What do you think?
Rate this book
Frieda Klein #1
Blue Monday
The stunning first book in a new series of psychological thrillers introducing an unforgettable London psychotherapist
Frieda Klein is a solitary, incisive psychotherapist who spends her sleepless nights walking along the ancient rivers that have been forced underground in modern London. She believes that the world is a messy, uncontrollable place, but what we can control is what is inside our heads. This attitude is reflected in her own life, which is an austere one of refuge, personal integrity, and order.
The abduction of five-year-old Matthew Farraday provokes a national outcry and a desperate police hunt. And when his face is splashed over the newspapers, Frieda cannot ignore the coincidence: one of her patients has been having dreams in which he has a hunger for a child. A red-haired child he can describe in perfect detail, a child the spitting image of Matthew. She finds herself in the center of the investigation, serving as the reluctant sidekick of the chief inspector.
Drawing readers into a haunting world in which the terrors of the mind have spilled over into real life, "Blue Monday" introduces a compelling protagonist and a chilling mystery that will appeal to readers of dark crime fiction and fans of "In Treatment" and "The Killing."
Frieda Klein is a solitary, incisive psychotherapist who spends her sleepless nights walking along the ancient rivers that have been forced underground in modern London. She believes that the world is a messy, uncontrollable place, but what we can control is what is inside our heads. This attitude is reflected in her own life, which is an austere one of refuge, personal integrity, and order.
The abduction of five-year-old Matthew Farraday provokes a national outcry and a desperate police hunt. And when his face is splashed over the newspapers, Frieda cannot ignore the coincidence: one of her patients has been having dreams in which he has a hunger for a child. A red-haired child he can describe in perfect detail, a child the spitting image of Matthew. She finds herself in the center of the investigation, serving as the reluctant sidekick of the chief inspector.
Drawing readers into a haunting world in which the terrors of the mind have spilled over into real life, "Blue Monday" introduces a compelling protagonist and a chilling mystery that will appeal to readers of dark crime fiction and fans of "In Treatment" and "The Killing."
336 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2011
1863 people are currently reading
17173 people want to read
About the author
Nicci French
80 books3,635 followersNote: (Nicci Gerrard and Sean French also write separately.)
Nicci Gerrard was born in June 1958 in Worcestershire. After graduating with a first class honours degree in English Literature from Oxford University, she began her first job, working with emotionally disturbed children in Sheffield. In that same year she married journalist Colin Hughes.
In the early eighties she taught English Literature in Sheffield, London and Los Angeles, but moved into publishing in 1985 with the launch of Women's Review, a magazine for women on art, literature and female issues.
In 1987 Nicci had a son, Edgar, followed by a daughter, Anna, in 1988, but a year later her marriage to Colin Hughes broke down.
In 1989 she became acting literary editor at the New Statesman, before moving to the Observer, where she was deputy literary editor for five years, and then a feature writer and executive editor.
It was while she was at the New Statesman that she met Sean French.
Sean French was born in May 1959 in Bristol, to a British father and Swedish mother. He too studied English Literature at Oxford University at the same time as Nicci, also graduating with a first class degree, but their paths didn't cross until 1990. In 1981 he won Vogue magazine's Writing Talent Contest, and from 1981 to 1986 he was their theatre critic. During that time he also worked at the Sunday Times as deputy literary editor and television critic, and was the film critic for Marie Claire and deputy editor of New Society.
Sean and Nicci were married in Hackney in October 1990. Their daughters, Hadley and Molly, were born in 1991 and 1993.
By the mid-nineties Sean had had two novels published, The Imaginary Monkey and The Dreamer of Dreams, as well as numerous non-fiction books, including biographies of Jane Fonda and Brigitte Bardot.
In 1995 Nicci and Sean began work on their first joint novel and adopted the pseudonym of Nicci French. The Memory Game was published to great acclaim in 1997 followed by The Safe House (1998), Killing Me Softly (1999), Beneath the Skin (2000), The Red Room (2001), Land of the Living (2002), Secret Smile (2003), Catch Me When I Fall (2005), Losing You (2006) and Until It's Over (2008). Their latest novel together is What To Do When Someone Dies (2009).
Nicci and Sean also continue to write separately. Nicci still works as a journalist for the Observer, covering high-profile trials including those of Fred and Rose West, and Ian Huntley and Maxine Carr. Novels include Things We Knew Were True (2003), Solace (2005) and The Moment You Were Gone (2007). Sean's last novel is Start From Here (2004).
Nicci Gerrard was born in June 1958 in Worcestershire. After graduating with a first class honours degree in English Literature from Oxford University, she began her first job, working with emotionally disturbed children in Sheffield. In that same year she married journalist Colin Hughes.
In the early eighties she taught English Literature in Sheffield, London and Los Angeles, but moved into publishing in 1985 with the launch of Women's Review, a magazine for women on art, literature and female issues.
In 1987 Nicci had a son, Edgar, followed by a daughter, Anna, in 1988, but a year later her marriage to Colin Hughes broke down.
In 1989 she became acting literary editor at the New Statesman, before moving to the Observer, where she was deputy literary editor for five years, and then a feature writer and executive editor.
It was while she was at the New Statesman that she met Sean French.
Sean French was born in May 1959 in Bristol, to a British father and Swedish mother. He too studied English Literature at Oxford University at the same time as Nicci, also graduating with a first class degree, but their paths didn't cross until 1990. In 1981 he won Vogue magazine's Writing Talent Contest, and from 1981 to 1986 he was their theatre critic. During that time he also worked at the Sunday Times as deputy literary editor and television critic, and was the film critic for Marie Claire and deputy editor of New Society.
Sean and Nicci were married in Hackney in October 1990. Their daughters, Hadley and Molly, were born in 1991 and 1993.
By the mid-nineties Sean had had two novels published, The Imaginary Monkey and The Dreamer of Dreams, as well as numerous non-fiction books, including biographies of Jane Fonda and Brigitte Bardot.
In 1995 Nicci and Sean began work on their first joint novel and adopted the pseudonym of Nicci French. The Memory Game was published to great acclaim in 1997 followed by The Safe House (1998), Killing Me Softly (1999), Beneath the Skin (2000), The Red Room (2001), Land of the Living (2002), Secret Smile (2003), Catch Me When I Fall (2005), Losing You (2006) and Until It's Over (2008). Their latest novel together is What To Do When Someone Dies (2009).
Nicci and Sean also continue to write separately. Nicci still works as a journalist for the Observer, covering high-profile trials including those of Fred and Rose West, and Ian Huntley and Maxine Carr. Novels include Things We Knew Were True (2003), Solace (2005) and The Moment You Were Gone (2007). Sean's last novel is Start From Here (2004).
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,474 reviews
October 16, 2012
This is pretty good for a first effort, although I think it needs a touch of refinement. The "surprise" toward the end regarding the crime wasn't a surprise to me at all, and I can't imagine why it wouldn't have occurred to our heroine, Dr. Klein, or the police involved. It was too obvious. For the first half, though, it was a bit murky to see how this would all evolve - making the "Duh"-ness of the ending more of a let-down, in a way. There are some extraneous characters who, although colorful, don't all add much to the tale but clutter. If this is really the nascent book of a series, presumably the first of seven, do we really have to meet everyone Frieda knows all at once? Save something for Tuesday, guys! I also found the relationship between Frieda and Karlsson, the head investigator with the police, to be odd. It was sometimes hostile, then not, and it was hard to tell why he was listening to Frieda's ideas when they seemed to mostly annoy him. He needs to be given clearer motivations and characterization going forward; even with a backstory, he still seemed like a bit of a sketch than a man to me.
November 12, 2020
As a long-time fan of Nicci French novels I was delighted when my ‘in-person’ bookclub, Whodunit, selected “Blue Monday” as our group read for the month of September.
