This is a strong work of historical fiction with a hefty dose of theologically bent characters. For me, the amount of religion was ... isolating, but others may enjoy the theological vs. philosophical questions pondered here.

Based on the real world figure of 1850s Swedish preacher Laestadius, the book is narrated by Jussi, an orphaned Sami boy and sort of adopted son. Jussi is a compelling character - I was eager to understand what led to his roaming alone and near wild before the preacher found him and I hated the injustices he faced throughout the narrative.

While the prose is well written, it might have been a little too... ponderous? for me. I had a hard time getting invested in the story. Or perhaps it was the subject matter; I don't have much interest in botany, or early forensic science, or reformation Christianity; so there weren't a lot of touchstones to keep me invested here. That being said the premise is interesting.

My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is an extraordinary book. In turns I was fascinated by it, repulsed by it, impatient with it, engrossed by it. It is not for the faint-hearted as life in 19th century Sweden is hard, there is little food, rest or comfort and Jussi has had an awful start to his life until he is rescued from the road-side by The Pastor. Mixed in with the hunger, the superstition, the alcohol abuse, the cruelty, is a traditional murder-mystery that the Pastor used his detective skills - and a magnifying glass - to solve with plenty of red-herrings along the way. The writing is superb, the story woven skillfully to keep us guessing until the quite astonishing end. This is not an easy read but it is a rewarding one. And I shall never take the humble potato for granted again.

First boil the head…

Nineteenth Century Nordic Noir set in Lapland with an evangelical pastor and his young Lapp assistant investigating a number of violent crimes against young women – I tried this on a whim and enjoyed it immensely! There is so much going on in this novel: Christian revival, Holmsian sleuthing, racial bigotry, scientific progress, the power of literacy, women’s rights. There are also some very gory and violent scenes, some of which could actually be distressing to the reader. So, be warned. While the identity of the criminal is not so hard to work out, despite numerous red herrings, there are some genuine surprises, as well as a kind of justice, in the final out-working of the plot.

I thought this was really good, reminiscent in an odd sort of way of Eco’s The Name of the Rose, in its intellectual pursuit of a killer, hampered by people who care nothing for facts and evidence, but only for appearances. Then, too, was its recurrent theme of a Christian reformist movement subject to prejudice from without and corruption within. Finally there is the master and apprentice relationship between Pastor Laestadius and his young Lapp assistant.

I really enjoyed this book. It was an intriguing and interesting story about trying to catch a killer. It was also about people’s beliefs and the corrupt justice system. I could have kept reading. This is a fascinating and memorable story.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

I did not get on with this book at all. It's set in the far north of Sweden in 1852 with the main characters being a famous revivalist preacher, Laestadius, and a Sami (Laplander) boy called Jussi. Jussi has run away from his abusive mother and is taken under the wing of the preacher and his wife. The preacher teaches Jussi to read and also about plants and nature as the preacher is a keen botanist. One day a young girl in the community goes missing and is found dead. A bear is blamed and the local sheriff puts out a reward for capturing the bear but the preacher is not convinced that a bear is to blame for this murder and other subsequent attacks in the village.

The writing is very lyrical with pages of description about plants, spiritual and mystical matters. I found it quite tedious. The preacher sees clues as to what had really happened in the attacks in minute details such as what plant fragment was found and the location where that plant would normally grow. The writing is full of these types of clues which are all discounted or ignored by the sheriff and his constable.

There is a lot of gore and violence to animals as well as people in the book. I wouldn't have asked for an advanced copy to read if I'd known this and I really hated these bits and just skim read these sections. The ending was just very unsatisfying and I am not even sure I understand it - possibly as a result of missing something vital in my skim reading. Not a book for me at all.

With thanks to NetGalley and Quercus Books for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Pastor Læstadius, a charismatic preacher, finds a runaway Sami boy, Jussi, by the side of the road and takes him in, Jussi learns to read and write and becomes Læstadius's helper in his search for rare plants.

When a young girl is found dead, the local people, encouraged by Sheriff Brahe, blame a killer bear. A bear is caught and killed and justice is believed to have been done. Læstadius does not believe the culprit was the bear, however. He has seen evidence of human involvement. When another girl is attacked and left traumatised by rape, Læstadius's investigations continue, hampered at all times by Brahe?

Jussi has secrets of his own. He leaves the pastor's home every now and then and disappears for weeks or months, but always returns. When suspicion for the attacks falls on him Læstadius must work even harder to prove his theories as to the attacker's identity. He collects clues, noticing tiny changes in the environment, picking up small items to support his belief, and making use of the new sciences of fingerprinting and photography to aid his investigations.

This is a compassionate and fascinating novel, where a real person, Læstadius, becomes a Holmsean-type detective. Læstadius himself is a flawed character, who reflects on his own part in a religious uprising that caused the deaths of many innocents.

