Billed as up there with Jo Nesbo and didn't disappoint. Well developed characters and a fantastically winding plot. One unexpected twist after another keeping the reader on the edge of their seat! recommend for fans and newcomers alike. One of my favourite reads this year!

Brilliant. Very well written and very well put together. There is suspense from start to finish. This is definitely a dark, gritty thriller. It is the best thriller in this genre that I have read in a long time. It is edge of your seat writing. I was totally pulled into the plot from the first page. I really enjoyed this book and the writing style. It is definitely worth reading. I want to sit and read it again to see the clues I missed.

MINOR SPOILERS IN REVIEW

Stalker is the 5th book in the Joona Linna series but this is my introduction to the series.

The set-up of the book is that the police are sent videos anonymously of women alone in their homes. The women are later found dead with horrific stab wounds to their face and posed to send a message.

The videos are studied in intense detail without any real clues and forensic evidence turns up nothing meaningful. We are quickly led into a frustrating investigation for the police as the killer kills again and the police are powerless to stop it.

I quite liked the premise of the novel, it reminded me much of a giallo (Italian thriller cinema) in the sense that there is a strong psychosexual element to it, the killer is a voyeur of vulnerable women, the victims are all women - typically in a state of undress. The murders are sadistic and the blade is strongly symbolic of phallic aggression. If we add in the bonkers ending I wouldn't be surprised if this novel was inspired by some Italian cinema from the 60's / 70's.

One of the interesting things of the book is that I knew it was part of a series but in the first third of the book Joona hardly features. He enters quite late into the book (it is understandable as he was dead at the end of the last book I believe). Instead the focus of the investigation is Margot Silverman, a detective who is pregnant. I loved this character detail. We've had lots of lesbian detectives and people of colour are not hidden in books anymore, but pregnant detectives - it's a nice touch and I was glad that this is in the book. Women get pregnant all the time but I'm not sure I've ever seen a pregnant detective who continues working.

Some elements of the book are completely implausible. I know I'm not familiar with the series but when Joona makes his entrance a number of things happen which for me I couldn't suspend my disbelief. He seemingly is allowed to not only re-enter society but work with the police again with ease. A number of other events in the novel occur and just makes one think that the Swedish emergency response to a significant crime is completely hopeless. We are led to believe that Joona is some kind of superman and a genius. For me, he is too competent with his fighting, too clever at finding clues. He makes a few leaps exceptionally quickly to progress the story but it seems like a convenient way to infodump.

A connection is made to a psychologist who not only helped frame an innocent man, but also is a friend of Joona. He is in turn linked to the murders and then we have a straight up chase. Erik the psychologist is on the run, trying to clear his name. The police are after him, only Joona believes him and the real killer is on the loose.

This last third of the book is quite well written. I really liked the pacing of this. You always feel like Erik is close to capture, you feel his fear, his desperation - the police breathing down his neck. When the reveal of the killer is made I was delighted because a) one should have seen it a mile off and b) it is suitably insane to make the book a real thrill. Even so, what could have been a quick wrap up is teased out. It's exciting, frightening and tense.

It's a difficult book to review - there were elements I loved. There were plenty of red herrings and misdirection. There's something quite chilling reading a chapter, knowing the inevitability that the woman was going to die and the reader can do nothing except watch with the killer. Stockholm's seedy underbelly is laid bare - at times this novel is quite grubby (to it's credit!). The chapters are short, but not so short as to annoy. It's one of those books where you just want to read 'one more chapter'!

However, it isn't a perfect book. Some of the sentences are quite stilted and do not flow well. I'm not sure if this is a translation issue or whether it's a plot device but I found it quite difficult to engage with at times. Also, Joona seems to do everything on his own and just seems to perfect.

This is a good book, but not a great book. The story and characters were strong enough that I would read more of the series.

