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The Farm

Tom Rob Smith

3.55 · Rating details · 22,123 ratings · 2,797 reviews

Until the moment he received a frantic call from his father, Daniel believed his parents were headed into a peaceful, well-deserved retirement. They had sold their home and business in London, and said "farewell to England" with a cheerful party where all their friends had gathered to wish them well on their great adventure: setting off to begin life anew on a remote, buco ...more

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Paperback, 400 pages

Published February 13th 2014 by Simon & Schuster UK

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May 21, 2014 karen rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley, distant-lands, sshh-family-secrets

and that is why we don't keep secrets.

this is one of those psychological thrillers with a possibly-unreliable narrator, a maybe/maybe not crime, and a boatload of both family and smalltown secrets.

daniel is 29, living in london with his boyfriend mark, and working a job that is not making the most of his expensive educational background. his parents have retired after selling their business and properties, and moved to a small town in sweden, near the place his mother tilde grew up, and then ra ...more

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Jan 24, 2014 Raven rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Inspired by the real life psychotic episode experienced by his own mother, Tom Rob Smith has crafted a powerful and affecting study in the disguise of a crime novel, as to the effect of a similar incident on the very fabric of a family. Daniel resides happily in London with his partner Mark, and with the hustle and bustle of everyday life, and the less frequent communication with family, believes his mother and father to be happy and secure in their retirement to Sweden from the UK. However, fol Inspired by the real life psychotic episode experienced by his own mother, Tom Rob Smith has crafted a powerful and affecting study in the disguise of a crime novel, as to the effect of a similar incident on the very fabric of a family. Daniel resides happily in London with his partner Mark, and with the hustle and bustle of everyday life, and the less frequent communication with family, believes his mother and father to be happy and secure in their retirement to Sweden from the UK. However, following a frantic phone call from his father Chris, and the appearance of his mother, Tilde, in London having seemingly escaped from a secure hospital in Sweden, Daniel’s life is turned upside down by the strange tale of abduction, conspiracy and murder his mother begins to recount…

Aside from the fact that every nuance, character and indeed word of this book is practically perfect, I will divulge nothing more of the plot at this juncture. Suffice to say as Daniel’s mother begins to present evidence in the form of journals and objects of the strange goings-on in her sleepy Swedish rural community, the reader experiences the same level of confusion as to the veracity of her claims. Through these journals and the use of dual narrative, Smith perfectly evokes the atmosphere and setting of rural Sweden so familiar to regular readers of Scandinavian crime fiction. The suffocating atmosphere of this locale that so affects the mind and actions of Daniel’s mother is beautifully wrought, and those who dwell within it are amplified and layered with sinister attributes as Tilde constructs her version of events, that have supposedly led to the disappearance of a local teenage girl. Sensing the threatening behaviour of her former friends and neighbours, and her husband Chris, Tilde sets out to accrue as much physical evidence as possible to prove her claims, and to avoid her incarceration in a hospital as others make claims as to the state of her mental health.

What is most intriguing about the book, and accomplished by the exquisite pace of the narrative, is how a family structure can be so quickly thrown into turmoil. Daniel has withheld his homosexuality from his parents, his parents have not been entirely truthful about the happiness of their retirement, and Daniel is cast into the unenviable position of questioning which parent to believe in the light of Tilde’s claims. Cleverly, we as readers are able to participate in Daniel’s confusion, bearing witness to the unfolding of Tilde’s claims, as we are hearing the story along with Daniel at the same pace, and constructing our own theories and conclusions on Tilde’s story as the contents and evidence of her journals is divulged. The use of the journal form works extremely effectively for this very reason. Daniel is also guilty, as many are, of having taken the stability of his family relationship some what for granted, so this in turn makes the confusion and divided loyalty he experiences all the more palpable within the novel.

Having read this book some time ago, I believe it to be a testament to the strength of Smith’s writing that I am so easily transported back to the events and characters of the novel, This is a book that has stayed so vividly in my mind, that I can instantly recall the characters and their traits, and have not just pressed the mental delete button that follows the ending of a book- it has stayed with me. Consequently, I cannot recommend this book highly enough as an incredibly rewarding and thought-provoking read, and a book that I will certainly revisit in years to come.
...more

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Feb 05, 2014 Dem rated it it was ok

2.5 Stars

Having read and absolutely loved Child 44

Child 44 (Leo Demidov, #1) by Tom Rob Smith

I was very excited and had pre ordered my hard copy of The Farm by Tom Rob Smith.

The praise on the blurb of this novel really leaves you to believe you are about to embark on a " Chilling, hypnotic, and thoroughly compelling novel. You will not read a better triller this year"

The Novel is set in Sweden and tells the story of Chris and Tilde who retire there to a farm in a remote area to recapture what could only be considered the good life while their son Daniel remains in London. Daniel receives a call from his mother who sounds stressed and she tells him she has uncovered a terrible conspiracy, He later receives a second call from his father to say his mother is delusional and has just discharged herself from psychiatric hospital and so the mystery begins.

