edge of madness by a person who hates her so much that he kills one of her patients in order to frame her. He is a killer who announces himself from the beginning with intrusive ramblings - but not to the extent of identifying himself.
  
Consequently he could be among Siri's friends, perhaps the investigating officer who becomes her lover; he could be one of her colleagues, a member of her staff, even a patient, or the partner of any of these. The suspects are innumerable and the murderer is  unmasked only at the end.

 Doom laden throughout, it didn’t quite work for me.

[Semjon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Warum liest man Thriller? Manche mögen die Spannung, andere sind fasziniert von der Gewalt, doch die meisten Leser wollen eiegntlich nur eins: Mitraten! Da die Autoren dieses große Bedürfnis befriedigen wollen, schreiben sie Whodunit-Krimis mit dem Ziel, durch ein überraschendes Ende die Leserschaft in helle Freude und vor allem großes Erstaunen zu versetzen.

Das Geschwister-Autoren-Paar Grebe & Träff geht da auf Nummer Sicher mit ihrem Erstling. Die Zutaten sind daher:

- eine traumatisierte Protagonistin (Witwe, Psychotherapeutin),
- die an einem verlassenen Ort (Bootshaus mit nur einem Zugangsweg) am Meer wohnt,
- die allerlei zwielichtige Patienten, Kollegen und Freunde hat, die alle als potentielle Bedroher in Frage kommen,
- die Angst vor dem Alleinsein und der Dunkelheit hat,
- wie bei allen skandinavischen Thrillern hat sie auch ein Alkoholproblem,
- und die offensichtlich einen Starker hat, der sie hasst und töten will.

Was erwartet man also von so einem Roman: Protagonistin vorstellen, ihre Ängste in Worte fassen, alle Personen als Verdächtige mit Motiv beschreiben, zunehmende Angst, steigender Terror und am Ende Showdown im Bootshaus im Dunkeln, alleine, hilflos gegenüber dem Täter X. Und genau so schreiben die beiden Autorinnen ihren Roman, keine Abweichung vom Schema. Also wer war es am Ende? Tja, lest selbst. Man kann eigentlich nicht drauf kommen und das macht es ja so überraschend. Denken die Autoren. Aber ich frage mich: was sollen die 400 Seiten Blendwerk, wenn es am Ende doch die große unbekannte Figur ist. Da fühl ich mich verarscht, da die Autoren ihr Herrschaftswissen gegen die Leser eingesetzt haben. Whodunit? Spielt für mich keine Rolle mehr am Ende. Dieser Roman wird bei mir so schnell in Vergessenheit geraten, dass ich mich beeilen muss hier die letzten Zeilen noch runterzutippen, bevor ich noch während der Rezension von einer Amnesie heimgesucht werde.

[Aina Winky · Rating 3 out of 5]

The beginning was a bit slow but then the story started building up. But towards the end you can guess what is coming.
When I finished reading it, there were something that I like and some I didn't about the character but
it was an enjoyable psychological thriller with a bit of twist.

[Sapphir · Rating 5 out of 5]

Siri is a psychotherapist and treats a lot of patients with psychological problems. But she actually needs help herself because some bad things have happened to her lately: one of her patients killed herself, and her husband died. As a result, she drinks too much and is afraid of the dark. And then more and more unsettling things start to happen. It seems as if there’s someone who wants to harm her. Who can she still trust?
This is a suspenseful psychological thriller about a woman in an internal conflict who loses her footing and doesn’t know how (and who) to rely on any more. The writing is brilliant and the book is really absorbing. Still, when the truth is revealed at the end of the story, some outrageous, immoral things come to light which aren’t resolved in the least.
But then it’s only the first volume of a whole book series ... Let’s see what will happen next!
4.5 stars.

[Razvan Banciu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somehow it happens this one to be the FIFTH novel by a Nordic author I've read in the last few weeks, after Millennium 3 and 4, Voices by Arnaldur Indridason and Vinterstengt by Lier Horst. ALL of them show a society with far more mental problems than I've ever thought. Not to mention that three of the main characters (in three different books) young ladies, choose to stay in a remote , even savage place, in the vicinity of a recent killing place. If that's not an invitation to disaster...

