Jammin Jenny’s Comments (group member since Jan 31, 2016)

Jammin Jenny’s comments from the Nothing But Reading Challenges group.

I should have these three books done tonight:

The Tommyknockers - on bad books list, 747 pages
The Chestnut Man - BOM and DQs makers
Vacationing on Planet Xanax - small book (not on bad books list) - maybe "planet Xanax" is where they met?

DQs Day 5 - Chapters 79-98

I am listening on audio so please forgive any misspellings of names

20. Why do you think all the victims were from abusive or neglectful homes? And how do you think the minister Rosa Hartem ties into these chestnut men? Is it more than just her daughter’s “disappearance”?

21. I find the character of Lunas Becker fascinating. I think he makes a great scapegoat for the crime of Katherine’s disappearance, and he seems to know something about The Chestnut Man.. What did you think about the interview Thulin and Hess have with Lunas Becker in the facility for the criminally insane?

22. Eskar Neergord and his wife Benedicta come up with a plan to infiltrate the Minister’s house by having Eskar hired as her private driver. That gives him direct access to her son Gustav, and when things start to go awry, Eskar and Benedicta decide to kidnap him. At the same time, the police broke into Eskar and Benedicta’s home and find all sorts of photos of the minister’s house. Do you think they are involved somehow with the chestnut dolls showing up?

23. Hess appears to be the only one in the room who thinks Eskar and Benedicta are not involved in the murders of the women, even if they are involved in the kidnapping. As he looks around the command room, he seems to think they are all still dancing to invisible strings in the air. Why do you think Hess thinks that and do you agree?

24. Eskar is able to stop Benedicta from hurting Gustav when they pull off into the woods. Then a strange car pulls off into the woods behind them and someone starts walking up. Later we find that both Eskar and Benedicta are dead outside the van, and the boy was saved by the task force that arrives. Who do you think followed the couple into the woods and killed them? Do you think it could be Frederick Vogel the minister’s advisor?

25. Who do you think put the cut off hands and feet in the mini-fridge in the slaughterhouse?

DQs Day 4: Chapters 63-78

16. I could not believe how much abuse Eric afflicted on his wife and children. It made me sick to my stomach reading about how he justified his actions and knew he would get away with it. Even when he found out about his wife’s death after learning that she was planning on running away, Eric thought it was justice being served. How was your experience reading this section?

I have personal experience with domestic violence and abuse and felt the writer did a great job with this section of the book.

17. Hess is annoyed when he finds out that Nylander is in communication with his ex-boss from Interpol. There’s been hints so far as to what resulted in Hess’s dismissal from his previous job. Do you have any ideas what it might have been?

I think Hess was dismissed from going off book as well - he seems to have a sixth sense about things and seems to follow his hunches perhaps further than he should.

18. The killer keeps distracting the police officers with incorrect leads. Did you think the killer was going to come to Jessie’s apartment? Were you surprised that her lover came instead?

I did not expect them to find the killer and I was surprised when a lover showed up instead.

19. One of the things I really like about this book is how you get multiple viewpoints from the various characters (the women before they are killed, Nylander, the cop in charge of Kristine’s case etc.) It really helps to flesh out the plot and character development. What are your thoughts about this? Do you like this type of narrative or would you have wanted the focus to be on Thulin and Hess?

I think it really helps build the suspense in the book by having multiple POVs involved, but it does make it more difficult to follow sometimes when listening to the audible version.

Bonus question: The author of this book is a writer for the TV show – The Killing. Have you watched it or are you interested in watching it after reading this book?

I have not but I have always been interested. Maybe after I finish binging on Major Crimes and United States of Tara I'll give The Killing a try :)

I'm finishing up DQs for Day 5 and will have them posted by midnight PST today.

That's the beauty of both of those books..you don't have to struggle through them for long if you can just close your eyes and thing of England.

I'm in for both BRs - haven't been to the Back Room in a while and am needing a little smut.

Thanks yes I'm a member of the Back Room. I"ll check out the sinful chat...

Where are the BR threads for the books mentioned above? Can you add a link to them in one of the messages on the first page of this thread? Maybe in the same message you linked the BOM threads?

I downloaded that one too - found it on Scribd if anyone is looking for it...

ETA: Also downloaded - found on KU

Day 3 DQ's– Chapters 39-62

11. Steen finds out from Kristine's friend Mathilde that they didn't make Chestnut Men last year like Rosa said. Do you think Rosa was just mistaken when she told the police Kristine made and sold them or that she purposely lied? What were her intentions if you think she lied - did she just want the cops to get out and leave her grieving family in peace, or do you think she knows something about the chestnut men and/or the killer?

I think she probably knows something about the chestnut men and the killer, and she's too scared to talk about it.

12. Both victims families were reported to Social Services through an anonymous tip and evidence of sexual/child abuse are later discovered. Do you think the anonymous tipper is the killer?

I don't think so but maybe??

13. When Hess calls social services he speaks with social worker Henning Loeb who gives him information on Magnus, but lies about finding information about the two girls, Lina and Sofia Sejer-Lassen, after he "sees something he doesn't fully grasp, and that makes him wary." What do you think he saw and why did he lie? Do you think there is a connection here with Rosa who is the Minister for Social Affairs?

He probably saw some sign of abuse or something too scary to even comprehend it's importance. I think there is probably a connection to Rosa.

