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The Chestnut Man
The Chestnut Man
Søren Sveistrup | 2019 | Crime, Thriller
10
8.9 (7 Ratings)
Book Rating
I can’t decide one thing with this book, to put it in the “One of the best thrillers of 2018” because I read it this year, or to say that is “One of the best thrillers of 2019” because it is published next year. One thing for sure, it is an absolute treat!

The first thing that I really loved, was the cover. It looks quite simple, but the way that the chestnut man is portrayed gave me the feeling that it is going to be a great thriller, and it definitely didn’t disappoint me. I think, that in this book there are multiple protagonists- Thulin and Hess. They both play quite equal roles during the investigation, even though it might not feel so. There is a wide variety of characters in this novel, and all of them are very well nurtured and thought through. Their qualities are delivered slowly, and I loved how they opened up throughout the book. I really liked Thulin and Hess, they both are very complex individuals. They are quite different people, and when they work together, all the process feels messy, chaotic, but in the end, it provides results.

I don’t even know from where to begin with the praise for the plot. The whole narrative has multiple layers, and there are several cases combined in this book. We have the disappearance of a Minister’s daughter, which happened a while ago and shook the whole country, and at present, we have these new murders with the chestnut dolls at the crime scenes. These two things entwined with each other created more richness and action for the whole story. I loved that it was told from multiple perspectives, it not only allowed to get to know the characters better but also gave an insight into different minds. The author chose very intriguing topics for this novel, such as foster care; child abuse; social services and their work; politicians and their lives; different family relationships; discrimination at work and many more.

The writing style of this book is impeccable! Sveistrup is a very talented storyteller with a great eye for detail, and after reading this book, I am definitely his fan. I really loved the setting of this novel, it is set mainly in Copenhagen, during the autumn/winter season, which created a very gloomy and mysterious atmosphere to the whole novel. The author is not afraid to show disturbing (to some) killings with amputations or disgusting acts of humankind, so this book is not suitable for sensitive people. It might feel like a big book, but the chapters are really short and the whole plot and characters really absorbed me so, I just couldn’t put it down. I really liked the ending of this thriller, it is unexpected, unusual, but rounded this novel very beautifully!

So, to conclude, this book has everything what a great thriller needs. The characters are complex and intriguing, the mood, suspense and twists are very well developed, it is dark and can be disgusting at times, but overall it is a gripping novel and I can’t wait to read more from this author! I do strongly recommend it, and I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.
  
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Books Editor (673 KP) shared own list

Sep 28, 2017
Eimear McBride, who won the Baileys prize in 2014 for a first novel which had struggled to find a publisher, won Britain’s oldest literary award, the James Tait Black prize, for her second, The Lesser Bohemians.

McBride’s The Lesser Bohemians, in which an 18-year-old Irish girl comes to London and falls for an older actor, was described by judges as “an extraordinary rendering of a young woman’s consciousness as she eagerly embarks on a new life in London”.

Established in 1919, The James Tait Black Prizes are Britain's oldest literary awards. There are two book prizes, one for fiction and one for biography.


Rasputin: The Biography

Rasputin: The Biography

Douglas Smith

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Book

A hundred years after his murder, Rasputin continues to excite the popular imagination as the...

A Stain in the Blood: The Remarkable Voyage of Sir Kenelm Digby

A Stain in the Blood: The Remarkable Voyage of Sir Kenelm Digby

Joe Moshenska

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Book

SHORTLISTED FOR THE JAMES TAIT BLACK PRIZE FOR BIOGRAPHY and THE ELIZABETH LONGFORD PRIZE FOR...


History
A Life Discarded: 148 Diaries Found in a Skip

A Life Discarded: 148 Diaries Found in a Skip

Alexander Masters

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Book

Unique, transgressive and as funny as its subject, A Life Discarded has all the suspense of a murder...

