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Ewert Grens #3
Edward Finnigani õiglusejanu
Rootsis vahistatakse John Schwarzi nimeline mees, kes Soome vahet sõitval laeval ühe reisija läbi on peksnud. Kui kriminaalkomissar Ewert Grens kinnipeetut üle kuulama asub, ei taipa ta algul üldse, millega tegemist on. Miski kuritöö sooritaja puhul ei klapi – Johni Schwarz on juba palju aastaid tagasi USAs ühe raske kuritöö sooritamises süüdi mõistetud, ja ta peaks tegelikult surnud olema.
Romaan räägib sellest, mida võib inimestega teha tahe tahta õiglust jalule seada, sellest, kes on tõeline ohver ja kes on tõeline kurjategija. Ennekõike on see aga tohutult põnev ja nutikas kriminaalromaan, mis lugejat jäägitult haarab ja üllatusi pakub.
Romaan räägib sellest, mida võib inimestega teha tahe tahta õiglust jalule seada, sellest, kes on tõeline ohver ja kes on tõeline kurjategija. Ennekõike on see aga tohutult põnev ja nutikas kriminaalromaan, mis lugejat jäägitult haarab ja üllatusi pakub.
351 pages, Paperback
First published May 15, 2007
105 people are currently reading
1690 people want to read
About the author
Anders Roslund
53 books405 followersAnders Roslund is a Swedish author and journalist. He is the founder and former head of Kulturnyheterna (Culture News) on SVT, Sweden's national television broadcaster. For many years he worked as a news reporter – specializing in criminal and social issues – and as an Editor-in-chief at Rapport and Aktuellt, the two major News programmes on SVT.
Roslund regularly collaborates with Börge Hellström, and together they make up the writing duo of Roslund & Hellström.
Roslund regularly collaborates with Börge Hellström, and together they make up the writing duo of Roslund & Hellström.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 343 reviews
August 14, 2025
4,5/5
Al principio la novela transcurre de forma pausada, ya que nos va presentando la situación y vamos averiguando cosas poquito a poco.
Pero luego la intriga aumenta y ya no puedes parar de leer para saber que ocurrirá a continuación.
Esta es la tercera novela que leo de esta serie, y a diferencia de sus 2 predecesoras tengo que decir que es bastante menos dura, aunque algún momento también tiene.
Me encanta el personaje de Ewert Grens que es soberbio pero no es lo que más peso tiene en esta novela, la trama es lo que más pesa que gira en torno a la pena de muerte, y lo aborda desde todos los ángulos posibles.
El final me ha gustado mucho, tengo que decir que no me lo esperaba, me ha sorprendido.
Como dato informativo, es que Anders Roslund es un conocido periodista en Suecia y Börge Hellström un ex-convicto. Ambos se conocieron en un programa que hizo Roslund sobre la reinserción social de delincuentes, y gracias a su afinidad literaria comenzaron a trabajar juntos.
Al principio la novela transcurre de forma pausada, ya que nos va presentando la situación y vamos averiguando cosas poquito a poco.
Pero luego la intriga aumenta y ya no puedes parar de leer para saber que ocurrirá a continuación.
Esta es la tercera novela que leo de esta serie, y a diferencia de sus 2 predecesoras tengo que decir que es bastante menos dura, aunque algún momento también tiene.
Me encanta el personaje de Ewert Grens que es soberbio pero no es lo que más peso tiene en esta novela, la trama es lo que más pesa que gira en torno a la pena de muerte, y lo aborda desde todos los ángulos posibles.
El final me ha gustado mucho, tengo que decir que no me lo esperaba, me ha sorprendido.
Como dato informativo, es que Anders Roslund es un conocido periodista en Suecia y Börge Hellström un ex-convicto. Ambos se conocieron en un programa que hizo Roslund sobre la reinserción social de delincuentes, y gracias a su afinidad literaria comenzaron a trabajar juntos.
December 14, 2016
Ovo je jedan malo drugačiji triler, koji se više bavi ljudskim emocijama i raspravlja o moralnim pitanjima, za i protiv smrtne kazne, a nešto manje pažnje posvećuje samom zločinu i istrazi zločina(koje zapravo i nema, tehnički gledano).
Svakako zanimljivo, brzo i lako se čita i vrlo originalno, nekako se ističe u gomili trilera na koje sam naišla u zadnje vrijeme.
Svakako zanimljivo, brzo i lako se čita i vrlo originalno, nekako se ističe u gomili trilera na koje sam naišla u zadnje vrijeme.
October 5, 2011
I do hate the inflexible star-rating procedure here ... I would give this book a 3.75 (like it, didn't love it) but here it's a 4. And this is the short review; if you want a longer one, click here.
Sliding in between the Roslund-Hellstrom writing duo's Box 21 and their award-winning Three Seconds at number three in the Ewert Grens series, Cell 8 is by far much different than anything else these authors have yet produced. For one thing, a great deal of the action takes place in the U.S.; for another, the subject matter is extremely controversial, and will keep crime-fiction readers debating the main issue for a long while, especially here in America.
John Schwarz is a family man, living with his wife and young son in Stockholm. He is employed as a band singer on the Åbo ferry between Stockholm and Finland, and one night while he's at work, in the middle of a song, he sees a drunk passenger give some unwanted attention to a young woman on the dance floor. Thinking about the two women in his life (one from an earlier time, one his wife), he sees red, loses his temper, and before he knows it, he's beating up the passenger, ending with kicks to his head, landing the guy in the hospital. Security is called; the Stockholm cops are there to meet him as the ferry docks in Stockholm. He manages to avoid them and to get back to his apartment and his wife, and he knows it's only a matter of time before the police catch up to him. When they finally have him at the station, he refuses to talk, but ultimately, routine identification procedures identify him as John Meyer Frey, an American citizen using a Canadian passport. But there's a slight problem: John Meyer Frey died some years ago, while awaiting his execution on Death Row at a prison in Ohio. Ewert Grens is very interested in the case, interested in seeking justice at first because he knows all too well what may lay ahead for someone suffering injuries to the brain, but later because of the sad and frustrating circumstances surrounding the events that he had unwittingly set into motion. There's another person interested in the Schwarz case as well -- a man who has lived an empty and tormented life after missing the retribution he had waited on for years.