I was very disappointed with this novel and my disappointment began with pace of this story as the author slowly builds the story (very slowly) and while Tilde revels the details of the conspiracy to her son throughout the first 3/4 of the novel I became bored and found myself wishing she would just get on with it as the slow reveal just took the suspense and good out of the novel and it became repetitive and had none of the zest and imagination of Child 44. I didn't find enough drama in the story to make it a compelling read.

I found the characters very bland and their actions within the story not believable.

The only part of the novel I enjoyed was the descriptions of rural Sweden and the customs of the people and while interesting not enough to keep me engrossed or satisfied.

(view spoiler)

To sum up ............... This novel did not have the wow factor for me and while it was an ok read it is not going to be a favorite of mine. ...more

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Jun 18, 2018 Zoeytron rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: public-library

An unsettling phone call from a distraught father to his grown son, quickly followed by an equally disturbing call from the son's panicked mother. Father claims mother has completely lost touch with reality, while the mother boldly states that anything his dad has told him about her is a lie. Who to believe? Mum or Dad?

Moving to a small isolated farm in Sweden should have been a little slice of heaven for Daniel's retired parents. Instead, before the year is out, it has all gone terribly wro ...more

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Mar 31, 2014 Jasmine rated it did not like it

What an anticlimax. I'm confused by the great ratings this book has received. The entire story was transparent, at best. The characters, who ended up being important, were under developed, and Daniels motives and reasons were flakey. And the ending...what was that about? I was really waiting for so etching MORE or BIGGER than how it ended. I feel short changed, and felt this could've been SUCH a better story, written in someone else's hands. ...more

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Mar 12, 2017 Mel rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 4-stars, owned, read-in-2017

This for me is a 3.5 star book, but for once I will round it up instead of down.

So a short synopsis: this book is about a man who gets a call from his father one day telling him that his mother is unwell and they've entered her into a mental asylum. The man then gets another call after from his mother and she says to him that everything the father said is a lie and that she's fine. So this novel follows the story that the mother is telling the son and why her husband had her committed.

Someone on ...more

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Apr 29, 2014 Patrice Hoffman rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: provided-by-netgalley

The Farm is the first novel I've read by Tom Rob Smith. There's been a lot of praise for his other crime novel Child 44 so I figured why not give him a chance. Plus the premise of a woman gone mad who needs to defend her delusions is always a good story.

The Farm begins with Daniel receiving a call from his father warning him that his mum is not well and has been committed. Not too long after that call, Mum arrives to London hoping to have an ally in her beloved son. This is the first time Daniel The Farm is the first novel I've read by Tom Rob Smith. There's been a lot of praise for his other crime novel Child 44 so I figured why not give him a chance. Plus the premise of a woman gone mad who needs to defend her delusions is always a good story.

The Farm begins with Daniel receiving a call from his father warning him that his mum is not well and has been committed. Not too long after that call, Mum arrives to London hoping to have an ally in her beloved son. This is the first time Daniel has witnessed any sort of turmoil between his parents and is not sure who to believe. The novel progresses as Tilde tells her story of their family's demise because of a "villain" who has Chris, her husband, eating out of the palm of his hand.

Although The Farm is written as a first person narrative being told from Daniel's point of view, it shifts to Tilde reading from her journal and notes she's taken over the few months they've been living in the remote Swedish farm they bought after falling on hard times. For all intents and purposes, she seems of sound mind... seems. Her rantings become paranoid, delusional, and inconsistent. It becomes hard to decipher what is real or not.

Daniel listens to his mother's story and is constantly pulled from one side to the other. Does he believe his mother and assume his father is up to something sinister? Or could his father's warning of his mum not being well really be the whole truth, and nothing but. While trying to make his way through the muck that his mum places at his doorstep, he also must come to terms with the fact that there are secrets, scandals, and lies by omission that could possibly threaten to tear this family apart.

Tom Rob Smith writes a gripping, Psychological crime thriller that will have readers unable to stop reading. The chapters are short and seem to always end on a cliff-hanger which is a good formula when you want the audience to continue on the journey with your characters. Even though this novel is fast-paced, I still felt it was descriptive and engaging. The characters never felt one-dimensional but rather true relatives that could possibly be living down the street.

I definitely recommend The Farm to lovers of psychological thrillers set in the Swedish countryside. Tom Rob Smith has me on his team now and I look forward to reading his other crime thrillers. He has proven that family secrets is always a worthwhile read. It's no better pleasure than knowing there is a family out there that is more screwed up than your own.

Copy provided by Grand Central Publishing via Netgalley ...more

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Mar 15, 2015 Sam Quixote rated it really liked it

Daniel’s parents, Chris and Tilde, have retired to a farm in the Swedish countryside. All is going well, he thinks, and the only problem is how he’s going to reveal to them that he’s gay. That is until he receives a strange email from his mother and then a phone call from his father - Tilde is insane, says Chris, and she needs help. Meanwhile Tilde, arriving in London alone to meet Daniel, insists that she’s being hunted by a group of murderers, including Chris, after she uncovered a horrific co Daniel’s parents, Chris and Tilde, have retired to a farm in the Swedish countryside. All is going well, he thinks, and the only problem is how he’s going to reveal to them that he’s gay. That is until he receives a strange email from his mother and then a phone call from his father - Tilde is insane, says Chris, and she needs help. Meanwhile Tilde, arriving in London alone to meet Daniel, insists that she’s being hunted by a group of murderers, including Chris, after she uncovered a horrific conspiracy. Daniel has only hours to decide: who’s telling the truth?

