The Sandman: A novel (Joona Linna)

This book is unreadable. It's divided into multiple short chapters, probably because the authors can't develop characters, actions or settings of any greater length. That's a blessing because the writing is atrocious. Lee Child writes so well that I am left wondering if he actually read this dreck. He should be embarrassed to have recommended it.

For years I have been an avid and appreciative reader of all Scandinavian crime series. Fortunately, this bears no resemblance to any of them and finishing it would be a punishment, so I won't.

I love a good thriller, one that captures you from the opening lines....The Sandman, the newest North American release from Lars Kepler, had me hooked....

"His bloody hand has started to freeze as he carries on walking. His name is Mikael Kohler-Frost. He has been missing for thirteen years, and was declared dead seven years ago."

And only a few pages later..."Even though Jurek Walter is Sweden's worst-ever serial killer, he is completely unknown to the public."

But he is known to Detective Inspector Joona Linna.

Linna is an enigmatic character, but an intuitive and tenacious investigator. He sees the clues and likes to 'get into the killer's head' as well. There are secrets in his own life that have only slowly been revealed over the course of the last three books. That plot line is expanded on and woven into the main storyline in The Sandman with great effect. I was glad to see Saga Bauer, a cop with a damaged psyche, return as well. She and Linna are both unpredictable characters that intrigue me.

I've used the word creepy before to describe Kepler's books and I would use it to again to describe The Sandman. The settings, the plot, the characters and their actions are all unsettling, keeping readers on their toes - and looking under the bed. There is violence in the book, but it is the prelude, the knowing that something is going to happen and the not knowing when, that ramps up the tension and keeps the reader on the edge of their seat. Kepler captures the fears of nightmares and insidiously weaves then into his books.

There is no predicting where Kepler's plots will go. I am surprised every time, which I appreciate. I read a lot of mysteries and thriller, so being kept off kilter is refreshing. Read an excerpt of The Sandman.

Whoever is designing the covers for Kepler's book is doing a great job - they're disquieting and chilling before you even turn a page. Neil Smith was the translator for the this book and he did a great job - no wooden phrases or awkward language.

The Sandman is the fourth book in the series and I think it's my favourite so far, although they're all fantastic reads. And I loved the ending. Now more than ever, I'll be waiting and watching for the fifth in this series - The Stalker, due out in N.A. in 2015.

The shocking discovery of a young man kidnapped thirteen years earlier and presumed dead triggers a dangerous undercover operation. Detectives Linna and Bauer know who is behind the crime, imprisoned serial killer Jurek Walter. Walter is in a prison psychiatric hospital. Kept in solitary confinement he has an amazing hypnotic gift and appears to be able to program any one who can hear his works. However Linna has always suspected that Walter had a cohort on the outside and is determined to find that person and hopefully save a few more victims. His young colleague Bauer undertakes the impossible task entering the confines of Walter's world.

This is a cold and creepy novel. although I was crazy about the whole psychiatric hospital set up, it is chilling. There are plenty of herrings, red, dead and pickled thrown the readers way. It is a tad slow in the beginning and towards the end. Portions are rather silly but books like this do require a suspension of disbelief. the detectives are steely and determined and Walter is evil beyond measure. the super short chapters keep things tense. If you like the ice and blood of Swedish crime fiction you will enjoy this serial killer tale.

Husband and wife team Alexandra Coelho Ahndoril and Alexander Ahndoril who write under the pseudonym Lars Kepler, have released another spellbinding novel in their bestselling Joona Linna series. The Sandman is set in Stockholm, and begins as Mikael Kohler-Frost, is found wandering. He has been missing for thirteen years, and, along with his sister, who is still missing, was thought to be a victim of Jurek Walters, a notorious serial killer who has been locked up in a mental institution due to the efforts of Joona Linna. Mikael tells Linna that his sister is still alive, but like Mikael, who is being treated in the hospital, most likely has Legionnaires disease and doesn’t have much time to live. Others have gone missing since Walters has been locked up, and Linna is convinced that he has an accomplice on the outside. Walters has the reputation of being able to manipulate those around him, and has proven himself over and over with law enforcement and others. Linna knows that he must find someone to go undercover into the mental hospital – someone strong enough to withstand his manipulations – to get enough information to rescue Mikael’s sister and apprehend the accomplice. Saga Bauer is most likely the only one with the skills, and agrees to the dangerous and potentially deadly task.

