A novel in which it is not only the murders that mount up. The suspects too are numerous and even include Sam Berger, the detective assigned to the case. Like so many Scandanavian crime novels bodies pile up remorselessly and Sam Berger not only has to fight tiredness and injury but also has to deal with the repercussions of his numerous character flaws. Latterly he links up with Molly, a senior officer from the Scandanavian equivalent of MI6, sent originally to investigate whether Sam is indeed a suspect.. Judging by the rapport that emerges, both emotionally and in their criminal investigation I can see a 2nd novel, or indeed an entire series, being built around this duo by Arne Dahl. If that is the case I shall be at the front of the queue to buy them as Watching You is an excellent example of its genre.

To be honest I'm not sure how I feel about this book. Initially I wasn't quite sure what was going on but as I read on I began to understand (a little). Watching You is quite a complex plot, possibly a bit too complicated for me.

I didn't hate the book but I did find it difficult to engage with the main character Sam Berger. He seemed a slightly strange character – a bit flawed (as are many of the main characters in police procedural/crime thrillers) and who apparently is obsessed by rare and valuable timepieces.

The story starts with Sam approaching a house with police colleagues in the hope of finding a 15 year old girl Ellen Savinger who had disappeared 3 weeks previously. They are there because of a tip off. One of the policemen is injured by a booby trap as he enters but the girl isn't in the house. There is evidence that she had been held captive but is no longer there. It would seem the abductor is playing games with the Police and leaves tiny clues at each crime scene that only mean something to Sam Berger.

Berger has a feeling that Ellen is not the kidnapper's first victim and thinks they might be dealing with a serial killer however his boss says Sweden doesn't have serial killers. Berger of course investigates further to look for similar cases. Then Security Services get involved.. I suppose that led to a feeling of who is to be trusted; who is telling the truth?

I did finish the book. I believe it's well written with a good balance of dialogue and description. There are a few twists and the ending did surprise me, My overall opinion is that is it good in parts but not one of my favourites.

I do think my main problem was that I just didn't engage with the characters. Even when things start to go badly, I really didn't feel any sympathy with the main characters. The ending suggests there could be more 'Sam Berger” books to come. Perhaps, given time and a second book, I'll get to like him.

This is a brilliantly written gripping thriller that had me engrossed the whole way through. The plot is very cleverly put together and there is action right up the last page. Sam Berger is a really interesting character and I would really like to read more books with him as the main character. The plot is really well put together in this book. The reason for all the disappearances was hard to read in places. People can be so cruel to each other. The story sent shivers down my spine and is so well written I could visualise everything.

In Watching You, one of the Nordic nations’ premier crime writers delivers a masterclass of misdirection and suspense. Arne Dahl – or Jan Arnald, if you prefer his other pen-name – kicks off what appears to be a standard Scandi crime police procedural with a stand-out, set piece action sequence which simultaneously curls your toes and sets your stomach churning. The whole book is saturated with unsettling scents; blood, bodily fluids, decay, and each scene is soaked with the incessant precipitation – from downpour to near-constant drizzle – which is the investigators’ near-constant companion.

Into this bone-deep discomfort squelches Berger, who at first glance is the archetypal rogue detective. Senior in the force, in line to be squad leader if he could only keep his unconventional impulses under control. Respected by his colleagues, with a sassy female sidekick. A man with a troubled domestic situation that he can’t resolve, ignore or avoid. Shameful secrets in his distant past, repressed and regretted. Prone to veering away from the conventional investigation to follow wild goose chases of his own creation. So far, so very normal Nordic noir.