That setup is a bit misleading - it makes you think that there are two sides to this story when it’s basically all Tilde. With all the comparisons other reviewers have made to Gone Girl I was expecting a half and half approach, with Chris and Tilde telling their stories to Daniel. Instead Chris is more of a background character and The Farm is mostly Tilde’s tale. That’s not to say that’s bad in any way at all, it’s just a warning for what to expect going in.

I flew through The Farm at a pace I rarely set with novels these days. Tilde’s increasingly dark tale is so beguiling and the atmosphere conjured up is so menacing and paranoid, you find yourself putting off things you should be doing so you can read 10 more pages… and then 10 more… and then you realise you’ve read a third of the book in one sitting, your eyes are tired but you so want to keep going, you have to see what happens next! It definitely wasn't predictable and, even though I knew Tilde was an unreliable narrator, some of her story was bound to be true - the excitement was in discovering what was and what wasn't. In other words, this is the best kind of story any fiction fan would want to read.

The supporting cast are wonderfully intimidating. At the head of it all is the farmer Hakan, a giant of a man who controls the small community under him including the sleazy mayor and the celebrity “doctor” who uses his power to have Tilde committed. Tilde takes Daniel (and us) through the beautiful Swedish landscape where terrible things happen - young girls go missing, trolls lurk in the shadows, convoys of cars travel through the night, and hidden, locked doors hold forgotten secrets deep within.

Because the story is so one-sided, there were only really a few ways the story could’ve ended but, without giving anything away, I’ll say that the finale is a bit unsatisfying. Tilde’s story leading up to the final act was so breathless and exciting. The ending is a let down because it’s not as dramatic, though it does explain everything in a level-headed way. It’s like in some mystery stories where the focus is so intense on this one villainous character that it’s like it couldn’t be them in the end because that’d be too obvious, so the reveal of the baddie is instead some character who’s barely in the story - that kind of resolution is ok but not great.

Aside from the weak third act, The Farm is a really fun, really engrossing read that I highly recommend. There’s some interesting themes explored like the power of storytelling and families and secrets but mostly it’s a terrific thriller that does exactly that. ...more

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Jul 22, 2014 Julie Christine rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2014, nordic-theme-setting, mystery-crime-thriller

I have a hard time pigeon-holing this in the thriller category, since two-thirds of the narrative takes place at a kitchen table in a London apartment in the form of a conversation between a mother and son. It's a testament to Smith's confidence as a writer that he spools out a story in a nearly all tell, very little show fashion. That doesn't mean it always works. After repeated cutbacks of scene to that London kitchen, I began to roll my eyes and wish SOMEONE WOULD GET TO THE BLOODY POINT ALRE I have a hard time pigeon-holing this in the thriller category, since two-thirds of the narrative takes place at a kitchen table in a London apartment in the form of a conversation between a mother and son. It's a testament to Smith's confidence as a writer that he spools out a story in a nearly all tell, very little show fashion. That doesn't mean it always works. After repeated cutbacks of scene to that London kitchen, I began to roll my eyes and wish SOMEONE WOULD GET TO THE BLOODY POINT ALREADY.

For readers of Smith's truly thrilling, hardcore, hardboiled Davidov thrillers, set in Cold War Soviet Union, you should know The Farm is a major departure of style and substance. I first learned of the novel from an NPR interview with the author, so I went into this book knowing it was ... inspired doesn't seem the right word ... but perhaps driven by the author's experiences with his mother and father during his mother's psychotic break a few years ago. That knowledge certainly serves as a bit of a plot spoiler, but even without that insight, it's hard to get too wrapped up in the story's central question: Whom do you believe?

Oddly, though it's NOT hard to get wrapped up in this novel, despite the drag-down of the mechanics. The chapters are short and punchy. The story within the story is creepy and full of sturm und drang, nudged along by the characters Tilde and Chris, the protagonist's mother and father. Tilde, who left Sweden as a teen, and Chris have sold their London-based garden supply business and retired to an isolated farm in Sweden's hinterlands. They raised their only child, Daniel, in an idyll of calm and security but oddly, at 29, he is too afraid to tell them he is gay and living with his boyfriend. Despite the close bond, he seems relieved to be free of his parents and gradually their contact ebbs. The novel opens several months after Tilde and Chris's move, when Chris calls to tell Daniel that his mother has gone mad.

Tilde tells a very different story. And her version is the meat of the novel, an unraveling of a sordid, dangerous community-straight out of Scandi-crime Land- and a cover-up of devastating proportion.

