"The Man in the Lighthouse" by Erik Valeur (Mark Mussari, translator) is a complex, dark and reflective novel. Thank you NetGalley, the author and publisher for the review copy. All opinions are my own.

Fans of Scandinavian noir will enjoy this entry from Denmark. Well written characters and a twisty plot make it a good read.

Not my usual style, but interesting idea. Unfotunately it bogged down a bit in the middle and I put it down for a week. Good characters, convoluted plot.

I enjoy stories that are creepy and mysterious but in a subtle, not too over-the-top sort of way and this book was it. So many characters with different personalities yet each has so many secrets to hide. The mystery behind the Widow drove me crazy because there were so many suspects it was hard to pin down who was really behind her disappearance and death but I loved it. I also really loved the Death Omen theory and how the author tied it into this story full of tragedy. Such a good book that left me wanting to read more about the other characters and their stories.

The title is intriguing, and what originally drew me to this novel, for lighthouses, and those who inhabit them, seem mysterious, although lonely creatures and who doesn’t want to know how those who chose this lifestyle survive such isolation?

But the man of the lighthouse isn’t a lighthouse keeper – but instead a man with a past, failures etched on that past, and an intense desire for solitariness. Viggo Larssen is at the heart of this book – a story that begins with the disappearance of the prime minister’s ninetysomething mother. The story alternatives between the hunt for the mother; with the actions and memories of this no less mysterious Viggo. The novel is told through various characters in Viggo’s past, and observed by a at first unnamed woman narrator who watches him from a ramshackle home as he escapes life living in a lighthouse on the coast of Denmark. All his life Viggo has been haunted by a dream, a woman calling from a churning sea, an omen, the meaning and symbolism of which are gradually, fascinatingly revealed.

Clues build, and the past and the connections between Viggo, the prime minister, the widow, the female narrator and the characters from Viggo’s strange, lonely childhood are very slowly revealed. But the story takes an achingly long time to get there and I found myself losing interest as the rather fascinating story, and premise, reached its conclusion. Is it worth it? I’m not so sure – while some of the theories about life and time are interesting to read, Viggo remains a strange, awkward character to hang a narration on, and many of the characters in this novel are similarly unappealing, and it does take some perseverance to read through to the novel’s intriguing conclusions.

I received this ARC from netgalley.com in exchange for a review.

Viggo Larssen is the old man in the lighthouse, living in solitude hoping to understand a childhood dream and an old murder mystery.

I just didn't connect with this book. The author creates a trail to the mystery and hands out tiny, itsy, bitsy crumbs along the way. It took Forever! to get to the reason of the murder.

2.5☆ rounded up to 3☆

Brooding is the word that instantly came to my mind as I read this tale. With very well developed characterization, I wish that I had liked this book more. The author takes a very long time to say anything and this is the one thing about this book that held me back from a higher rating. The currents of Viggo Larsen's life duplicate the currents around his isolated lighthouse. Only my opinion.

I really enjoyed this book. There was just the right amount of mystery and the pace was great. Although I figured out the mystery pretty early on, I still kept reading. I had to find out why the person did what he or she did. I had to find out what happened to Viggo, if anything. I would definitely read another book by this Author.

I received an ARC via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest, voluntary review.

There are many different factors that will draw me into reading a particular book. The cover, let’s be honest, we are all drawn to good covers; The Man in the Lighthouse has a great cover. The genre, I have become a huge fan of dark Nordic mysteries and thrillers over the past few years. Even the publisher is a factor that will influence a reader’s decision to read a particular book. I have been fortunate to have read a lot of great books from AmazonCrossing. I enjoy the perspectives that I get from other geographical locations. The Man in the Lighthouse, however, just wasn’t for me.

I’m always disappointed when a book that I was looking forward to reading falls short. Can I put my finger on the reason why I didn’t connect with this book? No, it’s simply a case of me making a bad book decision, assuming that Erik Valeur’s book would be in the same vein and spirit as the other books that I have read by other Nordic authors. It wasn’t.

