I decided to try this book as l enjoy reading Lars Kepler books and thought this would be on par
Well it did not disappoint
Initially l found it a little difficult to follow as the writer takes us from ione police force to another but once in I thoroughly enjoyed it
It is an intense, gritty, graphic novel that keeps the reader captivated throughout
The author must have really looked into psychological profiling to understand the mind of a serial killer and this comes through while reading the book
Thank you for my copy and l will definitely recommend to others

Sorry Fabian but I didn't warm to you at all!

I hadn't read any of the previous books in this series, which didn't help. But it was just too unnecessarily explicit and crude for my liking. I really struggled to come back to it again and again, which is a sure sign I didn't even want to find out what had happened.

Yes, the story is typically Scandinavian but there are much better ones out there.

As a big fan of Scandinavian crime novels I wanted to love this book, really I did. So much so that I tried for a number of chapters well past the point I would usually give up. Alas, I could just not get into it. I realised later that part of the problem is that this is the third in a longer series about the lead detective, Fabian Risk. I have an aversion to starting book series anywhere but the beginning (bit of a purist that way) and it bothered me a lot that there was backstory I might have missed.

The style of the book exacerbated this because there are lots of strands and a lot of things happening initially where it is far from clear how they connect. Some books can pull that off with ease but this-for me-was not one of them. The pace was also glacially slow, apart from the first chapter which is an absolute cracker. Had it continued in that vein I might have persisted.

This is the sort of book I might readily come back to if I had more spare time, patience and a chance to read the previous two in the series. So I would mark it DNF on this first go but not permanently discard it forever. Instead, I’ll put it on ice for now and give it two stars for potential.

When a body, fished out of the sea after a car chase, is discovered to have been frozen for two months, Swedish detective Fabian Risk begins investigating a case of identity theft. What he uncovers is far more serious and potentially dangerous, not just for him, but his entire family.
At the same time, in Denmark, his friend and fellow police officer, Dunja Houggard is looking into the violent deaths of homeless people. Her investigation leads uncomfortably close to Risk.

This book started off at break neck speed and at times I felt like I still hadn’t caught up. The story itself is quite gripping, as Risk and team uncover more victims, and the sheer complexity of the crimes was enjoyable but some of the jumps in time and place didn’t seem to make sense. On several occasions I actually turned back pages to see if I’d missed a section out. And the epilogue, I’m guessing, is a
Ink to the next book in the series as it made no sense to me and seemed to bear little relevance to the rest of the story

A book to read if you’re a fan of Scandinavian dark detective stories.

In Sweden, Fabian Risk is trying to solve several strange murders where victims appear to have been frozen, while he also has to deal with his marital problems and his teenage children, who have trouble fitting in at school. Fabian's boss, Tuvesson doesn't provide much guidance, as she is battling substance abuse. As a master of disguise manages to deceive everyone, Risk and his colleagues, and even his family become targets. In Denmark, Dunja is facing sexism and misogyny at the police department, while trying to solve the horrible murder of a homeless person no one seems to care about. Set in two different countries, the two stories slowly converge.

The book has a very complex and out of this world plot. There are many different story lines and at the beginning it seems like there are a lot of different characters, but in the end it all ties together nicely and the connections become clear. The suspense occurs mostly towards the end. The ending has several good twists and things come to a dramatic close. The novel ends with a good cliff-hanger concerning Risk’s homicide unit, which does make the reader want to dive into the next book immediately (soon to be published this May).
As others have mentioned there was quite a lot of crude violence and sex in the book, as often the case with Scandinavian writers. I liked the fast pace of the thriller, but at times it was quite clear that the author usually focuses on screenwriting.

My only criticism is that when the police have a suspect in custody and are worried about providing proof to hold him for longer, they could have tested him for gunshot residue, they could have taken his DNA and matched it to traces on the victim whom he held onto, or his finger prints. My rating is closer to 3.5.

I started this and really wasn't too sure to begin with but I am so glad I persevered with it as it become such a great twisted story, and rolled 2 stories into 1 whilst leaving you on a cliffhanger for the next...

Oh my God I cannot describe how much I enjoyed this book.

It has been an age since I read a book with so many unguessable plot twists. So many twists and turns, this is a true edge of your seat thriller.

