Thank you Bonnier Books and Netgalley
This is not for the faint hearted!

Lars Kepler you have done it again - as you do with every book.
The characters are brilliant and I have enjoyed the whole series - terribly addictive and this one was no different!
Dark, exciting, page turning, gory (has to be).
Brilliant - cannot recommend this series highly enough.

4.5 stars
What an introduction this was to the work of Lars Kepler. I've actually had The Mirror Man, the previous book to this one, on my TBR list for a while but decided to try this first when I saw that it had popped up for review.
While it was a chunky book and took me quite a bit to get through it, I really enjoyed it and was gripped the whole way through.
Some parts did feel a tiny bit far fetched, but that tends to be par for the course with these types of thrillers. But it wasn't so bad that it took away from the story overall.
There was plenty of great tension and great pacing too.
I just can't wait to go back and read more of the series now, as a result.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, Zaffre and Lars Kelper for this gifted copy of The Spider, the follow up to The Mirror Man and book 9 in the Joona Linna series. While I wasn't overly won over by its predecessor, I thoroughly enjoyed The Spider, it was so, so good! Much like before, this book was intense, quite gory and saturated in mystery. I love a solid crime thriller but Swedish ones just have something special about them!

I was enthralled in this story pretty much from the start and found it so hard to put down. The tension throughout was something else! You knew no one was safe but also didn't know what exactly was coming next! Although it is part of a series, I don't think it's vital to have read the previous books in order to pick it up. As a standalone, it's a gripping cat and mouse story filled with murder and mystery!

* Please look up trigger warnings before reading *

Oooo Lars Kepler I love you and shout it from the roof tops every single time !!!! The characters are amazing and I just adore them the whole series for me has been addictive and this one was no different ! Gory , exciting ,dark and deliciously page turning !!! Love it !!!

A fantastically dark, claustrophobic and tense read that was utterly compelling.I couldn't put it down and I didn't want too

It has such an interesting and unique plot with excellent pacing which kept me super engaged throughout. It is incredibly emotional, raw and beautiful. I absolutely love a thriller and this was no exception, i will definitely be reading more from this wonderful author

Joona Linna is my favourite translated series, I always anticipate these. I recommend them all the time however I do add a disclaimer that these are not for the faint hearted, each instalment in more disturbing than the last. I will continue to read everything that these two authors put out as I am just obsessed and now I’m devastated that I’m going to have such a long wait for anything else.
The Spider had me on the edge of my seat as we took a turn that I definitely wasn’t expecting! There’s no other option but to rate this book 5 stars!

Wow. This is an amazing story line which kept me gripped throughout. This is my favourite in the series. I am looking forward to reading more

This book was amazing! So dark and brooding. It had all the elements I look for in a thriller and I devoured it. For me, the first murder was the best, it had more detail and more goriness (is that a word) the ones after this were tame in comparison.

I think to fully appreciate this book you need to have read the earlier books in the series. I hadn’t done this so I now have a whole series to get through this year before the next one comes out!

Thank you to compulsive readers and the publisher for a copy of the book and a spot on the tour.

A cat and mouse crime book with cryptic clues and many twists and turns. A dark chilling crime book with gruesome murders and great characters. The plot is complex and makes for a compelling read

This author just keeps on delivering fast paced, gripping and thrilling stories, and this once didn't disappoint. Really enjoyed the build and unfolding of the story!

This was the second book by Lars Kepler I have read. The first one I loved so I was really excited to start another one.
A killer keeps police team under pressure sending clues before each precisely organised murder. It seems that the person has supernatural powers to quess every step of detectives, kill following all own clues and in no time vanish into thin air. All efforts to find who is the killer look like constantly wasted and bringing no results.
Thick book but easy to read.

I was so excited to read this after absolutely LOVING the eighth book in this series, THE MIRROR MAN, last year, and I loved this one equally. Captivating, sinister and gritty, with complex characters, a twisted and gory plot, a merciless serial killer + a race against the clock pace, this is everything you want in a dark detective thriller.

At just over 600 pages, or sixteen hours on audio, THE SPIDER is a CHUNK of a book, but is so beautifully written, translated + narrated, that it feels much shorter. I was completely engaged throughout the storyline as the tension and suspense kept a swift pace.

Definitely not for the faint of heart, for there is a lot of detailed body gore + murder, this is a gripping, macabre thriller that I’d highly recommend. I’m completely fascinated how the author (a married couple) divide the writing of their books between them and result in such incredible tension 👏🏽. I’ve really enjoyed both this book + the previous as standalones, but like any detective series, starting from the beginning is likely beneficial to gain an understanding into the character’s backgrounds.