This book really made me think about star ratings, how they work, and how I want to approach them. Although Valeur’s writing and I didn’t connect, there is nothing wrong with his writing and the product that he has put forward. The characters were well developed, the story was new and creative, and there were no major issues with the proofing, editing or translation that made the story unreadable. The Man in the Lighthouse was technically sound. For me, the four and five star books are based on how much the author made me feel and how connected I was to the characters, while the one and two star books are based more on the technical competence of the author.

Erik Valeur wrote a story that was without flaws. I can appreciate that this story could connect with readers, other than myself, but it just didn’t make me feel.

*3 Stars

This isn't my usual reading material, but I'm getting burnt out on my regular fare. I decided to give this book a shot, and I'm glad I did. I was intrigued from the beginning. So many questions, and not a single dang clue to be had. Argh! It drove me bonkers! I kept putting the book aside, but curiosity kept pulling me back. Once I decided to let the questions go "hoping they'd all be answered at the end," and just read, that's when I started loving this story. There are so many twists and turns towards the end. And finally, answers. I'm not going to say one word about what this story is about. I encourage everyone to just read the blurb, then dive into the book. Yep, I'd highly recommend this book.
Thanks, to Netgalley, and Mr.Valeur's Publisher for a chance to read and review this book.

There's something I have to say about Erik Valeur's writing. He waited until the last chapter to tell you everything that actually happened. I feel that if he introduced some of this detail sooner it would have been much more entertaining to read.

5 stars

The ninety-year old sharp as a tack mother of the Prime Minister and his second-in-command, the Minister of Justice, disappears from the nursing home in which she lived on January 1. Very few clues are left behind. There are multiple reasons why she couldn’t have wandered off. Kidnapping? It’s a puzzle. The Widow Blegman’s disappearance causes a nationwide furor. The brothers, her sons Palle and Poul, are livid and very worried.

The “Homicide Boss” and his “Number Two” are in charge of the case. They are under a great deal of pressure to solve her disappearance.

At the same time, on a beach near the lighthouse, someone intently watches Viggo Larssen closely. Viggo lives in the lighthouse. The two appear to have a connection with one another’s pasts. And the Blegman brothers are very nervous about something in their pasts.

This book goes back and forth between some of the primary characters’ childhood pasts and their present lives Connections are made that will surprise the reader. The main focus of the story is on Viggo Larssen, the man in the lighthouse. He is a most interesting person. He has unusual personality traits and habits. He has had a tough life and it plainly marks him. His story is extremely interesting and poignant.

After a considerable period of time, the Widow Blegman’s body is found. The brothers blow up at the Homicide Boss. They give vague and nonsensical responses to the Homicide Boss’ questions.

As the investigation rolls on, the watcher of Viggo and the Blegman brothers’ behavior become more intense. Clues keep finding their way into the bizarre zone: an empty folder, yellow plastic pieces, a book and a canary. The Homicide Boss and Number Two seem assured that something in the deep past of the Blegman brothers has caused the death of their mother.

This book is an astounding psychological drama. Through their backstories, we get to know the primary “suspects” quite well. It is very well written but with enough sensitivity that the reader doesn’t even seem to know they are being entertained. Mr. Valeur’s writing draws you in and the language is so lyrical, even beautiful. The book is so well written and plotted that it is astounding. And, of course, hats off to the translator as well for creating a thing of beauty out of Mr. Valeur’s novel.

The name of the murder comes as a huge surprise, although I suppose it shouldn’t have upon reflection.

Less a police procedural, and more of a psychological drama, this novel excels in drama and the reader keeps turning pages in the excitement of it all. I very much liked this book and will read more of Mr. Erik Valeur’s work.

I send many thanks to Netgalley and Amazon Crossing for forwarding to me this fine book to read.

I am sure that someone likes this book, I am not one of them. I tried to get into the story, it just honestly did not appeal to me. I will try again in a few days, sometimes it is because I, am super tired and can't comprehend whay I, am rwadinf, and I am super tired today...

This did not grab or keep my interest and I could not continue.