7th in this chilling series so tense a true page turner.Lars Kepler never fails to write tense multi layered novels.This can be read as a stand alone but the series should be read each for a terrific story.#netgalley#randomhousecanada

Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for the ARC of this dark Swedish thriller in return for an honest review. Lars Kepler is the pen name for a Swedish couple who have written the very popular Joona Linni series. Lazarus is the 7th book featuring the dour, perceptive, and troubled Detective, Joona Linni. I read the first three books in the series years ago and thought they were suspenseful crime thrillers with well-constructed plots. At the time, I was hoping for a leading character as memorable as Lisbeth Salander but I didn't connect with the brilliant Joona as I had hoped.

This is a dark, relentless descent into the world of a fiendish psychopath whom forensic evidence concluded he was dead after being shot by a policewoman. Joona believes he is still alive, even after DNA results have proven otherwise, and is still leaving a path of death and destruction. Joona presents credible theories in regards to him still carrying out his murderous work with the motivation of destroying people related to his victims by causing them to suffer unbearable grief.

Of course, authorities and colleagues disregard Joona's beliefs which leads to more tortures and deaths and to the police make mistakes while trying to stop him. There is also a diabolical contest where the fiend is attempting to find and recruit the most violent brute to help him. Joona figured this out, but his fellow detectives disregard this theory setting them on a confusing path that delays the capture of the deadly, cunning killer.

Be warned, this is a non-stop tale of graphic gore and grotesque killings. There is so much of this that there is little time to build up suspense. I believe I have become desensitized to this type of content. Some of my favourite books so far if 2020 have been crime novels featuring deranged serial killers. Lazarus seemed padded with so much killing that I became numb. So many new characters were introduced only to increase the horrendous death count. It was difficult for me to keep them all sorted, but it didn't matter as they didn't last long.

There is no doubt that the authors can write breathless action scenes, especially thrilling chases and explosions. Some scenes I found preposterous and a certain suspension of disbelief was required. This was apparent when Joona figured out where many bodies were buried from clues from the position of the stars. The ending may be setting up the reader for a further book in the series.

Huge Lars Kepler fan! This book blew me away! I was unable to but it down. Perfect, dazzlingly, very well written. The details the author described throughout the book was so amazing. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers.

It's a fantastic book. Is big, but have a lot of action. Was my first books of authors, and I stay fan!
recomend for people that like policials

The seventh instalment in the series which also works as a standalone. The prose is disjointed in the first part but rectifies after 40%. There are so many killings all over the place and the plot is improbable. The killer seems to be always ahead of the entire police force and all the female characters are acting stupidly. These aside, the narrative is racy and the conclusion is good. 3.5 stars

This is the 7th in the Joona Linna series. Every time I finish one I am convinced there will never be another. How could there possibly be? Well, this author manages to maintain the credibility of this character so I shouldn't be surprised his adventures continue. This series is the epitome of outstanding scandavian noir with an incredibly interesting and conflicted protagonist. He's got some serious trouble on his hands as he is forced to face a killer from the past he thought was long gone. I strongly recommend you read this series in order because each book really builds on the next in ways that are important not to miss, Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

One of the darkest and grittiest books in one of the darkest and grittiest series. It’s the final countdown – one man will win, either Detective Joona Linna or his arch-nemesis Jurek Walter. No one is safe from Jurek’s revenge. He is willing to make everyone suffer to the fullest. There are several brutal deaths all over Europe and Joona realizes Jurek is alive leaving him messages. No one believes Joona. he takes every possible measure to protect his loved ones, but they do not take him seriously.

This is a really brutal book, so it is not for the fainthearted. It is a solid read for Kepler fans, and I highly recommend the series to be read in order to fully enjoy the books. It was impossible to put the book down. I could have lived without the sex scenes. They did not add anything to the story and could have been left out. It is a well-plotted book, and even though I enjoyed reading it I was relived when it was over. It is such an intense story with explicit violence that I would not like to read the book on a dark and stormy night.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Penguin Random House for a review copy of Lazarus, the seventh novel to feature Swedish detective Joona Linna.

A series of murders across Europe have Joona Linna convinced that serial killer Jurek Walter is not as dead as his colleague, Saga Bauer, believes. After all, she shot him And then found proof of his death. Walter has a lifelong obsession with destroying Joona and his loved ones so Joona has to take drastic action.

