The BookBrowse Review

Published January 24, 2024

ISSN: 1930-0018

printable version
This is a free issue of our twice-monthly membership magazine, The BookBrowse Review.
Join | Renew | Give a Gift Membership | BookBrowse for Libraries
Back    Next

Contents

In This Edition of
The BookBrowse Review

Highlighting indicates debut books

Editor's Introduction
Reviews
Hardcovers Paperbacks
First Impressions
Latest Author Interviews
Recommended for Book Clubs
Book Discussions

Discussions are open to all members to read and post. Click to view the books currently being discussed.

Publishing Soon

Literary Fiction


Historical Fiction


Short Stories


Essays


Poetry & Novels in Verse


Mysteries


Thrillers


Romance


Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Speculative, Alt. History


Biography/Memoir


History, Current Affairs and Religion


Science, Health and the Environment


Young Adults

Literary Fiction


Historical Fiction


Poetry & Novels in Verse

  • Poemhood by Amber McBride, Erica Martin, Taylor Byas (rated 5/5)

Thrillers


Romance


Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Speculative, Alt. History


Biography/Memoir


Extras
  • Blog:
    Imagining Life on Mars: A Reading List
  • Wordplay:
    T E H N Clothes
Book Jacket

The Mountain King
Asker Series #1
by Anders de la Motte
30 Jan 2024
464 pages
Publisher: Emily Bestler Books (Atria)
ISBN-13: 9781668030813
Genre: Mysteries
Critics:
mail to a friend   

This atmospheric and sinister mystery, perfect for fans of the Nordic thrillers of Jo Nesbo and Stieg Larsson, follows an overachieving female inspector investigating the darkest side of humanity, from "one of Sweden's most talented crime fiction authors" (Erik Axl Sund, author of The Crow Girl).

Criminal inspector Leonore Asker seems to have the leading position at Malmö's Major Crime Division within reach. But things go awry when, in the middle of a high-profile kidnapping case, management relegates her to the so-called Department of Lost Souls—the unit for odd, cold cases banished to the basement of the police station.

Despite the humiliation, Asker is drawn into one of the more peculiar cases. Someone is placing small ominous figures in town and one of them seems to represent the missing woman from the kidnapping case. As Asker's investigation takes her to abandoned buildings, she reaches out to a local architecture expert and together they explore the sinister recesses of the city and discover that an unusual kind of evil lurks in the shadows.

"Superb…De la Motte nimbly juggles a substantial cast as his plot grows increasingly intricate, ratcheting suspense to near-unbearable heights. This crackerjack page-turner will keep readers up late." ―Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"The twisty, spine-tingling mystery that unfolds is creepy and sinister, laced with a touch of dark Scandinavian folklore." ―Willy Williams, firstCLUE

"Unsettling. De la Motte had me hooked from the very first page." ―Kyle Mills, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Code Red

"A masterful thriller that succeeds on all levels: absorbing, deftly-plotted, bone-chilling. Leonore Asker takes her place at the front of the line of Swedish crime solvers: awkward, headstrong, unstoppable. I honestly read the last 100 pages with the hair on my arms standing on edge." ―Andrew Gross, New York Times bestselling author of The Fifth Column

"The Mountain King is Nordic crime fiction at its best : addictive, eerie and hauntingly atmospheric (fans of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo will devour it). Leonore Asker, and the wonderfully named 'Department of Lost Souls', are fascinating and unpredictable. This is the new series you need in your life. EXCEPTIONAL." ―Will Dean, bestselling author of The Last to Burn

Anders de la Motte, a former police officer, made his debut in 2010 with the award-winning thriller Game and has since then been one of Sweden's most beloved and popular crime writers. He is the author of several acclaimed and bestselling crime fiction series, among them the suspenseful Skåne Quartet. The Mountain King is the first bestselling installment in his new Leo Asker series.

Your guide toexceptional          books

BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.