The first novel to feature Frieda Klein, a solitary, sometimes stern, unmarried, childless woman in early middle-age who works as a psychoanalyst in London.
Frieda’s character fascinated me. She is a study in contrasts. She is a risk taker with seemingly little regard for her own personal safety. She goes for solitary walks through London in the dead of night to tire herself when suffering from insomnia. She doesn’t have a cell phone, preferring to be adrift and out of contact when not at work. Yet… Frieda loves her house, a dark and comfortable oasis which she deems a place of cleanliness and sanctuary. She has a penchant for structure, rules, and orderliness.
Frieda loves London and the affection of place is obvious in the atmospheric “Blue Monday”. However, she holds little affection for her family whom she feels do not value her, nor she them. She prefers the well denoted boundaries of her work relationships to those of a personal nature, though recently she has fallen for a man whose presence could upset the structure of her well-ordered life. Will her longing and affection for him allow her to forfeit the life she has built for herself?
When one of Freida’s clients leads her to believe that he may be implicated in a child abduction, Frieda surrenders her professional ethics and goes to the police. The policeman in charge of the case is at first skeptical, but she ultimately wins his trust and professional respect. Together they chase down leads and encounter shocking revelations whilst searching for a young, abducted boy. They discover that this case may be linked to another similar case which took place over twenty years ago…
Many themes are touched upon in “Blue Monday“. Professional ethics, guilt, nature vs. nurture, the merits of psychoanalysis, the damage caused by child abduction, human foibles, secrets, and more.
A thought-provoking, fast-paced, well written thriller containing several twists and a surprise ending, this novel will appeal to fans of psychological suspense. I always enjoy novels which accurately portray the contradictions and uncertainties inherent in human behavior and this one does that very successfully. Highly recommended.
This review was originally published on my blog: Fictionophile
The first novel to feature Frieda Klein, a solitary, sometimes stern, unmarried, childless woman in early middle-age who works as a psychoanalyst in London.
Frieda’s character fascinated me. She is a study in contrasts. She is a risk taker with seemingly little regard for her own personal safety. She goes for solitary walks through London in the dead of night to tire herself when suffering from insomnia. She doesn’t have a cell phone, preferring to be adrift and out of contact when not at work. Yet… Frieda loves her house, a dark and comfortable oasis which she deems a place of cleanliness and sanctuary. She has a penchant for structure, rules, and orderliness.
Frieda loves London and the affection of place is obvious in the atmospheric “Blue Monday”. However, she holds little affection for her family whom she feels do not value her, nor she them. She prefers the well denoted boundaries of her work relationships to those of a personal nature, though recently she has fallen for a man whose presence could upset the structure of her well-ordered life. Will her longing and affection for him allow her to forfeit the life she has built for herself?
When one of Freida’s clients leads her to believe that he may be implicated in a child abduction, Frieda surrenders her professional ethics and goes to the police. The policeman in charge of the case is at first skeptical, but she ultimately wins his trust and professional respect. Together they chase down leads and encounter shocking revelations whilst searching for a young, abducted boy. They discover that this case may be linked to another similar case which took place over twenty years ago…
Many themes are touched upon in “Blue Monday“. Professional ethics, guilt, nature vs. nurture, the merits of psychoanalysis, the damage caused by child abduction, human foibles, secrets, and more.
A thought-provoking, fast-paced, well written thriller containing several twists and a surprise ending, this novel will appeal to fans of psychological suspense. I always enjoy novels which accurately portray the contradictions and uncertainties inherent in human behavior and this one does that very successfully. Highly recommended.
This review was originally published on my blog: Fictionophile
August 14, 2025
Monday seemed like a good day to indulge one’s impulses and kidnap a child!
The newspaper headlines and photographs sparked by Matthew Farraday’s shocking abduction have troubled psychotherapist Frieda Klein scratching her head, questioning the ethics of her profession and wondering what she should do. One of her patients has told her of a dream in which he hungers for a son and grabs a young boy. But the patient’s description fits Matthew Farraday exactly and the problem is that the patient told Klein of his disturbing dream BEFORE Farraday’s abduction even took place. Despite her legal concerns about violating the sanctity of patient confidentiality, she conveys the story to the police only to be faced with disinterest and disbelief. Klein is on her own and finds herself drawn to the center of a hunt for a kidnapper who is in all likelihood a pedophile and a serial killer.
BLUE MONDAY is definitely a first-rate psychological thriller. The pacing is a slow steady burn driven by an interesting, cleverly developed set of characters including a burnt-out therapist and an immigrant handyman whose entry onto the story’s “stage” has to characterized as vaudevillian slapstick. And that ending?!! Oh boy, it has to qualify as a superb twist ending that ranks with the best of them – Jodi Picoult’s MY SISTER’S KEEPER, William Diehl’s PRIMAL FEAR, Dennis Lehane’s SHUTTER ISLAND, Delia Owen’s WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING, or Agatha Christie’s THE MURDER OF ROGER ACKROYD all come to mind!
Definitely recommended and I’ll admit that I’m hoping the books to follow in the series intend to build on that great twist! I’m looking forward to TUESDAY’S GONE with more than a little anticipation!
Paul Weiss
The newspaper headlines and photographs sparked by Matthew Farraday’s shocking abduction have troubled psychotherapist Frieda Klein scratching her head, questioning the ethics of her profession and wondering what she should do. One of her patients has told her of a dream in which he hungers for a son and grabs a young boy. But the patient’s description fits Matthew Farraday exactly and the problem is that the patient told Klein of his disturbing dream BEFORE Farraday’s abduction even took place. Despite her legal concerns about violating the sanctity of patient confidentiality, she conveys the story to the police only to be faced with disinterest and disbelief. Klein is on her own and finds herself drawn to the center of a hunt for a kidnapper who is in all likelihood a pedophile and a serial killer.
BLUE MONDAY is definitely a first-rate psychological thriller. The pacing is a slow steady burn driven by an interesting, cleverly developed set of characters including a burnt-out therapist and an immigrant handyman whose entry onto the story’s “stage” has to characterized as vaudevillian slapstick. And that ending?!! Oh boy, it has to qualify as a superb twist ending that ranks with the best of them – Jodi Picoult’s MY SISTER’S KEEPER, William Diehl’s PRIMAL FEAR, Dennis Lehane’s SHUTTER ISLAND, Delia Owen’s WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING, or Agatha Christie’s THE MURDER OF ROGER ACKROYD all come to mind!
Definitely recommended and I’ll admit that I’m hoping the books to follow in the series intend to build on that great twist! I’m looking forward to TUESDAY’S GONE with more than a little anticipation!
Paul Weiss
November 26, 2019
I’m going through a spell of jumping back to the first book in a series of which I’d enjoyed on of the later entires, this time I’d already read Saturday Requiem by the husband and wife duo of Sean French and Nikki Gerrard.
The debut of their series main protagonist is a solid start for psychologists Frieda Klein.
Whilst the case that she was involved in wasn’t the most gripping, I felt her traits were well established early on as she’s slightly detached from those around her.
The London setting also feels very prominent throughout this missing child storyline, but it was Ukrainian builder Josef who really stood out.
I find that I prefer this duo’s standalone stories but would be quite happy to read the second novel in this series at some point...
The debut of their series main protagonist is a solid start for psychologists Frieda Klein.
Whilst the case that she was involved in wasn’t the most gripping, I felt her traits were well established early on as she’s slightly detached from those around her.
The London setting also feels very prominent throughout this missing child storyline, but it was Ukrainian builder Josef who really stood out.
I find that I prefer this duo’s standalone stories but would be quite happy to read the second novel in this series at some point...