I thoroughly enjoyed Lazarus which is an action packed thriller with an omniscient villain and a high body count. There is never a dull moment and it held my attention from start to finish. I think it is an exciting read and much of this is down to how Walter always seems one step ahead, making the police reactive rather than proactive. Only Joona seems to know what he is dealing with and be prepared.

I will admit that the all seeing and knowing Walter does stretch the credulity but that, somehow, gets lost in the action and verve of the plot. It is so fast moving that the reader doesn’t really have the time to reflect on how he knows, being too busy getting caught up in the ramifications of that knowledge. It is high octane entertainment.

The novel is told from various points of view and it works well, giving the reader a wider picture of one man’s effect on those involved. It is interesting that all of them initially view Joona as paranoid and obsessive but in various stages come to realise that they were overly confident in dismissing his fears. I enjoyed this evolution in their thinking and think that it offers a bit more to the read than standard thriller fare.

After seven novels I’m still not sure that I know Joona Linna. He is very protective of those closest to him, has a rather flexible attitude to the rule book and is very capable both mentally and physically of defending his own. I don’t know, I see him as an ascetic but I might be totally wrong.

Lazarus is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

Joona Lina is back with a vengeance against his nemesis Jurek Walter in the 7th book of the series titled Lazarus by the husband and wife team Lars Kepler. Oh I had a feeling old Jurek wasn’t dead. One finger wasn’t going to fool me and it didn’t fool Joona either when strange things started happening again. I think you really have to read the series to enjoy this but the author does give enough information about the past that you could read this alone. As usual, the author gives us a thrilling ride from start to finish and there were times I couldn’t read fast enough as the tension built. This is one dark serial killer book and I loved it. With the usual cast of characters and tightly written this is another winner. I anxiously await #8.
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review

Fantastic page turning book that I can honestly say, did not want to end. Even though it is a sequel to one of the earlier books in the series, it can still be read as a stand alone novel. Dont be surprised if this series of Lars Kepler thrillers are soon put onto the big screen. Highly reccomend although make sure you are not of the faint hearted as it was rather brutal in places.

Oh how i love Lars Kepler. Not sure why i like the genre and the goriness but the series is sooooo good !! This one could be a stand alone but it is so worth reading the whole series.

I am not sure about the ending.. It's ambiguous. It could go both ways :) If there is more it look forward to it.

Loved the book !

The 7th in the Joona Linna series. It stands alone but why would you not want to read the entire addictive series? I am never ever disappointed in Lars Kepler books. They do evil like no other with nightmare inducing scenes that always gives me shivers (How do they know my deepest darkest fears?)

Joona and his daughter are on the run in this one. Read this and run with them. You will not be disappointed. And if you are new to the series, make room on a bookshelf. You will want to run out and buy the rest.

I would rate this book a 3.5. As someone else pointed out, I think the Jurek Walter story is played out. I have read all of the books in the series and I found myself speed reading this one to just skip all of the violence and find out what happened. There were few surprises, just one scene after another where the bad guys are one step ahead. No spoilers here, but this guy seemed superhuman and it became tedious.

These are talented authors and the action is non stop. I am sure I will give the next book a try, but I am hoping for a new storyline with the next installment. The characters are interesting and well written. I know I will want to know what happens to them next.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

The amazing duo can never go wrong in my opinion. This is another amazing book by Lars Kepler and again, I was hooked from page one! Creepy, tense, unstoppably brilliant! Full of twists and darkness!

It’s the 7th in Joona Linna’s series and although it can be read as a stand-alone.... I would recommend reading them ALL!!

Detective Joona Linna is out of prison and ready to start his job again. And this time, his nemesis seems to have resurrected from the death. With crime scenes that seemed to be linked with Jurek Walter... could it be that he is actually alive?

Joona’s and his daughter lives are threatened and he know that either he stops Jurek, or Jurek will stop him.

Nordic Noir perfection, this book has it all and now that I’m finished my only question is how can Lars Kepler write another book to top this one?

Evil at its finest with one of the best detectives determined to stop it. I can’t ask for more in a book!

Needless to say this is a high recommendation to anyone who loves Nordic Noir and is willing to lose some sleep...

