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    The Chestnut Man: A Novel
    The Chestnut Man: A Novel
    The Chestnut Man: A Novel
    Audiobook15 hours

    The Chestnut Man: A Novel

    Written by Soren Sveistrup

    Narrated by Peter Noble

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    NOW A MAJOR NETFLIX SERIES

    2020 Audie Awards® Winner - Mystery

    FROM THE CREATOR OF THE HIT TELEVISION SHOW THE KILLING, “a full-throttle thriller in the tradition of classic Stieg Larsson” (A.J. Finn).

    IF YOU FIND ONE, HE’S ALREADY FOUND YOU

    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.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperAudio
    Release dateSep 3, 2019
    ISBN9780062930590
    The Chestnut Man: A Novel
    Author

    Soren Sveistrup

    Søren Sveistrup is an internationally acclaimed script writer, creator and film producer of several TV series. From 2007 to 2012 he was the creator and writer of THE KILLING, which has won several international awards, been sold to more than a hundred countries all over the world and remade for AMC by Fox Television Studios in the US. He lives in Copenhagen.

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    Reviews for The Chestnut Man

    4/5

    640 ratings31 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Loved this. I could never tell where it was leading. I didn’t want to put it down. Just when I thought I figured it out it surprised me.
    • 5/5
      Creepy, intriguing, complex plot but easy to follow. I loved every bit of this book! ❤️
    • 2/5
      Entertaining enough but very hard to follow, disjointed.. . .
    • 4/5
      This starts slow, like many Scandanavian novels, but stick with it!
    • 5/5
      Interesting twists and turns and a surprising ending to the plot.
    • 5/5
      Ghoster by Jason Arnopp. I absolutely loved this book. It is part thriller, part mystery, part comment on current social norms and I even laughed out loud a few times. The story centers around a Kate, a paramedic who meets the love of her life through a dating app and decides to move in with him. Just before her move in date, her boyfriend stops communicating and disappears. His flat is empty and all his belongings are gone, but his cell phone is found on the balcony. As Kate uses the cell phone to figure out what happened to her boyfriend Scott, the novel turns into a murder mystery, maybe, is he dead or just missing? She experiences strange occurrences in the apartment and believes it is haunted. What is going on and what happened to Scott? The answers will take you on a thrill ride that will keep you guessing until the very end.  You will NOT see this ending coming. If you grew up in the age of smartphones, or ever used a dating app, you can relate to many aspects of this story line. I thoroughly enjoyed and recommend this book. ?????
    • 1/5
      I’m glad I finished this because if I heard one more time that a man is attracted to a woman i was gonna punch something. This book runs on the idea that men aren’t able to walk on earth without thinking of sex/cheating on their wives, doesn’t matter if it’s important to the story or not..just a man in this book sees a woman? He’s give her the sweet thing ? also manga with naked woman is called hentai..

