“[watchmen are], most often lame, maimed, or mangled in some way that makes them unsuitable for other positions within the city watch or the military. Night and day, they chase beggars, petty thieves, vagrants, and prostitutes—everyone who does not serve any purpose in the eyes of the city governance.”

In 1793 Stockholm the one-armed watchman Mickell Cardell drags a mutilated body out of the river. Cecil Winge is a lawyer and detective dying (in gory detail) from consumption. The police enlist the aid of Winge in identifying the dead man and he is assisted in his investigation by Cardell. The other characters include Kristopher Blix, a 17 year old who wants to become a doctor, and Anna-Stina Knapp, a young woman who winds up in a workhouse after she is orphaned. The lives of each of these characters eventually intersect in an intricate plot.

I like historical fiction, but this is the darkest book of its kind that I have read. And by “dark” I mean sickening and twisted. Every time I thought that things might be turning around for a character I was wrong and their life got even bleaker. Without giving away any major plot points, prisoners are stomped to death, insects are mutilated, someone literally climbs through a corpse, someone else defecates on a grave, there’s a perverse orgy and a botched beheading. And then there is the story of that mutilated corpse. Details of the treatment of the victim before his death were sadistic, sick, heartless and very disturbing. This was a good mystery, but I really think the author might have a problem.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

I honestly didn't care for it. Why did I finish?! Probably because the writing did'nt make me cringe [though much of the story did] and because it had high ratings--I thought at some point my opinion might change. NOT.

The setting: 18th century Stockholm and surrounds--what often held my interest.

"...Mickel Cardell, a crippled ex-solider and former night watchman, finds a mutilated body floating in the city’s malodorous lake..."

"...Cecil Winge, a brilliant lawyer turned consulting detective to the Stockholm police, a body with no arms, legs, or eyes is a formidable puzzle and one last chance to set things right before he loses his battle to consumption. Together, Winge and Cardell scour Stockholm to discover the body’s identity, encountering the sordid underbelly of the city’s elite. Meanwhile, Kristofer Blix..."

And lastly, "...a young woman—Anna Stina—is consigned to the workhouse after she upsets her parish priest."

And many more characters, mostly despicable.

Gruesome, bleak, dark, grim, graphic, flat. And more of that. Some tidbits of interesting details of time and place--but not nearly enough to make this book a Goodread.

And, who knew: "The fingers and hand of an executed criminal bring good luck--the thumb in particular promises protection from the law when a theft is undertaken..."

As well as "When someone is knighted, skilled penmen from the Royal Academy of Letters create the heraldry. They select emblems with a connection to the person's life and work." [This has great bearing in the latter part of the novel.]

A few good images NOT gruesome:
"...he imagines the man attracts violence like a magnet draws iron shavings..."

"Pettersson points at her with a hand that is as large as a smoken ham."

Not for me compelling and page-turning--as noted by many--who are these readers?!

This book was written originally in Swedish, but has been translated into beautiful top-level English. The writing provides a detailed picture of the ardors of life during the 18th century, creating details to stimulate all of the senses. The story is told in three parts which join together bit-by-bit as the reader puts together the pieces of a strange and disquieting puzzle. The narrative begins with the discovery of a maimed corpse in the foul lake that acts as the dumping ground for the city of Stockholm, which is called the city between the bridges. The reader I led through the lives of people from all levels of society as an unlikely combination of a near-dead consumptive and a one-armed veteran pursue the identity of the corpse and the person responsible for its mutilation. The story reveals much about the life of people in the eighteenth century and illuminates the depths of their personalities and relationships. There are many good reasons for you to read this book. The writing is a work of art. The characters are developed in great depth. When the separate parts draw together, the book ends with a wonderful twist. Even after you know how it ends, it is worth reading again for the pleasure of the journey.

This is a very suspenseful historical mystery/thriller. Would highly recommend it to those who like books like the Alienist. It has a unique Swedish flair and will do quite well in bookstores!

