The Chestnut Man

This book has a very slow build. It doesn't start to pick up until a good chunk into the novel. If you can get past the slow start, then it just doesn't stop until the final page. The author writes in a way that makes you think you might have an idea of what's going on, and then it turns the opposite direction.

Overall it was a good read, just a tough start.

I so enjoy a good Police Procedural.

The Chestnut Man begins strong and never falters. I love a good mystery and this was different from the cozy mysteries I read from time to time. However, it captured my interest from the beginning and I could not stop reading. I could imagine the crime scenes and often wished I was a part of the Forensics team on the case or even one of the detectives.

The book was well-written and the story itself very suspenseful, but I still kind of hated it if I'm being honest.

Everytime the book changes perspectives, in an attempt to flesh out all the characters, the author delves deeply into their psyche, mostly over at least five pages and describes in detail every thought process and what lead them to this exact point of the plot. I can understand the reasoning behind it and it was sometimes interesting but it interrupted the flow of the story for me. I found my eyes glazing over more than just a couple of times, and I started skipping sentences, even though the main plotline gripped me a lot and I was initially very immersed in the book.

This might be more of a personal problem, but I also had no connection to the main characters whatsoever, no opinion, no feelings, nothing. I would have preferred the time spent describing the side characters going into the development of the main cast.
(Maybe some research about League of Legends too? Ask someone actually playing video games? The game is being described so weirdly and plain wrong many times in the book. “Press magic or you'll fail” Really?)

I enjoy reading about the policework behind murder cases a lot, and in this aspect the book definitely delivered, so that kind of saved the book for me.

4.5 stars. Well this was creepy AF. After the opening pages I almost gave up because the murders were so gruesome and disturbing (trigger warnings for almost everything!). But I bravely kept going and was rewarded with a dark scandi noir, decently developed characters and a plot that kept me hooked ( and freaked out all the damn time). Dolls are ALWAYS scary. ALWAYS.

Yes! Finally, we got a five star read! I have been meaning to read this book for so long but it was so long and that intimidates me, mostly because I am not a fast reader by any means. I really don't know what I was worried about, the writing was so easy to follow and the chapters were super short, just how I prefer them. If anyone is intimidated by this fat book, don't be, it is very reader-friendly. I am really happy to close out 2021 with a five-star book.

To begin with, The Chestnut Man is a story about a serial killer, who leaves chestnut men wherever he commits a gruesome crime. The two detectives on this case quickly realize that they're not dealing with just your average psychopath. I loved this whole storyline and even though sometimes I don't enjoy detective procedurals, in this instance I was hooked from the start and pulled into their world. The chapters were the perfect short length and almost all of them ended in a cliffhanger, which made it almost impossible to put the book down. If I didn't have responsibilities, I would have binged the book in one day, without question. This is one of the most exhilarating serial killer stories I have probably ever read in my life.

Further on, the characterization in this book is superb. The characters are very complex and imperfect, which makes them jump off the page. As I was reading this book, I was able to perfectly picture these intricate and complicated characters and I grew very attached to them. I was actually really sad when the book ended and hope that there will be more adventures to come for the two main detectives who were in charge of the case in this story. I just love how all the characters have in-depth backgrounds, helping us to understand why they are the way that they are. And I also love how they stay true to themselves, even whilst changing and growing as individuals, it makes them that much more believable.

Finally, the writing style was my favorite kind. I know this story is translated from another language but it seemed that nothing was lost in the translation because it's an absolutely amazing read through and through. The sentences were short and to the point without being choppy or confusing. I was able to picture things in my head as they were happening, even though I am not a very visual person whatsoever. I am really excited to watch the show now because I can compare what I was actually picturing and how they brought the story to life in the show.

In conclusion, this book helped me finish out 2021 with a bang and I am obsessed with the story, the characters and this talented writer. I hope they translate more of his work into English and that he keeps writing a continuation to this story. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a unique serial killer stories full of twists and turns and doesn't dislike detective procedural type of stories either, because that's what this story is at the root of it. I say it's a must read for thriller lovers alike!

When I first looked at the size of this book I was like that's a lot of pages but I sat down and finished it in one sitting. It was gripping and I didn't want to put it down, any thrillers or mysteries I read after this will have big boots to fill.

The characters were all pretty typical of your classic CSI/ criminal minds show but more enjoyable as the length of it allowed for so much for detail.

I always enjoy reading books set in other parts of the world so I really loved it for that aspect.

And the mystery in my opinion really caught me off guard! I am normally pretty good at figuring out endings but this one was a complete surprise.

Definitely will be reading more from this author!

DNF 163. I hate myself for not getting into this book but I tried real hard. The beginning chapter was really good with a gory murder scene expertly detailed. The rest of the 150 pages not a whole lot happened it was just building suspense which makes sense in a thriller novel but I have to have something crazy to happen to keep my interest. I might have battled through but every single chapter they jump to a different point of view between 4-6 people and it just confuses me on who's who. I bet the show is really good though

It was gorey and suspenseful and absolutely numbing in parts but the investigative part why is that a thing with all of these horror/thriller books. I love it but i think i've hit close to 8 of them this month if not in the process of hitting 8 lol. anyways i liked it got bored in some parts but definitely still worth a read.

The Chestnut Man is the debut thriller from Soren Sveistrup, the creator of tv series The Killing. The formula is simple: two mismatched police officers chasing a serial killer. As a big fan of The Killing I was really looking forward to this book and I'm happy to say that it's terrific. The characters, both major and minor, are great, the story moves quickly, with plenty of twists along the way. Highly recommended.

I've been wanting to read a crime thriller for a bit and this one did not disappoint. Although a little long in the teeth at times this was a very good story. I loved the Danish aspect as I haven't read anything but American type thrillers and this definitely makes me want to branch out.

This was a very dark read at some points due to the horrendous crimes committed and the references to child abuse but I am a sucker for true crime, serial killers and the ID channel so this was perfect for my crazy mind

This book was phenomenal. Translated from Swedish, this book follows an FBI equivalent in Copenhagen as they try to catch the culprits of many murders. The plot of the murder history was varying and did not make sense at times, while the reader was trying to figure out that story, the story of the main characters and their relationships kept evolving. Behaviors of both parties were incredibly intricate. Told from several ‘points-of-view' (not first person, but narrated as if telling a story about that person) from 5+ points of view. It was hard to keep it all straight but it was part of the development. I listened to this book, which was great. The narrator was awesome and played the part of several people perfectly. However, now that I know the ending, I am looking forward to reading my physical copy in the future so that I can observe how all the pieces fall into place and look for things i would not have noticed before. Highly recommend this book!!! One of the best books I've read this year. I loved the fact that the chapters were only 3-4 pages, which made the plot choppy and incredibly fast paced. The amount of information, false-leads, character involvement, and just overall character development made this book fantastic. It was so well-rounded and kept me guessing til the end. There is also prospect for another book in the series the way it ended. It doesn't beg for another book, but the potential is there!