Authentic in terms of the, realistic and oozing social awareness, approach towards its main themes, Pascal Engman's Femicide introduces a fresh take on the saturated genre of Scandinavian crime fiction and involves the reader in a labyrinthine and told by multiple narrators story rooted in the plights challenging the contemporary Swedish society. Engman's professional background as a journalist at Swedish evening newspaper Expressen makes all the difference as he succeeds in concocting an edgy, suspenseful plot while always remaining true to his representation of searing social issues, always reflecting on motifs such as class, identity, racism and misogyny. This is the second installment in the lauded Vanessa Frank series and the first book of Engman to be translated into the English language despite the fact that the Vanessa Frank novels have found their way in other big markets such as the German, the Spanish, and the Italian. The young Swedish author has been hailed by some of the most distinguished of his peers such as David Lagercrantrz, Camilla Läckberg, and Peter James as the most gifted Swedish crime writer of his generation. Plus, Femicide's English translation by Michael Gallagher ascertains that even the slightest of the text's nuances are preserved.

The novel's over-arching theme concerns the emerging new social group of incels, a portmanteau term for the Involuntary Celibates, and the impact of this hateful ideology on the lives of both women in men in the modern world. Incels, a racially, ethnically and religiously diverse faction, mainly manifest their presence online, being a part of the so-called "Manosphere" -"a collection of online spaces promoting masculinity and misogyny, and opposing feminism"- but their influence has spread during the last few years and many scientists and academics are urging the public to remain vigilant in order to protect women as well as young men who may face the related mental predicaments and are prone to embracing such a despicable set of beliefs. Incels are convinced that their lack of ability to establish successful sexual relationships with members of the opposite sex is predetermined by both genetics and society. They put all the blame on women who are supposedly attracted only by a certain type of male, the so-called "alpha males", and their ideology is fueled by the notions of gynocentrism which dictates that "modern society is structured in a way that benefits women, and thereby oppresses men – especially those deemed to be lesser, i.e. an incel) and plain, old-fashioned misogyny. The extremist speech and outrageous declarations uttered by incels have alerted the more sensitive members of contemporary western societies to a fast-growing bloc whose members are motivated by the most primitive of human instincts.

The late Swedish author and magazine editor Stieg Larsson was the first to trace the expanding violence directed towards women in Sweden today and the first part in the notorious Millenium trilogy (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo) was published in Sweden under the title Män som hatar kvinnor which translates into English as Men Who Hate Women. The title is also applicable to Engman's novel as it features a wide variety of characters, their social status spanning from the most affluent to the destitute and homeless, each narrating a story with multiple plot strands that unravels with a raw force, reminiscent of the best works by authors of the magnitude of Jo Nesbo and Lars Kepler. The main protagonist is Vanessa Frank who is assigned to the case of a femicide that took place in the Swedish capital and is initially perceived as the work of her boyfriend who may be incarcerated but at the time of the murder had been on leave from the prison. There are some references to Vanessa's previous case, the story of the first book in the saga (original title: Eldslandet), however Femicide can definitely be read as a standalone as it tells a totally self-contained storyline. Perhaps, those who are familiar with the previous work would be more familiar with the characters of Vanessa and Nicolas who are once more the duo of protagonists.

Apart from Vanessa and Nicolas, there is a multitude of characters featured, each inhabiting their own space within the overall narrative and the separate plot threads begin to merge and make sense after the first half of the novel which is slower in pace and is chiefly concerned with the setting of the story and the introduction of the protagonists. The myriad of narrators may sound perplexing to the reader of this review, but Engman proves that he possesses the required skills to widen the scope of his narrative without losing focus, adding new characters even after the midpoint enriching the complex plot even further. The author cites some quotes from anonymous men -incels- before some chapters, all expressing deep anger towards women and society in general. For example: "I don't regard women as people. All they are, or should be, is slaves for men. Cooking, cleaning, and spreading the legs when they're told". You don't have to be a social or political scientist to detect the venomous essence and the possible dire effect of this kind of talk and it is this rhetoric which eventually leads to crimes such as those included in the story of Femicide. There are women's murders, rapes, battering in a roller-coaster of viciousness that is rooted in a false ideology which appeals to men of all ages and social backgrounds, even to those of higher education.

Pascal Engman's Femicide is a captivating thriller treading on topical subjects and providing the author's peers with a blueprint regarding how an author can conjure up a titillating story which nonetheless corresponds to the emerging realities of our age and is meant to make the reader conscious of the newfound social ills. The author is relentless in his characterization letting the reader become privy to the inner workings of deranged minds who intend to do harm as a direct consequence of their misled views on the others and society as a whole. The violence is gratuitous at parts, but what is even more disconcerting is our exposition to the thought processes of the culprits. Vanessa is an intriguing protagonist carrying a heavy personal burden, her daughter had died while her foster daughter has moved permanently in Syria, and she makes for a decisive and inclined-to-action character who moves forward the story with some brief interludes where she discloses to the people closest to her, her arcane concerns and grievances. I really hope that publishers in the English-speaking parts of the world will wake up and translate the following Vanessa Frank installments, so far 5 books in total, as the Swedish author's pen opens new horizons in the genre's stagnant status quo.

A formulaic detective drama/Scandi noir without much to add to the genre. I found the translation smooth but the plot failed to engage me.

Written in the in the wake of the #MeToo movement Femicide has very contemporary and topical feel. Engman is certainly a ‘woke’ author of his time, alert to current societal injustices, and like Nordic authors of previous generations, he channels these through his story telling.

One strong aspect to the book is the characters portrayed cover a wide range of society – ranging from young to old, from rich and highly successful to those living rough in the Stockholm streets. The story starts at a fast pace and barely relents was an excellent read to enjoy with a deadline – my online copy was due to expire in 3 days so I raced through it. It features a range of narrators involved in their own separate storylines. These include principle character Vanessa Frank who is a police detective, a conscientious and under pressure journalist appears prominently and her press room features as regularly as the police station while a Chilean born friend of Vanessa Frank also has a separate storyline, living next to an alcoholic widow and his 12 year old daughter. Meanwhile a lonely man tries to befriend an attractive woman who attends the same gym.

The novel begins with a prison visit as 25 year old Emelie takes a painting drawn by her young daughter to her father who is shortly to be released from prison. Yet the news she wants to break up with him angers him greatly. When several weeks later she is found brutally murdered, investigating officer Vanessa Frank appears to have been given an open and shut case when she discovers her ex-partner was on weekend release. Despite the forensic evidence, could he have an imperfect alibi? Early in the novel there is a harrowing and graphic assault yet it does form a vital part of the storyline and the evolving story is dealt with in a nuanced way.

Femicide can broadly be split into three sections. The first sees the establishment of the storylines featuring the aforementioned characters which interweave around the Swedish capital. While Femicide is being marketed as the first novel featuring Vanessa Frank, there are references to a previous case that she and another character were involved with. With plenty of background to each character who enrich the novel, I thoroughly enjoyed the switch between narrators as the story begins to expand. The second part of the book sees another murder. Following this the various threads begin to pull together indicating that some events are far from coincidental. Each sub-story had me engrossed in to how they would develop, what would happen to each character and how it would all begin to tie together.

The final third is slightly more conventional as the story directs into an unrelenting thriller with a cat and mouse chase that is hard to put down. I won’t elaborate on this as the book blurb tells more than I would like to reveal. To counter the compliments, I would state there is one fairly insignificant aspect of the perpetrator’s behaviours that strangely is not fully explained.

Published in Swedish as Råttkungen “The Rat King”, the English title of Femicide refers to a hate crime described as the intentional killing of women because they are female which particularly perpetrated in Latin American countries. I feel this perhaps suggests an indiscriminate act which I don’t think is the approach taken by the author. As the story develops an increased key focus of attention is thrust upon the incel movement led by those who felt marginalised in the dating world who had little chance at finding a sexual partner which has since developed into an insidious movement of men who direct their anger at young women.

