Der Mann aus dem Schatten

Rekke & Vargas #1

by David Lagercrantz, Susanne Dahmann (Translator)

Stockholm 2003: Ein Schiedsrichter der Fußballjugend wird erschlagen aufgefunden. Der Verdacht fällt sofort auf einen überengagierten Vater, doch es fehlen Beweise. Der neue Polizeichef holt daraufhin zwei Außenseiter ins Team: die junge Streifenpolizistin Micaela Vargas, die aus demselben Problemviertel wie der Verdächtige stammt, und den renommierten Psychologen Hans Rekke, ein brillanter Beobachter und Spezialist für Verhörtechniken. Rekke folgt bald einer ganz anderen Spur und gibt nicht nur Vargas Rätsel auf. Doch nur wenn beide an einem Strang ziehen, haben sie eine Chance gegen übermächtige Gegner. Denn dieser Fall ist weit größer, als anfangs angenommen.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Thriller, Audiobook, Sweden, Mystery Thriller

500 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2021

About the author

David Lagercrantz, born in 1962, is a journalist and author, living in Stockholm. His first book was published in 1997, a biography of the Swedish adventurer and mountaineer Göran Kropp. In 2000 his biography on the inventor Håkan Lans, A Swedish Genious, was published. His breakthrough as a novelist was Fall of Man in Wilmslow, a fictionalised novel about the British mathematician Alan Turing. In David Lagercrantz' writing you can often see a pattern: major talents who refuse to follow convention. He has been interested not only in what it takes to stand out from the crowd, but also in the resistance that such creativity inevitably faces.

In 2011 his best-selling sports biography I am Zlatan Ibrahimović was published, one of the most successful books in Sweden in modern times. The biography was nominated for the prestigious August Prize in 2012, as well as shortlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year award. To date, the book has been published in over 30 languages around the world and been sold in millions of copies.

In the summer of 2013, Lagercrantz was asked by Moggliden (the Larsson Estate) and Norstedts to write the fourth, free-standing sequel to Stieg Larsson's Millennium Trilogy. The Girl in the Spider's Web was published – in August 27, 2015 – simultaneously by 26 publishers (in 24 languages) worldwide, ten years after the Swedish publication of Stieg Larsson's The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.

Stieg Larsson's three Millennium novels have sold more than 82 Million copies to date, by 52 publishers worldwide. The Girl in the Spider's Web is sold to 47 publishers and more than 6 Million copies have been sold worldwide.

Reviews

[Miya (severe pain struggles, slower at the moment) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rounding up. Just leaving it at that.

[Tim · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dull, slow and uninteresting. 0 of 10 stars

[Pat]

DNF at 30%

I’d seen so many good reviews for this author’s continuance of the Millennium series immortalised so well by Stieg Larsson that when I saw this I thought “hell yeah”. Only this is the start of a brand new series and I just couldn’t get into it!

Flat story, flat characters, it was putting me to sleep!

[Paula · Rating 2 out of 5]

The plot´s not bad,but the execution..
The two main characters are so over the top they become laughable,and there´s the constant teltelltell and repetition,as if the readers were dumb.
I liked the author´s two books continuing Salander´s saga,but this one is not worth the time.

[Mansoor · Rating 1 out of 5]

It was like hearing an out-of-tune singing voice without understanding whether it was from a lack of talent or from the person being throttled.

PS The translation was stunning.

[Vera Sopa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gosto de policiais mas este estava longe de me agarrar e foram precisas quase cem páginas para começar a sentir empatia pela rapariga dos subúrbios, Micaela Vargas, e pelo Professor Hans Rekke. E eventualmente é propositado porque as personagens centrais são tão retorcidas como a vida. Não porque tenham defeitos óbvios mas é preciso conhecê-los melhor para o desvendar e depois admirar. A mitologia familiar de Rekke com os "black dogs" e os problemáticos irmãos de Vargas não se dão logo a conhecer e quando isso acontece ficamos enredados na trama.