This was my first Lars Kepler book and is the fifth in the series about his character, an unorthdox ex policeman called Joona Linna. Despite the fact that there is clearly a lot of back story for this character, this book works really well as a stand alone thriller. A stalker is terrorising the people of Stokholm. Films of the murder victims being watched in their own homes whilst they carry on unaware are sent to the police. By the time the police get them, it's already too late. This is a complex, character driven plot, but so, so gripping. And when the identity of the stalker is finally revealed, well you could knock me down with a feather. I really didn't see it coming., and then the story ramped up yet another notch. Richly formed characters and a story with a black heart make this Scandinoir tale esential reading.

I started well reading Stalker, finding it exciting and suspenseful. The more I got into it, the more confusing it became. Too many characters kept being introduced and I began to believe I was reading a story from a series. When the plot moved towards the seedy lifestyles of some of the suspects, I gave up. Not for me.

My first Lars Kepler book and I have since found out that this is not the first book featuring Joomla. Fortunately the story is a stand alone tale that did not need me to have read previous titles. I did find Joomla a little unbelievable at times but maybe his character would make more sense to me if I knew his previous exploits. I didn't need the investigator to be some super sleuth with extensive combat training, I think the story would have worked with a more every man character..

After a rather explosive start, the pace of the story seemed a little slow in the middle but later picked back up I never guessed the identity of the stalker until it as it was being revealed in the text so it felt like I was on the same investigative journey.

Very enjoyable read.

This is number 5 in the Jonna Linna series of books- having never read the others I cannot comment on them but this book was 50/50 for me! Perhaps because it's part of series I felt it lacked character depth- also those police procedures stretch credibility! And yet the story itself was chilling and thrilling! Not gripping but certainly entertaining, to the point I'll be checking out the earlier books! For the moment I reserve my overall judgement!

This is the fifth book in the crime series. I wasn't aware this was part of a series when I requested it from NetGalley. I'd rather read a series from the start, rather than somewhere in the middle, and wouldn't have requested Stalker #5 had I been aware of this. But that's my fault, I should have checked.
Stalker still worked as a stand alone book, and was creepy and totally gripping. I enjoyed Kepler's writing style with the Nordic noir style going on.
If I have the chance I may go and read the series from the start.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins U.K, Harper Fiction, for the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest and unbiased review.

Couldn't put it down, scary, twists & turns, made me want to read other titles by this author ( could do with some of the words translated for English readers.

Stalker was impressive, smart and with a razor-sharp edge that kept me on the edge of my seat. I can definitely see why Kepler's books are so addictive and well loved.
Review to come soon on my blog!

Thank you to the publishers and net galley for a copy of the book in return for an honest review.

Twisting and turning with plenty of blood, gore and sex. This book was what I have come to expect from Scandi-noir and it didn't fail to keep me turning the pages long into the early hours, desperate to find out who was the murderer. Creepy and full of suspense, I will now be sure to ALWAYS close the curtains when I'm home alone!

This book is part of a series, but could be read as a stand alone without spoiling your enjoyment. I am now going to go and seek out the other books in the series.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an open and honest review.
This is book 5 but I have not read the proceeding books and this did not lessen the enjoyment but made me want to go back and read more.
There is a stalker on the loose, who send videos prior to committing a horrendous murder. This in itself seems a good enough plot but what emerges from this book are a variety of strong characters that develop throughout and provide a back drop for so many twists and turns. You feel that the clues are there but some are red herrings to make you think you know who the person is when the actual killer is quite a shock. Some characters you will love,some you will not be so sure about which I feel is a sign of a good book.
Well written and from a number of view points, Stalker is nearly 600 pages so isn't a quick fix read but doesn't drag either.The pace is maintained and you don't want to stop reading.
A definite read for anyone who likes a good suspense thriller.

This was my first book from this author, and book 5 in the series. But nevertheless it was very gripping and an extremely enjoyable read. This book kept my heart beating. I am a huge fan of this genre and this certainly didn't fail to keep me entertained. Iwill certainly be going back and reading all of the previous books

Fantastically chilling and creepy I loved everything about Lars Keplers latest offering. I was totally thrown by the twists and turns in the plot, at one point wondering if the good guy was really the good guy. Fabulous curveball when it came to the ending as well. Highly recommended!

