My initial feeling, about 20-30 pages into the Chestnut Man, was that whilst Soren Sveistrup had proven TV experience in the wonderful The KIllng, this was not necessarily translating into book form - the descriptions of people and place felt cliched and i was rapidly losing patience..
But...
I quickly didn’t care, and was gripped by the twisty-turny plot, the unanswered questions from an old solved case and the familial relationships. Being critical, the characters are often more sketches than fully realised individuals, and there is a somewhat predictable reliance on violence against women to drive the plot.
Despite this criticisms, I thoroughly enjoyed this. It’s well structured and pacy, and, perhaps unsurpsingly, feels very visual - there’s a film here at some point.

I haven’t read a scandi noir thriller for a while as they are usually quite gory and at one point the ones I’d read all seemed fairly similar.
However, I gave this one a go as I’d enjoyed The Killing on Tv a few years back and this had been written by the same author.
I found The Chestnut Man a slow burner of a novel and it took me several chapters to really get into the story and feel empathy for the characters.
I did like Hess the cop with a sad and difficult past which is gradually revealed as the novel progresses.
His partner Thulin is also an interesting character and despite neither of them wanting to work together to solve The Chestnut Man murders and the child abduction of the Minister’s daughter, gradually they seem to develop an affinity and the investigation takes off.
There are a lot of unpleasant scenes in the book including torture and mutilation so I would warn potential readers that it is not for the faint hearted.
The Chestnut Man is obviously translated and to be fair there are no obvious problems with this apart from the fact that some of the sections of the novel are quite slow and the language rather longwinded, perhaps due to the fact it was originally written in Danish.
I think that this novel might be the first in a series featuring Hess and Thulin and I’d be happy to read the next book. I could also see it being televised as it did indeed remind me of The Killing, particularly as one of the main protagonists was a Government Minister so there were political implications.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my arc in exchange for an honest review.

Worthy of more than five stars! Soren is added to a growing list of Scandinavian authors of crime thrillers. The Chestnut Man, an absolute must to read. Probably one of the most enjoyable and fascinating thrillers I have read in a long time. Well recommended, look forward to more from this author!

This was excellent. I didn't see 'The Killing' but my parents were glued to it and so I tried this. Only 4/5 * as it did, in parts, read as quite 'translationese' but the plot was skilfully woven and although the main protagonists were a little inaccessible, they were likeable and I was invested in them. Great reveal and this would be super if developed into TV.

Starts a few decades ago with a gory murder and discovery of two children in the cellar at the scene of the crime. Move to the present day with two more gory and gruesome murders. These may or may not be related to an old case of a kidnapped daughter of a Social Affairs minister. Said daughter was thought to have been murdered, limited evidence for this, but there was an admission of guilt by a suspect, now in prison. All they seem to have in common are the Chestnut Men left at the scenes. The lead Police Inspector on the case is an ambitious young woman and, this time, is partnered with a real 'oddball' He has been suspended from his Europol job on seemingly mental grounds following various cases plus, as we find right at the end, the tragic death of his pregnant wife. Together, or not, they follow leads, red herrings and immensely varied forensic trails. It is very detailed with horrific gruesome descriptions of the crimes - not for the faint hearted. .The various strands all come together well and, although I guessed who the perpetrator had to be in general terms, I had no idea who it was as a person until about the time that the police did. The story took a while to get going but once it had, it bowled along briskly with lots of twists and turns. I would hope that Mr Sveistrup gets a good editor to sort out the annoying inconsistencies such as Sejer-Lassen's name - with or without the hyphen.? I drop a star for the overly gory details. My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advance copy in return for a personal review.

Wow ! what a brilliant read .This is a very long book but the fast pace just keeps going all the way to the ending .Hess and Thurin are great characters being thrown together not willingly .to find what seems like a serial killer who leaves little chestnut men as his calling card This is a Scandi crime thriller ,beautifully written which will keep you guessing all the way through .It is very gory and dark but you just get drawn into the story which is very hard to put down .I can see this book being dramatised for TV .This is one of those books that keeps you guessing and guessing with a real good twist at the end ! Just Fabulous ! Many thanks to the Publishers ,the Author and NetGalley for my review copy in return for an honest review

It took me a few chapters to get into this book, but it was worth persevering with.
The story follows a spate of killings, where the killer leaves behind a Chestnut man. All the victim's appear to have one thing in common ( I won't say what) The case seems to be in someway connected to the disappearance of a government minister's daughter a year earlier.
I would highly recommend this book.

Ambitious young detective Naia Thulin and her partner Mark Hess (a burned out investigator who's just been sent back from Europol for disciplinary reasons) are called to investigate the brutal murder of a young woman.  They quickly discover a strange piece of evidence, connecting this case to a case from a year ago.  A case involving the missing daughter of a politician, which has already been closed.  Soon afterwards another woman is found murdered in a similar style, with another piece of evidence linking to the closed case.  Thulin and Hess realise they are in a race against the clock before the killer strikes again, but what is his true motive?