      1 person found this helpful

    • 1/5
      I tried to get into this story, but it is just not good. It doesn’t grab the readers attention, the plot is meh, and for me it was too all over the place. Don’t waste your time on this one.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      The Chestnut Man by Søren Sveistrup, Caroline Waight (translator) is a 2019 Harper publication. There’s a serial killer on the loose in Copenhagen -one that leaves behind a ‘chestnut man’ doll at every scene. But a shocking discovery could tie these crimes to the unsolved kidnapping of a government minister’s daughter a year ago. The two detectives working the case, Thaulin and Hess are a bit mismatched as a team, but eventually they rise to the occasion, knowing they must catch 'The Chestnut Man’ before he strikes again… I’ve had this book on my list for a couple of years- but it popped out at me when I went looking through my list for a good thriller to fit my fall reading mood- because what’s better than a terrifying serial killer story for some good Halloween thrills and chills? To make it even more effective the story transpires over the entire month of October- so this did seem like an appropriate choice. I have not read a ‘Nordic’ thriller is quite some time and got a reminder, right off the bat, of how graphic they can be. The story gets off to a grisly start and then never lets up from start to finish. The writing does tend to follow an old- school thriller format and is surprisingly slick and polished for all its grittiness. Regardless, this is a violent, white-knuckle suspense ride, as well as a smart, well-planned thriller- and is one of the best thrillers I’ve read this year. Overall, not to put too fine a point on it- the 2022 thriller offerings have been lukewarm at best. I’m glad I had this ace in the hole to make up for it. The story is not supernatural, but it is super scary, nonetheless, and is a great Fall/ Halloween read!
    • 5/5
      Tense and dark, this suspense thriller will give you chills!Set in Copenhagen where a serial killer is leaving behind a grisly scene that includes an odd doll made of chestnuts and matchsticks. They are calling him the Chestnut Man. The oddest part facing the police is that there is a fingerprint on the dolls that belongs to a young girl who had gone mussing in the prior year and was presumed dead. Detectives Thulin and Hess are tasked with the investigation of the brutally murdered at the latest crime sites and the perpetrator has left no clues behind. This complex police procedural will lead them to an old mass homicide that started it all.I really enjoyed this and it got me out of a slump as I could not bear to put this down. I loved the writing style and the complicated inquiries that the two main characters were involved in. The plot was intricate and the revelations were dangled slowly with all finally coming together in a very satisfying conclusion. The setting helped create the noir atmosphere and I definitely would like to learn more about Thulin and Hess because not much detail about either is related. There are plenty of red herrings to keep the reader guessing and I was pleasantly surprised throughout. I would definitely like to read more books by this author!Now I'm ready to see the series on television...
    • 4/5
      There are a lot of twist and turn on this book which make it a great read. The description of the main characters are a bit weak and need more flashing out. But overall, good murder mystery.
    • 4/5
      A book that propels you forward and gives you all the pent-up’ness. A fine ending… except I didn’t love the very last last last bit. That’s ok.
    • 5/5
      Finally! The ending was a bit too pat, as with most detective novels, but I am crowning The Chestnut Man with five stars anyway because this is the first novel I have been able to get stuck into for a while! There's a Netflix adaptation, of course, but I'm not sure I can watch now that the main characters have come to life for me in a way that doesn't match the screen cast.The plot gave me Jeffrey Deaver vibes and I was thoroughly hooked but I also grew to care about the two detectives, small but fierce Naia Thulin and troubled new guy Mark Hess (with his heterochromic eyes, which reminded me of Practical Magic!) He is an ass to start with, determined to get back to his old job with Europol, and I'm surprised she wasn't marked as the next victim, given the marginal amount of time she spends actually caring for her daughter, but I eventually started feeling very protective of the pair!I'm not a mad fan of crime fiction, Nordic noir or otherwise but I know that the killer is nearly always someone on the inside, although I must admit that I only realised when the clues started getting really heavy-handed! And I'm glad that the author let the flashbacks speak for themselves, without going down the whole 'nobody loved me, that's why I'm like this' route - or as Hess tells the killer: ‘I don’t feel sorry for you. You were probably a psychopath from birth. I’m just sorry you ever got out of that basement.’ The constant switching of perspective was slightly tedious, however - we don't need to know why a victim's husband hates his family or the whole entire history of two 'red herring' characters, thanks, just the facts.The setting, particularly when read in October with the same terrible weather and dark nights, was wonderfully atmospheric. I think Thulin and Hess spend the bulk of the novel wet through from walking around in the cold rain. A spooky touch, to go with the creepy chestnut men figures found at the crime scenes!The sure sign of a good book is when the characters are stronger than the plot, and now I really, really want this to be the start of a long series with Thulin and Hess (especially now that he's on the family tree)!
    • 4/5
      Similar in feel to the Stieg Larson "Girl Who.." series. (Probably has to do with the location.)

      The descriptions of the tortures committed by the Chestnut Man got to the edge of how much I can stomach. Fortunately, there weren't many of them.
    • 5/5
      If you liked "Silence of the Lambs" you will enjoy this book. "The Chestnut Man" has some similar elements but it is decidedly different. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Some other readers didn't care for the "extensive" descriptions, some fairly gruesome, as it slowed down the pace to0 much and made the book-length an issue for them. For me, neither is an issue as the descriptions allow me to lose myself and I'm a fan of long books when they are well written.

      There is a bevy of characters in the book. In order to keep from getting confused by this, I'm forced to read at a slower pace (my preference to begin with).