Obscuro, inquietante e engenhoso. Nada é o que parece. Nem a vítima, os investigadores ou as entidades oficiais nesta intriga ao mais alto nível. Obscuritas.

Promissor. Gostei muito. Mais uma saga de uma equipa disfuncional a seguir. Outra dinâmica mas muito viciante.

[Anae · Rating 2 out of 5]

No sé si ha sido por la manera de narrar la historia, por la manera de ser de los protagonistas o por la manera de traducir la historia... o por las tres maneras juntas pero la verdad es que me ha resultado una novela muy plana, sin vida, sin alma.
En las notas finales, el autor aclara que se ha inspirado en Sherlock Holmes de sir Arthur Conan Doyle... supongo que para crear un personaje muy especial, carismático y drogodependiente con un colaborador como Holmes que le ayuda en las investigaciones. Personalmente, estoy un poco saturada de tanto protagonista traumatizado y dependiente. Habrá que esperar a la segunda novela, que se vislumbra al final de ésta, para ver hacia dónde evoluciona.

[Rita Costa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Não é um policial/thriller convencional, tem um ritmo muito próprio, mas agradou-me pela diferença, pela caracterização das personagens, pela dupla principal, pelos diálogos e pelas temáticas abordadas. Opinião completa em breve. (IG @ritaecosta)

[Dimitris Passas (TapTheLine) · Rating 4 out of 5]

David Lagercrantz, one of the most celebrated Swedish journalists and fiction authors, known to the masses from the continuation of the infamous "Millenium" trilogy written by the late Stieg Larsson and the best-selling biography of the legendary Swedish football player Zlatan Ibrahimovic (I Am Zlatan Ibrahimovic/2011), returns with the first installment in a new series of crime novels, featuring detective Micaela Vargas and the mercurial professor Hans Rekke as the protagonists. The readership had already the chance to assess the author's writing style through the fourth, fifth, and sixth volume of the "Millenium" saga, while those who are older will remember him from his work as a crime journalist in one of the country's biggest newspapers, "Expressen", during the decades of 1980s and 1990s. Lagercrantz's experience as a reporter has left a deep imprint on his prose, thus adding plausibility and realism to the text, as it is evident in Dark Music, a novel that transcends genre categorization, incorporating elements from the classic police procedural and political thriller aspects that prompt the reader to make his own inquiry on the book's gloomy main theme, that is the anti-terrorism hysteria that conquered the western countries after the traumatic events of 9/11 in the U.S. and the establishment of torture prisons in Afghanistan by the CIA, during the years of the American intervention there. Lagercrantz certainly devoted many hours researching the nightmarish nature of the so-called "Black Spots" or "Black Sites" and the information conveyed to the reader is shocking, making us aware of a reality that we don't want to acknowledge. The smooth translation by Ian Giles leaves nothing to be desired and guarantees a first-class reading experience, a top rendition of the original source's well-rounded text.

Dark Music is a novel that is equally based on the peculiarities and idiosyncrasies of his main protagonists, especially those of Hans Rekke, and its intriguing plot premise that involves corruption in the upper echelons of the Swedish police force and politics and their American counterparts. Nevertheless, the novel is actually narrating a revenge story, born and bred in the faraway Afghanistan during the terrible days of the Taliban dominance that led to the persecution of musicians, especially those with influences from the west, and the destruction of several musical instruments which were seen as enemies of the religion and distractions destined to lead the folk further away from their one and true God. I was stricken to read and learn that the Saudis banned music in 1978 and one year later in Iran, Khomeini did the same. It seems outrageous to us, citizens of the western democracies, that a form of art as potent as music can be outlawed and its practitioners to be treated as common criminals by the state. The music ban in Afghanistan, established by the Taliban regime began in the late 1990s and the harassment of peaceful musicians became an everyday phenomenon throughout the country. Smashing of musical instruments in public was practiced by the Talibans extensively and eventually musicians became afraid to perform even within the confines of their home as they were afraid that someone may hear and notify the authorities, something that would definitely lead to serious trouble.