14. A few people have speculated that the basement Officer Marius enters in ch. 1 could have been used some sort of abuse, possibly child abuse. Given what we now know do you agree and do you think the killer was possibly a victim?

Yes, and that fits a lot of those types of people's psychological profile. Many people that end up abusing others were abused themselves.

15. While it's clear Hauge was the one abusing Magnus we don't know for sure if Lassen was the one abusing the girls. Do you think the abuser was Lassen or his wife? (He seemed ready to offer up info on his eldest's broken nose which is the only thing giving me pause.) If the killer is reacting to the abuse, why target the mothers and not the abusers (assuming Lassen is the abuser)? Is Thulin right in speculating that in the killers eyes the mother "ought to have know... didn't react to the report."?

I think it was the father, but that the killer was either abused by his mother, or his mother did not stand up to the father when he abused the killer. So, he's angry at mothers that are weak or let their children be abused.

I'm still on stop #2 as well. I plan on finishing that stop first before going to Stop #3. I probably won't read that book until late this week or early next week (unless I read a different book with 21-30 chapters before I get to the one I planned).

Right now Stop #2 is scheduled for Nov 7 - Nov 20. If we all finish early, we can end that stop earlier and move up Stop #3.

For stop #3 I'm good with set in US. That stop is currently scheduled for Nov 21 - Dec 4. I'd like to propose that we stick to that schedule as the holidays are coming up (at least in the US) and it might be harder for all of us to get through these two stops in time.

And I think it's more fun when we all travel together to the same stops. I don't think we should have some people at Stop #2 or #3 while others are at Stop #4 or #5. Then it doesn't really feel like we're travelling together.

I know we can use our whole time on the trip to read for any stop, but I think that we should use that when people are having a hard time reading for a current stop, to go back through what they've read during our trip so far to see if any books they already read fit that stop. So it's almost like they lost their luggage along the way and the airline finally has it catch up to them.

Does that make sense?

Completion Post


Book: Folsom by Tarryn Fisher
Date Read: 11/3
Pages: 276
Sin: Lust
Criteria: something lustful on the cover
Alternate: Greed - Top Shelf Dystopian

Completion Post



Book: The Sawbones Book: The Hilarious, Horrifying Road to Modern Medicine by Justin McElroy
Date Read: 10/31
Pages: 216
Sin: Greed
Criteria: Anything Goes

Day 2 DQ's– Chapters 20 – 38

6 We have got a fair way into the book now and my first question is to ask how you feel about it? What do you like / dislike about it

I like that the characters have some interesting back stories involved in their lives - and I liked how Hess spoke with the kid playing the video games

7. What are your impressions about the time line from Marius to Kristine to Laura?

I agree with Christina's comment. I'm listening on audiobook as well so sometimes it's hard to comment on those sorts of issues.

8. Hess and Thulin are not necessarily bosom buddies How do you see their differing working methods and relationship developing?

I think that Hess has seen more of the world and will add that type of information or guidance to their working relationship. Thulin is more driven to make a name for herself which will help with Hess's more devil may care attitude

9. Hess insists on visiting Magnus Kjaer and showing him some photographs. What do you think is the significance of "The chestnut man" being something new?

I honestly don't know

10. Erik Sejer Lassen is arrested - there is a lot going on during the chase - How do you read the events leading up to the arrest and during the questioning?

I don't think he's the killer either, but it's all very confusing to me sometimes

Yes I can post that other book. I'm also going to finish at least one more book today Folsom which has a slightly higher page count. Want me to post whichever one gives us more points?

Great! Thanks for clarifying that for me. I'll see what I can get done next week but I won't start before Nov 4th on any of those in my post on Bad Books.

I can read Queen of Air and Darkness next week for the bad books.

It's been over six months since I've read it and its 912 pages. I know it can only count towards the mini-challenge so does that mean we lose out on the BB extra points? I could listen to it next week and it would work for both Part I and Part II of the new sinful mini-challenge of Lust.

ETA: I also have The Tommyknockers on audio and I could listen to that next week. Another Bad Book that's a Big Book 747 pages.

Let me know if you want me to work them in. I can listen morning/night and read during day.

ETA2: I also have I need to read for Netgalley but that's only 273 pages so no extra points if we do lose them by using them in a mini-challenge. Still don't have that rule straight in my mind.

Sorry :( I'll go check it out

What is it with the bad books? How many do we need to read and by when?

Completion Post

Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley


Rating: 5 stars
Date Read: 11/2/19
Pages: 384
Sin: Sloth
Criteria: 50% Blue
Alternate: Greed (Anything Goes)
Sin Bingo: N
BOM: N

Mini Challenge: Wrath
#44 - Read a book with MPG Crime, Mystery, Thriller or Suspense that also meets the criteria for "Setting - Exotic Locale" - set in Switzerland, Iceland
#79 - Read a book with MPG Crime, Mystery, Thriller or Suspense set in 1800AD - 1900AD - set in the late 1800s
#81 - Read a book with MPG Crime, Mystery, Thriller or Suspense that also meets the criteria for "Setting - Isolated Locale" - set in Iceland
#120 - Read a book with MPG Crime, Mystery, Thriller or Suspense that also meets the criteria for "Medical" - Doctor Frankenstein uses medical techniques to bring his creature to life
#138 - Read a book with MPG Crime, Mystery, Thriller or Suspense that also meets the criteria for "SciFi" - the author uses science as part of her narrative, making it a sci-fi story