The Hypnotist

This is the first novel in the bestselling Joona Linna thriller series. Well-developed, dynamic characters, great storylines and unpredictable twists. As the story unfolds, you will discover that NO ONE can be trusted.

Von Anfang bis Ende spannend. Bis zum Schluss ist nicht klar, wer der Killer ist. Das Ende bereitet eine unerwartete Überraschung. Ein echter Thriller.

This author was recommended by a friend and I'd have to say it won't be the last of his books that I read. I plan on getting the whole series. A fantastic read - highly recommend it!

I always try to write my reviews without adding in any spoilers. I don't believe there is any included here.The Hypnotist by Lars Kepler, had sat on my shelf for a while. One of those 'I really want to read that' and then passing by it when the moment comes ones.The first thing that stood out for me once I did start page turning of this brick of a book was the great translation conversion from Swedish to English. I have read one or two Swedish to English converted books before and they just haven't worked.Maybe that was one of the things that stopped me from picking it up to read, but I was pleasantly surprised and so, read on.There was no waffle in this book.Very punchy and entertaining throughout.I do find when I read books, I read with no connection to characters.Maybe it is me at the moment but I loved the characters in this book absolutely and they all pulled me into the story in some way.I was there.There in Eriks office, his landing when Benjamin was kidnapped. I really felt like it was happening around me and I was actually in the rooms but obviously invisible to the characters. No book has ever done that to me before.I struggled to put this book down.One of those 'unputadownable' books as I call them.Some books you would say are more directed at female buyers or male buyers.Although I don't believe any of that personally.I am reviewing this book for you guys not me,so my thoughts on this one is that is comes across very unisex.It is full of dark crime without all the blood thirsty violence that we are used to reading or seems quite on trend right now, but this still packs the same punch as those kind of books.I found that as a reader, quarter of the way in you start being drip fed twists that totally send you off on a different track from what you thought was right and then get led down so many roads.I personally liked how each chapter is dated so you can imagine it in real time and it helped when it was flowing from ten years ago to the stories happening in present day.With the different scenario's and characters running along side, the author managers to keep the flow running extremely well.By the end of the chapter I was chomping at the bit and moved to the edge of the chair.It also left me feeling finished and fulfilled at the end with a smile on my face.I feel it definitely goes down as a favourite book and a new favourite author to follow.

The book is interesting because it has interlocking stories, not immediately evidentent that draw on the past and present people and events, which center around a Doctor who is a hypnotist. Though the Doctor has not actually practiced hypnotism in awhile he is drawn back in by a determined police officer working against the clock to solve the exceptionally brutal murder of a family. The Doctor is reluctant to practice hypnotism after issues concerning validity and suggestions of malpractice that lurk in his past. Once the Doctor begins practicing hypnotism again, word gets out, now he has re-opened a lot of doors that were firmly closed in his mind from his past. The Doctors enemies immediately emerge with dedication and determination to take revenge along with the present day killer of the family who has his own issues with the Doctor. It is a pretty violent book and there were so many deaths and injuries that you needed to keep a scorecard. Once the book gets rolling the vicious attacks happen at an astonishing pace over an actually short period of time. There are twists and turns in the story that grab your attention to keep reading. Since the violence pretty much runs rampant no one is safe which is especially true for the family of the Doctor. This story deals with many complicated themes concerning mental illness, child abuse, sexual abuse, intimidation, jealousy, and insecurity. The only weak character is the Doctor's wife who simply is not as strongly written all of the other characters (such as the son, father-in-law, police officers, and lunatic killers) who each lend great strength to their parts in the plot. It has a pretty satisfying ending which didn't leave you wondering about any of the characters story resolutions. I understood why some reviewers found the author(s) style of writing unusual, the way the book is written is so different from a straightforward murder thriller, with perspectives and characters that lend to it's unique nature. It is a memorable and unique book completely worth reading if you are a murder thriller reader.