I read this on a flight from Singapore to India, squashed between people and in poor light but the book was good enough to compel me to read.
It is a translation from Danish and in present tense which gives the plot immediacy and pace. The Danish setting makes the story interesting not only for the story but for the cultural differences observed and conveyed so well.
A series of grotesque murders of women leads to a connection with the lost child of a politician and a strange motif, the "chestnut man", made of chestnuts found at each crime scene.
Hess and Thulin, the detectives, are realistically flawed and thus engaging. The story weaves to and fro, leading and misleading both reader and the detectives, intruiging in the forensics and psychology at work.
I enjoyed it until the final 10% when events had to be "explained". This is a bit tedious and unconvincing: I wonder if there is a better way to tie the threads together?
This is a great read: worth the time, flight or no flight.

Not my usual genre of story but wanted to give it a try. I'm glad I did, it's a good first novel for the author. B It's thrilling in places, lots of atmosphere, and keeps you gripped right to the end. Very well written with lots of suspense.

The Chestnut Man is a dark, fast paced and chilling book that was one of the best books I’ve read from this genre for ages!

From the chilling first pages this is a book that draws you in from the start and is impossible to put down. There is lots of action and revelations that ensure the reader is totally gripped! It was a perfect book to escape into on a long journey up to Scotland with three kids!

The story follows an investigation into a very brutal serial killer and a mysterious link with a past case. I thought this was very well done with the author playing a type of cat and mouse game with the reader as they try to work out what’s happening. Some of the descriptions are quite graphic and actually made me feel sick at times, so be warned but I didn’t feel it was overdone as it fitted with the story.

I loved the development of the partnership between Thulin and Hess though I initially didn’t like Thulin as I felt she was quite full of herself. I enjoyed reading about how they gradually started working together as a team. I hope that they are featured in future books.

The book is divided into days, with it opening on the date of a very brutal event and then going back in time to cover events leading up to this. It also goes on afterwards to cover the aftermath and conclusion. I felt this added to the tension in the book as the reader is aware of what is going to happen so is waiting for it. The chapters are quite short and are told from multiple points of view which helps keeps the readers attention and makes for easy, quick reading.

This is the debut novel from the writer of The Killing and although I’ve never seen the Killing, I’m reliably informed by other bloggers that if you like the show then you’ll love this book as the styles are similar. I’m very excited to read more from this author and hope that there is more to come, hopefully with the same detective team as I thought they worked well together.

Huge thanks to Jenny Platt from Michael St Joseph’s for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book. If you are a fan of dark fast paced, thrilling crime novels then you’ll love this book!

My thanks to Penguin Random House/Michael Joseph for an eARC via NetGalley of this highly anticipated Danish police procedural.

I was a huge fan of ‘The Killing’ so came to this with high expectations and certainly I wasn’t disappointed. Given that I always feel that thrillers and whodunnits are better approached with a minimum of information to avoid spoilers, I won’t say much about the plot. The publishers’ synopsis sets the scene well.

The central case involving multiple murders is complex and in places quite gruesome. Plenty of twists and turns and I found it very gripping throughout. As with many novels by Scandinavian writers social issues are also woven into the narrative.

I did feel that it read very much like a television series, which isn’t a bad thing by any means, but sometimes I found that this style didn’t allow me to engage as fully with the characters. Yet it provided a very strong sense of being part of the action.

The cover art is striking and quite chilling. I will never look at a conker in quite the same way again!

I hope that it will be adapted for television (rather than be condensed into a couple of hours for a film) and that there is another novel from Sveistrup in the works.

I was a huge fan of The Killing, so couldn't wait to read The Chestnut Man by the same writer. I wasn't disappointed, as this creepy story, full of intrigue, twists and turns kept me gripped. Other reviewers felt it dragged a little in places, and although I can agree with them a bit, I found myself getting into the personalities of the main characters and wanting to find out more. I didn't see the ending coming and hope that this is made into a tv drama as well. I feel sure it would be as popular as The Killing was. Can definitely recommend this - thanks Netgalley!

Creepy and suspenseful throughout, this book had me gripped from page one! Having not seen 'The Killing' before, I was unsure what to expect, knowing only that the writing would be scandi-noir and likely fairly chilling, it was just that! The characters were also believable and likeable, which is sometimes hard to achieve in a thriller of this nature. It has been written so that a sequel or series would come easily, and I for one would be keen to see where the characters went (and what grisly plot they might uncover!)

