Cover Image: To Cook a Bear

To Cook a Bear

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Member Reviews

I don’t often read books in translation because I feel disconnected somehow from the original? But this book felt like I was reading it in the original language; The prose is quite simply beautiful.
I’ve never read a novel quite like To Cook A Bear. It’s by turn elegiac, uplifting and heartbreaking. It’s characters are fully rounded and complex and broken. I found myself completely immersed in the setting and would strongly recommend this to anyone who wants to try something fresh and gorgeously narrated.

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Well written, intriguing and absorbing. Wasn’t at all like I thought it would be but ended up enjoying it all the same and couldn’t put it down

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OK I need Mikael Niemi's next book, like, NOW. I couldn't put this down.

A wonderfully written and fully engaging title!

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This was far too dark for me so I skipped right through it. Writing was good, but not my cup of tea.

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Not as I expected but what is there not to like about this book - thank you for the advanced copy. Recommend definitely.

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When the Pastor goes walking round the woods and hills around his village in Pajala in the north of Sweden, seeking new botanical specimens, he is always accompanied by the young Sami boy, Jussi. Jussi had run away from his Lapland home and come south, and the Pastor had come across him living wild and near to starving. The Pastor took him in to his own family, and now Jussi is his faithful assistant. The Pastor, we gradually discover, is the founder and leader of the Lutheran Pietist Revival movement, Lars Levi Laestadius – a real person, who as well as his religious work made a name for himself in the scientific field through his work on botany. When a local maid goes missing and is later found dead, the villagers believe it was the work of a killer bear and they set out to hunt the creature down. The Pastor’s scientific knowledge and keen powers of observation lead him to think that the girl died at the hands of a human, but he can’t persuade the local law officer, Sheriff Brahe, to believe him. And then another girl is attacked…

This is one of these books that, despite having a murder mystery at its heart, falls very definitely into the category of literary fiction. As the Pastor and Jussi go about their investigation, the author slowly builds a detailed picture of mid-nineteenth century life here in this remote northern area where Sweden and Lapland meet, not far from the Finnish border. Life is hard, superstition is rife, and drunkenness is a curse on the population. The Pastor, himself of Sami origin, wants to stamp out the drunkenness and bring education to the poor so that they can lift themselves out of their physical and spiritual poverty. This is at the root of his Revival, and while it brings him the loyalty of many of the poorer people, it also makes him many enemies among the rich and powerful, or those who love alcohol more than God. Niemi assumes some knowledge of Laestadius and his movement, which may be the case for Swedes, but I had never heard of him. However, the story stands strongly on its own and a quick visit to my friend wikipedia filled in the background details after I’d finished reading.

Niemi shows how the Sami were treated not just as second-class citizens but as inferior beings, studied by anthropologists in the way botanists study plants. Laestadius’ movement was beginning to teach Sami and other children from these remote regions to read and write, and Niemi shows us this through the Pastor teaching Jussi, who is our narrator for most of the book. Jussi talks about the wonder of letters and how the written word seems to have given him a concept of self – the Pastor recording him in the parish register being the first time he felt that he existed beyond the moment, into a past and a future. He slowly learns to read, having to tackle not just his own native Sami language, but Swedish and even a little Latin so that he can assist with recording the Pastor’s botanical work. His wonder and musings on the importance of writing are beautifully done, and he is clearly a metaphor for what Niemi sees as Laestadius’ major contribution to the advancement of his own people, Niemi himself having been born in Pajala about a century after the time the book is set.

We also see the day to day life of the villagers; their work on their farms, their customs around marriage, the food they eat, the clothes they wear, their saunas. The harsh winters are endured here, so close to the Arctic, and the short summers enjoyed despite the hard work of preparing for the next winter. Life is physical and often cruel, and there is no sentimentality about the wild creatures that present a threat or a food source. Some of the most brutal scenes are tough to read, but they ring true.

The plot itself is slow-moving in the extreme, but again that seems to arise naturally out of the way of life. Distances are far when they must be walked in cold, wet weather, and there is no detective force to call in when a crime is committed – just the local Sheriff and his constable, neither of whom has any training, or indeed, desire, to deal with anything more complicated than a drunken brawl. Forensic science doesn’t exist, although Niemi allows the Pastor’s general scientific knowledge to play a part, and finds ways to bring in some of the new sciences happening in the wider world, such as daguerrotypes.

