Author:Johan Theorin
FROM THE WINNER OF THE CWA INTERNATIONAL DAGGER 2010 FOR THE DARKEST ROOM
'A compelling and scary psychological thriller' - Sunday Mirror
Who amongst us can really say they’re sane?
Jan has just started working at the Dell nursery. But this is no normal nursery. It’s linked to a high-security asylum by a dimly-lit underground tunnel, which is used for the children to visit their parents. Who are some of the most dangerous psychopaths in the country.
And Jan has complicated reasons for being here. There’s something he’s not telling people about his past. And there’s someone in the asylum who he really wants to see . . .
The Swedish master of slow-build terror returns...truly skin-clawing tension.
—— MetroThe Swedes seem to be cornering the market in creepy crime fiction, and this chiller will appeal to fans of Stieg Larsson ... A compelling and scary psychological thriller
—— Sunday MirrorThe Scandi movement towards literary world domination gathers apace with the first in a trilogy from Swedish scriptwriter Alexander Söderberg…it already feels tailor made for TV
—— Claire Allfree , MetroOne of the many wonderful things about Alexander Söderberg's novel, The Andalucian Friend, is how it upsets our expectations. His cops act like gangsters, while his gangsters (some of them) attain a startling sort of nobility. Söderberg has created an entertaining, engaging, and wonderfully bloody-minded world. He’s a great storyteller. It’s that simple
—— Scott Smith, author of The RuinsAn unpredictable and breathlessly suspenseful, taut and well-written thriller... A timeless saga about the struggle between good and evil... Utterly brilliant
—— Västerbottens-Kuriren (Sweden)I haven't read such a captivating, relentlessly suspenseful thriller as The Andalucian Friend in ages
—— Dalarnas Tidningar (Sweden)A gripping thriller
—— Wales on SundayWill be devoured by those who like their books like blockbuster movies – packed full of car-chases and underground drug dens
—— SpectatorBrilliant and erudite thriller... Pearl is a young Dante expert...this is his first book and he knows how to sustain a narrative. Perfect for reading before the flickering fire
—— Word MagazineWorking on a vast canvas, Mr. Pearl keeps this mystery sparkling with erudition...with this captivating brain teaser as his debut novel, seems also to have put his life's work on the line in melding scholarship with mystery. He does justice to both
—— Janet Maslin , New York TimesAudacious and captivating.
—— Adrienne Miller , EsquirePearl's scholarly background is evident in the erudite detail he weaves into his fictional narrative, adding texture and complexity
—— Times Literary SupplementA brilliant literary novel which manages to be academic without being dull, combining as it does scholarly density with page-turning suspense
—— The Sunday TribuneMatthew Pearl is the new shining star of literary fiction - a heady, inventive, and immensely gifted author. With intricate plots, classical themes, and erudite characters...what's not to love?
—— Dan BrownStartlingly inventive
—— Washington PostStriking early scenes show why Henderson has his illustrious admirers.
—— Sunday TimesA worthy contender for the title of a great American novel. With its magisterial scope and emotionally rich storytelling, this literary tour-de-force captivated and, at few points, grounded me to dust with its sheer brilliance. It is one of the books that will always keep bouncing around my head and one around which many readers will redefine their life. I can't recommend it enough.
—— Upcoming4.meA triumphant thriller worthy of Bond’s creator Ian Fleming.
—— Daily ExpressI found myself wondering if Boyd had outdone Fleming.
—— Nicholas Lezard , Guardian[Boyd is] an ideal writer of James Bond novels, and this one, his first, is very good
—— William Leith , Evening StandardPerfectly judged homage
—— Mail on SundayA brand new James Bond adventure combining all the glamour and excitement of Fleming’s original novels with the masterful storytelling of William Boyd
—— Western Morning NewsA very good piece of literary ventriloquism, with a great baddie
—— Heathrow ExpressFleming’s James Bond lives again in this perfectly judged homage
—— Mail on Sunday