My husband reads all the Nordic noir books that come out, and he convinced me to read this one. I’m so glad he did. It’s not like other mysteries that I’ve read, it’s darker and colder somehow. It’s a slow burn with a payoff at the end that was worth the wait. 4 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed as in this review are completely my own.

Special thanks to Random House Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

I really loved this book. It's thrilling and just a great crime novel. Highly recommended! 4.5 stars

The storyline was good but the changing narratives and time frame made it less enjoyable to me. I also felt the author banged on a few storylines pretty hard. Sven smoked a lot Sven coughed a lot. Sven and son struggled. If the story was told from one perspective and and edited some it would have been better.
I was given a copy from Netgalley. Opinions are mine.

BLAZE ME A SUN opens with several brief chapters that introduce the narrator, a writer who has returned to his boyhood home in a rural part of southern Sweden in the hope of reviving his own creative inspiration. But recollections of an old crime begin to capture his attention. me Thirty-three years earlier, the first of several murders occurred on precisely same night that Olaf Palme was assassinated, an astonishing event and one that has not been wholly solved even now.

It is also the Sweden that the narrator has returned to his childhood home to recapture, a meaning that he has lost in his years away from his roots. Few readers will be astonished to learn, like Thomas Wolfe, that you can't go home again. Nevertheless, Carlsson's achievement is considerable here. He has used the structure of a crime novel to support a moving, deeply felt account of what is a widespread sense of unease that grips a much larger space than southern Sweden.

It is the pervasiveness of this malaise that recommends BLAZE ME A SUN to readers in general - those who share the feeling that something is profoundly wrong in the world as well as those who turn to crime fiction for reassurance that the balance can be restored. Carlsson does not provide that comfort but he does affirm that we can live without it.

A full version of my review appeared in Reviewing the Evidence:

http://www.reviewingtheevidence.com/review.html?id=11823

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book, in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I always enjoy crime novels, and Scandinavian noir is a favorite genre. It's dark and brooding, and generally seems to have unexpected turns.

In this book, in 2019, the narrator Moth is an author who has returned home to live in his parents' old house while getting through a divorce. He starts hearing about a series of murders from 1986-1991, which Sven, the father of an old friend of his, was unable to solve. The book then is set more during the time when the attempt to solve the crimes is being made. Meanwhile, in the present day, Moth is intrigued and starts asking questions to try to figure out what actually happened.

The plot is intriguing, and the process is as well. We get to view this from multiple time perspectives - what happened in 1968-1991, what happened later with Sven's son Vidar as he tries to follow his father's attempts to solve the case, and finally, in the present day, what clues Moth found and what then eventuates.

It's a dark book, the feeling of the town and the events is dark and brooding, but it's also quite interesting and intriguing.

A classic in the "generations of Nordic police officers and civilians are haunted by the reverberations of a crime" genre. This had its moments of being overly convoluted, to the point that I don't remember who did it just a few weeks after finishing, but the story and writing were really gripping

This was fine. I can definitely see the appeal of the story! Layers on layers. But translated books don’t often work for me and this was one of those times.

Blaze Me a Sun by Christoffer Carlsson is an engrossing read.. A superb job with plot and characters. Well worth the read.

a literary mystery that delves into a Swedish town and its secrets. Classic scandi noir in the sense that the story pulled me in with mysterious characters looking back on a crimes involving a murder the same night the prime minister was killed in 1986. The story is set over the next several years and while we 're first introduced to the narrator who's an author who grew up in the town during that time and is writing a book about the crimes that took place back then and he's some to talk to Eva? What I love about this type of crime fiction is that it's very layered because the author slowly introduces an entire town of people and allows the reader to get to know and become invested in them and their problems, secrets, loves, and struggles all the while delivering subtle clues and red herrings. I loved the setting and highly recommend the audio for Swedish names. That being said, This is a story that requires patience and attention. This is not a pulse pounding, action filled thriller like the girl with the dragon tattoo.

A brooding tale of murder and mystery, told in nordic-noir writing style, making the dark police procedurals of crime writing come to life. This book is a slow-burn, following the hunt for a serial killer in a small Swedish town.

There are multiple time lines, making many moving parts to this book as I tried to keep up with each of the characters and their involvement in the story.

Not my normal go to genre, but I do seem to love a dark criminal mystery when it's translated from Nordic languages!