Kepler is a master storyteller; the book draws you in immediately and keeps you on edge throughout. The suspense is palpable, and the story is unique. Kepler’s characters are well-developed, and the Scandinavian background and ambience give the novel aspects that may be unfamiliar to many readers. The unexpected twists and turns don’t stop, and some parts are a bit scary, as serial killers can be.

Although The Sandman can be read as a standalone novel, readers will surely pick up the previous novels when they finish. This is an excellent novel and part of an excellent series. Highly recommended.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

About three-quarters of the way through THE SANDMAN, there is a wondrous passage (in a book full of them) that uses trap nets and lobster pots as a metaphor for bad decisions leading irrevocably to disastrous actions. As much as I wanted to gallop through the last hundred pages in the same manner as I had the previous 300, I had to stop and dwell for a few minutes on the perfection of it and what had gone before. It was stunning, as is the plot and prose of this unforgettable thriller.

THE SANDMAN is the fourth installment in Lars Kepler’s series featuring Joona Linna, the taciturn Stockholm detective inspector. Many of you (but, I dare say, perhaps not enough of you) are familiar with the first three volumes: THE HYPNOTIST, THE NIGHTMARE and THE FIRE WITNESS. This trio will be republished over the next year or so with new translations (thanks to the extraordinary efforts of Neil Smith). But please do not wait to read this latest offering. Kepler does an excellent job of bringing newcomers into the tent while refreshing fans’ recollections. In any event, you don’t want to delay or deny yourself one of the best reading experiences of 2018.

The novel commences in the middle of a precipitous railroad bridge during a nighttime snowstorm. It is there that a young man named Mikael Kohler-Frost is found, wandering and hysterical. The discovery would be unusual enough, but is made more so by the fact that Mikael and his sister, Felicia, had been missing for 13 years and was declared dead. Mikael, who is in the throes of delirium and is all but incoherent, insists that his sister is still alive and is being held captive by someone called the Sandman. Mikael’s allegations are of particular interest to Joona. It was he who, years ago after making a major personal sacrifice, caught Jurek Walter, Sweden’s most notorious serial killer. Jurek, who is permanently ensconced in a maximum security psychiatric hospital, was thought to have numbered Mikael and Felicia among his many victims. Linna was sure that Jurek had an accomplice in his dastardly work, but was never able to prove it.

Mikael’s reappearance changes everything. Linna is more certain than ever that Jurek had help, and that if Felicia is ever to be rescued, Jurek has to be persuaded --- or tricked --- into revealing her whereabouts and that of his accomplice. Linna concocts a daring plan to insert an undercover agent into the psychiatric ward where Jurek is imprisoned and to somehow gain his trust. It is the execution of this plan and its aftermath that unfolds during most of the book’s second half, and the suspense is nothing less than excruciating. The agent selected is Saga Bauer, a quietly damaged inspector who is tapped for the job --- and accepts it --- at the worst possible time for her. She finds herself under siege on the ward from adversaries expected and otherwise.

The most dangerous, of course, is Jurek, who is as frightening and nightmarish a character as you are likely to encounter in a book in quite a while. On the one hand, he is almost too much to take. On the other, it is nearly impossible to stop reading THE SANDMAN at any particular point. It’s not that there’s no good place to set aside the novel; it’s that there is practically no way to do that. Kepler keeps things moving with short chapters and frequent changes in points of view. As a result, the reader isn’t drawn into the story so much as given to running into it, voluntarily and with abandon. There are many ticking clocks, as Linna and his team set out to rescue Felicia, Bauer tries to save herself, and Jurek does what Jurek does best. Remember the trap nets and lobster pots I mentioned at the beginning of this review? Anyone who starts reading the book will identify with the lobster, particularly during the multiple conclusions that speed the reader toward the final paragraphs.

Ah, those final paragraphs. THE SANDMAN is complete in itself, but anyone who reads it will be sitting on tenterhooks, waiting for the next installment (which already has been published in Sweden). Get the first three books in their new editions and read them while you are waiting. It won’t pass the time entirely, but it will help.

Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub

When twenty-three year old Mikael Kohler-Frost, dazed, feverish, and painfully thin, escapes from a captor who held him prisoner for thirteen years, the authorities are stunned. How did this young man get away when so many others, including his sister Felicia, disappeared, never to be seen again? The answer can be found in the mind of a demented but crafty villain, Jurek Walter ("he has committed the most heinous crimes of any serial killer in Swedish history), who is confined in a secure psychiatric facility in Löwenströmska hospital. He is considered to be so dangerous that he is not permitted to receive visitors or correspond by mail with anyone. One of his most frightening characteristics is his uncanny ability to brainwash anyone foolish enough to listen to his hypnotic voice.

Hoping to find Mikael's sister before it is too late, Detective Inspector Joona Linna and his colleagues decide to send the stunningly beautiful, strong, but emotionally fragile Inspector Saga Bauer undercover. She will pose as a tormented and dangerous mental patient; her superiors hope that Walter will be intrigued enough by Saga to reveal some of his secrets. "The Sandman," by Lars Kepler (the pseudonym of married couple Alexandra Coelho Ahndoril and Alenxander Ahndoril), translated by Neil Smith, is a tale of sadism, revenge, and unspeakable cruelty. As long as Walter is alive, no one whom he targets is safe from psychological and physical torment.

Jurek Walter may be a sociopath, but he is also insightful and intelligent. He knows all too well that when a family's loved ones are suddenly snatched away, those left behind will probably never be whole again. Kepler writes extremely short chapters (this gets a bit irritating) and frequently moves back and forth in time. The authors also alternate points of view, allowing us to observe plot developments through the eyes of various individuals, including the victims, police officers, and psychiatrists. As the body count rises, the detectives fear that they may have underestimated their adversary. This is a graphically violent novel about a superhuman mastermind at war with law enforcement professionals who, unfortunately, lag behind in their efforts to outwit him. By the time Joona Linna understands Walter's motive and methods, it may be too late to undo all of the damage that this fiend has inflicted on his victims. Scandinavian thrillers are frequently dark and depressing, but when it comes to brutality and gore, "The Sandman" is in a category of its own. This book will appeal to fans of complex, unsettling, and dark works of fiction.

i have read most of the other scan crime writers. this couple explicitly honors stieg larsson as their inspiration, though i do not really see that they are much like him. nobody comes close to larsson.
i found The Hypnotist a long and involved novel, by not means a quick and easy read.
What is good about this one, as well as the previous books, is that it is hard core. This is not a cosy. Not a soft boiled tale of whodunit for old ladies with cats. This is the outstanding achievement of these two writers, husband and wife. Also the sex is rather good, if vanilla.
I cannot understand why Kepler is not more popular than Jo Nesbo, as these books are better overall.
It is always disappointing when the translator does not know English grammar and writer in a vulgar style which I doubt is they way the writers write in their own language.

The Sandman is the fourth book in the Joona Linna series. A Swedish crime thriller that follows Joona Linna, a detective in the National Police. The first in the series, The Hypnotist, and this novel are by far the best of the series. It grabbed my attention very quickly and kept me enthralled. We finally get to learn about the man that's haunted Joona Linna for over 13 years.

In the beginning, there are several different narratives taking place following some old characters as well as new ones. Mikeal has escaped The Sandman after 13 years of captivity. Only Joona suspected that Jurek Walter had an accomplice when he was captured and sent to isolation.

My only negative is that I feel that Jurek Walter wasn't scary enough. Don't get me wrong, he's a creepy dude. The staff at the psychiatric hospital are not allowed to talk to him because he'll convince you to go home and kill your entire family. He's suppose to be an intelligent and manipulative man and I don't see enough of that. I just wish the authors would have gotten more into his mind.

Also, a wonderful cliffhanger in the last paragraph of the book. Come on, Lars Kepler!

Hmmm, where to start. Well, it is definitely a page turner. I read the entire book in under twenty four hours, so that’s pretty good. It’s hard to articulate what makes an outrageous story plausible and what simply strains the bounds of credulity, to resort to a cliche. The explanation for the killers motivation is actually pretty reasonable. So reasonable in fact that the gratuitous psycho type killing doesn’t even really make sense. The main problem, if it is a problem, is the utter stupidity of some of the characters. Almost to the point of slapstick. I would give examples but I don’t like spoilers. It’s almost just too much....however, I might actually read another book in the series, maybe even the first. Like I said, it’s definitely a page turner.

