**Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc I received in exchange for my review**

I love Nordic noir and while The Nightmare is Nordic there wasn’t much noir, this was more an action detective story. There were so many characters to keep track I thought it was hard to remember who was who. This is the second book in a popular series but I don’t think I’ll read any others.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read and give an honest review of this book.

Lars Kepler books are some of my favorites. The main character Joona Linna is very likeable.
I received this edition from NetGalley several years after I first read a copy from the public library.
I was surprised fo find that there was a new edition out.

Choose any Joona Linna stories and you will not be disappointed. It is a series, but you get enough information about the character in each book, that you are not required to begin with the first book. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Scandinavian Noir. It will hold your interest from beginning to end.

Well… Unfortunately I didn’t enjoy this second book in the Joona Linna Series as much as I did the first. Again, the writing felt disjointed and hard to immerse myself in. It felt as though there was a lot of unnecessary wordage, such as a paragraph about chocolate that felt out of place. It was a long book, but could have been cut down by at least 200pages which would have fastened up the pace some. I personally found it hard to like any of the characters because we don’t get to really meet them, in that they sort of feel very 2 dimensional. However, apart from that, I did find I enjoyed to story line. Admittedly it’s not something that I would normally find myself reading as I find i enjoy the psychopathic killer more than the hired killer type plots. And I do really like Joona’s personality, he reminds me a bit of myself. That alone makes me want to keep on reading in the series, because I do really enjoy his thinking and behaviour.

I’m looking forward to the next in this series, and hope that my review doesn’t dissuade you from trying the book out yourself, because it may just be up your alley!

Thank you so much for my ARC i really appreciated my copy, in exchange for an honest review.

Such a fantastic thriller/mystery! Lars Kepler never disappoints! The story and writing is completely masterful, and an incredible ride. I love these books and probably always will! Highly recommend.

I have started a bit strangely with this series, but I have come to love Detective Inspector Joona Linna and his way of thinking! The first book I read, was “The Sandman” which is actually the fourth installment in the series. I did love it, so I went back to read the rest! The first installment was “The Hypnotist” which makes the introduction of the Detective Inspector and is quite a read! Now, I’ve just finished the second installment, “The Nightmare” and I want to talk to you about this one!

A drowned young woman is discovered on an abandoned pleasure boat drifting by the Stockholm archipelago. As a twist of fate, her clothes are dry, without any trace of sea water, while her collarbone has a strange mark. The very next day, a man is found dead, hanging from a lamp hook inside his apartment. The man’s name is Carl Palmcrona and he is Director general of the Inspectorate for Strategic Products (ISP). He is the one that makes decisions about Swedish arms exports.

Is there even a connection between the two incidents? Detective Inspector Joona Linna is trying to solve the two mysteries and understand what pieces them together and what brings them apart. The one looks like a clear murder case, while the other one is a plain suicide. But something is really wrong with both of them. Why was the young woman dressed after murdered? Why would such a powerful and wealthy man commit suicide?

This story focuses on the arms business, the Swedish one in this case, and all the dangerous games that people involved can play. Being in an important position, making decisions that would affect hundreds, thousands of lives across the planet isn’t easy. Greediness though can make a good persuading game and you might not even understand the length of your involvement until it;s too late. Furthermore, more often than else, the people involved in such activities are ruthless criminals, caring only about profit and nothing else. Which leads us to what we have here. An interesting thriller!

The plot is amazing. It involves so many different aspects and different people, no one would ever think could be part of the same story. Music is tightly connected to the story, giving a different turn to the name of the famous Italian violinist, Niccolò Paganini. Criminal contracts that cannot be broken, that will not cease to exist even if one of the signing parties is dead, now bare the musician’s name and are signed under the spell of his music.

I really enjoyed Joona Linna in this story. His smart mind has come to life and has shown what can be hidden and what can be revealed and that we should look really hard to find all the missing pieces. He is an amazing character and one of my favorite detectives!

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. The views expressed are my personal and honest opinion.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to review this book and to be an early reader via NetGalley! However, I will not be writing a review for this title at this time, as my reading preferences have since changed somewhat. In the event that I decide to review the book in the future, I will make sure to purchase a copy for myself or borrow it from a library. Once again, thank you so much for providing me with early access to this title. I truly appreciate it. Please feel free to contact me with any follow-up questions or concerns.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher
This book got me hooked from page 1. Totally enjoyed and cannot wait for another one

He is an expert in historical moody fiction. he captures the mood and time with atmosphere and suspense. A true legend.

