The Lying Game by Ruth Ware

The Lying Game by Ruth Ware

 Published: 2017

 

The Lying Game by Ruth Ware is a psychological thriller.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Simon & Schuster, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Ruth Ware does it again! 

Put four somewhat troubled teenage girls in a second-rate boarding school, and see what happens. Isa Wilde is sent to Salten by her father when her mother is dying.  Fatima is sent while her parents are on sabbatical in India.  Thea has been expelled from two or three other boarding schools.  Kate’s father is the art teacher at Salten.  These four girls form a lasting bond.  Kate and Thea devise a “game” which is aimed at the more popular girls, and at the “establishment”.  The Lying Game has five rules:

1. Tell a Lie
2. Stick to the Lie
3. Don’t Get Caught
4. Never Lie to Each Other
5. Know When to Stop Lying

They enjoy their little game, much to the chagrin of fellow students and faculty.

Then one of their lies becomes deadly,  and the effects become lasting.  Even after being expelled from the school, the girls keep the secret.  No one tells anyone what really happened at Salten.  They don’t even tell their future partners.  Surprisingly,  for such close friends, they don’t keep in touch.  One lie haunts them all.  But 17 years later, Kate sends each of them a text.  “I need you” is all she says.  Isa, now an attorney, immediately packs her bag, grabs her 6-month old little girl and tells her husband she has to go away for a few days.  She doesn’t look back.  Fatima leaves her husband, two children, and doctor’s office and gets in the car.  Her medical practice will have to wait.  Thea leaves her shift at the Casino as soon as she hears.  They all head back to Salten, and to Kate.  The final lie is about to burst open, and they have to face facts.  All of their lives could be ruined.  They could lose everything.  They have been dreading this moment for 17 years.  Did one of them break a rule?

Told from Isa’s point of view, we learn the girls backgrounds.  We are also introduced to Kate’s father Ambrose, and her half-brother Luc, as well as the residents of the town that have no use for the girls.   And of course, we hear about what happened, and why they were expelled.

Ruth Ware writes exceptional prose.  She created a setting, a coastal town on the salt marshes, which seemed ripe for mystery.  She created characters who are deep, who are “real”.  Any reader who was once a 15-year old girl knows that the bonds you create at that age can stick like glue.  And your stupidity can know no bounds.  Ruth Ware knows this, and it comes across in this wonderful book. 

Highly recommend it!

Read: July 2017

 

Favorite Quotes from The Lying Game:  

“You’re never an ex-addict, you’re just an addict who hasn’t had a fix in a while.”

“A wall, after all, isn’t just about keeping others out. It can also be for trapping people inside.”

“How dare you judge me? I do what I have to do to sleep at night. So do you, apparently. How about you respect my coping mechanisms and I’ll respect yours?”

“Why didn’t I realize that a lie can outlast any truth”

 

About the Author:  Ruth Ware grew up in Sussex, on the south coast of England.  She has worked as a waitress, a bookseller, a teacher of English as a foreign language, and a press officer.  She is now an internationally known best-selling author.

Gwendy’s Button Box by Stephen King and Richard Chizmar

Gwendy’s Button Box by Stephen King and Richard Chizmar

 Published: 2017

 

 

Gwendy’s Button Box by Stephen King and Richard Chizmar, is a novella.  Not your typical “horror” book, although the premise could be scary.  It is more mystery/suspense/fantasy/fiction.  

Richard Chizmar is the publisher and editor of Cemetery Dance magazine and owner of Cemetery Dance Productions. He is also an author, and as King has published a lot with Cemetery Dance, when he ran into a problem with the writing of Gwendy’s Button Box, he asked Chizmar to help him write it.  This is supposedly how they ended up co-authoring this book.

The story itself is centered in King’s well-known town of Castle Rock, and fans will recognize a few landmarks and people.  It tells the story of a young girl (Gwendy Peterson) who is determined to lose the nickname “Goodyear” before heading to middle school in the fall.  To do this, she has been using the “Suicide Stairs” which zig-zag up the cliffside.  All 305 of them.  Every day.  On the day that she can look down and finally see the tips of her sneakers, she meets a man at the top of the cliff.  Although hesitant about talking to strangers, 12-year old Gwendy accepts a beautiful wooden box from the man who introduces himself as Richard Farris.  He assures her that it is hers to keep.  He tells her about the two levers which dispense gifts that she will enjoy.  There are also buttons on top, a red one which will give her whatever she wants, and other buttons as well, which should be left alone.  The box comes with great responsibility and must remain hidden from all, as it should not fall into the wrong hands.  Repercussions could resonate throughout the world.  Farris makes sure Gwendy understands this.