Roslund and Hellstrom also use this novel as a platform to explore several topics related to state-sponsored executions: the behind-the-scenes politicking involved in fanning the flames of popular support for the death penalty; the problems inherent with the death penalty, especially the possibility of innocence in a capital case; the obligations of nations regarding extradition policies and the politics of the national players at the highest levels, and putting all of these components together, the human toll on both sides of the issue. The criminals in this case, really, are the politicians; the authors spare absolutely no effort getting their points and politics across.
This book is guaranteed to cause a stir when it's released here in the U.S. -- in a country so divided in its opinions about the death penalty, I'm not sure how this novel is going to be received. Be that as it may, even though this is not the authors' usual crime-fiction fare, I liked it -- beyond the story set around John Schwarz, what really impressed me was the behind-the-scenes look at politics involved in capital cases here in the U.S., as well as the rather dodgy actions of international governments where extradition politics are concerned. While this book may be a case of preaching to the choir, so to speak, it's still a very worthwhile read. Don't give up on it... when it begins it's a bit confusing for a while, but hang in there.
Sliding in between the Roslund-Hellstrom writing duo's Box 21 and their award-winning Three Seconds at number three in the Ewert Grens series, Cell 8 is by far much different than anything else these authors have yet produced. For one thing, a great deal of the action takes place in the U.S.; for another, the subject matter is extremely controversial, and will keep crime-fiction readers debating the main issue for a long while, especially here in America.
John Schwarz is a family man, living with his wife and young son in Stockholm. He is employed as a band singer on the Åbo ferry between Stockholm and Finland, and one night while he's at work, in the middle of a song, he sees a drunk passenger give some unwanted attention to a young woman on the dance floor. Thinking about the two women in his life (one from an earlier time, one his wife), he sees red, loses his temper, and before he knows it, he's beating up the passenger, ending with kicks to his head, landing the guy in the hospital. Security is called; the Stockholm cops are there to meet him as the ferry docks in Stockholm. He manages to avoid them and to get back to his apartment and his wife, and he knows it's only a matter of time before the police catch up to him. When they finally have him at the station, he refuses to talk, but ultimately, routine identification procedures identify him as John Meyer Frey, an American citizen using a Canadian passport. But there's a slight problem: John Meyer Frey died some years ago, while awaiting his execution on Death Row at a prison in Ohio. Ewert Grens is very interested in the case, interested in seeking justice at first because he knows all too well what may lay ahead for someone suffering injuries to the brain, but later because of the sad and frustrating circumstances surrounding the events that he had unwittingly set into motion. There's another person interested in the Schwarz case as well -- a man who has lived an empty and tormented life after missing the retribution he had waited on for years.
Roslund and Hellstrom also use this novel as a platform to explore several topics related to state-sponsored executions: the behind-the-scenes politicking involved in fanning the flames of popular support for the death penalty; the problems inherent with the death penalty, especially the possibility of innocence in a capital case; the obligations of nations regarding extradition policies and the politics of the national players at the highest levels, and putting all of these components together, the human toll on both sides of the issue. The criminals in this case, really, are the politicians; the authors spare absolutely no effort getting their points and politics across.
This book is guaranteed to cause a stir when it's released here in the U.S. -- in a country so divided in its opinions about the death penalty, I'm not sure how this novel is going to be received. Be that as it may, even though this is not the authors' usual crime-fiction fare, I liked it -- beyond the story set around John Schwarz, what really impressed me was the behind-the-scenes look at politics involved in capital cases here in the U.S., as well as the rather dodgy actions of international governments where extradition politics are concerned. While this book may be a case of preaching to the choir, so to speak, it's still a very worthwhile read. Don't give up on it... when it begins it's a bit confusing for a while, but hang in there.
August 24, 2015
napeta do samog kraja, teska tematika - smrtna kazna? da ili ne? pogotovo ako je pitanje o nevinoj osobi, a povijest je dokazala da je toga i te kako bilo i previse uz mjesanje politike naravno inace nebi bili ni izabrani. knjiga mi je rastegla zivce do samoga kraja izdrzljivosti, ocekivani rasplet, ali je svakako vrijedi procitati. topla preporuka
March 14, 2020
Dvojac Roslund i Hellstrom osvojili su me već nakon prve pročitane knjige, sve ostalo je samo bonus. Uvijek obrađuju neke teške teme (ovdje smrtnu kaznu), a određeni slučaj služi samo kako bi se lakše oslikala tema i dala moguća objašnjenja za i protiv. Za "Ćeliju 8" dajem jedan mali minus što pravog slučaja zapravo nije ni bilo pa mi se u nekim dijelovima radnja blago razvodnila, sve ostalo je na svom mjestu.
October 23, 2018
Overall this was not a great book. I didn't like the characters, to the point where I spent most of the book wondering whether you were actually supposed to like Grens or you just accept him because he's *complex*.
I didn't like the plot either. Yeah the death penalty is crap, but it's a bit odd for Swedish writers to create a story around this when presumably most of their readers agree. Then it just doesn't sit well that it's set in Ohio of all places, which has executed 56 people since 1976 (56 is a fair few admittedly, but it's hardly Texas which has executed 555). You need unanimous jury voting and at least 1 of 10 special circumstances for aggravated murder (none of which would apply to John). Not only that but only 22 people who committed murder under the age of 18 have been executed since 1976 in the whole of the USA, so it's extremely rare, meaning even if he had received the death sentence, he would almost certainly have been imprisoned for life (of the 226 death sentences handed out to juveniles between 1976 and 2005, 72 of the recipients were still on death row in 2005).
