This has been my most anticipated book ever since I heard about it (which was like 6 months ago) and I resisted reading it until closer to pub day but couldn’t wait any longer! I really have no idea how I managed to wait so long, cause this book was everything I wanted it to be and more! Jurek Walter is like Michael Myers: you shoot him a bunch of times and think he’s dead, but really he’s alive and plotting his revenge. This book was so intense my heart would be racing as my eyes flew over the words to find out what happens as quickly as possible. With so many twists and deaths and gore and violence this was everything I’ve wanted for a book in this already fantastic series. While I don’t think it’s necessary to read all of the other books in the series, you should definitely pick up The Sandman before this one (but as always I highly recommend the entire series). Now to begin the super long wait for the highly anticipated next instalment.

I've been following this series since book 1 and without any doubt, this is one of the best Nordic Noir series that I've come across. I've been desperately waiting for this instalment especially with that jaw-dropping cliff-hanger at the end of the previous one, and it totally lived up to the expectation. This is truly a 'will keep you on the edge of your seat' kinda thriller, so gripping and with an impending sense of doom throughout, lol!

The ending was just a tad bit predictable imo but other than that everything leading up to it was great, and that certain death at the end was epic! And this is what I really like about this series, it's not afraid to actually kill-off some of the well-loved characters, I mean characters actually die in this one and do not miraculously live to play their part in the next instalment (unless they are villains! Lol!).

A'ight, thanks for this one Lars Kepler, can't wait for the next book

Thanks to Netgalley, authors and publishers for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

“Now the darkness will close around him again” Lazarus by Lars Kepler

4 stars. And I’m tired now. 😂 Between rioting for Joona and getting a bit shocked at how some of the regular cast be brought down, I’m tired.

The gore and brutality of the murders at the beginning of the book did seem like someone else was wrecking havoc in Europe. But you know Jurek is back, you trust Joona’s call. And then it starts getting personal to Saga too. So very personal.

I did wonder how Jurek, who’s perhaps (I think)a decade older than Joona, be able to keep doing what he does best. And that work is very physical. Sure he has help but still, with some jobs, he was hands on. And that part where he gets into Rin is’ place - how’s he able to come in and know the layout of the place?? Is he that good a soldier/assassin?

And what Jurek did to Saga, how he outwitted her and took what she held dear... nooooo Saga! Does that mean she’s...? Seems like it. Hope not. Really really hope not.

I don’t think the series ends with this one but a major arc is done. And the setup at the end, hmm.

Thank you Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley for the arc of this book. I really enjoyed it!

I think this book belongs in a new genre - Nordic ultra noir. It was so very, very dark! I’ve read a lot of thrillers about killers but this guy was really something else. This is also book 7 of a series. I haven’t read any of the others (I know, I know it’s against my ‘rules’) but I might go back to the start now. Having heard lots of good things, I really wanted to try this series and I’m so glad I did! I floundered a little at the start because clearly, this story began in at least one, more likely more, earlier books. For example the main character, police officer Joona Linna (apparently a superintendent although you wouldn’t know it from this book) has recently come out of prison and, after finishing the book, I still don’t know why he went to prison.

Not to worry, the story soon got going and I forgot about minor issues like backstory as I was swept away in this rather long and intricately plotted, very tense story. Jurek Walter was one of the worst killers Sweden had ever seen. He had been in a secure psychiatric facility but had escaped. Then, whilst on the run with his twin brother, Igor, he was apparently shot dead by Saga Bauer, a young and very capable policewoman working with Joona. Joona himself had shot and killed the brother. Jurek fell into a body of water and was swept away, presumed dead. But a series of strange coincidences signals to Joona that Jurek is alive and still orchestrating events. He has also apparently acquired another partner to do much his dirty work, replacing his brother.

Jurek doesn’t actually live for the killing, although he does it with ruthless efficiency. No, his goal, his reason for living almost, is to destroy the loved ones of his enemies leaving them so alone and wracked with guilt that they usually end up killing themselves. And Jurek is almost unstoppable. He moves like a ghost and is utterly, utterly implacable. Relentless. I think this is one of the few books that really did raise my blood pressure! If you need an ending where everyone lives happily ever after - this is not a book for you. But if you like nail biting suspense, drama and lots of shocks you should really enjoy this. Just be warned - a lot of people die in this story. 4.5 stars rounded down because I thought it was a little long. Thanks to Netgalley, the publishers and Lars Kepler for providing a copy for review. My opinions are my own.