As years go by, Gwendy finds that the box truly is a gift, giving her and her family benefits beyond their normal expectations.  But Gwendy finds it is also a burden, and those extra buttons sometimes tempt her.

In one way I really enjoyed this book, but I think I expected more.  When the man first appeared and said he wanted to “palaver”, I thought OMG, the man in black (from the Dark Tower series).  Of course his black clothes helped.  Then when he introduced himself as Richard Farris, my mind went to another of King’s creations RF (Randall Flagg), so I questioned his intentions to the very end.  I think the book could have been longer, as the short chapters took us through Gwendy’s life with the box fairly quickly. We could have had things fleshed out a little more.  On the other hand, it went at a nice clip, and maybe I was just hoping for more Stephen King.

But the whole idea of this box, did raise the question….would you be tempted in today’s world to maybe push a button or two?

 

Read: June 2017

 

Favorite Quotes from Gwendy’s Button Box:

“There are three ways up to Castle View from the town of Castle Rock: Route 117, Pleasant Road, and the Suicide Stairs.”

“Light green: Asia. Dark green: Africa. Orange: Europe. Yellow: Australia. Blue: North America. Violet: South America. Are you with me? Can you remember?”

“Gwendy has a thought (novel now in its adult implications, later to become a tiresome truth): secrets are a problem, maybe the biggest problem of all. They weigh on the mind and take up space in the world.”

 

About the Authors:

Stephen King needs no introduction, no blurb, no “about”

Richard Chizmar has won two World Fantasy awards, four International Horror Guild awards, and the HWA’s Board of Trustee’s award.  He is the author of many short stories.

Evil Games by Angela Marsons (#2 Kim Stone)

Evil Games by Angela Marsons

 Published: 2015

 

Evil Games by British Author Angela Marsons is the 2nd in the DI (Detective Inspector) Kim Stone Series.

I loved the first in the series (Silent Scream), and am even more impressed with Evil Games.  Marsons is a very talented writer.  Her subject matter, even when disturbing, is done without the gory graphics.  She gets her point across without rubbing our nose in the details.  As well, her characters get deeper with each book.

In Evil Games, DI Kim Stone and her team are investigating the horrific sexual assault of two young girls by their father.  They are going to make sure every avenue is pursued and closed down to make sure the father stays behind bars.  But is there someone else involved?

Meanwhile, when the body of a convicted rapist is found, his victim readily admits to killing him.  However, DI Kim Stone feels that something doesn’t ring true.  Yes, the crime has been solved, but she feels that someone else was pulling the strings.  Unfortunately, this investigation will be hers alone.  No one else sees the problem, and both her boss and the members of her team feel she should let it go.  Kim can’t.  She just has to trust her instincts, and move forward.  What she finds is a true sociopath.  Someone is playing their own evil game, experimenting with and manipulating the vulnerabilities and weaknesses found in others, and convincing them to stand up for themselves and take revenge.  So far this psychopath has been winning, but Kim is about to enter the game. Unfortunately, Kim’s horrific background and unresolved issues may not make her the ideal opponent.

Marsons has given us a little more of Kim Stone’s history in this one, and with each new insight, we discover why she has such a hard shell around her.  But we are seeing a few more cracks in the shell.  It is nice when an author enables the characters to grow.  As well, a couple of characters were introduced in this book, and I really enjoyed loving/hating them.  If a character can make me want to smack or hug them, the author is doing their job. 

I’m really enjoying this series, and am looking forward to the next one!

 

Read: June 2017

 

Favorite Quotes from Evil Games:

“You take back your own control, your own destiny, your light.”

“Ultimately it came down to a single question. Was she prepared to enter this arena and risk her own fragile psyche to uncover the total truth?”

“The world is a dangerous place to live, not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it.” 

 

Note From the Author :  “I began the process of writing Evil Games with the intention of representing the nature of a true sociopath.”  