I can't decide whether the ending of the book made it better or made it worse. I guess they tried to put in a twist at the end, but it was pretty half-hearted and just doesn't make much sense.
I didn't like the plot either. Yeah the death penalty is crap, but it's a bit odd for Swedish writers to create a story around this when presumably most of their readers agree. Then it just doesn't sit well that it's set in Ohio of all places, which has executed 56 people since 1976 (56 is a fair few admittedly, but it's hardly Texas which has executed 555). You need unanimous jury voting and at least 1 of 10 special circumstances for aggravated murder (none of which would apply to John). Not only that but only 22 people who committed murder under the age of 18 have been executed since 1976 in the whole of the USA, so it's extremely rare, meaning even if he had received the death sentence, he would almost certainly have been imprisoned for life (of the 226 death sentences handed out to juveniles between 1976 and 2005, 72 of the recipients were still on death row in 2005).
I can't decide whether the ending of the book made it better or made it worse. I guess they tried to put in a twist at the end, but it was pretty half-hearted and just doesn't make much sense.
December 20, 2011
In a cell in Ohio on death row sits John Meyer Frey for the brutal murder of his girlfriend, after a decade of being there he suddenly dies in his cell, leaving the victims father and a grieving angry nation without retribution.
Six years later a singer on a cruise ship in Sweden is arrested for assault and the case is given to Ewert Grens and his team, the real mystery starts when they find that the man in the cell doesn’t exist.
During the course of investigating the Swedish case evidence arises that points to the impossible and links these two seemingly different cases that takes Grens, Hermansson and Sundkvist into not only legal waters but the dangerous deep waters of international politics, the different beliefs of two nations on the death penalty and the fine line they have to tow to keep all around peace. Especially when everything starts pointing to a long ago conspiracy.
Roslund and Hellstrom will blow you out of the water with this their latest novel starring the irrepressible and do things his own way or the highway, Ewert Grens. Adrenaline junkies will get that extra shot they require to keep them invested in a read while the rest of us quiver, sweat and bite our nails to get through it. As different as it is from Three Seconds it gives us that same feel of unanswerable questions that bring us to that ah-ha moment when it all makes sense and the pieces start fitting together. And although we get there we never stop wanting to turn the page to find out how it will turn out, who will survive and why this one has to die. But this time they go us one better and get into the politics of one nations view over another, the consequences when those views happen to collide and the fallout that collision causes and then they’ll drop kick us with an ending that will blow your socks off, make you shake your head and question the beliefs you thought were built on solid ground that’s now been disturbed by an earthquake. Yep it’s one heck of a mystery, a crime drama that expands nations, continents and decades, that uncovers the dark side of capital punishment, that tests the waters of diplomacy and gives readers one heck of a ride from start to finish.
If you liked Three Seconds you will LOVE Cell 8, if you’re starting to tire of the hoopla that surrounds Stieg Larsson try a real live team who knows how to write a story, one that will please the peoples of multiple languages and multiple nations. It’ll be your first must read of the new year and it’ll show up on the best of lists in 2012 because no one will stop talking about it, stop passing it around or stop buying it.
Six years later a singer on a cruise ship in Sweden is arrested for assault and the case is given to Ewert Grens and his team, the real mystery starts when they find that the man in the cell doesn’t exist.
During the course of investigating the Swedish case evidence arises that points to the impossible and links these two seemingly different cases that takes Grens, Hermansson and Sundkvist into not only legal waters but the dangerous deep waters of international politics, the different beliefs of two nations on the death penalty and the fine line they have to tow to keep all around peace. Especially when everything starts pointing to a long ago conspiracy.
Roslund and Hellstrom will blow you out of the water with this their latest novel starring the irrepressible and do things his own way or the highway, Ewert Grens. Adrenaline junkies will get that extra shot they require to keep them invested in a read while the rest of us quiver, sweat and bite our nails to get through it. As different as it is from Three Seconds it gives us that same feel of unanswerable questions that bring us to that ah-ha moment when it all makes sense and the pieces start fitting together. And although we get there we never stop wanting to turn the page to find out how it will turn out, who will survive and why this one has to die. But this time they go us one better and get into the politics of one nations view over another, the consequences when those views happen to collide and the fallout that collision causes and then they’ll drop kick us with an ending that will blow your socks off, make you shake your head and question the beliefs you thought were built on solid ground that’s now been disturbed by an earthquake. Yep it’s one heck of a mystery, a crime drama that expands nations, continents and decades, that uncovers the dark side of capital punishment, that tests the waters of diplomacy and gives readers one heck of a ride from start to finish.
If you liked Three Seconds you will LOVE Cell 8, if you’re starting to tire of the hoopla that surrounds Stieg Larsson try a real live team who knows how to write a story, one that will please the peoples of multiple languages and multiple nations. It’ll be your first must read of the new year and it’ll show up on the best of lists in 2012 because no one will stop talking about it, stop passing it around or stop buying it.
October 15, 2019
Grens & Sundkvist book # 3
This is one provocative reading experience that pushes a point of view that is quite controversial: those who advocate capital punishment. Death-row and the conflicting desires for justice and retribution is the premise in this multilayered plot. Detective Superintendent Ewert Grens will deal with this.
It opens in a US prison with 17 year old John Meyer Frey on death row for a murder he says he did not commit. While on the other side of the world in Sweden, John Schwartz is remanded to jail after assaulting another man….But it turns out that Frey and Schwartz are one and the same…..How this came to be discovered comprise much of the story.
The mesmerising crime narrative will grab you by the throat and never let go. This is one concocted and devious plot that is hard to put down. It is said with flashbacks to the past to provide answers and the manipulations so masterfully told that I was caught off guard, extremely intrigued by the direction the plot was going and even more how it would end. Although I was frantically turning pages hoping for a positive outcome I was off base so many times that I gave up trying. Not being able to predict what would happen is what made reading this mystery all the more enjoyable. I didn’t see the twist at the end coming.