Apart from the music ban part, the novel focuses on another hot issue that became the subject of debate internationally during the last two decades, and that is the existence of torture prisons, built by the American state in Afghanistan. The secret prisons were acknowledged by U.S. President George W. Bush during a speech in 2006 and the rumors regarding the employment of torture methods such as cold, darkness, and loud music by the site operators quickly spread and became a controversial issue in the U.S. as there were many who believed that the war on terror necessitates such actions, while others maintained that a modern state such as the U.S. cannot be involved in such dark deeds. Hans Rekke, the Sherlockian ex-Stanford-professor who becomes entangled in the police investigation of the murder of one Jamal Kabir, an Afghanian immigrant who gets killed with a stone after a local match in Grimsta, is an expert in the "enhanced interrogation techiniques" (a euphemism for torture) and when he lived in the U.S., he was often employed by the American authorities to help with the assessment of interrogation transcripts and decide whether or not the interrogated part knew more than he was letting on or not. For Rekke., "torture has its own cultural peculiarities, its own fingerprints. Not only you can trace the perpetrator, but you can also trace the context he is operating in. The ideology beihnd it leaves its traces on the tortured body". With this method, he will be able to offer his critical help to Micaela and her colleagues who seem to be stuck with the investigation for several months.

The story begins with the death of Jamal Kabir, an Afhgani immigrant who is found dead in the woods in Grimsta after the ending of a football match in which he was the referee. The authorities will quickly apprehend their prime suspect, a local lowlife drunk who has proven to be violent in the past, but soon their case is rejected by the prosecutor as they lack the substantial evidence needed in order to prove the man's guilt. Micaela Vargas's superiors decide to talk with professor Hans Rekke, a mysterious figure who is an expert in interrogation techniques and his observational skills are only comparable to the one and only Sherlock Holmes. Rekke's remarks on the case, irritates the top brass as they upend their whole investigation and exonerate their suspect(s). As the months pass by, the case becomes a cold one and the investigative officers are at a loss, having nothing to move the case forward and pinpoint the perpetrator. However, Micaela, a single-minded and persistent individual will begin her own personal inquiries after a chance encounter with Hans Rekke who, after a failed suicide attempt in the Tunnelbana rail tracks of Ostermalmstorg station. Together, and despite Rekke's rapidly deteriorating physical and mental health, they will trace the clues that the police had missed and their team work will be finally appreciated by Micaela's colleagues who were initially suspicious about Hans. Their inquiries will lead them in Afghanistan's recent dark history and the American response in the terrorist actions in New York in 9/11.

Hans Rekke is definitely on the spotlight as he is a compelling character, bearing some unique charismas that render him invaluable in a criminal investigation, but his unbalanced mentality and impulsive actions, such as his suicide attempt in Tunnelbana in the beginning of the novel, put him under a whole different light as the story progresses. Hans is addicted to a variety of drugs such as benzodiazepines, morphine, ritalin and a whole galaxy of uppers and downers that help him to stabilize his mood and offer him relief from the severe depressive spells that torment him. While being manic, Hans has the tendency to make a lot of enemies as his insistence to tell the truth despite the consequences often put him on the wrong side of his peers and then a conflict is inevitable. Lagercrantz discloses his protagonist's background in broad strokes and we learn, mainly through the discussions of Hans's daughter Julia with Micaela in the beginning of the novel, that he was born and raised in a peculiar family and his fraught relationship with his mother defined and still defines his behavior. Destined to become a piano prodigy from his early childhood, Hans was quickly drawn to the intellectual world and his pathos for order and clarity turned him from an aspiring artist to a dedicated rationalist whose power of perception led him to a brilliant career, that culminated with his appointment as a professor in the respected University of Stanford. The abandonment of his promising piano course resulted in a bitter dispute with his mother who was, according to Hans's own words "the impresario for hell", a strict and demanding authoritative figure who oppressed her son in many ways. His scientific research on torture methods and the interrogation techniques in his book "War and the Art of Telling the Truth" make him the prime candidate to examine Jamal Kabir's case as it becomes apparent in the post-mortem examination that he had been subjected to torture in the past.

