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Monday, March 4, 2019

BLOG TOUR & REVIEW: The Wolf and the Watchman by Niklas Natt Och Dag @atriabooks

The Wolf and the Watchman 
by Niklas Natt Och Dag

Thank you Atria Books for this gorgeous copy and stop on the blog tour.


Publisher: Atria Books
Publish Date: March 5, 2019
Hardcover
384 Pages
Standalone
Genre: Historical Fiction

It is 1793. Four years after the storming of the Bastille in France and more than a year after the death of King Gustav III of Sweden, paranoia and whispered conspiracies are Stockholm’s daily bread. A promise of violence crackles in the air as ordinary citizens feel increasingly vulnerable to the whims of those in power.

When Mickel Cardell, a crippled ex-solider and former night watchman, finds a mutilated body floating in the city’s malodorous lake, he feels compelled to give the unidentifiable man a proper burial. For Cecil Winge, a brilliant lawyer turned consulting detective to the Stockholm police, a body with no arms, legs, or eyes is a formidable puzzle and one last chance to set things right before he loses his battle to consumption. Together, Winge and Cardell scour Stockholm to discover the body’s identity, encountering the sordid underbelly of the city’s elite. Meanwhile, Kristofer Blix—the handsome son of a farmer—leaves rural life for the alluring charms of the capital and ambitions of becoming a doctor. His letters to his sister chronicle his wild good times and terrible misfortunes, which lead him down a treacherous path.

In another corner of the city, a young woman—Anna-Stina—is consigned to the workhouse after she upsets her parish priest. Her unlikely escape plan takes on new urgency when a sadistic guard marks her as his next victim.

Over the course of the novel, these extraordinary characters cross paths and collide in shocking and unforgettable ways. Niklas Natt och Dag paints a deliciously dark portrait of late 18th century Stockholm, and the frightful yet fascinating reality lurking behind the powdered and painted veneer of the era.



ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Niklas Natt och Dag (whose name translates to “Night and Day”) is a member of the oldest surviving noble family in Sweden. He enjoys playing the guitar, mandolin, violin, and flute. He lives in Stockholm, Sweden, with his wife and their two sons. THE WOLF AND THE WATCHMAN is his first novel

My Review:



This is a pretty dark and seedy book and while I can see some people having some flinches and troubles with certain parts, I absolutely found those to be some of my favorite parts.  This is a very atmospheric reads but along the lines of <i> The Alienist </i>, I think I find these better suited on the screen.  

I had some issues with the translation and with the flow of conversation.  It seemed to take a lot of time to get into the nitty gritty and I much prefer a faster pace.  However... I absolutely was enthralled with the story line.  I think just for me, as a reader, these are the types of reads I much prefer to see on film.  There's a special cadence and flow to these types of reads that I just can't seem to get into the rhythm of.  Yet, I just can't look away either. 

Absolutely not a fun read but not all of them need to be - especially in this type of nordic noir, historical fiction thriller. 

★★★


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