Thought-provoking and beautifully written, To Cook a Bear is an unusual and compelling read. The translator must also be commended for a magnificent job,

To Cook a Bear is a richly imagined nineteenth-century historical crime novel and easily one of the most delightful books of the past few years. It's a fantastic tale set in the far north of Sweden in 1852 following a runaway Sami boy and his mentor, the revivalist preacher Laestadius, as they investigate a murder in their village along with the mysteries of life. Jussi, a runaway, becomes the famous preacher Laestadius's faithful son and disciple. The Preacher is an avid botanist, and with Jussi in tow he sets out on long botanical treks filled with philosophical discussions, teaching Jussi all about plants and nature; but also how to read, write and about spirituality. One day a maid goes missing in the deep forest. When she is found dead, the locals suspect a predatory bear is at large. The constable is quick to offer a reward for capturing it, but the Preacher sees other traces that point to a far worse killer on the loose. After another maid is severely injured, Jussi and the Preacher track down the murderer, unaware of the evil that is closing in on him. For it is revivalist times, and thanks to the Preacher impassioned faith spreads like wildfire among the locals. While the preacher's powerful Sunday sermons grant salvation to farmers and workers, they gain him enemies among local rulers, who see profits dwindle as people choose revival over alcohol.

It's not often a crime novel can literally pluck me from my reality and place me back down in an entirely different place and time, this time in nineteenth-century Sweden; I genuinely felt as though I was there as the descriptions were so vivid and beautiful that they transport you there in an instant. I was completely lost in these pages from the first chapter, which set the scene, right through to the denouement, and I realised I really wasn't quite ready to leave the richly-imagined world portrayed within this beguiling story. Not only does the time and place in which it is set come alive but the characters leap off the pages and into your heart too; the relationship between Laestadius and Jussi is believable and touched my heart. It's compulsive, totally engrossing and I cannot sing its praises enough, but no matter how effusive my review I still feel this is a book so full of beauty and evil, love and hope, learning and companionship that it's impossible to do it justice. It was the perfectly potent and gripping mix of mystery and intrigue, and exploration and rumination on the big philosophical questions surrounding life and love, fate and desire and is entertaining in the process. It's unlike anything I have ever experienced before and is a book that I found brutal, touching and fascinating. Many thanks to MacLehose Press for an ARC.

It took me a little while to get into this, but once I was in I was hooked. By the underlying tale of Jussi, the Sami boy, and the Pastor, as they investigate a series of murders in the remote north of Finland. By the stunning descriptions of the harsh but never boring landscape of Finland’s far north. By the backdrop of the mutual suspicion between Sami and Finn. By the theme (which should ring a bell with North American readers) of the forcible ‘Christianisation’ of Sami children.
The setting of the story could almost be medieval - it comes as something of a shock to realise that the action takes place in the mid-19th century.
It is beautifully-written throughout.
If I have one criticism, it’s that the characters of the local policemen are somewhat stereotyped.
But that’s a minor criticism of a superb story, grippingly told.

The writing here is magical, whether it is describing the flora of a far Northern Summer, a sparkling white winter scene, a poor village and its inhabitants, or the warm-hearted pastor Laestadius and his protege Jussi. Jussi is a neglected Sami boy taken under the wing of the great pastor, and taught to read and write, to love botany and (less successfully) to love God too. It is difficult not to become emotionally involved with the characters here, as they are so brilliantly drawn, and the plot will satisfy any lover lover of a good murder mystery. It took a little while to become involved in the narrative at the start, as this is different in style, setting and time to any book I have previously read, but I read it long into the night to learn the fate of Jussi and his beloved, of Laestadius and his noble, angelic wife, and of the cast of nasties who give the book plenty of evil and darkness.

This book is beautifully written and worthy of the hype surrounding it, from the title I didn’t know what to expect but I found this story, Swedish historical fiction but loosely based on true events, to be both charming and disturbing.
Set in 1852 and following the events of a maid found dead, presumably killed by a bear, Revivalist pastor Lars Levi Laestaduus, and Jussi, a Sami boy he took in off the street, don’t believe this was a simply an attack by a beast of the animal variety at least, especially when a 2nd girl is attacked After the bear is caught. Using botany, inquiries and a sharp eye for detail, Lars seeks out the truth, no matter the danger.

This book has different elements to it. You have the paternal element of Lars bringing in Jussi starving off of the streets and educating and loving him into a young man and assistant. You also have the investigations which are incredibly clever and self aware in a way that is enjoyable and provocative but doesn’t make you feel tangled in knots. Lastly this book deals with the brutal reality of the time, women are assaulted and mistreated, Jussi’s childhood is difficult to read about and that brutality follows him as he faces racist persecution in the community. All of this is under a cloud of religious revolt and it all just fits together. This book deals with crime, scientific investigation, philosophical and theological debate, racism, religion, love and deception with a detailed and rich eye for history. I don’t typically read crime novels but this is just magnificent and had so much to appreciate. The writing is rich, the prose delightful and you find yourself easily carried away with the pages.