I would like to thank Netgalley, Penguin Random House Canada and McClelland & Stewart for an advanced copy of this great novel in exchange for an honest review

I was so excited to be able to read this book as I had been waiting ever since finishing “The Rabbit Hunter”.

“Lazarus” was One of the most thrilling books I have ever read.

It was non stop action and I read every single word as quickly as I could. Yet, I never wanted the book to end.

I hope that Lars Kepler will be writing another book in this series.

I want to start my review by saying two things:
1. This is not a genre I typically read and
2. This is the first Lars Kepler book I've ever read, so I haven't read any of the other books in the series.

All that considered, I thought this was an outstanding novel. I love the dynamic of the writing duo and definitely can feel the well thought out descriptions and writing style that comes from having two authors working together. I also didn't feel like anything was lost in the translation of the writing.

Well I didn't have the background of the story from the other books, I thought that Lazarus was written in a way that I could still follow as if it were a stand-alone (although I'm definitely rushing to get ALL the books in the series now). The writing was well paced, the story had me hooked, and I would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good serial killer/crime/thriller novel.

Thanks to #Netgalley and McClelland & Stewart Canada for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Having read and enjoyed a couple of books in the Joona Linna series by Lars Kepler, I picked up this ARC of Lazarus instantly and I am grateful to Netgalley and the publisher for this opportunity!
Detective Inspector Joona Linna of the Swedish Police is convinced that his archenemy Jurek Walter, the monstrous serial killer, is back from the dead while nobody else, especially Saga Bauer, the young cop who had shot and killed Jurek, believes it. Joona also suspects that Jurek has recruited an accomplice now, and can strike at two places at once. And, the only way he can hope to escape the fate, far worse than death, that Jurek can inflict upon him is to go into hiding along with his daughter. But, is Jurek really back, or has Joona been pushed over the edge by his own paranoia? And, if Jurek has really come back, will Joona’s escape plan work? The answers to these questions lie in this dark, gory, pulse-pounding, cracker of a thriller from one of the best in the business.
The author (I know it’s a husband-and-wife duo in real life, but they have chosen the name Lars Kepler and I will stick to it) has done a fabulous job of creating intense, disturbing characters that will stay for a long time in the reader’s thoughts. The plot grips the reader right from the prologue and never really lets go until the very end. Each scene—even the seemingly normal, peaceful ones—has an ominous feel to it, that something terrible is going to happen, and it does happen more often than not. The villain is one of the most vicious I have encountered in the world of fiction; he does not just take his victims’ life but their soul, the basic essence that makes them human. The novel has a prodigious body count, and a staggering amount of violence to go with it, and is not meant for the fainthearted reader.
The end of this story, though not a cliff-hanger, has an opening that is sure to spawn a sequel, which I am eager to read. Certain important characters, apart from Joona, and some crucial events in this novel are connected to some previous books in the series and it will be better to read those before this one. That said, the author has provided enough explanation at places to make it work on a standalone basis also.
On the negative side, I found the villain(s) to be unbelievably powerful, with an almost mythical ability to beat the police and get to the victims virtually at every instance. And, I felt that the author has been unnecessarily cruel to Saga Bauer, going by the events at the end of this book. Apart from these peeves, I was thoroughly hooked by Lazarus, and would recommend it to everyone who likes dark psychological thrillers and is not put off by the violence.

When you pick up a book like this and you know that there are already 6 others before it, you’re aware that the characters carry a lot of history with them already. As always, it’s better to read the previous books first, but in case you haven’t: when referencing to events that happened in earlier books, there’s always enough explication and remembrance to continue without major problems.

