Lars Kepler had a real plan to tell the story of a hypnotist, Erik Maria Bark. It's a story that takes the plot in many directions, but the main emphasis was to hypnotize a boy that was knifed like the rest of his family, but escaped with his life. Joona linna takes the case after battling with his boss about it. He decides to hypnotize the boy and contacts Erik Maria Bark as the best hypnotist. Under hypnosis, the boy, Josef Ek, admits to killing his family and then turning the knife on himself. All the while, they learn that Josef has an older sister that was not killed.

It goes back to when Erik losses his ability to use hypnosis in his practice. This is an important point to bring out in the story. Erik's son, Benjamin, has hemophilia, and Erik has to give him injections to keep him from bleeding to death. They tell Josef that he will be placed in a prison and later that day he escapes. Many plots spin off this like Evelyn is missing, and Benjamin is kidnapped. That's all I'll say to keep it interesting and not spoil it for people. You'd be surprised how it turns out.

I received a copy from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love this series. The Hypnotist was the first in the series and it's a dark psychological thriller which grips you from the get go and never lets go. We get introduced to Joona Linna, an experienced detective inspector who takes the case of a series of grisly murders. He eventually enlists the help of a hypnotist to help light a spark in the memory of his only witness.
If you're a fan of Swedish crime novels, this is definitely a series for you. It will keep you entertained and on your toes.

I had a hard time with the names in this book. It is Swedish after all and I haven't read a Swedish thriller in a little while, but after I got used to the names I happily dived into what I think is a disturbing and addictive read. From the beginning I was hooked by the drama in the story and I just had to know how it ended. I was not disappointed either. I know that this author is coming into the U. S. market with gusto and now that I have read this book I understand why. I am so looking forward to reading the rest of his library.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2385322810

This started off well, grabbing my interest straight away with the story of a family brutally murdered and the surviving son being hypnotised with the hope of finding answers. The story then moves to the Hypnotist himself, and the ill-fated hypnotherapy experiment he conduncted 10 years prior.
The two stories never really link up and I was left wondering what really happened in the first, more interesting plotline. There was also not enough of the only really likable character - the Finnish detective Joona Linna.

I tend to wait until the very last moment, and beyond to give my opinion of a book. I absolutely, positively, with every fiber of my being hated this book. I can't even remember the main characters names. I just known that he was awfully prideful. He thought he was an ace investigator. Nope, not really. He was told he was a great dancer....he agreed. I was embarrassed. No, this is not a character I would give a hoot about. Lars Kepler isn't actually any author that I would care to read anything by again. I see how some folk may like him, but he's too simplistic.

There's not much a love more than a good mystery. This took me by surprise, having more twists and turns than I expected. I loved the damaged characters, the hypnotist Erik, his wife Simone, their struggle as a couple and parents while searching for their missing son. The mysterious yet determined detective, Joona. And all the characters that are met along the way. I have already checked out the next book in the series and can't wait to immerse myself in it.

I've heard about Lars Kepler, the husband and wife author team, for awhile. The Hypnotist is the first of their books. After reading this, I am so glad I had the forethought to purchase the next three books.

Detective Joona Linna is one of those great detectives the nordic writers do so well. He has this habit that made me laugh; when proven right, after saying he was, the other party must admit he was right. It is a habit that apparently annoys his superior.

The Hypnotist is a brilliant read that is fast paced. Its a rather large book at 503 pages but doesn't ever drag so you'll fly through it. I would like to add the translation is impeccable.

The gist of the story is a boy with medical issues being kidnapped. There are several red herrings throughout the book that are pretty spectacular.

I highly recommend not just this book but the author who is now on my list of authors who I know will never dissapoint me.

Alas, the rating system will only let me give this book 5 stars. It deserves 20 times that.

Thank you NetGalley for this seriously fabulous read.

There was A LOT going on in this book, and it got a little wild at the end, but it was still an engaging read. The later books have better ratings, so I'm definitely going to continue on with the series because the mystery was well thought out overall.

There is only one survivor of a triple homicide, a boy who saw his entire family murdered. He himself, has been stabbed over 100 times and has withdrawn to a world inside his mind. Detective Inspector Joona Linna brings in Dr. Erik Maria Bark to hypnotize the boy so the killer can be apprehended. Bark is reluctant to perform the procedure, he’s seen the after effects of this type of therapy on patients and has sworn never to hypnotize anyone ever again. Linna wears him down, eventually, leading to a series of answers and events that may prove worse than the murders themselves. Kepler is a master of Nordic Noir and will keep you glued to the pages of this terrific thriller