This was my first novel byAlex Dahl. In a world where women are expected to be perfect wives, mothers, and hold a successful career life, this novel does justice to that well. Loved the atmosphere, it was beautifully written. Im new to this 'Scandi noir" genre but I loved it. Annika and Cecilia characters were relatable and i still think about them!

This book made me sad. The story was okay and the way it was written, it's touching. It would be nice to read another book from Alex Dahl.

3.5 stars. I enjoyed the beginning of the book but lost the thread of the novel when the plot became too involved and complicated to follow easily. Parts were slow and not relevant, as well.

The story surrounds two women Annika and Cecila. Cecila is tasked with taking a young boy home from swimming practice who has not been picked up. From there, the mystery as to who his parents are and where they are begins taking place. He barely speaks and seems confused as to where he lives and who his parents are. However, from there it is clear that Cecila has secrets and they are starting to come out right after the arrival of this young boy. She will go through anything to protect her seemingly perfect life.

I was so excited to read this but it just didn't work for me. The story was entirely too far-fetched. Maybe it is just because I live in the United States but we wouldn't just randomly take children home and they wouldn't then randomly just be put with us as a foster child. It was not believable.

The best part of the story was Annika's. I found her story fascinating and to be honest, believable.

The worst part of the story was Cecila. She was a selfish, self-absorbed, yuppie brat. She was one of the most unlikable characters I have ever read about in a book and I couldn't wait for the book to end so I didn't have to deal with her anymore.

Also, the whole concept that she was the mother the whole time was just so unbelievable. That just added another element to the story that made me sad about reading this book.

However, I would read more of the author in the future because I liked the interwoven mystery parts.

What if secrets from your past show up on your doorstep one day? Cecelia is forced to take a long, hard, honest look at her difficult past when a young boy who needs foster care enters her and her families lives. The writing of this was excellent and the characters well-drawn and believable. Some of the choices made in this were cringeworthy, but I fell like we’ve all been there in one way or another. This will broadly appeal to readers of suspense.

Yet ANOTHER book in "domestic" fiction genre. When can this genre be a thing of the past? I'm tired of unredeemable characters. People who enjoy Gone Girl, I"m sure will love it though.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

I really liked this one! Alex Dahl did a very good job of creating an atmosphere and mood that rotated from tense to tender. While Cecelia herself was not a particularly likable character, she was an interesting one. I appreciated the way Dahl developed Cecelia's character, how her criticisms of her mother's behaviors were also ones that her children will likely make about her one day. And while Anni is truly the tragic figure in the story, she was also more than just a flat stereotype. Dahl made her human. I found myself rooting for Tobias and Moffa more than any other characters, though. They seemed to be the ones most fully capable of love and compassion. I will definitely recommend this book to readers who enjoy suspense!

Cecelia has a perfect life - money, a good marriage, children. Then one night everything changes.

This is a mystery/suspense story that unfolds gradually in first and third person narration and journal entries. In some ways this reminded me of "Gone Girl" with twists and turns that continue to challenge the readers beliefs and expectations. However, this one is a pale imitation. Cecelia is a very annoying and unlikeable character whose story changes at the drop of a hat. I was constantly surprised anyone believed anything she said since she was not a very skillful liar. There's a big reveal about halfway through that was no surprise. In fact, apart from a few (very few) surprises, I found myself reading just to finish the book, curious how the author was going to settle all the loose ends that were created by Cecelia's lies. Even the alternating chapters were a bit confusing since the characters' voices were not distinctive enough to delineate when the point of view changed. Every time the young boy, Tobias, took over the narrative, it was several paragraphs before I realized he was narrating. Thank goodness the journal entries were in a different font.

Clearly, this was not my favorite book. It had it's moments, and there were a couple of scenes that elicited a "gasp", but for the most part it was just ordinary. Pretty disappointing.

My Highly Caffeinated Thought: A dark and at times sinister psychological thriller built on a foundation of lies.

THE BOY AT THE DOOR is one of those books that say with you. In this warped tale, Dahl plays with the ripple effect and how one woman would do just about anything to keep her secret.

I can honestly say that this book is addictive. It is one of those dark and twisty stories which keep evolving as each page passes. The tension and suspense not only comes from the core of the plot but also through the characters. Cecilia is certainly not what she seems. I still cannot believe all the level of deceit she is willing to go. Don't worry. I am not going to give anything away, but I will say there is a vast web of emotion, reactions, and consequences within this book.