You think you know exactly what’s going to happen when Berger decides that a missing girl isn’t the first 15 year old female to be snatched, but is instead the third in a series. And there’s the word: series. Serial. As in killer. Which has never happened in Sweden, so his bosses won’t accept the possibility without absolutely concrete evidence… or perhaps evidence scraped into a concrete floor by a desperate captive…

Just when you think you have this book sussed, the author takes a 90-degree turn in an altogether different direction. You get to grips with that, and suddenly the focus changes again. This is a book to read in a few breathless sessions so you can keep up with the pace of change and the destabilising disruption of certainty. This is not a typical slow-burn, sedately paced novel of Scandinavian contemplation – it’s more like an American or British psychological thriller. Arne Dahl layers puzzles on top of clues, hidden away like the cogs in the clocks which form the theme of the perpetrator’s obsession. It’s a gripping, twisting and occasionally horrific mystery, one which does little to shelter the reader from the torment suffered by the various victims.

In fact, it’s such a ripping yarn that only after finishing it do you start to think ‘hang on, but that means…’ and then wonder how so many coincidences, happenstances and life-long events could possibly have happened to fulfil the narrative purposes. Well, it’s an infinite universe. Something like this might happen in one of them – but it’s probably more enjoyable not to dwell on such instances of improbability and instead sit back and enjoyed an intellectually challenging and emotionally mature example of a crime-thriller writer in his prime.

All credit to the translation, too, which succeeded in evoking the grim aspects of the story without being overtly gory, and which beautifully captured the subtle nuances of interminable rain. My joints started aching in sympathy.

To date, the author’s other crime novels which have been translated into English are part of the Intercrime series (as dramatised in the Arne Dahl TV series). As a stand-alone thriller, Watching You makes an ideal – if not exactly comfortable – introduction to his writing.

8/10

Homicide Investigator Sam Berger is convinced that several girls aged fifteen have been kidnapped and possibly murdered by a serial killer. His boss, Detective Inspector Allan Gudmundsson is not impressed with the vague information Sam is giving him and sends him away to find more concrete evidence before he’s prepared to let him start a proper investigation. But what if Sam Berger is right? What if the girls are still alive? With the help of his most trusted police colleagues, he quietly starts digging through reports of missing girls but then things turn nasty for Sam Berger – he finds himself under suspicion for the abductions. Why are the special police and particularly, Molly Blom linking him to the kidnappings?

This novel moves at a rather slow pace initially and then suddenly you’re drawn into the most extraordinary web of past events coming back to haunt Sam Berger.

Berger is brilliantly portrayed through Arne Dahl’s words. What I love is that he has faults, some dark demons and idiosyncrasies, but he’s human and a very clever, deep thinking detective. The team that support him are equally complex and human. I felt like I was hovering overhead the whole way through the book taking in the words by these very real characters that allowed me to see their faces thanks to the writing (and that doesn’t happen often when I’m reading).

Then we have the ending! The book ends with a very nasty discovery. Does this mean that we’re going to be following Sam Berger, Molly Blom and beautiful, highly empathic fellow detective Deer as they uncover yet another bit of the puzzle?

Treebeard

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

I have enjoyed quite a few Scandinavian novels, but this is the first by Arne Dahl. It appears that i have been missing out all this time on a great author! So many twists and turns, which i love. Some parts did drag a little, but this did not spoil the story for me. I think it could be partly my fault, as i sometimes get a little impatient for wanting to know what is going to happen next. This could quite easily make a good drama on TV. Highly recommended.

Am now looking forward to reading more novels by this author. My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for my advance copy.

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I was really intrigued by the premise of this book - a crime scene containing cryptic clues. Of course the book had to have some scene setting before the story began properly, but I was getting impatient to find out what the clues were and how they would be solved. Therefore the beginning for me was a little too drawn out.

I didn't have to wait too long though before a great plot unfolded. Sam is investigating the disappearance of a 15 year old girl and he is convinced it is tied to other disappearances. He thinks he has the lead he needs but it only leads to him becoming a suspect in the disappearances.

This books is o very clever with lots of little twists and turns along the way. The plot in some ways reminds me of a modern Sherlock Holmes story. The writing is so descriptive that I felt the tension at every turn, especially in the interview room.

Once the story really takes off there was no stopping me - I was turning the pages as fast I could to try and second guess this story. However, it's so unusual that I had no idea where it was going to end. Which brings me to the end - what a cliffhanger. I don't do spoilers so I will leave you to read the book blind as I did - you will want more.