Detective Inspector Joona Linna is called in on two very puzzling cases. In the first, the body of a young woman is found on a drifting yacht. Despite being found lying on a bed in dry clothes, the cause of death is discovered to be drowning. Her sister, a well-known activist is also missing along with her boyfriend. The second concerns the possible suicide by hanging of a high-level bureaucrat. As Linna investigates, it becomes clear to him that these two cases are connected not only to each other but to illegal arms sales.

The Nightmare by Swedish author Lars Kepler is the second book in the Joona Linna series. At approximately 500 pages, it is quite long and, admittedly, it took me a while to get into the story but, once I did, I was hooked. It is well-written although, at times, the dialogue seems stilted which I suspect is down to the translation. The short chapters and quick switches between plot lines keeps the tension high. But perhaps what makes this book such a compelling read and the title so appropriate is not only the actions of the killer or the cold calculating cruelty of the man behind the scenes but because it is too easy to believe the story given some of the actions of governments today regarding arms sales to authoritarian regimes that are used to slaughter thousands of innocents.

This is the first book I have read by Kepler but it will definitely not be the last.

<i>Thanks to Netgalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review</i>

The nightmare is the second in the Joona Linna series. This can be read as a stand alone book. It is fast paced from the first page.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in return for my review based upon my honest opinion.

I found this book very hard to get into and longer than it needed to be. I did read the Hypnotist and enjoyed it, but this book just was not my cup of tea.

was a gripping thriller that took you to every aspect of trying to figure out what was really going on and what was going to happen next! This was such an amazing book and I can’t wait to see what else is released from this author!

Have not read this author before Lars Keplar and it won't be the last. It's a Scandi novel and its about the Sale of Arms to Sudan via Kenya as there had been an embargo and an arrest warrant for the Sudanese President for crimes committed against humanity. The instigator who sorts our the deals and contracts is Italian and has put fear into the 3 other people who make up the foursome that buy sell and sign contracts and load the container ships in Goteberg harbor. Someone has sent a photograph of the four swigging champagne and as she is a pacifist and does not understand the meaning of the phot so she just tapes it to an internal door and there it sits. Her boyfriend of 4yrs sees this photo and understands its meaning and decides to blackmail Palmcrona the one who signs the shipping orders, and he, in turn, commits suicide? and there is a hit put out on Penelope and her boyfriend, and her sister has already been murdered. Joona Linna is one of the detectives on the job and is relentless in trying to find the meaning of why a hit man would be after Penelope etc and why would Palmcrona commit suicide what drove him to it. The plot is very feasible and cleverly put together makes for enjoyable
reading. I would like to thank NetGalley for this unedited copy of the novel well worth a go and the translation is 1st class.

Thank you Knopf Doubleday for a copy of The Nightmare by Lars Kepler for review, out now.

I am so late to this party but I am glad I made it! The author team of Lars Kepler can sure write a book! The Nightmare is the second in the Joona Linna series (the third was recently released that is how behind I am 🙈🙈🙈). I felt like I had missed a bit about the character and his personal life but the plot was easy to follow starting in the middle of the series.
And what a plot it was! This is a long book but there is a ton going on! Arms deals, blackmail, a few shoot outs and behind it all, a picture.
I thought it was all well done, connected nicely along the way, quite a few side characters and stories to get into along the way. It’s a long one but I think there was more than enough to keep my interest peaked the whole time.

Now to add the first and the third of the series to my ever growing TBR!

The story begins with Penelope Fernandez, who is the chairperson of the Swedish Peace & Arbitration Society as well as a Peace activist. She is out with her boyfriend Bjorn and sister Viola on a Yacht but things take a U-turn when Viola is found dead in her cabin and the killer is after her and Bjorn. Who is he and why is he after them? On the other side of the town, a man is found to have committed suicide by hanging himself. He was the Director General of Inspectorate of Strategic Products, Carl Palmcrona.

This brings us to the Dectective, Joona Linna of the National Crime unit, who despite many other good officers still manages to be the one to crack the case with his hunches and guesses, including that both the killings have a connection and both were made to look like accidents/suicides but really aren't. So what is happening and how big is this case really?