Much more than that and I'll ruin it for everyone. This is a psychological thriller set inside a padded room of high-concept talkety-talk. Even from the beginning there's a sense of anticlimax. But still. It's a hard one to put down. ...more

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May 22, 2015 Emma rated it really liked it

From some of the negative reviews i have read, I understand that lots of people seem to have been disappointed by the plot. But this is not a novel in which the plot is king, it is about the nature of indiviudal perception and memory. That we all have such different views of the novel speaks to the essence of the very theme it explores.

I, personally, really like stories that play with ideas of truth, who it belongs to and who creates it, what happens when one person's truth clashes against anot ...more

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Dec 04, 2017 Carlos rated it really liked it

Shelves: adult-fiction-btw

This is such a good book, a little disappointed with the last page but the story is solid and the revelations are very interesting. A story is told from one point of view at first but there is so much more to find out and we do once the second point of view is analyzed. It is a very fast paced book and if you like mysteries, you’ll like this one .

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Dec 29, 2017 Becky rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-and-thrillers, 2018, owned, reviewed, lgbtq, nordic-thriller

I picked this book up randomly last year to use a giftcard balance that was going to expire. The premise sounded interesting enough (and gave me the sort of vibe that the movie The Visit gave me... Something is REALLY wrong here.)... but upon reading it, I'm just not sure how I felt about it.

Everything was wrapped up nice and neat at the end, all mysteries solved and all questions answered, but I just can't help feeling like there's something missing.

When we first open the book and meet our na ...more

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Jan 01, 2014 Rata rated it it was amazing

Wow, this is an excellent book. The story's so compelling and gripping I read it in one go.

The story revolves around Daniel and his parents who returned a few months ago to Sweden, the homeland of Daniel's mom, to relish their retirement at a farm: one day, Daniel is called by his dad and confronted with shocking news: his mother behaved strangely for quite some time now, accused her neighbors and husband of some mysterious crime and was finally brought to section herself into a psychiatric ward Wow, this is an excellent book. The story's so compelling and gripping I read it in one go.

The story revolves around Daniel and his parents who returned a few months ago to Sweden, the homeland of Daniel's mom, to relish their retirement at a farm: one day, Daniel is called by his dad and confronted with shocking news: his mother behaved strangely for quite some time now, accused her neighbors and husband of some mysterious crime and was finally brought to section herself into a psychiatric ward. Daniel's father doesn't know what to do anymore, and Daniel who loves his parents dearly books a flight to Sweden immediately.

However, before he even gets into the plane, he gets a call from his mom herself! She tells him, sounding very serious and in her right mind, that his father is not to be trusted, that she isn't insane, out of the psychiatric, and on her way to London to meet with Daniel.

The book then consists mostly out of dialogue between mother and son: she tries to convince him in chosen words and with a bag full of gathered proof that something bad has happened in Sweden, and Daniel's father was involved. Piece by piece she lays out what happened since she returned to her home country and its mythic-appearing landscape. It's a puzzle of subtle hostility, secrets, observations that sum up to a disturbing picture of rural conspiracy to which she now poses a thread and is therefore in great danger.

...or so she says. Daniel, while listening and questioning, tries to fathom what to make out of it all: is his mother really mentally ill? Or is she to be kept safe from Daniel's father who's already on his way to London as well? Whom to trust?

I enjoyed this book so much because it’s so well told on a personal level, meaning the interpersonal dealings are really nicely fleshed out: Daniel learns that he's not alone with keeping secrets from his family. His parent's marriage wasn't so harmonious as he thought, and the farm in Sweden is more a flight from monetary problems Daniel knew nothing about than a heartfelt desire. The whole situation is intense: does he really know his own father? Can he trust his mother? What has really happened? Who are these people his mom accuses and what have they really done?

The descriptions of events and thoughts in this book are very good. It doesn't really happen all that much, it's almost all clues and overtones, but it's exactly that that kept me so captivated. The story is subtle and for that all the more disturbing.

I like the writing style a great deal. Plot-wise it's nicely plausible, thrilling, and the end doesn't disappoint!
It is a great book for people who prefer their thriller without gore.
...more

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Feb 24, 2015 Michael Robotham rated it really liked it

This is a wonderful psychological thriller that never lets the reader get comfortable. Structurally it is a triumph because so much of the information must be fed slowly to the reader, building up false layers that sound completely plausible, yet can be interpreted in different ways.