I typically really enjoy Nordic noir and had high hopes for this thriller, so I was happy to accept an advanced reader's copy of Blaze Me A Sun in exchange for a review. Set in a small Swedish farming town, women were brutally attacked, raped and murdered, yet the police could never find the culprit. Years later, a novelist returns to his hometown and begins to unravel the town's history, ultimately trying to track down a serial killer decades after the case had gone cold.

Unfortunately, I just never connected with this book. It wasn't bad and I could definitely see other people enjoying it, but for me it was just lengthy and boring. There was so much backstory on the main characters Sven, his son Vidar and the novelist that ultimately uncovers the truth. However, very little about the actual murders and subsequent killer was developed in the story.

I will say the twist of who the killer turned out to be was pretty good, though I had guessed it before it was revealed and pieced together. The lead-up and even how it turned out were simply unsatisfying, particularly since we were left with so many holes around the actual killer. I struggled to read this book, and it took me much longer than normal to finally finish this one as I kept getting invested in other novels instead.

Boy, this kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to the end. Do you like a good mystery/thriller, police procedural? This is the book for you.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Random House for this advanced readers copy. This book released in January 2023.

Book Review
Blaze Me a Sun
Christoffer Carlsson
reviewed by Lou Jacobs


readersremains.com | Goodreads


Finally, the American debut of one of Sweden’s best Criminologists and Crime novelists.

Christoffer holds a Ph.D. in Criminology at University of Stockholm and was awarded the International European Society of Criminology’s Young Criminologist Award. His previous critically acclaimed novels have won numerous literary awards and this novel was met with many accolades in Sweden in 2021. He masterfully uses his training and skills to create this cerebral page-turner and welcome addition to the canons of crime fiction, which may eclipse the notoriety of Stieg Larsson and Henning Mankiell.

His well-honed tale is told in multiple timelines and the narrative eye of four main protagonists. The story unspools in the viewpoint of policeman, Sven Jorgensson, his son, Vidar, his partner, Evy Carlen, and lastly the “novelist.” A burgeoning serial killer commits his first brutal rape and murder in the small town of Tiarp on the eve of the assassination of Sweden’s prime minister. Sven is first on the scene and finds 20-year-old Stina Franzen, barely breathing in the back seat of her vehicle. He valiantly tries to rush her to the hospital, but she breathes her last on the futile trip. To add insult to injury he is later legally accused of hastening her demise by mishandling her body.

On this fateful night in February of 1986, the killer taunts the local police with a phone call announcing his killing and proclaiming: “I’m going to do it again.” Sven becomes obsessed with the case as no clues or links to the killer are uncovered. One evening at home, Sven receives a phone call: “I did it again… and you’ll never find her body.” Frida Ostmark indeed is missing—no leads or linkage to the first victim arise. And, yet again, this small community is rocked when twenty-three-year-old Gisela is raped and brutalized in her own home. She is haunted by his muttering: “Lie still now, Dolly.” She miraculously survives the attack when the perpetrator is interrupted by the early return of her boyfriend. Robert Mellberg’s body was found three days later in a green van with his head bashed in and a baseball bat slathered with gray matter and swatches of hair. Sven is obsessed and haunted by the unsolved murder’s of the Tiarp Man ( the nom de plume bestowed by the newspapers). This affliction is shouldered to a lesser extent by his partner, Evy, and to a lesser extent by his son, Vidar. ( Who eventually and briefly assumes the mantle of police officer.).

Decades later, the “novelist’ returns to his childhood home of Tiarp, after his failed marriage.

He has not written in a long time, suffering from a “writer’s block.” He’s surprised how so very little has changed in thirty years. He meets and befriends Evy, who has long since retired. They exchange phone numbers and soon frequently chat over tea or wine. She is soon spinning tales of police work that are both hilarious and tragic, as well as stories about her husband, Ronnie and her brother, Einar. The novelist recalls idolizing Sven when he was a child and in fact was a classmate of Vidar. Evy also confides what happened to Sven and his son, because of the Tiarp murders. The novelist becomes enthralled with this cold case and starts to “pull at the threads” of details to better understand and possibly truly solve this cold case. He uncovers many disturbing occurrences and shame, as well as secrets buried for years.

Carlsson proves to be a masterful storyteller spinning a complex and convoluted tale, presented in intense and concise prose, and in multiple timelines and viewpoints. He explores the themes of truth, justice and moral suffering and the lengths that one will pursue to exact closure. Carlsson opines early in his narrative: “ Moral suffering is strange. It can strike the strong as easily as the weak, and no surgery, painkillers …. can help.” …. “ you can let yourself be consumed or resort to drastic measures to free yourself.”`. This gem is a multilayered and nuanced police procedural that rises to the level of literary fiction. Hopefully we will have further translations of his highly acclaimed fiction.