Given the freshness of Pascal Engman’s work and the fact he has already had 5 books published in his native Sweden, it is a surprise that he has not already been published by a larger British publishing house, but great credit must go to Legend Press for ensuring that are able to enjoy this story. I would hope that they go back to publish the original first novel in the series, Eldslandet ‘The Land of Fire’ which is set in Engman’s father’s home country of origin Chile. At the time of writing I would say that Femicide is hands down the best Nordic Noir novel that I’ve read in 2022 (so far 30 and still counting!)

Very graphic. You do worry about the author who writes like this. Very graphic descriptions of a lot of violence against women including rape. A lot of it unnecessary to the plot. I didn't finish the book.

Femicide Pascal Engman
5 stars
I found this book both disturbing but at the same time riveting.
DI Vanessa Frank is 43, single and with no family. Her ex-husband refused to have a family with her but then had an affair with an actress who got pregnant. She is now dedicating her life to her career and soon becomes embroiled in a horrendous crime.
Emelie Ryden is brutally murdered and as this happened at the same time as her ex-partner, Karim Laimani, had been on remand he seems the obvious murderer. However when Vanessa is approached by a young journalist who has been brutally attacked and raped she tells Vanessa that her attacker was in fact Karim thereby giving him an alibi.
Another seemingly unrelated part of the book sees us following Tom Lindbeck, a 35 year old virgin who has never been able to relate to women who treat him with scorn. He has been drawn to a social media group known as Incels who treat women as nothing more than people to be humiliated and attacked.
There are various plot lines and at times I was wondering how everything would pull together but DI Frank manages to find connections and links between the various characters.
I would recommend this book but you need to have a strong constitution to get through the sometimes brutal descriptions and the terrible attacks suffered by women. It will not be a book for everyone.

Karen Deborah

This has been out for 1.5 years now, and has lots of helpful reviews and ratings, so I'll just recommend it for mystery fans. This author is prolific, and knows how to write to his strengths.

Thanks very much for the free review copy for review!!

Thank you Legend Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. IYKYK, my reviews are always honest.

RING THE ALARM!!!! IT'S A MFN BANGER ALERT!!!!

SYNOPSIS

Emelie is brutally murdered; her abusive boyfriend and baby daddy the prime suspect. But the case isn't as open and shut as Detective Vanessa Frank had hoped. Plunged into the dark world of incels, Frank must get to the bottom of such senseless, brutal crimes before things escalate.

MY OPINION

Ok, before I get into praising this masterpiece, I have to keep it a stack... the translation is a bit janky at times and the formatting of the digital ARC was whack af. I'm also unsure if this book is part of a series? There was lots of "rehashing" about an old case? Anyways. I prevailed because THIS book right here is one of my faves of the years.

Ohhweee that scandi noir just hits different. Intelligently written, deftly woven, and sprinkled with dark humor ("get your two brain cells to communicate faster" had me cackling). The last 25% of the book was tense AF. My butt cheeks were CLENCHED. Literally so suspenseful and I loved how it all came together. I can't describe it, but even though the ending was wild, it was written so realistically, it didn't feel OTT.

There are a lot of different threads in this story and patience is required to see how they're all subtly connected. Some readers may feel like they're "wasting time" with the backstories of some characters, but I tend to enjoy character-driven novels, so this was a plus in my books. Not everything moves the plot forward, but it is thought-provoking and discreetly emotional. The relationship between Nicholas and Celine was so heartwarming (albeit sad at times), a great touch to round out this novel.

Each character is strong. My stomach literally churned reading the POV of the mac daddy incel. The whole rat thing... omfg... just these subtle additions is what makes scandi literature so great. They tend to be equally curt and creepy instead of overblown and melodramatic.

I will legit read anything about incels so this one had my interest from the jump; but out of all the incel-themed books I've read (a disturbing amount tbh), this was my fave. Pascal did a fantastic job getting in the mindset of incels and misogynists in general. I'll keep it a stack... sometimes I did feel bad for the mac daddy incel... I KNOW I KNOW. But hear me out, it's not his fault that he's ugly, and the constant rejection would certainly be difficult. HOWEVER, how that hurt and rejection manifested into a widespread and violent hate is unacceptable. Period.

All in all a fantastic read despite some translation and formatting issues. I'll definitely be thinking about this one for a hot minute.

