I really enjoyed Cabin fever, it is a great Scandi-noir thriller that starts of slowly focussing on therapist Kristina, who to the world seems totally calm and collected and she has a lovely home and is in a perfect marriage to an up coming politician, Kristina has recently started working with a author, Leah who has been struggling with her life and her abusive relationship, but not is all it seems.
The story is abit far fetched in places but the ending was quite dramatic and it is definitely worth a read.

Cabin Fever is a riveting and richly atmospheric piece of Scandinavian noir by Norwegian-born author Alex Dahl about a successful therapist, her troubled client and an isolated cabin in the woods. Kristina, a highly prominent and rather-pleased-with-herself therapist, is lured into joining her client, Leah, at a cabin in a mysterious Scandinavian forest. Leah is a successful novelist who appears to have plans of turning the tables and taking control of Kristina. When Leah disappears, Kristina sets off into the wilderness to find her. But it’s only when Kristina finds the manuscript Leah is working on that she realises how much danger she is in.

This is a dark, twisty and compelling read, and to be quite honest I found myself pleasantly surprised that Dahl managed to evoke the same depth and claustrophobia as many other thriller writers who write in this vein. It's an unsettling and original thriller about obsession that is alive with a mystery seamlessly tying the past and present together. The descriptions of the forest are particularly powerful and the story spins off successfully in a variety of different directions, coming to a chilling and convincing conclusion where a series of clever and intriguing reveals ask you just how well you really know anyone in your life.

Kristina Moss is a successful therapist, happily married to a politician. One of her clients, Leah Iverson worries her when she turns up for her appointment with a bruised face. Leah has told Kristina about her violent ex-partner before, but before she can do anything, Leah leaves after begging Kristina to come to her remote cabin in the woods. After Leah misses two sessions, Kristina is worried for her safety so she decides to go to the cabin and find out what has happened. When she gets there the cabin is empty, but Leah's laptop is there and on it there is a story about a familiar person.

The synopsis to this promised so much, but I'm afraid I found it a bit too predictable. The story flowed quite well, and all of the characters were fairly unsympathetic but the main characters were fairly defined. I think it can be difficult for an author to walk the line between giving just enough away and giving too much away, here the two main twists are easy to see coming, Apart from that it was your usual suspense thriller.

Thanks to NetGalley & publisher, Head of Zeus, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

This book revolves around the relationship between Kristina, a therapist, and Leah, her client. It was a slow burner initially but then it had to be to build up the foundations, layer upon layer, until it was the right time for it all to come crashing down, which it did, with spectacular twists and turns.
Leah has been seeing Kristina for a while now, she's an author and has written about her experiences with domestic violence. One session she turns up appearing to have been beaten up, leaves the session early and doesn't return. Obviously Kristina is worried for her, especially given her past and, when the police don't appear to be following up her report, starts to break the rules about boundaries in her attempt to find her.
And so begins a rather convoluted, interconnected, domestic(ish), psychological thriller which, although a tad implausible at times, held my attention nicely all the way to a pretty explosive finale.
Characterisation for this one was a bit tricky given certain natures but was, on the whole, very well done. Occasionally bordering into caricature but mostly plausible. I did find it hard to really get behind Kristina along the way but I think that didn't matter in the big picture of what was going on.
Pacing was interesting and not wholly balanced but it did fit the narrative all the way through. Maybe it was a little second-half heavy as it did start off very slowly, but when it did kick off, it went like a rocket, delivering action scenes and twists & turns aplenty.
The twists - not all of them obvious - were well set up in the first half of the book so the author is forgiven for the slow pace. I just fear that the book may lose readers along the way. If you are reading this review with that already in mind then I would urge you to carry on. The ending really is worth the journey.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Look, I love Scandinavian thrillers.

If I see one, I will read it. Cabin Fever was thrilling and grabbed me from the first page. A wonderful tense read and story!

Thank you to Netgalley, Head of Zeus and Alex Dahl for my arc of Cabin Fever in exchange for an honest review.

Publishing 8th July 2021

Kristina Moss has it all. A successful psychology practice, a handsome husband on track to become prime minister and a beautiful apartment in Oslo. But her life is turned upside down when one of her favourite clients, Leah turns up to her session begging Kristina to come with her to her cabin in the mountains. Kristina initially refuses but when Leah fails to turn up to her next session, and then begins to call and email her with strange messages, Kristina heads out into the wilderness to find her. But what she finds at the cabin is not what she expects and Kristina is forced to delve into the deepest, darkest parts of her past.

