The information I had gleaned about this book made me want to read it. A lover of crime novels the chestnut man had a eeriness that pulls you in. The story starts with a slaying several decades previous including a cop called to the scene. Years later the deaths of women start to happen and chestnut men left at the scene. Relegated Europol Hess is called to partner up with Thulin of major crimes division to investigate. The story had me guessing until the end about everything the background of the main protagonists to who the chestnut man really was. This book has become one of my favourites of this year and o hope the author continues to develop these to brilliant characters. The story was brilliantly thought out from beginning to end.

Sometimes, you know exactly what you are going to get from a book. This first foray into novel writing from Soren Sveistrup, creator of the TV mega-hit The Killing, is very much along the lines of what we have been accustomed to from Nordic Noir crime fiction. Two cops – Thulin, a single mother, ambitious and wanting to move up; and Hess, a disgraced outsider and a loner hiding a haunted past – set to solve the murder and mutilation of a mother. Pretty soon the corpses pile up and the whole department is in upheaval. Throw in some politics, some child abuse, a missing child and, in Hess, the cop who continues to search for the truth when everyone else thinks the case has been solved…Yes, this is us firmly and securely in Scandi territory.

Don’t get me wrong – this is a rollicking read and Sveistrup creates sympathetic characters and builds enough tension and twists to keep the reader going. But it is a slog; the book is about 100 pages too long (why doesn’t an editor actually ‘edit’??). And because it is written in the present tense it can’t help but read almost as a TV or film script at times (‘a gold wedding ring indicates that he is married’, ‘the garage is spacious and high-ceilinged’) which, after a while, started to wear a little thin even as it clearly illustrated the difference between a great novelist and a great script writer. The plot – well, it is a bit gruesome at times and delves into some seriously murky aspects of the human psyche. Again, this is what you expect from the genre and the ending is as realistic as you might expect – that is to say, not very and a bit cliched (isolated cottage, basement, cops in peril trying to save a potential next victim....).

For what it is this is a well-written and enjoyable (if that’s the right word for what the book contains!) crime novel. I’m sure there will be more to come in the series, and I’m equally sure there will be a TV series or movie, but for me Sveistrup brings nothing spectacular or new to the genre. 3 stars.

(With thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest and unbiased review.)

The daughter of a prominent politician goes missing without a trace. A year later and a serial killer is terrorising Copenhagan. Thulin and Hess are in a race against time to put an end to his spree. Even following the clues, they appear to be getting nowhere. Who is the killer, why is he leaving little chestnut men at each crime scene, and what is the connection to Denmark's minister of children?

Despite a tense opening, this book gets off to a slow start, but after about 20% it picked up considerably. The story is very tense and exciting in parts and I didn't guess the perpetrator, so that was an unexpected surprise. Very enjoyable, if a little long drawn out, read,

What a fantastic book!

I love scandi crime despite the language barrier and was very excited to start this novel.

At first I found it fairly tedious and slow but decided to read on to give it time to develop. I’m so pleased I did! The female character is fairly unlikable and it’s only when the male protagonist arrives that the book really comes into its own.

Part political thriller, part serial killer this book ticks all the boxes. Well developed characters, excellent translation, and a thumping good story.

I can’t wait for the next installment!

3.75 stars


This book certainly started with a bang.... creepy and a little bit scary... so the next 200 or so pages didn't seem too bad.
I know,I've obviously read too many police books if chopping off a hand and mutilating someone is no big deal.
I guessed who the killer was,I'm not sure I was ever considering anyone else,but it was good to read the story unfold,and there was real tension as I sped through the last hundred or so pages.
I'm sure this won't be the last we hear of Thulin and Hess. Quite looking forward to the next one.

Wow, this had my heart thumping, brilliant twists and turns, certainly kept me guessing as well, would highly recommend it

This was an OK read, not something I would read again, which is a shame as it held so much promise for me, being a police procedural /thriller.

Thurin was a good character, she is young, ambitious, respected and good at her job. Her character is well written. Siren Sveistrup writes the police team well and creates suspense and tension. There just seemed to be something missing to me.

Unfortunately the bad guy /gal was guessed early on, as there could be few others it could be with the info we are given.

Not a bad read, just slightly underwhelming.

I just couldn't get on with this book. Felt like it was going on for ever. The % never seemed to change. Got 47%in and was struggling.

I really, really enjoyed this book. It had a similar feel to Jo Nesbo's The Snowman and I found it just as gripping and chilling. The story moved at a great pace and I kept wanting to go back and read more to try to get to the bottom of it. Like everyone else I was hooked on The Killing so I was so thrilled to see Søren Sveistrup was able to pull his skills in that arena through to this debut novel and I hope to read lots more by him! Would absolutely recommend.

When a series of women are found murdered in Copenhagen, with a small figurine made out of chestnuts beside them, ambitious detective Naia Thulin is keen to find the killer before they strike again. Unfortunately, she has been lumbered with a new partner, Mark Hess - a burnt out Europol detective who's back at his old squad under dubious circumstances. Yet, when a fingerprint is found on the chestnut men of a girl who has been missing for a year, the daughter of a politician, they suddenly realise how vital it is that they find a way to work together.