PROS AND CONS

Pros: well-written characters, fast-paced, intelligent and intricate plot, last 25% had me fked up in a good way, ending was fire flame

Cons: translation and formatting issues

I would like to thank Netgalley and Legend Press for an advance copy of Femicide, the first novel to feature Stockholm detective Vanessa Franck.

25 year old Emelie Rydén is murdered in her own home on the same day that her violent, recently ex-boyfriend is given day release. He is arrested after forensic evidence is found linking him to the crime scene, but Vanessa is unsure and when she receives information giving him an alibi she begins to suspect that the dissatisfied incel community may have something to do with it.

I have very mixed feelings about Femicide. On the one hand it is an excellent thriller with several plot lines, but on the other it is extremely uncomfortable to read. I normally like a gritty, realistic novel but this is way beyond my comfort level, so it’s a novel I read in chunks, alternating it with lighter fare.

I liked that the author portrayed incels as self entitled egoists. The reader spends time with Tom, who at the age of 35 is still a virgin and blames women for looking down on him. He is blind as to why they think that, like his obsessive behaviour and obvious body odour. His behaviour is beyond creepy as he stalks Henrietta, the latest object of his desires and I use the word object purposefully. He shows no interest in her life, happiness or well being, he simply wants her. It is unpleasant to read, even more unpleasant to contemplate that there plenty of who think like that in real life, because Tom is not a figment of the author’s imagination. It is a strong, authentic picture. Other parts of the background are equally strong, with one character being homeless, one getting his #metoo comeuppance and another dealing with the realities of rape and its aftermath. All are strong, realistic portrayals that make the reader think.

Then there is the actual storyline which is quite compulsive. To be honest I had no idea how the various strands and points of view would weave together into a coherent whole, but the stories were compelling enough to make me want to find out, despite my discomfort. It’s only in the final third of the novel that hints begin to appear and it all starts to make sense, but there’s little time to think about it as the novel explodes into action and violence at the same time.

I found Femicide a difficult read due to the subject matter, but the author knows how to write a strong novel and I’ll be looking out for more. Therefore, I have no hesitation in recommending Femicide.

Despite the hard hitting and often heinous and evil topic included within this book I blooming loved the story the author has woven around them.
There's a lot going on in this book. There are a lot of characters and their own stories which initially do not appear connected. But then we follow Detective Vanessa Franks and she starts to make connections and links and stops looking at the obvious to uncover a whole nest of vipers. Or incels I should say.
Not for the faint hearted, this book is brutal. It features violence towards women. Quite graphic on occasion but not glorified. And the crimes depicted herein are also clever and Vanessa has her work cut out trying to prove what she suspects. We follow the twists and turns as the story meanders towards the truth. The ending is a little rushed but wholly satisfied nonetheless.
Apparently, as with other foreign authors, this is the first translated book in this series rather than being the first book of the series. This confuses me as to why publishers do this. But it is actually the second in series. Which I did ponder whilst reading as it did keep referring back to something in the past for Vanessa.
I enjoyed the writing, and the translation was seamless. I do hope the powers that be decide to translate and Publish the rest of the series in the UK. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

This is a hard book to review because the subject matter shouldn't make it enjoyable - but I did enjoy it. It waa well written with a compelling storyline that was gritty and brutal, but lets face it what crime in the form of rape or murder isn't brutal or gritty. The characters were well developed but they were sometimes hard to keep track of but that didn't really hinder the enjoyment. Overall I enjoyed it,

Too much triggering. Can you write about a killer/killers who also sexually assault their victims without actually describing each felonious act in detail? Can you? Or, are you the type of writer that gets off on explicit detail?

Shall I go on and on? Drugging rape victims, Abduction, Gang Rape, Anal rape, forced rape, verbal threats, theats of violence against your family, your friends, blackmail, coercion, etc. This book really set me off...............................................................................................................................................................................................................

'Femicide' is a book primarily about incels and the threat they pose to women. If you don't know what that means, you're in for a shock. These men really do exist (as illustrated at the opening of each chapter with a quote from "An anonymous man") and their presence isn't restricted to online forums. Pascal Engman has given an accurate, unfiltered account of a fast-growing global threat. He very effectively maps out the path to misogyny and radicalisation.

