Another letdown by the Swedish crime author, Stefan Ahnhem. "X Ways to Die" is the sequel to "Motive X", the fourth installment in the Fabian Risk series. The novel features the same protagonists and the same villain as the previous one while the story unfolds in a similar, uneven pacing. Ahnhem tries hard to weave a Nesbo-like plot, but he fails in every possible way as the suspense is almost completely absent, the characters are one-dimensional and flat while the villain is a sheer copy of the protagonist in Luke Rhinehart's cult classic "The Dice Man". I am so disappointed by this book that I'm not even willing to write anything more about it. I won't read another book by Stefan Ahnhem and I sincerely hope that there will be no more volumes in the Fabian Risk series.

4,5 Stars

Fabian Risk is investigating once again. Or rather - still, because part 5 starts right after the ending of part 4. The team around Risk were able to arrest two perpetrators in "Motive X", but the killing doesn't stop. So they finally begin to consider there being someone else who conducts his own special game. And it really is a game, considering that a couple of dices set the rules.

It is very advisable to read at least part 4 before starting this book (and in all honesty - to understand part 4 you should have read book #3). And better read them in quick succession, otherwise you won't be able to remember much and might have lots of question marks in your head. As always in Stefan Ahnheim's book there is more than only one story line, but the most prominent one this time is really the 'dice man'. Closely followed by Fabian Risk's personal investigation into the misdoings of a colleague.

Just like the other parts of this series, "X ways to die" is very thrilling and captivating. You're constantly on the edge of your seat while reading. But that's how a good thriller is supposed to be, isn't it.

X ways to die continues immediately where Motive X left off and attempts to tie up the loose ends we were left with. Fabian Risk is still trying to keep his family together and the killer is still on the loose. By the end of this instalment, at least we find some answers.

Full review: https://wanderingwestswords.wordpress.com/2020/05/16/x-ways-to-die-stefan-ahnhem/

Absolutely brilliant as usual!! Such intelligent writing and a multi-faceted storyline that pulls you in and spits you out exhausted at the end of the book.

"Pure evil never has and never will need a motive"

What if you can make all your decisions with the roll of a dice?
Random people are being killed in different ways but are they somehow linked? Is there a serial killer lose out there and can all the deaths be linked to just 1 person or are there more to the killings? Why are some clues missed?

Not only is Fabian Risk up against a serial killer like never seen before but his son is arrested and he's investigating a close colleague on the side. Will he be able to prove his suspicious and will they be able to stop this killer in time or will his life be ended with a roll of the dice.

I love all the different layers to this story. It is an absolutely brilliant series. Sadly I missed the previous book and I think it is important to read them in order for you to get all the references but it was still an awesome read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

X Ways to Die is the fourth (fifth if you count the prequel) book in the Swedish Detective Fabian Risk series and it's clear from the outset that the King of Scandi Noir is back with a bang. On the hunt for a brutal, unpredictable and fiendishly clever serial killer, Fabian and his team are up against it. The usual methods they use to try to identify a killer aren't of any use to them because the slayings are so random and seemingly motiveless that it's nigh on impossible to understand the reasoning of the perpetrator and why he targeted who he did. The major strand to the plot is complemented by a couple of minor ones, namely Fabian’s son Theodor’s decision to tell police about the deadly secret held by a group of teenagers as he feels it's the right thing to do but this unexpectedly lands him in hot water; he also has family troubles.. Not only is his family and personal life a bit of a distraction from his job but Fabian is adamant that a member of his own team, Ingvar Molander, is a serial murderer himself but whilst trying to covertly gather evidence to build a case against him it has come to Molander’s attention...

This is an author and a series I have always felt does not get the attention it deserves; Ahnhem writes thoroughly entertaining masterpieces and I feel strongly that this is his best thriller to date. He pens well-rounded plots with an engaging cast of characters, so many twists and turns, dangerous situations galore and plots that will gets the cogs whirring and the heart pumping. This is a direct continuation of the events in Motive X with multiple moving plot threads making this an intense and action-packed multidimensional read. The tension and suspense are palpable and this is a thoroughly exhilarating, compulsive and superbly crafted thriller from start to finish. Fabian is a fantastic character who despite the odds often being stacked against him remains steadfast and determined to nab the bad guys. The plot never lets up and there's never a dull moment; that goes for the killings too which are grisly and overwhelmingly gruesome.

This is a nail-biting, exciting and heart-pounding page-turner that'll please long-time fans and newcomers alike. You literally feel breathless once finished as you flip the pages ever more feverishly desperate to discover how everything is resolved. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Head of Zeus for an ARC.

Detective Fabian Risk actually could do with some free time to get his family together after the awful events that nearly killed his wife and daughter. Yet, he and his colleagues still have a serial killer on the loose and the killing of people does not stop. Even though the cases could hardly be more different, he senses that there must be some connection. They are finally getting closer to him, but while the Swedish seaside town of Helsingborg is gripped in fear, Fabian also has to complete his very own mission: His former colleague Elvin did not die from suicide, it was forensic scientist Ingvar Molander and obviously, Elvin had put the clues together correctly. Yet, there are still some missing pieces that Fabian needs to uncover before he can finally arrest him, knowing that he has not only a very clever nemesis who knows the rules of the game, but also one who is totally reckless and ready to do everything to get away with much more than one murder.

Stefan Ahnhem continues the story exactly where it ended in “Motive X” and does not waste any time but plunges directly into the plot. Just as in the novel before, “X Ways to Dies” moves at an extremely high pace and cleverly combines the different plot lines that finally tie the knot together. For me, Ahnhem is a worthy successor and heir of Stieg Larsson who set new milestones with his Millennium series; Ahnhem follows his footsteps in many respects by delivering a demanding plot full of suspense.

