Honest Book Review: The Nightmare, by Lars Kepler (Fiction, Suspense Thriller, from Swedish author)

The Nightmare by Lars Kepler was the eleventh book that I read in 2017. This was more than what I achieved in the last three years combined, which excited me and encouraged me to keep on going. I was well on my way to the 12 Books for the 12 Months of the year goal that I had set up for myself. It is the second book in the series although it can be read as a stand-alone book because the storyline doesn’t quite depend on the first one. The first book was The Hypnotist, which was a fast-paced thriller, and so my expectations with The Nightmare were also pretty high. The books are written by the Swedish husband-wife authors Alexandra and Alexander Ahndoril together. The titles for both were very mysterious which is part of the allure of the books.Now, onto the actual review. The Nightmare still follows Joona Linna, the Swedish detective who is now investigating another case.

It starts off with the death of two very different people that Joona believes as a hunch, must be connected. The death of a journalist’s sister who’s on a boat, and the apparent suicide of the General Director of the government agency that handles permissions of military exports. Joona has to fight for the right to be the detective in charge of the proceedings of these two murders but his initial insights prove true, landing him the cases. He starts at the home of the Director, finding crucial clues that could lead him to the killer, and some similar but disturbing similarities on the boat murder.

Parallelly, the story of how the Killer is proceeding is also outlined in separate chapters, and he is always one step ahead of Joona Linna – in destroying evidence and throwing him off his trail. The whole concept revolves around the fact that how the Killer is The Nightmare, killing ruthlessly, and keeping on his mission no matter who gets hurt. I’ll divulge that the whole story is about a photograph, that can spell the downfall of some very influential people involved in illegal activities.

The chapters are small, concise and alternate between Joona Linna, the killers, and the survivors of the boat murders. Yes, there were survivors. Which is also how the story progresses. The readers are aware of the mind games and plot twists that push forward the narration. The writing is still easy, which is also thanks to the simple translation from Swedish. The plot is easy to follow. But some moments described in the book are very difficult to digest. It is most bashed for the scene where the new Director of the military exports department is able to identify the melody by the hand placement of a musician in a band, just by looking at a photograph. It may seem like a lot, but some such elements have been added to up the drama in the novel.

Overall, the book is a nice suspense thriller, where the readers also get to learn a lot of crime-related terms, and how investigative agencies work. Or might work, devoid of the drama and high-octane sequences. It lives up to the expectation of being a sequel, even though the books amazingly work as standalone masterpieces. You can find my review of the first book, The Hypnotist here. Fun titbit: Lars Kepler is the pen-name of the Swedish husband-wife writing duo, Alexander and Alexandra Ahndoril. With a Goodreads rating of 3.8, I and a lot of the reading population will recommend The NIghtmare. It is a light read, page turner and unique in concept. Although, bear in mind that not everyone seems to love this fiction style so individual preference will always stand. Because the ending is almost predictable, and the twists are not for everyone.

My rating: 3/5
Suspense Rating: 4/5
Simplicity of Writing: 5/5
Logic Realism: 3/5
Recommendation: Well, yeah!

Some of my other reviews are:
Pride and Prejudice
Of Love and Other Demons
The Alchemist

All my book reviews are here.

Currently Reading: I’ll Never Get OUt of this World Alive, by Steve Earle

Book Review: Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen

What do you write about a book that has been reviewed more times since I’ve been born,
and there is nothing new to say. Yet, here I am with my own nugget about the book that
spawned a whole generation of Darcy romantics. Pride and Prejudice is not romantic in
the normal sense. It is a slow and delicate descent into the world of love and
togetherness.

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of good wealth
must be in want for a wife. Sure, why not? In the 18th century. And yet, how did she
know? How did Austen write such universal truths when she lived more than two centuries
ago. Her comments on the society are so spot on that they are still quoted in homes,
rich and poor alike. The sentiments resonate because the same situations arise even
now, where finding a capable man for a girl of marriageable age is a norm. But, that
isn’t what the whole novel is about anyway.

This classic fiction is surprisingly modern considering it was written so long ago.

It starts with the introduction of the Bennet family – Mr. and Mrs. Bennet and their five
daughters, each with her own distinctive quality that drives the story forward. Mrs.
Bennet is chiefly concerned with the marriage of her daughters, while Mr. Bennet is
seemingly indifferent to the Mrs. He has realized with time that Mrs. Bennet gets on
his nerves with her busybody ways.