Wow! Now that book was intense! I literally could not put it down (I read all 496 pages in two days)... this one would make a great movie. I was constantly wondering what was going to happen next, how were all the disappearances connected, how were people seeing this maniac out and about while he was locked up in the most secure facility in Sweden, were the authorities going to find the victims, where had the boy been kept all these years, was his sister still alive as well? Lots of mysteries in the story and lots of twisty turns and unexpected developments. If you are wanting a thriller/ suspense/ mystery I would highly recommend this one!

This is a brilliantly crafted thriller.

The psychological aspects are wonderfully done - both as we join the police in a desperate search for a victim before it's too late and as we witness the horror of another cop deep undercover in a psychiatric ward as she tries to get close to a maniacal accused killer.

My favorite character by far was Saga. She's so incredibly strong, yet emotionally vulnerable. She kicks butt!

This was a mystery that simply didn't let go. From the first page to the last, I was completely engaged.

I want to read this author again!

I enjoyed this book but it was flawed. Good suspense and action. Short punchy chapters that kept the pages turning. But the story was so convoluted and unbelievable that it was hard to get truly into the book.

Thanks Goodreads for letting me win this copy!

Wow this book is intense! I loved the story line, suspense, and mystery but at the same time hated some of the graphic detail. Sometimes the book was really hard to read and I felt very uncomfortable which is why I didn't fall head over heels in love with this one.

I will say though the story line is absolutely fabulous! Definitely one of the better suspense story lines I have read lately. If your a suspense fan I would definitely give this one a try

Having read the other Kepler books, I knew this one was coming because this serial killer has been dangled in front of us relentlessly. Joona, our lead policeman, has already lost most of what was in his life to this guy so somehow the two of them had to have a showdown. It is a very suspenseful and well thought out showdown. The serial killer has been locked inside an insane asylum for many years. But he wants to escape very badly. Suddenly one of his victims shows up alive and that reignites interest in him. Joona's sometime partner, Sega, is sent in to infiltrate the killer's life. It is all quite pell mell and there is a lot of action going on. If you like these Nordic thrillers, and I do, this won't disappoint you.

The plot was ridiculous especially the placing of a female cop undercover in prison to get info from the serial killer. That didn't work out so well. Also, I hate books with no endings like this one and it is another one of those books where the villain despite being shot multiple times and falling off a cliff in the water is guess what still alive!! This is the second book in a role I have read where almost the same thing has happened. It seems like in television series as well as a lot of books the villain never is dead even though he is buried in the ground. I am tired of these stupid stories. This book is no comparison at all with "Silence of the Lambs" which was an excellent book and movie. I am through with this series.

Scandinavian crime thrillers are so good and so dark. Unexpected from countries with such high happiness ratings. Jurek Walter is a monster who kidnaps two children. After he is caught he threatens the police who caught him and somehow from a locked psych ward where he is kept in isolation he destroys their families. But when one of the children escapes years later, DI Joona Linna is determined to find his sister and the man know as The Sandman. This is very good, dark and gritty.

Authors begin with an interesting premise - sudden appearance of a child kidnapped 13 years previously. Unfortunately, it is not developed. Instead an.omniscient villain is introduced whose backgound is withheld until much later and then does not suggest or support a criminal of such incredible talent. Further an epilogue, in my experience, is not used to explain a character's motives or further the story. An annoying aside is the authors' refusal to kill the villain as certainly is strongly implied on the book's final page.

I really enjoyed this dark, suspenseful story. Two issues with it: The book was hard to get in to, I nearly set it aside in the beginning. Well worth sticking with it, though! Also, I wasn't real sure what was implicated at the end, whether it "was what it was" or something deeper was hinted at.
Overall, a great read.

I cannot wait until the next book comes out! This author/couple is one of the best mystery writers in a long time. The story line keeps a fast
pace and never lets up until the surprised ending. I read a lot of mystery stories and almost always know the ending - Lars Kepler adds to
thrill in the writing process by giving, even avid mystery readers, twists, turns, and a final ending that we're gifted with suprises.