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Jan 27, 2014 Susan rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Daniel lives in London with his partner, Mark. His parents, Chris and Tilde, have retired to a remote farm in Sweden – the homeland his mother left many years before. He believes them to be content and well and uses his image of them as happy and busy in their new life as the reason why he has distanced himself from them. For Daniel has made excuses not to visit – rather than explain that his career is not going well or introduce Mark to them, he has contented himself with emails and vague promi ...more

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Feb 27, 2018 ☮Karen rated it liked it

Shelves: audio, overdrive, read-in-2018, lgbtq

If I know one thing about this author it is his tendency to write slow, detailed stories that will almost bore the reader into sleep, and then end it all with a big explosive bang to wake you up and place you firmly back into the plot. I think this applies to every one of his four books that I've read. Daniel, an adult son living in England, is called by his heretofore idyllicly married parents to act as a sort of judge and jury to what they are experiencing on their farm in Sweden. Chris, his f ...more

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Dec 16, 2018 Paul Lockman rated it really liked it

I found this book a little difficult to rate but in the end I am going with 3.5 stars rounded up to 4. The main reason I found it hard to rate was that the first 150 pages or so are a bit of a slog, I can imagine many people not persevering with it but I did persevere and I was interested in the story and the characters thus my rounding up to 4 stars.

Daniel’s mum Tilde has arrived at his London apartment from Sweden and is scared out of her whits that her husband Chris questions her mental stabi I found this book a little difficult to rate but in the end I am going with 3.5 stars rounded up to 4. The main reason I found it hard to rate was that the first 150 pages or so are a bit of a slog, I can imagine many people not persevering with it but I did persevere and I was interested in the story and the characters thus my rounding up to 4 stars.

Daniel’s mum Tilde has arrived at his London apartment from Sweden and is scared out of her whits that her husband Chris questions her mental stability and wants to put her away in a psychiatric asylum. Tilde was born in Sweden and left for the UK when she was sixteen. She and her English husband Chris are now in their 60s and had retired to a farm in rural Sweden, mainly because their finances in the UK had taken a hit and it was the only thing they could afford to do.

Tilde was finding it difficult to make new friends in the small community but she did befriend a teenage girl Mia who one day disappeared mysteriously and Tilde is convinced that something sinister has happened to her. The rest of the community including the local mayor, the local police and the most powerful landowner Hakan, who is also Mia’s father, seem somewhat nonchalant and indifferent to Mia’s disappearance. Tilde becomes obsessed with the matter to the point where Chris starts to question her sanity and has her committed to an asylum. Tilde manages to convince the doctors that she is not crazy and manages to escape and flies to London to tell Daniel everything that happened. She desperately needs Daniel, her only son, to believe her version of events and not think she is losing the plot and needs to be put away.

What makes the first half of the book hard going is that Tilde insists on Daniel listening patiently while she goes through everything in minute and meticulous detail – the petty politics, bitching and gossip in the community, the power plays, the local dances, the rituals and so on. Whilst it was well described and mostly interesting, I found some of it a bit tedious. I must admit there were a couple of times where I nearly gave up.

Would I recommend this book? Yes. But with the disclaimer that it is definitely not for everyone and you may need a bit of patience to get through it. ...more

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May 13, 2014 Josh rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2014

Tom Rob Smith’s new stand-alone novel “The Farm” (after the highly successful Child 44 trilogy) shows his diversity in story-telling. This is not an action-based, in your face, thriller like his previous work, but a psychological mystery, a coming out of sorts as a writer.

The mystery behind the farm is a mystery itself. Mostly told from the perspective of the mother (Tilde) of the main character, Daniel, it starts off with a phone call from his father (Chris) saying how mentally ill Tilde is a ...more

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Dec 24, 2014 Steven Z. rated it it was amazing

When I began reading THE FARM, Tom Rob Smith’s new book I had certain expectations having read his trilogy of thrillers dealing with the Soviet Union; CHILD 44, THE SECRET SPEECH, and AGENT 6. From the first paragraph I grew curious, but very surprised. The story line was nothing like his previous books. This effort begins with a phone call from Chris, living in rural Sweden calling his son, Daniel who resides in London. Daniel’s parents had lived in London, but because their finances had succum When I began reading THE FARM, Tom Rob Smith’s new book I had certain expectations having read his trilogy of thrillers dealing with the Soviet Union; CHILD 44, THE SECRET SPEECH, and AGENT 6. From the first paragraph I grew curious, but very surprised. The story line was nothing like his previous books. This effort begins with a phone call from Chris, living in rural Sweden calling his son, Daniel who resides in London. Daniel’s parents had lived in London, but because their finances had succumbed to the 2008 recession they had taken what funds remained and purchased a small farm in Sweden, hoping to live out their retirement in that idyllic setting. Chris informs Daniel that his mother, Tilde was on her way to London, having been released from a psychiatric hospital. Chris had taken her there because of her strange behavior and he wanted to warn his son that doctors felt she was suffering from a psychosis and she was not to be believed once she arrived at Heathrow Airport. Each character seems to have a number of secrets that emerge during the course of the story. For Daniel, it was the fact that he was gay and living with his partner Mark. Daniel had been unable to tell his parents, which was why he had not visited them since their departure for Sweden. Once Tilde arrives, Daniel is faced with the core of the novel, was his mother mentally ill, or where her suspicions against his father true. Who was he to believe?