January 23, 2018
δεν ξέρω πόσα αστέρια να δώσω γιατί είναι το πρώτο της σειράς! πολύ καλή γραφή και ροή απρόσκοπτη, ίσως λίγο οι περιφερειακοί χαρακτήρες θέλουν δούλεμα αλλά στο σύνολο είναι δυνατό. ένιωθα ότι ψάχνω και γω μαζί με την Φρίντα, αγωνιούσα να βρεθούν τα παιδιά, ψυχοπλακώθηκα αλλά δεν ήθελα να το αφήσω από τα χέρια μου. κάποιες σκηνές ίσως ήταν λίγο "άνευρες" και αλλά γενικά μου άρεσε τόσο ώστε να θέλω να διαβάσω και τα επόμενα άμεσα.
February 21, 2019
A really solid strong start of a series
Frieda Klein
Therapist
Has a safe place for patients
A patient may be a killer
The dilemma
She helps the police at their request
A fresh pair of eyes
She is an insomniac
She walks the streets of London
Looking at the river Fleet
The old rivers of London
She helps and needs help
She is cold and warm
Distance and close
Slow start but it builds up quick
Everything is connected
Frieda Klein
Therapist
Has a safe place for patients
A patient may be a killer
The dilemma
She helps the police at their request
A fresh pair of eyes
She is an insomniac
She walks the streets of London
Looking at the river Fleet
The old rivers of London
She helps and needs help
She is cold and warm
Distance and close
Slow start but it builds up quick
Everything is connected
June 2, 2015
Μια μέρα μόνο. Τόσο μου πήρε να διαβάσω αυτό το απολαυστικό βιβλίο.....
March 15, 2017
Το βιβλίο Blue Monday είναι το πρώτο μιας σειράς βιβλίων με τίτλο ημέρας. Το συγγραφικό δίδυμο Nicci French και ζευγάρι στη ζωή, είναι οι δημοσιογράφοι Nicci Gerrard kai Sean French.
Πραγματεύεται την εξαφάνιση-απαγωγή ενός μικρού αγοριού και την εξαφάνιση προ εικοσαετίας ενός άλλου.
Η Φρίντα Κλάιν ψυχοθεραπεύτρια στο επάγγελμα, είναι αυτή που κάνει χρέη επιθεωρητή και ερευνητή στην υπόθεση. Ένας χαρακτήρας απροσδιόριστος, με μεγάλα σκαμπανεβάσματα στην προσωπική της ζωή αλλά με ένα ξεκάθαρο πάθος για την επίλυση του μυστηρίου.
Σε αρκετά σημεία με καθήλωσε, με τρόμαξε με γέμισε φόβο και τρόμο για αυτά τα μικρά παιδιά που βρίσκονται στο έλεος διαταραγμένων μυαλών.
Έξυπνο και δυνατό βιβλίο που με τις ανατροπές, τους προβληματικούς χαρακτήρες και την ψυχολογική τους προσέγγιση δίνει μια άλλη διάσταση στην υπόθεση.
Οι συγγραφείς προς το τέλος αφήνουν την εντύπωση της συνέχεια, όπου θα υπάρχει και η εξέλιξης της ψυχοθεραπεύτριας -ερευνήτριας. Άλλωστε στα πρώτα κάθε σειράς δημιουργείτε η υποδομή και των υπολοίπων.
Ήταν ένα καλό αστυνομικό- ψυχολογικό θρίλερ που με κάνει να ανυπομονώ για τα υπόλοιπα.
Καλές αναγνώσεις!
Πραγματεύεται την εξαφάνιση-απαγωγή ενός μικρού αγοριού και την εξαφάνιση προ εικοσαετίας ενός άλλου.
Η Φρίντα Κλάιν ψυχοθεραπεύτρια στο επάγγελμα, είναι αυτή που κάνει χρέη επιθεωρητή και ερευνητή στην υπόθεση. Ένας χαρακτήρας απροσδιόριστος, με μεγάλα σκαμπανεβάσματα στην προσωπική της ζωή αλλά με ένα ξεκάθαρο πάθος για την επίλυση του μυστηρίου.
Σε αρκετά σημεία με καθήλωσε, με τρόμαξε με γέμισε φόβο και τρόμο για αυτά τα μικρά παιδιά που βρίσκονται στο έλεος διαταραγμένων μυαλών.
Έξυπνο και δυνατό βιβλίο που με τις ανατροπές, τους προβληματικούς χαρακτήρες και την ψυχολογική τους προσέγγιση δίνει μια άλλη διάσταση στην υπόθεση.
Οι συγγραφείς προς το τέλος αφήνουν την εντύπωση της συνέχεια, όπου θα υπάρχει και η εξέλιξης της ψυχοθεραπεύτριας -ερευνήτριας. Άλλωστε στα πρώτα κάθε σειράς δημιουργείτε η υποδομή και των υπολοίπων.
Ήταν ένα καλό αστυνομικό- ψυχολογικό θρίλερ που με κάνει να ανυπομονώ για τα υπόλοιπα.
Καλές αναγνώσεις!
October 20, 2015
After an interesting beginning, and a mid point rally, I could feel the points dropping away from this book as the story took one ridiculous turn after another - getting to the point that the author summed up the books credibility of the story through one of the senior policeman's comments to main investigator.
Without giving away anything - he simply stated - "You're not going to say that to the press, are you?"
I cannot believe the high levels of reviews here. I read a lot of crime novels but for suspension of disbelief, this takes some beating. And I read Peter James.
Its part of a series, and I have a decision to make about whether to give the Tuesday book a go - featuring a psychologist - Frieda Klein. She's kind of interesting - taking midnight rambles around London. They is even a little map of the River Fleet at the beginning of the book - but for the life of me, I am not sure why. She has a patient. Who has dreams about a boy who has been kidnapped.
She goes to the police. Not only do they take her seriously, she gets involved in police interviews and eventually solving the mystery.
And I wish I could tell you the mystery - so that you can have a good laugh. Its starts off at 8 on the unbelievable scale and then through a simple half page at the end of the book, hits the afterburners and goes off the scale.
The cover suggest that Monday is a day for Murder. I'm not even sure if there was a murder - or what day it occurred on.
My wife recommended this book to me. Every time we go on hols, she has the latest instalment.
We are not currently speaking.
Without giving away anything - he simply stated - "You're not going to say that to the press, are you?"
I cannot believe the high levels of reviews here. I read a lot of crime novels but for suspension of disbelief, this takes some beating. And I read Peter James.
Its part of a series, and I have a decision to make about whether to give the Tuesday book a go - featuring a psychologist - Frieda Klein. She's kind of interesting - taking midnight rambles around London. They is even a little map of the River Fleet at the beginning of the book - but for the life of me, I am not sure why. She has a patient. Who has dreams about a boy who has been kidnapped.
She goes to the police. Not only do they take her seriously, she gets involved in police interviews and eventually solving the mystery.
And I wish I could tell you the mystery - so that you can have a good laugh. Its starts off at 8 on the unbelievable scale and then through a simple half page at the end of the book, hits the afterburners and goes off the scale.
The cover suggest that Monday is a day for Murder. I'm not even sure if there was a murder - or what day it occurred on.
My wife recommended this book to me. Every time we go on hols, she has the latest instalment.
We are not currently speaking.
April 25, 2017
Well I confess to reading this for the shallowest of reasons: I needed a book with a title containing a day of the week or month of the year. And this one looked quite good. And in fact it was! Better than just ok. I think I liked the psychotherapy element to this suspense/ thriller. The main character Freida Klein seems quite a complex character, more to be revealed probably in future instalments. She makes lots of mistakes when she gets involved in a missing child investigation. The ending has a twist that you could see a mile off and it was annoying that no one in the story could see it. As a Londoner myself, I liked the fact it was set in London.