The story starts at an even pace and the author duo deftly manages to keep the suspense till three fourth into the book but loses steam in the last hundred pages. Its like those good movies that are ruined by the second half. But nothing drastically bad happens here except everything seems convenient. Specially Axel and his expertise on music. What can you say? Right man at the right place. 

As usual I loved the characterisation and writing. Everything flowed very naturally but something was off about this book mainly because it included plots on arms dealing. I just don't think it fits their style as this one veered towards almost a spy novel. Everything has a procedure and formality and yet Joona seems to manage to break them all and conveniently save the day. Its believable sure, but lacks authenticity. 

for full review visit www.bibliogyan.com

My Highly Caffeinated Thought: A tense, dark, and compelling crime novel.

Can I have some love for the writing duo Lars Kepler? THE NIGHTMARE is the second book in the Joona Linna series and I am hooked! This suspenseful, positively addictive mystery leads you down a path only to swerve right and bring you somewhere completely else.

Here is the thing. I loved the first book for so many reasons and you can read about them on my review of THE HYPNOTIST. Now, with the follow-up novel, my addiction to the gritty and dark world of Joona Linna is growing. The way the duo writes the investigations is so riveting that I almost forget what is going on around me. As the pages fly by and the story develops, I was brought further into a crime which I thought would go one way, but brought me to a place with international arms trafficking and a seriously messed up psychopath.

The investigation, the characters, and the suspense are all there with THE NIGHTMARE. If you are looking for your next crime series addiction, look no further. Lars Kepler brings it all to the table and leaves you wanting more.

PS. The ending? Are you kidding me?!?! All I can say that I cannot start FIRE WITNESS quick enough.

Confession time, I love Joona! I have been a fan since I read The Hypnotists. If readers are interested in multilayered terrifing plot, then this is a great book, a great series. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to review this amazing book.

This series is SO amazing... In this second installment, Joona Linna finds himself embroiled in yet another mess that he manages to suavely unravel with his usual panache - and his own particular brand of semi-lawless detective work. He has an almost supernatural ability to discern the truth - his particular brand of confidence in his own abilities and instincts is second-to-none. It's like James Bond in Sweden but in the best possible way.

Without resorting to tricks or gadgets, he manages to know just when to trust his gut, to strike out on his own, or to ask for help from any- and everyone who might help, regardless of their circumstances, situation, or (frankly) desire to help. He's a fantastic protagonist, and Sweden needs him to be - his world is a dark and horrifying one, populated by depravity, fear, horror, and exceptional violence. Fortunately he has managed to cobble together a small cadre of trusted compatriots who share his desire for justice even when it comes at the cost of lawless activity... In the end Joona ALWAYS figures it out, and watching how he does so is an incredible exercise in judgment, deduction, and leg work. If I were lost, Joona Linna is who I would want set to the task of finding me... Missing people, confusing motives, contradictory evidence - none of it flusters him in the slightest. With the patience of a saint, he untangles the knots and is utterly unstoppable once he has the predator in his sights.

I loved the introduction of Saga Bauer - she is a fantastic addition to the series and her character (almost a female Joona) added a nice tangy depth to an already incredibly rich series. Despite the horrific nature of the violence (sexual, psychological, physical - nothing is off limits in these stories), the marvelous pacing and story-craft on hand are so strongly compelling that I cannot wait to read the next book as soon as I finish one!

I had saw this book on NetGalley and applied for it because I had read a Lars Kepler book in 2013 and really liked it. I assumed this was a new book and I was very wrong. This is the original debut novel that starts this series. I'm not sure why Netgalley re-released it but I was happy to read it over again as I had completely forgotten the plot line (I'm terrible at remembering plots). It took until the last couple chapters until I started to remember a bit and that didn't stop me from loving it! I will look for the second book in the series as I really liked Joona and would love to read more about him.

Best of the Best: New Crime Series with Intellect &/or Zen Influences; Gifts for Avid Readers*
Start anywhere in this series (The Nightmare is Book 2) & you will want to read them all without stopping, & then you’ll want to talk about them. So save time: get them all, get two copies, & share with your friend who has read everything. These are new enough to the US to be a lovely surprise for crime fiction fans.

The Kepler team does a brilliant job crafting (& translating) a dark procedural series with cracks (where the light gets in) of humanity in every character.

If you are a fan of the Amsterdam Cops, you will hear faint familiar wind chimes as you read.

*Note: Our staff categorizes this as a Dark Crime series. Dark Crime is recommended to be gifted to mature readers only.