The Wolf and the Watchman is mysterious, dark, gruesome...it’s an intense read. I enjoyed it although it was slow at times. I liked the historical fiction aspect of the story and had to know the ending and outcome of the story, which compelled me to avidly read through it as quickly as possible. Read this one if you don’t mind violence and are craving a read that will captivate you.

This was a great read! It’s a wonderfully dark, brutal, page turning historical mystery! I was transported to 18th century Sweden. The subject matter is rather bleak, but Niklas Natt och Dag does bleak proud! Would definitely read this author again. Highly recommended!

Gorgeously rendered historical suspense--the period comes alive on every page. And the author delivers one surprise after another in a beautifully paced narrative that compels from the first sentence to the final surprise.

Super surprised!

Set in Stockholm, in 1793 is a killer for me. I am just not interested. But I was off due to Christmas so I peered inside and wow this was very good. Great characters in Mickel Cardell, Cecil Winge, and Chief Johan in particular but the others mentioned are well done also with the scene/setting descriptions throughout but the over the top "Silence of the Lambs" scenes were a shakeup. Very dark and twisted overall

Gah! What a story! It's a little bit of everything, murder mystery, historical fiction, and true to northern fiction, bleak and depressing. Gruesome, too. Truthfully someone is going to think this is a terrific story, just not for me. But, I love the author's name! Just an awesome Surname!
I received a Kindle ARC from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review.

Review Copy

The first thing one should note is that this is the Swedish to English translation. Things are lost in translation such as meaning, form, context, rhythm. That made it very difficult to get into this historical thriller. And yet I wanted to.

The story, set in Stockholm in 1793, centers around a horribly mutilated man's body found floating in a garbage-filled river. Using both current events and various past events, the author ties together the lives of the various characters to the body.

Be prepared to deal with words, concepts, relationships, and morals outside modern American culture. The author does not try to adapt his story to fit the non-Swedish reader, rather the reader must adapt. In the end, I found this to be refreshing and educational.

The story is not for the faint-of-heart, nor the prudish among us. Violence, abuse, deviant sexual activity, and associated language abound.

The Wolf and the Watchman is a great Swedish historical crime thriller with a page-turning plot and well constructed characters.

Let me start off by saying this: The Wolf and the Watchman is a dark tale and definitely not for the faint-hearted. Graphic and grueseome scenes aside, this beguiling and gripping tale had me holding on to every word.

The prologue sets its tone with a quote from Thomas Thorild (1793) "Guile begets guile, violence begets violence."

The year - 1793, place - Stockholm, Sweden, one year or so after the murder of King Gustav III and is now ruled by the much-feared oppressor, Gustaf Adolf Reuterholm. Everyone is operating with their own agenda in mind. It was a world and time where only the fittest survive.

Meet 4 main characters: Mickel Cardwell, Cecil Winge, Kristofer Blix and Anna-Stina, whose goals for survival made their paths crossed and lives changed. A mission brought these two characters of opposite personalities - Cardell and Winge - together. They were to find the killer of a mutilated body Cardell found in a lake.

Their quest brought them to Blix, a 17-yo from Stockholm whose adventurous and ambitious self got himself buried deep in debts, which later had to be paid off by serving a mad master's inhumane, horrendous request. Blix and Anna's paths crossed when Anna, out of kindness, offered Blix the help he needed and in return he saved her life.

Its rich, layered characters and atmospheric setting took me deep into the dark alleys, passageways and homes of the deprived, poor, hunted, punished and forgotten, making this experience unforgettable.

This tale blurred the lines of good and evil, right and wrong, love and hate. Makes one question, is it right for us to play God when things need to be righted? Or let life take its course? Is there humanity in this dog-eat-dog world? Or is every man for himself?

This novel is stunning for a debut and brilliant on many levels. Looking forward to reading more from the author.

Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for providing me a free eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

A full review will be posted on my blog and Goodreads, and shared on Twitter and Litsy closer to publication day.