I find that scary.

 

About the Author:  Angela Marsons discovered writing in Primary School when a short piece on the rocks and the sea gained her the only merit point she ever got.  Eventually, her partner convinced her to enter short story competitions in Writer’s News which resulted in a win and three short listed entries.  The rest seems to be history!

 

 

Huntress Moon by Alexandra Sokoloff (#1 Huntress/FBI)

Huntress Moon by Alexandra Sokoloff

 Published: 2012

 

 

Huntress Moon by Alexandra Sokoloff is the first in the Huntress/FBI Thriller series.

First, let me tell you that I have not read anything else by this author, but that will be rectified. 

Second, I must tell you that because I am such an avid reader, I sometimes get in a “reading rut” – where I read the same books, or same type, or same series for months on end – and then repeat.  For this reason, every now and then I will randomly choose a book that has a high * rating on Goodreads, or has won awards, or has somehow caught my attention, but that I know nothing about either the author nor the book.  I intentionally do not read any blurbs about the book, and just dive in.  That way I am always surprised (not always pleasantly), but it is also how I have found new authors to follow.  This was the case with Huntress Moon.  My first thought, based solely on the title, was that it was probably going to be either a ghost story or some type of supernatural adventure.  Now you see where the surprise part enters the equation. 

The next thing you must know….I loved this book!!!!

Huntress Moon is a psychological thriller, following FBI Agent Matthew Roarke.  He is hunting someone who seems to be a new type of serial killer.  He thinks it is a woman, and he feels a real connection to her from the moment he lays eyes on her – just as his colleague gets run over by a truck.  What did she say to Greer that led him to step off the sidewalk?  Did she kill him?  Where did she go?  Roarke follows a growing list of dead bodies, intent on finding this mysterious woman.  When he can finally put a name to the killer, he realizes that she is part of the reason he broke with family tradition to join the FBI.    Roarke has been aware of her since he was 9 years old.   It seems their paths were meant to cross.  But what has led her to kill?

Told from the perspectives of both Roarke, and from the killer, we quickly realize that they are both hunters, and that although one is a killer, both have their good reasons for pursuing their prey.  I found myself cheering for both of them.  Their sense/intuition of each other makes the hunt more intense.  We really get the feeling that they are almost communicating with each other without speaking. 

Sokoloff really dug deep into the characters psyches to provide insight into what drives them.  She did this with the main characters, but also the supporting cast.  The plot and pace moves perfectly, and the author has a real knack for story-telling.

This story is disturbing in one way. It deals with monsters. The monsters within humans. Some are easy to spot, while others take a special person to see them.

This was a really entertaining journey and although I know I will read others between, it won’t be long until I start the second book in this series. It is already calling me.

 

Read: July 2017

 

Favorite Quotes from Huntress Moon:

“The native Americans call the October full moon Hunter’s Moon.” His mouth quirked in an expression that was not quite a smile. “Perhaps the blue moon is the Huntress Moon.”
Roarke had an uneasy feeling that he was right.”

“Revelation. All-time favorite of unmedicated street evangelists everywhere.”

“She thinks, for the millionth time, that being a woman is the world’s most perfect camouflage.”

 

About the Author:   Alexandra Sokoloff is the bestselling author of both supernatural and crime novels.  Her awards and nominations continue to build up. As a screenwriter she has sold original suspense and horror scripts and written novel adaptations for numerous Hollywood studios.   Although originally from California, she now divides her time between Los Angeles and Scotland.   In her free time, she dances.

Liar by K.L. Slater

 Liar by K.L. Slater

 Published: 2017

 

Liar by K.L. Slater is a psychological thriller. 

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher, and of course, the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The book tells the story of Judi, a middle-aged woman who has been looking after her family for a very long time.  Perhaps her husband Henry hasn’t been quite as faithful as he should be, but she is pretty sure that was in the past.  Also in the past is the death of their son David.  However, her son Ben is very much alive and in need of her attention. When her daughter-in-law died of cancer two years ago, she got even more involved in Ben’s life,  by looking after his two sons.  Gramma’s house was theirs to roam.  Even when she started struggling with menopause, nothing would stop her from looking after her family.  She picked the kids up from school, she made them dinner, she did the laundry and ironing, cleaned Ben’s house….  Then Ben meets the beautiful and intriguing Amber.  He falls head over heels in love.  Judi seems to be the only one who sees that there is something wrong with Amber.  But her son is finally putting his foot down, and if Judi isn’t careful, she could lose her family.  Amber has her own issues and her own agenda, and she has no intention of letting Ben’s mother rule the roost.  Her plans depend on Judi losing everything.  The question remains…how far will you go to protect your family?