A distinctive author, I will be reading more of his books.

I'm giving this book 4 out of 5 stars - mainly due to the slow start.

My thanks to Netgalley for a copy of the book to review.

A crime thiller, with plenty of twist and turns.

The first novel I have read by this author, and wasn't disappointed. The book has great momentum from the start, but towards the end it felt a little heavy.

The lead detective, Sam is very likeable and a character who is easy to get to know. An enjoyable read.

Thank you to Net Gallery and the publishers for the advanced copy in return for an open and honest review.

I imagine this is the first of the series, mainly because it seems as though Detective Sam Berger has left the police to become a private investigator, with his partner who helped to work this serial killer case of disappearing 15 year old girls and because things are left hanging in a major way suggesting only part of the case is resolved. This is a twisted and dark Scandi-Noir featuring a melancholic Sam Berger who leads a team into a farmhouse thought to be where a missing girl, Ellen, is being held. The scene becomes a nightmare as the place is booby trapped with knives that seriously hurt a police officer. Ellen is not there although there is evidence she was tortured in the basement and a tiny cog is the only clue. Sam is convinced there is a serial killer on the loose but cannot convince others, like his boss, Detective Superintendent Allan Gudmundsson.

Sam has an ex-wife, who took their two children, Marcus and Oscar, out of Sweden. He has a traumatic backstory from his schooldays that still haunts him today. He is obsessed with timepieces, clocks and expensive watches, such as his Patek Philippe 2508, which was stolen. The police procedural that this novel begins with shifts considerably as Sam and his partner find themselves forced to work the case off the grid. It becomes apparent there are a string of 15 year old girls deemed to have been victims of the serial killer. However, when it comes to tangible evidence, it is all a case of ghosts in the machine, nothing can be proved. In a case that tests Sam and his partner to their limits, as it becomes clear that the killer is tracking them and has them in his sights. This is a story of revenge, the security services, and a killer determined to settle scores.

Arne Dahl has written a dark, disturbing, thrilling and fast paced novel with some terrific twists. It is well written with an intricate and complex plot. The narrative is gripping, full of suspense and tension. His central character is haunted, with enough darkness and complications to sustain a series. I loved the central role of clocks and watches in the plot, both gruesome and interesting. I found the book highly entertaining and absorbing as a read. Highly recommended to readers of crime fiction. Many thanks to Random House Vintage for an ARC.

I loved Dahl's Intercrime series, but this book is far more conventional, even a bit tired. There are some great twists that are so out there that they're practically U-turns in the first half but then things settle into one of those tales where a traumatic event in childhood is played out 30 years later, a premise which always makes me sigh in disbelief.

What I loved about the Intercrime series was the slick plotting and, especially, the rounded characterisations of the team with their banter and individualism - here the characters don't stand out in any way, and there's no chemistry or humour to make them real.

Overall, I would describe this as solid rather than brilliant: it doesn't break the mould in any way but delivers a pacy and twisting story.

Although well plotted this just wasn't the book for me

Sam is desperately trying to find a young girl, the victim of a kidnapping. The upper echelon of the police think it is an isolated event, but Sam thinks it is the work of a serial-killer. He believes her disappearance is linked to other cases of missing girls. Of course the upper echelon is also unaware of his personal interest in the case, and his private investigations into the crimes.

Sam happens upon a coincidence, well at least he thinks he does, which leads him to the killer. Enter Molly, the face with many names, and the other person who thinks she has found the killer.

I have to admit to being of two minds about this book. At times I thought it was incredibly clever and then at other times it seemed overly complicated. Perhaps because it swayed between moments where you have to strain the grey cells to keep up and then others that were a wee bit unbelievable.

Readers will get to the point of ‘who the heck is the killer?’ Then change their minds and ultimately start doubting everyone. After the whole Sam interviews Molly and vice versa debacle I felt like having a stiff drink, and I don’t even drink.

