The Chestnut Man

A Novel

By: Soren Sveistrup

Narrated by: Peter Noble

Length: 15 hrs and 9 mins

Publisher's Summary

A 2020 Audie Awards winner - mystery

IF YOU FIND ONE, HE’S ALREADY FOUND YOU....

The heart-pounding debut from the creator of the hit Scandinavian television show The Killing.

A psychopath is terrorizing Copenhagen.

His calling card is a “chestnut man” - a handmade doll made of matchsticks and two chestnuts - which he leaves at each bloody crime scene.

Examining the dolls, forensics makes a shocking discovery - a fingerprint belonging to a young girl, a government minister’s daughter who had been kidnapped and murdered a year ago.

A tragic coincidence - or something more twisted?

To save innocent lives, a pair of detectives must put aside their differences to piece together the Chestnut Man’s gruesome clues.

Because it’s clear that the madman is on a mission that is far from over.

And no one is safe.

©2019 Soren Sveistrup (P)2019 HarperAudio

Good until it is wasn’t

Once I settled in with the narration, (everyone sounds catty), and the author’s choppy style, (albeit in translation), I found the novel a pretty good police and forensic procedural; however, the final chapters bordered on torture porn, not something I signed up for. Despite some good twists and turns, there were also some final implausibilities that could have been avoided. (For a Nordic noir that manages good creep without excessive violence, I loved Eva’s Eye.)

Grisly...not for the faint of heart

Excellent narrator, but too gruesome for me. Love The Killing (TV series), and was recommended this after listening to The Whisper Man. Too much for me, but others may enjoy!

4

I will be buying more titles as they are available. This is a Scandinavian murder mystery but not in the truest meaning of noir fiction. The plot is well done, I was completely surprised by the reveal and a string that was nicely tied up. Excellent narrator. Stick with it through some wordy parts and enjoy a good book.

Gripping!

I found it difficult to leave off listening when real life beckoned. The story is a long build-up to a reveal very near the ending. As you listen, you consider each of the characters as would-be suspects, and eliminate them yourself or by the author's revelations. It's a good puzzle, made better by the awareness of the thoughts and emotions of the characters, both good and evil. The killings are brutal, but not moreso than the inhumanity and the complex human suffering that we see apart from them. I'm not someone who insists on keeping charts to guess the outcome of a good mystery before it's revealed, and there are so many characters involved in the plot that there isn't an obvious stand-out. For me, this was an extremely satisfying listen, and Peter Noble's narration played a great part in that. He pronounced names and places as a native speaker would, changing accents for different nationalities. This kept alive for me an understanding of the atmosphere and the attitudes of the place in which and for which the story was written, and added to my enjoyment.

Unique, a bit gory, but endurable!

Was not familiar with the author or the Danish series. Was immediately immersed in the vivid story, narrated to perfection. Several layers, many characters, well worth it. A sequel perhaps?

Great book

I really enjoyed this book. Listening to it took a little getting used to with the Danish names being a bit hard to distinguish at times. But it was well worth it.

Gripping Page-turner

Absorbing, gory, psychologically oriented. Many twists. Excellent reader/interpreter. . Looking forward to Soren Sveistrup’s next book.

Loved it

Suspenseful story told from multiple perspectives. Kept me guessing til the end. Great narration. Highly recommend!

As good as Preston and Child

Well plotted. With enough characters but not so many - difficult to track too many characters in audible books (maybe just my problem). Preston and Child is my standard for thrillers. Weird protagonist. Complicated but not disorienting. Brutal but in context. Not quite as many hold your breath scenes as P&C. It wraps up a little too nicely but what the heck.

Catch and hold

The flip between characters was smooth, and the performers voice fluctuates just right so that it almost feels like more than one person is reading. The story is gripping, and keeps you guessing with the detectives.