With a stabbing intensity and glowering atmosphere this is a crime novel with huge attitude. As it becomes apparent that the police have missed connecting a number of violent and brutal crimes against women, an officer on the edge begins to link the offences. This is the second in the Axel Steen Series by Jesper Stein but my first, and I was more than happy jumping straight in, so like me you can start here. Also like me, you then may well want to hunt down a copy of Unrest! Translated from Danish by Charlotte Barslund, the social and everyday differences of Denmark are still wonderfully tangy and sharp. The prologue sets the scene in Copenhagen 2004, blunt and dark I flinched as Axel Steen stamped his way into my mind. I was well and truly hooked, and set everything aside while I read. I wasn’t sure that I was going to like Axel, but as a cop in a novel, I loved him! The word gritty is often scattered through reviews for crime novels, but gritty is absolutely appropriate here and comes with extra emphasis. Die for Me is a wonderful addition for the list of any Scandi noir fans, and I say: it’s a Liz Pick of the Month for me, bring on the third in the series!
A cop who will stop at nothing to catch the killer.
A brutal stalker is preying on women in Copenhagen.
DI Axel Steen begins an obsessive manhunt that sends him spiralling out of control. The investigation is fraught with heart-stopping near-misses, dark mysteries, and a final revelation with devastating consequences.
A raw psychological thriller from a master of crime storytelling.
'There's a real heart beating through Steen's darkness, and brilliantly sustained tension in Stein's plotting - a gripping combination.' The Times and Sunday Times Crime Club - The Times and Sunday Times Crime Club
'Who doesn't love a maverick cop with a chaotic personal life?' Ian Rankin
Readers can't get enough of Die for Me:
'I devoured this book, all in one sitting in one afternoon.'
'Had me hooked from beginning to end.'
'Fantastic!'
'A whirlwind ride from start to finish.'
'Absolutely brilliant! I love Scandi novels and this has just become my new favourite.'
Real reader reviews taken from NetGalley.co.uk
Author
About Jesper Stein
Winner of the 2018 Danish Crime Novel of the Year Award and 2015 Golden Laurels Award, Jesper Stein began his writing career as a journalist and made his literary debut in 2012 with the crime novel Unrest - the first in the Axel Steen series. He has received massive attention for his sharp eye for detail, rich and innovative plotting and confident prose. Praised by critics as a writer who will keep readers on the edge of their seat, Stein has positioned himself as one of the most talented authors of crime fiction in Scandinavia.