P.s: Bad characters, a (relatively) good plot, my work, all of these make three stars. More than enough, by any standards.

[Dawn · Rating 2 out of 5]

It seems like every Swedish mystery that I have read contains:

1. A dead/tortured cat
2. A smart female character who is molested but doesn't say anything about it or excuses the behavior
3. A smart female character who does unbelievably stupid things
4. Really bad food (ketchup on spaghetti, gross!)

Perhaps because the last book that I read was "Gone Girl," this one just didn't hold my attention the way that book did.

[Nick Davies · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aspects of this I really enjoyed - it was more 'psychological thriller' than the Nordic crime police procedural type novel I was expecting, but it was very readable and rattled along at a satisfying pace despite not being quite what I expected - plenty credit due to the translation for this, I assume. The first person POV did pose some awkwardness at times, but due to the nature of the protagonist and her job (a psychologist being pursued, it seems, by someone holding a grudge who was determined to discredit and torment her) this generally worked very well with the necessary introspection driving the narrative.

In the second half of the book, however, it drifted a little away from its promising set-up, in my opinion. There were some rather clichéd romance aspects and a denouement that was tediously 'Scooby Doo' in its explanation, and parts which basically reduced several of the characters to slightly flawed stereotypes as far as I was concerned. I didn't go as far as disliking the heroine and her friends, but I started to lose sympathy with her and the behaviour of some of these characters. I will, however, keep an eye out for others in the series to give another try.

[Leo · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is about Siri a psychotherapist with a sad past having a year before the novels start lost her husband. The book details her work with different patients and I liked that element. But one day one of her patients are found murdered near her home with a suicide note and it soon becomes clear someone is put to get Siri and don't shy away from hurting people around her to do so. It was an engaging read but wasn't in big nead to pick it back up when I had put it down. The story didn't quite pull me in even if I my self have history of mentally illness. I'm not sure of how I feel with it used so heavily in a crime novel but it was very readable. Will most likely continue with the series but I'm not eager to do so but I hope I will warm up to Siri more and enjoy the next book more

[Tanja Berg · Rating 4 out of 5]

With great suspicion I approached yet another Scandinavian crime series. I was prompted to do so after one of the authors, Camilla Grebe, started following me on instagram. I was delightfully surprised. The main character, Siri, is a widow and psychotherapist. She lives alone with her cat in an isolated cottage, despite having an irrational fear of the dark. Someone is out to get her, through her patients. Someone who wants revenge. Someone she cannot understand who might be.

I suspected everyone around Siri. Also the actual culprit, but no more so than the others. I enjoyed this much better than I thought I would an will definitely be reading more in this series.

[Johanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Siri wasn't immediately likable, but it was easier to relate to her when I got to know more about her past. Secondary characters were okay, maybe it was even easier to suspect them when they weren't too fleshed out.

I had expected this to be more thrilling. This focused pretty much on Siri's life and I would have loved to get more suspense.

[Stacia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve always enjoyed reading about characters who have it together professionally but are a mess in their personal lives, which I think is why I enjoy Nordic crime fiction so much; the brilliant detective whose life is a shambles is a stock character. This book is a little bit different: The primary character, Siri Bergman, is a behavioral psychologist who is in desperate need of a behavioral psychologist. She drinks too much, she’s afraid of the dark, and she’s doing her absolute best to avoid working through her grief and anger. When she starts to suspect that someone is watching her, even stalking her, at first nobody believes her; after all, she’s a basket case.

Siri’s own conflicts are mirrored in the book’s characters and setting. Her home is isolated, alone, outside the city where nights are fully dark. Her nightly ritual is to turn on every light in the house, even the stove light, before she goes to sleep. Yet she is fiercely resistant to the idea of moving into town, closer to friends and family. Her remote cottage works well with her forced aloofness toward the people in her life. Her patients—all of whom have control issues—play up her own need to maintain the illusory control that keeps her from facing the truth about her husband’s accidental death. Along with her patients, Siri must recognize that her self-destructive behavior is her way of protecting herself from the pain of life.