Micaela Vargas is a young woman from a humble background, "a girl from the hood" as she likes to describe herself, and a competent police officer who, nevertheless, struggles to survive in a man-dominated working environment that often clips her wings and force her to investigate second-rate cases. Her timid origins contrast with Hans Rekke's aristocratic disposition that is evident in the cliched quotes he often uses in order to communicate with the others, even the people closest to him. However, it is that comparison that, inexplicably, seems to help in the development of their relationship as Micaela sees in Hans the traits that she longed for herself since she were a child. Without being the typical pretty girl stereotype, her looks radiate explosivity and indicate her fierce temperament that becomes eventually a trademark for her as a character. Her sharp intellect urges her to focus on the -many- flaws and inconsistencies in the initial investigation on Jamal Kabir's murder and she seems keen to follow her father's advice that was "always go back to the source- to what preceded the interpretations that laid themselves like a filter over developments", a quote that became her mantra ever since her early years. Micaela shares a difficult liaison with her brother, Lucas, who is a prominent member of Stockholm's underbelly and his criminal tendencies put Micaela in crosshairs with her superiors who use Micaela's affinity with Lucas as leverage in the inner machinations of the police force that exclude her from the investigation in the first place. Furthermore, Micaela becomes invested in the case as her own father had been tortured in his youth while being in Chile. The chemistry between Micaela and Hans is perhaps the novel's strongest asset as Lagercrantz excels in characterization and creates two protagonists that will remain in the reader's minds for long after finishing reading this book.

As I already mentioned in the previous paragraphs, the story is dismal and the motifs of torture and oppression of artists may prove to be too much for the readers who are faint at heart or oblivious of the Nordic crime fiction's tropes and choice of main themes. However, Lagercrantz reduces the shock effect by weaving a mystery compelling enough to keep the reader hooked from the first page until the last, while at the same time is prudent enough to take his time in the precious character development that results in the introduction of two of the most beguiling protagonists in the genre's works: Hans Rekke and Micaela Vargas. There are no extensive descriptions of torture within the text, the subject is handled expertly by the author in such a way that supports the overall plot structure without depressing the reader with representations and wordy details of such appalling acts. Overall, Dark Music is a special type of police procedural that reaches its solution through grand leaps of intuition rather than the old-fashioned solid footwork and the conduct of excruciating interrogations. It's not the police force that leads the Jamal Kabir investigation but solely Micaela and Hans who collaborate and conclude the case themselves during a short trip to Cologne, Germany. I would like to thank Netgalley and MacLehose Press for providing a free ARC of this title and also to send my regards to Milly Reid who selected TapTheLine for the blog blast of the novel, even though I couldn't upload my review in the expected date (18 August). Please excuse my tardiness.

[Bruno Raminhos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sou fã de policiais/thrillers e estava particularmente entusiasmado para ler Obscuritas do sueco David Lagercrantz que para quem não sabe, foi quem continuou a saga Millennium, após a morte do escritor Stieg Larsson.
Começo já por dizer que no início senti-me um pouco confuso com o caso do crime. Fui confrontado com demasiada informação com pontas soltas e personagens à mistura que fez com que demorasse a criar empatia com a dupla protagonista, a agente Micaela Vargas e o professor Hans Rekke. Foi uma leitura conjunta com a @fabi_books_and_tico e partilhamos da mesma opinião de que este livro poderia ter cativado mais, ficando aquém das expectativas.
No entanto, é um livro que se lê de um fôlego com um final bastante satisfatório.

Opinião no meu canal:
https://www.instagram.com/brunoraminh...