This story is not without Grens’ eccentricities, he is a special character whose bizarre attitude is what makes him different. I like him he is so entertaining with is rock and roll music and dancing to the tune….in his office. Other good players add colour and atmosphere to this absolutely original story.
This is one provocative reading experience that pushes a point of view that is quite controversial: those who advocate capital punishment. Death-row and the conflicting desires for justice and retribution is the premise in this multilayered plot. Detective Superintendent Ewert Grens will deal with this.
It opens in a US prison with 17 year old John Meyer Frey on death row for a murder he says he did not commit. While on the other side of the world in Sweden, John Schwartz is remanded to jail after assaulting another man….But it turns out that Frey and Schwartz are one and the same…..How this came to be discovered comprise much of the story.
The mesmerising crime narrative will grab you by the throat and never let go. This is one concocted and devious plot that is hard to put down. It is said with flashbacks to the past to provide answers and the manipulations so masterfully told that I was caught off guard, extremely intrigued by the direction the plot was going and even more how it would end. Although I was frantically turning pages hoping for a positive outcome I was off base so many times that I gave up trying. Not being able to predict what would happen is what made reading this mystery all the more enjoyable. I didn’t see the twist at the end coming.
This story is not without Grens’ eccentricities, he is a special character whose bizarre attitude is what makes him different. I like him he is so entertaining with is rock and roll music and dancing to the tune….in his office. Other good players add colour and atmosphere to this absolutely original story.
June 28, 2023
Cell 8 is a thought provoking The Swedish crime thriller about a young man on Death Row in an Ohio prison for murder, who died before he could be executed - but is then found alive in Sweden six years later. This has been sitting on my Book Club shelf for years - it’s nominally the third in a series about grumpy middle aged detective Ewert Grens, and I thought I might be able to find and read the first two, but when I finally gave in I discovered it works just fine as a stand-alone.
This was a brilliant examination of the ethics around the Dealth Penalty in the USA, and actually would’ve worked better if it didn’t keep returning to Ewert’s sad lonely life: his severely brain damaged wife lives in a nursing home, but he won’t allow himself to move on; he has no friends other than the complicated relationships he has with two colleagues, and he antagonises his superiors and anyone in authority. When he first meets John, he’s convinced he’s a vicious thug who should be locked up forever, but once he learns who he is, he has a complete change of heart and becomes convinced of his innocence.
The mystery here is how exactly did John escape, will he avoid the vengeful politicians who are determined to see him die for good, and what really happened to Elizabeth? After effectively maintaining the suspense, I was disappointed by the ending, and the rather bizarre twist that made no sense to me. There is an interesting cast of characters, but not all the subplots are resolved. I’d be interested to try another of the authors’ books, with or without Grens as a main character, as I do like this kind of serious political Scandi-crime.
This was a brilliant examination of the ethics around the Dealth Penalty in the USA, and actually would’ve worked better if it didn’t keep returning to Ewert’s sad lonely life: his severely brain damaged wife lives in a nursing home, but he won’t allow himself to move on; he has no friends other than the complicated relationships he has with two colleagues, and he antagonises his superiors and anyone in authority. When he first meets John, he’s convinced he’s a vicious thug who should be locked up forever, but once he learns who he is, he has a complete change of heart and becomes convinced of his innocence.
The mystery here is how exactly did John escape, will he avoid the vengeful politicians who are determined to see him die for good, and what really happened to Elizabeth? After effectively maintaining the suspense, I was disappointed by the ending, and the rather bizarre twist that made no sense to me. There is an interesting cast of characters, but not all the subplots are resolved. I’d be interested to try another of the authors’ books, with or without Grens as a main character, as I do like this kind of serious political Scandi-crime.
January 28, 2021
Tensiunea creste incet pe parcursul cartii - nu e o carte bazata pe actiune ci pe descoperirea personajelor, precum si a tabloului social, politic, dar si personal in care acestea evolueaza. Spre final insa reuseste sa te tina cu sufletul la gura, si alergi cu mintea si sufletul impreuna si pe langa personaje, cautand solutii si raspunsuri. Finalul m-a dat pe spate, nu ma asteptam sub nici o forma nici la deznodamantul situatiei prezente, nici la cel al crimei din trecut. M-a deranjat oarecum ca situatia anumitor personaje a fost lasata in aer, personaje care au fost evidentiate in anumite momente, si fara de care povestea nu ar fi stat in picioare, dar ma gandesc ca poate mai apar mentionate in vreo alta carte din serie, asa ca nu pot sa o depunctez din cauza asta.
January 10, 2012
Roslund and Hellström's first novel, Three Seconds, hit bestseller lists in their native Sweden and in the US.
Their latest book, Cell 8, opens in the US - in a prison on death row. John Meyer Frey was sentenced to death at 17, for a murder he says he didn't commit.
On the other side of the world in Sweden, John Schwartz assaults another man. He is remanded to jail, but his reaction to being locked up is unsettling. John knows..."He had to get away from there. He couldn't face dying again."
The case is brought to the attention of Swedish Detective Inspector Ewert Grens. But..."He could not possibly know that this single act of violence was linked to a murder, and was the continuation of a process that had started many years ago, far away; it would prove to be the most extraordinary criminal investigation he had ever come across."
I really don't want to give away any more of the plot. Roslund and Hellström have concocted an ingenious, devious plot that makes for a fantastic read. Flashbacks within the current timeline provide the answers from the past. The levels of machinations, manipulations and recriminations are masterful. I kept telling myself 'just one more chapter' and then I'll shut down for the night...I was up very late. But the story also touches on a issue that is controversial in any country - the death penalty. Roslund and Hellström provide social commentary through their characters, both for and against.