Now I am not going to tell you I liked any of the characters in this book, because I didn’t. Judi was overly domineering while trying to look like the injured party, and Amber was intrusive and obnoxious, while trying to get the upper hand and make Judi look bad. Henry was disgusting, and Ben was weak, both men portrayed as very shallow.  The boys were okay.  However, the family dynamics and interactions were great!

I loved the way the story was told from the perspective of both Judi and Amber.  It really kept the story moving fast.

I admit, this is the first book I have read by this author.  It will not be the last.  I initially thought this was going to be a run-of-the-mill novel, but I quickly fell in love with the style of writing, and although I did not like the characters in the book, I liked their depth, loved the plot, and loved the twisted ending (although I do admit to having an idea about the ending about mid-way through).

Kim Slater says she got the inspiration from this book from reading an article of how few legal rights that grand-parents have to see their grandchildren in the event they are estranged from the parents.  Well, she certainly took that article to the next level!

Good book!  Worth the read!

 

Read: July 2017

 

About the Author:  Kim Slater is the best-selling author of the psychological thrillers Blink and Safe With Me.  She has also written award-winning YA Fiction.  She lives in England with her husband Mac. 

Black Evening by David Morrell

Black Evening by David Morrell

 Originally Published: 1999

 

Black Evening by David Morrell is a collection of his short stories from the 1970’s to early 1990’s.  Touted as Tales of Dark Suspense, they focus on fear.  Fear of loss, fear of pain, fear of madness.  What makes these short stories truly interesting, is that each is accompanied by a brief synopsis of why Morrell wrote them, and his state of mind at the time.  Some of these were written before and after the death of his son.  This makes the collection very personal,  a bit sad, and just a tad scary.  Overall, it is a great collection. 

A brief description of my favorites from this collection:

The Dripping………A man returns home to his mother’s house, expecting to find his wife and child, and instead finds a basement dripping with milk.  Rather Strange.

Black Evening…….The investigation into the stench coming from an old mansion proves to be more than hoarding.

The Typewriter…..Loved this one.  A starving artist purchases a strange old typewriter that apparently writes bestsellers, all on its own.  When it breaks, so does his mind. 

But at My Back I Always Hear…..A college professor is stalked by one of his students who swears he is communicating with her telepathically.  This was really good!

The Storm…..A man disrespects an Indian Medicine Man, and then can’t escape the storm.  Really liked this one.

Mumbo Jumbo……..A high school football team has a strange mascot.  Interesting.

The Beautiful Uncut Hair of Graves………When a man loses his parents and finds adoption papers in his father’s safe, he starts his own investigation.  Really good!

Dark at Heart……A man who has lost his wife and son in a tragic accident, now loses two friends who had also suffered a loss.
Known for introducing the world to Rambo, David Morrell is a very talented writer. And he’s originally from Kitchener Ontario Canada (right next door to me!) 

I definitely enjoyed the collection.

Read: May 2017

 

About the Author:  David Morrell is a Canadian novelist who now lives in the U.S.  He is best known for his debut 1972 novel First Blood, which would later become a successful film franchise starring Sylvester Stallone.   Morrell is an Edgar, Anthony, Thriller, and Arthur Ellis finalist, a Nero and Macavity winner, and a three-time recipient of the distinguished Bram Stoker Award from the Horror Writers Association.  

Two Nights by Kathy Reichs

Two Nights by Kathy Reichs

 Published: 2017

 

Two Nights by Kathy Reichs is a stand-alone novel which introduces us to the character Sunday Night (known as “Sunnie”).  I already wonder if this book will turn into a series.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher, and of course the author, for providing me with an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Anyway, it must be scary for Kathy Reichs to step out of her comfort zone and the Temperance Brennan and Virals novels.  Kudos to an author with the courage to try something new!  I have always enjoyed her books.   However, I think my expectations may have been a little high, as I was quite excited to see something new from her, and although not disappointed, I was a little underwhelmed.  The book is good, it just may take a bit of an adjustment from me, the reader, to appreciate the new character, which is so different from Tempe.

