Thoughts on : The Chestnut Man by Soren Sveistrup

Posted by Kay on February 9, 2020 11:14 pm in 4.5 stars reads | 4 comments

The Chestnut Man by Soren Sveistrup
Genre : Mystery
Stand alone

About the Book  :

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.

I read The Chestnut Man last fall and it was, without a doubt, one of my favorite books of the year.

The Chestnut Man is a dark, disturbing and utterly fascinating Nordic noir novel. It had been a while since I’d read a book from the genre. Over the past few years, most of the mystery novels I’ve read have been psychological and domestic thrillers, with the occasional detective novel. This was, without a doubt, a nice change of pace while still feeling somewhat familiar.

A disclaimer (without spoilers) : if you’re sensible to violent and gory scenes, or if themes of abuse are something you prefer to avoid, then you should definitely avoid this book. The Chestnut Man is a very difficult read at times. It’s one I couldn’t read with my breakfast and from which I needed to take regular breaks, especially when things got more and more intense.

I think my favorite part of the book was the cleverness of the plot. It’s not a book that’s full of shocking twists and turns, but it managed to surprise me in many ways. I was constantly on my toes and I love how everything came together. Once I reached the end, I was able to see how details and clues played into the story, like seeing a puzzle finally assembled.

That being said, I did feel the story dragged a little in the middle. With 500+ pages, the book is on the longer side for thrillers, and I don’t think it was necessary.

Overall though, this is one entertaining read I would happily recommend. On top of a good story the book also offers a good pair of detectives. I thought their interactions felt realistic and not forced, and I’d gladly read more of their investigative adventures. I definitely feel like there’s an opening for a series towards the end, but as far as I know this is for now a standalone. Fingers crossed!