I was really hoping that this writing duo would bring back Grens again. He is a complicated character - emotionally wounded, very eccentric and clever. "Detective Inspector Ewert Grens was the sort of person that people moved away from on the pavement, the sort of man who is heard without having to say a word." But there are some chinks in his armour against the world in Cell 8. We learn more about his past and he lets his guard down with a new arrival on his team. I'm not quite sure if I like him or not - my opinion changed throughout the novel. But I am intrigued by him, especially since we have been allowed a personal glimpse.
The supporting cast members are also very well drawn. The hate of the father of Frey's victim is palpable, pulsating on the page. I enjoy the interactions between the members of Grens' team - the addition of young Hermannson has interjected a new dynamic, in many ways.
The run up to the ending of the book had me frantically turning pages and hoping for a certain ending. But I was caught off guard by the direction the authors took. And I love it - not being able to predict what will happen makes the read all the more enjoyable.
What makes this writing duo unique is their backgrounds. Anders Roslund is a award winning journalist who specialized in criminal and social issues and Hellström is an ex-criminal who worked with newly released prisoners stay on the straight and narrow. Their experience shows in their writing - it has a gritty, real tone that will grab you from first page to last.
Their latest book, Cell 8, opens in the US - in a prison on death row. John Meyer Frey was sentenced to death at 17, for a murder he says he didn't commit.
On the other side of the world in Sweden, John Schwartz assaults another man. He is remanded to jail, but his reaction to being locked up is unsettling. John knows..."He had to get away from there. He couldn't face dying again."
The case is brought to the attention of Swedish Detective Inspector Ewert Grens. But..."He could not possibly know that this single act of violence was linked to a murder, and was the continuation of a process that had started many years ago, far away; it would prove to be the most extraordinary criminal investigation he had ever come across."
I really don't want to give away any more of the plot. Roslund and Hellström have concocted an ingenious, devious plot that makes for a fantastic read. Flashbacks within the current timeline provide the answers from the past. The levels of machinations, manipulations and recriminations are masterful. I kept telling myself 'just one more chapter' and then I'll shut down for the night...I was up very late. But the story also touches on a issue that is controversial in any country - the death penalty. Roslund and Hellström provide social commentary through their characters, both for and against.
I was really hoping that this writing duo would bring back Grens again. He is a complicated character - emotionally wounded, very eccentric and clever. "Detective Inspector Ewert Grens was the sort of person that people moved away from on the pavement, the sort of man who is heard without having to say a word." But there are some chinks in his armour against the world in Cell 8. We learn more about his past and he lets his guard down with a new arrival on his team. I'm not quite sure if I like him or not - my opinion changed throughout the novel. But I am intrigued by him, especially since we have been allowed a personal glimpse.
The supporting cast members are also very well drawn. The hate of the father of Frey's victim is palpable, pulsating on the page. I enjoy the interactions between the members of Grens' team - the addition of young Hermannson has interjected a new dynamic, in many ways.
The run up to the ending of the book had me frantically turning pages and hoping for a certain ending. But I was caught off guard by the direction the authors took. And I love it - not being able to predict what will happen makes the read all the more enjoyable.
What makes this writing duo unique is their backgrounds. Anders Roslund is a award winning journalist who specialized in criminal and social issues and Hellström is an ex-criminal who worked with newly released prisoners stay on the straight and narrow. Their experience shows in their writing - it has a gritty, real tone that will grab you from first page to last.
October 7, 2023
Ένα ακόμα πολύ ενδιαφέρον βιβλίο από το συγγραφικό δίδυμο Roslund/Hellstrom το οποίο θίγει το ζήτημα της θανατικής ποινής και της ποινικής τιμωρίας ως ανταπόδοση ή/και εκδίκηση από την πλευρά των θυμάτων. Πρέπει να σημειωθεί, ότι τόσο ο Anders Roslund, δημοσιογράφος στο επάγγελμα, όσο και ο Borge Hellstrom διαθέτουν ένα σημαντικότατο κεφάλαιο γνώσεων που αφορά τον σωφρονισμό και τα σωφρονιστικά καταστήματα τόσο της Σουδίας όσο και του υπόλοιπου κόσμου. Εξαιτίας αυτού, τα βιβλία τους διαθέτουν ένα μεγάλο εύρος πληροφοριών γύρω από τα συγκεκριμένα θέματα, γεγονός που τους προσδίδει αληθοφάνεια και τα καθιστά εξαιρετικής ποιότητας αναγνώσματα. Είναι το δεύτερο βιβλίο τους διαβάζω με πρώτο το , επίσης εξαιρετικό, ''Three Seconds'' και σίγουρα θα προσπαθήσω να βρώ και τα υπόλοιπα βιβλία της σειράς Grens&Sundkvist. Ο κεντρικός ήρωας-ντετέκτιβ Ewert Grens, αποκλίνει αρκετά από το συνηθισμένο hard boiled πρότυπο που συναντάμε σε πολλά αστυνομικα μυθιστορήματα, ωστόσο αυτό δεν τον κάνει λιγότερο συναρπαστικό ως χαρακτήρα. Το ίδιο ισχύει και για τους δευτερεύοντες χαρακτήρες που εμφανίζονται στην συγκεκριμένη σειρά βιβλίων, οι οποίοι σκιαγραφούνται με τέτοιον τρόπο ώστε ο αναγνώστης τους αισθάνεται οικείους, μέσα από τις ενδότερες σκέψεις και αδυναμίες τους. Η ιστορία καθώς και η πλοκή δεν είναι ιδιαίτερα πυκνή και δαιδαλώδης καθώς το βιβλίο δεν βασίζεται τόσο πολύ στο μυστήριο αλλά εστίαζει στο πρόβλημα της επίβολης της θανατικής ποινής από την πολιτέιά/κράτος και τις επίπτώσεις που αυτή έχει σε όλα τα πρόσωπα που σχετίζονται με αυτήν, από το θύμα και την οικογένεια του μέχρι τους γραφειοκράτες που την διαχειρίζονται και τους σωφρονιστικούς υπαλλήλους που καλούνται να την εφαρμόσουν.