Book Review: Of Love and Other Demons, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Before I even began, I knew that this would be one of the most difficult book reviews to write. Partly because this book is well-revered and partly because I realize that the theme of the book can be directly linked to the book-reading experience. I wouldn’t claim to have such influence, but judging something with incomplete knowledge is also something I refrain from doing. Which is why this time, I read some book summaries online, and researched a bit about the origins of this book before I sat down to write this review. It was important because so many times I try to get a ‘feel’ of the book online before beginning to read it, so that I don’t feel disappointed by the book later. This feeling might seem weird to a lot of people but I believe the distinction between experimenting with genres and wasting time is always a smart choice.

This above introduction almost works like a disclaimer. Of Love and Other Demons, is neither difficult or too complex to warrant such treatment. But it was unlike any other book that I had ever read, which proves two things – One, I am brave enough to try out new styles of writing, and two, that I cannot wait to read more of the same. I was not instantly converted to a Garcia Marquez fan as some people are. It took me a while after having read the book, to understand the myths, beliefs, and underlying symbolism depicted in the almost century-old Columbia.

It is the story of a young girl with very long hair, Sierva Maria, living in Columbia who is bitten by a dog on her twelfth birthday when she goes to the market. Even though her wounds heal properly, her father (the Marquis) and the local bishop believe that she might be possessed by the devil.

Celebrated Classics Book Review: Jane Eyre

Charlotte Bronte wrote the novel Jane Eyre under a male pen name, and let the book have its recognition for all the right reasons before the big reveal. Back in those days, women writers were looked down upon and any piece of writing would have been judged with those eyes before even looking at the content of the book.

Jane Eyre is an orphan who lives with her maternal uncle and aunt. Her cousins and aunt are very rude and impolite with her, and when her uncle dies, she is sent off to Lowood school for orphan children. With the past of being notorious, Jane is imprinted with that image for the first few years of school, after which people start to recognize her as a smart, hardworking and sincere girl. Later, she starts to teach at the very same school for two years and then accepts the job of a governess to a little girl at Thornfield manor- the only reply to her newspaper advertisement.

She is happy with her pupil, Adele, and the housekeeper. One day, she meets a stranger on the road, who turns out to be her master, Edward Rochester. She gets to talk to Mr. Rochester on topics of the heart and the world and both are impressed with the knowledge of company of the other. Even though there is an age gap, they start to fall in love. But the presence of another prospective lady for Mr. Rochester sends Jane away to her ill aunt. And with a few more turns, the story of Rochester and Jane find an ending.

In this book, we can clearly see the conflict between love and independence, passion and conscience, and the struggle of a young girl and woman to maintain her self-esteem. It is truly one of the best books I’ve ever read. It is not like the other romantic Victorian love stories that end up in the same way. Jane’s character has her own life, is strong, independent and knows how to think for itself, without causing harm to others.

Throughout her life, Charlotte Bronte preached and practiced tolerance rather than revolution. She had high moral principles. Although she was shy in public, she was always prepared to argue her beliefs. All of these traits come through in Jane Eyre. She is a masterful creator of stories and characters that grip you from the very beginning. You root for them and feel drawn to the charisma of the English world.

Classification: Hybrid- the Gothic novel, he romance novel, and the Bildungsroman (narrates the story of a character’s internal development as he or she undergoes a succession of encounters with the external world)

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Suspense Rating: 4 out of 5

Complexity Rating: 4 out of 5

General Pace of the book: 4 out of 5

Recommendation: Must read!

Top Ten Tuesday – Books!

As a motivation to myself, I decided to start the Top Ten Tuesdays. Every week I will post a list of things that I think are perfect in their own right. I think, everyone will find at least one from the long list that appeals to them. This is an exercise in improving the frequency of my posts and will push me to keep doing this, which makes me happy!

The theme for this week is Books! Surprise? Not so much. Since, books have a universal appeal and I have a feeling that the WordPress reader base has an affinity towards books (wink,  nudge, wink 😉 )

These are a mix of some of my comfort books, books perfect for a rainy day or just a light read. Each will be accompanied by a link to its Goodreads review, and the Amazon purchase link, for your ease.