[Cristian1185]

Obscuritas, novela policial del sueco David Lagercrantz, nos transporta a la clásica trama del asesinato sin revolver. Una catástrofe envuelta en misterio, donde las pistas siempre están disponibles para quien sepa encontrarlas y deducir sus significados.

Rekke y Vargas, unidos por extrañas circunstancias, deberán trabajar en conjunto para descifrar las claves para buscar al culpable del asesinato del carismático árbitro de fútbol Jamal Kabir. Sin embargo, a medida que avanza la investigación, se descubre que Kabir poseyó un pasado atravesado por la desilusión, el fanatismo y la desdicha. Un sujeto producto de las contradicciones de la guerra, en un país profundamente fracturado por sus luchas internas.

Una historia interesante, donde se observan las principales características del clásico detective de novelas policíacas, siendo el uso del método deductivo lo que les permite a los personajes indagar en los hechos para descubrir las directrices a seguir para la resolución del crimen.

La novela utiliza un ritmo rápido y ligero, donde es posible encontrar la preeminencia de diálogos y frases cortas, esto por sobre el detalle de los ambientes en los que se encuentran los personajes.

Tiene un proporcionado manejo de datos e información, que paulatinamente se van develando con el objetivo de mantener el interés del lector (a) en la historia.

Sin embargo, es posible comentar que el sacrificio de los ambientes y sus detalles priva a l@s lector@s que puedan sumirse en atmósferas lóbregas y/o violentas que podrían haber potenciado el relato, pudiendo haber logrado efectos de inmersión mucho mayor que las que propone el texto. Junto a lo anterior, se indica que si bien la historia trata de indexar las características propias de la novela negra y la novela policíaca clásica, la primera no resalta en sus particularidades, incluso observando cierta tendencia a la caricatura de ciertos personajes por lo poco prolijo del uso de los insumos que otorga este género.

Una historia rápida e interesante para quienes gustan de las historias de detectives.

[Inés · Rating 2 out of 5]

2'5 ⭐

[Liz Barnsley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark Music is a really great crime thriller, mostly made by its two main protagonists - a Holmes like Professor who fights his personal demons daily and a detective with a criminally minded brother.

The plot involves murder, of course and the writing is quirky cool with an edgy, staccato vibe that works really well within the world of the characters.

Without giving it away I will say the mystery element didn't appeal to me so much, the central theme didn't grab me (there's a bit at the end which describes possibly the next mystery for these two which I found hugely intriguing and really hope it forms the basis for another book in the series) but my lesser interest in the plot really enhanced my sense of the rest and as an introduction to the characters it worked beautifully.

Overall very good. Hopefully more to come.

[Ulrica Kulturladyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

”Obscuritas” är startskottet för en ny deckarserie av David Lagercrantz, en spänningshistoria med många smarta och oväntade grepp. Det gäller att hänga med och egentligen ska en sådan här bok läsas, inte lyssnas på tycker jag men när jag väl hade börjat lyssna kunde jag dock inte sluta. Det är en fascinerande historia, men framför allt gillar jag karaktärerna.

Jag gillar Rekke och hans skarpa blick där han utifrån en enda detalj kan avslöja så mycket om människor han möter. Han och Micaela Vargas möts i en utsatt situation och det innebär att de får ett helt annat förhållande till varandra. De har helt olika bakgrund, Östermalm möter Husby, och olikheterna gör att de har olika livssyn och upptäcker att de kompletterar varandra.

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark Music held my attention from page one and I loved it. Professor Hans Rekke and Micaela Vargas are unlikely allies. But they are both determined to solve the case of murdered asylum-seeker from Afghanistan.

As a big fan of the show “Lie to Me” and a MW Craven fan, I see some nice similarities. Hans Rekke is a world authority on interrogation techniques and so observant of others. Loved those details throughout the book and Micaela is an underdog police detective - underestimated but Wow…. so in like with her skills, street smarts and humanness.

