"Part of a human torso washes up on a beach near Goteborg, Sweden. It is so mutilated that gender is only established by DNA testing. A similar cri...
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reviews
Dec 17, 2009
Jim
rated it: 
Last May I was lucky enough to hear Helene Tursten when she visited San Francisco (in the company of Hakan Nesser, Kjell Eriksson and Inger Frimansson), reading from her most recently translated novel, The Glass Devil.
I highly recommend her well-plotted policiers, enjoyable especially because her star detective is a unpretentious policewoman, a happily-married wife and mother without any of the barbed dysfunction of DS Jane Tennison, but with Tennison's drive and intelligence. (Don't More...
I highly recommend her well-plotted policiers, enjoyable especially because her star detective is a unpretentious policewoman, a happily-married wife and mother without any of the barbed dysfunction of DS Jane Tennison, but with Tennison's drive and intelligence. (Don't More...
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Jun 12, 2011
Cameling
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I've come to expect dark writing from Scandinavian writers, but this one is exceptionally gruesome. Dealing with the subject of necrosadism, this is not a murder mystery for the fainthearted. A torso, just that, a torso with all distinguishing features that would even indicate the gender having been carved out and internal organs removed, is found in a washed up black trash bag.
The Swedish criminal investigation department are completely baffled and without distinguishing mark, limbs More...
The Swedish criminal investigation department are completely baffled and without distinguishing mark, limbs More...
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Dec 07, 2011
Shireen
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I'm enjoying this series set in Sweden. The Torso is rather gruesome but not relentlessly so. Humour, personal conflict, doggies, and vivid descriptions of Goteberg and Swedish life add welcome counterpoints and keep one engaged. I also like the peek this series gives into a different society and culture. There is far more misogyny and objectification of women in Sweden than I would've expected of a socialist country. And I learnt that Scandinavian countries are not all one vast blonde sameness
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Oct 02, 2008
Andrew
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The opening the terrible. The finish is weak. The bulk of the book is somewhat more interesting. Irene Huss is a decent character, but nothing compared to Erlendur, Wallander, Winter, van Veeteran et. al.
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Nov 22, 2011
james
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Is there any end to the number of excellent Scandinavian mystery writers? Helene Tursten joins the top rank along with Henning Mankell and Stieg Larssen.
Her central character, Irene Huss, is an Inspector in the Goteborg, Sweden, murder squad. She has a husband and 2 teenagers. The book starts with the discovery on a nearby beach, of a tattooed torso. The clues advance the plot, until it's learned that there was a similar murder in Copenhagen a few years back. Irene is detailed to go to More...
Her central character, Irene Huss, is an Inspector in the Goteborg, Sweden, murder squad. She has a husband and 2 teenagers. The book starts with the discovery on a nearby beach, of a tattooed torso. The clues advance the plot, until it's learned that there was a similar murder in Copenhagen a few years back. Irene is detailed to go to More...
Jan 30, 2009
Carolyn
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A thoroughly compelling crime novel that I enjoyed considerably more than its predecessor. Although her life is very different from that of Kurt Wallander and most of the other protagonists of Swedish crime novels that I've read, she and her colleagues here are every bit as alive and complex and well-developed (and she certainly drinks every bit as much coffee as Kurt Wallander, if not more). The unspeakable crimes create a sense of very high stakes as Irene and her colleagues attempt to uncover
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Jul 30, 2011
Cheryl
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When a torso so badly mutilated only DNA testing can reveal the sex, Goteborg Detective Inspector Irene Huss embarks on a chilling chase to catch a necrosadistic killer. Interestingly, there is a striking similarity in Huss's mutilation-murder and the murder-mutilation of a prostitute in Denmark several years earlier. Huss must traverse between Goteborg & Copenhagen in search of a killer who seems to become more & more active as time goes by...and to strike closer and closer to Irene herself. My
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Jun 28, 2011
Baseni
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"Vor Göteborg findet eine Spaziergängerin einen Müllsack, Inhalt: ein quasi halbierter Torso. Unterleib, Arme, Beine und der Kopf fehlen. Einziger Hinweis ist eine asiatisch anmutende Tätowierung. Die Polizei steht vor einem Rätsel, Hilfe kommt von der untersuchenden Pathologin, sie sieht Verbindungen zu einem ähnlichgelagerten Fall in Kopenhagen. Irene Huss von der Mordkommission und ihre Kollegen in Göteborg und Kopenhagen dringen immer weiter in ein Labyrinth homophiler Beziehungen, teil
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Jun 10, 2010
Tricia
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This book was good, but in a very creepy, creepy way. It was full of suspence and necrophilia things... I like mysteries a lot but this one kind of messed with my head. It may have been because it was the first super graphic kind of book I read that kept up throughout the entire book.. go figure, it's a murder mystery, right? But maybe I'm just not mature enough to read it.. so I didn't enjoy it too much towards the end. Although looking at this novel in a mystery sense, it was good, if you can
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Sep 27, 2009
Trish
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I do love the Scandinavians, and this one was not nearly as bleak as the type trends, despite the really rather grisly premise of this mystery. You can guess the killer's MO from the title. The writing is fine, and the main character terrifically likeable and mentally whole, unlike many of the popular police inspectors introduced in many mysteries today. I was loving the experience of reading about Göteborg and Copenhagen and was liking the characterizations, but a false note was introduced late
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Jul 21, 2010
CarolineFromConcord
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Gruesome. You don't get to know the victims enough to be upset, so the appalling gruesomeness is not my main complaint. I considered the author a good writer when I read her first book, but in this one her plot fizzles out after the perp is identified but before he is dealt with. The cop never exchanges as much as one word with the perp -- very unsatisfying. She also implausibly reveals critical information to a friend, and that causes problems. I don't think I will read another by Tursten even
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Jun 17, 2011
Celeste
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This is the 2nd of 3 books by this author, and it's even better than the first. Excellent crime drama, with the main character being a female detective with a husband and two teenagers. Most murder mysteries are somewhat predictable, but this one surprised me several times. The style is very Swedish - and by that I mean that you get more info than you actually need - but not nearly as long-winded as The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Love this author!