Thanks to NetGallery and Random House Publishing / Hogarth for providing an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review.

In the beginning we meet Sven, a cop who finds the first victim almost dead and the mystery begins. On the same night the Prime Minister is murdered so the killing of the young woman doesn't receive the attention it deserves. When two more women fall victim to this killer Sven becomes obsessed with the case which he just can't seem to let go, even after he is retired. When his son becomes a cop he ends up becoming embroiled in the case. Meanwhile a novelist who was a teenager when the murders happened returns to town. He soon is drawn into the story by a retired cop who worked with Sven. He hopes to write a book about the events and begins to put the puzzle pieces into place. This was an intriguing read about the hunt for a serial killer than spans a few decades. You might think you know who the killer is and just what happened but you really don't know until the end!

Blaze Me a Sun is Carlsson's American debut novel. Originally translated from Swedish and told from the perspective of a fictional true crime author, Blaze Me a Sun centers around a Swedish police officer (Sven) in the mid to late 1980's & his obsession to find a serial killer and bring him to justice. Battling his own illness, he slowly disintegrates into a shell of who he was, but with the self-imposed obligation to find him, even years after his last killing. Blurring morals in the process.

Years later, Sven's son Vidar, now a cop himself, carries over the need to solve the case that became his dad's life obsession. Lines are blurred, and we're faced with questioning the ideas of "nature vs. nurture", "fate and karma", family, and duty. What is the truth? And does everyone always benefit from it?

I ended up listening to this as an audio & really enjoyed it! I don't normally enjoy police crime thrillers as much but this was a fun listen once you got into it.

"Blaze Me a Sun" is a gripping and thought-provoking novel that delves into the past and present of a small community in Sweden. The book tells the story of a series of murders that occurred in the 1980s and the impact it has on the lives of the people involved.

This novel is a must-read for fans of crime fiction novels. The plot is well-crafted and keeps readers guessing until the very end. The pacing is excellent and the story is told at a brisk pace. I highly recommended this book for anyone who wants a great crime fiction novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Hogarth for this advanced copy.

Having never read anything by Carlsson, I was expecting a Scandinavian noir. this book certainly delivered. A good mystery with good characters that had more depth than many mysteries. Two women have been brutally murdered, another nearly killed and her husband is. There a very rarely murders in this quiet area and Sven triesnhard to find connections to the victims and the perpetrator. What sets this mystery apart is the depth of the characters and their relationships

"I raped a woman in a car. It’s near Tiarp Farm. A brief silence followed. Then: I’m going to do it again. Bye."

"Monstrousness was always sleeping right beneath the surface, just out of sight."

1986 – A terrible crime in an out-of-the-way place. A young woman is brutally raped and murdered in her own car. It might have gotten a bit more national attention had there not been another crime that night, the murder of Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme. The attention would have been merited, as the killer taunted the police with a phone call, boasting of his deed and promising more of the same. He will become known as Tiarp Man. The case falls to Sven Jörgensson. It will consume him.

Blaze Me a Sun has a frame structure. It opens in 2019, with a writer looking into the famous crimes that had taken place in Halland County, in southern Sweden. He is a local, who has been away for a long time, but felt a need to return home. Those who knew him as a kid call him Moth. The primary story is the one that Moth researches and tells. Then we go back to Moth for the final fifth (or so) of the novel.

The book is divided into multiple periods. The first (inside the frame) is 1986, when the first crimes take place. Next is 1988 when the national police take over the investigation. In 1991, there are more violent crimes. Is it the same person? 2019 is when Moth is up front as our narrator, at the beginning and end of the novel.

I was reminded of the true-crime format, in which the host/narrator walks you through all the details of one or multiple crimes, then offers the reveal at the end. But the first-person perspective of the frame is replaced in the core here by a third-person-omniscient perspective. At the back end of the story, the narrator takes center stage again, leading us through his further inquiries.

Mostly, we follow Sven as he looks into several murders and one near-killing. As with the Palme murder, finding the perpetrator is a fraught, frustrating job. Evidence is scarce and the struggle to identify the perpetrator wears down the patience of both Sven and his superiors over time. He is an intrepid detective, someone who takes his responsibility to the victims and their families to heart. He thinks of them every day, even long after he is no longer on the case, even after he is retired. Sven is an easy character to pull for, mostly. A white knight on a worthy quest, but there is tarnish on that armor as well. Sven is far from purely benign.

