Lars Kepler - Joona Linna Crime Series Books 1-3 - The Hypnotist, The Nightmare, The Fire Witness

Published by Blue Door

An imprint of HarperCollins Publishers Ltd

1 London Bridge Street

London SE1 9GF

www.harpercollins.co.uk

The Hypnotist first published in Great Britain by Blue Door 2011

Copyright © Lars Kepler 2009

English translation © Ann Long 2010

Originally published in 2009 by Albert Bonniers Förlag, Sweden, as Hypnotisören

Cover layout design © HarperCollins Publishers Ltd 2012

The Nightmare first published in Great Britain by Blue Door 2012

Copyright © Lars Kepler 2010

English translation © Laura A. Wideburg 2012

Originally published in 2010 by Albert Bonniers Förlag, Sweden, as Paganinikontraktet

Cover layout design © HarperCollins Publishers Ltd 2012

The Fire Witness first published in Great Britain by Blue Door 2013

Copyright © Lars Kepler 2011

English translation © Laura A. Wideburg 2013

Originally published in 2011 by Albert Bonniers Förlag, Sweden, as Eldvittnet

Cover layout design © HarperCollins Publishers Ltd 2013

Lars Kepler asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

A catalogue copy of this book is available from the British Library.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.

Source ISBNs: 9780007359127; 9780007414505; 9780007467778

Ebook Edition © July 2014 ISBN: 9780007575459

Version: 2018-12-04

Table of Contents

Cover

Title Page Joona Linna Crime Series Books 1-3 Lars Kepler

Copyright

The Hypnotist

The Nightmare

The Fire Witness

Read on for an exclusive extract from The Sandman

About the Publisher

Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm.

Detective Inspector Joona Linna is faced with a boy who witnessed the gruesome murder of his family. He’s suffered more than one hundred knife wounds and is comatose with shock.

Linna’s running out of time. The killer’s on the run and, seemingly, there are no clues. Desperate for information, Linna enlists disgraced specialist Dr Erik Maria Bark, a hypnotist who vowed never to practice again.

As the hypnosis begins, a long and terrifying chain of events unfurls with reverberations far beyond Linna’s case.

‘Ferocious, visceral storytelling that wraps you in a cloak of darkness. It’s stunning’

Daily Mail

‘One of the best – if not the best – Scandinavian crime thrillers I’ve read’

Sam Baker, Red

‘A creepy and compulsive crime thriller’

Mo Hayder

‘Intelligent, original and chilling’

Simon Beckett

‘Mesmerizing … a bad dream that takes hold and won't let go’

Wall Street Journal

‘Crammed with memorable characters and well-crafted subplots’

The Sunday Times

‘Grips you round the throat until the final twist’

Woman & Home

‘A serious, disturbing, highly readable novel that is finally a meditation on evil’

Washington Post

‘A rollercoaster ride of a thriller full of striking twists’

Mail on Sunday

‘Riddled with irresistible, nail-biting suspense, this first-class Scandinavian thriller is one of the best I’ve ever read’

Australian Women’s Weekly

‘Lars Kepler enthralls readers with The Hypnotist , just like Stieg Larsson did with the Millennium series’

Norrköpings Tidningar , Sweden

‘A breathtaking thriller, which uncovers the many unpleasant sides of the human psyche. He opens the door to a human abyss’

Borås Tidning , Sweden

‘The cracking pace and absorbing story mean it cannot be missed’

Courier Mail, Australia

‘As Nordic thrillers go, it doesn’t get more delightfully dark and existentially, satisfyingly murky than The Hypnotist ’

Boston Globe

‘Far more energetic than Henning Mankell, as socially involved as Larsson but a better writer, Kepler matches the great Jo Nesbo for gothic excitement’

Weekend Australian

‘An horrific and original read’

Sun

‘Creepy and addictive’

She

‘Brilliant, well written and very satisfying. A superb thriller’

De Telegraaf , Netherlands

‘[An] outstanding thriller debut’

Publishers Weekly

‘Utterly outstanding’

Morgenavisen Jyllands-Posten , Denmark

‘Disturbing, dark and twisted’

Easy Living

‘An international book written for an international audience’

Huffington Post

‘Makes Derren Brown look tame … So gripping you won’t be able to put it down’

Essentials

‘A new star enters the firmament of Scandinavian thrillerdom’

Kirkus Reviews

‘Engaging characters and a truly gripping opening … This is definitely a series to watch’

Globe and Mail, Canada

‘Simply mesmerizing’

Edmonton Journal

Table of Contents

About the Book

Title Page

International praise for The Hypnotist

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41