Συστήνεται ανεπιφύλακτα σε όλους και ιδιαίτερα σε όσους δεν ψάχνούν ένα δύνατο θρίλερ ή ένα περίπλοκο μυστήριο αλλά για μια μελέτη χαρακτήρων και κοινωνικών θεσμών.
Καλή ανάγνωση!
Συστήνεται ανεπιφύλακτα σε όλους και ιδιαίτερα σε όσους δεν ψάχνούν ένα δύνατο θρίλερ ή ένα περίπλοκο μυστήριο αλλά για μια μελέτη χαρακτήρων και κοινωνικών θεσμών.
Καλή ανάγνωση!
August 11, 2013
I was very excited to read this, and really was disappointed. Usually I like this duo's crime-with-a-social conscious style, but this time I felt like I was being preached to. While I liked the developments in the private lives of the detective team, I didn't find John Frey to be as likeable as those in the books. I know that the writers take liberty with facts to prove make their statements about social issues, but I felt that they took it too far in this case. Like why pick Ohio for the executions, which is a state that hasn't executed anyone in year. FL or TX would have been much more believable for me. And just the whole premise
January 6, 2025
Dödsstraff är ett jävligt intressant tema som genomsyrar boken fast lite i bakgrunden. Det var spännande att höra hur de som är för dödsstraff resonerar iallafall i USA, mycket kristendom och öga för öga skit. Jag gillade att det handlade mycket om förhållandet mellan USA och sverige, i deras ögon är vi ett skitland som de kan stampa på vilket sverige i boken låter de göra för att hålla god ton med supermakten. Men i slutändan så har USA (som vanligt) gjort fel och de avrättar en oskyldig man. Sen är tvisten ändå rätt bra när man får veta vem den riktiga mördaren var och att motivet var hela tiden att skapa de kaoset som skapades för att ändå på rättsystemet.
Men ibland var boken lite seg och förutom två stora grejer som hände så var det inte jättespännande om man söker mer deckare.
Men ibland var boken lite seg och förutom två stora grejer som hände så var det inte jättespännande om man söker mer deckare.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 7, 2025
Great plot twist at the end, didn’t go the way I expected it. Another good read from R & H !
June 7, 2016
Kada uzmete u ruke roman dvojca Roslund i Hellstrom kategoriziran kao kriminalistički roman, bolje imajte da umu da ovo nije klasički detektivski žanr niti noir. Kriminalistički zaplet dvojcu uglavnom služi kako bi na primjeru elaborirali kompleksni studij iz prakse koji se bavi kriminalističkim miljeom, pravno-zatvorskim sustavom i sociološkim aspektom određenih devijacija u društvu. Ovaj put na redu je - smrtna kazna. Znanje je dosad izdalo četiri romana u svojoj biblioteci "Svjetski bestseleri". Njihov prvi roman o detektivu Grensu i Sundkvistu "Zvijer" bavio se pedofilijom, ali i sociološkom studijom kakav utjecaj ta devijantnost ima na društvu. Sljedeći "Pretinac 21" bavi se problemom trgovanja ljudi i nakon toga "Ćelija 8" bavi se također kontraverznim temama. "Tri sekunde" također je jedan od romana o tandemu.
Sadržaj: Napad na putnika na krstarenju izvući će na vidjelo staru tajnu i bjegunca od zakona koji je zapravo bio smaknut pred šest godina. John Schwartz sada leži pritvoren u švedskom zatvoru dok policijski tim inspektora Grensa pokušava dokučiti istinu. Istovremeno, s druge strane svijeta otac navodne Johnove žrtve pokušava konačno dobiti svoju zadovoljštinu i gledati ga kako umire.
Radnja se odvija istovremeno na dva kontinenta, u Americi i Švedskoj, gdje pratimo radnju s aspekta nekolicine glavnih likova, a sve će se to spojiti na kraju u jednu cjelinu. Inspektor Ewert Grens psihološki je oštećena osoba, zarobljen u svojoj krivici za vegetativno stanje svoje bivše partnerice Anni, uljuljkan u repetativni repertoar Siw Malmkvist; no uspijeva zadržati fokus kad se radi o istrazi. Junak s manom, s kojim se nisam baš klapnuo. Poglavlja u romanu su vrlo kratka, brzinska i tako proračunato napisana da služe svojoj svrsi da to nije normalno. Kao da je svaki trenutak u romanu višestruko revidiran i slagan, pa mi tu fali malo spontanosti.
Cijeli roman u neku ruku jest krimić, ali i pamflet/manifest nehumanosti smrtne kazne, kako god to želite nazvati. Moram priznati da sam malo i bio ljut što se istrazi Schwartzovog ubojstva uopće nije pristupilo, kao da to uopće nije važno – mada to je bilo jedino što me zadržalo do samog kraja, da saznam je li Schwartz kriv ili ne. Hoće li ga ponovno pogubiti ili ne, bilo mi je svejedno budući da sam znao da će njegovo pogubljenje ili ne pogubljenje biti samo demonstracija nehumanosti smrtne kazne. "The Life of David Gale" me se više dojmio. Čita se superbrzo, tako da neće ništa izgubiti ukoliko uronite u ovo…
Sadržaj: Napad na putnika na krstarenju izvući će na vidjelo staru tajnu i bjegunca od zakona koji je zapravo bio smaknut pred šest godina. John Schwartz sada leži pritvoren u švedskom zatvoru dok policijski tim inspektora Grensa pokušava dokučiti istinu. Istovremeno, s druge strane svijeta otac navodne Johnove žrtve pokušava konačno dobiti svoju zadovoljštinu i gledati ga kako umire.