Still, Siri appears to be in control of her medical practice—at least as much as she can be, considering someone is sending anonymous letters to her patients warning them of her incompetence. Siri’s confusion and frustration are palpable, as is her sense of being completely overwhelmed by what is going on around her. Who can she trust? Who would want to hurt her? What has she done that has made somebody so very angry? While the setup is familiar, the presentation is unique. One of the authors is a psychologist, and it shows; there’s a level of insight into the characters—not just Siri, but her patients and colleagues as well—that gives this more depth than the usual thriller.

[Scott Rhee · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Some Kind of Peace" is a psychological thriller that attempts to elevate itself from its genre into more literary heights, and it doesn't quite succeed, although the writing talent of the authors, Camilla Grebe and Asa Traff, is evident. Grebe is an economist and publisher, and Traff is a psychologist specializing in cognitive behavioral therapy. This is their first American novel, as they are already well-known authors in their home country of Sweden. Maybe its an over-saturation of the market for dark Scandinavian thrillers, or maybe this just isn't their best novel, but "Some Kind of Peace" is, at best, mediocre. It's rather slow-moving, and the ending seemed rather forced. That said, I think there is much to like in this novel: the smoothness of the prose, for one, and the authors' obvious in-depth knowledge of the human psyche. The main character, Siri Bergman, is a psychologist who has not dealt well with the death of her husband several years before. She lives in a beautiful cabin on a lake, far from the busy city streets of Stockholm, where she works. She has a cat and an irrational fear of the dark. She has to sleep with the lights on. Her fears aren't totally irrational, though. She fears that someone is watching her. When one of her patients, a young girl suffering from anxiety and cutting, is found murdered in the small lake by her cabin, Siri's fears appear to be justifiable. Gradually, more things occur---her cat disappears, one of her friends is viciously attacked and falls into a coma, and one of her male patients, she discovers, may have a very strange link to her past. As suspense novels go, this one is pretty tepid. Grebe/Traff succeed, though, in bringing a believability and likability to the story. Siri is a very real, fleshed-out character, with her own issues, and, as the novel is written in first-person from her perspective, Grebe/Traff has some fun with the possibility of Siri's unreliable narration.

[Aideeeee · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Debería ser idílico."

Pensé que me iba a volar los sesos, quería que me volara los sesos...

Siri es una psicóloga que vive en una isla, metafórica y literalmente. Siri tiene una personalidad oscura y un pasado que se niega a analizar. La cosa se pone intensa cuando los sucesos perturbadores empiezan a salirse de su vida personal y se extienden hacia su lado profesional. Entonces ella es obligada por su vigilante a sacarse a flote y resolver los asuntos que tienen un tiempo atorméntandola."

Era bueno al principio. Muy emocionante, dinámico y con una estructura desordenada que gusta.

De repente teníamos crónicas de terapias psicológicas que la protagonista tenía con sus pacientes, luego partes de recuerdos melancólicos, fragmentos de cómo asimilaba su entorno en el presente y luego esos pedacitos de locura desde la perspectiva de su acosador. Y me gustaba que en cada espacio había lugar para mantenerte en suspenso.

Fue una lástima que no rellenara el género. Deja datos inconclusos sobre la personalidad de la protagonista. ¿Por qué tenía miedo? ¿Por qué era taciturna, aún antes de todo el embrollo? En fin. Para ser un libro de trama psicológica, no hubo profundidad en ninguno de esos aspectos. Es decir, explica algunas cosas... pero regresamos a que en su género se quedó corta.

Además que la prosa no es lo máximo, sólo es.

Dicho lo anterior, la visión general de esta novela puede resultar aburrida, pero ahora déjeme decirles las buenas noticias; los paisajes oscuros y depresivos me parecieron bien logrados, el pesar de la protagonista fue transmitido, el rollo sentimental te pone mal con su realismo y te deja depresivo esperando por un cliché que nunca llega.