Joona Linna prison sentence was reduced to community service as a neighbourhood officer in a small Swedish town. In a few weeks, his dues are paid and he will return to his duties as superintendent for the National Crime Unit. For now, he’s happy with his lover, Valeria De Castro who owns a plant nursery. Will his happiness last this time?
The Oslo police (Norway) find a dead man in an apartment, everything points to a drunken fight until they look in the freezer. It’s stocked with various body-parts in different states of decay. One of the skulls belongs to Summa, Joona’s wife that died from cancer a few years ago. The first name that comes to thought is Jurek Walter (the cruellest monster and worse serial killer ever to roam the Scandinavian countries) and arch-enemy of Joona, but there’s enough evidence that he’s dead; so everybody thought.
Then the German Police contact Joona’s boss and specifically ask for his assistance in a case that involves the murder of a serial rapist. The victim called Joona 2 days earlier and on his back are the same scars he saw on Jurek’s twin’s back.
Then a similar incident also happens in Sweden and in Poland, Belarus and Italy occur similar murders on criminals as well. But Jurek never cared for morality; something else must be the matter. Joona thinks that he’s not cleaning society of the unwanted but that he’s holding a competition who’s to be his next sidekick, and that he’s eliminating the losers.
Joona immediately warns his daughter, who’s studying in Paris to put their emergency plan into action and to go, into hiding. Via various detours, he travels to a pre-arranged meeting place. He warns Valeria as well, but she says that she can’t leave her business and refuses to have police protection...
The authorities aren’t convinced of Jurek’s involvement or even that there’s a serial killer operating all over Europe. Since no-one asked for their help (they’re all too happy to get rid of their worst criminals) Nathan Pollock and Saga Bauer can only investigate the Swedish murder. Saga doesn’t believe it’s Jurek but is certain that they’re after another serial killer.

This is simply, unequivocally a brilliant, great book. It’s one of the best books I’ve read so far this year. The story draws you in right from the start. Even when you haven’t read any previous book, you’re immediately drawn into the action and into the mysterious connection between various events. This is a thriller like they should be. The suspense really grabs you by the throat. And when you know how Jurek operates and what his usual MO is, you expect something nasty to happen on every page. Even when you read a nice, pleasant family scene, you’re afraid that something or someone will come to spoil these moments. And then, of course, something does happen. Be prepared that not everyone will survive this ordeal.
I must say that Jurek is the perfect villain and easy to hate. Yet they gave him a psychological profile that’s still plausible. I sincerely hope that we never will have to deal with someone like him in real life. There have been already too many wacko’s about and that’s exactly why he’s believable. Every nasty crime that’s listed in the book has occurred somewhere already. For a serial killer “that’s not really interested in killing,” he leaves a memorable body-count in his wake.
Joona is a troubled man, but that’s hardly a surprise after all those trauma’s he’s undergone. As the main character, he’s sympathetic and likeable. He’s not an easy person and has a strong will and his own specific view on justice and morality. He suffers from migraine attacks, something I can relate to. His love for his daughter is overwhelming and the thought that he may lose her as well cripples him. He goes into hiding with her, but she’s a young woman that starts to doubt if that’s the right reaction to the threat.
Saga is the real protagonist in this story as she carries out the investigation together with Nathan. The longer Saga works on this case, the more she starts behaving like Joona; paranoia and all. When Jurek captures her dad, she’s being blackmailed by him. He plays a cat and mouse game and messes with her head. She’s a very likeable character and easy to relate to. I love how she cares for her sister on top of being a dedicated police officer. You can’t really blame her for not believing Joona when he says that Jurek was back as she’s the one that shot him 3x and found part of his body later.
All those different story-lines that occur more or less at the same time, force you to keep your attention very focused if you want to keep track of where everybody is and what they’re doing.
I also had a look at the Dutch (my mother tongue) translation of this book, albeit just a preview. But from that small part, I carry the impression that the English version reads easier. So, part of the praise goes to the translator as I didn’t find the name in the ARC.
I thank Penguin Random House and Netgalley for the free ARC they provided, this is my honest, unbiased review of it.

It’s a while since I’ve given a book five stars but this book thoroughly deserves all five. Despite being the seventh in the series the authors make it easy to find what makes the hunter and his prey tick and to enter their world. The story is pacy and quickly hooks you in. Then it takes you on a nerve tingling, heart pumping, sweat inducing ride that still doesn’t end even after the last page is read. A clever and well thought out, complex and addictive story. Huge thank you to net galley for an advance copy of this one!

I’ve been waiting for this book ever since I finished The Sandman, which was one of the most thrilling books I’ve ever read. Lazarus did not disappoint. Joona and Saga are back but is their enemy back as well?! The most demented killer out there has recruited a new partner. The chase to find them is on before they kill everyone close to Joona and Saga. This book is an absolute thrill ride, leaving me gasping out loud and unable to put it down. Highly recommend.