There is A LOT going on in this book, which can make it quite challenging to keep track of some of the characters. We don't see much linkage in the first third, although I loved trying to figure out how all the characters fit together. There's a graphic sexual assault near the beginning but I think the inclusion is justified. There's also a lot of implied backstory with a couple of the characters. It seems that, whilst this is the first book in the series which has been translated to English, it isn't the first one chronologically - and it shows. Having said that, I am keen to read the other books to find out more about what's gone before.

The final quarter of the book was nail-bitingly thrilling. The ending felt a wee bit abrupt (and I still don't know what the refrigerated semen was for) but I'm very excited to be in at the start of this new crime series and I eagerly await the next instalment.

Femicide is a gritty,often brutal, thriller set in Stockholm.
A young woman is found brutally murdered and all evidence points to her ex-partner, a prisoner she split with during a visit who responded with threats. Detective Vanessa Frank isn't convinced despite it seeming an open and shut case and her investigations lift the lid on the shadowy world of "Incels", involuntary celibate men whose lack of success with relationships has led them to blame women to the extent of pathological hatred.
With a cast of fascinating characters whose relationships provide the back story there's non-stop action,most memorably at one point when author Pascal Engman juggles 2 "life or death" scenes alternately keeping the reader on their toes with a "double cliff-hanger".
There are disturbing scenes ,the core theme being violence against women,and the book won't be for everyone.

This book is being billed as "Vanessa Frank Book 1", which isn't strictly accurate. It's fairly obvious reading the book that the main characters have a lot of history ,too much to sound right to me for the first book in a series. A bit of research showed that the first book is actually "Tierra Del Fuego" and while this might be the first book translated into English it's the second in the series. I don't know why this should be but long-standing fans of Jo Nesbo will recall his first few books being released in the UK out of their original order.

That oddity aside I really enjoyed the book,there's constant action,and plenty of twists and red herrings. The characters are complex and well-drawn and I think this will quickly become a very popular series.

Scandi noir is one of my favourite genres. A new author for me and this is one hell of a powerful read. This book from chapter one grabs the reader by the throat and does not let go until the very last page. This is a shocking thriller with a very worrying premise. I knew nothing about Incels until I read another book from a very high profile author earlier this year. Full of nail biting and heart stopping moments. This is a fast paced and terrifying thriller with great characters which I found impossible to put down. The monsters are hiding in plain sight, women haters using keyboards to vent their anger at the injustice of women of today. All it takes is one of these keyboard warriors to say enough is enough. Everyone should read this book. This maybe a work of fiction but Incels are out there. This is a tour de force of a crime thriller and so much more.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

A shocking thriller
A very strong female lead in Vanessa
I loved her!
The whole premise of Femicide is very shocking for the very reason that its really believable
Its a book everyone should read
Its all too easy to picture the disgruntled misogynistic keyboard warriors
There's also the more chilling ones living among us in plain sight
A brilliant book
A fantastic author

This book is original, suspenseful, and with complex characters that spring irresistibly to life on the page! Wonderful….

Fantastic book from Pascal Engman set in my favourite city Stockholm. This book romps along at a cracking pace. Women are being murdered and the story unfolds through a multi-perspective narrative. Could it be the same killer?
Great read.

I have to say I am a sucker for Scandinavian crime whether it be in book, TV or film and this was no exception.

Women are being murdered and whilst the finger of suspicion appears to point towards abusive ex-partners, Detective Vanessa Franks uncovers something potentially more disturbing - a group of incels (involuntary celibates) who are intent on causing harm and pain to women.

The story moved along at a quick pace and was certainly engaging and entertaining. The expected triggers of domestic abuse, rape are all present so this book may not be for everyone but it is a brilliant but difficult read.

Thanks to Netgalley and Legend Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I could not relate to the women in this book. They felt like caricatures who had sexual violence rained down upon them.

I am well aware of the violence that women sadly have to live with, but seeing it written in this book was neither helpful, nor helped advanced the plot. I have read many novels dealing with the same subject matter and have found that these others have been able to make a moral point and show the unspoken bond between women, where this refused to. It felt exploitative.