Mi conclusión es que es buena, pero debe haber mejores. Se la recomiendo a fans del New Adult que no se centran en los tipos ricos, romances y erotismo.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Scandi crime and Camilla Grebe has been on my TBR list for a long time, so I am very happy that I finally got the chance to pick up one of her books and take the plunge into a new addictive crime series!

Siri Bergman is a psychologist (first big tick of approval – I love psychologists as MCs, they add such a unique perspective to the story) who is still recovering from the death of her husband five years ago. Still reeling from her loss, she now lives alone in their isolated cottage near the coast just out of Stockholm (second tick of approval – a remote, atmospheric setting). Things start spiralling out of control in Siri’s life when one of her patients is found floating in the sea not far from her house, and Siri has the feeling that she is being watched. One night, waking in the dark, she finds a wet footprint just inside her front door – someone has been in her house (third tick of approval – a constant sense of danger and foreboding for our MC). When her cat disappears and Siri receives a threatening note she realises that there is someone out there who wishes her harm. But who is it, and why would they want to hurt her?

You can see that Some Kind of Peace contains all the elements I love about a good thriller: an interesting MC, an old house, a remote atmospheric setting and constant tension that had me turn the pages frantically. The foreshadowing was so well done that I just knew something terrible was about to happen, but there were enough suspects to keep me guessing until the end. Whilst there is a murder, the descriptions weren’t as gruesome as some books in the genre, which suited me fine, as the underlying tension more than made up for it. As Siri’s life started to unravel, I was pulled along with it like in a tidal rip, aided by short, crisp chapters that moved the story along and made it flow. I also really enjoyed the case notes of Siri’s sessions with her patients, which added an interesting element and extra depth to the book, and found out after the fact that Grebe’s sister, who co-authored the novel, is in fact a psychologist.

All in all, I really enjoyed my foray into this new crime series and am very happy that it can now fill the void left by the end of the Frieda Klein series by Nicci French, which also featured a psychologist as a main protagonist and which I have followed for years. I am looking forward to meeting Siri and her colleagues again in future books and can’t wait to find out what the author team have in store for them next.

3.5 stars

[Vesela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Книгата ми хареса, без да *уау*. Просто симпатично криминале, подобно на стотици други.
По едно време ми беше забозяла, но й давам й 3* , а не 2*, заради развръзката. Беше неочаквана за мен. Бях заподозряла всички други, но не и убиеца :)

[Jessie Roussel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quel livre stressant! J’aime beaucoup Camila Grebe et comme toujours je ne suis pas déçu. Cette série elle l’a écrit avec sa sœur psychiatre et ça ajoute un côté psychologique humaine intéressant. J’ai beaucoup aimé.

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Die Therapeutin" von Camilla Grebe und Åsa Träff hat mich sehr positiv überrascht. In dem Psychothriller geht es um die Therapeutin Siri Bergman, die nach dem Tod ihres Freundes alleine in einem Haus am Meer lebt. Während sie in ihrer Praxis Patienten mit Zwangs- und Angststörungen behandelt, leidet sie selbst unter panischer Angst vor der Dunkelheit. Als plötzlich die Leiche einer Patientin vor ihrem Haus gefunden wird, muss Siri sich nach und nach eingestehen, dass jemand nach ihrem Leben trachtet..

•

Da ich relativ wenig Thriller lese, hat mich der literarische Schreibstil des Autorinnen-Duos sofort in den Bann gezogen. Ich habe selten einen sprachlich so schönen Kriminalroman gelesen. Der Fokus der Geschichte liegt daher auch weniger auf blutrünstigen Schilderungen, sondern mehr auf der Psyche des Menschen und seinen Beweggründen. Man merkt, dass Åsa Träff selbst in dem Bereich arbeitet: Vor allem die Behandlungsszenen mit Siri und ihren Patienten fand ich daher sehr interessant. Für einige mag der Einstieg in den Roman eher schleppend sein, mir haben die ruhigen ersten 100 Seiten aber sehr gut gefallen. Zwar hatte ich schon recht früh die richtige Theorie hinter dem Tatmotiv - bis zur Auflösung habe ich jedoch jeden der Charaktere immer mal wieder verdächtigt und bis zum Schluss mitgefiebert.
Ich kann "Die Therapeutin" daher nur wärmstens empfehlen.
5 Sterne⭐

[Marjorie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This review is full of spoilers and HATE…

There’s many things I don’t like about this book so I will begin with the little things I did like: The book was easy to read, and I really like krimis, therefore the book was entertaining. The psychology sessions were also fun to read.