I'm a huge fan of Nordic Noir, so I was looking forward to this, hoping for a new author to follow.

I found the story easy to get into, and I really liked the writing style. The vocabulary is wide and varied, without sounding pretentious.  From early on the book was ticking a lot of boxes for me.

Character wise I didn't really like any of them in the early stages of the book.  I found all three of Thulin, Hess and Nylander to be far too self serving, and not the sort of hero I want to keep reading about if I'm looking for a series.  Thulin and Hess did slowly start to grow on me, and I'd follow them for another book now, but they still have some work to do to become likeable characters in my eye.

For the plot itself, I thought the story was very clever.  I didn't see the ending coming until it was spelled out for me, and even then I still didn't want to believe.  The story moved at a fast pace right through and didn't have any slow moments.  It was brutal in places, but it didn't feel like it was unnecessary or just to shock, it worked with the story.  I thought Sveistrup did a great job of tying up the loose ends and bringing everything together.  He also leaves a potential opening for a sequel or later instalment, without it feeling like this book was unfinished.

Overall I thought this was a great read.  It definitely lived up to my hopes, and I'll be following this author in future, whether he makes this into a series or leaves it as a stand alone and moves on to something new.  The only thing I would've liked is for me to have felt more of a connection with one of the main detectives.  A solid 4*, highly recommended if you like crime dramas or Nordic Noir.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin UK for an arc in exchange for an honest review

A Scandi murder mystery to rival Jo Nesbo. Kidnap, gory murders and hero cops who unravel the truth. What's not to like? Enjoyable twists and turns and a satisfying conclusion.

This is well-written with a complex plot and some interesting characters,it’s a real page turner too. However I’ve given 4 stars instead of 5 as it is really too gruesome for me, and of course the victims are women. I read it when alone late at night and really wish I hadn’t.

I loved this book it was an amazing read !!!
Dark, atmospheric and absorbing this is a wonderful Scandi crime thriller that is certainly going to be a sure fire hit. So right from the start you know this is a thriller that’s going to keep you guessing, nothing is straightforward and the two main characters of Thulin and the infuriatingly laid back Hess who at first comes over as totally disinterested in the case are brilliantly written. The pace of this book really picks up speed driving you breathless to an exciting and thrilling conclusion and to make it even better I really hadn’t a clue just who the perpetrator or perpetrators could be making it one of the best thrillers I have ever read ..I can’t praise the book enough so I would just urge you to read it and find out for yourselves..you won’t be disappointed.
My thanks to NetGalley and Penguin UK for giving me a chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

So-so, not terrible but I didn't feel invested in the story. More gruesome than I expected and i worked out who the killer was far too early for the reveal to be a surprise. I didn't hate it but wouldn't seek it out to read again.

The Chestnut Man is a graphic crime thriller from the writer of the brilliant Killing. Set in Denmark this book has a great cast of characters and an evil serial killer,there were a lot of sharp intakes of breaths whilst reading this!

The two main characters are detectives Naia Thurlin a single mother of one, who reminded me of Saga from The Bridge, and Mark Hess who has been working for Europol for the last 5 years but sent back to Denmark seemingly whilst his conduct is being looked into. They are brought together to investigate the case of a young woman found murdered and whose hand had been sawn off prior to her death. By the body a chestnut man is found, these appear to be popular in Denmark made out of chestnuts with matchsticks for arms and legs.

The plot line is multi stranded, all coming together gradually and satisfactorily, although at times horrific this books ends well.

I have read many thrillers this year, many of them excellent, this is up there with the best if not at the top of my list.
My thanks to net galley and publisher for the opportunity to review this book honestly

This was a wonderfully atmospheric, autumnal and chilling read, which I found hard to put down.

It did take me a few chapters to settle into the writing - the scene changes feel very visual - I could see them playing out on screen, but initially the changing points of view were difficult to follow in print. But I'm very glad I stuck with it. It built to become a dark and twisty novel, and I definitely didn't work out who the killer was. I should probably flag that there was disturbing content, with themes of child abuse.

I enjoyed getting to know the two main detectives - Hess is a fantastically unlikeable but intriguing character, while Thulin is smart and determined. I feel there's a lot of backstory to both of them which we haven't yet learned, and this could easily become part of a series, which I'd be very happy to read..

Excellent piece of Scandinavian noir , very violent unrelentless action that keeps one enthralled throughout. A seemingly washed out detective allied with an unhappy in her post colleague eventually gel together to solve the relentless mystery. Darkly atmospheric this really is a wonderful book with other great characters woven into the complex plot, thoroughly enjoyable and recommended!