Thank you NetGalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

I intend to publish this review on the below links w/c 14th September, as part of a blog tour organised by Corinna Zifko at Quercus Books and MacLehose Press.


𝙸 𝚖𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚊𝚝 𝚊𝚗𝚢 𝚖𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝. 𝙰𝚜 𝚊 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚛 𝚍𝚘𝚎𝚜. 𝙸 𝚊𝚖 𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚗𝚘𝚠, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚗𝚎𝚡𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝙸 𝚊𝚖 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚎𝚕𝚜𝚎... T𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚒𝚜 𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚍𝚕𝚢 𝚊 𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚖𝚎 𝚕𝚎𝚏𝚝 𝚋𝚎𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚍, 𝚗𝚘 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗 𝚊𝚗 𝚊𝚗𝚒𝚖𝚊𝚕'𝚜.
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Thank you to NatGalley and MacLehose Press/Quercus Books for approving me to read this book, and thank you to Corinna Zifko for sending me a physical copy of this book and for including me in the blog tour.
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𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙻𝙴𝙶𝙴𝙽𝙳𝙰𝚁𝚈 𝙻𝙰𝙴𝚂𝚃𝙰𝙳𝙸𝚄𝚂 𝙱𝙴𝙲𝙾𝙼𝙴𝚂 𝙰 𝙺𝙸𝙽𝙳 𝙾𝙵 𝚂𝙷𝙴𝚁𝙻𝙾𝙲𝙺 𝙷𝙾𝙻𝙼𝙴𝚂 𝙸𝙽 𝚃𝙷𝙸𝚂 𝙴𝚇𝙲𝙴𝙿𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽𝙰𝙻 𝙷𝙸𝚂𝚃𝙾𝚁𝙸𝙲𝙰𝙻 𝙲𝚁𝙸𝙼𝙴 𝙽𝙾𝚅𝙴𝙻
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I love historical fiction as a genre, and To Cook A Bear was no exception for me. The beautiful scene-setting and atmosphere really stood out throughout this book.
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𝙸 𝚠𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚊 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚙𝚕𝚎𝚝𝚎 𝚊𝚋𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚜𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍 𝚒𝚗 𝚊 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚕𝚍 𝚋𝚒𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚒𝚝𝚜 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎.
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The story itself is an interesting one. Set in Sweden in 1852, it focusses on the life of the preacher Lars Levi Laestadius, and his apprentice-of-sorts Jussi, a Sami boy rescued by Laestadius.
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𝙸𝚏 𝚒𝚝 𝚒𝚜𝚗'𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚛'𝚜 𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚕𝚎 𝚗𝚘𝚊𝚒𝚍𝚒! 𝙸𝚜 𝚒𝚝 𝚝𝚛𝚞𝚎 𝚑𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚊 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚗𝚎? 𝚈𝚘𝚞 𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚕𝚢𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚊 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚗𝚎, 𝚊 𝚝𝚛𝚘𝚕𝚕 𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍𝚗'𝚝 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚊𝚔.
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The most interesting element of the story, in my view, was the mystery of the missing and injured maids.
Initially it is thought that a bear is to blame, but it quickly becomes apparent that there is something much more sinister afoot.
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𝙿𝚎𝚘𝚙𝚕𝚎 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚐𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚕𝚢 𝚒𝚗 𝚏𝚎𝚊𝚛 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚕. 𝙴𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚌𝚒𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚜 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚐𝚞𝚒𝚜𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚊 𝚠𝚘𝚕𝚏 𝚘𝚛 𝚊 𝚜𝚗𝚊𝚔𝚎. 𝙱𝚞𝚝 𝚑𝚎 𝚒𝚜 𝚏𝚊𝚛 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚍𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚎𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚜 𝚒𝚗 𝚑𝚞𝚖𝚊𝚗 𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚖.
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I liked the historical elements that were included in this book, such as the invention of the daguerreotypes, and the forensic evidence that Laetadius employs in his attempts to identify the killer.
I wasn't quite as interested in the religious elements, but I did like how these reflected on human nature, and I felt that some of these reflections were still relevant today.
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𝚆𝚎 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚏𝚎𝚊𝚛 𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚑 𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛... 𝚖𝚘𝚜𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚠𝚎 𝚏𝚎𝚊𝚛 𝚕𝚘𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛. 𝙱𝚎𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚎, 𝚋𝚎𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚜𝚎𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚝𝚎𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚘𝚏 𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚍.
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Overall this was a very picturesque, beautifully-written and interesting read. It kept me guessing throughout, and I would absolutely recommend it to any fans of historical fiction.