Most of the story is told by Tilde as she reads to Daniel from her Journal. She maintained the journal while she suspected that Chris and another farmer, Hakan Greggson, and others were involved in a criminal cover-up that she had investigated. Tilde argues that there was a conspiracy against her which is why she left Sweden, feeling the only one she could turn to was her son. As the narrative evolves Daniel questions whether he really knows either parent based on his mother’s strange presentation. He blames himself for neglecting his parents as he sees that the situation he is confronted with holds a great deal of information he was unaware of. Daniel wonders that if he had paid greater attention to what was occurring while he was growing up he would be able to make sense of what was now happening. Once his father follows his mother to London the novel becomes even more seductive as it draws the reader further into its plot.

The question throughout is whether Tilde is mentally incapacitated. But one must ask, is her behavior abnormal, or is the situation she has been placed in abnormal. As the existential phenomenologist, Thomas Szaz argued, it is not the person who is ill, but the environment that they must survive in that is responsible. Perhaps, Tilde is just behaving as she is as a coping mechanism to survive an emotionally debilitating situation. The reader doesn’t really know as they continue the journey that the author has prepared for them. It has been suggested by another review that some of what Smith has created is based on his own experiences. Be that as it may, the narrative is in part suspenseful, and in part deeply distressing. I will stop here as to not delve any deeper because the story will continue with many twists and turns as Daniel tries to come to some sort of closure as to how he feels about his parents, and what is the truth. In a sense the book is all about truth and the journey to find peace. It is a superb story and Tom Rob Smith has provided further evidence as to what a talented writer he has become. I read the book in two sittings; if you open its cover, and turn the pages you should experience the same desire to read on.
...more

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Feb 06, 2020 langana rated it liked it

Shelves: rusiskai, detektyvas, ebook

Not bad at all. Although reading it took some effort, I think it was intended by author as part of the character creation

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Mar 21, 2015 Heather rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2015

Dear Author Tom Rob Smith......Seriously? That's the ending you're going with?

This book was starting out to be one of my favorite books of all time! It was quite brilliant and written perfectly. I couldn't wait to read a word, a page, anything - picking it up at red lights, while curling my hair, brushing my teeth or cooking dinner. I was intrigued and excited, I couldn't wait to turn the page.

The beginning pulled me in and I was lost in he world of Sweden and the lives of Tilde, Daniel and Ch ...more

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Feb 04, 2019 Dimitris Passas (TapTheLine) rated it really liked it

''The Farm'' is a crime/mystery novel, written by Tom Rob Smith (''Child 44'', ''London Spy'', ''American Crime Story'') and it is a book I finished in one day (two sittings), something that rarely happens to me. I was immediately drawn to the story which begins when Daniel, being one of the two protagonists/narrators and living in London, gets a call from his father (Chris) who has recently moved permanently to Sweden with his wife, on an isolated farm somewhere in the
countryside. Chris says t ''The Farm'' is a crime/mystery novel, written by Tom Rob Smith (''Child 44'', ''London Spy'', ''American Crime Story'') and it is a book I finished in one day (two sittings), something that rarely happens to me. I was immediately drawn to the story which begins when Daniel, being one of the two protagonists/narrators and living in London, gets a call from his father (Chris) who has recently moved permanently to Sweden with his wife, on an isolated farm somewhere in the
countryside. Chris says to Daniel that his dear mother is committed to a mental clinic after a psychotic breakdown, full of paranoid delusions and having no connection with the reality anymore. The mother, Tilde, manages to get out of the hospital and takes the plane in order to meet Daniel and tell him her side of the story, about a massive conspiracy in which her husband and Daniel's father is involved, along with many other residents of the small village that she is now living. Daniel will have to listen carefully his mother's account and try to discern the truth in her story, if there is any, and then decide what he is going to do. Take his mother to the hospital or to the police station to tell the authorities her story? Is she a reliable or an unreliable narrator?
The first half of the novel is about Tilde's narration of the strange events that started happening when she and Chris moved to Sweden, which if properly combined, shape a larger picture that reveals a grim reality of corruption, xenophobia and -possibly- murder in the small community. In the second part we read about Daniel's journey to Sweden in order to find himself the truth about his mother's accusations. The finale is dignified, with a nice plot twist, and acts as the best ending to a compelling and suspenseful plot.
Tom Rob Smith's prose is simple, without being simplistic, and immediate so the reader keeps turning the pages in this rather long novel (more than 400 pages) which can be read even in one sitting. It will mainly appeal to the fans of literary and crime fiction as well as to anyone who enjoys a well-narrated mystery story. ...more

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Feb 19, 2014 Blair rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-thriller-etc, contemporary, 2014-release, read-on-kindle

The Farm presents itself as a taut, gripping thriller in which a man is torn between different stories told to him by his parents. Daniel's father claims his mother is not of sound mind, while she insists she has uncovered a terrible conspiracy surrounding their new home, an isolated farm in Sweden. Most of the narrative is given over to the mother's - Tilde's - story, as heard by Daniel; he interjects occasionally, but on the whole this is a very traditional, chronological account of events. On The Farm presents itself as a taut, gripping thriller in which a man is torn between different stories told to him by his parents. Daniel's father claims his mother is not of sound mind, while she insists she has uncovered a terrible conspiracy surrounding their new home, an isolated farm in Sweden. Most of the narrative is given over to the mother's - Tilde's - story, as heard by Daniel; he interjects occasionally, but on the whole this is a very traditional, chronological account of events. Only in the very last part of the novel does Daniel take matters into his own hands, travelling to Sweden in the hope of establishing the truth.