From the writer of The Killing, I think I can safely say that if you enjoyed that you will enjoy this.

 

The Chestnut Man is a pacy, considered serial killer thriller with an intriguingly complex cast and a creepy as heck plot that keeps you turning those pages.

Immersively written with a race to the finish edge of seat finale, The Chestnut Man may well haunt your dreams.

Recommended.

Without doubt one of the best books I have read in the last few years.

This is the story of a killer that leaves the mark of a chestnut man at each of their crime scenes. When one occurs a detective is assigned but she is then apparently lumbered with a detective who was with Europol but has been kicked back home for a misdemeanor. He appears lack lustre and disappears but I suppose as with every thing there is more going on with this guy than you at first realise.
The two detectives muscle through the crime scenes as bodies start to pile up and there appears to be a link to the missing daughter of a politician as well. All good stuff as it mixes together to give lots of problems and possible culprits.
On they go searching and then realise that this killer has been doing it longer than they knew but still they seem no closer to the killer.....

I will leave the story there because I urge you to go read it and I don't want to ruin it for you. Firstly you won't be disappointed and secondly you will get a real treat of a book that is well written keeps you wanting to read on and guessing and guessing right to the end. It is a real good twist and not what I expected when the killer is revealed.
This is a debut novel and it is undoubtedly one of the best debuts I have read. Brilliant is just one adjective I would use to describe it. I can't wait for their next book because I for one will be buying it.

This is a good dark novel. It is slow to start with and builds into a really good dark thriller. There is a lot to this book and it is really well written. The chestnut people and the atmosphere all added to the feel of the novel. I hope Soren Sveistrup continues to write.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Initially I wasn't very keen on this book as it was a bit slow - however, it soon got more fast paced and was a perfect scandi-thriller ( is that a genre all in itself?!) with tortured protagonists! I'm not sure if this is intended to be part of a series but I definitely would be interesting in reading more

The story begins in 1986 when an elderly police officer discovers several people dead at a farm. Two young children - a sister & brother - are found alive in the basement. The policeman who was first on the scene is one of the victims, killed as he searched the farmhouse.
Fast foward to the present day and the brutal murder of a young woman in a playground in a quiet suburb of Copenhagen. One of her hands has been completely severed and above her body hangs a small doll - a Chestnut Man - made from chestnuts and matches.
A young female detective, Naia Thulin, is assigned the case. Naia is a single mum who is on the verge of transferring to Denmark's cybercrime unit when she's partnered with Mark Hess He's just been suspended from his job with Europol at The Hague and is the subject of an ongoing investigation to clear his name. Their case takes a sensational turn when they discover a mysterious fingerprint on the Chestnut Man - evidence connecting it to a school girl, Kristine, who went missing a year earlier and is presumed dead. Kristine was the daughter of Sweden's Social Affairs minister, Rosa Hartung.
The man who confessed to her murder is behind bars and the case closed. But some believe the police forced him to confess and it could be that Kristine is still alive.
A second young woman is savagely murdered with both her hands being cut off. Another Chestnut Man is found with her body. Thulin and Hess believe the killer is building his own Chestnut Man and that more deaths and dismemberment will soon follow. The story moves quickly along with many twists and turns and red herrings. The murderer seems to be almost superhuman, always one step ahead of the police, second guessing the investigation at every turn. There's a lot of office politics at play within the murder squad, with the boss, Nylander, doing his best to ensure he doesn't end up being the fall guy if the murderer isn't caught.
He repeatedly tries to stop Thulin and Hess from chasing new leads, refusing to believe that his squad may have had an innocent man jailed for the murder of Kristine Hartung. He prevents them from interviewing Rosa Hartung, threatening to suspend them if they disobey him. As Thulin and Hess gradually begin to trust each other, their sole ally on the police is the head of the forensics unit. But, each time they think they're getting somewhere, something happens - another subplot - to throw them off track.
In parts of the book, there's far too much information, especially the minutely detailed descriptions of very minor characters, while at other points in the book the actions of Thulin and Hess and the killer seem to collide in a breathless rush and this reader found it confusing to determine who was doing what at vital moments of the story. On the plus side, it's a good police procedural/serial killer thriller - and you'll learn a lot about forensics and chestnuts!

With proper editing, this could be a classic thriller, but as it is, it's way too long and I was a bit relieved when I came to the end. Although this is fiction, at times the plot stretches credulity too far. The characters of Thulin and Hess are likeable enough, but too many others - especially their police colleagues - seem more like cardboard cutouts. The author Soren Sveistrup was scriptwriter for the amazing Danish crime drama, "The Killing"***, so this book will probably sell by the truckload, but I'd rather he wrote another series of ***"Forbrydelsen".

My thanks to the publishers Penguin UK - Michael Joseph and NetGalley for a copy of this book in return for an unbiased review.