      On a lighter note, I'm not sure that I will ever see a chestnut without thinking of this book.
    • 5/5
      The first Nordic Noir that I have loved.
    • 5/5
      Fantastic! I hope there will be a sequel, or even two or more.
    • 4/5
      Very intense thriller! Although at first I had trouble understanding who was whom, I couldn't put this one down. Who is this deranged murderer, what events created him, and how will it end? Not to mention that this Danish noir tale has a surprising villain. Dark, fairly graphic, and gripping!
    • 5/5
      At first, it felt like an ill-disguised film script, but I was soon proved wrong as the book quickly became a compelling read.
      I'm not an avid crime novel reader, so can't compare it easily; however, apart from the incongruous inclusion of a few brand-names and some rather gory descriptions, this story quickly became unputdownable! Great transation by Caroline Waight.
    • 4/5
      4.5 stars.

      The Chestnut Man by Søren Sveistrup is a spine-tingling, chilling murder mystery.

      Copenhagen Detective Naia Thulin is hoping to leave the murder squad for the cybercrime center. Before she can convince her boss, Head of Major Crimes Nylander, to recommend her for the transfer, she is saddled with disgraced Europol Agent Mark Hess. They are both assigned to investigate the horrific murder of single mother, Laura Kjgear. There are many troubling (and gruesome) aspects to her murder but it is the discovery of a chestnut man at the scene that is most puzzling. Thulin is convinced Laura's fiancé Jans Henrick Hauge killed her, but Hess has his doubts he is their killer.  His suspicions are confirmed when Anne Sejer-Larsen is murdered and once again, her body is mutilated and a chestnut man is left at the scene.

      Their investigation takes a very troubling turn when forensic specialist Simon Genz makes a stunning discovery. One year earlier, Minister of Social Affairs Rosa Hartung's twelve year old daughter Kristine is kidnapped on her way home. Although her body has never been recovered, Linus Bekker confessed to her murder and is now serving his sentence at a psychiatric hospital. The current murders coincide with Rosa's return to work but Nylander orders Thulin and Ness to stay away from Hartung. Thulin is shocked when Genz informs her Kristine's fingerprint is on the chestnut dolls.  But when another grisly murder occurs and Kristine's fingerprint is once again found on the chestnut doll, will Nylander have any choice but to allow Naia and Mark  to turn their attention to Rosa?

      Thulin and Hess are excellent investigators but neither of them is particularly likable. Naia is incredibly impatient and she is abrupt with colleagues,  witnesses and suspects. She is eager to solve the case so she can move on to the next phase of her career.  Mark wants nothing more than to return to the Europol and he is distracted during the initial stages of the investigation.  He is also a big of a rogue loner who follows his instincts as he tracks down leads on his own.

      The investigation moves in fits and starts since other than the fingerprints on the chestnut dolls, there is little forensic evidence. Nylander is not very supportive of Hess and Thulin's theories which leaves them at cross purposes for much of the investigation.  Neither Naia nor Mark is well liked by their fellow detectives so they often have to fight to pursue the various avenues of inquiry. And just as they are on the brink of making a breakthrough, the case takes a shocking turn.

      The Chestnut Man is a dark and gritty mystery that is suspenseful and quite riveting. The murders are chilling and become increasingly grisly with each new victim.  With a series of clever misdirects and ingenious red herrings,  Søren Sveistrup brings this incredibly complex and thrilling debut to a pulse-pounding, action packed conclusion.

