Okay. So this was a little darker than I was expecting. I perhaps should have taken the title a touch more seriously. this IS a book about a stalker after all, and a particularly heinous one at that. And sadly, in spite of the fact that this book is now a good few years old, the premise could still have been ripped from the headlines of today, violence against women being something of an all too prevalent feature these days.

As per normal, I've not read any other books in this series, so my knowledge of the background of series leader Joona Linna is not great. I got glimpses of this in the narrative of Stalker, but if you are someone who needs to know everything, I would suggest starting at the beginning and working your way up to this book. If you are a woman who spends a lot of time on their own, you might want to read the book in company too, as the premise behind this case, and the way in which women are murdered, makes for grim reading. Most violence takes place off the page, but not all, and there is no doubting the ferocity of the attack, or the way in which the victims are made to suffer. It makes for grim reading, and is not for the faint of heart.

Whilst Joona does play a pivotal part in this story, it is not in the role of serving Police Officer. There is absolutely no doubting his credentials, and in spite of being somewhat worse for wares, his instincts are still sharp - all the more important for those caught up in this particular nightmare. In fact the case sails very close to home, with the murders reminiscent of a case once worked on by Joona's friend, psychologist Erik. There are scenes which have me in mind of the film Seven, a particularly vicious twist in the tale hitting us around the halfway mark which really changes the course of the investigation and the kind of darkness which will consume the final chapters.

I really was drawn into the book, the storyline completely compelling in spite of how far it led me into the shadows. The authors have done a brilliant job of making me invested in the lives of the characters, regardless of the fact that I have only just met them, and that deadly mystery and suspense they infuse in every page makes for a very gripping read. There is a pulsing tension from the very beginning, a sense that the story is building to quite the climax, which indeed it does, providing a conclusion I don't think many would see coming. They chose a path less trodden, and it works perfectly. It's certainly made me more curious about the rest of the series and has me adding it to the ever growing list of 'series I really must read the rest of'.

If you like a dark, twisted and brooding mystery, with compelling characters and tension that never lets up for a minute, then this could well be the book, and I assume series, for you. Recommended.

I really enjoyed this book. I love all the books in this series and this one was really good. It’s really well written and gripping.

The fifth book in a series and the first one I read, you don't need to have read any of the others to enjoy this novel. An enjoyable read,that had me hooked from the start.Cannot wait to read some more with this brilliant character.

Omg talk about a roller coaster read wow this book kept me on the edge of my seat threw out I just couldn't put it down this writer keeps you hooked and once your hooked your not letting go I found this book thrilling the characters were fantastic and well thought out and the little clues all the way threw keep you guessing until the end this book stays with you long after you close the book this book is well worth the read I promise you wont be disappointed

I enjoyed reading this book. The plot was gripping and definitely kept me reading and turning the pages to find out what happens next. Some parts did lag where the action faltered, but generally, I quite enjoyed it and it was a solid thriller.

Not many thrillers have hooked me this past year, but after picking thiis one up on a whim, i was greatly intrigued by the flow and pace of it. The stakes are high and a murderer is on the loose! the mystery aspect kept me reading late into the night!

Although this is Book 5 in the Joona Linna Series it was my first. It started off with a bit of a slow start (maybe because I didn't know the character) but when it got going you didn't want to put the book down. Trying to guess the outcome had me completely wrong and again had to stay up into the early hours to finish.

I requested this book in my early days on NetGalley, not realising it was part of a series. I think had I read the previous books I would of enjoyed this one more as it was clear that I had missed a lot in terms of character relationships and events. Whilst an effort was made to explain previous events I still felt like part of the puzzle was missing. Note to self, check if a book is part of a series before you request it!

What I loved about this book was the main storyline. The scenes when the victims knew they were being stalked and were trying to save themselves made my heart race and head me on the edge of my seat. I felt like I was holding my breath during Jackie’s scene! This part of the story was chilling, intense and thrilling. I also enjoyed learning more about hypnotism and it’s uses in criminal cases.

Whilst I did enjoy this book I did have trouble connecting to the characters, mainly because there were so many of them! I felt there were a lot of side stories and more characters than necessary. I don’t know if this was a ploy to try and throw us readers off the scent of the murderer? Unfortunately for me I had guessed who the murderer was before their final reveal. This was disappointing because it’s that final revelation that makes the read more exciting.

I did however love the backstory to the murderer and thought the final scenes were haunting and action packed. As I said previously Jackie’s scenes were some of my favourites and I think she was a character that I could connect with most, especially as she was a piano tutor.

I had downloaded this title but did not realise there was a time limit to read this book. I did not send it to my kindle account so could not access this once the eBook expired. I would have liked to have started/continued reading it but could not because it was expired.

Another really exciting book by Lars Kepler. This one had me on the edge of my seat, turning the pages to see what happens next. There are lots of twists and turns and nail biting moments!

I'm a sucker for Swedish crime thrillers and didn't realise I hadn't reviewed this at the time! My wife actually bought me a copy of this, hence the late review. I remember reading the Hypnotist and feeling I was missing something - not realising Stalker is the 5th book in the series, that makes sense. Stalker is another example of why Swedish crime fiction is so engrossing - thrilling characters, desolate places and nordic noir. Recommended - but remember to read at least The Hypnotist first!

I will definitely be reading this again. I’ll be looking forward to more books to come from this author.

I was completely floored and fooled by this.

I haven’t read any of this series. I didn’t realise this was book 5 in the Joona Linna series when I got it.
I’m always doing stuff like that! I really need to pay attention more.

I felt like I should have at least read the book before this, I recommend that as you won’t be fumbling about so much at the beginning. Nevertheless I loved it.

First book by this author I am ashamed to say ( hides my head in shame) I can certainly see why his books are popular though.

Excellent read. And no, I was kept guessing all the way through.

This is the first book I read by Lars Kepler. It was the fifth book in the Joona Linna series, I didn't realise it was book 5 in a series or I wouldn't have started reading ( I hate reading so far into a series without starting at the beginning) it can be read as a stand alone though I do feel having read the previous I would have a better feel for the main character Joona Linna. I found him to be a bit boring and didn't really take to him.

The story was good though at some points there were random events that didn't seem to have anything to do with the main story and that threw me off a little. It did take me a while to get into, I am not sure if that is because it was book 5 or Swedish noir which is something I haven't read a lot of. Also there were parts that was clear was written by an author just the tone etc, as it is a husband and wife team I can see why, but I would have expected more fluidity between the writers.

Over all it was a good story and once I got into it I found it quite creepy.

This book was OK but took a few attempts to get through. This may be due to it being the fifth in a series that I've not read, or maybe just because it seems very lengthy.

I had a small suspicion that Stalker was part of a series but didn’t realise it was the 5th book! Nevertheless, it didn’t stop me from enjoying it. Stalker is filled with suspense. Just when you think you’ve worked it out, you realise you are wrong. Will definitely read the other 4 books in the series.
Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins for the ARC.

I enjoyed reading The Sandman last year, so I was eager to see what Joona Linna would get up to next. He does not appear straightaway, but his colleague, Margot Silverman heads up a team that are easy to get behind. Her determination to find a chilling killer is incredible, especially whilst heavily pregnant, and I wanted to know the identity of the killer from the beginning.
At the beginning of Stalker, the novel has two distinct strands: the official investigation into the stalker, and Erik's work with Rocky. I found both strands fascinating, but was particularly intrigued by Erik and his methods. It took me a while to work out where the story was going, but eventually Kepler weaves everything together expertly and I was mightily impressed.
Stalker is not for the faint hearted: there are lots of bloody murders and the actions of the killer are seriously creepy. Kepler builds the atmosphere wonderfully from beginning to end, and as the attempts to catch the killer gather pace, I was well and truly gripped by the sense of danger. The reveal of the killer was totally unexpected for me, and I am still trying to get my head around what the killer did.
I intend to catch up with the rest of this series as soon as possible.

This is book five in a series but like I have done it can be read as a standalone.

This is a brilliant read. Although a big read I found myself reading ‘just one more chapter’. When I had to put it down I found myself looking forward to going back to read it. It was such a great read.

Stalker is one of those reads that I couldn’t predict what was gonna happen next.

If your looking for an action packed thriller then I highly recommend you read this gem. I’m looking forward to reading more from this duo in the future.

Someone is filming women in their homes and then killing them... Are the victims connected or random? Is this killer a serial killer or just killed two victims? The hypnotist will tell you the truth!

The Lars Kepler writing is so realistic that you can feel the fear and pain of the victims. You know, when you are watching a terror movie and close your eyes because you don't want to see how the "killer" hits the victim?

I liked this book, it was interesting how the hypnotist tries to discover the hidden memories of the victims, I always found the hypnotism quite fascinating, discovering memories you don't know exist...!

I am not putting a high score in this book because I was quite lost with the characters, there were too many principal characters and sometimes it felt that their story didn't belong to the book. I highly recommend you to read all the series before starting this book, or you will be quite lost!

However it makes me think to look into reading the Joona Linda series which this was the 5th book of.

I really enjoyed this title and will definitely read more books by this author in the future. A really gripping read