The writing is excellent as is the characterisation, of Jussi and the Pastor especially, but also of a host of secondary characters, such as the Sheriff, the Pastor’s wife, and the girl Jussi loves from afar. The translation by Deborah Bragan-Turner is flawless, with enough Swedish, Finnish and Sami phrases to keep the importance of language in this place before the reader, but always used in such a way that the meaning is either given or is clear from the context. Although more of a depiction of a way of life, the mystery ticks along steadily, giving the book a sense of direction, and the resolution is completely appropriate to the story – if you read it you’ll see what I mean. And I hope that you do read it – a truly absorbing novel, and highly recommended.

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This was such an absorbing, satisfying novel. It’s got everything. A proper curl-up-with-it-and-get-lost-in-the-story novel.

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Stunning and surprisingly immersive .. yes, I resisted when I was faced with passive Jussi as my sort of representative into the main protagonist but I soon totally warmed to him ..and as they investigated almost against their wills I was there all the time ..very unusual and refreshing.. reading the premise you'd think it's not credible but this author really makes it work ...

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Beautifully written and full of amazing descriptive prose. Sadly this sometimes got in the way of an excellent murder investigation story. The whole thing was a little long winded and in places sometimes boring. On the whole though it’s worth reading.

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I tried several times to settle down with this book but found my mind couldn't settle on it. I won't upload any review to retail sites for this.

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A beautifully written novel that transports you to a strange time within a brutal and fascinating world. It’s a potent mix of crime, philosophical exploration and vivid historical backdrop as well as a coming of age story. The lyrical narrative and deep characters create an atmospheric escape, something a lot of people would benefit from right now. It leaves you asking why and wanting more. I really hope that this is just the beginning of a saga and not a self-contained story.

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Overall an interesting narrative but I found the translation a bit stilted--if you like "Scandi-noir" type works this would be a good fit, but for me I just couldn't engage.

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I cannot express how much I love this book! Beautifully translated, the prose is like an endless poem, pulling you along through the twists and turns of quite a novel. I am determined to read the original text once I've mastered the language, just to feel the flow and see how it compares. Macabre in parts, our super slueth is up there with the greats in his determined search for the truth. The characters are described in full colour and the picture you paint equally matches the beauty of the writing. This is a classic of the future. Can't say better than that!

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I had to read ‘To Cook A Bear’ by Mikael Niemi as I’m a long time fan of Scandinavian fiction and I was not disappointed. A little confession, I also brought the hard back because I loved the story and the hardback is simply beautiful.

The one thing I really liked about this historical noir, is how well it is written and translated (a friend who is native to the country has also read the book). It is set in the mid 19th century and follows a preacher and revivalist Lars Levi Læstadius, who very lively witty botanist. Then there is Sámi who is a feral Laplander.

An outstanding novel which I read it in one sitting. I fell in love with the narrative. This murder mystery is interwoven with religion, mysticism, and philosophy.

Niemi wove richly atmospheric scenes bleak landscapes and tangible chill.

Overall, an intelligent and beautifully written (and translated) novel.

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To Cook a Bear is a strange mix of historical fiction, mystery, crime, faith, culture and botany!
The story centres around the real life figure of Revivalist preacher Lars Levi Laestadius and a young runaway Sami boy named Jussi, who Laestadius takes under his wing and teaches him to read and write and to find his voice, among other things. As far as I can make out, Jussi is a fictional character.
The Pastor and Jussi take it upon themselves to investigate one killing and one assault on two young girls, which are immediately shrugged off as bear attacks by the local Sheriff. Laestadius' knowledge of the local flora and fauna and his intensive way of observing his natural surroundings soon proves that the girls were not attacked by a bear but by a local sexual predator. However, the opposition from the Sheriff is absolute and the Pastor and Jussi have to sit on their evidence and try and build up a stronger case.
Mistrust and hostility are rife. Laestadius' passionate sermons and his views on banning the consumption of alcohol divides local feeling. And Jussi, described derogatorily as a 'little noadi',is treated appallingly by most of the villagers he encounters.
However, it is the characters of the Sheriff and his constable who are the most obnoxious and repugnant. I was seething at the injustices brought down upon the Pastor and Jussi. This made for really uncomfortable reading at times.
This is a richly descriptive book and I felt fully immersed in the bleak (but beautiful) Northern Swedish landscape.My only complaint about this book is that my level of engagement with the book was all over the place! At times I was totally engrossed and at others I just lost the thread completely, it often felt like I had missed out a paragraph somewhere, the flow felt disjointed.
* Thanks to Quercus Books and Netgalley for the ARC.