Thank you to the author and publisher for my arc 🫶🏽

This is book 9 of this excellent police procedural series starring detective Joona Lima and some events and details from previous novels are revealed in this book.
I highly recommend this series and this book, as this is another example of excellent writing. with sometimes complex plots, ever twisting and often gruesome and shocking scenes.
Start at Book 1 and enjoy a fantastic series of true page turners

I have read several novels by the author and have enjoyed the style of writing and the characters. This novel is equally as good, I would not say the best that I have read from Kepler but enjoyable none the less. The way that the author builds up the characters both of the heroes and also of the villians is great. This is very fast paced and there are plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader interested. I don't think that it matters that this is a book in a series there is still a lot to be gotten if this is the only one that the reader has read. Certainly for lovers of psychological crime I would recommend.

Can’t imagine Lars Kepler ever getting less than a delighted five star review from me. The Spider is an excellent addition to this fascinating series involving Sega, Joona & Co. and whilst it can be read as a stand-alone it would rather be a waste as the back stories are all so involved.
I was tense and horrified regularly during my reading and can’t wait for the next offering from this author.

Fair warning: while much of the series can be read out of order without major spoilers (mostly character development stuff), this one does contain spoilers for both Lazarus and The Sandman.

Saga is on leave after recent occurrences, but that doesn't mean that a killer can't have her in her sites. And this one is playing a game.

Saga had received a postcard saying she was the only one who would be able to save Joona Linna. But as time passed, the postcard got pushed to the back of her mind. That is until a tin figure arrives with her name on it. Saga recognizes the figure but only after the person is killed in a truly horrific manner.

But, brilliant as she is, Saga very quickly puts the pieces together and is allowed back on the force to assist with the case. Desk work only! And with the first clue, the postcard, she knows there will be nine victims.

But the killer is one who uses intricate puzzles. And while they provide everything the police need to identify and even save the victims, the killer proves to be faster and perhaps even more clever than Saga and Joona.

With Joona's life on the line as the ninth victim. Saga becomes increasingly desperate to find the killer—predictably going beyond the bounds of her newfound privileges and making herself the prime suspect.

If you've read Kepler before, then you know that the husband and wife team are truly masters at plotting! And you know that they write twisted stuff!

If you're new to them: they're masters at plotting and writer twisted stuff!

This latest in the series puts both Joona and Saga in an interesting position. Both are suffering from the fallout of a case involving a killer that almost claimed both of their lives. And both are dealing in different ways. This particular case forces them to reckon with that fallout!

Readers, this is one of the series that got me through 2020. I'm not kidding! Beginning all the way back in 2009 with The Hypnotist, Kepler have proven themselves to be two of the best in the business! And following Joona, Saga, and the others throughout nine books has been an absolute thrill and, in spite of the fact that you might think I'm truly messed up, a pleasure!

The Spider is everything I'd hoped it would be complete with unexpected twists and turns! The authors put their character through the wringer and I am waiting on the edge of my seat for more!

Lars Kepler can do no wrong! If you are not on this train already…. What are you even reading!? GO GET THIS BOOK!

My thanks to Bonnier Books UK Zaffre for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Spider’ by Lars Kepler. It was originally published in Sweden in 2022 and translated from the Swedish by Alice Menzies. I complimented my reading with its unabridged audiobook edition.

This is Book 9 in their Killer Instinct series of police procedurals featuring Detective Superintendent Joona Linna of the National Crime Unit. While some background is provided by Alexander and Alexandra Ahndoril (who write as Lars Kepler) they do advise at the start that events and details from previous novels in the series are revealed in ‘The Spider’.

A brief overview for context: Following the gruesome death of a high ranking police official, Saga Bauer, Joona’s former colleague, reminds him of the postcard that she had received three years ago (in the Epilogue of Book 8, ‘The Mirror Man’). It had read: “I have a blood red Makarov pistol. There are nine white bullets in the magazine. One of them is reserved for Joona Linna. The only person who can save him is you. Artur K. Jewel”.

While nothing had occurred since its receipt now a white bullet casing has been found in this body, linking the murder to the threatening postcard. From there things continue to escalate as the unknown serial killer sends taunting clues to Saga apparently giving her and Joona an opportunity to stop them. No further details to avoid spoilers.

Lars Kepler’s plots inevitably are both complex and gruesome and as such the dark themes may prove disturbing for some readers. Yet it remained compelling reading and in my opinion this series continues to go from strength to strength and Lars Kepler one of my ‘must read’ authors.

Overall, l felt that ‘The Spider’ proved an excellent example of Nordic Noir. I have no hesitation in highly recommending this novel and indeed the series as a whole.

I loved this book. Yes, it could be perceived as a little far fetched with some graphic parts but my heart was racing reading it. I couldn't put it down.