So, this is recommended as a page turner and as a suspense/ mystery. It's not really a thriller but I liked it enough to read it in almost one sitting. Not bad for a more or less random pick to fulfil a challenge!
So, this is recommended as a page turner and as a suspense/ mystery. It's not really a thriller but I liked it enough to read it in almost one sitting. Not bad for a more or less random pick to fulfil a challenge!
September 7, 2017
A while back Louise Penny had posted to Facebook a list of authors she enjoyed. One of these was Alan Bradley for his Flavia de Luce series ("Wow", she remarked), and what a disappointment this was for me. I couldn't get past 24% before chucking it.
So before removing the rest of her recommendations from my to-read list, I decided to give her another chance and move on to Nicci French and her (their) ("magnificent", she remarked) Frieda Klein series. Am I ever glad I gave her a mulligan because she sure hit pay dirt with this one.
First, with the "their" above. Nicci French is a pseudonym for a husband and wife writing team. This makes the fluid readability of this novel all the more remarkable. Astounding, really.
Years ago, my prime go-to genre was psychological suspense. I still go for this a lot but really hadn't read a whole lot in this genre that really wowed me in recent years, so I kind of let that genre slip by the wayside. Now, along comes a mystery series with a psychoanalyst as its main protagonist.
Right. Up. My. Alley.
This is a fantastic read. The mystery surrounds child abduction, and unsettlingly so, so...trigger warnings, y'all.
The characterization is terrific, especially where Frieda is concerned, and this is an extremely fast read. I could barely put it down for the last quarter (or most of the novel for that matter).
There are a couple of things that I had a hard time buying into, namely the trust Frieda and Karlsson put into Josef, and most times, something like this would bother me enough to dock stars.
But not this time. This is such a well rolled out story, with terrific dialogue, that I can't possibly give such top notch entertainment less than five stars.
Big spoiler here:
Looking very much forward to book 2!!
So before removing the rest of her recommendations from my to-read list, I decided to give her another chance and move on to Nicci French and her (their) ("magnificent", she remarked) Frieda Klein series. Am I ever glad I gave her a mulligan because she sure hit pay dirt with this one.
First, with the "their" above. Nicci French is a pseudonym for a husband and wife writing team. This makes the fluid readability of this novel all the more remarkable. Astounding, really.
Years ago, my prime go-to genre was psychological suspense. I still go for this a lot but really hadn't read a whole lot in this genre that really wowed me in recent years, so I kind of let that genre slip by the wayside. Now, along comes a mystery series with a psychoanalyst as its main protagonist.
Right. Up. My. Alley.
This is a fantastic read. The mystery surrounds child abduction, and unsettlingly so, so...trigger warnings, y'all.
The characterization is terrific, especially where Frieda is concerned, and this is an extremely fast read. I could barely put it down for the last quarter (or most of the novel for that matter).
There are a couple of things that I had a hard time buying into, namely the trust Frieda and Karlsson put into Josef, and most times, something like this would bother me enough to dock stars.
But not this time. This is such a well rolled out story, with terrific dialogue, that I can't possibly give such top notch entertainment less than five stars.
Big spoiler here:
Looking very much forward to book 2!!
March 15, 2019
This finally became available on audio so I grabbed it. Wasn't sure what to expect, but I liked the entire mystery of the missing children a great deal and sped through it pretty quickly, glued to my phone. There is one great twist at the end that had me thanking Nicci French for knowing how to add some zing and add it just when you least expect it. I live for twists, as I may have mentioned before.
On to Tuesday.
On to Tuesday.
October 29, 2019
This was so much better then I expected! So interesting & just an easy read. The story itself was so good, I was immediately drawn in.. But the star for me was Psychotherapist, Dr Frieda. Very unusual & I could honestly read about her for books & books. (Luckily there are 5 of 6 more!) I’ll definitely be moving right in to the next 1.. So glad I found this series!
August 7, 2016
Το "Blue Monday" είναι πραγματικά το καλύτερο ντεμπούτο αστυνομικού θρίλερ που θα ονειρευόταν ένας φανατικός του είδους! Η σειρά βιβλίων των συγγραφέων Nicci French δεν θα μπορούσε να ξεκινήσει καλύτερα, πιο δυναμικά, πιο εντυπωσιακά..
Στο βιβλίο αυτό γνωρίζουμε την ψυχοθεραπεύτρια Φρίντα Κλάιν και τον κόσμο που την περιβάλλει -ανθρώπους από το χώρο της δουλειάς, φίλους και γνωστούς της. Είναι οι άνθρωποι εκείνοι που, μαζί με την πρωταγωνίστρια, θα αναπτυχθούν και θα εξελιχθούν και στα επόμενα βιβλία, οπότε έχουν ήδη από την αρχή ένα ιδιαίτερο ενδιαφέρον κι εκείνοι. Κανένας τους δεν είναι βαρετός ή επίπεδος ώστε να τον προσπεράσεις, όλοι μοιάζουν με σκορπισμένα -προς το παρόν- κομμάτια παζλ που ενωμένα παρουσιάζουν ένα αρμονικό σύνολο.
Κυρίαρχο πρόσωπο όλων βέβαια η Φρίντα, μια ηρωίδα αρκετά ιδιαίτερη, με μια πολύπλοκη προσωπικότητα που φαντάζομαι θα ξεδιπλωθεί σταδιακά και στα επόμενα βιβλία, και τότε ο αναγνώστης θα μπορέσει να βγάλει την τελική του απόφαση για το αν τη συμπαθεί ή όχι, όταν θα έχει μπροστά του μια πιο ολοκληρωμένη εικόνα. Στο πρώτο βιβλίο της σειράς εμένα μου άφησε μια ουδέτερη εντύπωση, δεν μπορώ να πω πως είναι και κανένα τέρας συμπάθειας αλλά οπωσδήποτε σε τραβάει να διαβάσεις την συμπεριφορά της, τον τρόπο σκέψης της και τις ενέργειές της. Σε ενδιαφέρει και σε ιντριγκάρει το τι κάνει, πώς το κάνει και γιατί, το πώς δουλεύει... Και μιας και αναφερόμαστε στο επάγγελμά της, στο παρόν βιβλίο η Φρίντα βρίσκεται ξαφνικά ανανεμειγμένη σε μια εξαφάνιση ενός παιδιού και προσπαθεί να βοηθήσει την αστυνομία να βρει τον ένοχο. Ταυτόχρονα, ο υπεύθυνος επιθεωρητής της έρευνας ανακαλύπτει πως ίσως η υπόθεση αυτή σχετίζεται με μια άλλη εξαφάνιση παιδιού, που συνέβη 22 χρόνια πριν. Έχουν όντως σχέση οι δύο υποθέσεις, κι αν ναι, ποια είναι αυτή; Θα καταφέρουν να σώσουν το μικρό αγόρι εγκαίρως και να βρουν το δράστη;
Το βιβλίο ξεκινά με χαλαρούς ρυθμούς είναι η αλήθεια,και αρχικά αναρωτιέσαι πότε θα μπεις στο...ζουμί. Είναι βέβαια απόλυτα λογικό, μιας και στήνεται ολόκληρος σκελετός για μια σειρά βιβλίων και, όπως συμβαίνει σε κάθε καλό 'οικοδόμημα', τα θεμέλια πρέπει να μπουν σωστά από την αρχή. Θέλει λοιπόν κι αυτό το χρόνο του. Κι όταν έρθει η ευλογημένη ώρα που θα βουτήξεις στα βαθιά της υπόθεσης...αυτό ήταν! Δεν βγαίνεις πια στην επιφάνεια, παρά μόνο όταν θα έχεις φτάσει στην τελευταία σελίδα! Ανατροπές επί ανατροπών, η μία θεωρία να διαψεύδει την άλλη, και το συγγραφικό δίδυμο να καταρρίπτει με σκανδαλιστική εξυπνάδα ο,τιδήποτε έχεις θεωρήσει δεδομένο, μετά από κοπιαστική ανάγνωση και σκάψιμο στην ιστορία. Μέχρι και το τέλος, κάθε γεγονός είναι συναρπαστικό. Φτάνοντας στην τελευταία σελίδα, απλά ευχαριστείς το Σύμπαν που τα υπόλοιπα βιβλία είναι ήδη στη διάθεσή σου, γιατί κανενός το τέλος δεν είναι οριστικό, αλλά δίνουν 'πάτημα' ήδη για το επόμενο.