Dahl thinks outside of the box. He isn’t afraid to challenge the reader or himself for that matter. It has a noir feel to it, and Dahl certainly believes in the darker the better.

I've never read anything by this author before so didn't really know what to expect but I did enjoy it and will look out for more now!

There were sections of this that I really enjoyed and couldn't turn the pages fast enough, but equally there were sections that seemed to drag. I see that it's the first in a new series and the ending did in some respects leave me wanting more. A good read but it just didn't overall have the wow factor for me.

This is a tense, dramatic, action-packed novel. Sam Berger and his police partner Deer are working at a feverish pace to find a missing 15 year old school girl Ellen. At first there seems little to go on but further similar disappearances are discovered. Molly Blom enters into the mix and turns to plot upside down in such a way in heaves up doubts in your mind about Sam. The dialogue is brisk and often heated between them. The clues start to mount up and it's the work being done behind the scenes which enthrals me. It puts into perspective how little sleep and nourishment police again and justifies the high divorce statistics in the force. Sam too is suffering. there are snapshot clues to his suffering. It's all so well put together that it makes your head reel. The ending seemed inconclusive. I'm thinking it could mean a sequel it was such a cliffhanger. I shall post this on Amazon, Facebook and my Blog. Thank you for letting me read it.

The first time I read a book translated from Swedish I thought I would lose my mind trying to make out all the street names, town names and surnames. Now the surnames are no problem and I have trained my brain to skip over the others without losing any of the meaning.
Arne Dahl writes books that are worth the effort. The characters are all real, all flawed in their own ways but they are all right...each one has a purpose...each one brings their own bit of special with them.
In this book there are a few references to labyrinths. The story ia a labyrinth in itself. At times it felt like Alice through the looking glass - where will the next turn take me? Is this real or another mis-direction?
The final denouement is classically good...because it is not the end.
Arne Dahl is here for the long haul.

At each abandoned crime scene, there is a hidden metal clog, almost invisible to the naked eye. Someone is sending Detective Sam Berger a message. Someone who knows only Sam will understand the cryptic trail. When another teenage girl disappears without trace, Sam has to convince his superiors that they are dealing with a serial killer. As the police continue the hunt for the latest victim, Sam is forced to unearth long-buried personal demons. Sam has to understand darkly personal messages before time runs out.

This is an exciting, fast paced book that has an intricate plot and a strong character base. I quite like reading Swedish police procedural books and this one did not disappoint. As usual, there are plenty of twist and turns. It has a gripping plot line and I was not expecting the cliffhanger. This is a very well written book and I have no hesitation recommding this book.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Random House UK,Vintage Publishing and the author Arne Dhal for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Watching You is such a cleverly written book. It is thrilling, tense with a nail biting ending. I loved it, the police procedures were especially interesting. The story came together brilliantly.

Thank you Netgalley for my copy.

I loved this one – it was just the kind of twisty story I love with a couple of smartly drawn main protagonists, plenty of mystery, completely gripping and really right up my street.

It is a “serial killer thriller” that also sets up what I hope will be a long running series as I am at this point very attached to Sam as a character – and just as attached to his erstwhile partner in crime who’s name I won’t give you right now so as not to spoil the plot – but individually they allow for a lot of fun reading and together even more so.

The underneath mystery of it is shadowy and dangerous, I loved how the various strands came together slowly over the course of it, especially within the setting which was clearly drawn and atmospheric. It fairly raced along, perfectly paced, until those final fairly horrifying moments. A big bang of an end which made me crazy (in a good way) means that I will actually be willing to kill for the next novel…

This doesn’t have that usual feel that you get from Nordic crime, it has a quite individual tone that sits well between Nordic Noir and British based crime thrillers – this served to make me feel all the more at home with it, not sure how much kudos for that sits with the translator ( Neil Smith) but I’d guess it’s at least a bit so he deserves a shout out.

Overall an excellent thriller that will have me reading the back catalogue and indeed looking forward to all future books. Gripping, clever and unexpected.

Recommended.