I cannot wait for his next book. I didn't want this one to end. I am beyond impressed. I'm actually at a loss for words because there aren't any to describe this book.

Incredible work.

Jo Nesbo is no longer the scandanvian author to beat. Stefan Ahnhem is.

I hadn't read the first in this series, but it didn't take long to follow what was happening. Having read this one, I will definitely go back and read the first one because the characters were excellent. I like it when thrillers have a good, exciting plot PLUS well-rounded characters.18 Below yanks you along a fast-paced ride. There are two exciting stories, both kept me interested till the end.

There are two parallel stories going on here. The one set in Helsingborg in Sweden that Fabian Risk is working on, where a car runs off the road and into the harbour. Drink drive, until a second pathologist says that the “driver” had been dead for two months and his dunking in the harbour only served to defrost him.
More bodies subsequently turn up, frozen but why?
The second story line is based in Helsinger in Denmark, a ferry ride away and which Fabian Risk's son is involved with.
The book jumps backwards and forwards with the stories and it can get convoluted and confusing at times, not helped by some translation errors.
The two story lines would have worked as independent books rather than mashing them into one.
It was complex and dark as is this Scandi type genre. Not as dark as Jo Nesbo.

A wealthy businessman drives his car into the river and dies in what appears to be a suicide. However the autopsy reveals he has been dead and frozen for at least 2 months, but his colleagues are certain they have seen and spoken to him during this time. So who killed him and why stage the suicide?
A creepy, dark, fast-paced thriller.

Stefan Ahnhem took Fabian Risk and put him in the crosshairs of one of the most ruthless team of killers he has come up against. I'm more into the story than the killers because there is so much tension in the story with Tuvesson's divorce and Risk's divorce in the works. With Dunia's trying to find the the masked people who kill innocent people for the fun of it. Fabian's run in, with the chase of Tuvesson trying to catch the bad guy driving into the water and looking like a suicide, but it wasn't. All of the police found out it was murder. There are so many twists and turns with people that you wonder how they exist in the real world. And the ending was one you could not guess which takes us to why you should read this book, it does't end it gives you the next story, I think.

Really enjoyed this book,
two story lines running parallel that seemed to not be related but the deeper you get into the book it all comes together.
the book kept me guessing at each turn, which is what i love in a story, unpredictable

A really good thriller. I liked the characters and the writing style. The plot was really good and I was gripped the whole way through. This the first book that I have read by this author and I will definitely be reading more.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

I confess upfront I haven't read the previous books in this series and, though that caused me some confusion in keeping all the characters and their roles straight, it did fall into place so I could enjoy the ride. And enjoy it I did! Simply crazy, wildly unbelievable yet wholly addictive. Yes, the likelihood of omnipotent baddies that pull off incredible feats of criminality was a huge leap but lack of feasibility doesn't diminish the heart-pounding thrill of this novel. Eighteen Below grips the reader like a vice! It's so immersive that the events transpiring do feel possible in a terrifying way with terrifying consequences. I haven't read anything quite like this and loved it to bits as Fabian Risk and the team work to decipher what is happening and why.

Being book three in a series there is a fair amount of backstory I wasn't privy to but the story (and that ending?!?) was such a surprise I want to go back and read the two preceding books. Nope, I'm not giving a thing away so I shall stop here before I let slip even the tiniest detail. Enjoy!

What a great police procedural! With a unique, creepy plot and a plethora of characters, this book is highly addictive. This is the third book in the Fabian Risk Series, but can definitely be read as a stand alone. Fast paced and thrilling, leave yourself plenty of time when you start this one! You won’t be putting it down anytime soon. While things generally wrap up in the end, there are a few things left hanging and it looks like Fabian might have found his next case. Can’t wait!!

A really good thriller that takes a while to get into and understand with all of the characters. I wish I had read the other Fabian Risk books first but I still enjoyed this as a stand-alone novel.

Thanks for letting me review this book.

