LoveReading Says
If you thought The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was the epitome of Nordic noir's savage darkness, think again. Graphic, violent and weaving a thread of evil with the dexterity of a malevolent spider, this Swedish trilogy by a collaborative duo of writers, ups the ante yet another notch with pedophilia, mutilation, human trafficking and a veritable catalogue of deviance unveiled following the discovery of a mummified child's corpse by the police and the ensuing investigation by troubled detective Jeanette Kihlberg, the scion of a family of cops through the generations. Once you set the manifold horrors aside (if you can), the investigation proves entrancing, with a complex plot swerving in all directions that make this a psychological thriller of the highest order, with positive female characters to the fore. Might not be to the liking of lovers of cozy crime, but otherwise will have you truly gripped.
Maxim Jakubowski
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Erik Axl Sund Press Reviews
'The most disturbing book you'll read all year... There's a fantastic twist in store, very well executed, and a successful conclusion for the complex web of evil Sund weaves over the course of the novel' Observer, Thriller of the Month
'Determinedly and dementedly dark... Such a compulsive page-turner that the reader can concentrate on the outrageous plot twists and lurid set pieces... There is so much action...it is ridiculously entertaining' Sunday Express
'Brutal, upsetting and brilliantly written, it is the best crime novel of the year so far' Metro
'A breakneck journey through a plot of labyrinthine complexity... Sund boldly places dissociative identity disorder...at the heart of this extremely disturbing novel.' -- Joan Smith Sunday Times
'Dark, Powerful, disturbing and creepy' The Times
'Creepy is elevated to an art form in this tale of dysfunctional characters, peppered with paedophilia, guilt, pain, powerlessness, denial and betrayal... The subject matter makes for harrowing reading at times, but skilfully escalating suspense keeps you hooked all the way' Irish News
'A pulse-pounding thriller that manages to linger on character depth and puts an emphasis on supporting characters that are usually given short shrift. With its heady mix of graphic violence, noirish thrills and social commentary, the book is a must-read for Scandinavian crime fiction enthusiasts...a huge book and a landmark achievement' CrimeFictionLover
'Gruesome, compelling and deeply unsettling.' Daily Mail
'This is addictive, intelligent entertainment of the highest order... It is an astonishingly stringent, well executed and actually almost without exception breathlessly suspenseful psychological thriller bar none Kristianstadsbladet, Sweden Impressive and terrifying' Crimezone, Netherlands
'Insanely creepy psycho-thriller that places the thin veneer of normality under the microscope.' Elle, Denmark
About Erik Axl Sund
Erik Axl Sund is the pseudonym for 2 authors who have been friends and collaborators for years: Jerker Erikson and Hakan Axlander Sundquist. Hakan was a sound engineer, musician and artist, while Jerker was a music producer and worked as a librarian in a prison. Both live in Sweden where they are now full-time writers, and also run an art gallery together. Originally written as a trilogy before being re-worked for the English language markets The Crow Girl is their first book. The complete trilogy received the 'Special Award' from the Swedish Academy of Crime Writers in 2012, with the academy highlighting the trilogy's hypnotically captivating psychoanalysis in crime fiction form.
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