Lars Kepler - Joona Linna Crime Series Books 1 and 2 - The Hypnotist, The Nightmare

Table of Contents

Title Page Lars Kepler 2-book bundle THE HYPNOTIST THE NIGHTMARE Lars Kepler

The Hypnotist

The Nightmare

Exclusive Extract from Lars Kepler’s Third Joona Linna Thriller

About the Author

Copyright

About the Publisher

The Hypnotist The Nightmare Exclusive Extract from Lars Kepler’s Third Joona Linna Thriller About the Author Copyright About the Publisher

‘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

Title Page THE HYPNOTIST LARS KEPLER Translated from the Swedish by Ann Long

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

Chapter 42

Chapter 43

Chapter 44

Chapter 45

Chapter 46

Chapter 47

Chapter 48

Chapter 49

Chapter 50

Chapter 51

Chapter 52

Chapter 53

Chapter 54

Chapter 55

Chapter 56

Chapter 57

Chapter 58

Chapter 59

Chapter 60

Chapter 61

Chapter 62

Chapter 63

Chapter 64

Chapter 65

Chapter 66

Chapter 67

Chapter 68

Chapter 69

Chapter 70

Chapter 71

Chapter 72

Chapter 73

Chapter 74

ten years ago

Chapter 75

Chapter 76

Chapter 77

Chapter 78

Chapter 79

Chapter 80

Chapter 81

Chapter 82

Chapter 83

Chapter 84

Chapter 85

Chapter 86

Chapter 87

Chapter 88

Chapter 89

Chapter 90

Chapter 91

Chapter 92

Chapter 93

Chapter 94

Chapter 95

Chapter 96

Chapter 97

Chapter 98

Chapter 99

Chapter 100

Chapter 101

Chapter 102

Chapter 103

Chapter 104

Chapter 105

Chapter 106

Chapter 107

Chapter 108

Chapter 109

Chapter 110

Copyright

In Greek mythology, the god Hypnos is a winged boy with poppy seeds in his hand. His name means sleep. He is the twin brother of Thanatos, death, and the son of night and darkness.

The term hypnosis was first used in its modern sense in 1843 by the Scottish surgeon James Braid. He used this term to describe a sleeplike state of both acute awareness and great receptiveness.

Even today, opinions vary with regard to the usefulness, reliability, and dangers of hypnosis. This lingering ambivalence is presumably owing to the fact that the techniques of hypnosis have been exploited by con men, stage performers, and secret services all over the world.

From a purely technical point of view, it is easy to place a person in a hypnotic state. The difficulty lies in controlling the course of events, guiding the patient, and interpreting and making use of the results. Only through considerable experience and skill is it possible to master deep hypnosis fully. There are only a handful of recognised doctors in the world who have mastered hypnosis.

Like fire, just like fire . Those were the first words the boy uttered under hypnosis. Despite life-threatening injuries—innumerable knife wounds to his face, legs, torso, back, the soles of his feet, the back of his neck, and his head—the boy had been put into a state of deep hypnosis in an attempt to see what had happened with his own eyes.

“I’m trying to blink,” he mumbled. “I go into the kitchen, but it isn’t right; there’s a crackling noise between the chairs and a bright red fire is spreading across the floor.”

They’d thought he was dead when they found him among the other bodies in the terraced house. He’d lost a great deal of blood, gone into a state of shock, and hadn’t regained consciousness until seven hours later. He was the only surviving witness.