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It’s my own fault, I know that. If I just hadn’t googled that instrument mentioned in the prologue, I’m sure my stomach would not have squicked quite so much reading this book. But I did, and the feeling of dread and apprehension that the prologue left me with didn’t really go away for the rest of the book.

I was so keen to read Dead Perfect. At the end of Dead Wrong, we knew Dr Kate Maloney was in trouble, but how much trouble we learn quite quickly in this novel. The body of a young woman is found and Staffordshire Police quickly realise that she has been carefully dressed and her appearance changed so that her appearance becomes horribly close to that of one of their own – Dr Kate Maloney, the psychiatrist who often works with the team. Is this the stalker that has Kate so worried? Maggie is convinced that Kate is in danger and the team agree.

Moreover, it soon seems that the stalker’s actions are escalating when another body is found, dressed and mutilated and with a tattooed mark similar to that found on the first victim. What does it all mean and why?

Maggie is beside herself with worry. Her burgeoning friendship with Kate is impacting on her professional competence and she is short with colleagues and impetuous in her actions. You’d expect that, in a this kind of situation, her bosses would not be too impressed with this kind of behaviour, and you’d be right. Kate is slapped down hard more than once by her boss, the recently promoted DS Nathan Wright who tells her that she’s close to being taken off the case if she can’t keep her emotions in check.

Not only that, but the circumstances of this case mean that she’s forced to work with Julie Noble, the sly and pushy journalist who has given her such grief and who previously publicly impugned her capabilities .

In a fast paced and decidedly dark police procedural, Noelle Holten is not afraid to show us a team of competent officers sifting carefully through the evidence but being frustrated at every turn as their suspects alibi out. The tension is palpable and the nerves fraying as this team know that keeping Kate Maloney safe is their paramount concern along with catching the perpetrator, but Kate isn’t good at handling close supervision.

I love the way that Holten plays across the whole integrated multi-agency team from social care and domestic abuse through to probation, psychology and the Police. It gives hera broad canvas to work across and an excellent team of characters to choose from. Each book can be read as a stand-alone, but now we are beginning to get a real sense of characters and character development, it will pay off to read these books in order.

In this book, we not only learn more about Maggie, but aspects of Kate Maloney’s past are also revealed; things Kate wanted to stay in the past and which show us that she is more vulnerable than we might have imagined as we looked at her goth like appearance and the veneer of her confident and assertive approach to her work.

I also really like that Noelle Holten doesn’t have everything go the way her characters would like. Here you will not find easy answers or convenient clues, but you will find solid police work and a morass of evidence that leads the team in circles until they work out what they have missed.

It feels authentic and that in turn leads to a greater excitement when, once they know they are on the right track, the team are quickly able to piece together the story. And what a story! Though I knew pretty early who the perpetrator was likely to be, I had no sense at all of why and what their motivation might be.

Verdict: Holten is full of surprises and this really helps to distinguish this book from the standard police procedural. Another tension filled cracker from the Staffordshire team in a series that is fast becoming unmissable.

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*[To Cook a Bear](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55216258-to-cook-a-bear?utm_content=review_cta_book_image&utm_medium=email&utm_source=bookend&ref_=pe_7171740_474197500)* was the perfect follow-up to reading *Pine*. More spook, more isolation, a serial killer. What's not to love? I loved the setting in Arctic Circle Sweden. In that respect, it had a similar vibe to *[Midsommar](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8772262/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0)*. I also enjoyed the historical setting. It's been a while since I read a historical setting, especially a time that I study for "real life." I was thoroughly disturbed by the imagery of mangled dead bodies, so it's the perfect book to read for October.