My thanks to NetGalley and publisher Head of Zeus for the e-copy.
In October 2010 a wealthy man in Kattegatt, Sweden, is found dead in his garage. Appearing to be a suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning, although his apparently frozen body was put down to the freezing temperatures at that time. Jump forward to May 2012. Astrid Tuvessen, Chief of the crime squad, has her wing mirror clipped by a speeding BMW; she gives chase to the point the car drives off the quayside into the river.
The body of wealthy Peter Brise is discovered in the driver's seat, tests show he was drunk. However, Einar Greide (AKA Braids) the pathologist, re-examines the work of his incompetent colleague and discovers that the body had been frozen - at least 2 months, and at least at 18 degrees below zero.
Astrid is a mess - recently divorced she had been finding solace in alcohol and was increasingly neglecting her duties and taking sick-days. She blags her way through an interview with her boss and an ensuing examination by her team - Fabian Risk being her 2IC.
In Helsingor, Denmark, Dunja Hougaard and partner Magnus Rawn take a call to investigate the siting of a young women covered in blood, staggering through the streets. Finding her in a homeless people's dosshouse, the young woman can only repeat, through her drugged brain, 'they' were happy, smiling, laughing.
Dunja's ex-boss in Copenhagen, Kim Slazner, has blocked her employment since she betrayed him 2 years ago.. A detective, she finally found a position back in uniform with a partner, in a Northern backwater. But she needs to investigate this case - whatever.
How could Peter Brise sign a contract to sell his apartment when he was already dead? What happened to missing Pers, his financial manager at Ka-Ching who has disappeared?
In fact, how come several wealthy people suddenly decide to liquidate their assets and change banks.

We are in the realms of identity theft, wanton murder, chilling body disposal and downright callousness in Sweden, tied in with videoed violence and murder in Denmark. Eventually the two investigations come together.

This is really a complicated story, more so as it's written in very short chapters, alternating between the investigations and the private lives of the main characters. I felt that just about everything except the kitchen sink had been tried to be incorporated, but found it very 'bitty' and hard to follow.

Bodies turn up, houses are searched, and you finally get a feel of what's been going on - but I really feel dissatisfied with it all.

Tough, almost cold, narrative with disgruntled characters .. good ones (some cops) and bad ... parents, victims and school students. We witness what looks like reckless driving, but soon things open up in this scandi noir to a much darker, brutal killing. ... maybe even gratuitously cruel (although i realise that's one of the 'pleasures' of such tough noir crime writing). Lots of onging cliff hangers speed the story along (so it almost feels episodic), so there is never a down time except all that might feel tedious unnecessary detail is actually leading up all too something necessary to plotting. Really adept, almost formulaic, hitting all the right buttons. Professional.. impressive if not utterly (therefore) wholly engaging. Read it for confident good reading!

This writer is a new one to me, but I simply couldn't resist a Swedish crime thriller-( or should I say Chiller?- sorry, last of the silly puns).

I haven't read the first two books in the series, and it didn't cause any problems at all , I will be reading them though, as this novel was simply great. I loved it. It was exciting, fast paced and original. The characterisation was strong and believable and I thoroughly enjoyed it all the way through. Plenty of twists and turns to keep you on your toes.

If you love Jo Nesbo- this is for you.

Eighteen below is a gripping thriller set in Sweden and Denmark and of the Nordic Noir crime genre. Whilst it is part of a series of books featuring Fabian Risk it can be read standalone.

Fabian Risk is a Swedish detective on the murder squad. He is having to deal with trauma within his family whilst dealing with his job and his boss slowly descending into alcoholism. The book starts with a thrilling car chases as a car rushes past Risk's boss. She takes up chase only for the car to go off the road into the river

. It sounds like a straightforward crime. The autopsy shows that the body was dead when it went into the river and had been frozen for months. The man was wealthy and someone had stolen his identity and his assets before killing him. The investigation shows this is a pattern that has been going on for months with many wealthy victims being targetted. Can they stop the killer before another life is claimed.

In parallel Dunja, a Danish detective who is now in uniform goes to investigate a report of a woman with blood on her. Her gun ends up being taken and she starts an investigation of her own. She finds that the case is related to happy slapping, brutal attacks on homeless that are recorded on phones.
The two cases are seemingly unrelated but twists and turns in the story bring them together in a unique way.

I loved this book. The plot was unusual and unique and you were kept turning the pages to find out what would happen next. I am looking forward to reading the next one in the series.

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