This is my first experience of Joona Lina and Erik and I thoroughly enjoyed their relationship dynamics. I've realised that I own The Hypnotist so will read that one shortly. This book lost a star from me because I felt it was too wordy in places with lengthy descriptions which slowed the story down without adding much. Also I felt there wasn't much empathy shown for the victims and their loved ones left behind - especially the policeman's wife. I was surprised to learn that this book is written by 2 people however that may explain the strange style changes throughout the story.

Complex story with character whose complex backstory mixed with 'mundane life' stories of others. That combined with verbs whose tense suddenly shifted, made for a challenging read that ultimately made say 'enough.' I suspect that there is a good plot and perhaps if this is a follow on from another in the series, my understanding would give me the impetus to continue. Sorry but at my age 35% is enough time to give to a book I'm not enjoying....

Police procedural which took far too long to get going.

Thank you to Netgalley for an arc of this book in return for an honest review.. I requested it based on the description which sounded like my sort of tale. I’m sorry but this rather large book dragged. It was only my stubborn streak that refused to give in having already invested so much time in it. This is a translation from the Swedish. and early on it became apparent that it’s one of a series. Usually books like this can stand alone as novels with perhaps the odd reference to previous happenings. Not so here. All the books should be read in the right order. The start of the book felt odd until I realised that it was actually in the middle of one continuous story. Most crime thrillers conclude on a high note with a dramatic heart in mouth episode in which you are terrified that the chief protagonist won’t get through it in one piece. I’ve never read a book with one heart stopping incident after another. It just went on and on and became boring rather than thrilling. This isn’t a book that I’d recommend unless you are hooked on Scandi Noir at any price.

Stalker

This is the fifth book featuring Joona Linna I've read the previous four and in my opinion this is the best. This can be read as a stand alone but as with all series you get the most out of them if you read them all.
Someone is stalking people in their homes. A film is sent to the National Crime Investigation Department showing a woman in her home unaware that she is being filmed. The police don't respond to the film and then her body is found brutally murdered. Can Joona be lured out of retirement? This is an addictive series that keeps on getting better and better. This is a chilling complex thriller.

Someone is stalking people in their homes. This scandi-noir crime novel is a dark and chilling thriller that really ramps up the tension and is not a book to read on a dark night when you are alone and the wind is whistling outside.

This is the 5th book in the Joona Linna series, and works OK as a standalone novel, though I did wish I had read the others in the series to understand the background to Joona Linna. Because this is not a straightforward police procedural/psychological thriller. A heavily pregnant DS Margot Silverman is leading the National Criminal Investigation Division hunt for a serial killer who films his victims and uploads the films to YouTube. In this hunt she is joined by former Police Detective Joona Linna and Psychologist Erik Maria Bark.

This gives us an ex-policeman and a rogue psychologist, both with expert knowledge of this type of killer, but, for their own reasons, working both inside and outside the scope of the formal police investigation.

This allows the author some licence in the types of investigative procedures used, and it’s fair to say some of their procedures are less than orthodox.

For Joona, it is an especially difficult time. He has just come out of hiding and has recently allowed his daughter to go and study abroad. This has left him completely rootless, with no money and no home. But once he hears the details of this case, he is compelled to stay and look into it – and he becomes convinced that only he can find and catch the perpetrator.

For Eric Bark, the case is more than an obsession. A link to a previous case he was involved him has made him re-think whether he should have told the police all he knew about the killer who is now safely locked up in a psychiatric hospital. As he begins a new relationship, his conscience troubles him and he must find out once and for all whether he has helped to convict the right man.

Although I did enjoy this, as well as finding it very chilling and indeed quite harrowing in places, for me the plot didn’t quite hang together well enough. There were moments when I had to suspend my disbelief, and others, such as a murder of a colleague’s wife, when I felt that this event had simply been skated over.

In the end, I felt that the book could have benefitted from a more judicious edit, though I still enjoyed it. I’d have liked more of the D.S. Silverman character too. She was somewhat overshadowed by Linna, yet her doggedness and determination clearly make her a cop to be reckoned with.