      An incredibly diabolical police procedural that will leave readers hoping a sequel is in the works.
    • 4/5
      If you like a fast paced read and a sadistic serial killer, you will not be disappointed with this book..
    • 3/5
      High-powered thriller set in Denmark. The novel held my interest all through, to the point of goosebumps at some points. Kidnapping of daughter of government minister; also three murders at which the "calling card" of a figure made from chestnuts is left at each crime scene. Because of that fact, he is dubbed the "Chestnut Man." Is the daughter still alive although she is assumed dead. Is the man convicted of the kidnapping really innocent? During the investigations, during which the detectives, a policewoman and a burnt-out policeman are partnered, the policewoman offers herself as "bait" to draw out the killer. Family secrets are revealed. Fast-moving and well paced, though a bit unbelievable near the end.
    • 5/5
      The Chestnut Man by Søren Sveistrup is a chilling serial killer thriller set in Copenhagen. Thulin and her new partner, Hess, are assigned what is initially believed to be the isolated murder of a single mom. More murders occur, each with a chestnut man left behind. Every time the police think they have answers, another happens. And it's possible these murders are tied to not just the recent kidnapping and suspected death of Rosa Hartung's daughter, but a mass killing decades in the past.This book is yet another example of why I've fallen in love with Nordic mystery/thrillers. There are so many interlocking stories here, all fascinating, and I couldn't wait to see how they tied together. Masterfully done! Just when I thought I'd figured things out, WHAM! Another curve ball. I'm just sad that one of my favourite characters turned out to be the culprit. Besides the character in question above, Hess was my favourite. He's so broken, and at first you think he doesn't really care about the case. He's actually a Europol agent, sent back to Copenhagen for some offense. But as the story progresses, you see how smart he is, and learn why he's rather standoffish. I think he's a good man, dealing with a lot. I'd love to see another story featuring Hess and Thulin, or just Hess alone. I'm kinda cranky, too, because now I want to read more of Sveistrup's books and I can't find them in English! I'm quite tempted to learn Danish just to read more.***Many thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins/ Penguin UK for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
    • 3/5
      I was drawn to this book by both the premise of the story and the cover. Also, I am a fan of the television show, The Killing. I have the book but have not read it yet. Ok, so the killer's calling card of leaving little chestnut dolls at every crime scene does send chills down your spine. Than, when the police figure out the motive of what the killer was up to, that is where things got really interesting. Yet, as much as I was drawn to this story I found the characters to be a bit "wooden". I thought this was a good story but lacking in character development. There wasn't really anything intriguing about the police. What made the Killing television show great was the characters, Sarah Linden and Stephen Holder. They were both flawed which made them relatable while at the same time they were smart in solving cases. That is what I mean by the character development lacking in this book.
    • 5/5
      This mystery thriller was diabolically good! Be advised, though, that the violence is graphic and not for the faint of heart.A serial killer leaves a “chestnut man”—a handmade doll made of matchsticks and two chestnuts—at each crime scene. When authorities examine the dolls, they discover each one has a fingerprint belonging to a young girl, a government minister’s daughter who had been kidnapped and murdered a year ago. What's the connection, and how can the killer be stopped before he kills again?What I really liked about this book is that there are little twists throughout the book, each one bringing the reader closer to discovering the identity of the killer. Each twist ties up one loose end and reveals a connection where there seemingly was no connection before. I could not put this book down! It was well written and gripping, with just enough character development to make the reader care about the main characters.Also, I must give huge kudos to the translator, Caroline Waight, who did an outstanding job of translating Sveistrup's novel from the original Danish. Sometimes when I read translated books I get the sense that something gets lost in the translation, those little nuances that don't necessarily translate well from one language to another. That was not at all the case with this book. Waight translated this book so well that I completely forgot it was a translation at all while I was reading. Thank you, Ms. Waight!
    • 5/5
      I love the cover of Soren Sveistrup's new novel The Chestnut Man. Those few black strokes conjure up something ominous... And then I discovered that Sveistrup was the creator and screenwriter of The Killing - a show I really enjoyed. And I knew I was a for a really great read!A killer is on the loose in Copenhagen. His signature? A small little man made of chestnuts and matchsticks left at every murder. Forensics makes a startling discovery - the fingerprint of the daughter of a high ranking politician is on each one. Trouble is - she's been missing for a year.Great premise and I was hooked. But what makes or breaks a great premise are the protagonists. I'm happy to say that Sveistrup has created a great pair in Detectives Thulin and Hess. Thulin is a single mother balancing parenting and detecting. She's tough, intelligent, happy to work on her own and doesn't suffer fools. But that's what she fears she's been paired with when she inherits Hess from Europol. He has messed up there and until things are cleared, he's assigned to partner with Thulin in the Major Crimes Division in Copenhagen. But, really Hess just wants to coast until he can get back to Europol - where he also coasts along. This pair reminded me a bit of the two detectives in The Killing. Seemingly polar opposites. But as things progress, they grudgingly start to work together. I really enjoyed this pairing - and hopefully they cross paths again in another novel.Their work is cut out for them. The case is hindered by politicos and complicated by multiple suspects. Just when I thought I had sussed out the killer was, another possibility popped up. I quite enjoyed being led down the garden path. And I have to say, I was surprised by the final answers. Well done. (Which I really appreciate as I read a lot of mysteries).The ending has a nice little gotcha that opens things up for a possible follow-up. A wonderfully dark and gritty read for those who love Scandi noir (puts hand up). (And on a side note, Netflix is making a series based on this book).