This was one of the most addictive thrillers I’ve read in a while. I went to bed thinking about it and woke up desperate to pick it up again. The story drags you right in to the complicated, twisted world it lives in. You feel the isolation of the cabin, the darkness creeping in. The secrets, the lies, the danger. It was gripping, breath taking and exciting! The ending was the only thing that felt a little bit abrupt for me but otherwise I really enjoyed it and would highly recommend!

How well do you know your therapist? ★★★☆☆

Thank you to Head of Zeus and Net Galley for my advance review copy of this book.

When her client disappears, Oslo therapist Kristina becomes involved on a personal level, convinced Leah is in danger from her abusive ex husband. On her last visit her face was badly bruised and she begged Kristina to broach the personal-professional line and come to her remote cabin to hear the full truth.

However, nothing is as it seems with Leah’s story and eventually Kristina is compelled to go to the cabin. Yet when she arrives and discovers Leah’s latest book she discovers that she is the subject matter and the unknowing subject of a dangerous obsession…

What did happen to Leah? And how is it linked to what happened to Kristina’s childhood friends Trine and Elisabeth?

The links begin to become clear. It is easy to suspect foul play in one of the deaths and Leah’s involvement with someone Kristina knows is also fairly apparent. Leah’s written narrative and obsession with Kristina weakens the storytelling somewhat.

However, we are intrigued by both the current mystery and those of the past. The grand finale which reveals the true colours of several key characters is a clever and sinister reveal which makes us question how well we know even those people closest to us.

This review will go live on 9 July:

Hi and welcome to my review of Cabin Fever!

I can never resist a Nordic Noir, so when I spotted Cabin Fever on NetGalley, I almost tripped over my own feet in my haste to request it. A cabin in the Norwegian woods, a therapist, a client who knows too much? That just had my name written all over it!

The narrative in Cabin Fever alternates between Kristina, the therapist, Leah, the client, and Elisabeth, Kristina’s best friend. From the onset it’s clear that Kristina is not exactly the kind of therapist who has her own life sorted. Married to a politician on the cusp of the elections, her marriage has been on hold for longer than she cares to consider, she’s dreaming of a baby but despite several IVF treatments she’s still not pregnant, and she still hasn’t quite recovered from some personal trauma. Outwardly she may seem like she has all her ducks in one row, but actually, she’s a bit of a mess, and one with secrets to boot.

Leah is a bit of an enigma. Obviously she has issues, one does not consult a therapist without having issues to work out I’m sure, but I couldn’t quite get a firm sense of her and I constantly felt like there was a lot more hiding beneath the surface.

I would definitely describe Cabin Fever as a slow-burner. Alex Dahl takes her time setting the board and all the pieces before she starts playing the game properly. That approach might not work for everybody, I have to admit I love a high-octane thriller as much as the next gal, but I also love books where the author takes the action down a notch or two. It leaves more room for the reader to wonder, to become a little wary, to enjoy the atmosphere. And if there’s anything Cabin Fever has in spades it’s atmosphere! It’s the kind of book that stresses the psychology of the psychological thriller, much like The Therapist. And be sure that once the action kicks off, it doesn’t let up! I did have a few things figured out before they were revealed, but that didn’t diminish my reading enjoyment.

I do have to say I did miss a little pizzazz, something to lift it up above other books in this genre, something that would allow it to make its mark, because although Cabin Fever was an enjoyable read for me, I don’t think it will be one that will stick with me in the long run. Then again, not every book can. So if you’re looking for a thriller in a Scandinavian setting, don’t let me hold you back, be sure to check out Cabin Fever.

Thanks to Head of Zeus and NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are still my own.

Cabin Fever is out now in all digital formats, hardcover and audio. It will be out in paperback next year.

This is a very fast paced thriller which had me turning the pages well into the night. A very well thought out story which flows. I specifically liked the dual perspectives and found them east to follow. The ending is a shame and I was slightly disappointed in the last chapter, however I would recommend this book to family and friends

Wow, what an intense read! Very atmospheric, fast paced, and unputdownable! Full of tension, suspense, and absolutely captivating! Very well written, with amazing character development, which made the story even more addicting! Definitely will be watching foe more by this author, as this was one that really unexpectedly blew me away! Highly, highly recommend!

Will buzz around platforms and use top Amazon reviewer number!

Alex Dahl has long become my go-to Scandi noir thriller writer, and this book further cemented my appreciation of their talent. The story of a therapist plunged into the emotional darkness of her client’s obsession is a great one!

