I did not finish this book. I was listening to it and the accent was too much for me.

Thank you NetGalley, HighBridge Audio, and Carin Gerhardsen for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The narrator did a great job. I just personally struggled with the multiple points of view. It did not keep me from enjoying the book I just felt lost a lot. Again loved the narration.

Carin Gerhardsen’s The Saint is a tightly woven thriller that expertly intertwines multiple cases, drawing readers into a complex web of secrets, lies, and unraveling truths. With her signature narrative style, Gerhardsen crafts a story that keeps you hooked as each case unfolds, revealing the dark connections between them.

What stands out most is the book’s seamless pacing. Each subplot is carefully developed, with tantalizing hints and revelations that steadily build suspense. The interplay between the cases creates a sense of mounting tension, as the secrets behind each mystery are laid bare. Gerhardsen masterfully balances these threads, ensuring they remain distinct yet interdependent, adding layers of depth to the narrative.

The characters are equally compelling. Gerhardsen breathes life into her cast, creating flawed and multifaceted individuals whose decisions drive the story forward. The emotional stakes are high, and the moral dilemmas faced by the characters add an extra layer of intrigue.

The Saint is more than just a procedural thriller; it’s a story about human vulnerability and the ripple effects of hidden truths. As each case reaches its resolution, readers are left with a profound sense of how interconnected the characters’ lives truly are.

For fans of crime fiction that challenges both the intellect and emotions, The Saint is a standout read. Carin Gerhardsen proves once again why she is a master of the genre, delivering a novel that is as thought-provoking as it is gripping.

The writing style was a challenge for me with this book. I think I appreciate that we all have different styles that we enjoy, and this just wasn't the style that I enjoy or can really dig into as much as I would like. However, as I do with the reviews where I do not necessarily like the book, I do try to encourage people to read/listen to the book for themselves because this may be something new and different that you may enjoy.

This a nordic/noir mystery fiction, and that is not going to be everyone's cup of Swedish Meatballs- please take that into account when reading this one.

The Saint offers an intriguing murder mystery with a compelling premise and a richly diverse cast of detectives. The story of Sven-Gunnar Erlandsson, the beloved soccer coach turned murder victim, weaves a web of secrets that initially hooks the reader. The Hammarby squad’s investigations are layered with personal struggles, adding depth to the narrative. However, for me, the twist felt predictable, which diminished the tension. Additionally, the names and places, while authentic to the Swedish setting, were a bit challenging to keep track of, which slightly hindered my immersion. Despite these hurdles, the book’s strong character development and atmospheric setting make it a solid read for fans of Scandinavian crime fiction. A good story, just not a standout for me—3 stars.

The Saint by Carin Gerhardsen; narrated by Richard Trinder

This mystery is a dark police procedural. As a narrator Trinder lets us feel the emotions of the scenes in the story – tension, excitement and so on. He does a particularly good job of using his voice to differentiate present day and past (the molesters thought process). However, listening to the story, it is hard to keep track of who’s who as there are quite a few main characters introduced (both the police team, victim and all those involved in the story). This is where a print copy may have been a good resource for me, anyway, unfamiliar with Scandinavian (Swedish) names.

The book opens with the murder of Sven-Gunnar Erlandsson, the girls soccer coach, held in high esteem, described as generous, charitable, religious, a volunteer, by those interviewed by the police (is he “The Saint” of the title?). But, as time goes by, they learn he may not be the person his friends, family, have pictured him to be. While investigating his murder and possible motivations, an older and more recent missing children’s case comes to their attention. That, along with the possibility that his step daughter, who left for travel years ago and has had minimal contact may also have disappeared. Is there a connection?
This was a hard to put down book as I wanted to have my suspicions confirmed.
Note - trigger warning content - rape, child sexual abuse, drugs, and domestic violence.
4.5 stars (see trigger warning) rounded to 5 for the excellent narration.

Thank you to NetGalley, Carin Gerhardsen, Richard Trinder and HighBridge Audio for an advanced copy of this audiobook.
Amazon review posted on 11/12. Link unavailable at the moment (11/12) as it has not been published yet.

This was a standard procedural. The writing was pretty dry and the characters were flat. I found the narrator to be distracting when he did certain voices. I wish I had been able to get into this book more. There were aspects to the plot that were quite inventive.

I just finished The Saint by Carin Gerhardsen and here are my thoughts. First, this is a decent mystery/police procedural. I loved the team work of the police in solving this crime and the individual efforts that went above and beyond. This was a clever mystery. Local girls soccer coach is murdered while walking through the woods. He has such a good reputation and coaches girls soccer - he had poker cards in his pocket and what does Wild Bill Hickok have to do with it? Who or what is the saint? Thoroughly enjoyed the investigation and how they uncovered leads and listening to their thoughts on the investigation. I rated this book 3.75 stars. Thank you to #netgalley and HighBridge Audio for my advance audio copy of #thesaint

I loved the audiobook for this one! It was a detective-crime-mystery. I like how the situations unravel throughout & then at the end shows how they were interconnected. I can really envision the end as a flashback montage. The narrator added the feel of a TV series. Will check out more from this author & narrator. *trigger warnings

i don’t know what about this book didn’t mesh with me. maybe it was because it was audio, but i had a really hard time keeping up with all the different characters when it’d switch to someone else during chapters. the ending… shocked me though, i was not expecting that!

I can fly through some audiobooks. I struggled with this one. I had a time with the POV aspect.

This is an #ARC audiobook provided by #NetGalley and #HighBridgeAudio. The opinions and views expressed are my own. Publication date: November 12, 2024