Monday, July 31, 2023

The Spider - Lars Kepler

The Spider is the ninth entry in Lars Kepler's Joona Linna series.

Linna is a Police Detective in Sweden who boasts an unsurpassed solve rate. He sees details that others don't, he's dogged and has faced off with many killers. His sidekick, Saga Bauer has been on leave as a result of their last case. She flouts regulations regularly and puts herself in a sketchy situations. But she too, is a brilliant detective.

This latest case, dubbed The Spider, brings back elements and clues from previous cases that have ties to this new killer. Kepler's crime is dark and unsettling. The path to the final aha moments is clever, devious and can't be predicted. 

Kepler gives the characters personal lives that grow and change with every entry in this series. Like the plotting and atmosphere, there's a lot of darkness woven into the the lead two character's narratives.

Another excellent entry in a great series. Definitely not for the faint at heart! If you like Scandi noir, this is a series for you  See for yourself - read an excerpt of The Spider

2 comments:

Ethan said...

I just got a copy of this one, but I didn't realize it was part of a series. How do you think I'll fare if I read it as a standalone?

Luanne said...

Hmm - I think you'll be okay Ethan. The characters' lives change with each progressive entry. The past is alluded to, but usually with some background. Let me know how you fare.