This was such an awesome read! Lars Kepler really knows how to get into your head. Everything is so vividly described that it feels like you are a part of the investigation.

Joona Linna is such a likeable character. I would totally want him on my side if I were ever in trouble. The work he puts into keeping his daughter and loved ones safe is amazing.

There were a few parts of the story that I felt dragged on a bit, but quickly picked back up every time. I felt so many emotions reading this book, my pulse and adrenaline shot up a few times!

I was told before I started reading this that if you want to know more of the backstory to this story you should read The Sandman first. I have not read that one yet and still felt this was a great stand alone.

Larson is part of an eight books series. This is book seven in the Joona Linna series. Joona Linna is a Swedish detective who investigates murders. Joona is haunted by the ghost of Jurek, the serial killer who was shot and killed years ago by Saga. He’s not convinced Jurek is dead after two victims showed disturbing connections to prior killings.

A mysterious killer is brutally murdering Europe's most loathsome criminals. Joona believes Jurek has recruited someone to send him a message. Jonna must convince his team that Jurek is still alive.

Overall:
This ARC was difficult to read with no chapter breaks. It’s reads like one long run on sentence. It doesn’t transition well at all. It’s choppy. Since this is an ARC it might not be the final version. Even so a few spaces or a chapter reference would help.
There were times in the story where too many details overcrowded the book. The step by step process of every move didn’t advance the plot.
I’m not sure of the timeline of this story but it seems unfathomable how quickly the killer worked moving from one scene to the next. Then there’s the unknown time of how long the killer kept some victims in the coffin.

The premise of the story was very exciting, but I struggled with the delivery. The way the information was executed was not smooth. The book was too long. Lars stretched and prolonged this book beyond reasonable means. If I were to base my review on the premise I would give this book 5⭐️s. Unfortunately, I skimmed through this book from beginning to end cutting out the minute details. Had the chapters been identified this would’ve read easier.

I do like the way the detective team gathered information. Joona has dedicated his life to hunting killers. His process to investigate Jurek was the most interesting aspect of this book. They are seasoned professionals that took charge immediately. They picked up the pieces from the last book with no hitches.
Although, I had to refer back to the book description to gain a better understanding about what I was reading. Delving into this book with no prior knowledge was not a good idea. I’m starting this series with book 7. Maybe that’s a disadvantage, maybe not. I’d recommend reading from the beginning.
This is a character driven story with many graphic kills. The killer is unapologetic in his killings. Sadly this leaves little to no hope of survival. Essentially every kidnapping leads to a brutal death. Trying to remain hopeful that Joona can stop the killer seems unlikely. As a reader this became exhausting knowing this killer was unstoppable.

Lars Kepler is the pseudonym of husband and wife team Alexandra Coelho Ahndoril and Alexander Ahndoril, authors of the Joona Linna series. With seven installments to date, the series has sold more than 14 million copies in 40 languages. This book was translated to English. This book reads well enough. I am struggling with the Swedish police procedures and locations as I’m more familiar with the US locations and the US police procedures.

The Joona Linna series follows Joona Linna, Detective Superintendent at the police's National Operations Department, Saga Bauer, an Operational Superintendent at the Swedish Security Service.

Even though this book is written like an audio description for blind people, it isn't as wasteful with words as many other Scandinavian books. But still, there are a few multi-page descriptions of persons or things that aren't important to the story. The pace is still pretty good for a Scandinavian police procedural.
One thing I especially don't like, is when police officers are generally pictured as stupid, and most of them are here. Combined with all the horror and murders, this book is like a very cheap movie.

My first book by Lars Kepler (this is actually a pen name for husband and wife team Alexandra Coelho Ahndoril and Alexander Ahndoril). Although this was the seventh book in the Joona Linna series, it gave enough background so that it could easily stand alone - thank goodness since I hadn't read the others! I'm sure starting from the beginning of the series would be best in order to understand all the background nuances - I may go back and read the others because this was good!

Joona Linna is a Swedish policeman who has had some major experience with tracking serial killer Jurek. Jurek was finally killed, but some grisly murders have started occurring that are very reminiscent of Jurek's trademark killings. Joona is beginning to wonder if somehow Jurek didn't die - even though he was shot several times by Joona's partner, Saga.

This novel is dark and grisly and very action packed. The bodies are stacking up and tension builds dramatically. This one kept me turning the pages. Excellent work Lars Kepler!

Thanks to Penguin Random House Canada through Netgalley for an advance copy.