Kristina is a successful psychotherapist that lives in Olso, Norway. She is married to Eirick who is soon to be the next prime minister. Kristina has a client, Leah, that she has grown attached too. Imagine her surprise when Leah shows up to her Friday afternoon session with a battered and bruised face acting erratically. Leah begs her to explain what has happened but Leah insists that she will give her the answers only if she goes to her remote cabin to meet her. Kristina knows that they need to have boundaries and declines.

Leah does not show up to her next two sessions. Kristina is concerned and decides on a whim to go to the cabin to find Leah. What she ends up finding will upend her world and everything she thought to be true.

I've go to tell you I've seen snails move at a faster pace than this novel did. What a slog. So many words. Paragraphs 2 and 3 pages long. The problem is that a lot of the dialogue could have been removed without anything in the story being lost. A trim of about 100 pages would have benefited this book greatly. A shame too because it has a decent premise but there was too much to wade through to build any suspense. I did start to skim because there was absolutely nothing for me to gain by not skimming. The final denouement I saw coming from a mile away and I think many other fans of the genre will have this figured out too. Just sort of meh for me I'm afraid. 3 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for my copy.

From the synopsis I couldn’t wait to read Cabin Fever. Alex Dahl is a new author for me and I had high hopes however I was left disappointed. I was over halfway through the book before anything actually happened and Kristina made it to the cabin and sadly the twists were predictable. I would rate this book 2.5 stars as I wanted to keep reading it as I was expecting great things to happen, sadly the ending was disappointing. Thank you to NetGalley, Head of Zeus and the author for the chance to review.

3.5 stars
Kristina is a very successful therapist, married to a man destined to be the next Prime Minister. Kristina has a past though. Secrets which will gradually be unravelled throughout the length of the book.
Her client, Leah, is a successful novelist writing auto-fiction.
Leah needs Kristina's professional help and begs her to go out to her remote cabin in the Scandinavian forest. Kristina eventually gives in to this request when she is unable to contact Leah.
The cabin is empty, but Leah's latest manuscript, Supernova, is there waiting to be read.
The tension is really ramped up at this point and thrills and shocks follow. Unfortunately for me, this was half way through the book and I found the first half wordy and a little dull.
Once you reach the second half of this book however, it is excellent. I've based my review score on the overall storyline - bear with it, it's worth it in the end!

Concerned for one of her clients, a therapist ventures to a remote woodland cabin in search of her, but may have just walked straight into danger herself...

It is quite a complex and involved story with several threads, and you can never quite be sure which characters can be trusted and which cannot. None of the characters are particularly likeable as a result. However I found I was gripped by the plot as (quite slowly, but with a great sense of atmosphere) the truth was unknotted. I really liked it.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

With thanks to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for much appreciated this ARC in return for a honest review.

I loved this book especially the part of the therapy. It's brilliant and well-written. I really enjoyed it that showed cleverly plotted thriller. The characters are beautifully developed and the story is well-paced. I did see the twist coming from far and the ending was dramatic that gave me shock. It really keeps me guessing from beginning to the very end. The twists and turns were so astounding along the story. A tense and gripping Scandi Noir novel that I would recommend to anyone. It deserves ⭐⭐⭐⭐.

I found this to be painfully slow - it took over halfway through the book for the start of any real action. I found the characters to be pretty unsympathetic & didn't really care for them. I wished I could have liked it but it did not work for me.

Really enjoyed the book although the ending seemed quite abrupt and lacking substance I guessed quite early on that the wonderful husband had been up to no good the best twist was the good doctors misdemeanours.

An intense and claustrophobic story about trauma and obsession. There are signs from the start that the relationship between Kristina, a therapist, and her client Leah, a successful publisher author are a bit “off”. When Leah disappears and asks Kristina to come to her cabin in the forest, things start taking an even darker turn. Leah’s disappearance seems to trouble nobody other than Kristina, but her investigation into Leah’s life reveals darker secrets about Kristina’s past, suppressed memories about a tragic event that has traumatised her and scandalous revelations that someone is prepared to kill in order to hide. There is something of a slow build up but the climax of the story in the snow stranded cabin were as intense as anything I have ever read. Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading cabin fever. It is somewhat of a slow burner, but I did find it enjoyable and intriguing throughout. It has a few twists and turns and managed to keep me guessing until the end.

There are a few characters with a lot of trauma in their pasts, and snippets are revealed throughout the book. It keeps you guessing, trying to work out who is lying and where the truths lie.

The ending was dramatic and ended fairly abruptly but in a very satisfying way, with justice prevailing in the end. I would thoroughly recommend giving it a read!