This deeply disturbing and twisted tale will leave you in awe of how truly complex life can be when you try to hide behind a veil of lies.

If you enjoy books like Gone Girl or The Woman on the Train you’ll likely love this book. The synopsis sounded promising but as I started reading I started hoping it would end soon. Cecelia is such a despicable character. Ugh! I’m so tired of these types of books with pretty much no redeeming characters. I didn’t even care that much about what happened to any one else.

I was granted access by netgalley.com to an ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book was hooked my in the first few pages, and I had a tough time putting it down! An eerie, murder mystery that I'll recommend to all lovers of psychological thrillers!

I found this title on Net Galley and I love a suspenseful read, even more if it takes place in Norway! This was well-plotted and suspenseful, though I did figure out what was happening. Moving through time and place with different narrators, the stories eventually weave together to the present.
I have to say that I did not like the main character, Annika, at all. I wanted to feel something for her — sympathy, empathy, pity, a connection, something! — but I didn’t. She was pretty much a self-centered, selfish, egotistical, cruel, immature, and heartless person. Pretty much.
If you like suspense, you should check out The Boy at the Door. Thank you for my review e-copy!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkeley Publishing Group for letting me read this book in exchange for my honest review. However I did not finish this book and don't plan to. This book did not hold my attention, I have been trying to read it for almost a month and still at only 45%. I don't normally give up on books but this one I just cannot move forward. I feel like I have wasted my time when I could have been reading other books.

Cecelia Wilborg has a nice life. She lives in Sandefjord, Norway with her husband and two daughters. They have an almost idyllic life....enough money, a nice house, good school for her girls...everything is carefully manicured and perfect. Until....

One night after her daughter's swim lesson is done, Cecilia is asked to give a boy a ride home. Nobody ever came to pick up Tobias. The 8-year old has been patiently waiting.....but he has seemingly been forgotten. When Cecilia arrives at the address Tobias gives as his home, she finds an empty house. Not only is nobody there, but it appears the house has been vacant for some time. Little does Cecelia realize at the time that this one little thing -- giving a forgotten boy a ride home from the pool -- will bring all her secrets and lies into the light. Her carefully manicured life isn't as perfect as she thinks it is.

I found Cecilia to be a completely toxic person. She thinks of herself first.....and is willing to do almost anything to keep her life and what she has intact. She doesn't think of the feelings, emotions or needs of others -- not even her own children or her husband. She's just completely unlikable. Watching her life unravel and her make horrible decisions to try and stop it from happening was disturbing and dark. Secrets and lies just have a way of coming home to roost. A person can only hide who they really are on the inside for so long.....

This story kept my attention from start to finish. As much as I really disliked Cecilia, I wanted to know what happened! The plot is disturbing, but engaging. Very well written!

I will definitely be looking for more by this author! Great read!

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Berkley Publishing via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

Scandinavian people truly have their own unique style especially when it comes to books. If Ikea is any indicator, when I pick up a Scandinavian book, the first thing I expect is for it to have some degree of detachment and a slightly stark, cold feel.

When I read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, that’s exactly what I got. Since that’s the only exposure I’ve had to Scandinavian lit more or less, when I picked this one up, I expected to have a similar experience.

Cecilia Wilborg has it all–a loving husband, two beautiful daughters and a gorgeous home in the affluent Norwegian town of Sandefjord. And she works hard to keep it all together. Too hard. Because one mistake from her past could bring it all crashing down around her.

Annika Lucasson lives a dark life with her abusive, drug-dealing boyfriend. She’s lost everything one too many times and now she’s got one last chance to save herself, thanks to Cecilia. Annika knows her secret–and just how much she’s willing to do to make it all go away…

When someone forgets to pick up their little boy at the local pool, Cecilia agrees to take him home, only to find an abandoned, empty house. It’s the first step in the unraveling of her meticulously crafted life, as her and Annika’s worlds collide (summary from Goodreads).

This book was on the gritty side so if you don’t like noir-ish, hard boiled books then this probably isn’t the book for you. Not every book fits every readers tastes and this one was definitely one of those books. If you aren’t a fan of dark, disturbing crime fiction, with drug references, then I would hard pass on this. Did I love it? No. Did I hate it? No. This was a straight up in the middle read for me.

It did have that tell tale cool, stark, and austere feel to the story telling style that seems to be such a hallmark for Scandinavian lit. It was atmospheric and super suspenseful which did keep me reading. Though the plot itself was completely over the top, boarding on unbelievable which made it hard for me to see happening in real life.