Any book by the authors writing under the pseudonym of Lars Kepler is never going to be anything other than a rollercoaster through ones worst nightmare and worse. This story transcends and moves beyond anything protagonist Joona Linna has previously investigated. The survival of his daughter, his new partner and his life depends on the successful apprehension of his nemesis Jurek Walters , unlikely in the extreme in that everyone but him believes the serial killer long dead. Is Saga clever, wily and strong enough to use the Investigative case history documentation to track down the killer before he destroys Joona by wiping out everyone he loves and cares about notwithstanding any collateral damage of those who get in his path towards revenge. Fast pace covering Nordic countries , numerous fatalities and with no tangible links towards catching this archenemy this story delivers a five star read on every level. Three dimensional characters from previous books all become embroiled in this crusade to destroy evil before this malignant and pernicious psychopath destroys everyone in his path towards retribution. A highly thrilling and satisfying conclusion that leaves the intangible thread of a potential follow up or is that just my wishful thinking. Many thanks to publisher, NetGalley, and authors for the ARC to which no review can ever do full justice .

Absolutely fantastic. Edge of your seat thrilling. Nordic noir at it's finest. Bravo to the Kepler writing duo!

I have only read a handful in this series and I am hoping to go back to the start and read in order when time allows. I was so excited to be given a chance to read this one, and I was not disappointed!

Lazarus tells the story of detective Joona Linna and his quest to find the once-thought-dead serial killer Jurek Walter. The case is personal to Joona, as his ex-wife's head was found in Walter's freezer and his new partner Saga Bauer has put her family in danger by being the one to apparently kill the bad guy the first time round. Can Joona and Bauer stop Walter from his murderous rampage? Will they save Bauer's family?

This was heart pounding at times and I had to put it down quite often to let what I'd just read sink in. Lars Kepler's writing style is so fast paced, they really get under your skin with the psychological torture and detailed depravities in this one.

Kepler has written Joona, as dark and disturbed with his own demons to conquer, as is a common theme in most Scandinavian crime fiction. Comparatively, Bauer is a fresh character, and while she also has her demons, she breaths new life into the character mix.

You will keep turning the pages of this one, keep reading one more chapter before bed (or maybe not before bed - it's pretty scary at times!) and you will wish this one didn't end. 100% recommended and I can't wait to read more of this series,

I had to read this book, Lazarus, in installments because honestly, the premise is so terrifying, I could feel my heart racing as a visceral reaction to the story. We are again in the trenches with famous Joona Linna, Chief Inspector for the Swedish Police Force. Preceding this story, Chief Inspector Linna was part of an elite task squad that brought down one of the most notorious serial killers who buried his victims alive. The murderer is assumed dead after having been shot multiple times before falling into the ocean. But is he dead does or has he returned from hiding to come back and exact vengeance upon Joona Linna? The book is well done with scary setups leaving the reader to expect a shocking twist at any moment. I'm not sure I can continue reading these books anymore. The stories are very well done by the writing team of Lars Keplar but scary AF. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

In a literary world where there are serial killers running amuck, Lazarus gives us a serial killer story so horrifying, so harrowing, so terrifying, that you may never sleep again -- at least with eyes closed. Saga plugged Jurgen Walter three times, his body washed away, his remains were found, and identified by DNA. Yet, Joona Linna doesn't believe it. He has made preparations because he knows that if Jurgen ever rises from the dead, his revenge at the Swedish police who took him down will be unending. Jurgen specializes in burying his victims alive in coffins with a small tube for air and he has these living corpses to trade. He comes at his targets through those they can't bear to lose. There doesn't seem to be anything that'll stop him. This is the seventh of the Joona novels penned by a husband and wife writing team under the pseudonym Lars Kepler. They are haunting, dark, and tough to put down as the tension pulls tighter and tighter.

Jurek Walter is thought to be back. Saga and Joona thought that he died when Saga shot him 3 times but the most vicious killer has returned and has captured Saga’s father and sister and buried them alive. It is the 7th installment is the series by Lars Kepler and the best so far. All these books are very dark and violent but keep you on the edge until the very end. This one has a surprise ending and a cliffhanger and is no different than the others. They all keep you wanting more of the story after you finish the book. Best to read this series in order so you get to know all the characters and understand what is happening. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series and would highly recommend to those who enjoy thrilling mysteries. I would like to thank Harper Collins and NetGalley for a copy of this book for an honest review.