Very twisted plot line to this and one that will keep you on tenterhooks. I really didn't see this one coming....

I did enjoy aspects of this book but, to be honest, I didn't like some features of this book.

The plot was thrilling and there was a real sense of tension created in the book. I really enjoyed the opening which was dark and threatening as it made me want to read on and find out just what was going to happen in the rest of the book. I’m not going to comment on the writing style because this is a translation rather than the original as, unfortunately, I can’t read Danish. I did like the contrast of long and very short chapters because this added to the suspense and the overall tension of the book. I think it was a great choice by the author to write the book in this style.

I found the characters a tad forgettable. I did think that Magnus, the child of one of the women that were murdered, to be a very intriguing character and I was fascinated by the story of Rosa Hartung. I just didn’t really connect with any of the other characters.

There’s a lot of graphic violence in the novel, including vivid descriptions of dismemberment and murder, and most of the time it felt necessary to the plot but at other times it just felt gratuitous. I’ve read a lot of thrillers with excessive violence in them and I usually don’t mind it but in this book, it just felt like there was too much at times. I’m not sure whether the translation made the language more blunt or unforgiving but there was too much unnecessary violence for me.

Overall, I think that the premise of this book is excellent. It’s an exciting thriller with a great mystery and some intriguing characters. I’d recommend it to any thriller fans who don’t mind gratuitous violence.

This review will be posted on my blog at 12pm GMT on the 2nd January 2019.

Firstly, many thanks to Netgalley, Penguins Random House and the author for the opportunity to preview this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is an excellent police procedural / psychological thriller that grips throughout, although, it’s not for the faint hearted as there are some extremely unsettling elements and some parts I had to flick past as they were too explicit. However, it's all part of the fabulous storyline and the lead characters are complex and interesting with a storyline that's as solid as one would expect from the writer of 'The Killing'.

A really good read that kept me awake until I finished it and which will stay with me for a good while.

Great ending too!

This is a great crime thriller set in Copenhagen.
The body of a young mother is found in a park and her hand has been cut off but is nowhere to be found. Her young son is asked about the place she was found and spots a small figure nearby. This is a doll made of chestnuts and when it links to the disappearance of a young girl a year before, the police are puzzled.
Thulin and Hess team up to try and find the killer but soon another body is found.
The killer is named ‘The Chestnut Man’ and Thulin and Hess have a race against time to find him.
The story was overly detailed at times but soon pulled me back in and the final few chapters were fantastic.
I really liked the building rapport between Thulin and Hess and whilst they’ve both got issues, they’re passionate about their job.
This is a great crime thriller which will have you racing through the pages.
Thanks to Penguin - Michael Joseph and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

A few years ago, like most of the population, I was hooked by the scandi crime series The Killing so when I was offered a copy of the first novel from the creator of the series to read I didn't hesitate to say yes. And just like his TV series Søren Sveistrup has written a gritty, complex novel that will have you on the edge of your seats although I do have to forewarn you it is quite graphic and gruesome reading at times.

Naia Thulin is an ambitious young detective who is currently working in the serious crimes unit but wants to make the move over to the Cyber Crimes unit which is where she sees the future of crime heading, but before she can submit her request she is assigned a new case to investigate and a new partner to work alongside! Mark Hess has just returned from Europol and it's clear that there's a lot more to his return than we know but as far as he's concerned he just wants to solve this case as quickly as he can so that he can prove his worth to the powers that be and make his return to Brussels.

From the offset it was clear that Thulin and Hess were going to clash and be at odds with one another as they both have different characteristics and investigative styles, although the one thing they do have in common is that they want to solve this current murder as quickly as they can so they can get back to doing the jobs they'd rather be doing. But when a second gruesome murder is discovered which has links to the first, and the possibility of a connection to a previous case, they soon realise that it's not going to be an open and shut case and before they know it they find themselves in a race against time to catch the killer before they can strike again.

Personally I will admit that at the beginning I didn't particularly warm to either of the central characters, or any of the characters if I'm honest, and found it a bit too graphic for my liking, so if this hadn't been a review book I would have probably stopped reading and moved onto a different book. But I can admit hand on heart that if I had done so I would have missed out on what proved to be such an enthralling read as before I knew it I was hooked and racing through the pages wanting to follow Thulin and Hess as they worked tirelessly to solve the case.