Εννοείται πως ξεκίνησα ήδη το "Tuesday's Gone",το δεύτερο της σειράς, το οποίο αναμένεται εξίσου συναρπαστικό κι ενδιαφέρον! Και προτείνω τη συγκεκριμένη σειρά βιβλίων σε όλους τους φανατικούς του είδους, ανεπιφύλακτα και με άκρατο ενθουσιασμό!
Στο βιβλίο αυτό γνωρίζουμε την ψυχοθεραπεύτρια Φρίντα Κλάιν και τον κόσμο που την περιβάλλει -ανθρώπους από το χώρο της δουλειάς, φίλους και γνωστούς της. Είναι οι άνθρωποι εκείνοι που, μαζί με την πρωταγωνίστρια, θα αναπτυχθούν και θα εξελιχθούν και στα επόμενα βιβλία, οπότε έχουν ήδη από την αρχή ένα ιδιαίτερο ενδιαφέρον κι εκείνοι. Κανένας τους δεν είναι βαρετός ή επίπεδος ώστε να τον προσπεράσεις, όλοι μοιάζουν με σκορπισμένα -προς το παρόν- κομμάτια παζλ που ενωμένα παρουσιάζουν ένα αρμονικό σύνολο.
Κυρίαρχο πρόσωπο όλων βέβαια η Φρίντα, μια ηρωίδα αρκετά ιδιαίτερη, με μια πολύπλοκη προσωπικότητα που φαντάζομαι θα ξεδιπλωθεί σταδιακά και στα επόμενα βιβλία, και τότε ο αναγνώστης θα μπορέσει να βγάλει την τελική του απόφαση για το αν τη συμπαθεί ή όχι, όταν θα έχει μπροστά του μια πιο ολοκληρωμένη εικόνα. Στο πρώτο βιβλίο της σειράς εμένα μου άφησε μια ουδέτερη εντύπωση, δεν μπορώ να πω πως είναι και κανένα τέρας συμπάθειας αλλά οπωσδήποτε σε τραβάει να διαβάσεις την συμπεριφορά της, τον τρόπο σκέψης της και τις ενέργειές της. Σε ενδιαφέρει και σε ιντριγκάρει το τι κάνει, πώς το κάνει και γιατί, το πώς δουλεύει... Και μιας και αναφερόμαστε στο επάγγελμά της, στο παρόν βιβλίο η Φρίντα βρίσκεται ξαφνικά ανανεμειγμένη σε μια εξαφάνιση ενός παιδιού και προσπαθεί να βοηθήσει την αστυνομία να βρει τον ένοχο. Ταυτόχρονα, ο υπεύθυνος επιθεωρητής της έρευνας ανακαλύπτει πως ίσως η υπόθεση αυτή σχετίζεται με μια άλλη εξαφάνιση παιδιού, που συνέβη 22 χρόνια πριν. Έχουν όντως σχέση οι δύο υποθέσεις, κι αν ναι, ποια είναι αυτή; Θα καταφέρουν να σώσουν το μικρό αγόρι εγκαίρως και να βρουν το δράστη;
Το βιβλίο ξεκινά με χαλαρούς ρυθμούς είναι η αλήθεια,και αρχικά αναρωτιέσαι πότε θα μπεις στο...ζουμί. Είναι βέβαια απόλυτα λογικό, μιας και στήνεται ολόκληρος σκελετός για μια σειρά βιβλίων και, όπως συμβαίνει σε κάθε καλό 'οικοδόμημα', τα θεμέλια πρέπει να μπουν σωστά από την αρχή. Θέλει λοιπόν κι αυτό το χρόνο του. Κι όταν έρθει η ευλογημένη ώρα που θα βουτήξεις στα βαθιά της υπόθεσης...αυτό ήταν! Δεν βγαίνεις πια στην επιφάνεια, παρά μόνο όταν θα έχεις φτάσει στην τελευταία σελίδα! Ανατροπές επί ανατροπών, η μία θεωρία να διαψεύδει την άλλη, και το συγγραφικό δίδυμο να καταρρίπτει με σκανδαλιστική εξυπνάδα ο,τιδήποτε έχεις θεωρήσει δεδομένο, μετά από κοπιαστική ανάγνωση και σκάψιμο στην ιστορία. Μέχρι και το τέλος, κάθε γεγονός είναι συναρπαστικό. Φτάνοντας στην τελευταία σελίδα, απλά ευχαριστείς το Σύμπαν που τα υπόλοιπα βιβλία είναι ήδη στη διάθεσή σου, γιατί κανενός το τέλος δεν είναι οριστικό, αλλά δίνουν 'πάτημα' ήδη για το επόμενο.
Εννοείται πως ξεκίνησα ήδη το "Tuesday's Gone",το δεύτερο της σειράς, το οποίο αναμένεται εξίσου συναρπαστικό κι ενδιαφέρον! Και προτείνω τη συγκεκριμένη σειρά βιβλίων σε όλους τους φανατικούς του είδους, ανεπιφύλακτα και με άκρατο ενθουσιασμό!
January 5, 2012
Really enjoyed this first book of a new series. This is a psychological novel, with a psychoanalyst as an aid to the police, and has brilliant twists and turns as they try to save the life of a young boy. Fantastic writing, good characters, Josef is a character I really enjoyed and hope he will be making an appearance in future books. Will appeal to fans of Minette Walters and Sophie Hannah. ARC from NetGalley.
April 7, 2015
Two children are abducted, 20 years apart. Could there be a connection? Frieda Klein is a psychotherapist and in her first “adventure” one of her patients describes dreams about seeing a boy who is the double of missing five year old Matthew Faraday. When she takes her concerns to the police, however, they don’t really take her seriously in this very tense read. It is a really good psychological read which has you puzzling the fates of the two missing children, especially from about halfway through when the penny drops and you realise you have an inkling as to what is going on. It is a very dark read, partly told through the confused eyes of a frightened little boy. Can Frieda put two and two together in time?
Frieda is a very complex character with a history and I definitely got the feeling that more of her story is going to come out in future books, it is only hinted at here. What has shaped her into the person she is, living as a “one woman island” in her cosy little nest and wandering the streets by night. I really enjoyed the little clique of friends and relatives around her, who all have their own distinct characteristics, Especially Josef and Rueben.
There were times when I thought that Frieda was maybe verging on being a little too “serious minded” for me especially during the slower parts of the read but having said that I didn’t want to put this book down, especially after I reached the halfway stage and would have loved another chapter or two after that ending, which is not strictly speaking a cliffhanger – but one which definitely left me wanting more.
Frieda is a very complex character with a history and I definitely got the feeling that more of her story is going to come out in future books, it is only hinted at here. What has shaped her into the person she is, living as a “one woman island” in her cosy little nest and wandering the streets by night. I really enjoyed the little clique of friends and relatives around her, who all have their own distinct characteristics, Especially Josef and Rueben.
There were times when I thought that Frieda was maybe verging on being a little too “serious minded” for me especially during the slower parts of the read but having said that I didn’t want to put this book down, especially after I reached the halfway stage and would have loved another chapter or two after that ending, which is not strictly speaking a cliffhanger – but one which definitely left me wanting more.
