Review: THE SANDMAN by Lars Kepler

Thank you so much to Knopf for providing my free copy – all opinions are my own.

“Mikael knows him as ā€œthe sandmanā€. Seven years ago, he was taken from his bed along with his sister. They are both presumed dead.”

Book Description:Ā 

Late one night, outside Stockholm, Mikael Kohler-Frost is found wandering. Thirteen years earlier, he went missing along with his younger sister. They were long thought to have been victims of Sweden’s most notorious serial killer, Jurek Walter, now serving a life sentence in a maximum security psychiatric hospital. Now Mikael tells the police that his sister is still alive and being held by someone he knows only as the Sandman. Years ago, Detective Inspector Joona Linna made an excruciating personal sacrifice to ensure Jurek’s capture. He is keenly aware of what this killer is capable of, and now he is certain that Jurek has an accomplice. He knows that any chance of rescuing Mikael’s sister depends on getting Jurek to talk, and that the only agent capable of this is Inspector Saga Bauer, a twenty-seven-year-old prodigy. She will have to go under deep cover in the psychiatric ward where Jurek is imprisoned, and she will have to find a way to get to the psychopath before it’s too late–and before he gets inside her head.

“Jurek Walter is serving a life sentence. Kept in solitary confinement, he is still considered extremely dangerous by psychiatric staff.”

My Review:

This is the fourth book in the Joona Linna series. Usually if I see that a book is part of a series, I run the other way. Not because they are bad but, letā€™s face it, I have commitment issues. I love the idea of a series but I want to start from the beginning, which can be time consuming and there are so many amazing books out there. Well guess what? This is one of those AMAZING books and it works as a standalone! Itā€™s gripping, intriguing, and fantastically addictive!

I cannot get over how fast this LARGE book is to read! The chapters are extremely short and although you are getting different parts of the story from multiple characters at different times, itā€™s very easy to follow and just pulls you in. I will go as far as to say that this will be a favorite of mine. My greatest obsession is psychological thrillers, so I am overly picky about police procedurals, however this one is perfectly written. I was in the story, in the investigation, and completely invested in the characters. And no one is more disturbing than Jurek Walter.

Jurek Walter is about as wicked as they come and he is currently being held prisoner in a psychiatric ward. Mikael Kohler-Frost disappeared, along with his sister, Felicia, many years ago and they are presumed dead. Flash forward, thirteen years later, and Mikael is found wandering across a bridge just outside of Stockholm. Where has he been and where is Felicia? Jurek Walter might very well know so Detective Inspector Joona Linna is on the case and recruits Inspector Saga Bauer to go undercover. OH MY GAWD.

Lars Keplerā€™s writing is immaculate! I cannot find a single thing wrong with it! It is precise and intense with spectacular imagery that kept my heart pounding as I was desperately flipping through the pages to find out what happens next. Even when I would put the book down, I couldnā€™t get it out of head! From the absorbing plot, to the cleverly written bad ass characters, you will LOVE THIS BOOK.

ā€œ…. it wasnĀ“t the people who were buried who were being punished, but those left behind.ā€Ā 

My rating is 5 / 5 incredible stars!Ā 

Click here to purchase on Amazon.Ā 

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