The Vanishing Man: In Pursuit of Velazquez

The Vanishing Man: In Pursuit of Velazquez

Laura Cumming

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Book

BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week. "The Vanishing Man is a riveting detective story and a brilliant...

The Sport of Kings

The Sport of Kings

C.E. Morgan

10.0 (1 Ratings) Rate It

Book

Shortlisted for the Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction...

and 3 other items
     
     
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Erika (17788 KP) rated My Lady Jane in Books

Nov 19, 2017  
My Lady Jane
My Lady Jane
Jodi Meadows, Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry, Young Adult (YA)
9
7.4 (5 Ratings)
Book Rating
I wasn't expecting to like this book at all. I chose it on the fly to listen to as an audiobook. I was not disappointed. It was completely humorous. The novel rotated through three points of view, Edward VI, Lady Jane Grey, and Gifford Dudley. It definitely borrowed from the likes of the Princess Bride, Shakespeare, and Monty Python. There were some irritating parts, like when it quoted too much from those sources. In the end, I did really like it.
  
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Crystal (5 KP) rated Hate List in Books

Dec 27, 2017  
Hate List
Hate List
Jennifer Brown | 2009 | Children
8
7.7 (6 Ratings)
Book Rating
I found this book to be full of relatable characters. Some I liked, some I disliked. I really did not like Valerie's father but enjoyed Valerie's psychiatrist. Valerie is living through the aftermath of her boyfriend planning and enacting a school shooting. I normally dislike the topic of the novel (the seriousness of a school shooting) but I thought the book was pretty well written. There were parts of "before" mixed in the timeline of the rest of the book.
  
Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003)
Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003)
2003 | Action
acting and story (0 more)
Great movie
What an great idea and cast. The idea of making movie like a graphic novel brilliant. The characters are done right and introduced perfectly. UMA can kick some major ass and this has one of the BEST openings of a movie I have ever scene. I love it when we have little to go on and you get surprised like that. I don't think there is a part of this movie that I didn't enjoy
  
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Rachel (48 KP) rated After She's Gone in Books

May 27, 2017  
After She's Gone
After She's Gone
Maggie James | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Tense and Surprising
This was a gripping book. The characters were all perfectly rounded and sympathetic and it really sucks you in.
There are a number of story threads running simultaneously and, whilst complex enough to be interesting, they never get confusing.
The 'whodunit' part of the novel is gripping yet it is so much more than that - ultimately it is a story of secrets and the far reaching consequences of them.

I really look forward to seeing much more of Maggie James!
  
Men Without Women: Stories
Men Without Women: Stories
Haruki Murakami, Philip Gabriel, Ted Goossen | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Modern day Hemingway without the tangential narratives
Taking​ the title from the original Ernest Hemingway novel, Haruki Murakami has updated it for a modern audience in different parts of the world, primarily Japan.

It is a series of portraits of men who have chosen the path of loneliness away from women and the void that it creates when running away from intimacy. Beautiful, simplistic with a wonderful flow, Murakami has a spectacular way of building characters and their anecdotal narratives.
  
The Lie Tree
The Lie Tree
Frances Hardinge | 2017 | Children
9
5.2 (5 Ratings)
Book Rating
Deceptively fabulous feminist book
This quaint, quirky mystery novel has so many themes intertwined in a logical fashion that I'm considering it to be near perfect.

With magical realism as a major part of this tale, I was initially apprehensive to what conclusion could be achieved without drifting off on a tangent. However, it came together revealing its true purpose, that of the women who at the beginning seemed meek and mild, but actually were at the heart of the plot. Well written.
  
Into the Water
Into the Water
Paula Hawkins | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
7
7.5 (45 Ratings)
Book Rating
Unusual, not as good as first but intriguing twist
Very unusual story, with Paula Hawkins using a similar back and forth narrative with several narrators as in Girl On A Train. The difference being there are more than one primary characters and the neurotic protagonist is played down far more than in her previous novel. And there are numerous subplots which actually confused the entire story and does not seem to thread together very well. It would have been better with less complications.