Book Review: The Rabbit Hunter by Lars Kepler

 

Written by Safa Alhassan 

The Rabbit Hunter by Lars Kepler is one of the best crime fiction books I’ve read this year. The book is written by two amazing authors, husband and wife Alexandra Coelho Ahndoril and Alexander Ahndoril. It is one of the Detective Superintendent Jonna Linna and Saga Bauer series of books they've written. It is an exceptional book. It’s one of those stories I didn’t want to end because it kept me company for months. I kept going back to it, enjoying the suspense, and not wanting it to finish. I had to give it to my little brother as well, who funny enough read the whole book in no time. He was so eager to discuss the book with me, I tell you the book is that good. The plot is set in Sweden, and many of the names, streets, places, and characters are Swedish. I found some of them a bit difficult to pronounce, but I still enjoyed learning about them.

The story is about revenge, anger, and bitterness. Years after a terrible crime, the victim’s child decides to punish everyone involved in his mother’s suffering. She went through a lot at the hands of some boys from wealthy families during her school years, and this ruined her life. So many years later, she ended up in a care home, and people labelled her mad and delusional. She never got over what they did to her. These boys had taken her to a place they called "the rabbit hole," which was some kind of cult. They felt like they were untouchable and because they were aristocrats, the school had no authority over them. Infact the school was a family asset. Fast forward to years later, and they all became very successful men. One was a prime minister, another an ambassador, her ex-boyfriend became a famous chef, and the rest were rich and powerful. Joona Linna is incredibly smart and intelligent, a character I’d love to meet. With the help of his team, they managed to solve the mystery of the Rabbit Hunter. It was quite intense, as they left no stone unturned. The way the authors carried us along through the investigation was really interesting.

The book is very violent and brutal, with many disturbing scenes. The Rabbit Hunter, as the killer is called, is smart but crazy, and his only goal is revenge. He hunts his targets using a creepy nursery rhyme about rabbits, and he never misses. The murder scenes in the book is very disturbing as the writers made it as vivid as possible. You won’t know who the real Rabbit Hunter is until near the end, and trust me, you’ll have your guesses like I did. The reveal is worth the wait.

From the first page, the book grabs your attention, and if you love mystery like I do, it will keep you up at night. I bought it for a very cheap price at a local book market, which makes me wonder why we don’t spend more on books. They hide so many secrets, and unlike movies, they let you picture and connect with each character.

Without giving away too much, I’ll just say this book is a ten out of ten. In as much as i would really wish to gate keep this book, I’d definitely give it to a good friend, it’s that great.