May 03, 2009
Adriana
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Wow, what a disappointment. The beginning of this thriller had such great potential, but at the end I feel it failed to live up to the international mystery/thriller community's praise. The writer tried to create two different story lines that intersect at the scene of the crime. However, one story line disappeared from the chapters and then reappeared close to the end with a sad attempt to show vital it was to have this other story line for the book. It just didn't work.
Oct 25, 2009
Skye
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Another excellent entry in the Detective Inspector Huss series from Sweden. Grade A police procedure with a kickass female detective. Combine Copenhagen, gay sex shops, necrophilia, and serial killers with a moody Swedish detective and that's the book. It's pretty good if you're into that sort of thing. I couldn't put it down but I had to read something light afterwards.
Jan 04, 2009
Roseann
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While it was a little long and kinda slow to read, I did really enjoy this one. The content-- gay relationships, murder and dismemberment and such---can be a little strong for some folks. but for a murder mystery, it had grit and mystery and a few twists as well as the emotional capital built up through personal relationships. If you like Swedish Mysteries, you'll like this one a lot.
Aug 17, 2011
Linda
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The title is a little gruesome, however it is a riveting murder mystery set in Goteborg, Sweden and Copenhagen, Denmark. Detective Inspector Irene Huss investigates using DNA samples to discover more about the torso, which eventually leads her to go to Copenhagen, Denmark. During the investigation the Detective travels to Copenhagen to follow up on leads and to search for a neighbour's daughter. There are many twists to this story.
Feb 23, 2009
Jessica
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Brutally forceful in its depiction of some seriously violent crime, but handled with far more sensitivity than is usual in gore-heavy mystery. I also appreciate the rare show of a police officer actually accepting reasonable precautions for safety, which makes a refreshing change from the typical cowboy-up, go-it-alone strategy popularized in film and TV.
Jul 27, 2011
Pam
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Because of availability from the library, I read this one first - made not difference. Just RAN right off to get the next ...and the back track to the first was no less a good read _ in which review I rant my pleasure w/ finding this series.
Let's here it for public libraries!! AND books available in eBook format.
Let's here it for public libraries!! AND books available in eBook format.
Nov 13, 2007
Jacob
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Very intense and exciting crime thriller. The book balances the personal life of inspector Irene Huss and the very involved criminal investigation that she is involved in to track down a brutal serial killer. The killings in this book are quite gruesome (as the title suggests). The plot is very well structured and it keeps you guessing. I very much liked the sense of paranoia and how unclear it becomes who Irene can trust. The book shifts between Goteborg and Copenhagen and there are a number of
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Feb 17, 2010
Vivian
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This book is my favorite from Helene Tursten's Detective Inspector Huss series. Very well written and translated, the story is chilling, very graphic and not for the faint of heart. One of the best Scandinavian police procedural series I ever have read, and I highly recommend all three.
Apr 21, 2009
Jody
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Even though the subject matter was fairly gruesome, I liked the flow of this book a lot better than the first one. The little side vignettes about family life, Swedish culture and food were a nice break from the "crime novel" aspect of the book. Overall, a good story.
May 01, 2011
Sharron
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this is a very good book and Irene Huss is a wonderful protagonist. Almost as good is the filmed version of this which was made for Swedish television and shown on the MhZ network here in the States. Gruesome at times but excellent character development.
Feb 22, 2012
Penny
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Ooooh beware! If you are at all squeamish do not read this book. It is well written and I really like this author but "The Torso" is full of nechrophilia and sadomasochism. I like to read while I eat. Had to set this on aside on more thatn one occasion!!
Mar 29, 2011
Linny
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Despite good reviews, this was brutal, gory, and repetitive (especially with the female details of pets/domesticity which weren't adding to the plot or character - seemingly placed to somehow counteract the gore)
Apr 13, 2009
Shincrackerfarm
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Nuthin' like a dark Scandinavian murder mystery. Character development is excellent. Story is spellbinding. Mood is appropriate to the story. While reading this book one feels like putting on a sweater.
Jul 29, 2011
Catherine
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Set in Gothenborg, Sweden, with a female cop protagonist, and very Scandanavian pace--excellent murder mystery
Mar 21, 2011
David
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I enjoyed it a lot. Something about Scandinavian mysteries are more basic and too the point but with strange human twists/
