by Søren Sveistrup
IF YOU FIND ONE, HE’S ALREADY FOUND YOU!
A psychopath is terrorising Copenhagen. His calling card is a “chestnut man” - which
he leaves at each bloody crime scene. Examining the dolls, forensics makes a shocking discovery - a fingerprint belonging to a young girl, a government minister’s daughter
who had been kidnapped and murdered a year ago.
A tragic coincidence - or something more twisted?
I'm always excited to read a new Scandinavian crime novel, and Søren Sveistrup's debut
‘The Chestnut Man’ did not disappoint. The fact that I absolutely loved this story was not a surprise for me, as the author was the scriptwriter for Danish crime series ‘The Killing’ which
I was obsessed with!
The story begins on Halloween in 1989, when a policeman is called out to a remote farmhouse for what he believes is a routine call. As he begins to look around he realises that something terrible has happened - he finds himself in the middle of a bloodbath where a family have all been slaughtered. To add to this terrifying discovery, the killer has left behind a series of chestnut men - handmade dolls made from two chestnuts and matchsticks, all seemingly watching over the victims.
In the present day, detectives Naia Thulin and Mark Hess lead a police investigation which links to these historic murders. What follows is a race against time to try and uncover the connection as it becomes clear that they are hunting a serial killer who has been eluding the police for years.
Part police procedural and part psychological thriller, set in rural Denmark, with detectives hunting a twisted serial killer – I couldn’t ask for a better combination. Lots of twists and turns and as a nice surprise, I didn’t guess the ending. Not for the faint hearted, but if you are a fan of Scandinavian fiction or The Killing, this one is a must for you.