So hoping there is second book in this series - I’m hooked on this loveable, fragile, dynamo duo.

[Paula Strange · Rating 1 out of 5]

Finalizada. Edición digital. Ufffff, madre mía, terrible. Los protagonistas insufribles. La trama liosa y no me enganchó en ningún momento. Me aburrí como una ostra. Lo acabé por cabezonería. Nota 1,5/5. FIN.

[Līga Balode · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sižets nebija slikts, bet stāstījums gauss, bez spriedzes un īstas intrigas. Pavisam cits - ne tajā labākajā nozīmē - Lāgerkrancs nekā tas, kurš turpināja Millenium sēriju.

[Inês | Livros e Papel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Opinião no Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CfZgxV7r4...

[Tony da Napoli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I do not review or critique well - Just share my impressions.
I have read all the Dragon Tatoo books and the follow-ons by Lagercrantz. I enjoyed them all. they were the books that got me into the Nordic Noir Mystery genre in a big way.
I am surprised by some of the negative reviews as I enjoyed this book. It is different and unusual. Analogies to Sherlock Holmes are expected, but the teaming of these two dissimilar people is different. I thought the crime and solution was logical and well-paced. Not so much that I couldn't put it down, but enough to keep me wanting to read on. The ending might have been a bit anti-climactic and expected, but I liked the way David flipped back and forth in time as the solution neared--not overdoing it through the whole book as some do.
I'd say if you liked the work David did on the Tattooed Girl work, give this a go. imho.

[Kat (Katlovesbooks) Dietrich · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark Music by David Lagercrantz is the first in the Rekke and Vargas series.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publishers Knopf Doubleday Publishing and Penguin Random House Publishing and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


Series Information:
Professor Hans Rekke is manic-depressive, and has genius insights into logic and observation.  He is musically gifted.  He was born into a family of wealth and power, but with an over-bearing mother who saw little but his failures. He has a daughter Julia, and his relationship with his wife is "iffy".  He and his brother Magnus do not always see eye-to-eye.

Police Officer Micaela Vargas is the daughter of Chilean refugees, and she grew up in the poor area of Stockholm.  Both of her brothers Simon and Lucas are on the wrong side of the law.  She works with Inspector Jonas Beijor, Chief Inspector Carl Fransson, and Assistant Police Commissioner Martin Falkegren.


My Synopsis:    (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Jamal Kabir, a soccer referee, is beaten to death.  Suspicions immediately fall on the drunken father of one of the players.  But things are not as they seem.

Assistant Police Commissioner Martin Falkegren takes a few colleagues, including the street-smart Officer Micaela Vargas, to meet with Professor Hans Rekke, who has published some rather amazing articles on interrogation techniques.  But Falkegren isn't impressed, and dismisses everything Rekke says.  Micaela Vargas, however, can't let it go, even after being removed from the murder investigation.

Micaela and Hans end up working together to try and solve the murder, but things are a little more political than either had anticipated, and finding answers may put them both in danger.


My Opinions:
First, kudos to the translator  Ian Giles.

Now, regarding the book.

The character of Rekke seems to be a reproduction of Sherlock Holmes, including his deductive prowess, musical ability and drug use.  Vargas, then would be a female Watson.  They look like they will make a good team.   I like their budding relationship.

Rekke has no problems discussing his mental health issues, which I found wonderful, although other people are quick to blame them for every problem that arises.  Vargas is still having issues at work for being a woman, and she has a family that does not help her spread her wings. Both characters are working through their issues.

I wasn't overly fond of the topics of the Taliban, religion, and terrorism, much less the overall political angles.  However, the story itself was interesting, although a little too drawn out.  The book is a little deep, with plenty of characters, so you have to pay attention.

Bottom line, I will be watching for the next in this series!