Sunnie is a woman with scars, both physical and emotional.  Her past is slowly (and incompletely) revealed throughout the book.  She is ex-military, and now ex-police, trying to live the quiet life.  She uses sarcasm and anger to get her through life, and just wants to be left alone.  But her foster-father brings her a “case” which interests her.  A year after a bombing at a Jewish school, where a mother and son were killed, and the daughters body never found, their very wealthy grandmother, Opaline Drucker wants revenge.  She assumes her grand-daughter Stella is dead, but needs to be sure.  She hires Sunnie, at an outrageous fee, to find the scum that did this to her family.  To Sunnie, this becomes personal.  She doesn’t care about the money.  She wants to find Stella, who she is sure is alive.  Sunnie travels to Chicago, to Los Angeles, and finally back to Alabama, leaving a trail of dead bodies in her wake.  She gets help from her “twin brother” Gus, who is a much gentler version of Sunnie.  (I really like Gus.)   Together they turn some interesting corners.

So Reichs has left herself open to a new series.  I would definitely read another one starring Sunnie and Gus.  I think there would be a lot of untold stories in their backgrounds, that could easily be fleshed out.  I find myself wanting more details of their horrific childhood, and why they came out the other end with such different personalities.

Overall, a good read!

Read: June 2017

 

Favorite Quotes from Two Nights:

“Crackpot extremists don’t define a religion.”

“I maneuvered to a vendor and bought a barbecue, sans drink. No way I’d risk needing one of the trillion port-a-johns, each with a waiting line longer than the U.S.–Canada border.”

“…taught that life is a rat’s nest of noise and chaos and chance. No logic. Just one single steadfast truth. Screw up and there’s no way back.”

 

About the Author:   Kathy Reichs is a forensic anthropologist who wrote the NY Times best-selling books about forensic anthroplogist Temperance Brennan (Bones on TV).  She also co-authored the Virals YA series with her son.   She is a professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte,  former vice president of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and serves on the National Police Services Advisory Council in Canada.  She now divides her time between Charlotte and Montreal and is a frequent expert witness in criminal trials.  Oh, and she writes fiction.  Busy Lady!

 

Exposed by Alex Kava (#6 Maggie O’Dell)

Exposed by Alex Kava

 Published: 2009

 

 

Exposed by Alex Kava is the 6th in the FBI Agent Maggie O’Dell Series.

This is one of the best, even though not everyone survives.

Tully is late for the meeting….and the treats.  So it is Maggie and her boss Assistant Director Cunningham who find the message in the bottom of the doughnut box.  And it is Maggie and her boss who find the mother and daughter who are so sick.  And it is Maggie and her boss who come into contact with a deadly virus, and end up quarantined under the watchful eyes of USAMRIID, and Colonel Benjamin Platt.  Platt’s boss wants to bury this exposure, and perhaps bury the people who have been exposed.

When the virus appears in a Chicago Hospital, it becomes evident that this is not going to stay buried.

Tracking this killer, both Tully and Maggie do a lot of profiling.  Links to the Tylenol poisonings, the Beltway Sniper, the Anthrax murders all come into play.  Cunningham thinks this is personal, but maybe it is not “his” personal, that they should be tracking. Are the victims being specifically targeted?  What do they have in common?

On a personal level, Nick Morelli is trying to get back into Maggie’s life, but Maggie’s romantic interest may lie elsewhere.

Alex Kava has done a lot of research on this one, and the true life acts of terrorism are spelled out very well.  The fast-paced short chapters really added to the suspense, and the wide range of emotions felt by Maggie as well as Gwen and Tully seemed very real. With every book, the characters get deeper, and in this one, we learn more of Tully’s backstory.

Really good read!

Re-Read: May 2017

 

Favorite Quotes from Exposed:

“It amazed him how much that generation depended on computers. Kids knew how to access e-mail and create MySpace profiles, but logic and ingenuity, even puzzle solving, were foreign concepts.”

“You always look for logic even within the madness?”…..”If they’re not mad, not crazy, what then?” She hesitated but only briefly before she calmly and quietly said, “They’re evil.”