Radnja se odvija istovremeno na dva kontinenta, u Americi i Švedskoj, gdje pratimo radnju s aspekta nekolicine glavnih likova, a sve će se to spojiti na kraju u jednu cjelinu. Inspektor Ewert Grens psihološki je oštećena osoba, zarobljen u svojoj krivici za vegetativno stanje svoje bivše partnerice Anni, uljuljkan u repetativni repertoar Siw Malmkvist; no uspijeva zadržati fokus kad se radi o istrazi. Junak s manom, s kojim se nisam baš klapnuo. Poglavlja u romanu su vrlo kratka, brzinska i tako proračunato napisana da služe svojoj svrsi da to nije normalno. Kao da je svaki trenutak u romanu višestruko revidiran i slagan, pa mi tu fali malo spontanosti.
Cijeli roman u neku ruku jest krimić, ali i pamflet/manifest nehumanosti smrtne kazne, kako god to želite nazvati. Moram priznati da sam malo i bio ljut što se istrazi Schwartzovog ubojstva uopće nije pristupilo, kao da to uopće nije važno – mada to je bilo jedino što me zadržalo do samog kraja, da saznam je li Schwartz kriv ili ne. Hoće li ga ponovno pogubiti ili ne, bilo mi je svejedno budući da sam znao da će njegovo pogubljenje ili ne pogubljenje biti samo demonstracija nehumanosti smrtne kazne. "The Life of David Gale" me se više dojmio. Čita se superbrzo, tako da neće ništa izgubiti ukoliko uronite u ovo…
June 21, 2016
Disclaimer: I received this advanced reading copy from the publisher as part of the Firstreads giveaway program on the assumption that I would review it.
"Cell 8" is part of the Scandanavian thriller/mystery fad currently going onand appears to be the second book featuring Swedish police detective Ewert Grens.
I'm going to go right into spoilers here; this is less of a mystery book (though there is a mystery) than a soapbox. The authors don't like the death penalty and were clearly itching to write about how much they don't like it. Problem is, Sweden doesn't *have* the death penalty, and hasn't for quite some time. So, the story requires some elaborate and contrived setup to get our Swedish police officers involved with an American death penalty case.
The convict in question is extremely sympathetic and the case against him is suspiciously thin, even before later revelations, while the main spokesperson for the pro-death penalty viewpoint is an extremely unlikeable nutcase.
Truth be told, Grens and the other Swedes don't actually have much to do here; some subplots are advanced, but in the end, both the start and resolution of the central plotline are in far-off Ohio, where our main characters never go.
As for that resolution, it is, to say the least, outlandish and requires some serious suspension of disbelief that the killer's plan never once went off-track, relying on, as it does, literally hundreds of people acting *exactly* as predicted.
The good news: For a soapbox, it's quite well written, and I liked Grens and his colleagues (even the annoying ones.) The authors have clearly done their research on the physical "how" of execution, even if they gloss over the difference between American states' attitudes towards the death penalty.
I suspect that the translator is more used to British than American English, based on a small slip of naming towards the beginning. Also, several words are italicized unnecessarily. I suspect they were in English in the original, and someone overlooked the transliteration issue.
I can'[t wholeheartedly recommend this book, but if you liked "Three Seconds" and want more of Ewert Grens, or are very tolerant of soapboxing, it's not a bad novel.
For more Sweden-related reviews, see http://www.skjam.com/tag/sweden/
"Cell 8" is part of the Scandanavian thriller/mystery fad currently going onand appears to be the second book featuring Swedish police detective Ewert Grens.
I'm going to go right into spoilers here; this is less of a mystery book (though there is a mystery) than a soapbox. The authors don't like the death penalty and were clearly itching to write about how much they don't like it. Problem is, Sweden doesn't *have* the death penalty, and hasn't for quite some time. So, the story requires some elaborate and contrived setup to get our Swedish police officers involved with an American death penalty case.
The convict in question is extremely sympathetic and the case against him is suspiciously thin, even before later revelations, while the main spokesperson for the pro-death penalty viewpoint is an extremely unlikeable nutcase.
Truth be told, Grens and the other Swedes don't actually have much to do here; some subplots are advanced, but in the end, both the start and resolution of the central plotline are in far-off Ohio, where our main characters never go.
As for that resolution, it is, to say the least, outlandish and requires some serious suspension of disbelief that the killer's plan never once went off-track, relying on, as it does, literally hundreds of people acting *exactly* as predicted.
The good news: For a soapbox, it's quite well written, and I liked Grens and his colleagues (even the annoying ones.) The authors have clearly done their research on the physical "how" of execution, even if they gloss over the difference between American states' attitudes towards the death penalty.
I suspect that the translator is more used to British than American English, based on a small slip of naming towards the beginning. Also, several words are italicized unnecessarily. I suspect they were in English in the original, and someone overlooked the transliteration issue.
I can'[t wholeheartedly recommend this book, but if you liked "Three Seconds" and want more of Ewert Grens, or are very tolerant of soapboxing, it's not a bad novel.
For more Sweden-related reviews, see http://www.skjam.com/tag/sweden/
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 18, 2011
Roslund & Hellstrom like to come at a story sideways. You never know quite where they are headed in the first 25-50 pages but you know from previous experience that if you stick with it just a bit longer you will be rewarded with an interesting tale. Cell 8 is no exception. I thought I had it figured out a couple of times, came close with the ending, but they still pulled off a coup. This is a story about the death penalty in the United States, a slightly incredulous escape from a maximum security prison in Ohio, and a man who may or may not be guilty of murdering his 16-year old girlfriend when he was 17-years old. How he comes to be in Sweden years later with a wife and child and how his charade is discovered comprise much of the story. The rest is about the battle of wills between governments and public officials to determine his fate. It was a satisfying read and a bit unsettling.