For example, a small boy being sent home with strangers. Cecilia is asked by the swimming pool receptionist if she could give an abandoned boy a ride home. What the hell? That would never happen here in the United States. So that right away put me off to some aspects of the story.

I noticed that a few other reviewers felt the same, and many DNF this one for similar reasons as me. Others said if you can get through the unrealistic nature of some of the scenes, then you should be fine. I mostly agree because I did power through and continued reading mostly because it was so suspenseful….realistic or not. I remember having similar feelings with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo…..I didn’t really like it and found it disturbing but I kept reading because the suspense was killing me. That’s very much what happened with this book.

Overall this book was just an ok read for me. I had trouble connecting with any of the characters and I ultimately found it difficult to accept some of the situations that arose in the plot. While I might be in the minority with this one, I still found it suspenseful and was willing to keep reading to find out what the ultimate resolution was.

Challenge/Book Summary:

Book: The Boy at the Door by Alex Dahl

Kindle Edition, 368 pages
Published July 24th 2018 by Berkley (first published May 1st 2018)
ASIN B077CNPGFC
Review copy provided by: Publisher/Author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Recommendation: 3 out of 5
Genre: thriller, mystery
Memorable lines/quotes:

It was blossoming into a great summer. First up, a fun evening at the local swimming pool for Cecelia and her two daughters. Too soon, her life will immediately change course forever.
One child, Tobias, has somehow been left behind at the pool. His parents never came to pick him up.

With no other options, and the pool closing, the staff at the park ask Cecilia if she’d be good enough to drop him off at his home. Well, it was on the way…fine, why not?

But does poor Tobias actually have a home to go to? And why would Cecilia be so reluctant to get involved?

This is a slow-paced, deliberate read that will draw you in. Just be prepared to take your time with this one. Definitely not your quick weekend read. It’s one you’ll want to savor slowly as the story unfolds, secrets unravel, and decisions are made. When the past resurfaces, who will come away unscathed? Anyone?

This is a debut from Alex Dahl and I’m sure we’ll be seeing many more from her in the future! A refreshing change from my usual thrillers, I enjoyed both the pace and the setting. The characters are not all likable and the decisions they make are disturbing and maddening, all leading up to a shocking ending!

Thank you to Elisha at Berkley Publishing Group via NetGalley and Alex Dahl for an ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

I found the beginning very good when it was just Cecilia the mother's perspective. She was somewhat unlikeable but unapologetic about it which I appreciated. When it switched perspectives later, I didn't love it but kept going....until yet another flashback perspective came in the form of very lengthy diary entries which seemed irrelevant to the story and completely slowed it down. It felt like the structure was all over the place and I lost interest. This storyline felt way over the top and I wasn't on board with caring about anyone.

Overall, it was a decent read. I have relatively high standards for thrillers, and I found this one to be average. I will say that I did appreciate that it didn’t follow the new trope of a huge twist 50% of the way through. It unraveled slowly with small surprises here and there and I appreciated that. I hated the ending though, just as a bit of a warning. I don’t think this book would come to the front of my mind when someone asks me for a review, but if someone asked me about it, I wouldn’t discourage anyone from reading it.

Two worlds collide for the worse. Cecilia is married with two beautiful daughters and lives in an affluent Norwegian town. Annika lives with her abusive drug-dealing boyfriend. On the surface these two women share nothing in common. However, Annika knows a secret from Cecilia's past that could destroy and save lives. When someone forgets to pick up their little boy from the pool, Cecilia takes it upon herself to give the boy a ride home...too bad it's an abandoned empty house.

Sounds like a damn good novel, right? Nope. I am so disappointed when a book with a unique premise is not so good on paper. I am sure the idea and outline was great, but the final product was not as good. Every other chapter, I was annoyed at the stupid decisions the characters continued to make. And not once was a logical question asked or a logical action taken. This made it hard for me to finish The Boy at the Door. But I trudged along hoping it got better. Well, it did not unfortunately.

Needless to say, I do not recommend The Boy at the Door. For those still interested, it is available now!

Disclaimer: This book was received directly from the publisher for review purposes only. In no way does it influence my review. The opinions I have expressed are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins.

LiteraryMarie

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book.
I love Scandinavia crime books and this is no exception.
I loved the setting, plot and characters. Will be reading more from this author