Can you manage to smash very high expectations? The answer is YES! Being a fan of Lackberg and having read every book she has written, I was expecting something brilliant and this delivered even more than that. As per her usual modus operandi, the story is narrated over 2 timelines and keeps you guessing until the very last minute. The intricacy and mastery of the storytelling is absolutely incredible and borders on unreal! The originality of the story should not be overlooked either as it delivers a very unsual and at times claustrophic setting.
Just brilliant!!!

This book is a twisted thriller spanning 685 pages. That's a long story imo, and I generally like thrillers which are fast paced with short chapters. This one takes some patience to read, but it was worth it in the end.

The plot is intricate, weaving subplots from past and different point of views together to create the air of mystery and impending doom. The first half of the book is slow paced, and I admit I lost my interest a bit, but the plot picked up pace by the second half. My heart was racing and I was genuinely anxious for Vincent and Mina to stop the madman. I loved the narrative used, mixing povs and past accounts without defining who was being talked about.

Unfortunately for me, I kinda knew what was happening so the final twist didn't shake me. I also felt like the ending was a little similar to a book I'd previously read and is foreseeable, but it was still a solid thriller. I feel like this is the type of chilling story that takes time to reel the reader deep into the setting and plot to produce the desired shocking effect on us.

When a young single mother is found murdered inside a magician's magic box detective Mina Dabirii is given the name of Mentalist Vincent Walder. Although his act now does not contain magic tricks as such he does have a background in such things. Mina suffers from extreme OCD/germaphobia & Vincent is on the autistic spectrum which made them an interesting pairing. Before long there are other deaths in other 'magical ' circumstances. How many will die before they can find the culprit? Along with the murder story there are flashbacks to forty years ago. On an isolated farm a young boy tries out tricks whilst his mother suffers from depression & his sister longs to escape.

This was a long book & at times I began to wonder if I'd get through it. However by halfway I was hooked. I loved the quirky main characters & I hope we will meet them again. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

This was everything you need for a thriller and crime story. It is not as black and white as you first think and like most typical thrillers, is full of twists. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work.

The E-Book could be improved and more user-friendly, such as links to the chapters, no significant gaps between words some text written has been typed in red and a cover for the book would be better. It is very document-like instead of a book. A star has been deducted because of this.

The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

This is an intriguing Swedish mystery, full of magic tricks whilst chasing a killer!
Tuva gets drugged and killed in a magicians box, suffering a horrible death. Then, there are further deaths. Mina and Vincent team up to solve the mystery and prevent further deaths. Their quirky characteristics bring the story to life, as they work to find the motive for the spine-tingling, gory deaths.

Absolutely loved this book!
Murders based around magic tricks and two wonderful main characters out to find the perpetrator/s.
She is a police officer with severe OCD, he is a stage illusionist she has contacted for help. He is on the spectrum. Both really quirky, with an understanding of the issues the other is dealing with, they make a great team.
I loved the style of writing, the characters and the plot. Best book I’ve read in a while.
Highly recommended.

A great read that I couldn't put down, it was well written with a gripping storyline and well developed characters. The twists kept me guessing all the way through

Thank you for this ARC. Where to start! This story was spellbinding excuse the pun! It was a great plot, full of twists and turns. I couldn’t put it down. More please.

The start of the book is not for the squeamish as it describes in graphic detail the murder of a woman in a magician's box. Mina, a police officer teams up with Vincent, an illusionist to solve the crime. Mina has OCD and Vincent also has problems. Unfortunately I didn't particularly like either character so didn't connect with them. This book just wasn't for me. I'm sure a lot of people will enjoy it. Strangely, I think I might have enjoyed it as a TV series.

Where to even start! This was not a book which could be finished in a day. I'm a very fast reader and it's not unusual to get through 2 books in a day but this one actually kept me going for a few days before I got to the end! And I loved that, it was so nice to finally find a story that wasn't over in the blink of an eye. This is such a cleverly written story, there are so many characters, each well rounded and developed, and they all weave such a complex story. You'll never guess where this story is going. My jaw hit the floor more than once when things were revealed. It's pure escapism and get so far under your skin that you can't help but keep going back every spare second you have. It's just such a well crafted book and it's so intelligently written and perfectly weaved together. This book will take over your life until you get it finished. It's also not an obvious reveal either, I literally had no clue who was behind all of this until it was literally spelled out to me. I really can't fault this at all, this is what all thrillers aspire to be