"Even heroes can make mistakes. The dream of a spotless past is, after all, only a dream. No one makes it through unmarked. We have to learn to live with it. If we can."

One element that struck me was that we come to think of the victims by their first names, as Sven does. It gives them a bit of extra presence that enhances our feel for Sven’s struggles, his determination to see justice done.

Even Sven’s son, Vidar, as an adult, gets caught up in the complications, the reverberations of the case. Families are a major focus of the book. The crimes have both immediate and long-term impact on the people who must survive the horrific loss of a loved one. Single crimes echo through time to generate multiple waves of misery and destruction. People come to learn things about those to whom they are the closest. You can see why some folks might be jarred learning those things. The truth doesn’t just hurt, it can break your psychic bones, change your direction in life, make you into a different person than you were. Sven’s relationship with Vidar is both loving and strained, a source of tension that carries through the story.

Carlsson links the Tiarp Man murders to the Palme assassination thematically, rather than concretely.

"When the prime minister was shot and the shooter was never more than a shadow heading up the stairs into the dim light of David Bagares Gata, it unleashed something. Distaste. A rage that no one could quite control.
From opinion pages and kitchen tables came an indignant clamor over police and politics, criminality and immigrants, the wretched creature that had become Sweden and one’s own reflection in the mirror. It was clear now. The country could have come through anything unscathed—anything but this. The youthful boy with his smiling eyes, a mother-in-law’s dream who turned out to be a murdering monster up there in the north: Maybe that’s us.
Of course this sort of thing leaves its mark on you. Of course it marks a country. How could it not?"

Tiarp Man personified that for this part of Sweden. Things that remained unresolved for far too long. A sense of community comfort that was forever disrupted.

There is no real magical realism at work in this book, but Carlsson does offer up an omen in the form of a local superstition.

"As spring arrived, the village came to life. Everything seemed to shimmer, and the colors grew so vivid. Sweet days awaited.
The first white wagtail sighting also brought a moment of uncertainty. We learned to be very cautious. If you saw the bird from the back, which you almost always did, it meant happiness and good fortune. But on those rare instances in which you first happened to catch sight of it from the front, and got a good look at the black spot on its tiny breast, it was a bad omen: Misfortune and sorrow lay ahead."

Carlsson knows a bit about police work and crime. Mom was the Swedish equivalent of a 911 dispatcher. And the author’s day job is putting his Criminology PhD to use as a college professor, and writer of professional papers on criminology. His father was an auto mechanic, a job he hands off to Moth’s father in the book. Carlsson is from the area in which these crimes take place. I suppose only those who know the area can opine on whether he presented it accurately.

"Criminology taught me the rough brutal truths about crime: it’s dirty, bloody, messy, painful, raw, costs a lot, and, sometimes, it’s beyond meaning in any reasonable sense of that term." – From Crimereads article

I had only two real issues with the book. There is a gap between some of the crimes that is not really explained, and an authorial disinclination to go into the killer’s motivations. If you are ok with that, then this one should satisfy. It enhances a procedural mystery with a look at family, questioning how well we really know those closest to us, and the limits of what one might do for loved ones. It adds a take on the sense of the place and the times. Best of all, there are some excellent twists.

"The one she asks for light is also the one who will bring darkness. Like the face of Janus."

Review posted – 01/20/23

Publication date – 01/03/23 – (English translation) – It was originally published in Swedish in 2021

I received a digital ARE of Blaze Me a Sun from Hogarth in return for a fair review. Tack, gott folk, and thanks to NetGalley for facilitating.

For the full review, with links, and proper formatting, please head on over to https://cootsreviews.com/2023/01/20/blaze-me-a-sun-by-christoffer-carson/

A police officer obsessing over unsolved murders is always a winner. Well constructed and readable., a fine book about cold cases and their resurgence.

This is a story about crime and its repercussions.

When the prime minister of Sweden is assassinated the same night a serial killer calls in their first murder, it sets off a chain of fear and investigation that lingers through decades. Different characters are affected in different ways, but everyone is affected somehow, sometimes in ways it takes them years to understand.

This book could be really slow moving for me at times, even with the powerful punch of the assassination and murder happening on the same night. But nonetheless there was something compelling about this story that made it so I couldn't put the book down. Whether it was following the characters along on their own personal journeys, or having to know the solution to the mystery, or a combination of both, I'm not sure, but I wasn't able to stop reading (despite having considered it once). And I have to say the big final twist was a really shocking one, and brought everything together in a really satisfying and emotionally hard hitting way.