Now let’s dive into everything that sucked (which, for me, was a lot).

The characters: Siri, the main character, is the biggest cliché of these stalker stories: woman with a tragedy in her past and a drinking problem. She’s also an idiot, because if I have a stalker who left a dead person in front of my house, and I live completely alone, of course I would deny a policeman who told me he would hire some cops to be stationed at my house .-. make it make sense “I don’t want to have people watching me all the time” HELLOOO YOU HAVE A STALKER. SOMEONE IS ALREADY WATCHING YOU ALL THE TIME. Anyways, they also suggested that she moves but she declined because “it’s her house”, yeah okay then stay and die I guess… but it’s not only Siri, the other characters were also unhinged and exaggerated and weird. Aina with her new boyfriend literally (and I mean literally) every week and her horribly exaggerated lack of table manners. Sven the sexual predator who somehow nobody hates even though he has harassed (with actual touching) Siri more than once.

Now, this book was partially written by a psychologist. So tell me how a psychologist approves of someone in the book explaining that the profile of the psychopath could include “mental disorders like depression or schizophrenia”, when it’s statistically known that people with mental disorders are more likely to be victims of violence than perpetrators??? On that note, and this is just a personal opinion, at the end when she said there was no way to prevent Jenny’s suicide because she had already made up her mind seemed to be quite discouraging. especially for people who could be thinking about committing suicide. Are you, a psychologist, saying there is no way for someone who’s suicidal to get out of that state??? Like what??

The relationship between Markus and Siri is something that somehow never made a lot of sense to me. I felt that it was just… Weird. I felt no real chemistry there, so it took me by surprise when the book somehow ended with them still together.

While I wasn’t expecting who the killer was, and I mean it when I say it really took me by surprise, I still didn’t feel a big *GASP* moment when they revealed it. Somehow, the person was so unimportant in the book, that learning it was Marianne’s boyfriend was just like “oh… okay. Yeah I guess that makes some sense”, but still didn’t give me a big feeling. And the final showdown was also not that entertaining, if I’m honest. Or it could just be because I disliked Siri so much that I didn’t care anymore lol

I think I will stop now, otherwise this review will be just another book. Even if easy to read and a bit entertaining, it was overall quite disappointing and I don’t think it deserves more than 2 stars. Hope next book club’s book better.

[Michael L Wilkerson (Papa Gray Wolf) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was not impressed with Siri Bergman (not to be confused with Apple's AI, Siri).

You know the B grade horror movie where the blond bimbo goes into the basement or opens the door, or takes the shortcut through the cemetery? There you have Siri Bermgan. She gets a picture of herself in the mail and a note that says she's being watched. What does she do? Nothing outside of worrying. She doesn't want to look silly. She has someone enter her house in the middle of the night and turn off the main circuit so that the house is completely dark. What does she do? Nothing again. She doesn't tell friends, she doesn't notify the police.

There is little if anything new in this novel. It's a straight whodunit with many false leads and nothing to indicate the true culprit until he reveals himself.

Meanwhile; the book is filled with philosophical musings; author's messages if you will. While I didn't necessarily disagree with those messages I can't say that they were all that enlightening.

This is not a bad book, it's just that there are many other books that are better and I hope to stick with them.

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 I liked this one. Not quite as gritty as many of the Nordic novels are, but good nonetheless. Actually enjoyed the fact that she was a therapist dealing with patients who cut or who are anorexic, and that she wasn't a detective or private investigator. Different take and it looks like her next one in the series will feature many of the same characters. Didn't guess who done it either.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a terrific read. The ending is quite a surprise and I love the main character, Siri. She is vunerable, but not in a needy way - liked her alot.