April 11, 2021
I don't really have a lot to say about this book. It was an entertaining mystery but there was nothing extra exciting or surprising in the book and most of the characters seem like the same characters that you see in many mystery books. I enjoyed it while I was reading it, but it unfortunately won't be that memorable to me. I feel like it may be a good book if you are in a reading slump or looking for just a fun beach read as it is an easy read that feels familiar.
March 5, 2016
Blue Monday by Nicci French is a 2011 publication and is the first book in the Frieda Klein series.
I enjoy British mysteries, but rarely get the pleasure of indulging in one these days, but, I have been trying, for a while, to get started on this series after reading several other books by this author.
However, I was initially taken aback by how this story started off and the way it seemed to flit from one scene to another with no warning that the entire train of thought has been switched, not to mention the motley crew of characters that also bounced in and out of the story with no particular rhyme or reason. So, the story was at once a dark psychological mystery and offbeat and quirky. It was as though the authors were going for an atmospheric, creepy sort of suspense, but was thwarted by this odd duck cast of characters and their own little personal dramas.
Frieda is a psychotherapist that takes on a new patient with various maladies, but, is soon confiding in her about some strange fantasies and dreams, which leads Frieda to believe he may be somehow involved in the disappearance of a young child.
Enter Detective Chief Inspector Karlsson, who is working the case and decides to put his skepticism aside and allow Frieda to help with the case.
In the meantime, Frieda makes a new friend, loses a lover, and deals with the downfall of her mentor on top of coping with her niece and the approaching Christmas holidays.
Anytime a story deals with a missing child there is automatically a feeling of unease and tense emotions. The fate of young child hangs in the balance as Frieda and Karlsson race against time to find him, while connecting the dots in a much older missing persons case.
The mind games that proceed with Frieda coaxing information from her patient are odd, edgy, and surreal at times. There are some truly warped and diabolical plot twists along the way, making this a pretty dark thriller.
Frieda’s character is hard to get a bead on, but I did like her and found myself hoping she will find some happiness in her personal life at some point in the future. I hope this same group of characters are recurring ones because although I initially found them to be distracting, I ultimately grew to like them and care about their problems. In a strange way they all made a pretty good team.
While most of the questions were answered there were a few lingering issues that will haunt Frieda and one huge shocker that left me feeling very ill at ease.
The good thing is that there are several more installments of this series and now that I have this first one under my belt, and know what to expect, I’m very curious to see how things will proceed from here.
3.5 stars
I enjoy British mysteries, but rarely get the pleasure of indulging in one these days, but, I have been trying, for a while, to get started on this series after reading several other books by this author.
However, I was initially taken aback by how this story started off and the way it seemed to flit from one scene to another with no warning that the entire train of thought has been switched, not to mention the motley crew of characters that also bounced in and out of the story with no particular rhyme or reason. So, the story was at once a dark psychological mystery and offbeat and quirky. It was as though the authors were going for an atmospheric, creepy sort of suspense, but was thwarted by this odd duck cast of characters and their own little personal dramas.
Frieda is a psychotherapist that takes on a new patient with various maladies, but, is soon confiding in her about some strange fantasies and dreams, which leads Frieda to believe he may be somehow involved in the disappearance of a young child.
Enter Detective Chief Inspector Karlsson, who is working the case and decides to put his skepticism aside and allow Frieda to help with the case.
In the meantime, Frieda makes a new friend, loses a lover, and deals with the downfall of her mentor on top of coping with her niece and the approaching Christmas holidays.
Anytime a story deals with a missing child there is automatically a feeling of unease and tense emotions. The fate of young child hangs in the balance as Frieda and Karlsson race against time to find him, while connecting the dots in a much older missing persons case.
The mind games that proceed with Frieda coaxing information from her patient are odd, edgy, and surreal at times. There are some truly warped and diabolical plot twists along the way, making this a pretty dark thriller.
Frieda’s character is hard to get a bead on, but I did like her and found myself hoping she will find some happiness in her personal life at some point in the future. I hope this same group of characters are recurring ones because although I initially found them to be distracting, I ultimately grew to like them and care about their problems. In a strange way they all made a pretty good team.
While most of the questions were answered there were a few lingering issues that will haunt Frieda and one huge shocker that left me feeling very ill at ease.
The good thing is that there are several more installments of this series and now that I have this first one under my belt, and know what to expect, I’m very curious to see how things will proceed from here.
3.5 stars
May 29, 2016
Ενα αστυνομικό βιβλιο με πρωταγωνίστρια μια ψυχοθεραπεύτρια και θέμα την εξαφάνιση παιδιών σε μικρή ηλικία. Δυστυχώς δεν ανταποκρίθηκε στις θετικές κριτικές που διαβασα. Για μένα ηταν ενα μέτριο βιβλιο.
Και εξηγούμαι: Περίπου για το πρωτο τρίτο του βιβλίου βαριόμουν αφόρητα. Περιγραφές επί περιγραφών στους ατέλειωτους περιπάτους της πρωταγωνίστριας, που δυστυχώς δεν κατάφεραν να με βάλουν στην ατμόσφαιρα. Ο χαρακτήρας της Φρίντα, οκ, αλλα φαινόταν οτι κατι λείπει, μου έδινε την εντύπωση οτι υπαρχει κατι που δεν συνδέεται. Όπως επίσης δε συνδεόταν με τίποτα οι ιστορίες τουλαχιστον δυο, για να μη πω τριών, δευτεροντων χαρακτήρων, που, κατα τη γνωμη μου, δεν έδωσαν τίποτα στην ιστορια. Κρατάω ωστόσο μια επιφύλαξη διότι αποτελεί το πρωτο βιβλιο της σειράς κ ενδεχομένως οι συγγραφείς να χτίζουν σιγά σιγά τους χαρακτηρες ώστε να δώσουν λεπτομερείς αργότερα.
Η πλοκή δεν με ενθουσίασε, δε μου δημιούργησε αγωνία ούτε σασπένς, εχω γίνει πολυ αναίσθητη μαλλον απο τα τόσα αστυνομικά που εχω διαβάσει. Και, δυςτυχως και παλι, την ανατροπή την είχα φανταστεί :/
Ωστόσο, ειναι ενα ευκολοδιαβαστο βιβλιο, με μια μάτια στο αστυνομικό απο άλλη πλευρά που δίνει ενα ενδιαφέρον.
Εμενα απλά δε μου έκατσε 2,5/5
Και εξηγούμαι: Περίπου για το πρωτο τρίτο του βιβλίου βαριόμουν αφόρητα. Περιγραφές επί περιγραφών στους ατέλειωτους περιπάτους της πρωταγωνίστριας, που δυστυχώς δεν κατάφεραν να με βάλουν στην ατμόσφαιρα. Ο χαρακτήρας της Φρίντα, οκ, αλλα φαινόταν οτι κατι λείπει, μου έδινε την εντύπωση οτι υπαρχει κατι που δεν συνδέεται. Όπως επίσης δε συνδεόταν με τίποτα οι ιστορίες τουλαχιστον δυο, για να μη πω τριών, δευτεροντων χαρακτήρων, που, κατα τη γνωμη μου, δεν έδωσαν τίποτα στην ιστορια. Κρατάω ωστόσο μια επιφύλαξη διότι αποτελεί το πρωτο βιβλιο της σειράς κ ενδεχομένως οι συγγραφείς να χτίζουν σιγά σιγά τους χαρακτηρες ώστε να δώσουν λεπτομερείς αργότερα.
