Reader reviews

• janerawoof

  (3/5)

  High-powered thriller set in Denmark. The novel held my interest all through, to the point of goosebumps at some points. Kidnapping of daughter of government minister; also three murders at which the "calling card" of a figure made from chestnuts is left at each crime scene. Because of that fact, he is dubbed the "Chestnut Man." Is the daughter still alive although she is assumed dead. Is the man convicted of the kidnapping really innocent? During the investigations, during which the detectives, a policewoman and a burnt-out policeman are partnered, the policewoman offers herself as "bait" to draw out the killer. Family secrets are revealed. Fast-moving and well paced, though a bit unbelievable near the end.
• ml923

  (4/5)

  If you like a fast paced read and a sadistic serial killer, you will not be disappointed with this book..
• neal_-266394

  (5/5)

  At first, it felt like an ill-disguised film script, but I was soon proved wrong as the book quickly became a compelling read.
  I'm not an avid crime novel reader, so can't compare it easily; however, apart from the incongruous inclusion of a few brand-names and some rather gory descriptions, this story quickly became unputdownable! Great transation by Caroline Waight.
• twink_2

  (5/5)

  I love the cover of Soren Sveistrup's new novel The Chestnut Man. Those few black strokes conjure up something ominous... And then I discovered that Sveistrup was the creator and screenwriter of The Killing - a show I really enjoyed. And I knew I was a for a really great read!A killer is on the loose in Copenhagen. His signature? A small little man made of chestnuts and matchsticks left at every murder. Forensics makes a startling discovery - the fingerprint of the daughter of a high ranking politician is on each one. Trouble is - she's been missing for a year.Great premise and I was hooked. But what makes or breaks a great premise are the protagonists. I'm happy to say that Sveistrup has created a great pair in Detectives Thulin and Hess. Thulin is a single mother balancing parenting and detecting. She's tough, intelligent, happy to work on her own and doesn't suffer fools. But that's what she fears she's been paired with when she inherits Hess from Europol. He has messed up there and until things are cleared, he's assigned to partner with Thulin in the Major Crimes Division in Copenhagen. But, really Hess just wants to coast until he can get back to Europol - where he also coasts along. This pair reminded me a bit of the two detectives in The Killing. Seemingly polar opposites. But as things progress, they grudgingly start to work together. I really enjoyed this pairing - and hopefully they cross paths again in another novel.Their work is cut out for them. The case is hindered by politicos and complicated by multiple suspects. Just when I thought I had sussed out the killer was, another possibility popped up. I quite enjoyed being led down the garden path. And I have to say, I was surprised by the final answers. Well done. (Which I really appreciate as I read a lot of mysteries).The ending has a nice little gotcha that opens things up for a possible follow-up. A wonderfully dark and gritty read for those who love Scandi noir (puts hand up). (And on a side note, Netflix is making a series based on this book).
• niaomiya

  (5/5)

  This mystery thriller was diabolically good! Be advised, though, that the violence is graphic and not for the faint of heart.A serial killer leaves a “chestnut man”—a handmade doll made of matchsticks and two chestnuts—at each crime scene. When authorities examine the dolls, they discover each one has a fingerprint belonging to a young girl, a government minister’s daughter who had been kidnapped and murdered a year ago. What's the connection, and how can the killer be stopped before he kills again?What I really liked about this book is that there are little twists throughout the book, each one bringing the reader closer to discovering the identity of the killer. Each twist ties up one loose end and reveals a connection where there seemingly was no connection before. I could not put this book down! It was well written and gripping, with just enough character development to make the reader care about the main characters.Also, I must give huge kudos to the translator, Caroline Waight, who did an outstanding job of translating Sveistrup's novel from the original Danish. Sometimes when I read translated books I get the sense that something gets lost in the translation, those little nuances that don't necessarily translate well from one language to another. That was not at all the case with this book. Waight translated this book so well that I completely forgot it was a translation at all while I was reading. Thank you, Ms. Waight!
• pardamustang

  (5/5)

  The Chestnut Man by Søren Sveistrup is a chilling serial killer thriller set in Copenhagen. Thulin and her new partner, Hess, are assigned what is initially believed to be the isolated murder of a single mom. More murders occur, each with a chestnut man left behind. Every time the police think they have answers, another happens. And it's possible these murders are tied to not just the recent kidnapping and suspected death of Rosa Hartung's daughter, but a mass killing decades in the past.This book is yet another example of why I've fallen in love with Nordic mystery/thrillers. There are so many interlocking stories here, all fascinating, and I couldn't wait to see how they tied together. Masterfully done! Just when I thought I'd figured things out, WHAM! Another curve ball. I'm just sad that one of my favourite characters turned out to be the culprit. Besides the character in question above, Hess was my favourite. He's so broken, and at first you think he doesn't really care about the case. He's actually a Europol agent, sent back to Copenhagen for some offense. But as the story progresses, you see how smart he is, and learn why he's rather standoffish. I think he's a good man, dealing with a lot. I'd love to see another story featuring Hess and Thulin, or just Hess alone. I'm kinda cranky, too, because now I want to read more of Sveistrup's books and I can't find them in English! I'm quite tempted to learn Danish just to read more.***Many thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins/ Penguin UK for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.