The Fire Witness

By: Lars Kepler

Narrated by: Saul Reichlin

Length: 13 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's Summary

The number-one Swedish best seller by the author of The Hypnotist and The Nightmare.

Flora has seen it all, but nobody believes her. The girl is dead, someone killed her. She was only 14 years old, named Miranda, and was found in her room at the institution for young women in distress, north of Stockholm. The walls were splashed with blood, the sheets were soaked with it. None of the other girls know what happened, but one of them has fled into the night.

What Flora does not know is that it is the redoubtable Joona Linna who will be investigating the worst and most puzzling crime of his career. Flora knows only she saw the girl and has seen the crime weapon that nobody can find. She knows what happened, but the police do not believe her. For one simple reason: At the time of the murder, Flora was hundreds of miles away. Yet Flora is certain that she is right. She has seen. Because she is a medium.

©2013 Lars Kepler (P)2013 HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Critic Reviews

”A brilliant thriller” (Norrköpings Tidningar)

”It´s like falling down a stream, you get caught up and can hardly breathe” (Dagens Nyheter)

”It all goes at maximum speed and it´s impossible to hit the brakes before reaching the end” (Skånska Dagbladet)

Praise for Lars Kepler:

”Taking Europe by storm” (Daily Mail)

”Kepler has a direct line to a very dark place in the human soul” (Lev Grossman, Time)

”Commanding, deeply scarifying stuff” (Independent)

”More energetic than Mankell, as socially involved as Larsson, Kepler matches Jo Nesbo for gothic excitement” (Weekend Australian)

Praise for The Nightmare:

”One of the most exciting Swedish crime novels of recent years … It doesn’t get better than this” (Göteborgsposten)

”A high-octane, taut thriller” (Marie Claire)

”Intricate detective work and heart-ticking suspense” (Boston Globe)

Praise for The Hypnotist:

“One of the best – if not the best – Scandinavian crime thrillers I've read” (RED)

”A creepy and compulsive crime thriller” (Mo Hayder)

Stick with it

What made the experience of listening to The Fire Witness the most enjoyable?

The links between parts of the story were not always obvious but came together as it progressed.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

There are clear links between this and other books by the same author. I haven't read any others but will look out for them in future.

Have you listened to any of Saul Reichlin’s other performances? How does this one compare?

Not listened to any other performances.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I had to stop listening at times at the beginning of the book as the description of the crimes was too graphic to aid sleep!

Any additional comments?

Stick with this one. I was going to send it back after the first 30 mins but it's a grower.

very, very good

loved it, character's believable and had depth. certainly will be looking for the next one in the series. Narration one of the best yet.

A must read in today's world.

By far the best book I have read (heard) in a very long time. Told with brutal humanity, with passion for life and love buried but never truly destroyed, amidst the terror of oppression. This story is so relevant, now, and of its time. The heart ache is palpable in those caught up in the story of family and life on two sides of modern war and terror. My heart broke listening to this story, and I will never read a newspaper article again with quite so detached and black and white a perspective.

Fantastic

Love these books! There is so much going on and they are too addictive. Highly recommend

The Fire Witness - rubbish

The Fire Witness - rubbish
I choose the book because I really enjoyed previous book 'The Nightmare.
Saul Reichlin did a fine job of narration but the writing was weak.

Amazing!

Words can't do it justice. The whole series is phenomenal! You can't stop once you start. Dark, dark but fantastic.

Fire witness

Brilliant story - a little lengthy but well worth it. Amazing ending - could have a follow up and I do hope so, I will be waiting!

Scary....

Even though I'd guessed it, the characters kept me engaged to the very last word!