Description: "On the first Tuesday in October, Rosa Hartung is returning to her job as minister for social affairs following a year's leave of absence--granted after the dramatic disappearance of her twelve-year-old daughter. Linus Bekker, a mentally ill young man, confessed to her killing, but is unable to remember where he buried the various parts of her dismembered corpse, leaving Rosa with no choice but to try to move on without closure. The same day Rosa returns to parliament, a young single mother is found brutally murdered at her home in the suburbs of Copenhagen--she's been tortured, and one hand has been cut off. Thulin and Hess, the detectives sent to investigate the crime, arrive at the address to find a figure made of chestnuts hanging from a playhouse nearby. When yet another woman is murdered--this time with both hands cut off--and another chestnut figure is found, Thulin and Hess begin to suspect a connection to the Hartung case. To put an end to the killing spree, the pair, with nothing in common aside from equally troubled personal lives, realize they will need to put aside their differences in a race against time--and a brutal psychopath"--
Brief description:
Søren Sveistrup is an internationally acclaimed scriptwriter, creator, and film producer. From 2007 to 2012 he created and wrote The Killing, which has won several international awards, been sold to more than a hundred countries around the globe, and was remade for AMC by Fox Television Studios in the US. He lives in Copenhagen.
Review Quotes:
"A tension-charged debut. . . . Incendiary." - Financial Times
"A full-throttle thriller in the tradition of classic Stieg Larsson, drenched in atmosphere and charged with adrenaline. Buckle up. You'll gulp down every word. I loved this book." - A.J. Finn, author of the The Woman in the Window
"This might just be the thriller of the year. The Chestnut Man grips you from the opening page and never lets go, as we're pulled into a haunting whirlwind of secrets, deception and the dark side of the soul. The policing is top-notch, of course, and the characters--good and bad--are so real we're sure we've met them before. Brilliant!" - Jeffery Deaver, author of The Never Game
"This is a page-turner that will make you hesitate before turning the page, so unnerving is the violence. One of the best and scariest crime novels of the year, it adds to its rewards by promising us at least one sequel. A tantalizing, un-put-down-able novel by an instant master of the form." - Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"A stellar debut." - Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Superb... Sveistrup creates a plot so intricately woven that even a seasoned crime reader won't guess the ending. This book is the best kind of terrifying." - Library Journal, starred review
"A complex procedural deepened by gut-wrenching social commentary." - Booklist
"Cunningly plotted . . . . Although it's hard to look away from Sveistrup's fiendish villain, the good guys are also worthy of your attention." - New York Times Book Review
"A big, bold, spend-all-day-reading thriller.... In his debut crime novel, Søren Sveistrup instantly establishes himself as a must-read author for fans of Nordic Noir legends Jo Nesbø and Lars Kepler--and, for that matter, as a must-read for any reader who just wants a gripping thriller to sink their teeth into." - Crime by the Book
"A thrilling page-turning story with lots of twists and turns that will keep you reading right to the last page." - Red Carpet Crash