Like the detectives I had so many theories and reasoning running through my head as to who was involved, and the motive behind the gruesome murders, but once again I was completely wrong and caught offside when the reveal finally came. I didn't see that coming at all although in hindsight the clues were there, I had just overlooked them which is the mark of a skilled writer.

The Chestnut Man is a book that I think will divide readers because of its gruesome content, and the sensitive, harrowing topics that were at the centre of the crimes, but overall it's a chilling crime/thriller that makes for hours of gripping, if somewhat terrifying, reading.

There has to be another book after this one because I need to know what happens next! This book was amazing. The storyline was flawless, the twists were amazing and completely threw me off so that I couldn’t guess what was happening. The only thing that I didn’t like was that at some times it was a little bit confusing. I think that at times when the author tried to create suspense, it actually caused confusion. There were several times that I had to go back a few pages and read again because I was confused. The characters in this one were really well written and although there was a lot of them, it was nice that you learnt about all of them so that you could properly understand their character and personality. Every character had a backstory that was unique to them and you really understand why all of them did what they did. I actually felt sorry for some of the characters because they were written so well that it was easy to imagine them as real life people. Although some parts were quite gory, I found that after a little while it didn’t bother me as much.

This book started so well, but I soon worked out who the killer was. It was still a good read, but I like to be surprised and this book didn't unfortunately.

I tried really hard to get into this novel, written by the author of The Killing, I expected to love it but found it so hard to read. The prose was very choppy (maybe due to Translation?) and there wasn’t much characterisation which meant that I gave up. The premise of the story was great but I just didn’t find it accessible. Not for me I’m afraid, I did not finish reading it. Thanks though to Netgalley and the publishers for a chance to read in exchange for my independent review.

‘The Chestnut Man’ is written by the same person who created the television series ‘The Killing’. Now I have a confession to make – I have never actually watched ‘The Killing’. A big mistake. Judging by how much I enjoyed reading ‘The Chestnut Man’ I will definitely be watching ‘The Killing’ as soon as possible. I absolutely loved reading this book but more about that in a bit.
I loved the detective pairing of Thulin and Hess. Talk about chalk and cheese. Thulin is a single mother, who has a friend with benefits as it were. She seems to want him for sex but not for long term commitment. She has a small support network and is very close to somebody who is a father figure to her and a grandfather figure to her child. Thulin is a very able, competent and ambitious young police officer. At the beginning of the book she is wanting a transfer to the new cyber crime unit because that seems to be more exciting than where she is now. Little does she know that this case will test her to the limit. Thulin is not impressed to be partnered with Hess and seems to resent his presence. To start with she knows nothing about him other than he has upset somebody at Europol and has been farmed out to work with her. To start with they don’t exactly have a good working relationship. Hess is a detective with old style ways and means of carrying out an investigation. At first I wasn’t sure what to make of them and in turn each irritated me a bit. As the book continued I got used to them and by the end of the book, I had warmed to them both.
I read the synopsis for ‘The Chestnut Man’ and I was immediately intrigued. It sounded just my kind of read. As soon as I started to read the book, I was hooked and I just knew that I would become addicted to reading it. So it proved to be. I found it nigh on impossible to put the book down. I picked the book up at a good time for me because I needed a distraction from a hospital appointment and I became so engrossed in the story that I almost missed my appointment!! . The story starts in such a unique way that ensures I will remember this book for a long, long time. For me, ‘The Chestnut Man’ hits the ground running and maintains the pace throughout. It’s a fast paced book with fast paced and well thought out storylines that kept me on the edge of the seat all the way through the book.
‘The Chestnut Man’ is exceedingly well written. The author’s writing style is such that he gets your attention from the start and he keeps you in his grip until you finish reading. I did wonder if something might be lost in translation but I needn’t have worried because the translation is very well done and the story flows seamlessly. I was very impressed by the quality of the translation.
Reading ‘The Chestnut Man’ was much like being on a very scary and very unpredictable rollercoaster ride with more twists and turns than you would find on a ‘Snakes & Ladders’ board. Some of the details of the crimes are pretty graphic, violent and unpleasant but I don’t feel that the author was glorifying violence or torture in any way. There were certain times whilst reading this book where I almost had to read through my fingers because I genuinely feared what was going to happen next. There were also several unexpected moments in the book that had the same effect on me as would a punch to the gut. I certainly felt as though I had had the stuffing or the breath knocked out of me. I was left speechless on occasion and no that doesn’t happen very often.
In short, I loved reading ‘The Chestnut Man’ and I would definitely recommend it to other readers. I can’t wait to read what the author comes up with next. Here’s hoping we don’t have too long to wait, but whilst I wait I am definitely going to watch ‘The Killing’. I am sure that I will love watching ‘The Killing’ just as much as I enjoyed reading ‘The Chestnut Man’. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