Beautifully written, but so sad. Also a fascinating account of this historical period in a country I know so little about - doesn't make me wish I lived there and then though!

Big thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review and e_ARC of this wonderful book.. The translation was excellent and really evoked the time and place with smatterings of original languages throughout. Jussi was an endearing character who endured a lot but never seemed to lose his desire to live a good life. The pastor was a very interesting character with so many interests, and ahead of his time with his forensic interest in crime scenes. Overall I think that this book is my favourite of the many that I have read in 2020.

This quirky and sometimes addling book, has a slight fantastical feel to it. It’s a tale set in the far north of Sweden in 1852 following a runaway Sami boy and his mentor, the revivalist preacher Laestadius, as they investigate a murder in their village along with the mysteries of life.
Jussi is a most curious character, circa 11 years old, brought up by a witch and subjected to cruelty and abuse. He has low self-worth, acting almost as if he has the status of an unwanted dog, but is insightful in many ways. He may not always be able to articulate his thoughts, but with the guidance of the preacher who finds him on the roadside he can quietly begin to come out of his shell.
It is set in a beautiful and descriptive landscape where life ticks over. When a milkmaid disappears, this is quickly attributed to a bear, but the preacher recognises it as more than this.
Sometimes when the narrator switches you are not sure who is speaking and whether they speak the truth or not. Whilst this could be frustrating, it was oddly compelling in this book. Human flaws are laid bare. Ordinary people, living bland lives are portrayed in a fascinating and rich way. Ultimately this is a sophisticated mystery whodunit which is doused in the rawness of life in earlier times.

Set in 19th century Sweden, on the border with Finland, this is a tale of a small, rural community where a violent crime takes place.
The local Pastor, an unsually teetotal botanist, and his Lappish ward, Jussi, begin to investigate when it's apparent the local Sheriff, an ignorant buffoon, is convinced a bear is responsible.
Atmospheric and beautifully written, I can see this can have the power to move, appall and intrigue. However, I struggled with it, found it slow and an uneasy read, dark and with too little action.

This book is beautifully crafted. The real charm of this book is in the beautiful story telling. It manages to achieve that very special thing of being accomplished literary fiction whilst at the same time also being a very good historical mystery novel. The writing is atmospheric, and evocative creating a real sense of time and place. The main characters feel so very real, likeable and humble all at the same time. At its heart though this it is still a mystery novel and a very cleverly plotted one at that.

It is 1852. In Sweden's far north, deep in the Arctic Circle, we meet the preacher and Revivalist Lars Levi Læstadius. Alongside him is Jussi, the young Sami boy Læstadius has rescued from destitution and abuse. Lars teaches Jussi to read and write and to love and fear God. Everything is to change though one day when a milkmaid goes missing, which is assumed to be as a result of a bear attack, until a second girl is also attacked but survives. Lars and Jussi using little known recently discovered forensics find themselves on a trail of a killer.

Well this was perfect for me. Swedish Noir and Swedish historical fiction merged into one. Dark and disturbing but also hopeful and fascinating. Brilliant characters inspired by real life figures. An interesting portrayal of the Sami people. The swedish arctic is a sparse and cruel land.. Just my kind of read.

This is a special book. It is about a pastor living in the far north of Sweden in the 1850s and Jussi, a young Sami boy he takes in after finding him destitute by the side of the road. A young woman is killed in the remote farming community and the pastor begins to investigate the murder, too rapidly ascribed to a bear by a scornful Sheriff.

But there is a lot more to the novel than this: the landscape of the north, with its mud, numerous biting insects but also meadows full of flowers is a harsh but beautiful setting and well-described. The religious fervor of the pastor, who is based on a well-known mid 19th century priest responsible for the revivalist movement, communicates to Jussi and it is also about reading, and the joy of reading, almost a magically religious thing in itself is wonderfully described.

It will linger with me long after other books have been forgotten. Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a review copy.

To Cook a Bear is a unique, engaging read - if a little over ambitious. While I found the history immersive, and the characters intriguing, the mystery fell a little flat for me. Niemi tries to do a little too much with his genre-blending storytelling, and it's the detective elements that suffer: they feel sparse and misplaced in a narrative that is far more of a historical character study.

The real focus is the portrayal of the northern Swedish landscape and Sámi experience. There are some powerful thoughts on literacy, identity and belonging, and Niemi captures the claustrophobia of a small, rural community well.

I feel like I learned something from reading To Cook a Bear, but after a slow burn of a novel, the ending is wrapped up all too quickly.

A fascinating murder mystery story mixing fact and fiction set in Northern Sweden. Brilliant character descriptions, and details of human nature including how beliefs can cloud judgement are wrapped in the remote and harsh landscape. An interesting tale.