Η πλοκή δεν με ενθουσίασε, δε μου δημιούργησε αγωνία ούτε σασπένς, εχω γίνει πολυ αναίσθητη μαλλον απο τα τόσα αστυνομικά που εχω διαβάσει. Και, δυςτυχως και παλι, την ανατροπή την είχα φανταστεί :/
Ωστόσο, ειναι ενα ευκολοδιαβαστο βιβλιο, με μια μάτια στο αστυνομικό απο άλλη πλευρά που δίνει ενα ενδιαφέρον.
Εμενα απλά δε μου έκατσε 2,5/5
June 23, 2012
The first couple of offerings by the duo that make up "Nicci French" were unputdownable. I stopped reading several years ago as I felt that the stories had become hackneyed and lacklustre, not to mention tediously predictable. I picked this up last week primarily because the blurb on the back convinced me that this could be something new. Sadly, nothing was further from the case. I brilliant premise became tedious and mundane, and the overall story became more and more unbelievable. Even the final twist - whilst also totally ludicrous - was sadly obvious from the moment that the final character in its involvement was introduced (trying not to give anything away, but that's making me write in an awful style too - perhaps it's catching?): predictable and ridiculous. It was readable - for the hour or two it took me. But I certainly won't be recommending it, and it#s already gone to the charity shop - almost unheard of in this house where books are read and reread, as well as lent and given to those who might be interested. I am finished with Nicci French for good this time.
July 25, 2017
DNF 42%! I'm sorry to say that this book just didn't work for me. First I listen to the audio book but didn't find the story not the characters interesting. The narrator was not that bad, not a personal favorite but she worked, and it was the story that just didn't intrigue me. Then I tried reading, but the story, the writing style just didn't rock my boat. Do I started to skim and that's when I decided to stop reading all together...
September 5, 2015
nutty nuut
Description: Monday, the lowest point of the week. A day of dark impulses. A day to snatch a child from the streets ...
The abduction of five-year-old Matthew Farraday provokes a national outcry and a desperate police hunt. And when a picture of his face is splashed over the newspapers, psychotherapist Frieda Klein is left troubled: one of her patients has been relating dreams in which he has a hunger for a child. A child he can describe in perfect detail, a child the spitting image of Matthew.
Detective Chief Inspector Karlsson doesn't take Frieda's concerns seriously until a link emerges with an unsolved child abduction twenty years ago and he summons Frieda to interview the victim's sister, hoping she can stir hidden memories. Before long, Frieda is at the center of the race to track the kidnapper.
But her race isn't physical. She must chase down the darkest paths of a psychopath's mind to find the answers to Matthew Farraday's whereabouts.
And sometimes the mind is the deadliest place to lose yourself.
Opening: 1987: In this city there were many ghosts. She had to take care. She avoided the cracks between the paving stones, skipping and jumping, her feet in their scuffed lace-up shoes landing in the blank spaces. She was nimble at this hopscotch by now.
4* Blue Monday (Frieda Klein, #1)
TR Tuesday's Gone (Frieda Klein, #2)
3* Killing Me Softly
4* Beneath the Skin
OH Land of the Living
TR The Memory Game
3* Catch Me When I Fall
TR Safe House
3* Complicit
Description: Monday, the lowest point of the week. A day of dark impulses. A day to snatch a child from the streets ...
The abduction of five-year-old Matthew Farraday provokes a national outcry and a desperate police hunt. And when a picture of his face is splashed over the newspapers, psychotherapist Frieda Klein is left troubled: one of her patients has been relating dreams in which he has a hunger for a child. A child he can describe in perfect detail, a child the spitting image of Matthew.
Detective Chief Inspector Karlsson doesn't take Frieda's concerns seriously until a link emerges with an unsolved child abduction twenty years ago and he summons Frieda to interview the victim's sister, hoping she can stir hidden memories. Before long, Frieda is at the center of the race to track the kidnapper.
But her race isn't physical. She must chase down the darkest paths of a psychopath's mind to find the answers to Matthew Farraday's whereabouts.
And sometimes the mind is the deadliest place to lose yourself.
Opening: 1987: In this city there were many ghosts. She had to take care. She avoided the cracks between the paving stones, skipping and jumping, her feet in their scuffed lace-up shoes landing in the blank spaces. She was nimble at this hopscotch by now.
4* Blue Monday (Frieda Klein, #1)
TR Tuesday's Gone (Frieda Klein, #2)
3* Killing Me Softly
4* Beneath the Skin
OH Land of the Living
TR The Memory Game
3* Catch Me When I Fall
TR Safe House
3* Complicit
January 20, 2023
Een jongetje, Matthew, wordt vermist. Zijn moeder was te laat om hem op te halen van school, en toen de toezichtster even niet keek, was Matthew weg. De politie begint een hopeloze zoektocht.
Psychoanalitica Frieda Klein krijgt een nieuwe patiënt, Alan Dekker. Deze man en zijn vrouw hebben geen kinderen. Alan droomt ervan een zoontje te hebben, een jongetje met rood haar en sproeten, waarmee hij kan voetballen en andere vader-zoon dingen doen.
De beschrijving die Alan van zijn droomzoontje geeft, komt exact overeen met die van de kleine Matthew.
Frieda licht inspecteur Karlsson van de politie in, omdat ze dit vreemd vindt.
Dan blijkt dat Alan, die als baby te vondeling was gelegd, een tweelingbroer heeft, waarvan hij nooit iets geweten heeft: Dean Reeve....
Ik vond dit een heel spannend boek, alhoewel sommige twists wel voorspelbaar waren. Aangename lectuur.
Psychoanalitica Frieda Klein krijgt een nieuwe patiënt, Alan Dekker. Deze man en zijn vrouw hebben geen kinderen. Alan droomt ervan een zoontje te hebben, een jongetje met rood haar en sproeten, waarmee hij kan voetballen en andere vader-zoon dingen doen.
De beschrijving die Alan van zijn droomzoontje geeft, komt exact overeen met die van de kleine Matthew.
Frieda licht inspecteur Karlsson van de politie in, omdat ze dit vreemd vindt.
Dan blijkt dat Alan, die als baby te vondeling was gelegd, een tweelingbroer heeft, waarvan hij nooit iets geweten heeft: Dean Reeve....
Ik vond dit een heel spannend boek, alhoewel sommige twists wel voorspelbaar waren. Aangename lectuur.
October 1, 2019
Blue Monday is the first book in the new series called Frieda Klein by Nicci French. After the disappearance of Matthew Faraday, Psychotherapist, Frieda Klein started to worry about one of her patients Alan Dekker. However, at first, Detective Chief Inspector Karlsson did not take her fears seriously until they found a link to a twenty-year-old cold case and Frieda became involved with the investigation. The readers of Blue Monday will continue to follow Frieda Klein to find out what happened to Matthew Faraday.
At first, I was not sure I would enjoy reading Blue Monday. However, that changed after turning the first page, and I will read the next book in this series. Nicci French did an excellent job in describing her settings of Blue Monday. I like Nicci French portrayal of Frieda Klein and her other characters in this book and the way they interact with each other. Blue Monday was well written and research by Nicci French.
The readers of Blue Monday will learn about the role psychotherapist have in law enforcement investigations. Also, the readers of Blue Monday will see the devastation for families when a child goes missing.
I recommend this book.
At first, I was not sure I would enjoy reading Blue Monday. However, that changed after turning the first page, and I will read the next book in this series. Nicci French did an excellent job in describing her settings of Blue Monday. I like Nicci French portrayal of Frieda Klein and her other characters in this book and the way they interact with each other. Blue Monday was well written and research by Nicci French.
The readers of Blue Monday will learn about the role psychotherapist have in law enforcement investigations. Also, the readers of Blue Monday will see the devastation for families when a child goes missing.
I recommend this book.
May 1, 2011
I’ve been a little disappointed in Nicci French’s more recent books – always worth reading, but they seemed to be having difficulty recreating the gripping and tense earlier ones like Secret Smile and Beneath The Skin.