May 7, 2014
It's a riveting read - not as thrilling as "3 Seconds" - not as dark as "Box 21" - but keeps you reading as fast as you can to see what happens next. It is #3 in the Ewert Grens series and should be read before "3 Seconds" if you have that one on your TBR shelf just for chronological continuity. There's a lot of food for thought about the criminal justice system in this one and the author does a great job weaving it into the plot. One of the things I like best about this author is that he always has a twist at the end that you don't see coming.
April 19, 2022
The first 2 Grens books were so extreme in their brutality that it was easy to overlook the very large plot holes but here there's no real nastiness, just an incredibly unbelievable story. I wasn't convinced but it was at least entertaining enough to finish.
May 22, 2015
After 200+ pages, I still couldn't make heads or tails of it & couldn't be arsed to keep trying.
November 13, 2016
Scenarij koji je pokušao biti knjiga, užasan rasplet i gubitak vremena.
January 19, 2024
Punizione - Roslund e Hellstrom
Un grande thriller con un finale incredibile.
Super consigliato
Trama:
È un uomo duro il commissario Ewert Grens della polizia di Stoccolma, di ogni cosa fa sempre una questione personale. Come quando trova in coda per le denunce un uomo con un orecchio che sanguina e una pupilla più grande dell'altra. Sembra una faccenda di routine: la solita rissa fra ubriachi sul traghetto che fa la spola tra Svezia e Finlandia, e chi rimane a terra viene a sporgere denuncia in centrale. Ma per Grens diventa subito qualcosa di più: quello sguardo, il sangue dall'orecchio; come la sua Anni, che da venticinque anni vegeta in un ospedale da cui non uscirà mai. Per il commissario, e per i suoi collaboratori Sven Sundkvist e Mariana Hermansson, è l'inizio di un'indagine più complessa e delicata del solito. Perché l'aggressore, tale John Schwarz, in realtà non esiste, o meglio le sue impronte digitali corrispondono a quelle di un cittadino americano di nome John Meyer Frey, deceduto nel braccio della morte dell'Ohio per una grave patologia cardiaca mentre attendeva l'esecuzione. Frey, accusato del brutale omicidio della fidanzata, si era sempre proclamato innocente ma, né le prove indiziarie né la minore età, lo avevano salvato dalla condanna capitale. Possono essere la stessa persona? John Meyer Frey è, o è stato, davvero un assassino? Mentre Grens ricompone i frammenti di una storia incredibile, gli Stati Uniti, e con loro il padre della ragazza uccisa, reclamano quel prigioniero che rischia di trasformarsi in un micidiale sberleffo per il loro sistema penale.
Un grande thriller con un finale incredibile.
Super consigliato
Trama:
È un uomo duro il commissario Ewert Grens della polizia di Stoccolma, di ogni cosa fa sempre una questione personale. Come quando trova in coda per le denunce un uomo con un orecchio che sanguina e una pupilla più grande dell'altra. Sembra una faccenda di routine: la solita rissa fra ubriachi sul traghetto che fa la spola tra Svezia e Finlandia, e chi rimane a terra viene a sporgere denuncia in centrale. Ma per Grens diventa subito qualcosa di più: quello sguardo, il sangue dall'orecchio; come la sua Anni, che da venticinque anni vegeta in un ospedale da cui non uscirà mai. Per il commissario, e per i suoi collaboratori Sven Sundkvist e Mariana Hermansson, è l'inizio di un'indagine più complessa e delicata del solito. Perché l'aggressore, tale John Schwarz, in realtà non esiste, o meglio le sue impronte digitali corrispondono a quelle di un cittadino americano di nome John Meyer Frey, deceduto nel braccio della morte dell'Ohio per una grave patologia cardiaca mentre attendeva l'esecuzione. Frey, accusato del brutale omicidio della fidanzata, si era sempre proclamato innocente ma, né le prove indiziarie né la minore età, lo avevano salvato dalla condanna capitale. Possono essere la stessa persona? John Meyer Frey è, o è stato, davvero un assassino? Mentre Grens ricompone i frammenti di una storia incredibile, gli Stati Uniti, e con loro il padre della ragazza uccisa, reclamano quel prigioniero che rischia di trasformarsi in un micidiale sberleffo per il loro sistema penale.
January 15, 2020
I got this book at an book swap event, so I started reading it without knowing anything about it or the writers (which I rarely do). Got caught up in the plot and it was an easy read, with some well-placed surprises.
So I will definitely read more from the series, looking forward to it.
So I will definitely read more from the series, looking forward to it.
September 24, 2021
I was ready to put this book down at the halfway point. For a story set with a policeman as the central figure, the crime had been solved, what was the point? However, it headed in a very different direction and I am glad I decided to keep going. I would definitely read another in the series
May 18, 2023
Laipu oli vähem kui tavaliselt (kokku vaid 3), aga millisel eesmärgil sellist asja teha, rikkudes julmalt ära vähemalt 7 inimese elu.. Oeh.. Samas kõrvaltegevusena meeldis taaskord uurijate isiksuste järk-järguline avamine, nende sisse piilumine, nende areng jne.
January 29, 2018
Super, emotivno nabijen triler koji se cita u dahu.
November 25, 2018
very thought provoking. At times I was confused but then humans are confusing. Didn't see the ending coming
March 7, 2024
Na pocetku i dobrom dijelu knjige mi je kolicina imena likova bas bila overwhelming trebalo bi mi dosta da se sjetim tko je tko
Plot twist zadnjih par stranica
Sve u svemu veoma najsi i zanimljivo
Interesantna tema
Dobro ispisani likovi ako zanemarimo moje zaboravljanje imena
Solidna knjiga
Plot twist zadnjih par stranica
Sve u svemu veoma najsi i zanimljivo
Interesantna tema
Dobro ispisani likovi ako zanemarimo moje zaboravljanje imena
Solidna knjiga
Displaying 1 - 30 of 343 reviews