The story grabs your attention immediately, and it's all very fast-paced, so this is an easy read. But honestly, I'm starting to think twists and secrets are becoming a bit of a scourge on contemporary fiction and particularly thrillers. I knew there had to be something wrong here, otherwise there would be no source of tension: the reader is invited to decide whether they believe Tilde or not, but there's no counter-argument to dispute her account, so the narrative isn't exactly fairly weighted. (view spoiler)

That said, there are a lot of interesting themes in The Farm, to do with creating and telling stories; the importance of these as 'truths' (especially within families); the lies we tell our parents (and vice versa); the similar perception of stories told/memories recalled in both youth and old age as untrustworthy. I think you have to think deeply about the book to actually see them, though. It's a clever thing to make the story deceptively multi-layered, but it reads as almost too straightforward on the surface.

I think I tried to read one of the author's historical thrillers once and was totally uninterested in it, so this was definitely an improvement, but I didn't find it very memorable. It was just alright. ...more

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Oct 12, 2013 Anna Kļaviņa rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: british-irish, mystery-thriller-crime, scandinavian, read-in-2014

4.5

What happened in summer 1963? And how it is linked to summer 2013?

I was eager to read Smith's latest book, as I loved Child 44 and yet I was not sure how much I'll like it because the last book in the trilogy was a disappointment.

The Farm was better than I expected. A well written page turner as Child 44 but also with more layers then that.

And more personal. Few years ago, Smith's father phoned to tell him he suspected his mum was mentally ill. Hours later, she arrived in Britain.

...more

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Aug 12, 2014 Laura rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This was a quick read that held my attention from beginning to end. I loved the suspense and I wasn't disappointed with the ending. I did not find it predictable. If I had one complaint, I might say that the conclusion was almost too neat but I loved the book and easily rated it with a 5 star. ...more

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May 18, 2020 Chris Steeden rated it really liked it · review of another edition

A terrible crime has been committed on a Swedish farm. Or has it? That is the premise of Tom Rob Smith’s novel. The author is of Child 44 fame and has written a rather compelling book here.

Set in rural Sweden and London. We follow Mark who is a rooftop garden designer in London. His parents have retired to a farm in Sweden. His mother, Tilde, is Swedish. She had left home at the age of 16 and moved to England. She has her secrets. Mark has a secret as well which he has kept from his parents. His ...more

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Jun 06, 2014 Nancy Oakes added it · review of another edition

Shelves: uk-fiction

I liked this one.

for a longer look at this novel, feel free to click on over to my online reading journal; otherwise, this is the short version.

The Farm is a multilayered story within a story within a story that is slowly peeled back like the proverbial onion until you reach its core. The opening sequence is a total grabber. The narrator, Daniel, receives a call from his dad Chris telling him that his mom Tilde is sick, that she's been "imagining things -- terrible, terrible things," and that s I liked this one.

for a longer look at this novel, feel free to click on over to my online reading journal; otherwise, this is the short version.

The Farm is a multilayered story within a story within a story that is slowly peeled back like the proverbial onion until you reach its core. The opening sequence is a total grabber. The narrator, Daniel, receives a call from his dad Chris telling him that his mom Tilde is sick, that she's been "imagining things -- terrible, terrible things," and that she's been sick all summer. Now she seems to be "suffering from a psychotic episode," and is now voluntarily committed. As Daniel gets ready to make the trip from London to Sweden, his father calls him again to tell him that there's a problem -- Tilde, it seems, is not there; she's evidently convinced the doctors to let her go and now Chris has no clue where she may be. He does inform his son that he is among the people Tilde's been making accusations against, and that "none of what she claims is real." While Chris rings off to check their joint bank account, Daniel gets a call from his mother saying that she'll be landing in London in just two hours and that

"Everything that man has told you is a lie. I'm not mad. I don't need a doctor. I need the police."

From there, Tilde and Daniel sit for hours and hours while she goes through a satchel filled with what she calls evidence of her husband's involvement in a horrible criminal conspiracy. The story she tells reveals much to Daniel about herself and her husband, and by the time the story reaches its conclusion, Daniel comes to realize a lot about himself as well.

The Farm is a twisty novel, one that really plays heavily on reader expectations. The reader, up to a point, takes the same position as Daniel here, that of both judge and jury, having to decide whether or not Tilde's version of things is true and his dad is guilty of terrible crimes, or whether she really does need to be back in a hospital receiving treatment. In the meantime he begins to realize that there are a number of things about his parents he never knew, leading to the idea that maybe we don't know people as well as we think we do.