But this book is an absolute triumph – a change of direction maybe, but surely the start of a series that can run and run. They’ve always been good at strong female characters – Frieda Klein is wonderful, weird, lovely and endearing with enough quirks and bits of hidden background slowly revealed to sustain many books to come. DCI Karlsson’s a fascinating character too, with depths you just itch to explore further. Bits of light relief abound – wonderful scene in a restaurant, and Josef’s landing is memorable. But this is a sensitively treated story of child abduction that mesmerises you throughout – you might guess some of the twists (then again...!) but you’ll have a fantastic time getting there. Highly recommended and can’t wait for the next one...
But this book is an absolute triumph – a change of direction maybe, but surely the start of a series that can run and run. They’ve always been good at strong female characters – Frieda Klein is wonderful, weird, lovely and endearing with enough quirks and bits of hidden background slowly revealed to sustain many books to come. DCI Karlsson’s a fascinating character too, with depths you just itch to explore further. Bits of light relief abound – wonderful scene in a restaurant, and Josef’s landing is memorable. But this is a sensitively treated story of child abduction that mesmerises you throughout – you might guess some of the twists (then again...!) but you’ll have a fantastic time getting there. Highly recommended and can’t wait for the next one...
December 11, 2017
Πολύ δυνατό αστυνομικό μυθιστόρημα, με έμφαση και στην ψυχολογία. (Είναι και το επάγγελμα της πρωταγωνίστριας). Διαβάζεται άνετα και νομίζω ότι πολύ δύσκολα θα απογοητεύσει τους λάτρεις του είδους.
Πολλά τα θετικά, πολύ λίγα τα αρνητικά. (Λίγο μερικοί δευτερεύοντες ήρωες δεν μου φάνηκαν το ίδιο ''γυαλισμένοι'' σε σχέση με άλλους και λίγο χαλάστηκα επειδή κατάλαβα εύκολα ένα, θεωρητικά, δυνατό twist στο τέλος. Επίσης, δεν με έπεισε ότι αυτός που το έκανε, θα ...μπορούσε να πείσει ένα πολύ συγκεκριμένο άτομο! ---αν πω περισσότερα θα καταστρέψω όλο το βιβλίο).
Πολλά τα θετικά, πολύ λίγα τα αρνητικά. (Λίγο μερικοί δευτερεύοντες ήρωες δεν μου φάνηκαν το ίδιο ''γυαλισμένοι'' σε σχέση με άλλους και λίγο χαλάστηκα επειδή κατάλαβα εύκολα ένα, θεωρητικά, δυνατό twist στο τέλος. Επίσης, δεν με έπεισε ότι αυτός που το έκανε, θα ...μπορούσε να πείσει ένα πολύ συγκεκριμένο άτομο! ---αν πω περισσότερα θα καταστρέψω όλο το βιβλίο).
June 9, 2013
A very well crafted story that keeps you interested throughout the book. The writers develope the characters and make them easy to imagine.
I will certainly read more from this husband and wife team.
I will certainly read more from this husband and wife team.
August 1, 2019
Жанрово по всички правила.
Донесе ми усещането, което бих търсил в четене (или гледане) на детективски истории, придружено с намесата на нов�� специалисти в разследването в търсене на различен, свеж мироглед към ситуацията.
Форматът, стилът, темпото и подходът на авторите ми допадна. В един момент по средата дори си мислех, че много прилича на моя собствен стил (в този жанр), но за успокоение - намерих и различия. Иначе, началото тръгва леко разфокусирано и дълго време не бях сигурен какво да очаквам. Когато се преглеждат "стари изстинали случаи", това дава много добри предпоставки за неочаквано развитие, а тук са преценили да оставят този момент за края и да се вгледаме основно в текущото разследване. Естествено, двете много си приличат и няма как да не са свързани.
Персонажите са добре изградени и са по-скоро типични, отколкото отличителни. Както разследващите от полицията, така и психоложката, емигранта строителен работник, злодеите и тнт. В това няма нищо лошо. Поне бързо си ги представяш и свикваш с тях. А това е необходимо в няколкото момента на личностно лутане, което преживяват.
Сега за самите засегнати теми. Безспорно са такива, които проверено във времето привличат интерес. Това означава, че не очакваме иновации от тематиката, но вече и поназнайваме достатъчно, за да проследим информирано събитията. Разделянето на еднояйчни близнаци, отгледани в различна среда и изследването на развитието им, на връзката им от разстояние е използвано в поне още 2 книги (за които се сещам в момента). Това също не е лошо, защото темата е благодатна и може да предложи нови моменти. Същото важи и за чувствителна тема като отвличането на деца - чели сме го и преди, но то какво ли толкова ново може да се измисли в тематиката на крими жанра. Често казвам, че това, което самите престъпници измислят и раждат с въображението си - никой автор не може да роди.
Няма да спестя и моментите, които за мен пресоляват манджата. Има един стремеж всяка нишка да завърши с обрат в сюжета. Това пак може да работи, но не беше необходимо, а на финалния акорд откровено не повярвах. Да не говорим, че отново беше леко клише.
Въпреки това - силен старт на тази поредица, който ме заинтригува да потърся следващите. Това вече е атестат.
Донесе ми усещането, което бих търсил в четене (или гледане) на детективски истории, придружено с намесата на нов�� специалисти в разследването в търсене на различен, свеж мироглед към ситуацията.
Форматът, стилът, темпото и подходът на авторите ми допадна. В един момент по средата дори си мислех, че много прилича на моя собствен стил (в този жанр), но за успокоение - намерих и различия. Иначе, началото тръгва леко разфокусирано и дълго време не бях сигурен какво да очаквам. Когато се преглеждат "стари изстинали случаи", това дава много добри предпоставки за неочаквано развитие, а тук са преценили да оставят този момент за края и да се вгледаме основно в текущото разследване. Естествено, двете много си приличат и няма как да не са свързани.
Персонажите са добре изградени и са по-скоро типични, отколкото отличителни. Както разследващите от полицията, така и психоложката, емигранта строителен работник, злодеите и тнт. В това няма нищо лошо. Поне бързо си ги представяш и свикваш с тях. А това е необходимо в няколкото момента на личностно лутане, което преживяват.
Сега за самите засегнати теми. Безспорно са такива, които проверено във времето привличат интерес. Това означава, че не очакваме иновации от тематиката, но вече и поназнайваме достатъчно, за да проследим информирано събитията. Разделянето на еднояйчни близнаци, отгледани в различна среда и изследването на развитието им, на връзката им от разстояние е използвано в поне още 2 книги (за които се сещам в момента). Това също не е лошо, защото темата е благодатна и може да предложи нови моменти. Същото важи и за чувствителна тема като отвличането на деца - чели сме го и преди, но то какво ли толкова ново може да се измисли в тематиката на крими жанра. Често казвам, че това, което самите престъпници измислят и раждат с въображението си - никой автор не може да роди.
Няма да спестя и моментите, които за мен пресоляват манджата. Има един стремеж всяка нишка да завърши с обрат в сюжета. Това пак може да работи, но не беше необходимо, а на финалния акорд откровено не повярвах. Да не говорим, че отново беше леко клише.
Въпреки това - силен старт на тази поредица, който ме заинтригува да потърся следващите. Това вече е атестат.
May 29, 2019
3.5 stars. After a prolonged slow start, Blue Monday took off and I became quite engrossed in the plot twists. I especially liked some of the side characters like Reuben, Frieda Klein’s mentor, and handyman Josef. The developing working relationship between Frieda and Detective Chief Inspector Karlsson, over the disappearance of a young boy, was excellent.
But the ending rankled and left me muttering!
But the ending rankled and left me muttering!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,474 reviews