Thanks to Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Winter and Scandinavian noir are an irresistible combination for any self-professed connoisseur of crime fiction. Add Lars Kepler to the list and you get a compulsive read that defy many of the established tropes of this genre. 'Lazaras' is a follow-up to Kepler's previous novel, 'The Sandman' but can be read as a standalone. Prepare yourself before turning the first page, however, because you are in for a fast-paced read of innumerable twists and turns and some ingenious plotting. Decomposing bodies, serial-rapists and inhuman human monsters all occupy a special place in the circles of hell of Dante Alighier's imagination, but for detective Joona Linna, hell has an earthly presence in the form of serial killer, Jurek Walter. The fly in the proverbial ointment , however, lies in the almost conclusive belief that Walter is dead. Linna disagrees, and a spate of current murders convinces him of the truth, as he sees it: his nemesis is alive and kicking and wrought on further destruction. With his wife already a victim, the detective scrambles to save the remainders of his family. But is Linna right about his suspicions? Has Jurek Walter risen from the depths of hell to continue his murderous rampage, or is something equally insidious going on? You absolutely must pick up this book to find the answer to this question. You won't regret it. Enthralling, dark and fiendishly clever - Scandi-noir at its best.

The writing duo behind the Lars Kepler pseudonym has added to the Joona Linna series with LAZARUS. Lars Kepler is known for writing out-of-the-box twists with suspenseful plot complexities. Lazarus is no different. A continuation of Linna's storyline answers some questions from past books and opens new doors for the future. As with other books they've written, there is a gore aspect that may not be for everyone, but the choice to include such scenes keeps the stories at a high level of suspense bordering on frightening in some places. It feels much more like a movie than other thriller detective novels while also maintaining good dialogue and interesting characters. Readers do not necessarily have to have read the other titles in the series, but it would help with some background.

My thanks to those brave enough to give me a second chance at this series!
I still completely despise the main character! For me, there is just no getting past his character. He's shallow, vain and very proud. He's everything that I would avoid in life. Hes also someone I'd set on fire!

Joona was in a hasty retreat to safety, that was, running. He along with his daughter and close friends was being hunted by his past, literally. They were being tracked down and massacred by a madman, an indescribable evil. He was out for revenge and was beyond all logical understanding. The storyline wasn't bad, it had one little issue, though, the flow, the scenes, they didn't connect very well, and this made it confusing to read at times.

Jurek Walter is back and Joona Lind is on a mission to catch him.while trying to save his daughter and girlfriend. However there is a snag.....Joona now has an accomplice, The Beaver. While Joona is hunting Jurek, his partner Saga Bauer assists in the hunt while racing against time to rescue her kidnapped father and sister. A definite dark heart pounding page turner!!! Excellent!!

I love Scandanavian noir novels, so I was thrilled to get an opportunity to read an advance copy of the latest in Lars Kepler's Joona Linna series. For those new to the series, Lazarus can be read as a stand-alone. It's a follow-up to Kepler's The Sandman, and reading that will provide a bit more insight for reading Lazarus, but it's not absolutely necessary.

Lazarus begins with a decomposing body of a man found in an apartment building. And if that weren't bad enough, when they check his freezer, the police find body parts belonging to lots of different people. Apparently the dead man was a grave robber, but what's important is that he had the skull of Joona Linna's deceased wife. Shortly thereafter, Joona is called to a crime scene of a murdered serial rapist. Even though Joona doesn't recognize the dead man, he has in his possession a cell phone, and the last number called from that phone was to Joona. When Joona and his partner Saga Bauer get together to review the cases, Joona reveals that he believes the murderer in both cases could be his old nemesis Jurek Walter. One problem, a few years earlier, Saga shot and killed Jurek Walter. His body was washed away but eventually turned up and was identified by DNA. She's certain Walter is long dead, but Joona is afraid to believe it. He quickly goes to Paris to pick up his daughter Lumi and goes into hiding with her, leaving Saga to work the murders on her own.

There are more murders and kidnappings to follow, and Lazarus moves along at a very fast pace. Lars Kepler is the pen name of writers Alexander and Alexandra Ahndoril, and they make a fabulous team. Saga and Joona are terrific characters, well developed and interesting. I enjoyed every page.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC. It will be released on December 1, 2020.

I've read the book prior to this one, so was pretty excited to get an advance review on this one! I like the authors' style and definitely a good read, especially if you've read their prior work. They cover "familiar" territory if you read a lot of detective mysteries: brilliant manipulative psychopath that tricks everyone, ex-military main guy that no one believes (and all regret later, when they finally find out), many plot twists and harrowing rescues, and (the one I hope authors will get away from one of these days, which is why I dropped a star) the beautiful female detectives who make every mistake in the book. Well written, definitely worth reading!