 

About the Author:  Alex Kava is the NY Times best-selling author of this Maggie O’Dell Series.  She  has also written a new Ryder Creed series, as well as stand-alone novels.  Kava divides her time between Omaha, Nebraska and Pensacola, Florida.  She has a pack of Westies.

 

 

I, Alex Cross by James Patterson (#16 Alex Cross)

 I, Alex Cross by James Patterson

 Published: 2009

 

I, Alex Cross by James Patterson, is the 16th in the series.

Just when I cringe at the thought of another Alex Cross book, James Patterson surprises me.   I really enjoyed this one.

Alex’s birthday celebration is interrupted by a phone call informing them of the murder and dismemberment of his 24-year old estranged niece.   Upon investigation, they find Caroline was working as a high-end escort, and she isn’t the only one that has disappeared.   All roads lead to an exclusive and private sex club called Blacksmith Farms in Virginia, and to someone called “Zeus”.   No one seems to know his identity. Unfortunately, Alex seems to be thwarted at every turn.  The FBI, the Secret Service, and even the President seems to want this investigation taken out of his hands.  But Alex can’t stop until he finds what has happened to his niece.

Meanwhile, NanaMama is fighting for her life, and Alex is torn in two directions.

This was a really good book.  The anguish that Alex is feeling over his grandmother felt real.  The storyline was really good, and as always, Patterson’s short chapters add to the overall suspense.

If you think you are through with Alex Cross (like I did), this one may change your mind.

 

Read: May 2017

 

Favorite Quotes from I, Alex Cross:

“I, Alex Cross do solemnly promise-to all those present at this birthday party- to do my best to balance my life at home with my work,life,and not to go over to the dark side ever again.”

“They have a two-pet maximum, but she’s got four identical little dogs. Just walks them two at a time.”

 

About the Author:  James Patterson is one of the bestselling writers of all time, with more than 170 million books sold worldwide.  James Patterson’s lifelong passion for books and reading led him to launch a new website, ReadKiddoRead.com, which helps parents, grandparents, teachers, and librarians find the very best children’s books for their kids.

The Bat by Jo Nesbo (#1 Harry Hole)

 The Bat by Jo Nesbo

 Originally Published:  1997

 

The Bat by Norwegian writer Jo Nesbo (pronounced “you nesbaugh”) is the first in the Harry Hole (pronounced Harry Hoo-Leh) series.  But really, who cares about the correct pronunciation — the book was good, just read it!

Although written in 1997, it was not translated to English until 2012, after a few of the other books in the series.  For this reason, there seems to be a lot of criticism about Nesbo’s writing style (apparently it has improved greatly), and a lot of people suggest skipping this book altogether.  First, I don’t skip books, and second,  when it comes to books, I make up my own mind!

In this debut novel, we are introduced to Norwegian police officer Harry Hole, who is sent to Australia to help investigate the murder of a young Norwegian girl.  He is to assist Homicide Detective (and Australian Aboriginal), Andrew Kensington.  Through Andrew, we travel through Australia, learn some of its history and folklore, and are introduced to everything from drug dealers, to prostitutes, to homosexuals, to clowns.  Andrew and Harry discover they may be looking for a serial killer somewhere in that mix.

Meanwhile, Harry falls in love.

Nesbo has created a very interesting character in Harry. He is a very likeable man, but with a number of faults which are hard to overlook.  His past will haunt him for a long time.  The other characters are actually quite deep as well.  The plot had enough twists that you weren’t sure who did it until close to the end.  You can also tell that there was a lot of research done for the novel, and I found some of the stories told to be really interesting.

Overall, I am looking forward to reading the rest of the books in this series.

 

Read: May 2017

Favorite Quotes from The Bat:

‘The bat is the Aboriginal symbol of death. Did you know that?’

‘People are afraid of what they don’t understand. And hate what they’re afraid of.’

‘Everything you do leaves traces, doesn’t it. The life you’ve lived is written all over you, for those who can read.’

 

About the Author: Norwegian Jo Nesbo is a musician, songwriter, economist and author.  This book, The Bat, was published in Norway in 1997 and was an instant hit, winning the Glass Key Award for best Nordic crime novel (an accolade shared with Peter Høeg, Henning Mankell and Stieg Larsson).