Translated by Alice Menzies.
Published 25th May 2023 by Zaffre.
From the cover of the book:
CAN YOU CATCH A KILLER?OR ARE YOU ALREADY IN THE WEB?
Three years ago, Detective Saga Bauer received an ominous postcard describing a gun and nine white bullets - one of which was intended for her partner, Detective Joona Linna. The sender alleged that Saga was the only person who could save him. But as time passed, the threat faded.
Until now.
A sack with a decomposing body has been found hanging from a tree in the forest. A milky white bullet casing turns up at the scene. When the body count begins to rise, the police realise that the killer is sending riddles, offering them the chance to stop the murders before they happen.
But the police always seem to arrive a moment too late. As they begin to close in, the case becomes more and more tangled. Someone is spinning a fiendishly intricate web, pulling Joona ever closer to a trap he may not be able to escape.
***********
Three years ago, Detective Saga Bauer received an odd package in the mail: a postcard describing a distinctive gun and white bullets, listing an intention to kill nine victims - with her former partner Joona Linna as the final name on the list. Whoever sent the message made it clear that Bauer held the answers to saving Linna, but she dismissed the claims as a hoax.
Bauer is now struggling to be reinstated on the police force, after events which threaten to end her career. But when a decomposing body is found wrapped in plastic, and a white bullet is found at the murder scene, she is suddenly at the centre of the case. Linna wants Bauer back on his team to help solve the riddles the killer keeps sending, goading the police to work out who the next victim is before their fate is sealed, and her apparent personal connection to the killer is key.
However, both Bauer and Linna's psychological scars, and their closeness to the motivations of the killer, are clouding their judgement. Can they solve this spate of murders before the killer comes for them?
I was first introduced to the work of Lars Kepler, in Joona Linna's last chilling book The Mirror Man, which I loved, so I could not wait to dive into The Spider! This case harks back to two of Linna's earlier stories Lazurus and The Sandman, so you need to be aware that there are spoilers in The Spider. I actually have not read either of them, but this book works well as a standalone - and, in fact, whets your appetite for the earlier books rather than spoiling the surprises.
This is all about the troubling legacy of serial killer Jurek Walter, whose horrific exploits have been kept secret by the authorities. His crimes have touched the lives of both Linna and Bauer, leaving them with psychological injuries that haunt them. A new serial killer is emulating Walter, following his unfinished project by taking out people connected to them both, in a revenge spree that is as gruesome as it is relentless. The past is out to get them, but there is little in the way of evidence to identify the killer.
There is tension galore from the very first page in this intensely gripping mystery, and the suspense ramps up with each new murder, as the clock counts down to the final target - Joona Linna himself. In a bizarre game, each killing comes with a series of clues about the identity of the victim, the location of the crime, and a trail that indicates where the bodies will be found. It takes all of Linna and Bauer's ingenuity to solve them, in a breathtakung race against the clock.
The stories of several charismatic serial killers weave together in this book, and there is no room for squeamishness as Kepler delves into the details of their crimes, and the sinister way they infect others with their darkness. Riddles abound, and I thoroughly enjoyed the way Bauer and Linna approach solving them in their own way, heading off into separate directions that diverge, and then collide, as the terrifying story plays out.
In many ways this is a showcase for Bauer's skills, and an exploration of the way her fractured psyche and misplaced guilt have shaped her. Bauer is definitely the key to solving the brutal murders, but not in the way you expect. The reveals, when they come, knock you sideways, in an orgy of violence. Linna's character development is rather intriguing this time around too, as the unconventional methods he has come to rely on to feed his intuitive flashes begin to work against him.
I devoured this book in a matter of hours, despite its hefty 500-odd pages. The writing flows beautifully, carrying you along through all the thrills, spills, twists and turns. There is a serious injection of darkness that ticks all my demanding Nordic noir boxes, making this story grittily enjoyable. I loved it, and cannot wait for the next book!
The Spider is available to buy now in hardcover, ebook and audio formats.
Thank you to Zaffre for sending me a proof of this book in return for an honest review, and to Compulsive Readers Tours for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.
About the author:
The series has sold 15 million copies in 40 languages. The Ahndorils were both established writers before they adopted the pen name Lars Kepler, and have each published several acclaimed novels.
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