This is another one of those books where I had to take time to let things come together in my head, but I have to say, I ended up liking it. While there are some spots where the pace seems sort of sluggish, each time Tilde took something out of her satchel things started to heat up again and I was drawn back in and ready for whatever might happen next. The ending comes fast, sort of out of proportion to the big buildup that proceeded it, but it is a bit of a shocker. It also hit home the idea that as much as you may want to ignore the past, sometimes it might be better to confront it. I also felt that since Daniel has such a weight on his shoulders here, he might have shown as much energy throughout the story as he did toward the end, but in the long run, The Farm is a really good summer read that will leave you thinking about those closest to you and the secrets they carry. It's also a heck of a ride. ...more

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Jan 14, 2014 Shelleyrae at Book'd Out rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-are, provided-by-publisher

"Promise that you'll listen to everything I say with an open mind. All I ask for is an open mind. Promise me you'll do that, that's why I've come to you. Promise me!"

Daniel is shocked when his father rings in tears to announce his mother is sick, not physically ill but mentally, and he has been forced to admit her to a psychiatric hospital. Distraught, Daniel makes immediate plans to travel to Sweden where his parents now live, but before he can board the plane his mother arrives in London, clut
"Promise that you'll listen to everything I say with an open mind. All I ask for is an open mind. Promise me you'll do that, that's why I've come to you. Promise me!"

Daniel is shocked when his father rings in tears to announce his mother is sick, not physically ill but mentally, and he has been forced to admit her to a psychiatric hospital. Distraught, Daniel makes immediate plans to travel to Sweden where his parents now live, but before he can board the plane his mother arrives in London, clutching a battered satchel claiming that his father is conspiring against her. Demanding that Daniel listen, his mother begins to speak, asking Daniel to trust in her tale of secrets, lies, betrayal, corruption and perversion. Daniel doesn't know who to believe, he can't imagine either of his quiet, hard working, loving parents capable of deception but he has to know...just who is telling the truth?

The Farm is a psychological thriller where Smith unravels a finely crafted plot that examines the issues of trust, truth and betrayal. The story unfolds from the perspective of Daniel and Tilde, his mother, as she shares a tale with him, exposing her belief in a conspiracy that implicates the residents of a small Swedish community, and his father, in a shocking crime.

"I'm sure your father has spoken to you. Everything that man has told you is a lie. I'm not mad."

Daniel has never had any reason to distrust either of his parents but as his mother speaks he realises he has been oblivious to his parents lives, underscored by his surprise at the financial crisis that forced his parents move to Sweden. With the awareness that both his parents are capable of lying to him, Daniel is torn, unable to conclusively determine who is telling the truth. While his mother's story seems outlandish and his father appears genuinely distressed, the uncertainty nags at him and he decides the only way to determine the truth is to investigate his mother's claims himself.

With consummate skill, Smith keeps the reader guessing, unable to completely dismiss, or fully believe in, Tilde's conspiracy theory. The author fosters an atmosphere of unease and tension as the reader wonders whose side should they take, and what if it's the wrong one? The plot is masterful and the characterisation well done, but I have to confess there was something about the author's style that didn't quite grab me, and I was unable to completely lose myself in the novel. Nevertheless, I did like The Farm, particularly admiring its original premise, and I would recommend it without hesitation.

...more

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Jan 21, 2014 Tracey Allen at Carpe Librum rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favourites, signed-by-author

Oh my goodness! I've been hanging out to read The Farm by Tom Rob Smith ever since I heard the premise:
Daniel's parents have retired to Sweden, and all seems well until he receives a call from his father.
"Your mother's not well. She's been imagining things - terrible, terrible things. She's had a psychotic breakdown, and has been committed to a mental hospital."

But then his mother rings to say: "I'm sure your father has spoken to you. Everything that man has told you is a lie. I'm not mad. I do ...more

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Jun 03, 2014 Marnie rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: published-in-2014, read-in-2014, atw-sweden, mystery

First off- this is not Child 44. This is not an action/ thriller so if that is what you are looking for - select another book. This is a mystery.

Daniel gets a phone call from his father that his mother has gone crazy and has been institutionalized ( hello 1800's ). Rushing to the airport Daniel gets a call from his mother that she has escaped Sweden and that his father and others are out to "get" her. Who to believe? Is the mother a victim or an unreliable narrator? That is the mystery.

The auth ...more

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About Tom Rob Smith

Tom Rob Smith

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Tom Rob Smith (born 1979) is an English writer. The son of a Swedish mother and an English father, Smith was raised in London where he lives today. After graduating from Cambridge University in 2001, he completed his studies in Italy, studying creative writing for a year. After these studies, he worked as a scriptwriter.

His first novel, Child 44, about a series of child murders in Stalinist Russia ...more

Books by Tom Rob Smith

Child 44 and The Secret Speech: Digital Omnibus Edition

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Quotes from The Farm

“...Except when I was alone. I'd hate myself. It's how we feel about ourselves when we're alone that must guide our decisions.” — 8 likes

“Let me quickly remind you that the allegation of being mentally incapable is a tried and tested method of silencing women dating back hundreds of years, a weapon to discredit us when we fought against abuses and stood up to authority.” — 4 likes

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