The Hypnotist

by Lars Kepler

After waiting for this on the reserve list for months, I tore through this Scandinavian thriller. And the verdict? Tough to put down, but just a little too convoluted in the end. This novel probably could have used a little editing.

In a nutshell: Dr. Erick Maria Bark is the hypnotist. He hasn’t actually practiced hypnotism in ten years. When a gruesome triple homicide intrigues Detective Inspector Joona Linna, there is a job for Dr. Bark. Joona asks Bark to hypnotize the suspect, in order to possibly save lives.

But that one instance of hypnotism changes Dr. Bark forever. Suddenly, the reader is pulled into two stories: the investigation of the murder of a family and the story behind Erik Maria Bark’s ten year refusal to hypnotize patients.

As the homicide investigation progresses, both stories converge, and terrifying truths are revealed.

For 400 pages, the authors kept me on the edge of my seat. But as the novel’s action came to a climax, I could not help but to be disappointed by the complex plotting by the authors. In the end, I don’t know if I can recommend this one.

11/21/11