Since it is about a serial killer that makes their killings look like bear attacks, I would not recommend reading this if you are sensitive to gore. Trigger warnings: sexual violence, violence, death, assault, and blood. Also in keeping with an odd theme of my reading this year, it also has many references to and descriptions of poop, both animal and human. Why, 2020? All I want is a poop-free book.

My one criticism is that I found the perspective changes a little hard to follow and I found myself getting confused pretty often through the story. This might be because the ARC copy I have from Netgalley had some issues with formatting, though, so I encourage you to read it for yourself and come to your own judgment. Spooky reading!

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The final cover is such a joy - as lush as the text itself. But humans can be cruel and stupid. Thankfully the pastor is there to show that the opposite can be true.

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I enjoyed some aspects of the book for sure. The writing was good. It was interesting to learn about some parts of Nordic history. There was also a mystery, but that wasn't the strongest part of the book.
Overall, it was an OK read with not a lot of intrigue pulling in, but I'd look into Niemi again.

Thanks a lot to the publisher and NG for this copy.

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Lars Levi Laestadius (1800 – 1861) was a Swedish pastor, botanist and author active in the far north of Sweden, and a key figure in the pietist Lutheran revival movement. He was of Sami descent and had a Sami wife. One of the problems which plagued Sami communities at the time was alcoholism, a scourge which Laestadius had experienced first-hand as the son of an often absent and alcoholic father. Indeed, one of the key aspects of Laestadius’ ministry was its emphasis on teetotalism. This and other factors of the revivalist movement placed him in direct confrontation with the establishment.

Laestadius features as an unlikely detective in Mikael Naemi’s historical novel Koka Björn. A runaway success in the author’s native Sweden, the novel is now being published in English as To Cook a Bear, in a masterful translation by Deborah Bragan-Turner.

A milkmaid goes missing in the rural parish where Laestadius ministers to the faithful. All clues point to an attack by a bear, which is captured and killed by the villagers some days later. Laestadius, however, is not convinced. His suspicious are proven correct when attacks on young women resume, despite the bear’s capture. Laestadius uses his keen sense of logic and observation, honed through years of botanical expeditions, as well as his understanding of human nature, to solve the mystery.

It is surprising how, at least in the hands of a good author, the tropes of crime fiction seem never to get old. Sherlock Holmes had his chronicler, Watson, and the concept of a lead investigator and a sidekick is an almost inescapable feature of detective fiction. In Laestadius’ case, the assistant and narrator (at least, for most of the novel) is Jussi, a teenage runaway from the North, to whom the Preacher becomes a mentor. Laestadius is pitted against Sheriff Brahe, who heads the official investigation alongside Constable Michelsson. Unlike Conan Doyle’s Lestrade, however, who is dedicated and determined if no match for Sherlock’s genius, Brahe is both incompetent and sleazy.

There are nods to other well-worn tropes, such as (in one instance) a locked-room mystery of the type which has been puzzling crime readers since the Biblical tale of Bel and the Dragon.

In the crowded market of crime fiction, To Kill a Bear stands out because it has the features of the best historical novels. Rather than being an exotic appendage to the story, the setting becomes one with the reading experience, fuelling the plot, the characters’ motivations and, more importantly, their very thought processes. The real facts of Laestadius’ life are nicely woven into the fiction, and the descriptions – at times a veritable assault on the senses – brilliantly evoke the lives of the villagers with all their challenges and privations. What I liked particularly however is the way in which the novel recreates the mind-set of the era, rather than lazily presenting us with a cast of contemporary characters dressed in fancy historical costume.

There is another intriguing theme running through the novel. Jussi learns to read and write thanks to the pastor’s efforts. As one new to expressing himself in the written word, Jussi frequently digresses into philosophical musings about writing and books, and has conversations with the pastor about the subject. At one stage there is also a quaint meta-fictional passage where the characters discuss the power of books and, self-referentially, whether a time will come when novels “about murder and death… about the effects of wickedness” will become common. The pastor feels that books like these could be dangerous. Jussi begs to disagree. Surely a novel where “you can follow the devil being fought and in the end being wrestled to the ground” could even serve a moral purpose?

As the mood of the novel gets darker and the violence more explicit, one starts wondering whether To Cook a Bear will manage to conclude in a way which fits Jussi’s template of the “righteous crime novel”. I won’t be so mean as to reveal the answer to that.

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