For a more complete review of this book and others (including the reason I chose to read/review this book, as well as author information and contact details), please visit my blog: http://katlovesbooksblog.wordpress.com/

[Lauren | laurenbetweenthelines · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hans Rekke is briljant, een benadigd pianist en hij kan patronen ontdekken als geen ander. Hij is ook bipolair en gebruikt sterke medicijnen. Micaela Vargas is rationeel en ambitieus, maar heeft soms last van een minderwaardigheidscomplex. Ze kan mensen die zich niet kunnen vermannen en die niet vechten niet uitstaan.

Wat een geweldig duo zet Lagercrantz neer. Ik ben gek op Rekke & Vargas samen, heel interessant hoe de professor deze misdaad oplost door te letten op zoveel details, dit zorgt toch voor een extra laagje in het verhaal. De misdaad op zich vond ik ook een heel boeiende verhaallijn, verwacht geen bloedstollende thriller maar laat je meeslepen in dit bijzondere onderzoek en je af en toe overweldigen door briljante ingevingen, details en nieuwe interessante personages.

Het wisselend vertelperspectief zorgt daarnaast voor een aangename, verrassende schrijfstijl. Ook credits voor de omslagontwerper, de cover kon niet beter bij het verhaal/personage passen.

Tot slot, de manier waarop Hans Rekke zijn ziektebeeld naar voor komt kan ik enkel maar toejuichen. Er is veel meer aandacht nodig voor mentale gezondheid.

Ik ben heel erg benieuwd naar het vervolg in deze veelbelovende reeks, op het einde van dit verhaal krijg je alvast een voorsmaakje naar wat Vargas & Rekke nog te wachten staat. Ook heeft de auteur mij alvast nieuwsgierig gemaakt naar de broers van Vargas, daar zit ongetwijfeld nog een mysterie over klaar in de pen van Lagercrantz.

“Een tijdlang zoemt die maar een beetje in je aderen, een halve noot te laag, en sluit je af van de wereld. Alle pratende en lachende stemmen die je aan de andere kant hoort, bestaan enkel als een herinnering aan alles waar je zelf niet toe in staat bent, en dat is al erg genoeg. Maar langzamerhand raakt de depressie anders gestemd en het geluid wordt harder. Ze schreeuwt met een rode, ondraaglijke klank, en dan kom je op een punt dat je er niet langer bij wilt zijn.”

[Lectora Dreams · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hoy una opinión nada positiva. Tras leer la continuación de la saga Millenium escrita por este autor y no quedar muy convencida con los libros, me atreví a leer lo nuevo: Obscuritas. Y puedo decir que no es para mí.

😔Acabé el libro por ver si iba mejorando, si el ritmo aumentaba, si conseguía captar mi interés con la trama. Pero nada de esto ocurrió. El inicio parecía no tener mala pinta, un crimen y ver cómo se iba a desarrollar, daba pie al optimismo. Poco a poco se fue desmoronando.

🕵🏻‍♀️Por si fuera poco, los personajes no me han dicho nada, los investigadores poco, pero es que Rekke insufrible y no le he visto mucha chicha para la obra. Cuestión de gustos.

🥱La trama con un ritmo lento y que empieza a desvariar y a intentar abarcar demasiado, con implicaciones que la convierten en algo más global. Podría haber salido bien pero en este caso para mí no ha sido interesante. Sino más bien un lío del que le costaba salir al autor.

😔Lo terminé, sí, pero en general, poco que resaltar. Esperaba algo más, definitivamente no es un libro ni un autor para mí.

[Iratxe tordable · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me ha gustado muchisimo, me ha tenido enganchada desde el principio hasta el final. Sin duda estaré atenta a próximos extremos.