[Jenifaël · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rien d'inoubliable pour moi, mais une intrigue sympathique, une ambiance bien angoissante par moment, et un univers de la psychothérapie bien représenté.

[Lucylucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Total fesselnd.

[KC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Widowed Siri Bergman is a 34 year old psychologist working in Stokholm, Sweden. She soon discovers that a current patient of hers, Sara Matteus, is found dead. Initial reports claim that Sara took her own life but later police reveal that she was murdered. As the investigation unfolds, Siri must delve into her past as well as the present to help police in hopes to uncover information that might help them move towards finding a killer. With the ever increasing uncomfortable feeling that she is being watched, Siri and the police realize she may have a stalker who they believe is responsible for trying to disrupt her life. Siri's life is in danger, everyone she knows has become a suspect, and she now feels like her patients; out of control. If you a fan of Nordic mysteries, than you will certainly enjoy this fast paced thriller.

[Kitty Austin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Title: "Some Kind of Peace”
Author: Camilla Grebe & Asa Traff
Published By: Free Press
Age Recommended: 18+
Reviewed By: Kitty Bullard
Raven Rating: 5

Review: Every now and again I find myself in the mood for a good murder mystery and when it involves a stalker and obsession it’s even better! The writing team of Camilla Grebe and Asa Traff are no less than amazing. The setting and plot for this story is perfection and I immediately found myself deeply immersed barely coming up for air.
Dr. Siri Bergman is a psychologist dealing with dual loss and fears of her own while trying to provide comfort and help to others that have issues deeply rooted into their psyche. When she begins to get disturbing letters and other indications that she is being watched everyone becomes a suspect and she is tossed unwillingly into a psychological nightmare that threatens to jerk her from the fragile sanity of her quiet sanctuary.
This novel is one on par with some of the best thrillers past and present. A true teeth-clenching, heart-stopping work of fiction you do not want to miss!

[Larraine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Scandinavian fiction has a stark, simple quality that really appeals to me. This was the first book I've ready by this author duo. Siri Bergman is a 34 yr old psychologist who is still mourning the death of her husband. She lives along in the cottage by the sea they shared outside of Stockholm. Every night she goes home, turns on every light in her house and drinks too much wine. Soon, odd things start happening. It is obvious to all but Siri that someone is watching her. She finally accepts that but has no idea why anyone would want to hurt her. In between, we meet a woman is hurting and, despite being a psychologist, is in denial when it comes to her own needs. This is an intelligent and well-written book. If you are a fan of thrillers, this is a terrific example of the genre.

[Jared Della Rocca · Rating 2 out of 5]

A little bit bland, had higher hopes for these Swedish authors. It just took some of the better thriller novel characteristics - therapist as main character/victim; patients as other victims; main character with phobias and "unrevealed" trauma background; isolated home - but never put them together into the right mix. This writing felt more like the authors were cooking rather than baking - taking these tropes and just throwing them into the book and see what comes out, whereas more important is how much of each element and when they're used. So passable read, but nothing to make me read more from these authors.

[The Bursting Bookshelf of a Wallflower · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars - interesting characters, but a slightly disappointing ending!

I am a big fan of Scandinavian crime/thriller series and I was really looking forward to give this series a try - I haven't read many Scandinavian crime series with a female main character! And the characters have been one of the book's strong points - they were a little mysterious, they made interesting development and I wanted to know more about them with every page. The plot itself wasn't bad, but the ending was a little disappointing!

[Tamás Gábor · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ez nem krimi, csak egy skandináv közegben játszódó krimiszerű történet. Végtelenített női nyafi, egy pszichológusnőről, aki saját problémáit sem képes kezelni, sőt, önmaga is kezelésre szorul. Unatkoztam olvasás közben, izgalom semmi. A Kristálytemplom volt hasonló csalódás… A fülszövegben említett „sodró erőt”, na azt nem éreztem! Tökéletesen megértettem sőt, igazat adtam az elkövetőnek…

[Alex]

Men herregud, kan vem som helst få förlagskontrakt när det gäller deckare? Jag har läst många usla deckare men den här tillhör bottenskiktet.