Earlier this year there was a bit of a media storm about the launch of a new prize, the Staunch prize for thrillers, as it is specifically for thrillers which do not depict violence against women. The founder of this prize was fed up with reading thrillers which showed graphic violence, rape and stalking against women. I have to say I have some sympathy with this view while acknowledging that novels can and should reflect reality. I found the Chestnut Man swayed me to the side of those who detest all depictions of violence. It was just too graphic for me, not only was violence against women shown in detail but there was also abuse of children and I just couldn't stomach it. I did read to the end but I think I would have been better not reading it. It wasn't just the violence that put me off. I couldn't warm to the principal characters, this time a woman police officer who neglects her family life for her job and a male maverick officer who has brilliant insights. I think we've seen this before. And it could have done with a good edit, the endless going on and on and on about Chestnut Men and different types of chestnuts was tedious. I'm sorry not to be more positive about this book and I'm sure there are many people who will love it but it wasn't for me. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Very good scandi noir serial killer thriller. Layers to uncover, false direction, fraught denouement - all the classics, but paced excellently so not predictable.

This book had a really good premise and started off well. A gruesome murder followed by sex (two different scenes I hasten to add!) But then I got very confused by the characters and what they were doing and who they were and I just got lost. Which is a shame because I was looking forward to reading this

I had high hopes for The Chestnut Man because I love Scandinavian crime fiction, but sadly this one didn’t do anything for me. Solid writing, but I couldn’t connect with the characters.

I have been an avid viewer of Scandi Noir for a few years - starting with The Killing and The Bridge and branching out into other examples of the genre as I have discovered them. I also read Steig Larrson’s novels many years ago, which some people suggest started the whole genre. Therefore, when I was offered an advance copy of Søren Sveistrup’s novel The Chestnut Man I was keen to have a read to see if it lived up to the storylines in The Killing.

The Chestnut Man has all the hallmarks of the Scandi Noir genre - set in Copenhagen, it describes pretty gruesome killings and it’s down to Thulin and Hess to make connections and figure out the culprit. Thulin has echoes of the character of Saga Noren from the Bridge - slightly socially awkward, seemingly unable to form meaningful relationships. She’s also a working mother, struggling to meet the demands of her role as mother and police detective. Ness falls into the role of her partner after being returned to Denmark rather ignominiously from The Hague and his work with Interpol for indeterminate reasons. Both your typical ‘outcast’ detectives I suppose.

Part thriller and part police-procedural, we follow the two main characters as they make their discoveries. In this novel the reader is as blind as the characters to the culprit’s identity - unlike some novels/series of the genre where we follow the criminal at the same time as the detectives. The murders themselves will have you on the edge of your seat - brutal, unnerving and sometimes terrifying they are created very skilfully. In addition to this, we, as readers are working alongside Thulin and Hess to try and figure out the connections between the - supposedly solved - kidnap and murder of Kristine Hartung, the daughter of a prominent politician and the subsequent brutal attacks of the ‘Chestnut Man’. Meanwhile, their boss Nylander is determined to keep the prominent kidnap case firmly closed and has no wish to have old wounds reopened.

The novel works skilfully to gradually uncover crucial clues and hints as to the identity of the murderer. His identity is revealed towards the end of the novel in enough time for the readers to form an understanding of his motivations and personality. The denouement is gripping and engaging and does not disappoint the reader. At some points the translation is a little clunky - perhaps some colloquialisms that are difficult to translate. However, this is no different to the subtitling you get with a series such as The Killing. My love of Scandi Noir has started me on learning some key Danish and Norwegian phrases but I’m not at a stage where I could read a novel in the original language just yet!

All in all, I would recommend this novel to any fans of the genre. I’m sure you won’t be disappointed!