Eeeek - scary, grim stuff. I'm not very good at reading grisly details, especially at night for obvious reasons, but I couldn't resist reading the new book by the creator of The Killing. It's really good - very atmospheric and well-paced. Hess' backstory and the development of Thulin and Hess' friendship felt a little underdeveloped and just slotted in at times - this definitely could have been done better. But otherwise, I really enjoyed this and would definitely watch a tv series based on it (has to happen, right?).

I loved this book, full of twists and turns just like the killing tv series and I spent the whole book changing my mind about who was responsible at every turn. This is dark and disturbing but a book you can’t put down and with two lead cops who I really brought into and liked and wanted them to catch the bad guy.

It's one of those ideal early October days; the sun is shining but there's a crisp chill in the air. It's a Sunday too so I have the luxury of time, I can do whatever I like on this day of great possibility. With the shifting seasons, I am surrounded by events and opportunities. So I spent my morning lost in this book. I ignored the hunger creeping over me. I dismissed the Low Battery warning on my Kindle. I was not putting this down!

The Chestnut Man is one of those books that finds a special balance. Even in the opening chapter, and the chapters here are brief, Sveistrup manages to offer up a pretty warm and cosy cliche and then slam it into your face like a snowball laced with shards of ice. And until you finally finish this book you are basically going to be thrown around between comfortable, easy reading, and dark, brutal passages. It's like riding a rollercoaster with a blindfold on at times because you're never entirely sure when the next turn is coming and you certainly don't know whether you'll quietly climb or suddenly dive into the depths.

As impressive as this navigation through the story is, there's a subtlety that takes it even further. Despite being a third person narrative Sveistrup manages to bring the individual characters perspectives in with the careful use of language, a small shift in tone to highlight racism or immaturity. It makes for some slightly unsettling sentences and adds so much texture to the story.

It's probably no surprise to learn that the ensemble of characters are all pretty broken, the extent and reasoning for most taking such a long time to come out you barely remember you have no idea why they're the way they are, but these reveals are presented at key moments, there's no need for oversharing exposition, just a small line here and there to remind you there are layers to everything you're reading.

When you combine it all... You get something powerful. It won't be easy reading for some people. It touches on difficult subjects and although it doesn't bask these areas it can't avoid them or pull the punches. But, if you feel brave enough, clear your calendar and pick this up. It's worth your time.

A book I have been unable to put down but not a read for the squeamish. It is really important and necessary to review this book whilst giving nothing away in order that the reader enjoys or should I say suffers the suspense and uncertainty of every page with no accidental indicators. Go in blind and enjoy the ride. A female detective desperate to change departments. A male detective transferred to the same department while under threat of suspension. Both charged to work together to solve one horrendous crime, quickly followed by a similar brutal murder indicating same perpetrator. Neither like or initially respect each others capabilities yet forced to track down and apprehend a serial killer against a ticking clock. Running in parallel a senior politician returning to work after a sabbatical of 12 months recovering from the kidnap and disappearance of her young daughter. The tightly constructed plot lines, callous and brutal in every respect require the two police officers to work together, usually in horrific circumstances to resolve a series of events indicating links with the child abduction. From beginning to end I was unable to figure out any answers and when given an answer by the author the story immediately introduced a more complex scenario, leaving the reader in awe of the authors ability to keep the reader guessing. This book weaves an intricate thriller using characters from every strata of society. No person is obviously guilty but neither can any character be considered innocent or blameless. The quick pace of this book has not allowed any breathing space until the very last chapter when the relentless speed of events threatens all involved. Every accolade to the writer for ensuring the book lived up to every expectation and does not disappoint.

Interesting story but having read several Scandinavian police investigative murder stories, I find the procedures very ponderous and slow to be resolved. This one is on the same lines. Some good characters and an interesting storyline. The action sped up rapidly towards the conclusion. Good ending.

As you might expect from the writer behind 'The Killing', this is an excellent thriller – a real page-turner with a couple of red herrings thrown in, great characterisation and two detectives who I would hope to read about again. Deserves to be a huge hit.

A real page turner from first page, couldn't put the book down until I'd finished. Well written with superb story, many twists and turns keeps you engrossed right to the end.

Thought this book was excellent. A clever blend of politics, policing and detective work. Not forgetting the interesting and well drawn characters. Whilst the characters were very well developed they were not allowed to get in the way of the main story i.e. the murders. I couldn't put the book down and I was not disappointed with the ending - what more is there to say.

A superior crime novel with great characters.
I found it a little too bogged down in detail at times but enjoyed it all the same.
Having read many ‘psychological thrillers’, it makes a nice change to read one that real depth, rather than the lightweights that are churned out ad infinitum.
My thanks to Netgalley for this copy.

A unique tale of two independent detectives with ambitions to go elsewhere who are thrown together charged with solving a murder case. They are a disjointed team suspicious of each other with a take it or leave it attitude to each other’s ideas. The case soon escalates when other murders occur with the killer leaving a chestnut man behind to suggest a link with more to follow. When political interests become involved their careers are threatened if the fail to find the killer. This forces them to work together if their careers are not to be destroyed. How their relationship evolves and how they finally crack the case makes a fascinating read.

Fantastic. This novel is very very good. It is quite lengthy but definitely does not feel like it. I was gripped by the story from very early on, a classic Scandinavia crime thriller that would make an excellent series.