    • 5/5
      Boy oh boy this was a good one! Super short chapters immediately draw you into the very fast pace of this story. Each chapter is under two minutes (according to my Kindle and my slow reading) yet the author is able to dig in deep and build really solid characters and never leave the reader behind during the lightning speed of the very intricate plot. You like a fast paced read and a sadistic serial killer? You will not be disappointed with this one.
    • 5/5
      I read this book while my husband was away on a business trip, which was a good thing because I didn't want to put it down. Finally, a "thriller" that is really, truly a thriller!Some words to describe this book: gritty, dark, complex, intense, addictive.Sveistrup uses a lot of narrating characters, giving the story a wide scope and a fast pace. When all the pieces start coming together, and you think you have the direction figured out, something new is thrown in to trip you up. I was left guessing until the very end.This story is equal parts character- and plot-driven. They feed off each other, so we get to known the characters as the plot unfolds. True to its genre, this is a thriller with some graphic content. The focus of the story is gruesome murders, and so it stands to reason that there are scenes with detailed violence. But it's not detailed in a vulgar or gratuitous manner. There are no gory scenes for shock factor. The violence serves to move the story forward and to show us the type of killer we're dealing with.All the story's pieces are wrapped up at the end, except for one small thread left dangling. Am I correct in interpreting this to mean there's a second book coming? I am so very hopeful!*I received an advance copy from the publisher, via Amazon Vine.*
    • 4/5
      Well. I read this book in two brief evenings. So there's that. This one is good, guys. Really good. I was in a bit of a "I want a good scare" mood, and though this one didn't turn out to be scary for me (nothing new, but I'll find a truly scary book one day!), it was absolutely a page-turner from start to finish. I honestly felt like I was binge-reading a dark Netflix murder mystery/thriller and I just couldn't stop! Here's the gist: a serial killer is on the loose and his calling card is a little man made from a chestnut (and if you see it, you're already too late). Two detectives are put on the case to untangle a complicated web that spans decades, and it's not pretty. If you like Jo Nesbo or other similar dark murder mysteries, pick this one up! Highly recommend!
    • 4/5
      I was a big fan of “The Killing” so when I heard about this book, onto the wish list it went. Did it live up to my expectations? You betcha. This Scandi crime/police procedural comes loaded with all the elements that will keep you reading into the wee hours. Two compelling MC’s, an intricate plot & a clever, creepy bad guy…it ticks all the boxes. Set in Copenhagen, it’s the story of a current investigation with deep ties to the past delivered with a steadily building sense of menace.The first MC is Naia Thulin. She’s a young cop who is slowly dying of boredom as the newest member of the Major Crimes Division. Despite her intelligence & tech skills, she’s being wasted on the small stuff. Naia decides to ask for a transfer to Cyber Crimes but her boss has one last job for her. It seems they’ve been saddled with a Europol agent who’s been demoted back to Copenhagen. Her job is to babysit for a few days until he’s up to speed.Mark Hess spent the last 5 years living a nomadic life with Europol. But a disagreement with higher-ups resulted in him being sent back to his old stomping grounds. He’s been paired with Thulin, a rather intense young detective, but making new friends is not a priority. Copenhagen holds too many bad memories & his sole focus is getting his job back. Then a body is found.In alternate chapters we meet Rosa Hartung. She’s a government minister who is returning to work after compassionate leave. A year ago her daughter Kristine disappeared & has never been found. The tragedy left it’s mark on her family & she needs to get back to some kind of normal.Thulin & Hess take the call about a body & arrive to find a young nurse who’s been murdered. The area is carefully picked over but no leads. Until they get an odd call from the forensic crew. One of the items taken from the scene was a funny little doll made from chestnuts & matchsticks. A fingerprint was found on it & they have a match…..Kristina Hartung.I’ll leave it at that for the plot. Suffice to say there will be more bodies, each accompanied by a chestnut man. The book opens with a disturbing prologue from 1989 so you know there’s more going on here than just the crimes in the present. This is a great read for several reasons but two things stood out for me. First, don’t expect to be spoon fed the answers. We learn things right along with the MC’s & I enjoyed trying to piece it together with them. Some clever misdirection means you have more than one candidate for the killer & it keeps you guessing as a good thriller should.Second, I really liked Thulin & Hess. These 2 characters are the heart & soul of the story. They have very different styles & it was interesting to watch them go from barely speaking to appreciating what the other brought to the table. Both are smart & capable of the intuitive thinking that puts it all together. The author purposely gives only sparse details about their pasts & you get the feeling there is so much more to learn about them. Maybe in book 2? (hint, hint)