The latest instalment answers many questions which remained open in the one before thus completing the story and bringing it to a convincing end. What I totally adored was the fight between Risk and Molander, both very clever and certainly belonging to the best in their jobs thus fighting at eye level and giving a lot of insight into police work. Several setbacks make Risk an authentic and credible protagonist who also shows his weak and vulnerable sides.

The only question left to be answered: does and if so how can the story go on?

I would like to thank Netgalley and Head of Zeus for an advance copy of X Ways to Die, the fifth novel to feature Swedish detective Fabian Risk.

Fabian and his colleagues are hunting a serial killer who uses chance, backed up by formulae to randomise his selection of victim and methodology, making the case extremely difficult to solve and anticipating the killer’s next move almost impossible. To make matters worse Fabian is distracted by his son, Theodor’s actions and his suspicions of a colleague.

I thoroughly enjoyed X Ways to Die which is a grand adventure masquerading as a police procedural. The plot is fairly preposterous if taken as reality but if it is viewed as a thriller where reality has no bearing it is an entertaining read, full of action, tension and suspense. It should be noted, however, that it is more a continuation of the events in the preceding novel, Motive X, than a brand new story. I have read Motive X but it seems so long ago that I’m hazy on the detail so there are helpful reminders throughout this novel. I think that reading these two novels in order is the way to go.

The novel is told from various points of view and it’s not always immediately obvious whose narrative the reader is in but after a few chapters it settles into a rhythm and each voice becomes clearer and more distinct. The plot is extremely busy with a nonstop series of events and four distinct strands, the hunt for the killer, the colleague investigation, Theodor’s escapades and Copenhagen’s Chief of Detectives Kim Sleizner’s vendetta against Fabian’s friend Dunja and by extension Fabian. Again, initially, it is hard to keep up but this also settles into, not a rhythm as that implies evenness, but an understanding of what’s what. It becomes quite compulsive reading with so many twists and unexpected events that I found myself turning the pages quickly to see what was coming next. In all, there is never a dull moment with a new development on what seems like every page, rising to a crescendo in the final action scenes. I was worn out by then! As I said it is not realistic but it’s incredibly entertaining and to the extent that murder and mayhem can be fun, it’s fun and exhilarating.

Fabian Risk is like a Terminator. No matter how often or how hard he gets injured , he gets up, dusts himself off and keeps going, relentlessly. He is also a smart detective, able to look at facts and events laterally and come up with a new angle of investigation. His ongoing domestic problems add humanity to a character who might otherwise be nauseatingly perfect.

X Ways to Die is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

Stefan Ahnhem continues the multi-stranded storylines from Motiv X, in this tense addition of the Scandi-Noir crime thriller series, featuring determined Swedish Detective Fabian Risk and the small town police team he is a part of. This series follows in the Scandi-Crime tradition with a multitude of gruesome and brutal murders and a protagonist pushed to their extreme limits, physically tortured, assaulted, left with multiple injuries, his family under threat. Fabian's relationship with his artist wife, Sonja, is improving after it seemed it was all over between them, his daughter has physically recovered, but the Matilda that has returned from hospital is not the same daughter he knew, and his son, Theodor, is going to confess to Danish authorities about the deadly actions of a group of teenagers, but things fail to pan out as expected as to his horror Theodor is taken into custody.

Fabian is continuing to investigate the 'suicide' of fellow police officer, Hugo Elvin, certain that it was murder, carried out by one of their own, a member of his police team, a member who has murdered others too, and is onto Risk's covert investigations. If all that is not enough, Risk has suspicions that a number of recent murders, despite the disparity in the range of victims and methods used to kill them, have been carried out by the same perpetrator, a serial killer whose motive is impossible to discern, it all seems so random. The nightmare continues with further gruesome and brutal murders taking place, including child victims, and the police have more nightmare crime scenes they could ever have imagined or can cope with, whilst being no closer to the killer(s). In the meantime, in Denmark, the Head of the Copenhagen Homicide Unit, Kim Sleizer, is planning a multitude of ways of killing his nemesis, Dunja Hougaard, if only he could find and lay hands on her.

Ahnem writes a thrilling and tense addition to the series, dark, bleak, with Risk having to cross national lines into Denmark and Danish waters, and facing the vengeful and obstructive influence of the corrupt Sleizer. The investigations take their toll on the police team, with the off the scale mental stresses and strains of hunting a serial killer, not to mention the physical injuries endured by Risk and Irene Lilja. This is one for those who love their murky and brutal Scandi-thrillers with a huge body count, a protagonist who barely survives their ordeal, facing not one but two smart, cunning and elusive serial killers. Whilst I got completely caught up and immersed in the story, the minute I came out of it I was aware of just how much you have to suspend your sense of disbelief to get the most out and enjoy of the novel. Many thanks to Head of Zeus for an ARC.

Brilliant, I loved it. I’ve really enjoyed all of Stefan Ahnhem’s books, but this is my favourite one so far. The plot is quite intense and has a definite edge to it. Fabian Risk is a fabulous character, and I quite enjoy how relentless he is in conducting an investigation. The background work put into all the characters is what really sets this series apart and makes each story such an enjoyable read.
Detective Fabian Risk’s life never seemed to be easy, especially now that he was trying to gather enough evidence to expose and convict his colleague, Ingvar Molander. The fact that Molander was a killer just like the ones they hunted on a daily basis should have been relatively easy, however Molander knew how to stage a death and not leave any evidence behind. If that wasn’t enough to deal with there were people being murdered around the city, and the killer didn’t seem like he or she was about to stop anytime soon. The murders all seemed to be very random. If you are looking for a story that will have you thinking and keep you on the edge of your seat, then this is certainly a book worth reading. 5/5 Star Rating.