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If Nobody Listens Part Two
She does not know them. They know all about her.
Tom has made a promise to Vasili. He will not reveal what happened in Borodianka. He soon realizes that his promise is impossible to keep.
Now the war begins between those who will reveal the truth, and those who will bury it. In the middle of it all is Vasili, his family and a ten year old orphan girl.
399 pages, ebook
Published July 29, 2019
3 people are currently reading
5 people want to read
About the author
Rikard Sommer
3 books14 followersRikard Sommer was born in 1965, and lives in a suburb outside of Oslo, Norway with his wife. He has done a lot of different things; worked at an ice cream factory in the summer holidays, been a cab driver, served five years in the Army, sold office machines, built professional audio/video systems and travelled around the world. He also picks up the guitar or keyboard and plays in a hobby band, as he is a true fan of classic pop music. He thinks XTC is one of the best-hidden gems and The Beach Boys’ God Only Knows is the ultimate pop song, which sometimes has gotten him into deep and vivid discussions with his mates.
If Nobody Listens is his debut novel, although he has been writing most of his life. When he is not writing, he enjoys fishing and mountain trips and singing pop songs from the sixties around the campfire.
If Nobody Listens is his debut novel, although he has been writing most of his life. When he is not writing, he enjoys fishing and mountain trips and singing pop songs from the sixties around the campfire.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
December 17, 2019
I read part 1 of If Nobody Listens about four months ago, gave it 3 stars, and have been dragging my heels about starting this ever since, but was feeling bad about how overdue my NetGalley review was, so jumped in. This is a direct continuation of Part 1 with no recap or reminders of who the characters are, so it would've been better to read them closer together, and obviously you can't read this as a standalone. This is a much better book, however.
Tom Avild, Norwegian IT developer for a biotechnology company, and his Ukrainian hacker friend Vasili have escaped from the organ-harvesting farm with young orphan Sofia. Returning home, they try to pick up their lives, but Tom must try and repair the damage done by his dead boss Paul, and keep them all safe from Russian gangsters with a nefarious plan to release a deadly bacterium against which they hold the only cure.
This plot was even more complicated than Part 1, with a vast array of characters who intersect in unexpected ways. I was very grateful for the search function on my Kindle to keep track of who all the different Russians were. The multiple sub-plots got rather confusing for a while especially as there was an excess of coincidence/convenience in how they all knew each other. Various new protagonists were introduced, only to then be either bumped off or just disappear from the narrative with their story unresolved.
It's unclear to me whether there will be a Part 3: I found the ending rather abrupt and dissatisfying as while the major arcs are resolved, neither of our heroes are left in a good place, and it felt like there should be more to come.
There is no indication from the author of whether this is the case. I would definitely want to read a part 3. If this is the end, then I can't decide whether I like the scary epilogue or not!
This book was certainly faster paced and the story telling has evolved, I don't know if that's the author maturing as a writer or a better translator. He still goes off on tangents that didn't really serve the plot, but I found it a more gripping read than Part 1 and was far more engaged in the characters' fates.
There are some particularly nasty villains as well as some more nuanced baddies. The odious self-serving journalists, board directors and scientists were well done. It does get rather violent and gory in parts, and the bio-terror plot line was particularly chilling as it felt very believable.
Overall I would recommend these books if you like thought-provoking Scandinavian thrillers with unusual heroes and don't need everything neatly wrapped up for you. My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for both ARCs which allowed me to give an honest review.
Tom Avild, Norwegian IT developer for a biotechnology company, and his Ukrainian hacker friend Vasili have escaped from the organ-harvesting farm with young orphan Sofia. Returning home, they try to pick up their lives, but Tom must try and repair the damage done by his dead boss Paul, and keep them all safe from Russian gangsters with a nefarious plan to release a deadly bacterium against which they hold the only cure.
This plot was even more complicated than Part 1, with a vast array of characters who intersect in unexpected ways. I was very grateful for the search function on my Kindle to keep track of who all the different Russians were. The multiple sub-plots got rather confusing for a while especially as there was an excess of coincidence/convenience in how they all knew each other. Various new protagonists were introduced, only to then be either bumped off or just disappear from the narrative with their story unresolved.
It's unclear to me whether there will be a Part 3: I found the ending rather abrupt and dissatisfying as while the major arcs are resolved, neither of our heroes are left in a good place, and it felt like there should be more to come.
There is no indication from the author of whether this is the case. I would definitely want to read a part 3. If this is the end, then I can't decide whether I like the scary epilogue or not!
This book was certainly faster paced and the story telling has evolved, I don't know if that's the author maturing as a writer or a better translator. He still goes off on tangents that didn't really serve the plot, but I found it a more gripping read than Part 1 and was far more engaged in the characters' fates.
There are some particularly nasty villains as well as some more nuanced baddies. The odious self-serving journalists, board directors and scientists were well done. It does get rather violent and gory in parts, and the bio-terror plot line was particularly chilling as it felt very believable.
Overall I would recommend these books if you like thought-provoking Scandinavian thrillers with unusual heroes and don't need everything neatly wrapped up for you. My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for both ARCs which allowed me to give an honest review.
October 7, 2019
A Scandinavian Thriller that was better than the first part. Characters were well developed in a way that made you feel for them. This second part tied everything together. Plus, you found out a lot about some of the bad characters. I can't wait to read more from this author. I highly recommend both books, Part 1 and Part 2.
August 2, 2023
This is a direct continuation of part 1 - you won't be able to understand what's happening in this book without having read it first. That out of the way - this was just as interesting as book one. (There are a lot of characters in play, once again, and could get confusing at times). Our main characters have returned, and we get to see what their life has become after the end of the first installment. Sommer wove an intriguing and thrilling tale, although I'm not sure how I feel about the quite abrupt ending. (Even though I can't quite call it a full cliffhanger, it feels like there could be more). Overall a thrilling read, that is certainly off the beaten path.
October 29, 2019
Grateful for the chance to read this novel and it's sequel thanks to NetGalley. Because when Part One ends, you want to read the next book.
Readers continue the journey with Tom and his friend, Vasili. Their skills in computer tech will be stretched as they seek to uncover more about the nefarious legacy left behind by Paul. All the while they are trying to keep the orphan girl discovered alive in part one and Vasili's mother alive.
Plenty of twists and turns with a good nod towards the real threat of multi-resistant bacteria and the lack of more research in antibiotics.
Readers continue the journey with Tom and his friend, Vasili. Their skills in computer tech will be stretched as they seek to uncover more about the nefarious legacy left behind by Paul. All the while they are trying to keep the orphan girl discovered alive in part one and Vasili's mother alive.
Plenty of twists and turns with a good nod towards the real threat of multi-resistant bacteria and the lack of more research in antibiotics.
September 25, 2019
Part Two answers the questions that were burning in the reader's mind at the end of Part One.
The story continues to take twists and turns that keep the reader engaged. Sommer manages to tie up all the loose ends without losing realism or the fast-paced excitement that continually built up with both books. A great story with a thought-provoking ending.
The story continues to take twists and turns that keep the reader engaged. Sommer manages to tie up all the loose ends without losing realism or the fast-paced excitement that continually built up with both books. A great story with a thought-provoking ending.
August 18, 2019
Brilliant! Entire review to follow.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews