When a whole family is murdered in Stockholm, Inspector Joona Linna is brought in to investigate the murky case and soon uncovers an unsettling connection to disgraced hypnotist and medic Erik Maria Bark. With uber-villains in the Thomas Harris mould and a labyrinthine plot, this is set to be the veritable heir to the Stieg Larsson series. Unsettling and gripping.
#1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER The first of the Killer Instinct series featuring Detective Joona Linna: a triple murder, the one surviving witness-a boy with no memory of what happened-and the hypnotist hired to help uncover the truth.
"Full of surprises and more than enough twists to keep those pages turning well into the night." -NPR
The police are desperate for information on the triple homicide. Detective Joona Linna enlists the help of hypnotist Erik Maria Bark. But when Bark unlocks the secrets in the boy's memory, he triggers a terrifying chain of events that will put all their lives in jeopardy.
'Lars Kepler enthralls readers with The Hypnotist, just like Stieg Larsson did with the Millennium-series.' Norrkopings Tidningar, Sweden
'The Hypnotist is a rare beast: A Swedish thriller on a high international level with a smart, effective and surprising plot. The narrative has a skilful, refined, pulsating drive and the writing is sharp, convincing and multilayered.' Kristianstadsbladet
'One of the best -- if not best -- Scandinavian crime I've read. Who knows I might even manage to sleep with the light off again sometime soon!' Sam Baker
'Intelligent, original and chilling' Simon Beckett
'You'll be engrossed way past bedtime.' Stylist Magazine
'A carefully woven web of suspense, a sharp dialogue and a very inventive way indeed of dealing with how a tormented brain works.' Swedish Radio
'The book's structure is tremendously skilful. The suspense and the uneasiness only increase, while I chew my nails shorter and shorter.' Aftonbladet
'Lars Kepler has written a fine crime novel, a breathtaking thriller, which uncovers the many unpleasant sides of the human psyche. He opens the door to a human abyss. And he does it in an irresistible way.' Boras tidning
Author
About Lars Kepler
A No. 1 bestselling international sensation, Lars Kepler has sold in excess of 1.5 million copies of the Joona Linna series in Sweden alone. Their first thriller, The Hypnotist, has just been released as a film, directed by Lasse Hallström. The Fire Witness is the third thriller in the Joona Linna series following on from The Nightmare in 2012. Lars Kepler is the pseudonym for writing duo, Alexander and Alexandra Ahndoril. They live with their family in Sweden.