[Liviu Szoke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Din recenzia apărută pe Biblioteca lui Liviu în cadrul blog tourului dedicat publicării în limba română a volumului „Obscuritas”:
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„Ne aflăm la puțin timp distanță de sângeroasele atacuri teroriste de la 11 septembrie 2001 și americanii răpesc, arestează, închid și torturează presupuși teroriști responsabili de moartea civililor nevinovați. Nu contează că au sau n-au dovezi, cineva trebuie să plătească. Pentru că Rekke are nasul mai ceva ca un copoi și ochiul mai ceva ca o pasăre răpitoare și detectase el cu privirea-i ageră că arbitrul afgan fusese torturat de fapt într-o închisoare americană cu renume extrem de trist pentru practicile crude cărora le căzuseră victime teroriștii închiși acolo.

Și astfel ies la iveală nu doar dependența de medicamente puternice a lui Rekke, ci și niscaiva povești cu muzicieni afgani plecați să studieze la Conservatorul din Moscova în anii optzeci, nenumărate crime inutile, precum și persecuțiile asupra muzicienilor și femeilor în particular și a civilizației în general care urmaseră după retragerea lumii presupus civilizate din Afganistan și venirea la puterea a talibanilor (sună cunoscut, nu?).

O burtă extrem de lungă aleasă de autor pentru a umple cele patru sute de pagini ale acestei povești care părea că pleacă într-o direcție și care a ajuns într-una complet neașteptată. Drumul e lung și obositor, dar când ai nas fin și spirit perseverent, ești răsplătit din plin. O pagină de istorie complet necunoscută iese la iveală în urma colaborării dintre Micaela Vargas și Hans Rekke, iar povestea din spatele asasinării arbitrului (deloc ușă de biserică și el) este mult mai amplă și mai dureroasă decât lăsase de înțeles inițial. Pas cu pas, imagine cu imagine, se conturează o poveste care îți face părul măciucă în cap și care întărește convingerea că fanaticul e monstrul cel mai crud.”

Mai multe: https://bibliotecaluiliviu.ro/2022/06...

[Rainbow Goth · Rating 3 out of 5]

**Rating: 3.25, 🌟**

While this novel may not rank among the best thrillers I've encountered, it's certainly not the worst either. There were moments during the story's unfolding that I genuinely enjoyed, particularly the character of Professor Hans Rekke. His internal battle with mental health adds a layer of depth to his personality, making him a fascinating figure within the narrative.

However, I found both Rekke and Micaela Vargas, the two central characters, to be somewhat exaggerated in their portrayals. Rekke, a supposed musical genius, possesses a remarkable logical mind, yet some of his deductions stretch the limits of plausibility. This reliance on implausible conclusions detracts from the overall believability of the story, leaving it feeling somewhat unrealistic at times.

[Stephen Hayes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another Scandinavian whodunit. It took me a while to get into it, but it seemed to improve as it went on. It concerns the murder of an Afghan refugee who is a football referee. It has political ramifications, and I suppose some Americans may regard it as anti-American. But it could equally well be considered anti-Taliban.

The main characters are a relatively junior police officer who is taken of the case for questioning the guilt of the first suspect arrested, and and a psychologist fighting his own demons of addiction (what's new? having such a character in whodunits seems to be obligatory nowadays).

[Dobrila Bozic Novak · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vrlo teška tema. Nogomet, muzika, talibani, Sovjeti, CIA, imigranti u Švedskoj, švedska elita, sprega politike i policije. Zanimao me Lagercrantzov stil pisanja. Nije me očarao. Ima nešto, ali...

[Inese Sunepe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boring. Un too long

[Eliza Howard · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF 30% 🥵

[Todd Simpson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly Entertaining. This is the fourth book I’ve read by David Lagercrantz and I’m certainly a fan of his writing. He has that wonderful ability to pull you into the story, where you can be lost for many wonderful hours. Besides having a great plot, the unpredictability of the story is what appealed to me.
I really enjoyed Professor Rekke as a character, especially his incredible observation skills, it was certainly a stand out in the story. Michaela and the professor work well together, and I’d like to see more from them in the future. It’s definitely a book that keeps you guessing.

If you enjoy Thrillers, then this is a must read. 5/5 Star Rating.